Week 2-3: Sabbathing and Stressing

Haha yea the title sums up these past two weeks pretty well, kinda ironic that Im a week behind in my updates while still trying to keep Sunday Holy and respecting the Sabbath. Thanks to those that checked last Sunday to see an update, im glad y’all keeping me accountable.

Recap of week 2, it’s a blur for the most part because of the fact that there were about 50 ppl that I was catering to as they were using our Campsite as a student retreat. These kids are a special bunch because their schedule included a 2 hr free time period and 2 three hour Sessions of Bible Study. Scuse my language but they went DEEP into the Word, so much so that they would be late for meals and late in their late nite schedule because they would go OVER time in Bible study. Oh and MAN can they EAT! They cleaned us out every meal that we had to make an extra run for groceries as well as prepping almost an hour extra before meals.  That’s all I remember actually haha

So week 3 started off with a Message from The Emotionally Healthy Church Sermon Series spoken by Pete Scazzero and I specifically picked the one that focused on Sabbatical Rest: God’s Secret Weapon to Spiritual and Emotional Maturity. This particular sermon title stroke a chord with me as I remembered how my Brothers and Sister’s down in AACF at CMU respected and honored the Sabbath. It was mind boggling to me as I heard from a close brother that the AACF would hurry to finish all their work on Saturday nite before the clock hit 12 Sunday morning. Work would cease at 12 and they would take their Sabbath; be in worship in the Lord and enjoy the fellowship with their fellow Brothers and Sisters ALL DAY. Those that know CMU students know their reputation of academia and excellence but I found it amazing how the Christian community there place God’s Standard even Higher than that.

Back to the sermon there was no way I could just sit and just meditate afterwards, I had to start taking some of what I heard and apply it and thus last Sunday was one of the first Sundays in a longtime that I was able to truly rest and reacquaint myself with some youthful shenanigans with the Interns and Volunteer kids at the Waterfront.

But it was back to work that Monday. Lots to manage, lots to sort out, lots to clean, lots to plan…yup Camp Herald Life doesn’t stop.  I’ve hit a few bumps here and there and though I keep truckin’ a lot of things stay in the back of my head everyday and a few nights last week I could barely sleep for 1-2 hrs at a time. Learning how to deal with the multiple things have really stretched my stress tolerance but not without a few mistakes here and there. Pray for me, there are things that I tend to forget when there is a lot that I need to take care of over the course of a day. Pray for focus and organization in the coming weeks so that I don’t go crazy in the progress managing those around me. Pray for my health as well as I don’t sleep enough as it is that I get the sniffles in the morning and cough throughout the day. Finally for the few that know; it’s been tough, pray for strength to fight.

Thinking back now as the week comes to a close that this past Sabbath helped reset my wiring a little. As I gradually add more time to my Sabbath breaks; spending it with God rather than personal leisure, I’ll be ok because I know that it’s no longer in my hands but God rather. Looking forward to week 4 and what’s in store

so begins Summer 2012

The time is 5:46 and this is all the luggage (minus the sleeping bag, guitar amp and guitar) that i will be taking with me upstate to Camp Herald

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SO IM BACK! after almost a full year im back. Many apologies to those that check this wordpress from time to time, but you know me im lazy. Though i digress. So as some of you know, i was graciously blessed with the job of Camp Manager at Camp Herald this summer and its truly God’s provision and not my own planning or intention that I’m partaking in this opportunity to serve this summer, but more on that later and bare with me because this is a long post too.

What are my plans for this summer? So many things have happened in the past year that I don’t have the time to really go into it. Though I want to start off this summer right. being more intentional and focused about what I am doing to develop and enrich myself as an individual as well as working on and improving interpersonal skills with the various staff, interns, campers and patrons that will be there this summer at Camp Herald. There is a lot to do at camp this year, a lot that I want to do for the camp this year, yet as many of you probably will agree with, never enough time. There is even more frustration and pressure this time around because I’ve been placed in a position of authority and I’ve got a lot of responsibilities to take on.

Though i need to remind myself all the time that in all things God is in control and things will happen in His timing. This one of the many lessons that i learned at camp since my intern year but i always, and i mean always, leave it at camp. This summer is a little though, it is because of His timing that I am serving at Camp Herald this year. As i’ve told many of you, I have been in the process of getting in Police Academy and starting my career as an Officer. Though my initial acceptance date was supposed to be in July, i was slightly delayed due to my medical condition and at the time of further testing i was at a point that i was going to give up my pursuit of my career. I was grudgingly preparing for a career contingency plan but everything seem so bleak. The opportunity to serve at Camp came up and i thought; Might as well, it something you know and you can re-evaluate up there…etc. Though God has a bigger plan and a better one too. Over those two weeks as I waited for my results I had nowhere to really turn to besides God as i was frustrated and disappointed with myself and my inadequacy.  God, being Awesome as He usually is not only allows me to pass my medical exam but also delayed my acceptance till the next class and thus I still have the opportunity to serve and pursue my career.

Coming into Camp this year, I holding unto the fact that God is still taking care of me, regardless of how bleak the situation is and I know that He is going to come thru in His timing do amazing things this summer at Camp Herald. I will try my best to blog once a week most likely Sunday Nites and share with you; following this blog, the things that are going on at Camp Herald and how God is working. I dont expect all the posts to be amazing and upbeat but I need to do this so that you guys can keep accountable in reporting and updating. But feel free to comment and ask questions about whats going on, I’ll take time to respond for sure.

I’ll be posting prayer requests hopefully in the next blog as im heading upstate in a couple hours.

its been too long

oyi…its been a long journey too many things on my mind.

over the course of these next couple weeks i hope to be be able to dump some of the intricate thoughts i have stored up over the past year about the things that have been going on my life. possibly create a few tabs for new aspects of permanence in my life but we’ll see