T.E.A.M.: Work: Week 3

WOW...These last three weeks went by way too fast. This last week was by far the most intense week of work. I started on Monday by working in dish pit for almost 4 hours and then we cleaned the office and lodge and got an hour and a half nap.

Our first session was on Monday afternoon with PR (Pastor Randy). His topic was: "It's not about me...it's all about God." It just really made us think about our reasoning behind all that we did at camp...were we doing it because we had to? or were we doing it because we wanted to glorify God in doing so?

I just have to say that the hardest thing to do at camp was this morning when we all had to say goodbye to each other. I made many, many good friends at camp and I miss them all.

Lydia shooting skeet at Mr. Ben's house for our reward night.

 



 Laura and Grace

 

Laura, Grace, and I

 

Katie, Mary, and I

 

Lydia and I

 

Hanne and I

 

Ok...funny story...

On Friday night after we got back to camp, we had root beer floats.

Well, Pastor Scott started slurping his and Laura started slurping hers.

It ended in some sort of a contest for who could slurp the loudest.

 

All of us girls.

 

The whole group.

Back row (l to r): Pastor Scott, Corbin, Ben, Buddy, Jake, Aaron, Joe, Phillip, Rory, and Bubba

Middle row (l to r): Hannah, Hanne, Lydia, Grace, Laura, Jed, and Todd

Front row (l to r): Ruth, Savannah, Betsy, Amanda, Katie, Trina, Mary, Me, Jer, Nathan, and Isaac

 

I had a lot of fun with all you guys. Remember...

Success is Faithfulness!!!

10 Principles for Standing for Right

Along with all the memories from these past two weeks, the Lord has taught me a lot and worked in my heart. The theme for this week was The Biblical Leader and His Fight. Dr. Matt Williams came and did the Leadership Training. The Lord just really showed me what kind of a leader He wants me to be and that I need to step up.

 

One of the sessions was on the 10 Principles for Standing for Right:

 

1. Show you love God; do what He says.

1 John 5:2,3

"By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous."

 

2. Just say NO!

Proverbs 1:10

"My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not."

 

3. Watch out for red flags!

Proverbs 27:12

"A prudent man forseeth the evil, and hideth himself;

but the simple pass on, and are punished."

 

4. Let God cover sin!

Proverbs 28:13

"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper:

but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."

 

5. Keep a clean conscience.

Acts 24:16

"And herein do I exercise myself,

to have always void of offence toward God, and toward men."

 

6. You can't stay neutral.

Proverbs 28:4

"They that forsake the law praise the wicked:

but such as keep the law contend with them."

 

7. Silence can mean approval.

Proverbs 17:15

"He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just,

even they both are an abomination to the Lord."

 

8. Give your friends a choice.

Proverbs 17:17

"A friend loveth at all times,

and a brother is born for adversity."

 

9. Discipline is good, not bad.

Proverbs 19:25

"Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware:

and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge."

 

10. Two or three can help!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

"Two are better than one: because they have a good reward for their labour.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth:

for he hath not another to help him up.

Again, if two lie together, then they have heat; but how can one be warm alone?

And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him;

and a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

 

The Lord just really opened my eyes and showed me that I need to step up as a leader. Please pray for me as I strive to be a better leader in my home, church, and community and that I might bring people to Christ. 

 

Camp Chetek Bowling Activity

Every summer the camp goes bowling and out for Culver's frozen custard. Well, that was this last Saturday night. We had a lot of fun and a lot of good fellowship. Every year, there is a dress up theme...this year was Hill Billy/Redneck. Here are a few pictures. :D

My group: Mary, Betsy, Nathan, and I

 



 



T.E.A.M.: Work: Week 2

This last week was the first week that we really hit the work hard. On Monday morning I got to work dish pit during lunch and then we cleaned bathrooms. This week was a little different though, we were put with a cabin and we were the junior counselor. Every evening for chapel, we would get to sit with them and then hang out with them until bedtime. The best day though was Thursday when I got to spend the afternoon with my cabin.

My girls and I...

They were all dears and I miss them all.

 

Mary

Cleaning the guys bathhouse after mud pit.

Mary and Laura

 

Skit Night

Who's on 1st, What's on 2nd, I don't know's on 3rd

 

Rainbow Quartet

Flynn Rider

 

 



Then Friday night for our reward, we went out to the middle of Lake Chetek to the sand bar. There we went swimming...(well, not all of us), tubing, skiing, and wake boarding. Then when we got back, we had brownies and ice cream. Sorry that there isn't any pictures, I didn't want to risk losing my camera. We also had a little birthday party for one of the girls after we did devos with our cabin.

 

 

Now there is only one week left.

I have had a lot of fun so far and am looking forward to finishing strong.

I am not looking forward to having to say goodbye to all the wonderful people that I have worked with though. :(



T.E.A.M.: Leadership Training: Week 1

I was blessed to be able to work at Camp Chetek on their T.E.A.M. Program for three weeks. The Lord taught me a lot and I made many new friends. T.E.A.M. stands for Teens Entering Active Ministry. There were 22 of us teenagers that spent three weeks at camp. This week we had about 15 leadership training sessions and by Wednesday we were serving food, cleaning bathrooms and other buildings. Just about every evening we would do some sort of activity. On Wednesday night, we hung out in the upstairs of the Lodge and played games and on Thursday night we played Catch Phrase. Then every Friday night is what they call a "reward night." The first reward night, we had a testimony bonfire with s'mores.

 Wednesday Night

Playing ping pong in the Lodge with Grace, Savannah, and Ruth.

 

Thursday night playing Catch Phrase.

From left to right: Nathan, Katie, and Joe

Left to Right: Philip, Betsy, Jeremiah Hanne, and Todd

Grace and I

Laura, Grace, and I

Ok...funny story behind this picture...

Laura's brother was going to take a picture of Laura, Grace, and I

Well, Laura and Grace didn't get the memo so right as Rory (Laura's brother)

snapped the picture, they turned and Jake photo bombed.

Ahh...good ole memories.

 

I am very excited for these last two weeks of working.

These last weeks are going to be hard, but with the Lord, I can do anything!!



What is the purpose of being disabled?

I have had people ask me this question over and over. As you all know...I have been disabled since birth. Until a couple of years ago, I wondered about this myself until my dad brought to my attention this passage:

 

"And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

And his disciples asked him, saying,

Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

Jesus answered,

Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents;

 but that the works of God should be made manifest in him."

Acts 9:1-3

 

 

This passage just explains it all for me. When I was younger, I always wondered if I would have a certain special talent or something special I could do for the Lord...I never imagined that I would be able to play the piano and be able to reach so many people through that. Just because I am disabled doesn't mean that I have a good excuse just to sit and do nothing all day...that's not what the Lord wants me to do. Christ made me disabled so that I could show other people the joy of Christ and what wonderful things you can accomplish through Him.

 

Please pray with me and for me as I leave for Camp Chetek for three weeks tomorrow morning. This week is all training and then the next two weeks I will be helping clean and serving/cooking the food. I am very excited to see what the Lord is going to do not only in my life, but also in the lives of the campers.

 

Feel free to email me or send me letters while I am at camp. You can click here if you would like to email me. The mailing address for letters is: PO Box 26, Chetek,WI 54728

 

I will be blogging after I get home what I learned and hopefully some pictures. :) 

Do you love God as you should?

Now you may be thinking; "Ruby, what are you talking about? I'm saved, I love God!" But, I am serious! This last Wednesday night, we went out to Camp Chetek for their music night and Brother Scott Sivnksty spoke. The passage that he spoke on was Mark 12:28-30, "And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, I Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment."

 

He continued then to make four points of what loving God requires. They were: (1) Complete Fixation, (2) Complete Living, (3) Complete Intellectualism, and (4) Complete Exertion. It just really made me reflect on how I live and made me ask myself if I am loving God as I should.

 

If we don't love God, we won't love others; if we don't love others, we won't have a servant's heart. That really challenged me. The Lord has given me the opportunity to work at Camp Chetek for three weeks on their T.E.A.M. Program. We spend all next week in training under Brother Scott and then we work for the last two. I am incredibly excited about what the Lord is going to teach me.

 

If you would like more information about Camp Chetek click here .

 

Feel free to email me or send me a letter while I'm at camp! To email me while I am there click here. Otherwise for sending letters, the address is: PO Box 26 Chetek,WI 54728.