"Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty"
The Holy Bible, Proverbs 28:19 ESV
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
I Wish
This is a song preformed (and I would assume written by) by Blake Gardner of the once existent rap duo called Pushmode. The song is called "I wish".
I wish. I wish.
I wish that I could handle,
I wish that I could sing,
I wish that I could be good example what a man should be,
I wish that I could make people understand my thought,
Forget people, I wish I could understand my own thought.
I wish that I could be a better Christian,
Wish that I could crawl inside your ears and make you listen,
I wish that my position wasn't here on a stage with a Mic, but it's the best way that I know that I can show you all the light.
I wish that I could learn to stop complaining,
Wish that I could learn to enjoy the weather even when it's raining,
And I wish that I could learn to love people, like I know you love people, but sometimes I need reminding that we're equal.
I wish that depression didn't run in my family,
I wish that a lesson could be learned from these casualties,
I wish that oppression could be ended everywhere,
I wish my nation would be changed by a prayer.
I wish that I was different,
I wish that I was better,
But I'm better off writin' off my wishes in a letter,
And I better not take my little wishes too far, cause my own wish is none to next to what you have in store.
I wish that I was different,
I wish that I was better,
But I'm better off writin' off my wishes in a letter,
And I better not take my little wishes too far, cause my own wish is none to next to what you have in store.
I wish my past didn't exist,
I wish that I backtrack and take back what makes me like this,
And I wish that friend would stop cutting her skin,
I wish she knew true beauty truly lied within,
I wish that suicide wasn't easier than life,
And I wish that you and I could sit down and make it right,
And wish I could play chess with my granddad again,
But he died of lung cancer and I'm stuck with the pen.
I wish that could toss my material things, just take up my cross and nod my head to the king,
And I wish that I could eat my own words with a spoon, but if I did that I'd be eatin' here until noon.
Assume just for a second I guess, what if we all got own wishes would it be like this? Or would greed supersede and everything fall apart? I think sometimes we take our own little wishes too far.
I wish that I was different,
I wish that I was better,
But I'm better off writin' off my wishes in a letter,
And I better not take my little wishes too far, cause my own wish is none to next to what you have in store.
I wish that I was different,
I wish that I was better,
But I'm better off writin' off my wishes in a letter,
And I better not take my little wishes too far, cause my own wish is none to next to what you have in store.
That's what I wish.
That's what I wish.
That's what I wish.
That's what I wish.
"I Wish" by Pushmode
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Careers
massage therapist $64,000
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art teacher $48,000
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state police trooper $57,000
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doctor $76,000
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chiropractor $73,000
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mechanic $39,000
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art professor $59,000
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studio artist $41,000
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painter $36,000
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team building facilitator $68,000
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graphic designer $59,000
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comic book artist $68,000
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computer programmer $75,000
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I do not know how accurate these estimates are. I think they are based on http://www.indeed.com/'s listing for those jobs by employers. I was brainstorming today though, thinking that I am probably going to need a better paying job than working in this factory for the rest of my life.
Some of these jobs have higher estimates than I anticipated. Like Studio artist. There must be some studio artists who are doing really well financially. And comic book artists seem to be in demand it looks like.
This all stems from me starting to look at apartments in the area and thinking "Wow. If I pay ___ for rent each month, plus ___ for car insurance, plus ___ for electric, ___ for gasoline and ___ for groceries and ___ for cell phone and etc. etc. .... there won't be much left over, based on my current average income.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Summer
Well, I've been working at CTS for about 10 months now. The 4 month probationary period at the beginning was the long part. Since then time has gone by pretty quickly.
Somewhere in my time there, a new guy named Wesley (who's also a Christian) got a job there. It's really nice having him there because he lightens up the mood in the workplace. He's always got a funny story or a joke or something to keep things light hearted. And God knows I'm the guy who needs to lighten up most of the time.
It seems like lately all I do is work. So, I haven't felt like I really have anything to blog about.
However, I recently (a couple days ago) went to my friend Evan's wedding. He talked with me for a little bit after the dancing got going and the official wedding events were largely over. He asked me if I was still doing that blog that I had started, and said that he had actually started a blog partially because of me doing my blog. He encouraged me to keep writing. So here I am, picking back up with the blogging.
Disc Golfing:
Well, I've started disc golfing with friends from time to time. It's fun. You throw these miniature discs which some people would call "Frisbees," (but I think Frisbee is a brand name. ... and they're not called that. They're called "discs" apparently. ... but if you call it a frisbee I won't hold it against you. .. I probably won't even correct you). Anyway, you throw the discs from the tee off location toward a large basket which may be a couple to a few hundred feet away.
Last night I got a birdie (which I think is two under par) on a par 4. It was really exciting.
It's great because you are in the great outdoors, doing something physical (as opposed to playing video games) together with friends, working on your arm strength and throwing techniques, and socializing. It makes a great activity (if you enjoy disc golfing that is. Thankfully, throwing things like horse shoes or discs seems to come somewhat naturally to me. If I was really bad at it, I might not have as much fun).
Art:
I must admit I have hardly been doing anything with drawing or painting or any of that recently.
Music:
However, I have been playing piano still. And since I recently bought a fancy android smart phone, I can now take pretty decent recordings of the music I play on my phone. They aren't studio recordings or anything, but it's a nice thing to have.
Bair Lake Bible Camp:
For those who have been familiar with the fact that I worked there. I am no longer employed at Bair Lake Bible Camp. However, on rare occasions I still do work for them in their Adventure Challenge Education programming (e.g. leading rock wall climbing activities, or high ropes course activities, etc.)
I was blessed ( and I do mean blessed. It was a blessing to be there) to attend half of camp as a camper last week. I attended Youth Week, which is the camp week for the college aged kids. We had some amazing worship times. I was able to talk with one of the adult counselors, Bruce, for a couple hours about some things I'm struggling with in life. I had some fun bonding time with new friends on a road rally. It was a great time. It also turns out that it is the last year that those directors for Youth Week will be directing that week. It was their 32nd year of directing youth week.
-Stephen
Somewhere in my time there, a new guy named Wesley (who's also a Christian) got a job there. It's really nice having him there because he lightens up the mood in the workplace. He's always got a funny story or a joke or something to keep things light hearted. And God knows I'm the guy who needs to lighten up most of the time.
It seems like lately all I do is work. So, I haven't felt like I really have anything to blog about.
However, I recently (a couple days ago) went to my friend Evan's wedding. He talked with me for a little bit after the dancing got going and the official wedding events were largely over. He asked me if I was still doing that blog that I had started, and said that he had actually started a blog partially because of me doing my blog. He encouraged me to keep writing. So here I am, picking back up with the blogging.
Disc Golfing:
Well, I've started disc golfing with friends from time to time. It's fun. You throw these miniature discs which some people would call "Frisbees," (but I think Frisbee is a brand name. ... and they're not called that. They're called "discs" apparently. ... but if you call it a frisbee I won't hold it against you. .. I probably won't even correct you). Anyway, you throw the discs from the tee off location toward a large basket which may be a couple to a few hundred feet away.
Last night I got a birdie (which I think is two under par) on a par 4. It was really exciting.
It's great because you are in the great outdoors, doing something physical (as opposed to playing video games) together with friends, working on your arm strength and throwing techniques, and socializing. It makes a great activity (if you enjoy disc golfing that is. Thankfully, throwing things like horse shoes or discs seems to come somewhat naturally to me. If I was really bad at it, I might not have as much fun).
Art:
I must admit I have hardly been doing anything with drawing or painting or any of that recently.
Music:
However, I have been playing piano still. And since I recently bought a fancy android smart phone, I can now take pretty decent recordings of the music I play on my phone. They aren't studio recordings or anything, but it's a nice thing to have.
Bair Lake Bible Camp:
For those who have been familiar with the fact that I worked there. I am no longer employed at Bair Lake Bible Camp. However, on rare occasions I still do work for them in their Adventure Challenge Education programming (e.g. leading rock wall climbing activities, or high ropes course activities, etc.)
I was blessed ( and I do mean blessed. It was a blessing to be there) to attend half of camp as a camper last week. I attended Youth Week, which is the camp week for the college aged kids. We had some amazing worship times. I was able to talk with one of the adult counselors, Bruce, for a couple hours about some things I'm struggling with in life. I had some fun bonding time with new friends on a road rally. It was a great time. It also turns out that it is the last year that those directors for Youth Week will be directing that week. It was their 32nd year of directing youth week.
-Stephen
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
CTS, Skateboarding, BBC
Job
I have been working at CTS for about a month and a half now. It's going well. The probationary period for getting into the union, which is UAW, is 4 months. So, I'm almost halfway through that now. A couple of the people who work there are Christians, which is encouraging. I eat my "lunch" with an older Christian guy named Don. He's been there for a good 25 years or so I think.
I say "lunch" in quotes because I work 2nd shift now, 3:30pm to midnight. So, my lunch break is at 8pm usually. It's not bad.
Art
Still painting the back of that skateboard. Been drawing pictures here and there.
Music
I have been playing piano in my free time, which has been fun. I believe God has given me natural talent in playing piano. However, I broke the piano the other night. The pedal that you put your foot on to sustain the notes when you're not pressing down the key, yeah. I was playing and then heard some clanging sound in the piano as something came disconnected (or so it sounded like). I rely on that pedal a lot.
Food
My parents and I went to an amazing pizzeria in Goshen, Indiana. It's named Venturi. Apparently, it has received a prestigous award or two for it's pizza.
Wow. Amazing. That's how I would describe the experience.
It was expensive. I must say that.
They make their own Mozzerela cheese every day by the way.
Leisure
I was given a new CD for my birthday. Good stuff. I have been skateboarding from time to time, and I'm starting to figure out how to do a kickflip. Sometimes I work on juggling a soccer ball.
I've been playing NBA Street vol. 3 again. Sometimes I can't believe how good the other teams are. The DJ/commentator for that game is amazing. I've been able to get together with friends more often now, which has been good.
Media
I have been using Twitter more lately. Also, on my way home from work I listen to BBC's Newsweek (I think that's what it's called). I get the lowdown on what's happening in the Middle East, Africa, China, Europe, and in "football," which we know more familiarly as soccer. It's interesting stuff.
I have been working at CTS for about a month and a half now. It's going well. The probationary period for getting into the union, which is UAW, is 4 months. So, I'm almost halfway through that now. A couple of the people who work there are Christians, which is encouraging. I eat my "lunch" with an older Christian guy named Don. He's been there for a good 25 years or so I think.
I say "lunch" in quotes because I work 2nd shift now, 3:30pm to midnight. So, my lunch break is at 8pm usually. It's not bad.
Art
Still painting the back of that skateboard. Been drawing pictures here and there.
Music
I have been playing piano in my free time, which has been fun. I believe God has given me natural talent in playing piano. However, I broke the piano the other night. The pedal that you put your foot on to sustain the notes when you're not pressing down the key, yeah. I was playing and then heard some clanging sound in the piano as something came disconnected (or so it sounded like). I rely on that pedal a lot.
Food
My parents and I went to an amazing pizzeria in Goshen, Indiana. It's named Venturi. Apparently, it has received a prestigous award or two for it's pizza.
Wow. Amazing. That's how I would describe the experience.
It was expensive. I must say that.
They make their own Mozzerela cheese every day by the way.
Leisure
I was given a new CD for my birthday. Good stuff. I have been skateboarding from time to time, and I'm starting to figure out how to do a kickflip. Sometimes I work on juggling a soccer ball.
I've been playing NBA Street vol. 3 again. Sometimes I can't believe how good the other teams are. The DJ/commentator for that game is amazing. I've been able to get together with friends more often now, which has been good.
Media
I have been using Twitter more lately. Also, on my way home from work I listen to BBC's Newsweek (I think that's what it's called). I get the lowdown on what's happening in the Middle East, Africa, China, Europe, and in "football," which we know more familiarly as soccer. It's interesting stuff.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Art, Art, Music and a Job Interview
Skate Art:
I've been entertained by and attracted to skateboarding in recent months. It's one of those, "That's so cool! I wish I could do that!" kinds of things. Well, my friend Trevor taught me some basics and gave me a skateboard and I started skateboarding. Somewhere in the process, Trevor decided to repaint the bottom of the skateboard that he later gave to me. We primed it white and then splattered orange paint down the middle of it. I eventually broke the skateboard, trying to do tricks on it, and my friend Brett gave me a new one. Now I'm trying to do my OWN paint job on the new skateboard. ... it's coming slowly, but it's coming.
Sandwich Art:
I am officially a "Sandwich Artist" again. I am working at Subway, bouncing between the Niles restaurants and the one in Edwardsburg. It was a little humbling to apply again at Subway, when my hopes were to be in Art College or at a higher paying job at this point. However, I began to see that this could be an opportunity to be faithful with the little that I've been given and then grow and build from there.
Music:
The Lord has given me talent in the area of music. Lately I have been playing piano at home in my free time. Half of the time I play or work on songs that I know from famous, popular artists and musicians. And at other times I make up my own tunes within the same keys that those songs are played. I was recently invited to play piano at an art gallery for an upcoming gallery reception. God knows if I'll be able to make it, provided I can get the evening off from work and nothing else comes up. It's motivating and exciting though.
Job Interview:
I heard back from CTS in Elkhart, they scheduled me in for an interview on Wednesday, and I went and intereviewed with them. They didn't offer me the job on the spot, but I may hear back from them in the coming weeks. I heard from one employee that it takes a while for such things to get done there.
The interview went well; thank the Lord.
CTS is a manufacturing place for electronic sensors for automobiles. They make sensors and are starting to make actuators (no I'm not sure what an actuator is well enough to explain what it is. Sensors tell the computer what is happening and moving. Actuators actually make things move. ... That's most of what I know about it). But it would be pretty good pay. $11.50/hr for the first year, and $12.50/hr after that. It'd be a UAW union job after the 4 month 'trial' period, complete with benefits and such.
:)
-Stephen
I've been entertained by and attracted to skateboarding in recent months. It's one of those, "That's so cool! I wish I could do that!" kinds of things. Well, my friend Trevor taught me some basics and gave me a skateboard and I started skateboarding. Somewhere in the process, Trevor decided to repaint the bottom of the skateboard that he later gave to me. We primed it white and then splattered orange paint down the middle of it. I eventually broke the skateboard, trying to do tricks on it, and my friend Brett gave me a new one. Now I'm trying to do my OWN paint job on the new skateboard. ... it's coming slowly, but it's coming.
Sandwich Art:
I am officially a "Sandwich Artist" again. I am working at Subway, bouncing between the Niles restaurants and the one in Edwardsburg. It was a little humbling to apply again at Subway, when my hopes were to be in Art College or at a higher paying job at this point. However, I began to see that this could be an opportunity to be faithful with the little that I've been given and then grow and build from there.
Music:
The Lord has given me talent in the area of music. Lately I have been playing piano at home in my free time. Half of the time I play or work on songs that I know from famous, popular artists and musicians. And at other times I make up my own tunes within the same keys that those songs are played. I was recently invited to play piano at an art gallery for an upcoming gallery reception. God knows if I'll be able to make it, provided I can get the evening off from work and nothing else comes up. It's motivating and exciting though.
Job Interview:
I heard back from CTS in Elkhart, they scheduled me in for an interview on Wednesday, and I went and intereviewed with them. They didn't offer me the job on the spot, but I may hear back from them in the coming weeks. I heard from one employee that it takes a while for such things to get done there.
The interview went well; thank the Lord.
CTS is a manufacturing place for electronic sensors for automobiles. They make sensors and are starting to make actuators (no I'm not sure what an actuator is well enough to explain what it is. Sensors tell the computer what is happening and moving. Actuators actually make things move. ... That's most of what I know about it). But it would be pretty good pay. $11.50/hr for the first year, and $12.50/hr after that. It'd be a UAW union job after the 4 month 'trial' period, complete with benefits and such.
:)
-Stephen
Saturday, August 4, 2012
This Summer and Fall
Hello, readers.
For the past two months I have been working as an intern at Community Baptist Church of Edwardsburg. Things have been going pretty well. I am learning to manage my time better. I still feel like I waste some days. Other days are very productive.
We are currently painting murals on the walls. We have almost all of the Creation days painted, I believe. Adam and Eve being sent out of the garden of Eden is getting close to done. The birth of Christ has some color painted on it, and the Death/Resurrection mural has only just been drawn sketched onto the wall (at least last time I saw it). My friends Maddie and Becka have been a great help. They have done most of the painting so far, which has allowed me to be manager/concept artist.
We are currently painting murals on the walls. We have almost all of the Creation days painted, I believe. Adam and Eve being sent out of the garden of Eden is getting close to done. The birth of Christ has some color painted on it, and the Death/Resurrection mural has only just been drawn sketched onto the wall (at least last time I saw it). My friends Maddie and Becka have been a great help. They have done most of the painting so far, which has allowed me to be manager/concept artist.
On the art topic (school-wise), there have been several developments.
I currently anticipate not going to college this fall, or in the near future for that matter. At least, full time enrollment is not something I anticipate. Due to a conviction about student loans and debt, which I’ll get back to hopefully later in this post, I have sent my letter of regrets to both of the Art Colleges I had been pursuing. I sent my deferral of enrollment to Kendall College of Art and Design and to The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In the meantime, however, CCS, the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, has contacted me. I applied there and have looked at the financial aid they've offered. The price is still too high. I need to see if there are businesses and people who would support me financially and cover some of the costs. If not, I don't think I'm going.
I currently anticipate not going to college this fall, or in the near future for that matter. At least, full time enrollment is not something I anticipate. Due to a conviction about student loans and debt, which I’ll get back to hopefully later in this post, I have sent my letter of regrets to both of the Art Colleges I had been pursuing. I sent my deferral of enrollment to Kendall College of Art and Design and to The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In the meantime, however, CCS, the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, has contacted me. I applied there and have looked at the financial aid they've offered. The price is still too high. I need to see if there are businesses and people who would support me financially and cover some of the costs. If not, I don't think I'm going.
Plan B:
If God is willing, I will get a job somewhere in the area I'm currently living and earn up some money while working my way into the art world through making more of my own art, applying to art competitions, galleries, and art fairs.
If God is willing, I will get a job somewhere in the area I'm currently living and earn up some money while working my way into the art world through making more of my own art, applying to art competitions, galleries, and art fairs.
Part of this process also involves volunteering time at art related events, going to art fairs to talk to artists and do research, and just plain making artwork and doing research. Ask my friend Dave if I enjoy doing research. He'll probably laugh. My parents and many others have been helpful in this process.
Recent happenings:
I have visited a few art fairs with my parents and talked to a few artists, which has been helpful.
I have visited a few art fairs with my parents and talked to a few artists, which has been helpful.
My parents and I went and talked to a nice lady name Lilly, down in South Bend, who is moving out of the country and sold me a lot of her art supplies, including a very portable easel, lots of chalk pastels, oil pastels, and some acrylic and watercolor paints, as well as a box for my oil paints, which included a painters palette. I did not have an oil paint palette, so it’s a wonderful addition to my supplies.
Since then I have been drawing pictures in my sketchpads, playing a little with the chalk pastels, and a little with the oil pastels too.
Interestingly: I pulled out my watercolor paint palette to get a brush, which was sitting with my paints. I was surprised to see my crimson paint looking a weird tan color. ... then I realized it was a fuzzy tan color. I'm pretty sure my watercolor paints have grown mold. ... I've never seen that before.
Alrighty.
Talk to you later.
Talk to you later.
-Stephen
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Bair Lake, Church, College
Well, let's see. It is June 10th.
I have been just about as busy since leaving camp as I was when at camp. Though it seems I do not stay away for very long at a time. I'll get to that in a minute though.
I started my internship at Community Baptist Church on Monday, June 4th. And since I started, I have torn down and set up chairs and tables, I have started the design for a billboard for the church (based off of some designs I was given), and I have worked together with my friend Ashley to get our first college group small-group together. Our group met Saturday night at Riverfront park in Niles.
I have been continuing my efforts into The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) as well as for Kendall College of Art and Design (KCAD) in Grand Rapids.
Tomorrow I have a phone interview to set up classes with someone from the admissions department at SAIC (Chicago). There is a tuition deposit that I currently have too little money to pay for, however, God has been showing his provision, and I am confident that he will provide as He deems best. I hope that they will extend the deadline or waive the fee.
That brings me back to my comment about being a camp a lot. I was a at camp for variety of things, but one of them was for being hired for a few days to work ACE (Adventure Challenge Education) for some guest groups. The camp offered to pay me to come work for 4 days, which would have covered that tuition deposit fee right there. I ended up only being available for 3 of those days, but it was a great reminder of how God can and will provide the needed money, and I do not need to worry.
I have been reading The Shack by William P. Young. It's a very interesting book, and I hope to write more about it after I finish reading it.
One last thing for this update:
June 1st was the deadline for a competition I entered for SAIC (Chicago). It was a Merit Scholarship based on the quality of my submitted portfolio. It had to be submitted electronically. I worked hard on it. I asked God for help with the process. My friend Stephanie helped me a lot by going over my recent work with me and giving great advice and encouragement. She also lent me some supplies for taking good photos of my artwork. In the end, I got all of it in by the deadline. And Yesterday, Saturday, I received the letter saying that I won the Scholarship!
Praise be to God!
And thank you, Stephanie!
Thank you all for your interest.
-Stephen
I have been just about as busy since leaving camp as I was when at camp. Though it seems I do not stay away for very long at a time. I'll get to that in a minute though.
I started my internship at Community Baptist Church on Monday, June 4th. And since I started, I have torn down and set up chairs and tables, I have started the design for a billboard for the church (based off of some designs I was given), and I have worked together with my friend Ashley to get our first college group small-group together. Our group met Saturday night at Riverfront park in Niles.
I have been continuing my efforts into The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) as well as for Kendall College of Art and Design (KCAD) in Grand Rapids.
Tomorrow I have a phone interview to set up classes with someone from the admissions department at SAIC (Chicago). There is a tuition deposit that I currently have too little money to pay for, however, God has been showing his provision, and I am confident that he will provide as He deems best. I hope that they will extend the deadline or waive the fee.
That brings me back to my comment about being a camp a lot. I was a at camp for variety of things, but one of them was for being hired for a few days to work ACE (Adventure Challenge Education) for some guest groups. The camp offered to pay me to come work for 4 days, which would have covered that tuition deposit fee right there. I ended up only being available for 3 of those days, but it was a great reminder of how God can and will provide the needed money, and I do not need to worry.
I have been reading The Shack by William P. Young. It's a very interesting book, and I hope to write more about it after I finish reading it.
One last thing for this update:
June 1st was the deadline for a competition I entered for SAIC (Chicago). It was a Merit Scholarship based on the quality of my submitted portfolio. It had to be submitted electronically. I worked hard on it. I asked God for help with the process. My friend Stephanie helped me a lot by going over my recent work with me and giving great advice and encouragement. She also lent me some supplies for taking good photos of my artwork. In the end, I got all of it in by the deadline. And Yesterday, Saturday, I received the letter saying that I won the Scholarship!
Praise be to God!
And thank you, Stephanie!
Thank you all for your interest.
-Stephen
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Love
Love:
... keeps no record of wrongs, rejoices in the truth, always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Is:
Patient
Kind
Does not:
Envy
Boast
Delight in evil
Is not:
Proud
Rude
Self-seeking
Easily Angered
Never:
Fails
Of the three lasting things, which are faith, hope, and love, the greatest of them is love.
Knowledge, wisdom, speaking in tongues of men and of angels, the ability to prophecy, having "a faith that can move mountains," giving everything away to the poor, and being willing to be a burned up in the flames.
All of that gains me nothing, leaves me as a nothing, and does nothing if I have and do all of that but do not have love.
... keeps no record of wrongs, rejoices in the truth, always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Is:
Patient
Kind
Does not:
Envy
Boast
Delight in evil
Is not:
Proud
Rude
Self-seeking
Easily Angered
Never:
Fails
Of the three lasting things, which are faith, hope, and love, the greatest of them is love.
Knowledge, wisdom, speaking in tongues of men and of angels, the ability to prophecy, having "a faith that can move mountains," giving everything away to the poor, and being willing to be a burned up in the flames.
All of that gains me nothing, leaves me as a nothing, and does nothing if I have and do all of that but do not have love.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Verses of Guidance
Philippians 4:7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
James 1:17-18 "Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
Psalm 139:1-6 "O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in -- behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain."
Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
Psalm 138:1-8 "I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; before the "gods" I will sing your praise. I will bow down towards your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. When I called you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted. ... Though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me. The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever -- do not abandon the work of your hands."
Proverbs 3:3-6 "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3:11-12 "My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves as a father the son he delights in."
James 1:2-8 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask of God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. that man should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."
James 4:1-2 "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God."
2 Peter 1:5-7 "Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
James 1:17-18 "Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
Psalm 139:1-6 "O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in -- behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain."
Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
Psalm 138:1-8 "I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; before the "gods" I will sing your praise. I will bow down towards your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. When I called you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted. ... Though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me. The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever -- do not abandon the work of your hands."
Proverbs 3:3-6 "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3:11-12 "My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves as a father the son he delights in."
James 1:2-8 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask of God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. that man should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."
James 4:1-2 "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God."
2 Peter 1:5-7 "Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Psalm 23 "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."
Monday, October 24, 2011
Life Update
Hello, world.
Here is an update on my life:
I'm in my 2nd year of the Outfitter program at Bair Lake Bible Camp.
We're currently studying the book of Proverbs in the Bible, guided by a study made by Navigators.
We're learning Life Skills from the Sandbergs.
We're hosting many groups, working in experiential education, Bair Lake's ACE program. (Adventure Challenge Education), working in housekeeping, and etc.
I'm also working at 5 Star on Wednesdays, an after-school program for middle school age kids. The program has a Biblical base to it. I'm warming up to it more and more.
I don't get to church as often as I used to, but I'm usually there on Sunday nights. Some Sunday mornings (kind of on an every other weekend basis) I'm able to be there.
My good friend Mindy Hamilton is now my girlfriend :) Official as of August 21st, though since we're not "facebook official," not a lot of people know about us dating. It's a long distance relationship, since I'm in Michigan and she's in greater Chicago area, but we get to see each other about every month, or a couple times a month. God seems to be blessing the relationship. :)
I have been given the opportunity to work with Marketing a little bit at the camp. I've taken pictures of ACE groups, found pictures on the MAC for Nanci to send to the graphic designer and organized some other photos on the Mac. It's fun for various reasons. I am interested in Graphic Design, photography and marketing. This is the job that Mindy used to do too. .. :) So, it is fun to be able to work on this stuff on some Thursdays.
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:16
-Stephen
Here is an update on my life:
I'm in my 2nd year of the Outfitter program at Bair Lake Bible Camp.
We're currently studying the book of Proverbs in the Bible, guided by a study made by Navigators.
We're learning Life Skills from the Sandbergs.
We're hosting many groups, working in experiential education, Bair Lake's ACE program. (Adventure Challenge Education), working in housekeeping, and etc.
I'm also working at 5 Star on Wednesdays, an after-school program for middle school age kids. The program has a Biblical base to it. I'm warming up to it more and more.
I don't get to church as often as I used to, but I'm usually there on Sunday nights. Some Sunday mornings (kind of on an every other weekend basis) I'm able to be there.
My good friend Mindy Hamilton is now my girlfriend :) Official as of August 21st, though since we're not "facebook official," not a lot of people know about us dating. It's a long distance relationship, since I'm in Michigan and she's in greater Chicago area, but we get to see each other about every month, or a couple times a month. God seems to be blessing the relationship. :)
I have been given the opportunity to work with Marketing a little bit at the camp. I've taken pictures of ACE groups, found pictures on the MAC for Nanci to send to the graphic designer and organized some other photos on the Mac. It's fun for various reasons. I am interested in Graphic Design, photography and marketing. This is the job that Mindy used to do too. .. :) So, it is fun to be able to work on this stuff on some Thursdays.
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:16
-Stephen
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Short Note - Where I am.
My, it has been quite a summer and beginning of fall. I'm up in my apartment at camp thinking over the day and writing to different people. Some wonderful piano music is playing on the instramental station my brother made, and shared with me, on Pandora.
Mindy was here for Women's Retreat weekend, running the audio/video equipment and taking photos. The retreat seemed to run very smoothly. Nearly ten ladies still did the high ropes course Saturday, even though it was a little rainy up until we went up onto the course.
I joined in with the youth group from Community Baptist Church for a 'Destination Unknown' that was at the Kanaby's house. Then I came back to camp and Aaron G. and I had a guys' night, watched a video, ate ice cream mixed with all sorts of goodies, which he got for a really good deal at Meijer. It was a good time.
The new Outfitter(the discipleship/internship program I'm a part of here at Bair Lake Bible Camp) year has officially started and we are back to Bible studies, meetings, assignments, guest groups, and Retreat Season schedule. The new season has started off wonderfully. We are heading on a semi-mysterious trip this coming weekend, probably with the Reid family.
I am in a new phase in my life. I look forward to seeing what God does with it. I am feeling like God is bringing growth and fruit in my life.
-Stephen
Mindy was here for Women's Retreat weekend, running the audio/video equipment and taking photos. The retreat seemed to run very smoothly. Nearly ten ladies still did the high ropes course Saturday, even though it was a little rainy up until we went up onto the course.
I joined in with the youth group from Community Baptist Church for a 'Destination Unknown' that was at the Kanaby's house. Then I came back to camp and Aaron G. and I had a guys' night, watched a video, ate ice cream mixed with all sorts of goodies, which he got for a really good deal at Meijer. It was a good time.
The new Outfitter(the discipleship/internship program I'm a part of here at Bair Lake Bible Camp) year has officially started and we are back to Bible studies, meetings, assignments, guest groups, and Retreat Season schedule. The new season has started off wonderfully. We are heading on a semi-mysterious trip this coming weekend, probably with the Reid family.
I am in a new phase in my life. I look forward to seeing what God does with it. I am feeling like God is bringing growth and fruit in my life.
-Stephen
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Post Again
Still, having trouble with the "listening to the Spirit" stuff. .. :/ ... it drags me down badly when I feel like I'm wrestling through stuff with God's Spirit.
I recently basically got saved. ... I got up on April 21st, before heading to morning current events and ACE training, and I prayed and asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart. ... Long have I focused on God and on improving and growing.. and in sophomore year of Highschool I got saved or rededicated my life to God, at least I thought so. Still, it wasn't about Jesus and accepting His free gift, it was "God I want to live for you, I'm tired of living for me." .. So, he has indeed used me, and I have done much in His service it would seem, over the last 5 years. .. He has guided and provided for me as he does for His children. However, my esteem, value, and focus/attention to Christ Jesus and his role, which only He could fill, have been so.. so small.
For some time now I have recognized doubts of my salvation and faith, and I realized that the value I placed on Jesus as well as my perception of Him were frighteningly low.
I don't know what all of this necessarily says about my life up to this point. I know this though: God is who He says He is. Jesus Christ is the one and only mediator of the saving covenant that brings me into a relationship with God. I believe and have received Jesus Christ and His Spirit, so I am His and He is mine, and I will live for him and someday live with him in Heaven.
Feel free to ask questions. .. I hope I will have adequate and honest answers for you.
-Stephen
I recently basically got saved. ... I got up on April 21st, before heading to morning current events and ACE training, and I prayed and asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart. ... Long have I focused on God and on improving and growing.. and in sophomore year of Highschool I got saved or rededicated my life to God, at least I thought so. Still, it wasn't about Jesus and accepting His free gift, it was "God I want to live for you, I'm tired of living for me." .. So, he has indeed used me, and I have done much in His service it would seem, over the last 5 years. .. He has guided and provided for me as he does for His children. However, my esteem, value, and focus/attention to Christ Jesus and his role, which only He could fill, have been so.. so small.
For some time now I have recognized doubts of my salvation and faith, and I realized that the value I placed on Jesus as well as my perception of Him were frighteningly low.
I don't know what all of this necessarily says about my life up to this point. I know this though: God is who He says He is. Jesus Christ is the one and only mediator of the saving covenant that brings me into a relationship with God. I believe and have received Jesus Christ and His Spirit, so I am His and He is mine, and I will live for him and someday live with him in Heaven.
Feel free to ask questions. .. I hope I will have adequate and honest answers for you.
-Stephen
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Relationship
It is certainly comforting to be reminded that I am in a relationship with God. ... It's not just him cracking a whip and standing by ready to crack down on every move I make. ... He wants me to spend time with him, and he wants me to want to spend time with him.
Face2face: Researching the topic of face to face has proven to be a challenge. We spoke at a little school in Valparaiso, IN, Wednesday morning, and we tried to incorporate our summer theme (Face to face) and verse (Psalm 27:8). Studying and trying to think about what it means to seek the face of God is a challenge.
I hope to learn and grow a lot as I seek God and his face, his will and personality.
God is Who he says he is. He is God.
His Son is Christ Jesus, my Savior and best friend.
Face2face: Researching the topic of face to face has proven to be a challenge. We spoke at a little school in Valparaiso, IN, Wednesday morning, and we tried to incorporate our summer theme (Face to face) and verse (Psalm 27:8). Studying and trying to think about what it means to seek the face of God is a challenge.
I hope to learn and grow a lot as I seek God and his face, his will and personality.
God is Who he says he is. He is God.
His Son is Christ Jesus, my Savior and best friend.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Full Journal
The journal I received at the beginning of Outfitters is now full (give or take a few pages that are being reserved for special entries).
I'm glad it's full. It is fun to start in on a new journal and to look back at what I wrote in the now full one.
The very first page in it had notes from our first Apologetics class, with L. T. Jeyachandran. He taught about the importance of the Trinity of God. The fact that God is one God yet three persons is foundational for the rest of our faith. Relationship and holiness go hand in hand because of the relationship of the Three Persons of God.
The Lord Jesus Christ is God, and He is good.
He is King over everything.
-Stephen B. Mechling
I'm glad it's full. It is fun to start in on a new journal and to look back at what I wrote in the now full one.
The very first page in it had notes from our first Apologetics class, with L. T. Jeyachandran. He taught about the importance of the Trinity of God. The fact that God is one God yet three persons is foundational for the rest of our faith. Relationship and holiness go hand in hand because of the relationship of the Three Persons of God.
The Lord Jesus Christ is God, and He is good.
He is King over everything.
-Stephen B. Mechling
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Thoughts and Lessons
Listening to the Spirit. The Holy Spirit of our God. That is one thing I am working on and having difficulty with lately.
How do you listen to or listen for the Holy Spirit? My initial answer would be in quiet and stillness, meditating on God. Does that mean sitting in silence thinking about who God is? Or is that meditating/mulling over passages of scripture and focusing on them, thinking about what they mean, how they apply to me, and leaving room for God to point out in some thought or way how I can apply the truths of scripture to my life?
Lately I've spent not enough time in meditating on scripture while listening for thoughts or ideas or directions that the Spirit might be directing me toward.
I have been cautioned by two men, whom I consider wiser and much older than I, in regards to listening to feelings and acting on feelings that come into my mind/heart. Yet, just as they also advised, if God is saying to do something, I must do it. If it is indeed God urging me through a thought or a person or a circumstance or especially His word, I am obliged to do it.
So, in times of worship and prayer I have wrestled with God and in times where I have fought against His Spirit I have sunk lower in my spirit than I can ever remember. But when I follow and obey the direction in my heart, given by God, I stand tall and am emboldened.
God says not to quench the Holy Spirit. I do hope not to.
1 Timothy 5:2 [Treat]"Older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.
God is always right. It goes without saying. So, it makes perfect sense, knowing that He loves us, wants what's best for us, and commands us to do things that are right (and in the end are for our best and His best anyway). It is fitting then, that "treating older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity" turns out to be the most amazing way to treat women.
Truth. Honesty. Impartial Judgment. I've long thought that this was an area I was perfectly fine in. False. I am often tempted to be what we would call a "people pleaser." I like to give people the answers they would like to hear and not make people uncomfortable or upset. ... This is fearing people more than God. God has been working me over with this one. It is sin. It is crippling. It is a deadly trap to fear man.
Jesus Christ. Center and focus. John 15:4 -"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."
John 15:7 - "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you."
I'll try to share more soon. Thank you for taking time to read this.
The Lord Jesus Christ is God.
-Stephen Bradshaw Mechling
How do you listen to or listen for the Holy Spirit? My initial answer would be in quiet and stillness, meditating on God. Does that mean sitting in silence thinking about who God is? Or is that meditating/mulling over passages of scripture and focusing on them, thinking about what they mean, how they apply to me, and leaving room for God to point out in some thought or way how I can apply the truths of scripture to my life?
Lately I've spent not enough time in meditating on scripture while listening for thoughts or ideas or directions that the Spirit might be directing me toward.
I have been cautioned by two men, whom I consider wiser and much older than I, in regards to listening to feelings and acting on feelings that come into my mind/heart. Yet, just as they also advised, if God is saying to do something, I must do it. If it is indeed God urging me through a thought or a person or a circumstance or especially His word, I am obliged to do it.
So, in times of worship and prayer I have wrestled with God and in times where I have fought against His Spirit I have sunk lower in my spirit than I can ever remember. But when I follow and obey the direction in my heart, given by God, I stand tall and am emboldened.
God says not to quench the Holy Spirit. I do hope not to.
1 Timothy 5:2 [Treat]"Older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.
God is always right. It goes without saying. So, it makes perfect sense, knowing that He loves us, wants what's best for us, and commands us to do things that are right (and in the end are for our best and His best anyway). It is fitting then, that "treating older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity" turns out to be the most amazing way to treat women.
Truth. Honesty. Impartial Judgment. I've long thought that this was an area I was perfectly fine in. False. I am often tempted to be what we would call a "people pleaser." I like to give people the answers they would like to hear and not make people uncomfortable or upset. ... This is fearing people more than God. God has been working me over with this one. It is sin. It is crippling. It is a deadly trap to fear man.
Jesus Christ. Center and focus. John 15:4 -"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."
John 15:7 - "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you."
I'll try to share more soon. Thank you for taking time to read this.
The Lord Jesus Christ is God.
-Stephen Bradshaw Mechling
Monday, January 24, 2011
1 Corinthians 13
Love is patient.
Love does not envy.
Love is not proud.
Love always perseveres.
Love always protects.
Love is not self-seeking.
Love keeps no record of wrongs
Love does not delight in evil.
Love is not easily angered.
Love rejoices with the truth.
Love is kind.
Love always hopes.
Love does not boast.
Love is not rude.
Love always trusts.
Love never fails.
The ones in bold are the ones I think I struggle the most with.
It sure is hard to love. By the strength of the Holy Spirit though, I believe mankind can love.
Love: to me that looks like doing my part despite the effort it takes, putting effort and intention into my work, so that others don't have to pick up my slack. .. I don't mean that I would no longer need other people. .. just that if I'm truly serving others and giving myself sacrificially, others shouldn't have to pick up after me and do my work for me.
Also... killing my pride.. . that's love. Man, it's hard to give up pride.
Love does not envy.
Love is not proud.
Love always perseveres.
Love always protects.
Love is not self-seeking.
Love keeps no record of wrongs
Love does not delight in evil.
Love is not easily angered.
Love rejoices with the truth.
Love is kind.
Love always hopes.
Love does not boast.
Love is not rude.
Love always trusts.
Love never fails.
The ones in bold are the ones I think I struggle the most with.
It sure is hard to love. By the strength of the Holy Spirit though, I believe mankind can love.
Love: to me that looks like doing my part despite the effort it takes, putting effort and intention into my work, so that others don't have to pick up my slack. .. I don't mean that I would no longer need other people. .. just that if I'm truly serving others and giving myself sacrificially, others shouldn't have to pick up after me and do my work for me.
Also... killing my pride.. . that's love. Man, it's hard to give up pride.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Self - Discipline
My spiritual goal for this upcoming year is Self-Control/Self-Discipline.
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."- 2 Timothy 1:7
My physical goal, scheduled to be reached by march, is to be able to do 100 pushups, a couple hundred crunches, and a 3 mile run in one day.
My mental/emotional goal is to be more confident [see 2 Tim. 1:7 again]. Taking on more leadership opportunities will probably be a big part in building toward that. Jesus made me. He made my physique, my strengths and weaknesses, my family, my upbringing, my personality, and He saved me. I want to be confident in Him and who He has formed me into.
My project, which will be primarily complete on January 29th, 2011, will be to help create a refreshing, encouraging, enjoyable evening for the volunteer workers at Community Baptist Church of Edwardsburg. It has been a lot of work so far, and much still needs to be done. Mindy, Carissa, and Elaine have helped me a lot already, and Hannah and a few others are planning to help cover for us at camp while we're gone that evening.
Coming up: Tomorrow evening, after "The Feast" Bible study, Nic, Eric, and us Outfitters are leaving for Program Advance. We return sometime, I believe late afternoon, the next day.
I'm thankful for the many great gifts I have received recently, ranging from the customized cooking apron that Carissa gave me to the work and parts that Dad provided for me in fixing my car up and loaning me the other car in the process.
God takes perfect care of His own. I could not be where I am or who I am without Him.
May God bless you and keep you in His word, growing your faith.
-Stephen
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."- 2 Timothy 1:7
My physical goal, scheduled to be reached by march, is to be able to do 100 pushups, a couple hundred crunches, and a 3 mile run in one day.
My mental/emotional goal is to be more confident [see 2 Tim. 1:7 again]. Taking on more leadership opportunities will probably be a big part in building toward that. Jesus made me. He made my physique, my strengths and weaknesses, my family, my upbringing, my personality, and He saved me. I want to be confident in Him and who He has formed me into.
My project, which will be primarily complete on January 29th, 2011, will be to help create a refreshing, encouraging, enjoyable evening for the volunteer workers at Community Baptist Church of Edwardsburg. It has been a lot of work so far, and much still needs to be done. Mindy, Carissa, and Elaine have helped me a lot already, and Hannah and a few others are planning to help cover for us at camp while we're gone that evening.
Coming up: Tomorrow evening, after "The Feast" Bible study, Nic, Eric, and us Outfitters are leaving for Program Advance. We return sometime, I believe late afternoon, the next day.
I'm thankful for the many great gifts I have received recently, ranging from the customized cooking apron that Carissa gave me to the work and parts that Dad provided for me in fixing my car up and loaning me the other car in the process.
God takes perfect care of His own. I could not be where I am or who I am without Him.
May God bless you and keep you in His word, growing your faith.
-Stephen
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Purity & Holiness (and other updates)
Bair Lake Bible Camp(BLBC) is hosting a Purity and Holiness retreat. I'm scheduled to be leading worship time as well as being a counselor/facilitator this weekend for one of the cabins of junior high boys. Thankfully, I will have another counselor with me who has been a part of P&H before.
This weekend will be quite an experience, I expect. God has used BLBC greatly in many people's lives. So, I am sure this weekend will be a blessing. I will be learning just as much as helping. I need to spend some time in prayer about this weekend and time reading the Bible. I a couple chapters from Ezra today, and tonight's class will conclude our study on forgiveness. Unfortunately, we have only had 3 weeks of class on the subject, but I still have our book of the month to read. It is entitled, not coincidentally, Total Forgiveness.
"One Thousand Thank You's" is another thing we've been assigned to. Our group has been challenged to each, individually, write down one thousand things we are thankful for. This is in light of coming close to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Currently I am feeling rather tired. Elaine and I did a bit of work outside today, since we were posted to work on maintenance. It was fun. I learned it can be very hard to stretch a cold cover over a boat and attempt to button it down. ... it's still not finished. We are trying to get everything "winterized" before the snow really hits. The boats and pontoons are up. Outdoor tables and chairs have been stacked or put away. Heaters and such are being fixed. We gathered and stored paint cans from the buildings that aren't going to be kept heated.
Living arrangements: I have almost entirely moved my possessions and everything from the "chalet," where I was living, up to the "tower," formerly referred to as the "studio." The girls used to live there, but they have moved across the driveway to what was once called "the bungalo." So, sticking with the theme, it is now the "palace," complete with a dungeon. ... I hope I don't get thrown in there... it's full of old toilets... . But yeah, I need to move my mattress and sheets and blankets up there ASAP, because who knows when the camp will need to house people in the chalet. .. and it's not very fun driving back there every night just to sleep there and feed Samuel L. Jackson, .. the goldfish.
So, :) that's the update for now. Hopefully, I will make time to post again after the P&H retreat. Thanks for reading.
-Stephen
This weekend will be quite an experience, I expect. God has used BLBC greatly in many people's lives. So, I am sure this weekend will be a blessing. I will be learning just as much as helping. I need to spend some time in prayer about this weekend and time reading the Bible. I a couple chapters from Ezra today, and tonight's class will conclude our study on forgiveness. Unfortunately, we have only had 3 weeks of class on the subject, but I still have our book of the month to read. It is entitled, not coincidentally, Total Forgiveness.
"One Thousand Thank You's" is another thing we've been assigned to. Our group has been challenged to each, individually, write down one thousand things we are thankful for. This is in light of coming close to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Currently I am feeling rather tired. Elaine and I did a bit of work outside today, since we were posted to work on maintenance. It was fun. I learned it can be very hard to stretch a cold cover over a boat and attempt to button it down. ... it's still not finished. We are trying to get everything "winterized" before the snow really hits. The boats and pontoons are up. Outdoor tables and chairs have been stacked or put away. Heaters and such are being fixed. We gathered and stored paint cans from the buildings that aren't going to be kept heated.
Living arrangements: I have almost entirely moved my possessions and everything from the "chalet," where I was living, up to the "tower," formerly referred to as the "studio." The girls used to live there, but they have moved across the driveway to what was once called "the bungalo." So, sticking with the theme, it is now the "palace," complete with a dungeon. ... I hope I don't get thrown in there... it's full of old toilets... . But yeah, I need to move my mattress and sheets and blankets up there ASAP, because who knows when the camp will need to house people in the chalet. .. and it's not very fun driving back there every night just to sleep there and feed Samuel L. Jackson, .. the goldfish.
So, :) that's the update for now. Hopefully, I will make time to post again after the P&H retreat. Thanks for reading.
-Stephen
Sunday, October 31, 2010
"You give and take away,
You give and take away.
My heart will choose to say,
Lord, Blessed be Your Name.
You give and take away,
You give and take away.
My heart will choose to say,
Lord, Blessed be Your Name."
This song always seems to apply and come to mind when I feel like someone or something I am going to miss has left my life temporarily or permanently.
You give and take away.
My heart will choose to say,
Lord, Blessed be Your Name.
You give and take away,
You give and take away.
My heart will choose to say,
Lord, Blessed be Your Name."
This song always seems to apply and come to mind when I feel like someone or something I am going to miss has left my life temporarily or permanently.
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