Weekend after Week 2

Weekends at Fuge are an amazing time that the campers will never know about. A time to be refreshed, a time to sleep, and a time to grow friendships with your staff. All of this has happened for me this weekend and I couldn't be happier.

We spend the first few hours after camp just talking over the week and how we can improve. But the time of refreshment started at lunch between meetings on saturday. Five of us piled into one of the girls' cars and went for some burgers at a local nashville burger joint. We spent the hour eating, laughing, and sharing about our weeks, something that sadly doesn't really happen very much during the week. It was just so good to hear great things going on in our groups and at our sites, as well as getting to hear that others were having some of the same struggles in ministry that I was.

After meetings, our apartment took a three hour nap time before spending the night together as roommates. The Lord has truly blessed me with three wonderful roommates for the summer who encourage and love me and I do the same for them. We had a great dinner, listened to some amazing jazz then joined our Worship Leader for a little movie night. Its just so necessary for us to have this time to refresh before the campers get back.

This sunday was different. We didn't make church, and didn't see any other staffers until late tonight. We did however, spend a very encouraging evening with a couple of newfound friends from Belmont. It felt good to spend time with people outside of the M-Fuge bubble, but yet still great Christian girls who can encourage us and understand where we're coming from cause they too deal with the campers.

During a chat with one of the girls I realized a couple of things the Lord is really showing me so far this summer. Our camp pastor for the past two weeks used the rich young ruler in the gospel of Matthew to preach on sacrifice. He provided an interesting challenge. A lot of times I've read that passage and when Jesus talks about how much easier it is for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go to heaven, I usually say well thank goodness I'm not rich. Well Josh reminded us the past couple of weeks that compared to the rest of the world, we are FILTHY rich. This is a stumbling block to me because I've grown up without a lot so its hard to imagine I have anything to sacrifice of value. Josh also reminded us that first of all God wants us, all of us, and everything we have, no matter how great or small. I also taught my students on sacrifice this week and I gave them a pipe cleaner and asked them to shape it into the thing they desire most in the world. After they shaped it, I asked them if God wanted them to give up getting this, would they be willing to? This challenged me as much as it did them.

So, think about it, what is it you desire most in the world? Is that getting in the way of your relationship with the Lord, would you give it up for Him?

After all, he does want our EVERYTHING

Pray for me this week. Its week 3, we've done this before. Pray that I stay focused, I don't let distractions set in, and that most of all I'm intentional in my ministry with students and on site.