Day 2

You Follow But Do You Know Me?

 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”  (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV)

 Imagine all those friends you have on Facebook for a second. Now imagine that one of them spots you at the beach or mall or wherever and walks up to you. You don’t really know them well enough to have a conversation. Most likely, you don’t even know their name. To make things worse, they attempt to bring up the few things they know from your profile or the status update you posted recently… awkward right?

We are guilty of doing the same to God! All too often we take little tidbits from the bible or offer up a little prayer (much like a tweet) to God when we think about it. Maybe we even go to youth group and serve at camp. What God really wants though, is a deep relationship that is meaningful and rich. Deep down, we all want the same.

So how do we get that relationship with Him? Daily devotions, constant prayer, fellowship with believers, worship… the list goes on and on. Living a life that is holy and set apart from that of the world is near the top of the list. Believing that Jesus Christ died for your sins and is the Son of God is the first step in that relationship.

Now imagine you doing the ’Facebook friend’ thing to Jesus when you stand before Him at His throne… awkward right? Don’t let your relationship with Jesus be a shallow one, as this is the most important friendship you’ll ever have. The last thing you want to hear on the day of judgment is “I never knew you…”

Follow Me

^{Now that our Winter Bash! youth retreats are over, we want to share some of the devotions that were written by our staff and included in a 5 week devotional book that each camper received. We hope it blesses you and them!}

^{Follow Me}

²³And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. ²⁴For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. (Luke 9:23-24 ESV)

Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Pinterest… most of you have heard of these social websites that supposedly reveal your true self to others on the internet. It is so easy to get sucked into these sites, allowing them to draw your attention from the life going on around you. Our first question for you is this; Who are you following?

This is a simple question. You could probably name off five or six people you follow on Facebook or Twitter and talk about all the cool things they say or do. Perhaps you even want to be like them, emulating their actions and activities. They set an example for your life, whether it’s a good one or a bad. The problem is, we don’t see who they -really- are and what they really stand for. We get a small taste of their lives online and the rest is a mystery to us.

God has given us the coolest Facebook page ever. It reveals everything you’d ever want to know about Him. Every detail of the life Jesus is written down for you from four different viewpoints. His closest friends even wrote about Him, leaving wonderful bits of knowledge and wisdom for those who dig in. You could spend years on His page and never see all that there is to offer. The Bible doesn't leave much of a mystery as to how Jesus walked on earth and is better than any social media page.

 Luke 9 tells us that Jesus expects us to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Him. In the following weeks, we’ll repeatedly come back to this passage with the hopes that you’ll begin to see why it’s so important to do as Jesus says; “Follow Me.”

Ephesians 2:10 Moments

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

I was reminded this past weekend of the need to follow God’s nudges and prompts. I have posted before that I try to pray and live out Ephesians 2:10 every day. I ask God to fill my agenda and try to listen to Him when He adds things to it. I often get the feeling I need to stop some place or call someone. People around me think oh here goes Chad following a whim. I know that it’s not a whim but an Ephesians 2:10 moment. I love when God’s Spirit moves and I follow what He is nudging me to do. It brings great joy to me and often I just stand their shaking my head and thanking God for the miracle he just made happen.

I have Ephesian 2:10 moments everyday most of us do we just don’t realize how God is orchestrating those moments. This past Friday I was sitting in my office and God was putting someone on my mind. I had the thought I need to call. This is the point where we make or break God’s plan. Do I continue what I was doing or do I follow God’s nudge? This day I followed God’s nudge. I prayed for the person He laid on my mind and followed it up with a call. I got voicemail and left this message. “Hello________ just wanted to call and check in. God put you on my heart today and I just wanted to let you know I was thinking of you and prayed for you. No need to call back.” Back to the project I was working on and continued prayers.  Fast forward to Saturday morning. I had taken a break from serving groups and came to the office to check messages. I no more than sat down and the phone rang. It was the person returning my call. They said this is going to be hard for me to share with out crying. So I listened and they shared that when my call came to them that they were sitting with their family dealing with a serious matter. They said that my call was just what they needed at that time. They felt peace come over them as they listened to the message and they were able to look at the situation knowing that God was in control. After hearing the story and how God needed me to be a part of His plan I prayed with this person and went back to fix lunch for our group. I stood amazed and satisfied knowing I just had an Ephesians 2:10 moment.

Every time this happens God reminds me that I need to follow nudges that He gives me. We never know what we are needed to do. Knowing that God has things for us to do, that He has planned in advance we should be ready and willing to follow through. Follow his nudges and complete the to-do list God has for you.

Year End Giving!

Merry Christmas! This is the time of year when we all think about giving. We give gifts to our family members and friends. Then there is the person who delivers our papers and collects our garbage or cuts our hair. Let’s face it; it’s the season to give. But, why do we give this time of year? I have been considering my own giving habits and how God wants me to give. He has taught me not to hold on to things with a grip of ownership. I have learned to live with open hands and realize that He owns it all and I am only a steward.  I have concluded that He wants me to be a joyful, obedient, faithful steward. He wants me to be set free from ownership and have a heart that is rich toward God. I think we give more this time of year because we follow God’s example “for He so loved the world that He gave…” He gave sacrificially; He gave His only Son that we might have eternal life with Him.
 

Here is a link to our newsletter that tells about all the great things that are happening in and through God’s ministry at CLW. Would you take some alone time with God this week and pray about what He would have you do this year in your year-end giving?  Whether you give a gift to a neighbor, to your church, to a family in need, or to help Camp Living Waters bridge the gap through our leanest time of year, my prayer for you is that you will find joy in your giving, because you were obedient to what God called you to do with His resources.

The staff and Board of Directors of Camp Living Waters are thankful for you and your involvement with Camp Living Waters and are wishing you a Merry Christmas and a very blessed New Year

Give a gift today to make a difference.

I Have Two Families

Last week we went to Brayden’s Christmas program at school. In between songs they asked the students two questions; what is your name, and what does Christmas mean to you? Then my anxiety rose as they handed Brayden, our five year old son with autism, the microphone. In words only a mom or dad could understand Brayden’s answer was, I have two families. I heard all of the parents around me ask; what did he say, because his speech is very unclear. At first I thought he was referring to the fact that he has an open adoption and a loving birth family that we visit often. Then I thought about the question, what does Christmas mean to you. Maybe, just maybe he was referring to the fact that he is also a child of God and is adopted into His family as well. I wish that more parents at Brayden’s elementary school could have understood what he said and asked the question, what does that mean to have two families? My prayer for all, as you celebrate this Christmas, is that you spread Brayden’s message of the birth of our Savior that everyone can have two families too.

Posted by Michella Saxton

Did I Just Meet Jesus?

Most of you know our 5 year old son, Brayden. He is as big as they come, smart as a whip and slightly Autistic. Brayden is developing a great personality and we are so excited to see him come out of the shroud that is Autism.
 

On Sunday most of our family headed over to a live nativity event called, Follow the Star. In the car Brayden asked us what we were doing and we tried to explain that we were going to see a play about the first Christmas and the birth of Jesus. Brayden was so excited to see the animals and ride the tractor pulled wagon. The first station we went to was Isaiah standing at a campfire foretelling the birth of our Savior. For most of the presentation Brayden was looking off somewhere and catching snowflakes on his tongue but Brayden just beamed when Isaiah said the name Jesus. After his presentation Brayden went up to the man playing Isaiah and said “hey, how are you doing?” then he scurried back to me and asked “momma, did I just meet Jesus?” No matter what I said, Brayden insisted that he had met Jesus at that campfire and maybe he did. As you go about this busy season remember that you too may be Jesus to those who come up to you with a simple greeting and an open heart.

Posted by Michella Saxton

Qualities of a Quality Staffer

With summer just around the corner (optimism at its finest) we’re starting to look at staffing! We hope every year to find just the right people for the ministry God has given us here at CLW. If you’re interested in being a staffer, here are some qualities we look for!

First and foremost, we are looking for believers in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The denomination the staffer chooses isn’t as important as a few keys. We believe in a Triune God. We believe that Jesus Christ came to save us from our sins by His death and resurrection. We believe that the Bible, both Old and New Testaments is the Word of God. These basic beliefs are the foundations on which CLW was built and we seek those who agree.

Next we look for people that are excited about the prospect of spending hours and hours each week surrounded by kids! There is very little time at camp to be alone as nearly everything is done with people nearby. Therefore, our staff should be people oriented rather than task oriented. You won’t simply see cabin leaders connecting with campers but every staffer taking a hand in making the camp week an awesome experience.

Staff need to be patient and kind, living out all of the aspects of love as laid out in 1 Corinthians 13.

• Patience
• Kindness
• Encouraging
• Joyful
• Humble
• Peaceful
• Willing to try/learn new things
• Teaching the right way
• Rejoicing with the truth
• Bearing, believing, hoping, and enduring

They also need to be fun! We’re not looking for the fun that the world is trying to portray but fun that pleases the Lord! We want staff that teach and guide not only activities but life lessons through the word of God and their own experience. That said, we know that not everyone will have all the answers which is why it’s so helpful to have all the other staff there to support each other!

At CLW we’re looking for other qualities too! Integrity is a must as staffers are setting the example for campers. Willingness to build unity with everyone on staff is very important too. We need each other to face the tough task of ministering to children. Creativity is important as well. Whether it’s in the arts, teaching bible study, or leading activities staff members have multiple opportunities each day to get the creative juices flowing!

So, maybe you’ve got someone in mind that lives out these qualities or perhaps you’re that person! Prayerfully consider contacting us for information on how to apply to be one of our summer staff members! You can contact Dan Gilson at dan@camplivingwaters.org or call (231) 797-5107.