Europe Trip – part 2
August 14th, 2008
Europe Trip – part 1
August 13th, 2008
Efficiency – reading blogs
August 6th, 2008It has come to my attention that many do not know that there is a very practical solution to avoid visiting all the blogs one is interested in only to find out that there is still no new post. I had this problem once, but when I started subscribing to blogs, I no longer had to waste time visiting non-updated blogs. Want to know how it works? Please take the time to visit any of the following tutorials to find out how your use of time in keeping up with friends could be improved.
Find the Best RSS Feed Readers
Screencast that explains RSS and subscribing to blogs (understandable for those who don't comprehend technical speech…like me 
)
How to Get Started with Google Reader
Introduction to Google Reader (a video describing the service I use at the moment)
Disclaimer: I do not endorse all of the information contained in the above sites. Please use discretion when browsing.
Search Me O God
August 2nd, 2008Search Me O God by Orr
Search me, O God, and know my heart today;
Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin, and set me free.
I praise Thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin;
Fulfill Thy word, and make me pure within.
Fill me with fire, where once I burned with shame;
Grant my desire to magnify Thy name.
Lord, take my life, and make it wholly Thine;
Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine.
Take all my will, my passion, self and pride;
I now surrender, Lord – in me abide.
O Holy Ghost, Revival comes from Thee;
Send a revival, Start the work in me.
Thy Word declares Thou wilt supply our need;
For blessings now, O Lord, I humbly plead.
Tune: Eventide page 295, Abide with Me
An Exhortation to Gospel Preachers
August 1st, 2008The songs we sang at Sovereign Grace Teen Camp glorified God in lyrics and instrumentation. Below is the first poem that can be sung to a common tune.
____
An Exhortation to Gospel Preachers by Daniel Parks
We have gathered in this chapel, having come from far and near;
We are weary from our travel; some good news we long to hear.
So to him who is our preacher we would make this one request:
Prove yourself to be the teacher of the One who'll give us rest.
Chorus
Tell us not of self-salvation through an act of man's free will
It will bring no consolation; having heard we're hungry still
O, we long to see the glory of our God in Jesus' face;
Tell us now that blessed story of His free and sovereign grace.
Tell us how we did inherit Adam's sin, depravity;
Neither virtue, good, nor merit is in our ability.
But the prophets and apostles have declared the blessed word
In the law and in the gospels: "Salvation is of the LORD".
Tell us of the One in heaven Who, before the world began,
purposed that His grace be given to our race of fallen man.
Tell us of predestination: How that God upon His throne
Made a sovereign free election of the souls He calls His own.
Tell us of the Christ Lord Jesus Who has died for God's elect;
His blood ransoms and releases them from sin and its effect.
Everyone for whom He suffered shall be saved and justified,
And at last they shall be ushered into heav'n to be His bride.
Tell us of the Holy Spirit, blessed gift of God to men;
God's elect are without merit, yet by Him are born again.
He will find them undeserving, but He'll cause them to believe,
And will make them persevering 'til the goal they all achieve.
Tune: Nettleton. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
ILTI graduation
July 29th, 2008
Congratulations to the 2008 International Literacy Training Institute graduates!
They studied hard for five weeks and now are continuing to pursue the avenues of ministry God has for them.
Sovereign Grace Teen Camp
July 27th, 2008Last week, I had the privilege of working as a counselor at Sovereign Grace Teen Camp hosted at Beth-Eden Bible Camp in Missouri. It was a new experience, and a blessing from the Lord to be able to participate. The other experienced counselors welcomed me wholeheartedly. Working with the young people was a great delight.
The group from Grace Bible Church in Tulsa. I enjoyed getting to know the girls who rode with me during the 7-hour drive.
The campers enjoyed dressing up for the Hawaiian Theme Night .
.
There was a counselor devotion and prayer time early every morning
My prayer group met for a few minutes each day after the girls' cabin devotion.
Pastor Dean Olive preached powerfully. I appreciated that he spoke to the teens as adults, and didn't water down the Word of God. He took us through the book of Jonah, and I hope to post my sermon notes soon.
The music during the week was special. I hope to post words to some songs that readers of this blog may be able to sing to known tunes.
I attended the Group Session for the 13-year olds on the last day that it was held.
The activities included volleyball.
One highlight of my week was helping with Bible Trivia.
Songs:
Independence Day
July 5th, 2008Yesterday, we celebrated Independence Day with our friends at LEI. Click the second picture below to see more photos taken by none other than our excellent photographer, Peter!
two photographers
click for album
LEI Website Complete!
July 5th, 2008After months upon months of hard work and collaboration with others, Paul Stefan has launched the new LEI website. No doubt he will continue working to improve the website, but what we can see now is certainly cause for congratulations. Good job, Paul Stefan!
Do Hard Things
July 3rd, 2008Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but be an example for other believers in your speech, behavior, love, faithfulness, and purity.
1 Timothy 4:12
___
Last Saturday, we attended the Do Hard Things conference in Dallas. The Rebelution – A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations – is an organization started by two homeschooled brothers. Alex and Brett Harris, 19-yr. old twins, proved to be excellent communicators during all the talks they presented. Their father, Gregg Harris was an encouragement via cassettes and publications to my parents when they were learning about homeschooling in the 1980s, and gave an excellent presentation on our sin nature which culminated in attendees rejoicing that the Lord saved some people at the conference. Below the photos is a list of notes from the conference.
Brett, Gregg, and Alex Harris during one of many book-giveaways during the conference.
Alex speaking
Gregg Harris speaking
Alex and Brett Harris spent the breaks speaking with conference attendees.
Browsing Book Tables
Do Hard Things for sale
Paul Stefan and Ana Marie speaking with a friend
Daddy reading in a new resource added to our library
___
The first use of the term "teenager" was in 1941 in Reader's Digest.
The current ceiling of expectation SHOULD be the floor.
God has high expectations for ALL, regardless of age or any other factor.
What is expected is accomplished.
Culture expects us to survive but not to thrive.
Have you reached your limits or just fulfilled the basics?
Until we get past our own strength, we won't need to rely on God's.
You don't get anything without effort.
___
Do Hard Things looks like:
1) getting serious about fighting sin in your own life
2) battling discouragement and complacency
You will always face either of these temptations
Do what's hard for you.
3) doing more than is expected
Vikings had the strength to win their battles because they rowed themselves to battle
Strength is built up, not inherited.
4) getting over fear of failure
All effort, even failed, produces muscle.
"When you reach for the stars you may not quite get one, but you won't come up with a handful of mud either." Leo Burnett
5) different for each person
Men and women have different hard things to do.
6) doing small things for the most part
Obey Him in private because it's for Him.
7) your best life, which is not the same as easy
"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried." – G.K. Chesterton
___
heart = wanter
What we want in our heart defines who we are.We do have freedom of choice, but our choices are limited by our nature. A sinful nature is only capable of choosing how to offend God next.
___
Companions:
1) not just alone
2 Tim. 2:22
Eccl. 4:12
Pro. 27:17
2) not just with peers
Pro. 13:20
1 Cor. 15:33
Eph. 6:1-3
Pro. 20:21-There can be a beneficial alliance between older and younger – strength + wisdom.
3) not just with people
books, movies, internet etc.
Choose wisely what you read, watch, and listen to.
____
Practical applications:
1) have a hero
inspiration and assistance
gain their experience by reading their biographies
2) make friends with dead people (authors)
read books that have stood the test of time
read great books, not just good ones
3) take advantage of the Rebelution
visit the website
find companions (ie. the Rebelution forum)
4) find the secret rebelutionaries by being an obvious rebelutionary
spread the message by your life
light a fire under others by your example
5) ask older Christians "What do you wish you had known when you were my age?"
6) seek God
the ultimate Companion
know Him to live for Him
7) change something
just being excited doesn't change anything
structural(real support), not behavioral(emotion) change
sin and weight(not necessarily sin) both keep you from something
you can't change something in your life until you change something
___
You can do hard things because CHRIST did the ultimate hard thing.
You owe Him your life.
___