Summer camp

Yeah, I know the picture is TINY! I will get some bigger ones and change them when I can. Ok! I went to camp last week! That's why my blog wasn't updated. My youth group from Sunridge Community Church in Temecula took about 60 kids up to Pondo Pines Camp at Big Bear, CA! We left last Monday and returned exhausted but happy on Friday. I am so grateful that not only is my job flexible enough to allow me to volunteer for such events but it's even part of my job description! woohoo! How lucky am I?
I was privileged to spend the week in the cabin with the girls from this years small group. We spent the day, just about 24/7 with each other! *big smile* The theme of the camp week was "Shine" which was based on Phil 2:14-16 "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life- in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing". All 8 teams were named after stars. Our team was called Aimach, which is a star in the Andromeda constellation. The speakers topics were all based on astronomy. It was fascinating and although I've heard that kind of thing before; I was again amazed at God and His immensity and grandeur. That WAS the point actually! :-)
The best part of all of this was that as I sat in the meetings and spent some talk time with my girls, my heart was full to overflowing. I was so blessed by my time with them. I was again reminded of WHY I LOVE youth ministry. I was again reminded that THIS is WHY I do this stuff. That God has made me for this ministry. I can not believe, as I look back, the years that have flown by and the lives that I have had some influence in. They bless me and God blesses me by being allowed to be a piece of their lives. I LIVE for times like this. When God gives you something to do, He makes you LOVE it! :-) I got to see God work, meaning move hearts and change minds, last week. He did it with teenagers. He did it without our help. He spoke to me as well, through a continuation in the passage in Isa 40:26. I've been concentrating on verses 27-31, but then He added verse 26 for me. "he calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength not one of them is missing". I was reminded that He has not forgotten me. One among trillions. He knows me and He cares what happens to me.
Anyway. That was my week. I was blessed and rewarded. Teens saw God in their own lives and He showed Himself amazing. Whew! Can ministry be any better than this?