Monday, October 01, 2007
Bring It!
I am home from my first youth retreat.
I am a tired woman. Ha!
It took place in the Ozark mountains and the weather was absolutely gorgeous! We stayed in cabins(I was with my other co-leader and the ninth grade girls.) We have such a sweet group of girls. They are very godly minded and so kind to us and one another. I've never been around so many polite and cheerful girls all at once...even when they were exhausted they were so precious. Thanks girls, for making the trip so wonderful!
The amazing speaker was Byron Yawn (Boo). He is the pastor of the Community Bible Church in Nashville Tennessee. I would highly recommend this church if you are in that area. He was mentored by our pastor and went to Master's Seminary. His heart for the Lord was obvious and he is a man committed to sound doctrine, which is not always easy to find. He was such a great teacher. I learned so much and was fed from God's Word...I know the students were,too. Although, this was a youth retreat and was a lot of fun, the teaching was *meaty* and we were all fed a feast from God's Word. He taught from Matthew 5:1-11, which is the beattiudes. Learning what it really means to be poor in spirit, to mourn, to be meek, to thirst and hunger after righteousness, to be merciful, to be pure in heart, to be a peacemaker, and to be persecuted was very convicting to me. Convicting you ask?....Aren't the beattitudes a list of blessings...well, yes, but to be all it says to be and having the attitudes listed here is an area we all need to be challenged in. The depth of his teaching brought out a lot of aspects of our Christian walk that I have not thought of. He taught us to say *Bring it*(see my title)...instead of Amen...which was just one of the funny things from the weekend...you had to be there. : )
The singing and worship time was sweet. I love the picture sketched in my mind of everyone wrapped in blankets singing praises to God at 11:30pm. Even the camp workers came over and joined us.
During the day during our free time we played fun games, did the famous blob, water slides, ropes course in the tree tops, miniature golf, all kinds of games I have never heard of... and then the most terrifying thing to me was the pamper pole(my daughter corrected me)(I think that is what everyone called it). It is a tall telephone pole with hinge steps on the side of it so it can be climbed. Once you get to the top(which is VERY high) you have to step off of the top step and stand with both feet on the small top of the telephone pole....then once you get your balance, you jump to a trapeze hanging in the air. This is all done with a harness and ropes, so you can't fall...but still, it was so scary. No, I did not try it...but I watched people attempt it and some actually could do it....that was enough for me. It was much harder than you think...especially getting from the top step to the top of the pole, with nothing to hang onto! I was a bundle of nerves just watching it.
Today, I am focusing on hungering and thirsting after righteousness...and trusting in God as the only true satisfaction. What a wonderful weekend!!!
Here are the words to one of the songs we sang. It was written by one of our talented and gifted youth workers/worship leader...(music and words) and it went perfectly with the teaching!
I am a tired woman. Ha!
It took place in the Ozark mountains and the weather was absolutely gorgeous! We stayed in cabins(I was with my other co-leader and the ninth grade girls.) We have such a sweet group of girls. They are very godly minded and so kind to us and one another. I've never been around so many polite and cheerful girls all at once...even when they were exhausted they were so precious. Thanks girls, for making the trip so wonderful!
The amazing speaker was Byron Yawn (Boo). He is the pastor of the Community Bible Church in Nashville Tennessee. I would highly recommend this church if you are in that area. He was mentored by our pastor and went to Master's Seminary. His heart for the Lord was obvious and he is a man committed to sound doctrine, which is not always easy to find. He was such a great teacher. I learned so much and was fed from God's Word...I know the students were,too. Although, this was a youth retreat and was a lot of fun, the teaching was *meaty* and we were all fed a feast from God's Word. He taught from Matthew 5:1-11, which is the beattiudes. Learning what it really means to be poor in spirit, to mourn, to be meek, to thirst and hunger after righteousness, to be merciful, to be pure in heart, to be a peacemaker, and to be persecuted was very convicting to me. Convicting you ask?....Aren't the beattitudes a list of blessings...well, yes, but to be all it says to be and having the attitudes listed here is an area we all need to be challenged in. The depth of his teaching brought out a lot of aspects of our Christian walk that I have not thought of. He taught us to say *Bring it*(see my title)...instead of Amen...which was just one of the funny things from the weekend...you had to be there. : )
The singing and worship time was sweet. I love the picture sketched in my mind of everyone wrapped in blankets singing praises to God at 11:30pm. Even the camp workers came over and joined us.
During the day during our free time we played fun games, did the famous blob, water slides, ropes course in the tree tops, miniature golf, all kinds of games I have never heard of... and then the most terrifying thing to me was the pamper pole(my daughter corrected me)(I think that is what everyone called it). It is a tall telephone pole with hinge steps on the side of it so it can be climbed. Once you get to the top(which is VERY high) you have to step off of the top step and stand with both feet on the small top of the telephone pole....then once you get your balance, you jump to a trapeze hanging in the air. This is all done with a harness and ropes, so you can't fall...but still, it was so scary. No, I did not try it...but I watched people attempt it and some actually could do it....that was enough for me. It was much harder than you think...especially getting from the top step to the top of the pole, with nothing to hang onto! I was a bundle of nerves just watching it.
Today, I am focusing on hungering and thirsting after righteousness...and trusting in God as the only true satisfaction. What a wonderful weekend!!!
Here are the words to one of the songs we sang. It was written by one of our talented and gifted youth workers/worship leader...(music and words) and it went perfectly with the teaching!
Oh Lord
Please give me grace
Let me be poor
But see your face
Not on this Earth, but on your throne
Let me find joy to be Your own
Oh, Lord
Please let me mourn
And in Your name, Let me bear scorn
When I am hurt for causes just
Let me find comfort and still trust
Let me be blessed, let me be gentle
While all around the world maligns
Let me be blessed, let me be pure
With all my heart, with all my mind.
Oh Lord
Please let me thirst
Please let me hunger for your ways first
And satisfy me in You alone
And sanctify me as Your own.
Oh Lord
Let me bring peace
Open my heart, let battles cease
In all the days I have to live
Let me show mercy and forgive...
Let me be blessed
Let me bear sorrows
Let me be blessed
To bear your shame
Let me be blessed
To stand with those
Who do Your will, who bear Your name.
And if my heart should ever falter
And if my will should start to fail
Let me remember saints of old
Who stand in glory who prevailed.
Let me be salt
Let me have purpose
Let me be light to point the way
And through the trials that come
As the world rejects
Let me be blessed to still obey
Oh, Lord
Please give me grace
Let me be poor
But see your face
Not on this Earth, but on Your throne
Let me find comfort, Let me find home.
By Jim Mc.
I am a stay at home mother to 4. I am very blessed to have a godly husband who loves the Lord and his family. I welcome the days of much needed grace,the times of sweet victories,and the tears of trials,knowing it is all for God's glory. I want my lifesong to sing to Him,the author and finisher of my faith. Soli Deo Gloria--To the Glory of God alone.
12 Comments:
We are studying the Beatitudes in our womens bible study this year and I know what you mean about convicting. I often feel filleted after a week of homework and then a lecture!
I absolutely love the words to the song, I know you said one of the youth workers wrote it. Would he/she be willing to share a copy of the music? This song would be perfect for our study.
Glad to hear you had a blessed time.
Terri
Wow, this sounds great! ...and what a blessing to hear that you can be with a cabin of ninth grade girls and they were sweet and loving! AWESOME and only by God's grace.
I love retreats! I have only gone to one since having kids, but it was a good time for me to be able to reflect and learn. Yours sounded amazing. Except for the pole thing. That just sounded....scary.
I have to admit I am a bit jealous :) Our church is in the very early stages and so our youth group is just about 3 kids at this point! I am looking forward to retreats like the one you just went on. I love that you were able to be a part of it!
Your weekend retreat sounds like SUCH a wonderful time!!!
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Blessing to you, and your family today!
I am so jealous! I would love to work with the youth, but frankly, I'm scared of them a little bit.
I am glad that you had such a good experience with these ninth graders. I am sure that God used you to minister to these girls as well. You seem like you would be perfect for that job.
Retreats are so fun. I'm going on a ladies retreat in November with Tamra's church. I can hardly wait! Love you!
Come on, who wouldn't do the super tall, incredibly scary telephone pole kind of deal? Not me--I'm with you on that one! Being scared half to death is NOT my idea of fun!
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It sounds like it was truly blessed. God is so good!
This sounds truly amazing. I bet the Ozarks were gorgeous. I love to read your wisdom and hunger for the Lord. I pray that my children will have a time to grow in God in such an amazing way. Thanks for sharing!!
Wow what an amazing weekend and so full of wonderful blessings!
Kim,
Have you ever shared how you found your church and what your criteria was for joining one with a youth group? I know you've shared how God/Bible centered it is, but I wonder what else you were looking for (maybe some specifics?) We recently left a church that was more worldly than wise, and our children (7 of them ages 16, 15, 14, 11, 9, 4 and 2) miss the entertainment aspect of it (well, just the older ones) while we are now attending a small, solid, expository preaching, hymn singing, occasional youth outings led by the pastor and parents themselves church. We love it. but the kids still miss the retreats, their friends, etc.
you are appreciated,
Jodi
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