Bigfoot 2012 - (Re)Discover

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Heeheheheehe... Sorry everyone!  I've been lazy resting after Bigfoot ended last Monday... got too lazy to update my facebook pictures and write this blog.  I'm back!  =D  Well... too lazy and also not feeling well, but that's besides the point!  *wink*  I'll tell you about it later... maybe.  *smirk*

This year's Bigfoot (our annual youth retreat)... so awesome!  Each year is great... but I feel that this year, God particularly made his presence known.  Going into this retreat, we have 20 adult counselors and 40 kids... wow, a ratio of 1:2 is great... potential for lots more personal attention and time to each individual.  =D

Our theme for Bigfoot is Mark 8:27-29... all about (re)discovering who Christ is. 

Main points I got from this weekend:
  -God doesn't want me to be religious (doing "works" to gain his approval to get what I personally want), but he wants me to have a personal relationship with him.
  -Identity in Christ Jesus means that my self-worth comes not from what I do, what I have, nor does it come from my own achievements... but that my freedom and identity is based on Christ's death and resurrection in payment for my faults (sins) because God loves me so much beyond anything I can imagine.
  -Faith becomes real when tested in action (example of knowing a chair can hold my weight, not sitting in it, then how can I be sure the chair will not collapse?  I don't have faith in the chair's capability to uphold my weight unless I test it... to sit in the chair with my whole weight, if it breaks, then I'll fall.  Same with God... faith grows when I can't depend on my own strength, but depend solely on God to come through.)
  -With Jesus' death, payment for my sins/faults is COMPLETE... there's nothing I can do to pay it back or earn favor... instead, God delights in me and the best I can do is get to know my God more by spending time with him... and out of God's over-whelming gift of unearned love and salvation towards me, I share the knowledge of his gift with others.
  -Following Christ Jesus requires that I die to my personal earthly wants... I can't completely serve God if I want to serve myself... this is an expected daily struggle, not meant to be painless or easy... slowly learning to let go in order to fully obey God.
  -Jesus washed his disciples feet, not so that they would wash his feet in return, but as an example so that they may follow to serve others.

This weekend, I relearned a little about God's unconditional love through Christ Jesus.  That God cares more for my personal relationship with him than any task or chore I can do.  Like a child who loves his parents so much that he cleans his room because he knows that will please his parents... I love God because he first loved me... and I want to show my love to my Lord God by obeying his commands. 

Lord God, you have shown me your love first before I ever loved you back.  Like a parent, you want to provide what's best for me, to give me great gifts, but at the same time, you will not spare me heartache nor discipline as I learn to grow up strong.  I often have a hard time seeing you, Lord, but when my own strength fails me... that's when I can see you most clearly.  So, thank you that my life isn't easy.  Thank you that I don't have to depend on my own strength to survive.  Thank you that my purpose is to follow you and my hope is found in your promises.  Thank you, Lord, that wherever this life leads, I'm never alone.  Thank you, God, that even as my body doesn't feel well this past week, I've been blessed to see and appreciate the times when i feel great... that the health I have now... Thank you, God, that my body still works... Thank you, Father, that even after 2 surgeries and chemo... my body responds well enough that I can still work full-time, participate fully in my church's youth program, continue to do crazy back-yard projects, and just enough to strength to sometimes play paintball.  =D

Thank you, Lord Father, for my life, for hope, and for the strength you've given me to keep going... one foot in front of the other... facing new challenges as they come, but never alone.

In Jesus' name I thank you, amen.