If you're reading this update, you are well aware that Ocean City Summer Project 2011 has officially survived its first week being student led! Right now I'm sitting on the porch after a huge thunderstorm, listening to some country music, and my heart is so happy. I absolutely love this project and all the people here.
Monday night we had our first student speaker deliver a great message about God and his ability to love so well and keep his promises. He is the ultimate reason we are able to love in the first place.
"When we realize the amazing grace of God, it should be uncontainable - it should over flow to others."
I didn't have work on Tuesday, so I was able to sleep in a bit then get up and have time with the Lord. I told you all that I have been reading The Pursuit of Holiness and that it has been so refreshing to read about how perfect our God is and how we should mirror that. God says, "Be holy, because I am holy." I have noticed that I compare myself to others and base "holiness" off those I believe are really strong Christians or those who seem to have "it" all together. What I forget is that those individuals are sinners, they can't obtain true holiness. Reading through this book has helped me realize that my definition of holiness should be based off the only one who perfects it, God.
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." Revelation 4:8
Although it is expected of us to be perfect, we were made in the image of Jesus, unfortunately...we fail. Every single day consists of sin, after sin, after sin. It is inevitable, we are going to sin, but that does not give us permission to be okay with it. "God hates the sin, but loves the sinner." We should have that same view, we should hate sin and try to run from it. I remember my youth pastor in high school said something that I thought was really cool, "When you become a Christian, it does not mean you become SINLESS, but you do SIN LESS." We should continually be trying to reach what our God has always had, holiness.
Thursday night came along and our other student director gave a message on...the gospel. There were a few individuals who came to that meeting who are in desperate need of the gospel, so I was so over-joyed to hear what we were going to be learning about. I prayed the entire meeting for their salvation. Michael (student director) emphasized that there is no greater sign of God's love than what is written in the gospel, that life is meaningless if we are apart from Christ.
"If there is one way to heaven, there are a million ways to hell."
God is pursuing the people I work with and I know he is sovereign. Michael's message spoke truth into their lives and I pray that the Lord's beauty was revealed to them.
Along the lines of coworkers, the CRU members that work at McDonald's have made leaps and bounds with those we work with. Our relationships with them have grown so much over this past week or so. On Friday night a group from project went to The Band Perry, Luke Bryan, and Tim McGraw concert. We brought along one of our coworkers and had the best time getting to know him better and just hear about his life. Some of us were able to share a little about CRU and even bits and pieces of our testimony. Plus, the concert was PHENOMENAL! Tim McGraw was the best performer I have ever seen (by the way, he as a Jesus fish tattooed on his inner right bicep. I love him even more!). Fireworks went off during his encore, even though they were for a Philly's game, but it was still magical. :) On Saturday night, we had a cheese cake social and a few of our coworkers came to that. We then went and walked around on the boardwalk, went to Wawa, and then parked ourselves on the corner of 13th and Asbury and stayed there until two of them had to go to work. Haha, yes, we pulled an all-nighter laying on the cement a block away from the Inn. The same undercover cop came by twice to make sure we were staying out of trouble, which of course we were. We literally laid there all night and talked, were goofy, and simply growing our relationships as friends. It was great at the time, but I was definitely struggling to keep my eyes open in church the next morning!
I love seeing what the Lord is doing in Ocean City, but especially at McDonald's. I truly feel like I have the best coworkers. One individual told me that if it wasn't for us, he wouldn't go to work. When it was brought up that we were leaving in three weeks, they changed the subject because they didn't want to think about it. We are loved and we love them and I honestly hope through our close bond with them that they will come to know the Lord.
Going back to Saturday though...during the day my adoptive dad took me and four others to Philly. It was so fun seeing the history there, such as the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. We grabbed lunch at Reading Terminal Market (shown in National Treasure, I might add) and then headed off to lose some calories by running up the steps Rocky did! Hahaha. Lastly, we went to South Street, it was a very interesting street, very trendy. It has been fun to get off the island once or twice and see other places nearby. The east coast really isn't that bad! Hah, but I still favor the west...
I love the people here and can't believe our time together is becoming less and less each day. I feel incredibly blessed to have gotten the opportunity to come here this summer, thank you all who helped in that process. I know I am going to take so much of what I've gotten out of this project back to Chico. Please continue to pray for everyone's work places, that we will be effective in sharing the good news and that even after leaving OC we will maintain friendships with our coworkers. The Lord is doing wonderful things here and it has been so fun to witness. By the way, today we are having Christmas in July...so, Merry Christmas!
The Band Perry, Luke Bryan, and Tim McGraw concert!
McDonald's crew at the concert.
After accomplishing running up the steps like Rocky!
South Street in Philly.
Clearly exhausted. Haha.
http://video.foxnews.com/v/1072879438001/prominent-christian-ministry-drops-christ/
As many of you have already heard, Campus Crusade for Christ has made a name change: CRU. It has been very publicized since the decision, please watch this video for clarification!
Monday night we had our first student speaker deliver a great message about God and his ability to love so well and keep his promises. He is the ultimate reason we are able to love in the first place.
"When we realize the amazing grace of God, it should be uncontainable - it should over flow to others."
I didn't have work on Tuesday, so I was able to sleep in a bit then get up and have time with the Lord. I told you all that I have been reading The Pursuit of Holiness and that it has been so refreshing to read about how perfect our God is and how we should mirror that. God says, "Be holy, because I am holy." I have noticed that I compare myself to others and base "holiness" off those I believe are really strong Christians or those who seem to have "it" all together. What I forget is that those individuals are sinners, they can't obtain true holiness. Reading through this book has helped me realize that my definition of holiness should be based off the only one who perfects it, God.
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." Revelation 4:8
Although it is expected of us to be perfect, we were made in the image of Jesus, unfortunately...we fail. Every single day consists of sin, after sin, after sin. It is inevitable, we are going to sin, but that does not give us permission to be okay with it. "God hates the sin, but loves the sinner." We should have that same view, we should hate sin and try to run from it. I remember my youth pastor in high school said something that I thought was really cool, "When you become a Christian, it does not mean you become SINLESS, but you do SIN LESS." We should continually be trying to reach what our God has always had, holiness.
Thursday night came along and our other student director gave a message on...the gospel. There were a few individuals who came to that meeting who are in desperate need of the gospel, so I was so over-joyed to hear what we were going to be learning about. I prayed the entire meeting for their salvation. Michael (student director) emphasized that there is no greater sign of God's love than what is written in the gospel, that life is meaningless if we are apart from Christ.
"If there is one way to heaven, there are a million ways to hell."
God is pursuing the people I work with and I know he is sovereign. Michael's message spoke truth into their lives and I pray that the Lord's beauty was revealed to them.
Along the lines of coworkers, the CRU members that work at McDonald's have made leaps and bounds with those we work with. Our relationships with them have grown so much over this past week or so. On Friday night a group from project went to The Band Perry, Luke Bryan, and Tim McGraw concert. We brought along one of our coworkers and had the best time getting to know him better and just hear about his life. Some of us were able to share a little about CRU and even bits and pieces of our testimony. Plus, the concert was PHENOMENAL! Tim McGraw was the best performer I have ever seen (by the way, he as a Jesus fish tattooed on his inner right bicep. I love him even more!). Fireworks went off during his encore, even though they were for a Philly's game, but it was still magical. :) On Saturday night, we had a cheese cake social and a few of our coworkers came to that. We then went and walked around on the boardwalk, went to Wawa, and then parked ourselves on the corner of 13th and Asbury and stayed there until two of them had to go to work. Haha, yes, we pulled an all-nighter laying on the cement a block away from the Inn. The same undercover cop came by twice to make sure we were staying out of trouble, which of course we were. We literally laid there all night and talked, were goofy, and simply growing our relationships as friends. It was great at the time, but I was definitely struggling to keep my eyes open in church the next morning!
I love seeing what the Lord is doing in Ocean City, but especially at McDonald's. I truly feel like I have the best coworkers. One individual told me that if it wasn't for us, he wouldn't go to work. When it was brought up that we were leaving in three weeks, they changed the subject because they didn't want to think about it. We are loved and we love them and I honestly hope through our close bond with them that they will come to know the Lord.
Going back to Saturday though...during the day my adoptive dad took me and four others to Philly. It was so fun seeing the history there, such as the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. We grabbed lunch at Reading Terminal Market (shown in National Treasure, I might add) and then headed off to lose some calories by running up the steps Rocky did! Hahaha. Lastly, we went to South Street, it was a very interesting street, very trendy. It has been fun to get off the island once or twice and see other places nearby. The east coast really isn't that bad! Hah, but I still favor the west...
I love the people here and can't believe our time together is becoming less and less each day. I feel incredibly blessed to have gotten the opportunity to come here this summer, thank you all who helped in that process. I know I am going to take so much of what I've gotten out of this project back to Chico. Please continue to pray for everyone's work places, that we will be effective in sharing the good news and that even after leaving OC we will maintain friendships with our coworkers. The Lord is doing wonderful things here and it has been so fun to witness. By the way, today we are having Christmas in July...so, Merry Christmas!
As many of you have already heard, Campus Crusade for Christ has made a name change: CRU. It has been very publicized since the decision, please watch this video for clarification!
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