A Weekend with The One

Recently I spent a weekend traveling. Now you would think that that is nothing special, but I traveled in seven states in four days. This week has been exhausting to say the least, but those few days were something that I needed.

First, the campus ministering crew drove from Lincoln to Chicago for the Camp Ministries Convention. A three day retreat for Campus Ministries from all the Adventist schools to come together and share ideas and talk about Jesus. They picked the theme of Follower and man, it was just what I needed to hear. As leaders we sometimes get caught up in leading this and leading that, but we need to stop and remember that we are followers first. Followers of Christ.

My second stop was a flight to Spokane where I then drove to Hayden Lake, ID for camp leadership training. It was great to be able to come together and show the other leadership staff my vision for this summer. My vision for this summer is for kids to leave camp knowing Jesus. Plain and simple. Camp will look different this year, but what I have learned through my life is that a different way is good, even if it is a hard way. Look at Jesus' life. It was different in a very hard, but good, way.

The last and final stop was back to Chicago for The One Project. What a blessing that was. To hear so many different speakers talk about what God has placed on their hearts was thought provoking and mind altering.
One speaker in particular stuck out. Her name is Brandy Kirstein. Now you must understand that Brandy came and did a Power Pac at my college and it was rough around the edges to say the least. Not many of the students seemed too fond of her, but wow, she brought the Word at The One Project! She talked about how the church needed unity and how unity was not about what we agreed on but how we disagree on things. How in the end, even though we have our differences we are all working for the same goal and need that unity to accomplish it. Our church really does seem to be hurting for this. (Even Doug Batchelor would believe in women's ordination after hearing this girl!)

All in all, I walked away from this weekend never wanting to leave Chicago and those people, spiritually refreshed and ready, and once again longing to be doing so much more than I am. I learned, I grew, I renewed. God is good.