SPP Letter- week 2

Well, Facebook wouldnt let me paste it onto the note... but the blog is working instead :)I dont understand....at all...


Dear Praying Partners,
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> Thank you so much for praying this week! Your prayers really do mean a great deal to me(all of us for that matter) and I cannot say thank you enough! How precious it is to know that fellow believers are continuing to pray to the Creator of the universe on my behalf! Thank you! Thank you! Learning that God is good is a continual lesson to say the least. His goodness is displayed in so many ways and aspects; it is wonderful to see His blessings channeled through them all. What a tender joy it is to see God say "I love you" through obvious blessings, but how very grateful I am that He says this same phrase by saying "no" or "wait" or "trust me." This harder type of lesson could be shown through "big problems" in life but I am learning that just as much or more can be learned through the "hum drum" happenings of daily life. When things go wrong and the day starts to spiral out of control, what is my response? What is my reaction? Frustration? Anger? Placing blame on others? Reactions show the inner man. My reactions tell me where my trust is. Am I believing in my own competence(heavens, I should know better!) or am I resting in the belief that my almighty Abba has everything under His omnipent control? If my choice is not the latter, than I have already failed, regardless of the outcome of my day or situation. I was learning the lesson of rest and contentment before camp ever started and I marvel that even when God gives me totally different surroundings, He continues to envelope me in the truths He wants me to learn. Basically the lesson is to "shut up and rely on God!" I may not be good at it at all but I like for things to be under my control. I like for my plans to work out. I like it when all of the washers and dryers do what they are supposed to do instead of dying or breaking down. I like it when the laundry car doesnt decide to randomly squeal it's brakes at strangers walking by(not good, not good...). The question is am I at rest, peace, joy and contenment with God when things DO go wrong- as they inevitably will? Is my happiness reliant upon my will being done or God's will? I cannot give an answer; the question is ever present before each and every one of us every moment of the day.
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> The speaker this week was a preacher I had never heard before but I still very much enjoyed, Dave Young. His love for the campers was quite evident and appreciated by all. I got to counsel some this week and it was apparent to me that God was doing a great work in the hearts of these kids. God really uses the counseling time to rebuke me of my own failures and shortcomings. It is really convicting to sit next to a creek while listening to a camper repent sin or confess weaknesses that you possess yourself. There are times when in my own heart I must ask God to help me in the same areas in which I am giving counsel. It is also exciting to see campers commit to God the same things I committed to when I was their age: life to whatever God has, witness to friends, to stay pure and to prepare for marriage, etc. I may be wrong, but the message on purity had one of the greatest responses by the campers(in my estimation). When I step back and consider how many couples fail to remain together after only a few years I cannot help but pray and hope that these campers really will stay pure until God gives them who He would have them to spend the rest of their life with. How incredible would it be if the next generation put in end to the snowball of divorces and unsuccessful marriages? It is an awesome thought to envision not only for this counry but for our God. I was incredibly blessed to have Michele Zoback as my prayer partner this week. I can only think of a few people in my life that are so accepting of others, so patient and considerate, or that are so thoughtul and encouraging. Michele has come to mean a great deal to me in the last year while we attend school together and just watching her do her job makes me want to have my own cabin ti pour myself into! What a rebuke it is to me to see the love she gives every last person in her life for the sake of loving them and nothing else. I absolutely love to be around and especially work with people that are simply themselves-no mask. Michele is Michele and will go all out for those around her. What a blessing and challenge she is to me!
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> Thanks again for the prayers!
> Bethany JOY Woodfin