Let me catch my breath...

Hi all!

This is going to have to be quick because I am JUST that busy. I'm doing a Hermeneutics class right now which is AMAZING. Did you know that those who have accapeted Christ are righteous? I always associated righteousness with people like Job and assumed that it was something that I could never attain. Through this class, I understand for that first time that not only do we charge our sin to Christ, BUT he CREDITS US BACK with RIGHTEOUSNESS, it's a matter of now going and living our lives in a righteous way! Oh MAN! God is good.

Hermeneutics is incredible. In English 12 we read a book called "Pale Fire" by Vladimir Nabokov, a beautiful literary puzzle of mirrors and word games...I loved it...but the Bible is even better! It's a freaking playground for the mind! I love being excited to read it.

I do have a real prayer request. I was unable to go on the only youth retreat of the year because the Hermeneutics course I'm now taking was changed so that it ran through the weekend. Going to the course on Saturday, I realized how important it was that I was at the class...but going to church on Sunday was tough because people were not very understanding. I'm not so concerned about that, but I am about the chance I missed out on to bond with the youth. I haven't "clicked" with some of the guys as I have with the people at Kaleo, so I'm really going to have to work to form these relationships. If you would pray that other opportunities would be given to me, that I could really become friends with these guys and I could be used to make God's love REAL to them...I would REALLY appreciate it.

Other than that, life has been pretty amazing. I was talking to my life leader Amanda about problems I might encounter with young people when counselling, and her knowledge and insights blew me away. This was not because they were new to me but because the observations she made were so true of people I know who have dealt with the things we had talked about. When I asked her how she knew these things she said that it was from her experience counselling and revelations from the Lord. I had never heard someone use that term in today's conext, but the expression resonated with me, and I began to pray that I would also experience a revelation from the Lord. Something I have been focusing a lot on lately is acknowledging that truths I discover are directly from the Lord... A few nights ago I was talking to my friend Jennifer, and by speaking to her I realized a lot of what has been happening in my head and my heart.

I had kind of been dreading sharing my testimony with the group. There's a lot of shame in my past, and coming here to camp and being so seperated from sin, I almost felt like my own story wasn't mine. This is sad because no one should be ashamed of their story and I should "own" my story. But it's also cool because I'm truly singing that my story ISN'T mine (I know I shared that earlier), it truly IS God's. And I SHOULD feel seperated from that story because that isn't my life anymore. I have the same life, but it truly is NEW in Christ.

So. There's a lot going on and a lot I could share...but I think that this will do right now.

I love you all in huge ways and I'm getting better at praying for you. Thank you for returning the favor, because the group is in huge need and the effects of what you're doing are visible and effective!

Love Kev