Press On

How do you summarize a week in which God moved in hearts and lives, continually demonstrating a piece of heaven on earth?

There's something about going into a week feeling vulnerable, yet leaning on the Lord as your rock. He showed His faithfulness time and time again at Joni & Friends camp in relationships that were newly established as well as in those that had a previous foundation. We experienced both sorrow and joy throughout the week, yet His grace was ever present.

Before the week started, I chose a passage of Scriptures to claim as my own for the week.
1 Peter 3:8-10, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms."

Many times when I felt frustrated or weak, I came back to these verses and the reminder that I was to love deeply and offer hospitality even when it was the last thing I felt like doing. The gifts God has blessed me with are not my own. They are meant to be shared, along with portions of grace that I too have received from my Father.

Our theme for the week was Press On- "I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14

This continues to be such a challenge to me- pressing on through the trials as well as the joys in life. Reaching the heavenly goal and prize will be well-worth it some sweet day.

Now to some snapshots from my week::

The official Pocono 400 pace car stopped in one afternoon :)

Having fun in cooking club

Beauty is God's handwriting! -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sisters with their pinewood derby cars

My sweet friends

Family for the week :)

 

I'm grateful that I was given yet another opportunity to truly be Christ's hands and feet serving fellow brothers and sisters in need of refreshment and renewal. It was a blessing to be a part of this sweet fellowship. My prayer is that the families we served received just what they needed and much more.