Christ in you, the hope of glory

A couple of weekends ago I took some youth down to Youthedge. It's an awesome youth retreat that Millar College of the Bible hosts each year. Now I've been to lots and lots of youthedges but this was the best one EVER!!!!

Seriously.

Let me tell you all about it! First off the speaker and worship leader worked together during the entire weekend to really bring us into a place of worship. It was amazing but not only that, both of them hung out with the youth during the weekend. That was very encouraging to see. But even more amazing then that was the youth that were there this year. Those teenagers were so ready to hear what the speaker had to say and so ready to experience worship. It brought tears to my eyes more then once to see those kids making public declarations and commitments to the Lord. On Saturday night I was sitting there in the gym, surrounded by hundreds of people, most of them 18 and younger and I saw something amazing. It wasn't something I saw with my eyes but something that God showed me in my spirit. I saw that this generation of teenagers right now isn't going to grow up to love the Lord whole heartedly, they aren't going to grow up to serve Him with their entire being, they aren't going to grow up to do outrageous things for the Kingdom of God. They are going to do it right now. Right now! This wasn't just a fleeting thought I had, I know that this came from God. This generation of teenagers, who are believers, are going to rise above the low expectations put on them by society and do amazing things. It's so exciting!!! It was such an awesome experience to be there and to see that and to know that God is bringing some exciting things on the horizon.

Also something that made youthedge so good this year was how many alumni were present! This year more then any other years alumni brought youth. I was so blessed and so encouraged to be able to spend time with friends, some that I have not seen in a really long time. God is good and I was so thankful for that!

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity --1 Timothy 4:12

just a random memory...

It was the end of second year (at Millar College of the Bible) and finals were finally over. Stress was melting away and the time to go home and leave friends was drawing near. Amy, Tyler, Nathan, Andy, Anthony and myself decided to celebrate the end of finals by aquiring late leave and going on a donut run. So the six of us piled into my five passenger car. Nathan, one of the tallest boys I know, decided that he was going to sit in the middle between Amy and I in the front of the car. I tried to convince him otherwise saying that he wouldn't fit and would be all cramped up ater the 45 minute drive. But he would not be convinced otherwise, he was bound and determined to sit in the front. So off we went, Nathan all bent over inbetween Amy and I.

We arrived at Tim Horton's, ordered and sat around eating, talking and laughing. David was working at Tim Horton's that year so Andy went up and was conversing with him. The thing is though, he wouldn't leave once we were ready! You see we had big plans to now go to Dairy Queen and get some ice-cream! Andy refused to listen to reason and remained in Tim Horton's talking to David. Finally the rest of us simply went out to the car thinking that he would of course follow us. He didn't. So what do we decide to do? What else then go through the drive through?! When we got to the order speaker I promtly ordered, "One Andy Rapko to go please!" Next thing I hear is Andy talking over the Tim Horton's Drive through telling us he will be out in a minute.On the drive home I convinced Nathan that he should drive and let me sit in the middle this time. He happily agreed to that! Little did the three of us in the front know just what was going on in the backseat...

Andy and Anthony had decided that they were too hot and had long since shed their jackets. The next thing they decided to shed was their shirts. Tyler was unaware as he was looking out the window. But apparently he looked over to find two bare chested men sitting beside him. Appaled he hissed, "what are you guys doing?" They shushed him and continued sitting in their shirtless glory. Nathan for some reason turned on the intirior light and I glanced into the backseat to find Andy and Anthony without shirts on, in MY car! I promptly shrieked! Amy turned around to see what was going on and promtly yelled at those two guys who had the audacity to take their shirts off around us! There was a huge kirfuffle as the guys tried to convince us that they had been too hot so of course they had to take off their shirts. At this point Tyler (one of the most polite, calm people you could meet) yelled at the top of his lungs, "How can you be too hot? I have my jacket on and I am not boiling!" Thus Nathan blasted cold air until Andy and Anthony put their shirts back on!

What fun we had at Millar, laughing and joking together!