We are home ... kind of. We spent the last week at Rush Week in the Branson, Missouri area with some of our favorite peeps ...
... our church's youth group. These kids. I don't really have adequate words to say how much I love them. How thankful I am for them. How excited I am to see them want to be close to God. To have Him use them. To have Him be real in their life. To have Him be their King Jesus. Love. Love. Love.
"Rush Week" in a nutshell is a mission trip with a camp feel. The kids spend time in worship, do some fun things and then fan out all over the community to serve. Some do evangelism. Some do service projects. Some conduct VBS or sports VBS programs. Some travel to all the sites to sing and play instruments. Two talented artists painted a mural at a church. Their week was BUSY ... but so good. So very good.
This year, our youth leaders wanted the kids to not come home changed, but rather to be transformed. They wanted their wanting to follow Jesus to last beyond October. I learned and gleaned to so many great truths from the messages each morning ... so many things I have been pondering in my heart. I could write post after post after post on those alone.
But this. This has caused me to think the most. Perhaps because it convicted me the most. One of our pastor's had a round table discussion with his wife about the importance of taking our sin seriously. We need to ask God to reveal our sin. We are experts at sin management (truth ... I can walk the walk and talk the talk on Sundays, but what am I doing the rest of the week?) And, until we take sin seriously, we will never have peace in our lives. Whoa.
And, then he defined an idol. It is anything we pursue more than we pursue God. Um, Hello. Up until that moment I didn't think I had any idols ... because there were no golden statue thingies up in my house. Yup, no. I was feeling super convicted. And, then his wife read this verse ...
Those who cling to worthless idols,
forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
Jonah 2:8
Because that idol ... not so worth it now.
We were given a CD with activities to complete on our van ride to Branson. And this song was on it ...
It may be my new favorite song. And the prayer of my heart.
So, yes. We are home. Kind of. Because there is still a part of my heart that is pondering all that I saw and heard and learned at Rush Week. And I may be pondering it for quite awhile.
2 comments:
several things!!!!
prepare to be amazed at the "coincidence."
we have been talking to our kids about idols of the heart too. the way we define it for them is, "anything that you are willing to sin to get."
so i have heard this song before... but from the FIRST artist who wrote it, Ross King. Here's a link to the youtube video of his version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6MvZLDBFpU
We know Ross King because he lives here in Bryan. His dad showed Paul and Linda the house that we bought - he is a realtor. And Ross and his wife Stacy have adopted four children through Living Alternatives. We finalized our Suzie and their Naomi on the same day in court in Tyler back in 2010 or whenever. He's a worship leader in a church here. (tell Torrey. :)
Also, I really like that song by Ross King but one that i like eeeeeeeven more that makes me cry like crazy is this one:
http://grooveshark.com/#!/search/song?q=Ross+King+Unplowed+Ground
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