Sunday, August 12, 2007
The Banquet and Beyound
SO…The end as saddly approached us. However, the end could not have gone better. Mary Hulst, our program director, was back for the wrap up. Her talk “Now What…” challenged us to take what we have learned here back to Calvin. To have goals going into the fall semester, to practice our leadership skills for the good of others, to have accountability with one another etc. And the Bible study did not lack at all either. It was fantastic. We focused on Psalm 133 and 134:
1 How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!
2 It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down upon the collar of his robes.
3 It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.
1 Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD
who minister by night in the house of the LORD.
2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
and praise the LORD.
3 May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth,
bless you from Zion.
These are Psalms of Celebration! And that is exactly what the Ladership Challenge Institute of Calvin College at Snow Mountain Ranch for the summer of 2007 did. Pictures can speak 1,000 words…right? That is what they say…
The small group leaders all recieved gifts from those who were in their group. Here is Dan Riemersma recieving his gift
Tony Terpstra recieving his
Molly Fuller recieving hers
Sarah Baker recieving hers
And last but not least Monica Lackman recieving her small group leader gift
Here are the leaders feeling very blessed, happy, and thankful after recieving their gifts.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Preparing
We had the pleasure of welcoming Dale Cooper back for a second week! He went through his talk “What I want to be when I grow up: Five character qualities of a mature christian leader” and prepared us for the reality of the present and what will come in the future. Even though he said it will be challenging it will also be rewarding beyound measure. One of his points was “unimpeachable integrity.” It is hard for us to be what we are on the outside what we are on the inside. To be authentic. But like I said it is rewarding. Our Bible study was Psalm 131:
1 My heart is not proud, O LORD,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD
both now and forevermore.
We must prepare ourselves for the Lord, we must have trust in the Lord. What a great Pslam to read when our trust in the Lord is lacking! What do you hear God saying to you? Listen to him. We have a God who knows us by name and has our best interest in mind. We are also preparing for the end of the program. We have one speaker left tomorrow night and no more after that. Very sad! As we prepare for the end we look back and remember the great summer we have all had together. We remember all of the the fun Wednesday activities. This week was cliff jumping at Radium Hot Springs. Some photos for your enjoyment:
Some of us at the Saturday night worship service in the campground at SMR
Who does not like to dance?
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Always Waiting, Always Making Memories
“The faithful life inevitably involves waiting upon the Lord and hoping in God’s word.” This is what Psalm 130 Reminded us of this week within our small groups.
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
2 O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
7 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
8 He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.
Our speaker this week was the recently retired Chaplain Dale Cooper or “Coop”. He spoke on “And don’t forget to…” (or: “A few things I think I have learned about leadership since the time I thought I knew it all” Coop took us through twelve different leadership lessons through his talk. One of them being, for example, “The greatest victory you’ll ever achieve, by divine grace, is the victory over yourself.” To be a good leader you must first know yourself. You must obey Christ’s great commission, proclaiming the good news first to yourself. And that is right. We were lucky enough to recieve twelve lessons! The following Wednesday for our activity Coop took us out for pizza to Hernando’s, which is in Winter Park.
