BIGSTUF 2007

I had such a good time at BIGSTUF. Im not sure if you all know exactly what that is or how it so awesomely came about that I was able to go so Ill explain that real quick. Well BIGSTUF is a youth camp/conference type thing in Panama City. It was 4 days long and I needed to take those four days off work. I dont really have enough vacation days so eventually I would run out and not get paid if I went so I told our youth minister I couldnt go and help/chaperone. Well about a week before it was time to leave my bosses told me they were going on vacation to Canada the exact week BIGSTUF was, so I was able to go! I was so pumped, bc now I would get to go to FL, not be without Justin, and experience BIGSTUF, and I heard it was soo awesome so I really wanted to go!

We left on a Saturday morning and stopped in Bham that night and went to Barons game and then stayed at a hotel and finished the trip the next day. BIGSTUF was incredible, I really like how they run things and their scheduling of the days. Its not overwhelming and it seems to be more effective. There were 1500 of us staying in the this hotel attending this thing on the beach! might I add, it was beautiful. I loved waking up and looking out my window and seeing high schoolers sitting on the beach reading their bibles, it was amazing.

So BIGSUTF's theme for the week was RHYTHM. I like this concept and line of thought, that the world was created with a RHYTHM, and that we are to be in tune with the way God created us in order to function properly and be who God initially created us to be. ill give you a quick exert from the booklet we got to give you an idea of where they were going with this idea.

"The word RHYTHM is indicative of a natural flow, being in step with, or in sync with, harmonious. God created the world with a rhythm. The world turns every 24 hours. The tide comes in rhythmically. The seasons change rhythmically. Our hearts beat rhythmically. We were created to live in the order of God. Sin destroyed that rhythm and messed up the song of creation."

my thoughts:
i really liked this concept bc i love me some music. and i think its funny that you dont really notice rhythm but you notice when its missing ...

ok so basically, think of inventing something yourself, like say i made a toaster. i am the inventor of the toaster! and people bought it and took it to their homes and then didnt plug it in but used it as something else, lets say, a filing device or a mail holder, it has good slots for holding mail i think. anyway, that would frustrate me. I would look at them and think, "What a dork! That is not what its supposed to do, its way cooler than that, it heats up and toasts your bread, bagel, toaster pastry, and so much more. Why are you using it to file your mail?" God made each one of us to be in a relationship with Him, to follow him, to love him. He made us each with special gifts, each one of us has the ability to do something really amazing. However, did we take this life God gave us and choose to do with it something other than what it was made for? Sure, it may work for what we are trying to do with it, but its capable to do so much more. It has way more potential.

for some reason we think God created us for something else, satan has convinced us of that any way. or we dont recognize Him as the creator, the designer, our inventor. either way, the only reason God made the world, and each human in it, was for Himself, to commune with us, to have a relationship with us, how do so many people not see that, and revolve their lives around other things. why do we not seek Him to find out what He wants from us? i would hope that the person who bought my toaster would just ask me how to use it, I could help them do more effective things with it if they would just ask, or maybe read the manual.

ok, enough metaphors. =) i am married to a youth minister, i get a little cornballish sometimes trying to relate to middle schoolers. anyway...

so this is pretty much what i got from this week at camp. I want to function properly, I want to do what God designed me to do and not something thats only half as good. I want to be in rhythm with Him. may sound corny, but i did like this concept. especially for high schoolers. I think they can relate a lot to music and dancing and whatnot.

Speaking of which, all us girls had a dance party while we were there in the hotel room. I really love those girls! We had such a good time! I loved getting to know all the kids better and building deeper relationships with them so we can talk about stuff.

other highlights of the trip included lots of beach volleyball, Guthries, Jeff Foxworthy, a children choir from Kenya, amazing worship, awesome speakers, the beach, and yummy fresh seafood. Ill blog a different blog about Compassion, 410 bridge, and wells in Kenya! I loved how BIGSTUF really encouraged the kids to change the world. It wasnt only about an inner change in each of them, but an eye opener of whats going on in this world and what they can do to make a difference. I was pumped, and justin is ready to move to kenya. i love it! ok well thats all for today!