Once again, it's been over a month since I posted! I spent the remainder of the summer in Maine as much as possible as I knew once September came and school started, it would be the end! Even though I intended to go down by myself through the week, that just hasn't happened. For one thing, I got the flu/cold bug and was pretty much down for the first 2 weeks of September. Antibiotics have been taken and hopefully I've beat it! However, the whole house now has it so hopefully we won't keep passing it around and around!!
I went to Living Waters Christian Campground in Maine for the Labour Day weekend with Natalie and her kids (Brandon & Brittany). It was fun ... other than the mouse that came with the cabin we rented! Of course, we didn't catch it until the last day! He was pretty brazen ... walked right up the stairs beside my bed while I had the light on reading and turned around and gave me a dirty look and continued on his journey! I'm not terrified of them but I don't really want them walking that close to me!! Needless to say, I didn't get a lot of sleep! The evangelist was Wendell Calder and he was very good! The theme for the weekend was the book of I Timothy and entitled "How a Christian Should Act in Church" ... I think it could have been more aptly titled "How a Christian Should Act." He certainly didn't pull any punches ... stated emphatically that absolutely, 100%, no way should a woman EVER be a pastor ... and went on to say that they shouldn't be Head of the country either, especially the one who is trying to get in now! Then he said "if you're not a member of a good, bible-believing, fundamental Baptist church now, then get into one." You may not be able to sing, preach, etc., but you can pray faithfully, be encouraging, etc. He said the problem with most churches today is that they preach "sermonettes" for "christianettes". Some say any church will do but this is not so. The average person goes to church when they are "hatched, matched and dispatched!" Some other things that grabbed my attention: My identity should be who I am in Christ, not what happened in my life. I am a sinner, a child of God, an object of God's grace. God is not working for my comfort or ease but for my growth. I should be willing to be sent anywhere, to serve anyone and to sacrifice anything.
The criteria for a Godly person is one who accepts the word of God and saturates his life with the book, one who acts in the will of God and one who is active in the work of God. The characteristics of a Godly person is one who is perfect (complete, mature, developed, full grown), thoroughly furnished unto all good works (of God) and thoroughly equipped (in the will of God). The construction of a Godly person ... only God can produce a Godly person but we can be an instrument in the need of God in encouraging, teaching and helping someone along. We are also to be content ... to be Godly and content is very difficult but what we need to aim for. You must be a person of fine character. Character is what you really are whereas reputation is what people think you are. A Godly person is known by what he flees from (sin), what he follows after (righteousness) and what he fights for (the good fight of the faith). They are also known by who they are faithful to!
Enough preaching for today! I was just blessed by the whole weekend ... the Darrts and Speers were there ... I hadn't realized that the father/grandfather of the Darrts has written over 500 songs and one of them is "God on the Mountain" which is one of my favourites! I came away very encouraged ... and incidentally I was very apprehensive about going as it is through Natalie's church and I wasn't sure just what to expect. Actually, Kay & Phil, Adam & Julie, Nathan & Kristan, Kevin & Joy and their boys and families and Faith & Brent and their family were all there too ... you'll see Kay being a goof in one of the pictures! There are some of the trailer and lake in Maine where I've been all summer too, along with Emma on her first day of school!! Oh, there is one of John Lenihan and the boys stirring the sauce for the pizza casserole on the floor out at camp during the Young Adults Retreat! This is the night they all felt sorry for me and took over the kitchen to help me ... they were awesome! What a great crew!!
