Category: Missions

I am very proud of this group of people…all hearts and minds intent on one thing…doing all they can for others…and KEEPING GOD FIRST. They gathered each morning and as Jeff shared the devotions each day and they prayed together, God united hearts and strengthened bodies for the work and sweat ahead!

Long days–but good attitudes and happy individuals made the work easier and their focus remained steady.

Thank you JESUS for helping them daily and for bringing them all home safe. We are especially glad to have some of Jeff’s special friends and brothers join our Grace group! Thanks guys! You made quite an impact! (David, Jeremiah and George)

In the morning, bright and early we begin a new week of camp! We appreciate ALL prayers for strength, safety and EPIC anointing in the services and in the hearts and lives participating in this 2011 Youth Camp! I know the kitchen staff will truly appreciate all prayers! We have many mouths to feed but we will not cook a single thing, until we have brought the day before the LORD.

I look forward to handing my camera off to some talented photographer this week for some amazing pictures to bring you–keep watching for YOUR child–he or she just might make the blog!

ALSO, more pictures will come from the trip to Rainbow City, AL this past week and updates along with–as soon as time permits.

© The Knightly News 2007-2011

Camp begins again NEXT week. 

MUCH has been happening around here though…for one thing, I’ve done a TON of laundry, complete with ironing!  I’ve tried not to cook much.  Well, I did just a little.  I will get back into that gear next week. 

Head over to Laced with Grace and read my ramblings from this week.

I hope this like will take you there! Click here!

Or if it doesn’t work…just go to Laced with Grace!

© The Knightly News 2007-2011

My photographers have done a good job catching some of the outside activity for the kids. 

I shot some before breakfast and of some of our darling little kids….complete with face paint for the day.  (This is something new to me…but those of you who have been LONG at the camp life maybe knows WHY they do this???)

This morning as we joined hands in the kitchen to pray before the cooking began, my mind went back to the devotion I had somewhere around 1 a.m.  I woke fully—and knew that there was Someone wanting some quiet time.  Since the wee hours of the morning is when everything is the quietest—HE knows this is the best time to corner me up for some conversation….not that I have to be cornered.  But maybe you’ve been there.  Or here.  In this place of busy life.

In the place of “busy life” you begin to brush your teeth and suddenly remember you left the iron on, or the water running in the kitchen …and you dash off to tend to that leaving the toothbrush waiting with paste—and the water running…finding the iron hot and a clean shirt ready to be pressed you begin, then suddenly decide  you needed to take you vitamins and quickly step to the kitchen and turn the water off, grab the vitamins and remember you were going to brush your teeth…

Maybe a bit of it was exaggerated, but just know it’s pretty busy here.  If I see you in Wal-Mart and fail to speak, it could very well be that I didn’t see you at all…maybe my mind was wandering back to the morning devotion, or the tooth paste…did I put the lid back on the tube??

Okay, enough.  I’m exhausted enough with the day spent in food—let’s get on with the slide show.  I would like to say one more thing…IF you have Oswald Chambers, “My Utmost For HIS Highest”, I recommend keeping a journal close by.  When you read the daily devotions, I imagine you will hear from your Father as I have been hearing…listen close…He speaks in the quiet times.

https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf

SPECIAL THANKS GOES TO AN ANNONYMOUS BENEFACTOR FOR THE RECENT PURCHASE (AS IN TODAY) OF A SLICER! A BIG SLICER!  AS IN VEGGIES/MEATS/ETC.

THANK YOU SO MUCH KIND HEARTED FRIEND OF THE WEST FLORIDA CAMP!

And on that note, I think I’ll say good night Gracie.

Good night.

When I first met Joanne Kraft at the She Speaks conference in 2008 in the practically empty (because we were late) Bloggers Reception room, I was instantly drawn to this new friend in a bright yellow shirt.  Her smile and laughter contagious, her questions about our lives (mine and Aimee’s) were sincere–not just casual conversation.

Many months later, this same friend flew from her home in California to my home in North West Florida and stayed…for several days.  Partaking of Sweet Tea and Red Velvet Cake….and I knew I had a friend for life.

Now, this same incredible friend, who I call “sister”, has written a book —that I can PROMISE you will LOVE! (And even if my name never appears on the cover of any book as an author—my name is in HER BOOK!)

The 21st Century “Erma Bombeck”.  Oh yes she is!

Everyone needs to laugh at themselves –and know that God has a funny bone in all the serious stuff of life.  He really does have a funny bone…He CREATED laughter!  He gave us reasons to share that same side of silly life with others!

Too often we try to cram all of the activities –mostly for our “kids” sake into their lives–and–subsequently into our lives–and we are missing the whole point of life.  Who are we kidding!!!  It’s NOT about letting them do ALL the things we missed out on—it’s about being THERE for them, as parents.  Being the mom and dad God created–giving HIM priority in OUR lives–and showing them “by example” how.  “In this book, you will laugh your way to learning the ten telltale signs that you are just too busy and you will find the courage to guard your own family from the temptation from constant distraction.”

Too much–too soon causes stress to begin early–way before our own kids get old enough to handle the juggling act of parenting.

Do yourself a HUGE favor.  Get this book.  Not just because my sweet California friend has a witty way with words…but because you need to see the VALUE of family–and the sacredness that God intended… 

Joanne will take you step by step on a “how-to-fix” your own family….and you will laugh with her along the way–come on!  Don’t waste another day juggling life–and missing out on what God intended for your family.

(All comments to this post are entered to win a $25 gift card!!!! Go VISIT Joanne and tell her where you read this review!!)

Joanne Kraft knows she is blessed. As an author and speaker, her passion is to encourage women through laughter – one heart at a time.



A mom of four children, she has heard and seen it all! She’s married to an amazing man who shares her love of coffee shops and Taco Bell Enchiritos without onions. Together they are raising their four children in Northern California.


Joanne has been published by In Touch, Today’s Christian Woman, ParentLife, Kyria, and P31 Woman magazines. She serves as Marriage Study Leader, Group Leader of Inspire Christian Writers, and 911 Dispatcher in Sacramento County, California You can find Joanne at her personal blog, “Blessed…”

“Just Too Busy” is the story of the Kraft family’s head-on collision with busyness and the twelve-month experiment that changed their lives. When their children could recite the dollar value meals at McDonald’s faster than their times-tables, Joanne and Paul Kraft knew something was very wrong. So, instead of continuing their busyness habit and fitting more into their schedules, they took a year off from all extracurricular activities and learned how to be a family again.”

And I can say personally, I am blessed to know this mom, sister, and friend personally.  She is dear.  She is precious.  I am thankful God crossed our paths!

© The Knightly News 2007-2011

 

I bet you’ve wondered what it takes to have a camp counselor heart.

We saw it up close and personal.

There are MANY awesome counselors—but the camp counselor—that seems to stand out year after year is Mel.  He has no clue the impact he makes on not only the kids, but the adults and kids alike have witnessed his character of godliness in action year after year.

This is what we’ve seen, when he thought no one was looking.

A pastor who prays for the kids—cares about the kids—takes time to play—have fun—and get serious at the right times with the kids.  It can be done.

As we were working in the cafeteria—we were very much “in the cooking action”, but as we chatted and worked, we each glanced out across the empty cafeteria and saw this every day.  A pastor with a heart to see the needs met in kids lives.

The spiritual needs.

When the air conditioner went out at the BEGINNING of camp—it didn’t take long for our  weary backs and over heated bodies to lose the smile on our (my) faces, but Mel kept the kids on track—addressing the issues that arose—in the way it needed to be addressed.

I have to be honest, there was a day in the cafeteria when we had heard, “I don’t want that”, or “Do you have any _____”  (say that out loud about 75 times in a whiney tone and then you will get the picture—wait, work up a solid streaming sweat first—then you will have a TRUE picture), until we were about in tears (or again, maybe that was just me).  We were tired –hot—sweating—with backs and feet killing us, and one of us made a comment  to the other (I think it might have been me), “they think this is McDonald’s or Burger King”… and then someone wisely summed it up with, “We work for the KING, but this ain’t Burger King”.

That was it.  I realized right then that is exactly what we do with the Word of God.  We want to pick and choose the parts we like the best.  We want to only adhere to what seems easiest.  Let’s don’t choose the hard places to walk please, but give us only “fluff stuff”.  

The Holy Spirit nudged me with this:  “Do you think I get tired of hearing the same tune over and over?”

Conviction sat on me like a brick over that day—the way I felt—the way I reacted.  That was the day I went home and cried for about 30 minutes—hard—and solid.  I turned the shower on so that just in case Jeff came in—he wouldn’t hear me.  I was a mess!

I want so bad to do things right for Christ—to give HIM my everything—holding nothing back—with no complaining.  But there I was—complaining about the kids complaining…they were just being kids—they were hot and tired—and missing their mommas (a few of them).  We were hot and tired as well.  And missing our mama’s too…or maybe I was just missing several hours sleep.

I hurt all over.  My heart—my body—my emotions.  After getting home night after night of scrubbing and cleaning, getting the kitchen ready for breakfast cooking the next morning, I shower and crash into bed.  Not enough energy to even talk to poor Scooter.

Jeff is busy from one end of the camp to the other.  All day.  7 Days a week.  We have conversations in passing—and our love for each other is strong—knowing the tiredness of the other—praying for the other.

I noticed with my lack of rest, lack of devotions, I was lacking much.  I began to wake in the wee hours of the night—wide awake.  Prayer time.

Spending an hour in prayer and meditation on the Word—in the Word—and on God—began to do it’s healing work in my body.  Yes, I still ached—but it was different.  I knew that there would be that time awake in the night that I would crawl up into the lap of my heavenly Father and find rest for my aching body and soul.

You know friend, I learned much in the first week of camp.  I saw how my “lack” of time with the LORD would affect the way I reacted—in the heat of the moment (no pun intended). 

“Casting all your care upon Him for he cares for you”.  1 Peter 5:7 NKJV  But read all of that portion:  1 Peter 5:7-11.  You will find the Source of strength for the trouble that is seeking to devour you…and me.

Don’t wait another day- go to Him.  Find your peace—and rest for the weariness of your body and soul.

_______________________________________________________________

I must thank God for our great friends and awesome help that have been here all summer helping Jeff get ready for camp:  Ron and Nancy Smith.  Ron has helped Jeff with anything he required—and Nancy—helped in the office get ready for District Council, helped me with MANY tasks get ready for camp, from sewing curtains to cleaning the cafeteria!  (Besides ALL the other office work the ladies had her do!!!)  We are BLESSED!!!

Joining the Camp this year as Chef and Head Cook and Grill Master:  Jerry and Donece Hicks!  A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.  Camp will never be the same.  Thank you LORD for such awesome friends!

These two couples have true servants hearts.  (I’m learning.)

Y’all.  Really.  I never appreciated the camp cooks.  (Pictured, Chef Donece and counselor assistant, Heather.)

Today—totally I do.

My feet are killing me. The kids are precious.  The counselor assistant’s we have for the kitchen—are off the CHAIN! Totally.  But I’m still beat.

I’m going to show just a few highlights…mostly because I have GOT to get horizontal.  Really.  My feet may not cooperate tomorrow.  They almost didn’t want to move today!

The memories of past camps—when I came as a counselor have come back…did I tell the cooks “Thank you” enough?  Did I clean up after myself?  Did I teach the kids to be appreciative?

I went home for an hour this afternoon—and showered and changed before supper—we had an air conditioner go out…and it was HOT.  Put yourself there if you can…mentally.  Turn your oven on, turn off the air conditioner, and just keep the oven on…and stand CLOSE while the oven door is open…and it’s on HIGH.  Now don’t leave it when it gets warm…stay.  Feel the heat.  Feel the sweat pool?  And run??  Uhm…yeah.  So did we.

My awesome husband brought us HUGE fans this evening for the supper meal.  (Which was homemade lasagna—Donece recipe!!) 

Thank you to the dream boat of my LIFE!  I am BLESSED!  We will celebrate 29 terrific years on the last day of this month—terrific you say? Yes, I say.  Battles have come as they have in most lives, but the Anchor holds…if you hold to the right One.

Oh, sorry.  My mind wandered…I’m too tired to type more….

I will later.  Come back soon.  Thanks Heather for taking pictures for me again…I was

…busy.

I have to admit —my reason for NOT being present and accounted for here—has been the steady activity of getting ready for camp meeting, district council, kids camp, youth camp…and uhmm. Life.

I had written a post for Internet Café a few weeks back and FORGOT it was “airing” today.  So…here you go!  Hot off the press—or, straight out of the pot.  Standing out in the crowd.

God has been SO good to us—in so many things.  Health wise—ministry wise—He get’s all the credit for ANY good thing that comes from Jeff or myself.  It’s certainly not us. 

IF you have nothing else to pray for on Saturday, please pray for me as I will be speaking at our Women’s Ministry Missions Dinner (raising money for our missions projects) “Tables of Love”.  This message—is one that I sort of argued with God about delivering…needless to say, He won.  I repented…MUCH.  See, the thing is, I thought He wanted something “cute…fun even….”  No.  Not happening.  What HE gave—I will deliver.  (Thanks in advance for praying)

I hope all your graduates have walked that long walk—tossed those tasseled hats in the air –and stepped out into an adventure with God!  Wait—didn’t they read the sign?

“ADVENTURE AHEAD—CALLED—LIFE”.

Just one thing…in life, sometimes you just have to stand up in the boat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright 2011 The Knightly News.  All rights reserved.

Dear ones.  This has been a week of tears—not the hormonal kind..but the “prayerful” kind.

Without telling you what God showed my heart and mind—know this:  He will reveal things to you when you “box” yourself in with Him—every—single—time. 

I read an account of William Seymour from the book “They Told Me Their Stories”, by Tommy Welchel and according to several eye witness accounts, William Seymour put a box on his head—as directed by God—which may have seemed ridiculous to many—but the effects of his action of obedience—was  an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and anointing on that man as never before experienced since (my opinion) the message preached on the Day of Pentecost, by Peter himself! Acts 2:1-47.

I sought Him—He showed up.  No, God didn’t tell me to put a box on my head—but He did require me to sit still—leaning hard into His presence—He was here.  In my house.

Some of the tears that fell this week were prayers for those suffering such tragedies as the onslaught of the weather persisted in ripping apart lives across our Nation.

As Jeff explained all the details of the trip to Rainbow City, Alabama, so hard hit by those tornadoes in April, I sat amazed at all the pictures.

Pictured here is a group of men from California, who flew in, purchased all the tools they needed to work, rented a couple of vans and was directed to the sites to work.  They gave all they had in the work—and then gave all they had purchased when they left. They gathered around the homeowner to pray before they left.  Did they know them?  No.  Did they have to know them to help them? No.

Two accounts specifically touched my heart.  One was a father who held onto his son as he was being sucked out of the sunroof of the car they were riding in.  As they saw and felt the tornado, the son began to recite scriptures—over and over.  All those he had learned all his life—and then he was gone.  Right out of his dad’s arms. (From the Joplin tornado)

The other account was one that Jeff relayed when he returned from Rainbow City, AL.  He showed me the picture of the site where the house “was”.  The older couple had been in their living room—praying because of the storm—and then all of a sudden she was sucked out of the house when it erupted and thrown over 200 yards and died.  The house, or what was left of it fell on him—yet he is alive. 

Why did these tragedies and all the others take place?  I have no answers for these—yet I must say this:  Tragedies come to all.  It doesn’t pick and choose by age, sex, race or religious affiliation.  It’s part of life. 

What matters is what we do with such events.  Do we curse and blame God?  Or do we reach out to help those in need?  Friend, if such event strikes my life—and I am sucked from this world to the one waiting—I pray that I am quoting the Word of God on my way up—or having a conversation with my Father in the moments before.

If it takes it, I will put a box on my head to make sure I am where I need to be in Him—daily. I’ve never been more serious about His Work—His Call—and His Word.

If it takes a box—friend, don’t wait a day longer to get connected with Him.

© The Knightly News 2007-2011

Who do you call?

Where do you turn?

The day the tornados hit Alabama and changed it’s landscape forever—everyone was going about their business as usual.  But in a matter of seconds, business as usual changed forever.

Jeff spoke with a young man last week and learned that he lost “30” close friends in the life altering events of catastrophic weather.

Growing up in a faith based home—where we called on God for everything—we saw Him deliver us from many things—walk us “through” many things—and save us “out of” many things.  THIS is something we have never faced.  We have faced fire, deaths, health crisis, family drama, but not this.

In talking with my sister Aimee last week she shared this:  “Everything in our lives has to go through the filter of God first.  Just like Job.  His disaster’s were not a surprise to God— God didn’t keep it from happening.  God filters what happens and what is kept “from happening” in our lives on a daily basis.”

The question for many is “why”.  Why THIS horrendous occurrence.  I have to remind myself—that good and bad rains on the just and the unjust alike.  Just because we serve God with all our hearts does not keep bad things from happening in our lives.  BUT serving God does give us a Rock and Comforter that those who walk away from God does not have.

In my darkest valleys—when I felt all my world was crashing down—I felt God.  I knew God was there—Did the problem go away?  Not exactly.  I had to walk through it just like anyone else would.  But I had a hand to hold me.  I had the knowledge that God was by my side the entire time.  I knew that.  I felt that.

Have there been times when I didn’t feel God in the storms of life? 

Yes.  Truthfully, I have had those days where I felt like I was drowning and there was no hand to save me. 

Yet He was there.  And the moment I took my focus off of all that was “wrong” and put my eyes on Him—He reached down and lifted me up.  Many times He sent “a friend” to help me.  A friend that leant a shoulder—and prayed that prayer of faith when I felt mine was all but gone.

That is what our mission team is doing next week.  Lending hands and shoulders—and backs.  They are going to Alabama to work on the clean-up efforts in some of the areas hardest hit.  They will appreciate your prayers.  Also, if you would like to lend support in other ways, I am sure you can contact the churches in those areas, or the Red Cross to see how you can be effective –in lending a hand and heart to those in need.

Many lost loved ones—their homes—possibly their jobs.  So many lives are changed forever by the winds that blew through Alabama.  But we can extend to them the love of Christ through help with clean up, financial support, prayer—and being there to listen to their story.

I thank Randy Robbins from Alabama—who is one of this storms survivors.  His story is nothing short of miraculous.  These photographs came from his e-mail.

Continue to pray for all those picking up the pieces of their lives.

In some recent writing (not online), I was taken back quite a few years.

Over 30 years to be precise.  Hard to look back at life’s mountains—valleys, tunnels and yes, even dump sites.  That is where we throw all the trash right?  In the dumps of life?

I look back at the stinky—rotten attitude I had as a teenager.  I wonder sometimes why Mother didn’t just push my sassy-selfish self right out the door.

Do you know why?

Because she loved me.  Even though I was so unlovable at times.  Not all the time, but on those unlovable times, it was “very” unlovable.

You know who else loved me in those days of immense ugly?  Christ Jesus.

He loved me all the way to my soul.  Not my sin—my selfish ways—or my sassy heart.  But He loved the Angie He knew He would eventually see. 

When I stopped living for me and began living for Him.

He loves you too.  Did you know that?  With all the filth in your heart and head—and all the attitude that you sport—HE loves YOU. 

Not the junk you carry—He wants to relieve you of that.  He doesn’t love the habits that are destroying your body and soul…but friend, He loves the YOU that HE created.  The YOU He is wanting YOU to see… And be.

I don’t know you by name.  But He does.

I don’t know the ugly that you’ve been.

But He does.

I may not ever cross your path.

But He will.  Actually, you will cross His path.  One day very soon as a matter of fact.  You will stand before Him with all the stuff you’ve clung to in your heart—thinking that surely all the things you could accumulate would bring you great happiness and satisfaction.

Has it?  Brought you happiness I mean.

I didn’t think so.  It’s momentary—fleeting even.  Just like the Bible says our troubles are.  Momentary.  Our eternal joy far outweighs what we endure here on this earth.  Nothing that you yearn for here will bring you any amount of satisfaction like a relationship with Jesus Christ can—and will once you open your life and heart to Him.

Talk to Him and see for yourself.  Honestly.  Don’t hold back.

I’m telling you….His grace—It’s amazing.

 

©   The Knightly News—Giving Him All.  All rights reserved.