Retreat & Re-Focus

Well, I've been super busy the past few weeks, getting back to work as my collar bone continues to heal and travelling a bit. Its a fight of faith, this christian life, this calling to follow Christ. I know that something is developing in me through this that I can't quite explain but it's been encouraging to see the Lord carry me through this time in my life. He is completely faithful, steadfast in affection and love for those who seek Him and who cling to Him. I feel like a kid holding the hand of my daddy just asking him to not let go because the chaos of this world around me I just don't quite understand.

I was in Prague, Czech Republic for 4 days last week. We had our MCYM Staff Retreat in Prague and we utilize this time to grow closer to Christ, to step back from ministry and just take a deep breath and try to listen to what God would say to us. Our Region of MCYM met together every morning to read the scriptures and sing worship songs as one. It was amazing to me to think about the fact that Prague is such an atheistic city. In that room as we sang with our hearts directed toward heaven, who knows... we may have been the first christians to ever just worship God in that room. I had the feeling that those praises were breaking through some kind of thick spiritual canopy that covers the city.

My favorite aspect of our devotions that I want to share with you is our focus as MCYM Staff, as Club Beyond leaders. Our Regional Director made the comment that he could give us a nice little one line focus statement, something that he could speak into our lives that we could all go home repeating in our heads over and over... that little one line statement could become our vision statement, our motto, our focus. But he didnt do that, he refocused that into what our ministry is really about: Jesus. Our mission is Jesus. Our message is Jesus. Our strength is Jesus. Our hope is Jesus. Our life is Jesus. Our walk is with Jesus. Our truth is Jesus. Our reality is Jesus. Our faith is Jesus. Our righteousness is Jesus.

When you focus your mission on Him, thats when you see clearly what you are to do next, thats when He becomes a lamp unto your feet. I was so thankful to hear Jimmy's heart about that... I'm thankful to serve with someone who recognizes that we must first grow closer to Christ ourselves so that we can share Christ with others as well.