Is Christ My Treasure??

"Oh, how many lives are wasted by people who believe that the Christian life means simply avoiding badness and providing for the family. So there is no adultery, no stealing, no killing, no embezzlement, no fraud - just lots of hard work during the day, and lots of TV and PG-13 videos in the evening (during quality family time), and lots of fun stuff on the weekend - woven around church (mostly). This is life for millions of people. Wasted life. We were created for more, far more.
There is an old saying: "No man ever lamented on his dying bed, 'I wish i had spent more time at the office." The point being made is usually that when you are about to die, money suddenly looks like what it really is, useless for lasting happiness, while relationships become precious. Its true. When my mother was killed in 1974, I wrote to the chairman of my department at Bethel College, where i was teaching, and reversed my request to teach an overload the next semester to make more money. Standing beside your mother's grave with a wife and child makes things look different. Money loses its pull.

But that saying about spending less time at the office can be misleading. We need to add this:
No one will ever want to say to the Lord of the universe five minutes after death, I spent every night playing games and watching clean TV with my family because I loved them so much. I think the Lord will say, "That did not make me look like a treasure in your town. You should have done something besides provide for yourself and your family. And TV, as you should have known, was not a good way to nurture your family or your own soul."

Television is one of the greatest life-wasters of the modern age. And, of course, the Internet is running to catch up, and may have caught up. You can be more selective on the internet, but you can also select worse things with only the Judge of the universe watching. TV still reigns as the great life-waster. The main problem with TV is not how much smut is available, though that is a problem. Just the ads are enough to sow fertile seeds of greed and lust, no matter what program you're watching. The greater problem is banality. A mind fed daily on TV diminishes. Your mind was made to know and love God. Its facility for this great calling is ruined by excessive TV. The content is so trivial and so shallow that the capacity of the mind to think worthy thoughts withers, and the capacity of the heart to feel deep emotions shrivels."

from "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper. I love this book!!

There was something special about tamarack '09, perhaps the most spiritually encouraging week of my life!! Kevin and i were so honoured and blessed to be a part of it. We praise God for answering the prayers of His people and for His mighty work in the lives of those who attended. we pray that the things learned at camp this year will not be quickly forgotten but will be applied to our hearts and lives so that we really will be storing up treasures in heaven. To God be the glory!! :)

"do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where theives break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where theives do not break in and steal, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matt 6:19-20 aaaah, what good times...really great food all week, amazing friends & rich spiritual encouragement!! the campers were so good we didn't even feel like we were chaperoning. We thank God for such incredible blessings experienced at Camp Tamarack this year!! :)
we are so thankful for these men, our speakers!! God used them in a powerful way and it was amazing to see. To God be the glory! i was really spoiled in terms of cake this year. :) the cooks made me a cake at tamarack, my mom made 5 large cakes for the 200 people at dinner, and Kev brought my favourite mousse cake home to have with the kids the weekend before. A special thanks to my dear mama, how she managed to bake for a wedding the weekend before camp, bake 5 large cakes for camp and cook dinner for 110 on Friday AND watch my 3 kids all week while doing everything else....its like superhuman and its beyond me where she gets the energy!! :)
haha, this was Louise's mascot, kev we trying it out for size :) ..good job Lou!!

any of you not on facebook interested in seeing the rest of my camp pics click http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=311318&id=748065376&l=62451e406c (I think that will work?)

and of Ashleigh's soccer

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=305188&id=748065376&l=7645ca8975

have a great weekend everyone!! :)