Easter Camp 2013 - #inChrist

I don't really know what to say as I am not a man of many words, but I pray and hope that my words in this entry may help another. I am the sort of person who hides his emotions and kind of keeps to himself a lot which sometimes can be a bad thing but when I blog, I feel like I can't stop myself from having words coming up in my head to say. It's weird, I know.

Well, firstly, I know regularly I have people praying nationally and internationally for me and am thankful for that.

I came to Easter Camp this year, expecting to find something, just something, that I could take back and use to help me in my walk of faith. I had not been to an Easter Camp for ages so it was going to be different and those 2 or so years I have gone to Easter Camp were for other intentions for example the difference in music however, this year I wanted something more, I wanted something to relieve and revive me.

I'll stand up and be honest when I say that I was far from a "good" Christian. No one but God alone is perfect, but I was far, far from it. As a minister once said and, I suppose for me, it was the situation, I had "all the gear, but no idea". When I became a Senior Soldier I did not realise how much Satan would attack in many different ways to just try and stop me from living out my faith. I turned from a strong secure and helpful guy to a weak and insecure guy since roughly Year 10 back a while ago now. More so recently in the last 6 months, I have come out of my shell and since meeting some lovely people at the my church, God has used them in many ways to help me on my journey.

I haven't openly said it before but if it were not for the amazing people at my church, I might not be a Salvo, or christian today. I'll openly admit and say that when I first came to Morley, I myself was experiencing fear, pain and suffering. I was feeling no acceptance and a bit like my life meant nothing. Then on our first day visiting Morley searching for a place to call my Spiritual Home, people both young and older greeted me with smiles and provided help to me in a time where hurt, insecurity and not being accepted for me, was all I experienced. One person at Morley even took it further and he said to me, "I don't know what has happened but I have heard through Facebook something has happened. If you don't want to tell me what has happened I am fine with that but know if you ever want to talk, we can go out for coffee or something, just let me know". This acceptance I had missed for years in my walk of faith was there for me finally and a "rehealing" process began in my life. I felt God saying to me during the hurt "stay strong and keep seeking me as the best is yet to come" and he, of course, was definitely correct. I feel my gifts and passions are being used to help the kingdom of God at Morley and I thank God that I did that, and continued seeking in faith instead of giving up all hope right then and there in the pain.

Easter Camp for me, has been a time where I could restore, renew and refill me and my faith in my walk with God, for I once was blind but now I see. The messages I felt spoke strongly to me and I couldn't help but cry at the amazing work God started doing in my life. As I write this I cry, but not tears of sadness, but tears of joy that my Lord God was with me and helped me overcome the storms! I AM FREE!!! I can stand and say Easter Camp for me was very challenging spiritually as I was in a battle in my faith but God has been declared victorious! Amen!

Something not many would know about me, is since I was a young bloke I have had a particular passion and it may sound odd coming from a young guy, but that passion has been to see young people come to know Christ. Simple as that. I pictured myself before ministering to people my age and younger, helping them in their walks of faith and tho it may seem a little odd being young myself it has been something I have been passionate about for a long, long time. You see God can use those we may think he cant, and he can bring healing, hope and grace to those who feel they don't deserve it. God can use you and me, I believe it!

I stand today, rehealed, strong, secure, and ready to go out into the world and fight the battle for Christ because in his strength all things are possible, he can move mountains and Satan trembles at his voice! I pray that if you feel anything like you are worthless, or you have lost all hope, that you stick in there, because I tell you what... God has an amazing plan for you all.

God bless,
Andy

The Lord is my light and my salvation - so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. The one thing I ask of the Lord - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music. Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” and my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
Psalm 27:1-8 (New Living Translation)