Lamb of God

this song has always meant so much to me, I'll explain...

Your only Son
No sin to hide
But You have sent Him,
From Your side
To walk upon
this guilty sod
And to become the Lamb of God

Jesus loved as a son, imagine the most loved person in your life, now multiply that love a million times and have a purer love then you have ever known. That is still too little compared to the love God had for Jesus. Yet for some reason, God thought of the rebels of the universe with enough love to send Jesus. He came to show us what God was like and literally become the sacrificial lamb for us. I can't even comprehend such a love.

Chorus

Your gift of Love
They crucified
They laughed and scorned him
as he died
The humble King
They named a fraud
And sacrificed the Lamb of God

His sacrifice was the gift that was given that we could spend eternity with God in heaven. This is where I sing this song a little different. In this verse there are a lot of "they"s, But I like to sing them as "I"s. It was my sin that put Him on the cross. I remember making fun of the people that went around quoting the bible all the time. Not to their face, but with the other kids. I even remember telling God that He was a fraud. That was when I was sure that no one could love me, not even God. And that by saying that He loved me, He it was a lie. Thus a Fraud. ultimately, I did sacrifice the Lamb of God. Earlier in my life, I would have been with the crowd shouting Crucify him. I praise God ever Day that He found me and changed my heart.

Chorus

I was so lost
I should have died
But You have brought
me to Your side
To be led by
Your staff and rod
And to be call a lamb of God

This was truly my situation and I should have died several times over. Only by His grace am I alive today. To most my testimony doesn't seem to drastic, But then again I can't convey the things going through my head. Now I am a lamb of God!

Chorus
Oh Lamb of God,
Sweet lamb of God
I love the Holy Lamb of God
Oh wash me in His precious Blood
My Jesus Christ the Lamb of God


Oh wash me in His precious Blood
My Jesus Chris the Lamb of God

When I sing this through, I find it very hard to keep dry eyes. This has such meaning, and for each person, it changes slightly.

Sometime, I will have to tell more of my story, but that will have to wait.

Joelle

A Trip of Firsts

Before I go on to tell about my trip on tues, I want you to know something. I get scared very easily. I Don't like not having another person around. I don't like not having control. I especially don't like not having someone around when I'm doing something that I'm not familiar with, and I don't have control of it.

So, if you can follow that, I'll continue. I wanted an adventure, but I didn't want it to go out of control, and I had planned on going with two friends. If you know what camp is like, then you might understand my need to get away after six weeks.

I decided that the best plan would be to canoe camp on the lake and hike in the morning and be back in the afternoon.

When I went to tell my friends the evening before we would leave, I was informed that they were hoping to switch their day off. I couldn't believe it. Why on our last day off together, and we hadn't done anything as a group, would they switch?

I had a hard time that night, I wasn't sure if I should go ahead or stay at camp.

My adventurous nature finally won. I didn't where I would go, but I would go somewhere.

The next day, I pulled out the map on one of my brakes, and tried to decide where to go. Within minutes I had a crowd watching my every move. They all wanted to help me find a place that I could go on my day off. Then Denis, one of the more quiet people, spoke up. he told me where he had been and offered to go part of the way with me.

That made me so happy, I wouldn't have to go as far, and I wouldn't have to be alone for the whole way, and he was experienced. I easily finished planing my route and hurried to my next activity.

That evening, I prepared to go. I was overjoyed at the fact that the third person going was another friend of mine. after the usual delays (forgetting a paddle, eating blueberries, packing gear, etc.), we set off down the unknown...OK, unknown to me...I was so excited to leave that the bank ran into me to slow me down. Once I cleared that, the bank wanted a turn and preceded to jump into my path.

The trees decided to join the fun and caught me in their branches over and over. Of course the logs decided to float up right when I went over them. Then there where bridges, and even a beaver dam to cross.

Anyway, I quickly learned that I should avoid all these things and that they were not as fun as they appeared.

It was much like the things in life. when you are young, every thing looks like fun, but you quickly learn that things are not as fun as they first appear after you struggle to get out of their clutches. Soon you learn to recognize danger and even anticipate the new obstacles that come your way.

Then you learn that friends can even be obstacles. As in the time when Denis wanted to show me something, but when I looked back, the river carried me into the bank. he laughed and passed. I paddled hard, and we were next to each other when we came to a bend in the river. I was on the inside of the 180 degree turn and I don't turn very fast. needless to say I "accidentally" ran him into the bank and passed him back... but in both cases, friends can either lead you, or push you, in to the obstacles.

By the end of the little river I was feeling much more confident about that trip, and I was ready to camp for the night seeing that night was already starting. Denis helped me figure out where the Green Island was, and I started off.

I found out when I got there that it was Dry Island. I made it to camp at about 9:30 and was in bed by ten. Oddly the fire that I made hated wood and refused to burn it. Even though it was very dry and definitely not green, so it died in the middle of the night. poor thing...

The next morning, I looked at my borrowed watch and it was 5:30. I had no argument but just got up...(I think I'm getting better, I didn't have to have a fight to get up, yay...anyway)... The fire was soon going and my food was cooking, unfortunately, my clothes that got wet in the evening were not dry...

I set out for an adventure at 7:30 and it seemed as if the sun had not risen yet. Alas, I still was quite unsure of the trip, I wasn't even sure if I would actually do it.

As I entered the cloud that hung above the water, I noticed two other kayaks along the shore. They were heading in the same direction.

I watched as I grew closer to them. we met at one of the outlets, and I found out that they were going the same way as me. Wade and Joan told me of what they encountered on this river and showed me several things. Wade pointed out a duck, and told me what kind it was. When it took off, in made quite the fuss. Still Joan heard an eagles cry, she scanned the trees and soon was showing the rest of us.

It was a beautiful bald eagle, I got to hear it cry again later, but it was wonderful. they went with me up the river until a bridge that I would have to portage. I never got to see them again, in my opinion, they were angels that were there to help me trust God that much more.

After getting stuck several times and a couple more portages, I realized that it was taking me too long to go up this river, and the trip was too advanced for my level. The water was literally black and you couldn't see more the two inches down, and it was at least three feet deep. I sadly turned around and fought my way back out.

When I got back to the lake I searched for Wade and Joan, but they were nowhere to be found. but I did find a row boat again heading my way. I smiled to my self, I saw another angel that was sent to make my day better. I got to talk to McLanagan for about 20 min. He told me more of the stories of the eagles and me feel better even though I had not accomplished my goal.

On the way back to my camp site, I heard loons everywhere. I knew I had my camera, but I couldn't find any loons. Just as I was giving up, one popped up infront of me. I grabbed my camera and started the chase.

After a couple of shots, a second loon joined. I thought that was unusual that I would see a pair. but I was happy anyway. About 3 min. later, another loon surfaced in the group. I was really excited, it's not every day that you see three loons in a group. Soon two left and I was still taking pictures of the one, when it left. I saw the other two not far away and headed in that direction, then I realized there were three there. I didn't think that a loon could swim that fast. then another surfaced. I was right, because now there were four.

I soon left the family to their fishing and continued on my way.

The rest of the trip was uneventful.

I returned at 2, after an hour of exploring Barefoot Bay.

The biggest lesson that I learned is that God knows when your afraid. Yet He's still there. He said "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the earth." all I need to do is trust Him. He can do the rest.

Joelle

In the mornings, arguing with God

Have you ever woken up and thought about how nice it would be to lay in bed for a few more minutes? Then those minutes seem to multiply rapidly until you have no choice but to get up and have no time for God?

I have a bad case of this problem. This summer, I asked God to help me fix it. I mean I want to spend that time with God, I just somehow end up still in bed and even asleep.

So here at Camp Cherokee (the second half of the summer) I tell God to wake me up when He wants me up. He has been every morning thus far, and slowly making it earlier.

But on Sunday morning, I really didn't want to get up. I had been up later then normal that night. I also hate to see thing packed up and people leaving.

Despite all the excuses I gave Him that evening, I still woke up early.

"God," I said, " I thought you understood that I didn't want to get up Early today, I have until 10 that I don't have anything to do. Besides, I don't want to see two of my best friends leave today. I can say good bye right before they leave, then I wont be crying quite so long. So, I am going to stay in bed."

"You need to get up now." I heard in my mind.

I rolled over and ignored the voice.

"Joelle, You need to get up now." It came again. then God reminded me that if I sleep in just once, then I won't be able to get up early for a long time. Then that I still should give him the first part of my day, and if I wait, I'll want to do some thing like eat first, then talk with people, and do anything but devotions.

"Fine," I agreed, " I'll be awake, and I can still lay here, maybe even pray laying here with my eyes closed." God knew what I was doing, I was tying to agree with Him and still get my way.

The argument had been going on like this for a while, when I heard voices on the dock.

"Your Friends are over there, you need to get up." I heard.

"But they are going out on the lake, and I wasn't invited," I turned over again and put on my best pout face for God. "Besides, I'm over here on the dock and they're still by the boat house. They won't see me here."

No voice answered me, but it started to sprinkle.

"Ha," I told him knowing that I was going to lose this battle, " I can still be out here this rain."

It started to rain more on my face then on the rest of my sleeping bag. Literally dumping water in my face.

I laughed and hid my face, I liked this game.

It started to rain harder.

"Hey," I said, " I don't want to get too wet now. I want to sleep out here again."

"Then get up."

"Alright, I'll get up,"

Immediately the rain let up, I picked up my bed and put it away in the boat house. then I went for my bible to spend more time with my Father.

God is the best one to lose arguments to, no one get mad and no verbal stabs are made.

This morning was almost a rerun of this, but I recognized it, and got without so much of a fight.

He is the only parent that can dump water on me to wake me up and still keep me smiling. Even though yesterday was a sad day, I still had a smile, most of the time.

God is so wonderful, I don't know what I'd do without Him in my life.