Van Zant videos on YouTube

Recently my family has been campaigning for Charles Van Zant, who is running for state house of representativtes. We've had the opportunity to collect petitions, make phone calls, and go door to door talking to voters and handing out literature. Last week I made two campaign videos and put them on youtube. You can watch them below...and if you're in the district, please vote!

Fight for Life

Second Ammendment Rights

An exchange student from Germany...

A look at grace from a different angle

those who water...

I’d heard this verse for a long time, but last week while I was working at Camp Good News, I heard it with new ears. It was early morning, mid-week, I was fighting a cold, and spiritually, I was worn out from pouring out everything I had each day at camp…

God urged me on thru that verse, and it kept me in the Race for the rest of the week. He told me not to hold back from serving because I was tired, but to faithfully work and count on His encouragement – the watering that will surely come from Him.

Check out these statistics

• 75% of Americans say they are willing to listen to someone talk to them about Christianity.
• 88% say they would enjoy an honest conversation with a friend about religious and spiritual beliefs, even if they disagree.

With the odds in our favor, why not start that eternal conversation today??

My top 5 favorite conversation starters:

5) Do you have a Christian background?

4) So do you have a home church?

3) (If you are concerned a professing Christian isn’t saved) I’m interested to find out, how did you get saved? OR What is your testimony?

2) What’s going on spiritually in your life?

1) Can I ask you an interesting question…what do you think happens after you die?

I'm surprised every time how much people appreciate an honest conversation about spiritual things we all think about. Try the "chat approach" to witnessing next time you have a chance.

Times I use it:

- On friends and acquaintences

- Waiting in line

- Telemarketers

- Any time you're around people!

Just a regular week at the office...JUST KIDDING!

This week, Mon. thru Fri. (today) Kember and I began work as counselors at Camp Good News (CGN). CGN is a Christian day camp with the motto “the camp that changes lives! CGN seeks to teach kids about Jesus who might not have a chance to learn about Him otherwise. I had a blast my first week of work! I was assigned to work with the 5-8 year old boys along with another counselor named Randy.

Our day would start at 9:00 AM with staff worship and devotions. For half an hour, we would sing praise songs accompanied by the bongo drum, read the Bible, and close in prayer. Meanwhile, the bus rolled in and kids started filling up the auditorium. Once the staff devos broke up, the counselors picked up their kids. Randy and I took our little guys – ten of them - out to the basketball court to do devos with them. I loved getting to spend that time teaching them about God...but we had to find creative ways to get the boys to sit and pay attention.

Some of the other activities that filled the days were daily swim hour in the lake, art, Bible lessons, and missionary story time. On Monday morning, our group played with the slip-n-slides. A huge sheet of thick plastic was stretched out on the hill with three slip-n-slides set up near the top. The boys went wild! They ran and slid and splashed all over the place. Randy and I had fun racing them down the hill on our stomachs. We all were soaked when we came inside for Bible! We had a daily field activity - classics like ultimate frizbee, and some homemade ones, like the “marble toe crunch”. Creative play in Oak Hall was also a part of every day. Oak Hall is one-room building full of checker games, puzzles, blocks, books, and a humongous bin of Legos. The possibilities for fun in there are endless.

Although working at camp IS tons of fun, it’s also challenging. Keeping discipline, order, and peaceful relations between ten little boys gets interesting. Like on Monday morning. Right before Randy started the devotion, a couple boys were walking around the edge of the concrete pad, one or two others drifted off in search of acorns or stray marbles, and the others chatted. As I watched the scene unfold I thought “What should I do? What have I gotten myself into??” Although the task looked daunting Monday AM, we found ways to accommodate our campers’ individual needs as the week went on. Breaking into two groups during devos helped the boys focus, and making 8 yr. old Alex (our wanderer) my “special helper” prevented him from wandering. :-)

As I spent some time in the Word early this AM, I read a verse from Exodus: “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” God spoke to me thru that verse. It was like He told me “Take care of those kids at camp in my name – for ME. I will repay you in my own way – I will bless you and give you what is right.” He truly blessed this first week at camp...I can’t wait to see what He is going to do at Camp Good News in the weeks ahead!

Helpful witnessing resources

I came across this list today, and remember my mom compiling it several months ago. I may have mentioned some of these resources at one time or another, but I thought I'd like to post our entire favorite list up to this point.

*************

 Websites 

www.wayofthemaster.com

Learn how to share your faith through on-the-street witnessing clips, free audios and more…

www.livingwaters.com

Tracts and other evangelistic tools

www.pocketpower.org

Receive 30 free Gospels of John a month to hand out – choose your cover!

Books

One Thing You Can’t Do In Heaven – Mark Cahill 

Out of the Comfort Zone – Ray Comfort (autobiography)

The Evidence Bible – Compiled by Ray Comfort

Commended by Norman Geisler, Josh McDowell, Dr. D. James Kennedy and Franklin Graham. Finalist in the 2002 Gold Medallion Book Awards.

A fish visits staff training!

This summer my sister and I are planning to work as counselors at a Christian children’s camp. Today was the second day of staff training. Before hand, I prayed that I would have an opportunity to witness to one of the staff. The workers are supposed to be Christians, so I though that maybe I’d run into a false convert. But the Lord surprised me!

During the session before lunch, two young businesswomen came and spoke to our group about how to help autistic campers. Afterwards, they stayed and ate lunch with us. One of the ladies sat down at my table, and we made light conversation. I thought about witnessing to her, but I didn’t want to push anything. “Besides,” I told myself, “You don’t witness to a professional!” God made me stop. “…Or, do you?”

I asked her if she had a home church. She replied no, that she’d slipped away from “that kind of stuff”. But she grew up Catholic. “I think it was a good influence on me. I probably want to get back into religion once I have kids so they can grow up around it,” she said. When I followed up with “What do you think happens after you die?” She paused with bright eyes, clearly thinking hard. “I think it’s like in the movie ‘Ghost’! The guy’s spirit hangs around and fixes problems before disappearing…I hope it’s like that.” I grinned. “It would be NICE it were like that! But you can know for sure what happens. The Bible says in Acts ‘it is appointed for a man once to die, and after that, the judgment’…” We went on to have a wonderful, interactive conversation. She really cared about the topic, and was very open to the Truth. After sharing the Gospel and talking about what is means to repent etc., she looked down, nodding her head. “I think that’s really important…that’s a lot to take in…”

Over the past two months, God has been showing me people lost in sin in unexpected places (Christian speech tournaments, Christian camps…). It’s caught me off guard, and reminded to me to always be ready to share the Gospel – to keep on my spiritual toes and have my feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel… you never know where another fish will turn up!

What I listen to while I unload the diswasher (and any other time I can!)

Recently I discovered a CD that has quickly become my favorite. Laura Story’s debut album, “Great God who Saves”. It’s packed with solid lyrics, amazing vocals, and great accompaniment. Grace seems to be the theme of the album to me, and each time I listen, I come away feeling showered with His grace. Check out Laura Story on iTunes or on her website at http://www.laurastorymusic.com/.

Oh the joys of driver training

Regional speech tournament!

My dad, sister, and I returned home last week from the NCFCA regional speech tournament. We didn't "break" to semi-finals, but we had a great time.  Watching others' speeches and learning from fellow competitors gave us valuable insight and we learned a lot from delivering our speeches as well. Despite the tight schedule and fast pace, we had plenty of time for fun. My dad volunteered as a hall monitor, and he enjoyed the authority that came with his bright pink “NO TALKING” sign. He would shoosh us and competitors we knew when we were being quiet, and when things became a little louder, he would threaten to take the noisemakers “downtown.” J A few of the highlights for me were meeting new friends and having great fellowship, playing Egyptian Rat Slap (card game), learning Scottish dancing at the banquet, getting to spend extra time with my dad, driving on the interstate en route to the tournament, studying the Bible with two sisters in the Lord one morning, watching a duo performance of the book "Horton Hears a Who" (it was hilarious!), and playing soccer w/ my sister in the hotel parking lot (during some free time one afternoon.) I also met a Mormon girl and had the opportunity to witness to her. Here is what I wrote about the encounter...

Before the tournament, I prayed that God would lead me to an unbeliever to witness to. Since the organization is for Christian Homeschool students, to me it seemed unlikely that I’d find an unbeliever. Still, I would keep an eye open for what God might do. During the 2^nd day of the tournament, He did it.

I saw a girl sitting at a table reading a thick, blue leather Bible. I sat down across from her, and we began chatting. Looking forward to some fellowship, I asked her what she was reading in her Bible. She told me she was reading up for a study that she does with her church. As I asked about her church, Taylor said, “Well, actually, I’m Mormon.” I hope my jaw didn’t drop, but I was so excited to realize that I was sitting across from the person that God had sent me! In that moment I completely forgot the little bit I’d learned about the Mormon religion, so I began asking her what she believed. Our (actually very pleasant) conversation was interrupted when it came time for us to go give our speeches, but we promised to reconvene. The next day in the student center, we had some free time and sat down together to continue talking. I walked her through the Ten Commandments, explaining our guilt before God, and then God’s amazing love displayed in Christ on the cross. This part went along like most witnessing encounters, but afterwards, it took a twist. When I finished talking about believers going to heaven and seeing Christ face to face when they die, she asked an interesting question. “So…what is the main purpose of life then?” She meant, what is the point of living for Jesus and dying to be with him forever, if there’s no world waiting for you to rule over in eternity? (Mormons believe the goal of existence is to model your life after Jesus so you can become a god of another world in the afterlife). I was amazed at the directness of her question, and said, “The reason God made us is to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.” I had a wonderful opportunity to explain what man was created for, and how we are to enjoy God. In conjunction, I also explained how living to become a god after death is a mistaken aim. We went back to the garden of Eden and I showed her how the desire to “be like God” was what caused Eve’s fall. We covered man’s depravity, our need for salvation, Christ’s amazing love, and repentance and faith. I pray that God touched her heart with the beauty of the gospel, and that she will abandon her pride and bow at the foot of the cross. I pray that she glimpsed the “light and easy yoke” of serving Jesus, and that she will turn from the false doctrine of works to embrace Him.

A good quote

"A pastor was asked, 'Is it lawful for a Christian to smoke?' He answered, 'It is altogether wrong for a Christian to smoke: he must be on fire."

- Richard Wurmbrand (Founder, Voice of the Martyrs)

New Age hiker in ceramic shop

Finally, after silently praying and asking for compassion and obedience, I asked her about her beliefs. When asked what “communing with nature” meant, she smiled broadly and said “This is the way I explain it: praying is talking to God. Meditating is listening to God. I get still and quiet, let everything go, and meditate.” Morgan was obviously quite excited about this. After going thru part of the Law and talking about judgment, my mom and I urged her to repent, and to come to God thru the way He provided. As we talked, it became evident that she was uncomfortable with the exclusiveness of Jesus, and she wanted to pick her OWN path to God.  But we told her since God is the King, He gets to decide how we come to Him. She was very quiet. I pray that the Lord will soften her heart, and that she will bow her knee to the King here on this earth…before it’s too late.

A divine encounter - twice!

A couple weeks before Christmas, we sent our new friends Mark Cahill’s book “One Heartbeat Away”, “Way of the Master for Kids” book for Alicia, a Christmas card, and some photos from camping.

Then, two days before Christmas, my mom dropped me off at a theatre to usher for a play with some other Christian teens (we got to watch the show free after seating people). We enjoyed fellowshipping at Starbucks afterward, and as she drove us home, my mom said, “Guess who I saw in the parking lot of Wal-Mart today??” It was Alicia and her mom! They called greetings to each other as they pulled out. We were amazed at God’s timing, and that out of all the people, her path crossed with theirs. We figured God must still want us to follow up with them.

Now, get this. This Friday night after witnessing (with the same group I ushered with in Dec.), we fellowshipped at Starbucks again. And who should walk in but Salina – Alicia’s older sister! She recognized us and gave us hugs, and then she and her friends went somewhere. It was the most amazing thing. Out of all the people, we camped next to this family – they ended up living in the same area – and now we see them TWICE around the city! I can only say that both instances were divine encounters! Please be praying for Alicia, Salina, and their family. We will have to get together with them now! ;)

Be watching the theatres for...

While driving through a section of the UF campus yesterday, I saw a Toyota truck with an interesting bumper sticker. It said, “WE have the fossils on our side.” Since another sticker on the truck was anti-Christian, I assumed the first sticker was referring to evolution. The bumper sticker represented the message of confidence in Darwin’s theory that is viciously asserted by evolutionists, the media, and the school systems.  But in spring 2008, a movie is coming to theatres to challenge that view. It will be unpopular. It will be criticized. It will cause a revolution. But isn’t that what the truth has always done?

 Ben Stein stars in Expelled – No Intelligence Allowed

 Watch the trailer here: http://www.expelledthemovie.com/playgroundvideo3.swf

Parable of the fishless fishermen

By Anonymous

Fellowship. They were surrounded by streams and lakes full of hungry fish. They met regularly to discuss the call to fish, the abundance of fish, and the thrill of catching fish. They got excited about fishing! Someone suggested that they needed a philosophy of fishing, so they carefully defined and redefined fishing, and the purpose of fishing. They developed fishing strategies and tactics. Then they realized that they had been going at it backwards. They had approached fishing from the point of view of the fisherman, and not from the point of view of the fish. How do fish view the world? How does the fisherman appear to the fish? What do fish eat, and when? These are all good things to know. So they began research studies, and attended conferences on fishing. Some traveled to faraway places to study different kinds of fish with different habits. Some got doctorates in fishology. But no one had yet gone fishing. So a committee was formed to send out fishermen. As prospective fishing places outnumbered fishermen, the committee needed to determine priorities. A priority list of fishing places was posted on bulletin boards in all of the fellowship halls. But still, no one was fishing. A survey was launched to find out why. Most did not answer the survey, but from those who did, it was discovered that some felt called to study fish, a few to furnish fishing equipment, and several to go around encouraging the fishermen. What with meetings, conferences, and seminars, they just simply didn’t have time to fish.

Now, Jake was a newcomer to the Fisherman’s Fellowship. After one stirring meeting of the Fellowship, he went fishing and caught a large fish. At the next meeting, he told his story and was honored for his catch. He was told that he had a special “gift of fishing.” He was then scheduled to speak at all the Fellowship chapters and tell how he did it. With all the speaking invitations and his election to the board of directors of the Fisherman’s Fellowship, Jake no longer had time to go fishing. But soon he began to feel restless and empty. He longed to feel the tug on the line once again. So he cut the speaking, he resigned from the board, and he said to a friend, “Let’s go fishing.” They did, just the two of them, and they caught fish. The members of the Fisherman’s Fellowship were many, the fish were plentiful, but the fishers were few! Anonymous 

from www.evidencebible.com

A riveting Lenoard Ravenhill clip

The value of the human soul - Leonard Ravenhill

Lucky pics

 Our dog, Lucky!

At the health fair

Me and Kember holding tracts and wearing our blood drive stickers.

Today, my family met my grandparents and our great aunt and uncle at the annual health fair in the middle of the Palatka mall. Kember and I brought some tracts in with us, intending to hand out a few. When we got inside, we saw that the health screening booths and informational tables were set up in the center of the mall, and that all the booths were giving away free things. So we decided to give some free things away too. While Granny, Mama, and Aunt Joyce had screenings, Kember and I found a spot to stand between two information tables. As people walked by, we extended tracts to them, asking “Did you get one of these?” The people received the tracts as if they were health literature pertaining to the fair! We had barely begun distributing when a lady from the blood mobile stopped and gave us big, bright green stickers that said “Blood drive today!” We wore the stickers proudly, and thought they made us really look official, like part of the fair. At least two people replied, “Oh, I didn’t give blood today,” eying our sticker worriedly. We just smiled and said “That’s OK,” insisting that they take a tract.

After a while, we caught up with Papa and Uncle Clinton. Kameron was with them, and his eyes were shining as he showed us his bulging plastic bag full of items he’d collected from the tables. “Uncle Clinton showed me some really great free stuff!” he exclaimed. So with Uncle Clinton’s help (and persuasion), we girls got bags and they showed us where the “really great free stuff” was. (Personally, the best score was the free muffin and coffee table!) Later, we had our cholesterol checked. After the painful prick in the finger, Kember and I made a mutual agreement not to have any more screenings. Besides, both of our cholesterol levels were under control. With throbbing fingers, we took our posts in another part of the mall to hand out some more tracts. When we got to the car, we figured up the amount of tracts we gave out. It was about 150. We pray that the Lord will grow the seeds that were planted, and that people will be saved!

Fishbowl mechanics