Healer

Dear Brothers,

Sorry, that sounded like something the Apostle Paul would start his letters off with... Well I apologize to anyone who cares that I haven't updated this in over a month, but I am now transitioned into my new home so I'm sure this will happen more often! I'am now living in the great state of North Dakota...and when I say great I mean amazing! Nothing on Ohio...but OH has nothing on the wide open farmlands and windmills here and beautiful sunsets and sunrises and just amazing ability to go outside and sit and only hear nature...God's creation nothing else....

So I have started what will be my job now for the next year and nothing has been too stressful but I do love what I'm doing I'm living in a house thats fit for a family and only two guys are living in it...basically I have my own wing of the house to myself....I only need one room ;) Living with Chuck has been a blessing already he is such an encouragement and leader for me to follow and as Proverbs 27:17 says Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. I pray I am doing the same for him!

Something that I have become so excited about is that I get to read for my job! Chuck and I will go through I think its nine books over the year and discuss them together....yeah thats my job! I'm very excited about that! Something I wanna throw out there for those who read this and for myself to come back to not only in my journal I keep but this too...I'am defiantly struggling with the sin of selfishness and I want this to be rid from my life...whether this is in my relationship with my girlfriend, or co-workers, or Chuck. I'm tired of having a mind-set (that I might be able to hide) of things revolve around me. I find myself wanting not to do certain things because it cuts in me-time...and thats disgusting in my book. I'am losing this state if servant-mindedness that so describes Christ. I have a book that Chuck and I are going to read called The QBQ Principle...it's bittersweet to me because I can't wait to be refreshed of who I need to be as a servant to others, but also scarred to for it to help reveal the areas in me that are holding this barricade of selfishness. So please if you read this and you know who Christ is please ask Him to help guide and direct me away from this self-centered way of thinking!

I called this post Healer for two reasons I'am hooked on a Hillsong song called Healer. Secondly, it was sung several times by a Cedarville University chorus which I miss very much! Thirdly, I'am just overwhelmed by the sin in my life and only Christ has and can heal me from it and I'am sick and tired of sin seeping in and getting strongholds in my life and I want to prevent that...not only stop it, but prevent it...so please pray for me in that way!

I trust Christ is blessing you all in many ways whether we see them or not, never stop following the truth we no so well to be living in us!

The End is Only the Beginning

This is hopefully the beginning of something that is updated often not just once a month or something, but most of the reason for doing this is 1) for my friends whom want to know updates of what is going on in my life since I will be away. 2) So I can get my thoughts down and be able to go back and see what was going on. 3) To join this rad new thing called blogging.

As some or most of you who will be reading this know that I' am not going to be attending the wonderful Cedarville University this fall, but doing an internship at a Christian camp in North Dakota called Cooperstown Bible Camp! I know this is very much out of the norm for a sophomore in college to do, but God has clearly shut doors and swung wide open others for me to come here such as answering a prayer about pushing me outside my my two big idols in my life comfort and social relationship (which I will talk about later). Other ways were my parents unbelievable on board for me to do this quickly, God working out finical resources and such for this internship and finally God letting this be available for me to use as my internship for my Comprehensive Bible major at CU.

So before I go into that anymore what I have been doing for the past two months is something I love and the reason why I am even doing this internship which is CAMP! I worked at Scioto Hills Christian Camp for the 5th summer and had a counselor position for the junior high campers! Now this is very different from any of the years past because I was never a counselor, but something more like a Ad Tech (ropes person) or Ground Staff. I remember praying way way in the beginning of the summer possibly still in May that God would break me this summer and I think I knew He would, but not so much in the way He did. The first two weeks of camp were rough and a new experience and tough in some ways but not unbearable, but before the third week of campers and the weekend before our high school week, which calls for more emotional effort and challenge. I was about to leave church and a friend said to call my parents now with a worried look on her face and I found out my grandfather which I didn't know the best but enough to love and to worry about was in he hospital dying basically. I didn't really know how to feel except to start weeping(which I don't do...at all really) and thankfully I had some of my great church family with me and my wonderful girlfriend Abby and great brother Ben. That night though I did not know how I would go on for the upcoming week. How could I be expected to worry about campers when my grandfather whom I' am pretty sure doesn't know the Lord is dying in the hospital. After much prayer and talking with God the next morning I woke with a joy and happiness in my heart that I cannot explain except that it was God. I found through all this and learned that God will provide and give you strength you need through trials and nothing more that I can handle, even when I don't think I can do it.

From then on the summer was tough and I was emotionally drained and really it was Christ who picked me up out of bed every morning and and made my body move! Family Camp came along which was the last week of camp for the whole summer and I had a great time playing with families and becoming attached to this little girl named Erin and her brother Lance! God used them to encourage me and let me have a little week worth glimpse of fatherhood(to a very small extent).

The camp staff then departed for Pigeon Forge, Tenn. for a little rest and relaxation and I was able to start recovering from a sinus infection and other tiredness sickness just plain exhaustion. Had fun tubing, and sleeping in, and eating out at nice restaurants for the first time this summer! Now I' am home continuing the rest and relaxation, but also preparing for North Dakota in two weeks! Sorry I didn't expound on my idols, but maybe thats for another time. I believe this is probably a good prologue for this next year!

-Oliver