Monday, August 11, 2008

"This is what the LORD says—
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
"I am the LORD your God,
who teaches you what is best for you,
who directs you in the way you should go.
If only you had paid attention to my commands,
your peace would have been like a river,
your righteousness like the waves of the sea."
Isaiah 48:17-18

Monday, August 4, 2008

So I am back...back to life when I have time to update my blog, read, study Spanish, etc. The camps are over and I am happy cause now I am not so busy but I am also sad cause I enjoyed spending time with people I love but mainly I enjoyed doing things that please God. And I am sure that the camps belong to this category. This year we had four camps - Work Week, Xtreme Week, Junior High Camp and Spacince Camp for the youngest children. Each of them was different and each of them was good in its own way. In the midts of the camps, I had a chance to visit Prague for few days. I went there with my brother and my niece. We basically visited the most famous places in Prague and also a castle outside Prague called Karlstejn. I haven't been to this castle before but I have heard a lot about it. We took a tour that showed the interiors of the castle. And there is something I would like to share with you. As I was inside the castle looking at the pictures of the kings on the walls and all the funiture that was left and as I was listening to our tour guide, there were interesting thoughts going through my mind. I realized that this was actually first time when I really listened to the tour guide and paid attention to everything she said (you know when you are younger or a child, all those historical facts seem so boring to you and you don't listen...I could see that on my niece:)). I looked at all those pictures and furniture and realized that what she was saying were not only fairytales about some kings and queens but that all these kings and queens actually existed and lived there long time ago. So I tried to imagine it. At the same time, other thought crossed my mind - it often happens that we hear about Jesus and what He did for us and we even have many historical proofs (what is the plural of "proof", by the way? :)) but we still take it as a fairytale. We can read about it in the Bible or other historical sources but we still forget that He really lived. Or we consider Him as someone who lived 2000 years ago and that's it. But it is not only that. I, personally, don't care so much about the historical proofs - like I would have to go to the Museum dedicated to Jesus and I would be shown a chair where He used to sit or a table where He used to eat with His disciples or even a cross on which He died to be able to believe. (And I am pretty realistic person - I don't like sci-fi movies. :-)) However, I do see the living God in my life and in the lives of people around me and I also see that what is written in the Bible is really true. For me, that's much bigger than all the proofs. To see man's heart to be changed by God's love and grace... So I am glad that the moment at the castle reminded me of that all. (And I was really listening, I promise. :))

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." ~C.S. Lewis