But God!

This morning I sat and reflected over the past week. Last night I talked my hubbies ears off, and today as I have unpacked, washed clothes, and put away dishes, my mind has been replaying how God has answered prayer and moved in the past week. I constantly have to jot things down in my gratitude and prayer journals as reminders because my God is so big, so great, and so faithful; and I am so prone to forget.

My journal entry for Feb. 24, 2014 reflects that was a day I set aside for prayer. One prayer request was for ministry opportunities for my family to be involved in, and I specifically remember praying that God would just drop the right ministry in my lap to be a part of. God had been working in my heart through the words of Christine Caine in her book Undaunted, "Waking up spiritually is not just about participating in life-changing efforts of worldwide importance, such as stopping genocide. It is walking through our lives wide awake. It is rising ready where we are, with what we have. It is seeing people where they are and meeting their need."

Fast forward about a month. Announcements had been made at our church that Greg Pendarvis with Victory Sports Outreach would be coming to a men's supper to speak. I knew that he was a relative of mine, but I didn't really know him and didn't know much about his ministry. My husband Chris was able to attend the supper and speak with Greg. Chris called me as soon as he left the supper and told me I needed to make contact with my cousin because he thought it was a ministry I would like to be a part of. So, after connecting on facebook and phone calls and emails, this past Sunday the kids and I headed to St. George to meet my cousin Greg and his missions team for a week long sports camp and VBS for the children and teenagers of St. George.

Monday was the first day of camp. My kids were going to participate in the camp, and I was to help with first aid in the mornings during sports and with missions in the afternoons. My girl who gets very anxious in crowds was quite overwhelmed, BUT GOD provided the right people in the right places to encourage her. My boy was totally excited and dove right in.

Each morning the Gospel was presented in the opening. Then the children got to participate in their different sports with a break mid-morning for devotions. There was about a 2:1 camper to helper ratio which allowed opportunities for building relationships and provided opportunities for counseling. In the afternoons, the campers participated in VBS which provided more teaching and counseling opportunities as well as chances to build relationships. It was so encouraging to see relationships being built, God working in peoples lives, and people in the community coming together to support this ministry because of what God is doing in others lives because of it.

Last night, after we got home, I pulled each of my children to the side for their own time to share about their week. My girl was smiling as she shared what some of her highlights were from the week. When I asked her if she had been helped spiritually her response was that she had grown in Christ. We talked about how God had put people in the right places to help her with anxiety. She has made a new friend in her cousin Cody who was such a blessing to her this week and such a Godly example. As we talked through everything my girl looked up and smiled as she asked, "We are going back next year, right?" And my response with a heart full of joy, "Yes."

I am so grateful for what God has done in my life, my kids lives as well as in others this past week. I am so thankful for meeting my cousin and his family and for connecting with them this week. Not only did God drop this special ministry in my lap- He blessed me by placing me in my own cousins ministry in my hometown. So, as Cousin Greg would say, "But God!"

"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." I Corinthians 15:57