Getting Away From Distractions

Well Jessica and I are back and attempting to recover from taking our youth group camping this past week! Even though we both are exhausted, it was a awesome time! Some highlights and funny things that happened was the late-night hike in the woods (it's always fun when you get a youth to hide back in a bush and jump out and grab someone...ahhh the ear piercing screams!) Of course there were campfires and S'mores! Swimming in an alligator habitat was fun and fearful at the same time! The last night we were there it stormed and my tent and another one of the guy's flooded out! Needless to say I crammed all the guys in one tent and I literally slept under the stars and was awoken by raccoons only twice!

Amongst all the craziness, wetness, lack of sleep and stress, the more important thing that took place was the bonding of our group with each other and with my wife and I. We had a total of eight youth come! (for those of you think 8 is no big deal...my group was only 2 youth in July!) I had some cancellations at the last minute which could have brought the total to 10. It's awesome to see numerical growth but that is not nearly important as spiritual and relational growth in the group. My church supports me in this philosophy of youth ministry and they are just as excited as I am.

During the camp-out we took time to focus on getting away from the distractions in life and think about those less fortunate to have all the luxuries teens have today. There's no better setting than in the middle of the woods with no electricity, video games, computers, ipods, television, phones, or radios to learn about focusing on God's purpose in there life! We live our lives with countless distractions. Work, family, money, politics, and even church eats away at our time alone with God. Our distractions become our idols! Let me challenge you to spend three days without any electronics, phones, etc. and spend that time alone in God's word and prayer just like my group did this past week!