Report on the Retreat

Last weekend we had our first retreat of the project. It went well, I enjoyed it. So, I am gonna break it down into day by day thing:

Friday:
So, it took 2 1/2 hourse to get there. They rented vans and we left by 6:00pm (there was 3). So, during the trip we go to meet the speaker for the retreat: Sean (I forgot his last name). We ate at MacDonald's, I had my favourite: a Big Mac, fries and a Diet Coke.

When we got their the tents were already set up. So, I just went into the tent with my tent mates: Marianna, Angela, Kaitlyn, Katie, and Kelly. Where we were was right by a fresh water lake. Some of the girls went swimming the next morning, but I didn't (I don't like swimming in fresh water; only the ocean or a pool!).

For snack that night we had Jiffy Popcorn, Hot Chocolate, and a snack mix of peanuts, M&Ms Peanuts, Raisins, and pretzels. I stuck with the popcorn.

So we played a game where we had to find the staff members who were hiding within the forest around the campground. It was pitch black out and the stars were so beautiful. They defenately prove Psalm 19:1, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." I could see the the ursas (big and little dipper), but not Cassieopia (the W) due to tree blockage, but it was still beautiful.

After the game we went to bed and I was cold, my face felt as cold as a corpse when I touched and I woke up with a sore back! Morning did not come fast enough that night!

Saturday:
Breakfast was at 9:00, I woke up at 8:30 (I couldn't wait for 8:55am, which was the time my alarm was set too). It was good, we had bagels, muffins (I had 1 blueberry and 1 raisin bran muffin), oatmeal with rasins (I had some) and juices (I had apple).

At 10:00 it was quiet time. I read from my 7 minutes with the Holy Spirit book. Then at 11 was session #1.The theme this weekend was about 'Love'. Session #1 was about how Jesus is Love. Session 2 was after supper where we learned about how the Holy Spirit is Love inside us. I realized that during the first session because, as you know, I have been learning about the Holy Spirit.

After lunch we had games, and then free time. What did I do during my free time? I started reading through 2Kings, when I got to the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel I started to read Jonah, and Amos. Why? Because they served during the reign of Jeroboam II of the N.K. whom God allowed to be prosperous even though the nation was very sinful (idolatry, murder, deceit, etc.). 2Kings recorded the history, but I wanted to know what was happening to the Israelite on a more spiritual level so I read through the prophets. I finished Jonah who went to the Assyrians, and I read Amos (who went to the N.K. specifically) and I read and finished Hosea last night (also ministering in the N.K.).

Supper came, and then we did session #2. After the session we did sharing time. I didn't share anything, but a lot of people did and it was really encouraging. Then we roasted smores (I had 4, oh man were they goood). Although we had to do everything inside because it was pouring out (we even heard thunder claps once in a while). I slept alot better that night!!! Not only did we link sleeping bags so we could share heat, I also layered up a lot better. The only problem was that breakfast was at 8:30, so I couldn't sleep in a lot longer.

Sunday:
After breakfast we had our last session. It was talking about how to love through our actions. It was very inspirational. Then we had some quiet time and afterwards we packed up the tents and our stuff, had lunch, and then we drove back to Halifax.

And that was the retreat!!

Report on My research on the Holy Spirit, and Me being Weird!

Summary/Report of Dare 2 Share Soul Fuel Articles

Introduction:
Before I left for Halifax, I realized that my relationship to the Holy Spirit was non-existent. I really wanted to become more acquainted with Him, since He does live inside me. Therefore, I have been studying what He is like, why I need a relationship with Him, and how I can depend or be filled with His power and control.
I started with the basics of reading many articles on Him from a ministry organization called Dare 2 Share on their articles about, “Who is the Holy Spirit and what does He do?” and “How do I get plugged into the power of the Holy Spirit?” I first started with learning about the Holy Spirit Himself, because getting to know someone is how most relationships start to build. After that, I realized that I should depend more on His power and allow Him to do His job within me. Also, I thought it was cool to have God living in me. So, here is a summary of my discoveries.

Part I: Who is the Holy Spirit and what does He do?
I began my research by learning more about the Holy Spirit Himself, before I learn about how I can be ‘filled’ with Him.
So, the Holy Spirit is the 3rd Person of the Trinity. So, He is equal with God the Father and God the Son (aka Jesus). He, like Jesus, has a lot of other names: Breath of God, Counselor, Friend, Spirit of God, etc. The Holy Spirit has been seen throughout the Old Testament, and I noticed He filled people like prophets and kings. It wasn’t until the New Testament at Pentecost when He started to fill all Christians. One of the best parts is that, unlike in the Old Testament where God took the Holy Spirit away because of their constant (and unrepentant) disobedience or if the task that required God’s Spirit was complete, the Holy Spirit will be with me forever!!
The Holy Spirit is here because (1) Jesus promised He would send Him (2) and because now that Jesus is not physically on Earth, the Holy Spirit is what fills the void that Jesus’ absence leaves. So, it means I have a friend to be with me 24/7.

(I’ll be jumping from subject to subject because I want too and I'm weird!!)

So, the Holy Spirit is God, which means He is all-powerful, all-knowing, the perfect combination of love and holiness. Some people think that He is some sort of ‘Force’ (like in Star Wars) or an ‘influence’ on the world. People’s opinions don’t make the Holy Spirit too... worldly, or worse: insignificant to the Christian life. That’s what I thought about Him, and I really didn’t give Him a second thought. Have you noticed I have been calling the Holy Spirit a ‘Him’ and not an ‘it’?
Not only is the Holy Spirit God, He is also a He; meaning, He is a Person. So, He has the same stuff that I do: a will of His own, a mind of His own, and His own emotions. It kind of made me sad and mad when I realized that not only did my sins put Jesus on the cross, and disappoints the Father, but it also makes the Holy Spirit sad, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30). When that hit home, my hatred sin went to a new level, but I’ll discuss my anger/sadness about my sin in a different report.

The Holy Spirit has a job to do (just like the Father and Jesus). He helps me, and Christians in general, become more like Jesus. What I mean by that is that the Spirit wants us to become more Christ-like in character. Paul calls some of these character traits the ‘fruits of the Spirit’, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Ephesians 5:22-23). Jesus mastered all of these, and showed us the example of how we are to live. The Holy Spirit helps us to do it. He also witnesses to non-Christians and ‘whispers’ the name of Jesus onto their souls.

What really hit home for me as I was reading these Soul Fuel articles is that GOD LIVES INSIDE ME!! I thought it was so cool that the moment I told Jesus at Acquire the Fire that I wanted to live for Him, the Holy Spirit moved right in. It never really hit home until these past couple of days that that is what really happened when I accepted Jesus. This means I’ll never be alone, and I really do have a friend that I can talk to and He’ll always be there. I think I started to really get to know Him because I had some opposition before coming to Halifax and I needed His guidance and strength to do what God wanted me to do. He can also help me to understand the Bible a lot better than I could ever do on my own, and reveal to me God’s will. I pray/talk to Him all the time now, according to Paul, he talks to God for me after I’m done. Since, I’ll never be able to pray perfectly, the Holy Spirit steps in and re-prays the prayer for me, as sort of the reviser and editor of it.

Did I record that verse about the Holy Spirit praying our place in my notes? Let me check…Good news, I did!! It is Romans 8:26 that says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” (NIV). The Bible really does stand out a lot more. I have grown to respect it and hold it in authority. First, I read it to seek God before I became a Christian during my grade 8 year (a very dark moment in my life), then I became a Christian and started to read as more casual reading. Over the years I learned to read it naturally, and thanks to sites like Brio Magazine, Dare 2 Share, and Answers in Genesis, I have learned to uphold it as God’s Word and truth from the very first verse. Now I will find information in it about God, life, the universe and everything thanks to the Holy Spirit!! Dare 2 Share refers to the Bible as the Holy Spirit’s blog, because all Scripture is…let me find the verse…found it!! OK, 2Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” Remember how I said that the Holy Spirit is also known as the Breath of God? Well here is another example. Also, since John 1:1 calls Jesus the Word of God, the Bible was spoken through Him. It’s like The Father is the supervisor/boss, Jesus speaks the words, and the Holy Spirit writes it (through men, yes, but they were still inspired by God). I’ll never compromise the Holy Spirit’s blog (aka the Bible on BibleGateway) again!!!

Let’s see, what else…(I don’t want to miss anything)…Oh yeah, I also learned the difference between the Force and the Holy Spirit: A loving, giving leading Person who I can talk to and rely upon OR an impersonal energy field that could help us qualify for the cirque du soleil. I pick the loving, giving leading Person (considering the Force doesn’t even exist and it has a good and a bad side, at least the Holy Spirit has one nature/side: perfect combination of holiness).

I think that that’s it... If you’re wondering why this is long, it’s because I am describing God the Holy Spirit. I could probably write a book that goes from here to heaven about God, so I needed more space. I’m also writing it so that people will (especially Christians) will start to see the Holy Spirit like I’m starting to now. I think He’s cool!!! (Among other things)

Part II: How do I get plugged into the power of the Holy Spirit?
The best way to summarize what I’ve been learning about that is by showing you a letter that the Holy Spirit sent to me (and all Christians) through dare 2 share’s Soul Fuel (I think it’s cool):
Letter from Me to the Holy Spirit:

Dear Holy Spirit,
Wow-that sounds kinda weird- ‘Dear Holy Spirit’. I mean saying (or writing) ‘Dear Jesus’ or ‘Dear Father; feels normal, but I guess that’s the point- right? Because last week I learned about You- that you are God, a real Person, and a real friend that lives inside my soul.
I guess it’s that last part that really got through to me- the fact that you live inside me and want to be my friend. That totally makes sense- because as God you know everything about me- more than my family- more than my other friends- even more than I know about myself! And as a real Person, you know everything I’m going through- the good, the bad, and yes, even the ugly. You feel joy when I feel joy. Pain when I feel pain. You even know when I’m lonely and feel like I don’t have a friend in the world.
But I do- and it’s you.
So here’s my question. How do I get this whole friendship thing going? After all, you are invisible, you don’t speak to me out loud- and I’m pretty sure you don’t speak to me out loud- and I’m pretty sure you don’t even have a my space page! So how do I ‘connect’ with Someone who I can’t see or hear???
Help- and thanks-
vadess40

Re: Letter from Me to the Holy Spirit
Dear vadess40,
Wow! Thank you so much for writing! Yeah, I know it might feel strange calling me ‘Holy Spirit’, but the more you talk to me, the more comfortable it will feel. Or- if you didn’t know this, I have other names you could use like Helper and Counselor- or just call me Friend!
Speaking of being your Friend, I can’t wait to grow deeper in our friendship! I know it’s a little different than other relationships in some ways since (like you said) I’m invisible and don’t speak to you out loud- but I think you’ll find that since I live inside you and ‘speak’ directly to your soul, those issues won’t get in the way of our friendship.
So, here’s my answer. To get our relationship going, you need to practice three things that I’ll call the ABC’s to connecting with God. If you add these three habits to your life on a regular basis, your life will be anything but regular. In fact, I think you’ll find that a friendship with me will take you places you never thought probable, and give you peace that you never believed possible.
Ready? OK- the ABC’s are: Ask, Breathe and Communicate
First let’s talk about ask. Basically, even though I am God and I am all powerful, I will not *make you* have a friendship with me. You are free to choose to let me fill you and control you, and you are free to simply be satisfied with your salvation and leave it at that. I have to tell you, though, that going through life without Me is the worst choice you could make. I’ve been around long enough (forever actually) to see that you humans simply don’t do well all by yourselves. As well, it’s impossible to live the Christian life without me. So that’s why I wrote this in my Book:
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18, NIV).
What I’m saying here is ask me to fill and control your life. Ask me to guide and direct you…shield and protect you. Ask me to deepen our friendship. Ask. Ask. Ask…then ask again. Keep on asking, because every time you sin, you make a choice to ‘unplug’ from my power and presence…which leads me to the next step:
Breathe
I know you don’t need to be reminded to breathe- that sort of comes naturally for air breathing people. What I’m talking about is spiritual breathing. Here’s how it works-
When you know you’ve messed up, exhale what you’ve done by confessing (admitting) it:
Again- from my Book:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1John 1:9).
The moment you realize you have sinned, simply tell the Father about it and admit that you were wrong. It`s not like He (and me too) don’t know about it already, and the longer you wait to exhale, the less you’ll be living in my power.
After you exhale, it’s time to...you guessed it...inhale! Ask me to fill you again and be on your way living in mu power and deepening our friendship.
That is until you sin again. Then you need to breathe again. Breathe in. Breathe out. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
One more letter- and this is the key:
Communicate:
Just like any other friendship-we need to talk. So talk to me early and often. Tell me what’s good, what’s bad, what’s confusing you. I’m never too busy to listen, and I’ll never grow tired of your voice...I made you- remember?
Oh-yeah and let me talk to you through the Bible. The words of the Bible are not the words of men...they are mine. They are living and active, and I will make them come alive and active in your life.
I hope this helps- and I look forward to deepening our friendship. In fact, I’m going to stop writing so we can start living the awesome life God the Father designed for you, Jesus purchased for you, and I guide for you!
Love,
Your Friend- The Holy Spirit

(Taken from dare 2 share Soul Fuel article!)

Spiritual breathing sounds cool, but I sometimes (OK a lot of times) forget to ask the Holy Spirit to fill me in the morning. My mind is turned off for a good chunk of the morning, so it makes sense why I wouldn’t remember to. So, I gave the Holy Spirit permission to fill me anyway (OK, I asked Him/permitted Him) in the morning. I told Him that I know He’ll work on the memory part, so unless I like sin before bed, He can stay with me all night (to keep my dreams good and all) and to fill me in the morning. The Holy Spirit is good at helping me to remember, so I’m sure He’ll help me to do that over time!

Time…that’s the one downside to it (well, in my human opinion) to this friendship: it takes time, a life time to be in fact. Time can be good, but it can also be long (and boring). However, I don’t think God is a God of boredom (the Bible disproves that), so I cannot wait to see how, how… Hmmm….Hmmm….Hmmm…cool God can be (Hey, cool is not used in the Bible and I wanted to try a word that I use to describe God that’s more 21st century like. Besides, I don’t think God minds when I say that He’s cool. Anybody who thinks differently has no taste whatsoever, and needs to read the Bible more often!). Ooh, I’m getting all warm and fuzzy…Yep, God likes it when I call Him cool… That’s good, because He is (among other things).

Why am I talking about this and getting off topic? Because I am weird, God made me weird, and I’m weird!!! You know, I think that I’m weird because God’s weird. Think of all the stereotypes that the world puts God under? You know like good works will ‘earn’ God’s love, or how…He’s just some guy sitting up on some throne in heaven only caring about the big, bad stuff that happens on Earth. and couldn't care less about our puny little needs, Yet, the God I’ve come to know (and love) crushes all of those stereotypes/assumptions about Him. Like, when Jesus was on Earth, no one said, “Look at this well respected teacher. He does everything expected of Him… I mean look, He even beat up the big, bad Romans and became King of Israel…” Nah! He did and said the opposite of ‘normal’. Right from what He said, to the fact that He was sinless. Face it, ‘normal’ for us humans is being sinful, we’re sinners! (Yes, even if we just break one of God’s laws once… Why? Because just like if someone were to break our human law once, they are automatically criminals, if we break God’s laws we are automatically sinners. If you don’t believe me, go to Genesis 2-3 and tell me how many laws/commands did Adam and Eve have to break in order to be kicked out of the garden and drive this world from God’s perfect creation to a sin-fallen world full of death, disease, suffering and other stuff and you’ll see my point: we’re bad, we’re sinners, and Jesus was sinless, so He was ‘weird’).

In a way I am weird according to the Bible, because I am now a Christian and am being restored to what God had intended for Him and me to be: in an unbroken relationship which sin (Adam’s and my own) have wrecked…

Holy Spirit, could you tell the Father (and Jesus) that I am glad that You Guys are the perfect combination of love and holiness? You Guys do all of this nice/loving stuff for us, instead of dragging us all to hell like we deserve, and then you still stick around even though I can be one of the biggest screw ups this side ‘After Eden’. Not only that but yo gave us free will, in a sense you let us choose to go to Hell or to spend eternity with you… See, God is not ‘normal’ (because He doesn’t do what would be the ‘normal’/expected course of action in this situation), He’s weird…Like me (both spiritually, and in personality)…Good, because normal is boring, and would cause us all mortals to be annihilated due to us breaking God’s law and would never stand up in trial due to all of the evidence piled up against us…
Is this about my findings on the Holy Spirit or about me just babbling… I dunno… Maybe both…If my mom were to read this she’d be shaking her head at me… Maybe it’s me telling you what I’ve found out, babbling, and me telling God that I think that He’s the coolest, and weirdest Being in the universe (and separate from it), and I love Him just the way He is. I don’t want to complain about stuff like, “Why must all women receive the same punishment for something that Eve did”, or, “Why do you let pain, death and suffering into this world…”

Well, OK, the last one is a good question, but since we rebel against Him, I think that we deserve to be in a world with pain, death and suffering. Since, we were the ones who chose to rebel against God (who still does nice things for us), and I think that the fact that we are still here is an awesome demonstration of His mercy. So, I think you people should read Ken Ham’s book (AIG’s founder) about it and stop blaming bad stuff on God. I mean in order to save us, instead of condemn us, He had to come (as Jesus) to die and take our punishment so that we could be restored. If anything, I’d say we should feel sad for Him…No, not sad, but…More humble and submissive towards Him, because if anybody suffered the most out of all this it was Him!!

God is saying to me right now, “Calm down, finish and post this, and go to bed.” It just makes me mad, because people like to blame somebody else for our own condition (which is sin), and they blame it on you… Sure, I’ve asked God why He gave me my nonverbal learning disability…but I don’t think it was out of anger or because I was looking for someone to blame for it. Hey, I found out because I made some guy my idol so, it was more my fault for the whole situation (and NOT GOD’s). OK, I’ll stop now, or else I’ll be here all night.

There's nothing like telling God you love Him, by wishing you could take sin and ground it to a pulp… Or shoot like I do my enemies on my video games. The top 3 things I hate beyond all reason in this world: 1. Sin 2. Satan 3. Alcohol… I think sin and Satan are on the same level, because in order to be defeated Jesus had to come to die (something I appreciate and am pist off about beyond all reason... I say pist off because all the other not-so-impolite words are understatements), luckily Jesus had to rise from the dead to defeat them too which He did with flying colours!!

OK, I’m done!!

Bye, bye!!

Love you Momzie and all of the folks at home!! (Yes, I call my mom, "momzie"! If you've got a problem with that, then talk to my lawyer!)