13-*!&*#

Starting today
Time to ELIMINATE all the *!&*# from my vocabulary. Can pure water and salt water come from the same spring? I DON'T THINK SO...

Words of affirmation

Well, it was a good idea but I failed miserably at this one! I am just too critical. I'll keep working on it and add "ask forgiveness" when I fail to the weekly task! I think the best part of these exercises is that it has raised my consciousness about the flaws in my life that need fixing!

12-Words of affirmation

Work camp taught me a lot of valuable lessons but none more valuable than the power of speaking words of affirmation or holding my tongue. Words can empower an individual to achieve more than they are normally capable of or they can quench the spirit. This weeks challenge will be to speak words of affirmation instead of condemnation, to be an encourager instead of a discourager, to hold my tongue, tighten the lips and visualize a rewind button when tempted to speak words that have the potential to tear down instead of build up.

Worship through Service-Group Work Camp

I will be leaving for Brighton Tennessee bright and early Sunday morning for our "annual" Senior High Group work camp experience. There are 38 of us from St John who will be joining about 400 other participants for work in the local community providing home repairs. God is always at work during these weeks and I can't wait to see how he will work in me and through me.

e-mail me
Diana Maslowski
http://www.groupworkcamps.com/Workcamps/Pages/EmailaCamper.aspx
select the Brighton Tennessee location after Sunday, July 11

look forward to hearing from you!
Keep us in your prayers for safety, open ears, hearts and minds-not only the participants but the residents we will be serving, fun, fellowship and increased faith for all involved

Worship through Service-AGAPE

AGAPE--a Greek word which translates in to English as LOVE. Many have thought that this word represents divine, unconditional, self-sacrificing, active, volitional, and thoughtful love.

I love to give gifts of AGAPE and frequently do so while work camping. Select candy or small gifts and pair them with a appropriate bible verse (print on card stock and attach)
Here are a couple of my ideas...feel free to use them yourself when you have a chance

Bookmarks, silly bandz,beaded bracelets, foam shapes are well received and are inexpensive "gifts"

PEANUT M&M-Jesus is NUTS about you and SO am I
SMARTIES-paired with a Proverb on WISDOM
CRUNCH BAR-pair with a bible verse to "Call on Jesus, he cares for you"
Bubble Gum-"don't blow it" paired with a Proverb on holding your tongue
BUTTERFINGERS-pair with bible verse to suggest working carefully
SUNSCREEN-Let the SON in...
CANDY HEARTS-Love Verses
Joshua 4:6 rocks (read chapter)Select a smooth stone and write Joshua 4:6 on the stone. tell the story and pass out the rocks as a keepsake

TEENIE BEANIE BABIES
-Birds, a little birdie told me you're special
-Dinosaur, You're Dino-MYTE!
-Fish, Nothing Fishy about it, you're special
-Squirrel, I'm NUTS about you
-Bears or Bunnies,I love you BEARY much, BUNNY Much

For graduating seniors I decorate pillow cases with their name, a bible verse (Jeremiah 29:11 is a good one) and have other campers sign them (use permanent markers in assorted colors)

I am hand made cards, decorated with stamps and stickers and colored markers to use as Caring Cards for each camper. These will be available to every girl in our room. I am also taking a basket of "personal care" items (soap, shampoo, etc.) in case anyone forgot something

11-Worship through Service

I haven't had the chance to post much in the last week because I have been on Middle School Work Camp with the youth of St John United Methodist Church in Prospect, KY and will be attending High School Work Camp next week in Brighton, Tennessee.

Interestingly, I have read that in the Greek the word for Worship is the same word as for service and this is what I experienced last week working alongside the middle schoolers. What if we approached each and every task as an act of worship? How different would we perform, how different might the outcome be?

While pulling out a bed of dead ivy in front of our youth room we noticed how intertwined the root system was. Years of growth made it nearly impossible to pull out the brush. The Christian life should be like the ivy...Growing among other believers, we should bind ourselves together in the study of the word, in acts of worship, service and fellowship. Over the years we grow strong and our faith cannot be easily shaken and we cannot be ripped apart by temptation, the stress of daily living, by illness, loss or anything the evil one throws at us. The middle school campers learned that last week... am we as smart as a middle school work camper? I pray that it is so...