Be Ye Not Conformed

This past week we had the Youth Group over to the house for what was intended to be a Bonfire and fellowship.  Most of the youth were out of school for Spring Break and it was the last real chilly weather of the season with overnight temperatures dipping into the 30's.  Perfect night for a bonfire, except for the fact that we had very strong winds from the northeast.  Winds from that direction would create a fire hazard since our barn sits to the east of our burn pile.

I had high hopes that by nightfall the winds would diminish, enabling us to light the fire and send sparks high into the night air, warming us and providing us with a nice evening.  It wasn't to be.  No worries.  Plan B involved a fire pit with a bunch of sticks I'd gathered from the yard.  It always helps to have a back-up plan since things have a way of not going exactly as planned.  Be adaptable and resilient.  We ended up having a great night.

Gathering around the fire pit

So using the house as a blockade from some of the wind whipping from the north, we started the fire in the fire pit and got some good coals burning.  Armed with Flaming Hot Cheetos and youthful enthusiasm, we gathered around the fire.  Russ was the master chef of the evening.  He has a neat grill thing in his hand where he is roasting some hot dogs over the fire.  In addition to chips, we had hot dogs, cold drinks, brownies, homemade cookies, fruit, and a strawberry banana dessert.


What a great group of kids!

After eating we had a devotional around the campfire centered around the following verses:

Romans 12:1-2 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may that prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Keep the fire burnin'

We talked about presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice and what that meant.  We talked about the fact that they are each a Child of the King - Princesses and Princes, and are highly favored by our Heavenly Father.  We discussed keeping our bodies pure as they are a temple of the Holy Spirit.  Finally we talked about not conforming to the world.

I'm 46.  I remember what it was like to be young.  I wish I could tell you that I was perfect, but I can't.  These kids are good kids - really good kids.  They are bombarded at school by temptation and influences that I didn't have to deal with at their age.  Their innocence has been under attack by a world that has them in its cross hairs.  Our kids need our prayers.  Our kids need parents who will stand up and be counted and lead.  Our kids need leaders whose lives and actions match their talk.  God, I hope that I can be that type of person for them.  Parenting is the hardest thing I've ever done.  A good buddy and I often repeat that phrase to each other.


Smiles everyone, Smiles!

While looking at the burning coals, we talked about letting our lights so shine that others might see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven.  We don't want to hide our lights under a bushel basket.  We want to be in the world, but not of it.  At the same time we talked about being careful.  I used the illustration of someone standing on a bench.  Is it easier for the person standing on the bench to pull someone up to his level or for someone below him to pull him down to theirs?  It's easier to be pulled down.  I challenged them to keep the faith and not be pulled down into peer pressure and ungodly influences and temptation.  

Walking the walk

We sang a song around the campfire.  Remember the song "Pass it On"?  

It only takes a spark, to get a fire going?
And soon all those around can warm up to its glowing,
That's how it is with God's love, once you've experienced it,
You spread the love to everyone
You want to pass it on.

Shout it from the Mountaintop!

The group ran around in the pasture with the animals, climbed trees and went down the zip line and eventually got flashlights and ran around the yard playing hide and seek or flashlight army.  I think it is safe to say they had a great time.  It made me think longingly of similar times from my childhood.  Nights that you wished would never end.

Nice fire roaring

As the night got cooler, more and more sticks got added to the fire making the fire leap as everyone sat around it talking and laughing with fingers stained red with Flaming Hot Cheetos stuff on them. 

Flames leaping into the air

Our little fire pit couldn't contain the fire and burning coals fell out of the pit and onto the ground starting new fires, providing a perfect lesson on which to end evening.  What started out as a small spark, became an all-consuming fire which the vessel could not contain.  That fire then overflowed the fire pit and birthed new fires expanding and burning in different directions, threatening to spread out and touch everything in the vicinity. 

Light the fire in my soul

May the fire of Christ's love do the same in our lives and not be extinguished.  May our fires burn flaming hot!