Big Chill 08... Omazing!

God spoke to so many of our hearts at Big Chill 08! 6 students gave their hearts to Christ for the first time, and over half of the students on the retreat rededicated their lives to following Him. There are so many aspects to the weekend that contribute to being able to meet with God... the cabin time... the music... and of course Ed Newton! :) But for me, one of the ways I see Him the most is during our "campfire" time. Even though there wasn't a fire this year, it was still amazing to see teenagers stand in front of their peers-with more courage than I've seen adults ever have-and spill their guts. Thank you for allowing me inside... for allowing me to see and to feel and to be a part of what God is doing in in your heart. It means the world to me... as I'm sure it does to each of you as well.

Sunday morning of Big Chill, James Lupo was still shaken up by standing in front of you all and sharing the pain and struggles he has been going through. How he has felt depressed and left out and even began cutting himself at one point just to deal with it all. I know it was shocking for me to see the courage he had to stand before us and admit his weaknesses and how Christ rescued him... I even heard many of you say how confident James seems and how you never would have expected him to be struggling the way he was. Truth is, we all hurt. we all struggle. But it's only when we can open up and allow each other into our lives that we can be the family we want to be...

James wrote this during Big Chill and asked that I share it with ya'll...

"As the blood seeps out of my veins
And dribbles down onto the ground below
Like rain
I now become conscious
Of all my pain
I compare it to the hurt that’s inside
And it’s the same
All the destruction to myself that I’ve caused
I’m to blame
All this regret and depression
I seem to retain
And all these harmful scaring actions
I must now refrain
All that I’ve walked away from
It really is a shame
But I’ve come crawling back to God
And now I must proclaim
That I was stupid but now saved
And I’m welcoming what came

I’m reborn because my life I’ve rededicated
Something that’s been long, long too negated
I don’t want to sin anymore because my faith’s been reinstated

Jesus has set me free
And now my chains are now all gone
Free to embrace my second chance
With the welcoming new dawn

I am now free to sing and free to rejoice
And I’m finally happy that I’ve made the right choice.

So pray for me because I'm praying for you
Remember to act for God with whatever you do

I wrote this for every person in the world who is hurting, struggling, or who is feeling depressed, and/or rejected by society, their friends, or even their family. May God be with you, may He love you, and may He carry you through all the hard times that come your way. But remember that so many of your brothers and sisters in Christ have been and might be going through the same thing. All it takes is one brave soul to trust and step up and admit to his/her troubles that begins the ripple effect that will spread across the youth group.
'Much Love' "

-James Lupo (15 years old)