I can hardly believe that it is halfway through week five already. Time flies when you are having fun! So, last week concluded our lectures on Relationships, and here are some things that I learned from our speaker, John. Relationships are necessary, and we are to be part of the sonship. John defined sonship as a paradigm shift to being a son and a servant, not one or the other. When looking at both roles we find the significance in being a servant, as well as it is a role Christ has called us to, but being a son takes much more responsibility and includes our inheritance in Christ’s Kingdom. We also spent some time talking about how we are to not let the world define how to do relationships, but rather to do life with God and He will define those for us.
This week is about Fear of the Lord and our speaker is Lorrie Gray. Lorrie and her husband are on staff with YWAM Denver, so they are excited to be up at Eagle Rock with us this week. They also have a 16 month old girl, Zoey, so I am enjoying playing with her. (For those of you that don’t know, I love kids.)
Over the weekend 15 of us decided to get up at 5am and hike Eagle Rock (the mountain peak that is across from our campus) to be at the top in time for the sunrise. Now, let me just tell you……this is not your typical mountain. There are no paths, so you basically make your own path going up the side of the mountain, and over the many boulders (Mom-aren’t you glad I told you this afterwards instead of before?). It was an awesome hike though, and the sunrise was beautiful!! I have posted some pictures for you to enjoy.
It also snowed a few inches here last week, and I only got about 3 pictures since my camera battery died and I had to recharge it, but I did post those pictures for you too.
Well, I will post again this weekend, just in case I am not able to post next week. We are going to Estes Park, Co next week for the Go Conference. The Go Conference is a YWAM affiliated missions conference that is held every year and includes students from YWAM bases around the US that are completing DTS. So next week there will be 450 YWAMers at this conference. It will be exciting, and I am looking forward to it.
I pray that this week that you may know that God is bigger than any situation or obstacle that you may encounter. I pray that you all may be blessed in some capacity this week.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Week Four and Frustrations
So, I can’t believe that it’s week four already. One of the leaders added up all the time that we spend in class during the first three months of the lecture phase and it is said to be the equivalent of going to church every Wednesday and Sunday for four and a half years. So, am I learning a lot? Yes! Am I going to have to go back and read all my notes again several times to comprehend all that I have learned? Yes! Am I loving it, despite being tired or overwhelmed at times? Yes! This week is relationship week, so I am looking forward to sharing with you at the end of this week what I learned from class with John Murphy.
So, I know you have all been waiting for this one……is there anything frustrating you? Of course living in a community with 40 students and 14 staff twenty four hours a day seven days a week on a mountain is going to have moments of frustration. What are the biggest frustrations? Well, the same things that are the biggest blessings too. One frustration has been my six roommates and I trying to find the balance of “preferring one another as more important than yourself,” and speaking up when something really bothers us so that we can fix the problem. It definitely is a test in humility, and a great learning experience. The other frustration has been with showers. We have a limited supply of water here as you have to actually buy water rights in Colorado, so Eagle Rock only has a certain amount of water a month, and when it’s gone, it’s gone. YWAM is working on the final purchase of another well to be used starting in January, but in the meantime we are limited to three minute showers. The time isn’t that bad (and I can't complain considering some people in the world don't even have water), but if we abuse the time then we may not have water at the end of the month to drink or cook with, etc. This is also another reason why we come down the mountains on Mondays to do laundry. So, while short showers and problems with roommates may be an occasional frustration, I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.
Now for the fun stuff…..last night I got to go swimming at an indoor pool while watching it snow outside – it was so pretty. The Gilpin County Recreation Center is ten minutes from Eagle Rock and they have given us an amazing three month membership price of $46 (that is less than the students at the college I worked at paid a month). We go to the gym Tuesday and Thursday mornings, but we had some free time yesterday evening, so I went back again to swim. The gymnasium is really nice with all the essentials as well as the Olympic size pool. There is also a kid’s pool with a slide that is heated, so yeah, I went down the slide a couple times!
Well, I will close for now, but I pray that each of you is experiencing God in a new way each day too.
So, I know you have all been waiting for this one……is there anything frustrating you? Of course living in a community with 40 students and 14 staff twenty four hours a day seven days a week on a mountain is going to have moments of frustration. What are the biggest frustrations? Well, the same things that are the biggest blessings too. One frustration has been my six roommates and I trying to find the balance of “preferring one another as more important than yourself,” and speaking up when something really bothers us so that we can fix the problem. It definitely is a test in humility, and a great learning experience. The other frustration has been with showers. We have a limited supply of water here as you have to actually buy water rights in Colorado, so Eagle Rock only has a certain amount of water a month, and when it’s gone, it’s gone. YWAM is working on the final purchase of another well to be used starting in January, but in the meantime we are limited to three minute showers. The time isn’t that bad (and I can't complain considering some people in the world don't even have water), but if we abuse the time then we may not have water at the end of the month to drink or cook with, etc. This is also another reason why we come down the mountains on Mondays to do laundry. So, while short showers and problems with roommates may be an occasional frustration, I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.
Now for the fun stuff…..last night I got to go swimming at an indoor pool while watching it snow outside – it was so pretty. The Gilpin County Recreation Center is ten minutes from Eagle Rock and they have given us an amazing three month membership price of $46 (that is less than the students at the college I worked at paid a month). We go to the gym Tuesday and Thursday mornings, but we had some free time yesterday evening, so I went back again to swim. The gymnasium is really nice with all the essentials as well as the Olympic size pool. There is also a kid’s pool with a slide that is heated, so yeah, I went down the slide a couple times!
Well, I will close for now, but I pray that each of you is experiencing God in a new way each day too.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Weekend and Lessons on Character of God
Hey everyone! So, the weekend is almost over, but it has been a great one! I had the chance Friday night to go down the mountain and into the city of Golden to the mall. Half of the group that went decided to go to a movie, while the other half of us decided to just walk the mall and spend time together (as if living in community 24/7 on a mountain where you can’t escape isn’t enough – I guess I am just a relational person like my mother). And then yesterday we all went into Boulder for the day. Boulder is a very diverse town as it is where the University of Colorado is located, but is full of great things to see and do. We spent most of the time walking around and just checking out the town, enjoyed the musical street entertainment along the way, and then went to a restaurant called Hapa for sushi (on Saturdays from 2-5pm you can get a plate of sushi for $3.50). I have never had a desire for sushi, but since this year is all about trying and doing new things, I figured I would try it. I have to admit that I am not likely to order sushi again anytime soon, but if it is the last thing there is to eat, then I will eat it. I have posted some pictures from yesterday for you to enjoy.
Now to update you on what I learned this week on the Character of God. Our speaker this week was Donna MacGowan, the DTS Director’s wife, and she used to be a school teacher, so I enjoyed her teachings a lot. During our teaching one thing I learned was: “that God will never hurt you except to help you.” Just like the times that we get a splinter in our hand and our mom or dad pulled it out for us – it may have hurt when they pulled the splinter out, but it helped take the pain of the splinter away. We did several activities throughout the week as well, and one of them was to find an object that described your relationship with God and to bring it to class and share with everyone. I used two objects – the first was an onion to symbolize that God has to peel away the layers (fleshly things in my life) to get to the core, the sweetest part (where the focus is on the spiritual); and a propel packet to signify that water is plain and boring (much like my life when lived on my own), but when the propel powder is added to the water it gives it flavor and shakes it up a bit (a life lived for Jesus instead).
I hope you all are doing well. Please let me know if there is a specific need that I can be praying about for you. God bless you all. And thank you for your prayers and encouragement.
Now to update you on what I learned this week on the Character of God. Our speaker this week was Donna MacGowan, the DTS Director’s wife, and she used to be a school teacher, so I enjoyed her teachings a lot. During our teaching one thing I learned was: “that God will never hurt you except to help you.” Just like the times that we get a splinter in our hand and our mom or dad pulled it out for us – it may have hurt when they pulled the splinter out, but it helped take the pain of the splinter away. We did several activities throughout the week as well, and one of them was to find an object that described your relationship with God and to bring it to class and share with everyone. I used two objects – the first was an onion to symbolize that God has to peel away the layers (fleshly things in my life) to get to the core, the sweetest part (where the focus is on the spiritual); and a propel packet to signify that water is plain and boring (much like my life when lived on my own), but when the propel powder is added to the water it gives it flavor and shakes it up a bit (a life lived for Jesus instead).
I hope you all are doing well. Please let me know if there is a specific need that I can be praying about for you. God bless you all. And thank you for your prayers and encouragement.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Lessons on the Father Heart of God
I wanted to update you on what I learned last week during “Father Heart of God” week with Jeff Pratt.
One thing that really caught my attention was the statement: “Some people never pass through the pain to get to the pleasure.” Jeff used the example of exercise (no wonder I liked him!) in that if we stop every time we feel the burn we would never get to the pleasure of actually getting in shape and feeling better physically. The same is true spiritually – if we never push through the pain, then we never get to the great reward that God has for us.
Another lesson from the week that really stuck with me was based on “Seasons of Captivity.” Jeff was sharing about a three month experience where God lead him out of full-time ministry and into work on a fishing boat cracking live crabs and cutting salmon ten hours a day. He was not very excited about it, and couldn’t figure out why God had him going through this experience, but he quickly learned many things in his season of captivity. One thing he shared about the experience was: “that in captivity God will show you the worth of a soul.” We may not always know why God asks us to do certain things, but if we are obedient to do them, we may see the worth of a soul in someone who God has purposely crossed our path with. You see, after three months on the ship, on the day the ship pulled into port, a guy nicknamed Rip, asked Jeff to lead him to Christ. Had Jeff tried to escape his season of captivity and left the ship early, or not lived his life for Christ, that one soul may have been lost. The second part of this lesson that also stuck with me was the question: “Why do we question if we are in the will of God when things are uncomfortable instead of if we are in the will of God when things are comfortable because God has not called us to be comfortable.” This statement is so true. It is easier to question God or to call out when things are not going my way, but when things are going great, I kind of forget that God is there. I get the mentality that I can do this on my own. Oh, how WRONG I am!! I need God at all times and need to be in the center of His will, whether it’s when things are comfortable or uncomfortable.
There obviously was so much more that I learned last week, but this blog would become a book if I included it all. So, I just wanted to share with you the things that impacted me and meant the most from class last week.
This week we are talking about the Character of God, so I will be sharing the lessons I learn from this week’s classes soon.
In closing, I pray that God may fill you with His love this week and that you will see His hand of blessing in all that you do. And I want to share with you my life’s verse for encouragement.
“The Lord will work out his plans for my life – for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.” Psalm 138:8
One thing that really caught my attention was the statement: “Some people never pass through the pain to get to the pleasure.” Jeff used the example of exercise (no wonder I liked him!) in that if we stop every time we feel the burn we would never get to the pleasure of actually getting in shape and feeling better physically. The same is true spiritually – if we never push through the pain, then we never get to the great reward that God has for us.
Another lesson from the week that really stuck with me was based on “Seasons of Captivity.” Jeff was sharing about a three month experience where God lead him out of full-time ministry and into work on a fishing boat cracking live crabs and cutting salmon ten hours a day. He was not very excited about it, and couldn’t figure out why God had him going through this experience, but he quickly learned many things in his season of captivity. One thing he shared about the experience was: “that in captivity God will show you the worth of a soul.” We may not always know why God asks us to do certain things, but if we are obedient to do them, we may see the worth of a soul in someone who God has purposely crossed our path with. You see, after three months on the ship, on the day the ship pulled into port, a guy nicknamed Rip, asked Jeff to lead him to Christ. Had Jeff tried to escape his season of captivity and left the ship early, or not lived his life for Christ, that one soul may have been lost. The second part of this lesson that also stuck with me was the question: “Why do we question if we are in the will of God when things are uncomfortable instead of if we are in the will of God when things are comfortable because God has not called us to be comfortable.” This statement is so true. It is easier to question God or to call out when things are not going my way, but when things are going great, I kind of forget that God is there. I get the mentality that I can do this on my own. Oh, how WRONG I am!! I need God at all times and need to be in the center of His will, whether it’s when things are comfortable or uncomfortable.
There obviously was so much more that I learned last week, but this blog would become a book if I included it all. So, I just wanted to share with you the things that impacted me and meant the most from class last week.
This week we are talking about the Character of God, so I will be sharing the lessons I learn from this week’s classes soon.
In closing, I pray that God may fill you with His love this week and that you will see His hand of blessing in all that you do. And I want to share with you my life’s verse for encouragement.
“The Lord will work out his plans for my life – for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.” Psalm 138:8
Friday, October 10, 2008
Assignments
Hey again everyone! Well, week two is over, but there is still homework to complete this weekend. Yes, I said homework. The teacher has become the student once again, but I am actually enjoying it because I am learning so much. Since DTS is a school and I will earn 20 college credits through the University of the Nations (part of YWAM) once DTS is over, we are required to do assignments. The assignments are not meant to be busy work, but to challenge you in your walk of faith.
So, here are the assignments that we are required to complete during the lecture phase of DTS.
1. Book reports – we are required to read 5 five books (that are based on YWAM Beginnings, Relationships, Character, Prayer, and World Missions) and do a report for each book. Every other week a book report is due.
2. Meditations – each week we are given a different passage of scripture to meditate on and to write our personal insights / what we learned from the scripture.
3. Weekly Tests – each week we are tested on the previous week’s lectures.
4. Velvet Elvis – a book by Rob Bell that we are required to read a Chapter a week (starting week 3 of school and concluding week 12) to discuss during small group times.
5. Quiet Time Notes – we have a weekly journal that we are to fill out that is more or less to get or keep you in the discipline of having a quiet time with God.
6. Creative Presentations – we are assigned 2 presentations based on character traits and each presentation has to be a different method of delivery whether song, skit, dance, teaching, etc. (I have already done my first presentation which was FAITH vs. PRESUMPTION, and I used the teaching method, so next time I have to do something different)
7. Final Test – a major test given at the end of the lecture phase, in which we will be required to recall 2 major points from 10 of our speakers and apply each point to our lives.
It seems overwhelming at first, but it’s really not that bad. We actually have an optional study hall for 2 hours every Tuesday and Thursday night to work on assignments is we want, and plenty of time on the weekends.
Well, I pray God’s blessing upon each of you, and will update you soon on what God taught me this week in “Father Heart of God.”
So, here are the assignments that we are required to complete during the lecture phase of DTS.
1. Book reports – we are required to read 5 five books (that are based on YWAM Beginnings, Relationships, Character, Prayer, and World Missions) and do a report for each book. Every other week a book report is due.
2. Meditations – each week we are given a different passage of scripture to meditate on and to write our personal insights / what we learned from the scripture.
3. Weekly Tests – each week we are tested on the previous week’s lectures.
4. Velvet Elvis – a book by Rob Bell that we are required to read a Chapter a week (starting week 3 of school and concluding week 12) to discuss during small group times.
5. Quiet Time Notes – we have a weekly journal that we are to fill out that is more or less to get or keep you in the discipline of having a quiet time with God.
6. Creative Presentations – we are assigned 2 presentations based on character traits and each presentation has to be a different method of delivery whether song, skit, dance, teaching, etc. (I have already done my first presentation which was FAITH vs. PRESUMPTION, and I used the teaching method, so next time I have to do something different)
7. Final Test – a major test given at the end of the lecture phase, in which we will be required to recall 2 major points from 10 of our speakers and apply each point to our lives.
It seems overwhelming at first, but it’s really not that bad. We actually have an optional study hall for 2 hours every Tuesday and Thursday night to work on assignments is we want, and plenty of time on the weekends.
Well, I pray God’s blessing upon each of you, and will update you soon on what God taught me this week in “Father Heart of God.”
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Week 2 at Eagle Rock
So, I will start with a little update from last week. Each week of training is on a specific topic, so last week was on “Bonding.” We spent about 15 hours a day in getting to know one another through various activities and by sharing our testimonies. It is pretty neat to see a diverse group that God has called to Eagle Rock for this time of Discipleship Training School, and how we all began to bond very quickly. We have 26 females and 15 males and have students from Canada, Sweden, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Korea, and all over the United States. We concluded the week by taking a field trip to Estes Park, CO (about an hour away) to hang out in town and to see the elk. I had a lot of fun, and have posted those pictures for you to see.
It’s now week two of training, and we are definitely back to a more normal schedule. This week’s topic is the “Father Heart of God” and our guest speaker is Jeff Pratt. This morning Jeff used some very powerful movie clips to reiterate what the Father’s heart for us, His children, looks like…….I don’t think there was a dry eye in the classroom after each video. We also started our weekly chores this week, and I am responsible for answering phones and doing some office work – I think I am the only one with secretarial experience, but I am not complaining. I will also have some weekend kitchen duties from time to time, as well as helping with some housekeeping chores.
Since DTS is a school, we do have homework and projects to do, but I will share all that information with you in my next blog update on Thursday or Friday, so you will have something to look forward to.
Also, I know many of you have asked, so here is my mailing address until December 18, 2008.
My Name
YWAM Eagle Rock – Fall DTS
3840 Golden Gate Canyon Rd.
Black Hawk, CO 80422
It’s now week two of training, and we are definitely back to a more normal schedule. This week’s topic is the “Father Heart of God” and our guest speaker is Jeff Pratt. This morning Jeff used some very powerful movie clips to reiterate what the Father’s heart for us, His children, looks like…….I don’t think there was a dry eye in the classroom after each video. We also started our weekly chores this week, and I am responsible for answering phones and doing some office work – I think I am the only one with secretarial experience, but I am not complaining. I will also have some weekend kitchen duties from time to time, as well as helping with some housekeeping chores.
Since DTS is a school, we do have homework and projects to do, but I will share all that information with you in my next blog update on Thursday or Friday, so you will have something to look forward to.
Also, I know many of you have asked, so here is my mailing address until December 18, 2008.
My Name
YWAM Eagle Rock – Fall DTS
3840 Golden Gate Canyon Rd.
Black Hawk, CO 80422
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Check out the Pictures of YWAM Eagle Rock
Hey again everyone! I have posted pictures of where I am living for the next three months on my picasa web account. You can either access it by clicking on the picture of the sun to your right or by going to the following web page: http://picasaweb.google.com/abarnette22. You can then open the folder titled YWAM Eagle Rock, and then EITHER double click on the first picture to open it and then you can click on the arrow at the top of the picture to scroll through them all, OR you can click on slideshow and it will play for you (if you do slideshow, when it gets to the end it will restart, so just hit ESC to quit).
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