Upwards Basketball Camp

The kids had an opportunity to go to camp last week here on campus. When it was time for sign-ups, Noah was a definite YES to go, but Elizabeth didn't want to have anything to do with it. She will be the first to tell you that sports is not her thing! However, we believed it would be great fun, great exercise, and a great opportunity for her friend to come with her because it is a very Christ centered event. So, we asked her to pray and seek God and hear what He would have her to do. After a couple of days, she still was thinking it was a NO but admitted that she had not truly sought God on the matter. Then she went into her room for about an hour and sat down and read her Bible (in the place of her normal everyday reading.) The devotion that went with her Bible reading could not have been more suited to this occasion (isn't that the way God works?!) It said this:

Good Advice?

Chelsea had an important decision to make. Her parents advised her one way, and her friends gave her almost the opposite advice. Both answers made sense, but what Chelsea's friends suggested sounded like a lot more fun. Chelsea's parents said, "You decide what to do." Whose advice do you think Chelsea should follow? Long ago, when Rehoboam was about to become king of Israel, he had two sets of advisers: older men who had counseled his father, and young friends from his neighborhood. Read 1 Kings 12:1-19 to see whose advice Rehoboam took -- and what happened as a result!

Basically, Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older counselors and things did not go well for him as a result. These was not the words that Elizabeth really wanted to hear, but she received them and conceded to sign-up for camp and invite her friend to go too. They all had a wonderful time and ironically on the last day, Elizabeth tied for first place in the exercise drills! We were so very proud of her for putting aside her personal preferences and following God's leadership. It is truly a lesson for us all.