Fall Fandango 2011

Today I am going to be blogging about the D-focus reunion aptly named Fall Fandango 2011.  I hope this reunion weekend will become an annual event.
First, I will begin by discussing the truths I was reminded of during that weekend.  These truths I was reminded of were the main basis for the study I went through that summer at D-focus.  They are essential to our growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
The main truth that was discussed was the truth that we as Christ followers have to be desperately dependent on Jesus for everything in life.  We can't do anything good in life on our life on our own.  We have to depend on Jesus in everything that we do.
The other main truth that was reinforced during this weekend that goes along with being desperately dependent on Jesus was that of the ability to abide in Jesus Christ daily.  We learned in the study in the summer of 2010 the we are to present our attitudes, thoughts,feelings, and emotions to Jesus throughout the day.  This is how we can abide in Jesus Christ.  This process must take place day by day, minute by minute, and hour by hour.  This act of abiding in Jesus Christ is a very simple one.
This act of abiding in Jesus Christ was perfected by the man named Brother Lawrence.  Lawrence was a monk who spent most of his monastic life working in the kitchen.  He truly was able to master the ability to abide in Christ or as he put it practice the presence of God.
He was dependent on God for anything and everything in his life.  Lawrence was able to give up everything not of God in his thought life, mind, emotion, or feelings in this abiding relationship with God.
We have to remind ourselves daily of our dependence on God.  If we fall out of our this abiding relationship with Jesus, then we quench the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Ephesians 4:30 says this, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for in the day of redemption."
Second, it was a great time of fellowship with former D-focus friends and new friends that have gone through the program before.  It was almost as if we were back at at Notch for the summer that weekend.  Living at the Notch the first weekend in December and sleeping in the cabins again reminded me of that summer at Notch Pines that I will never forget.
During that weekend I also hung out with the Pettigrew family.  Ray Pettigrew was my small group leader that summer at D-focus.  I loved hanging out with his family especially the his kids Benjamin and Brody.  I played the role of Big Chin,which is a character that their kids loved.  I would put on this mask as a way of becoming the character of Big Chin.
Lastly, I hope the people reading this blog remember how much we need Jesus daily.  We have to desperately depend on him for everything.  Presenting and abiding in Jesus Christ is a simple task to master as Christ followers.
I challenge you readers to depend on Christ for any struggles you may have and present whatever circumstances you are going through in life.  If, we do these things we will be in an abiding relationship with Jesus.