A Soul Overflowing

We're heading off to California tomorrow. I just came off of some kind of high after NBT; a spiritual plateau, of sorts. Last week was incredible. Jesus promised that if we ask anything in his name we will receive, that our joy may be full. Last week I cashed in that promise. If you weren't there I couldn't explain to you all that made amazing, encouraging, decisive, and wonderful. I was a team captain again this year with Taylor as my co-captain and Kevin and Sara as our opposing captains. We started the whole week off on Saturday with games skits and food in the evening. The Evangelists arrived on Thursday giving us a lot of time ahead NBT to get to know them and to go out on special blitzing opportunities that we generally don't get. On Sunday morning the evangelists were integrated with our Sunday School class. Before that we had some scoreing and points going on but everything previous to Sunday night, was inconsequential; this was when the real fun started. At this point I can no longing tie particular events to days but I will try and remember most of the crazy NBT games that we all got to participate in this summer. Big Ball Basketball, Big Ball Shot Put, Bottle Soccer, Four-way tug-of-war, Sumo Tube, Tube Tug, Waterballoon Dodgeball, Waterballoon toss, Big Ball Volleyball, Human Foosball, Volleyball, Blind Volleyball, Flag Football, Ultimate Frisbee, Stack-it, Spell-it, Switch-it, Tug-of-war, Kickbox, Big Ball Football, and many others. Every night Kevin and I had some kind of miniature skit that we would preform for the teens called The Impressions. We would come in wearing sunglass and, with a straight face, introduce ourselves as "The Impressions." Then we would do impressions. Again, I can't remember the order but we had so much fun. The impressions that we did included, rain drop, the number 11, a booger, a pimple, locomotive, cupid, mosquito, bug-zapper, snowflake, bacon, fieldgoal, and others. Throughout the week we also had little challenges that the teams would compete eachother in. Many of them were jokes, such as the blindfolded banana eating contest that everyone was in on except one guy. He thought that he was racing three others but it turned out that he was just shoving bananas in his face blindfolded while everyone else watched. Along side all the fun and games was a more serious tone. After we had been outside for the beginning of the evening, and been thorough enteretained by The Impressions and the games and challenges, Mr. Joel, the best NBT Evangelist ever, would come and teach us all a lesson from the Bible. What he said every night throughout the week really had a big impact on all of us, team captains, teens, as well as visitors. The only reason someone could come away from all of that and not be changed for the better would be by their own choice. Above all else, the best, most encouraging, uplifting, enlightening, and by far my favorite times this past week were the team captains meeting with Mr. Joel after NBT every night. I cannot express to you, the reader, all that that meant to us and all that we got from those times with Brother Joel; it was enough to make one high. This week Jesus really filled me up to overflowing and I did not come away unchanged. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD (Psalm 150:6).

John