Random Notes From TeenPact Survival

Kelsey Hoppman


TeenPact Survival SW 2010
Last week I had the incredible privilege of attending Survival SW. Since all that I learned there made such an impression on me, I thought I would share it with you all as well. Of course, I’ll *try* not to say too much, since I think you should experience it for yourself!

Kelsey Hoppman Written on 7/21/10


The Stage of Forming: By Curtis Whatley

What our team needs to do in order to thrive:


1. Put God first; He should be our foundation


2. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of yourself and your team members.


-The typical way the world operates in the job industry:
                                                        -
                                                       --
                                               CEO/BOSS


                                             ----------------


                                           Vice President


                                         -----------------------


                                       Small Team Leaders


                                    ------------------------------


                                  People who do the real work


                            ---------------------------------------------




The Way It Should Be:




                             -----------------------------------------------------


                             Team members having greatest impact


                                  --------------------------------------


                                        Small Team Leaders


                                        ------------------------


                                        Leadership Team


                                            -----------


                                           LEADER
                                                ---
       ________________________________________________________


             GOD           GOD               GOD


     -____________________________________________________________


                    ------------------------------------------------------------




Some Survival Plant Info:


Calsey’s Butter Root- Yellow Flower


Scrub Oak- Used for tanning hides


Palmate- A lobed leaf


Douglass Fir- Use to make pine needle tea-simmer the needles


Yucca- The flowers, if  young,  are edible-You can use it to make a poultice, or use it to make a rope.  


Decocting is simmering tea


Ponderosa: Group of two needles, young, dark bark, get’s darker with age. Smells like citrus, long needles, downward spikes at the end of a pinecone.



Starving out in the wilderness and your not sure if this particular plant is poisonous?


Testing Toxicity:

1. Take a piece and rub It on the inside of your elbows. If no rash-



2. Touch it to your lips and tongue- wait 10-15 min. If no problems-



3. Prepare. (Cook if at all possible-simmer-boil-etc) Chew a small bit, and leave it in your mouth about 15 min.

If no problems- Enjoy!



Some Tips When Making a Fire:

-Use dry bark as a platform for the fire, if the ground is wet.

-You need sun access.

 -For wind, dig a trench that funnels down to the fire.



Rabbit/Small Animal Trap:

*  Circles on the sketch represent notches. You would make the notches with a pocket knife or something similar.

We are to “Die to self”- work as a team member, willing to do the task God has called us to do, not our own selfish desires. Do not be envious of other team members, but don’t ignore them either. They are there for a purpose and they are needed. Play your role well. We (I) need to be a servant of all. That (Or the lack of it rather) will build or break a team. Doing only “My share” is not enough.



Curtis Whatley


TeenPact Survival SW


2010


In a Conflict:

• Restore the Other

• Look at the possible plank in your own eye

• Support each other

• Don’t think more highly of yourself then you should.

• Appeal to a higher authority. (God!)

• Be humble

• Ask for forgiveness (Even in it was not “Your fault”)

Most of the time conflict arises on account of a misunderstanding.




When trying to resolve a conflict-

• Ask questions. It may have been a misunderstanding.

• Bring some people/parties who are respected, to help resolve it.

• We will fail sometimes. Mistakes are what you learn from.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens the continence of others.”


Do not “Throw the baby out with the bath water” Accept correction. Don’t dwell on the criticism. Learn from it and simply go on.------


Authority/Power

Power is taken


Authority is given


New Definitions:


AC - Authority current


DC - Dictator Current



Our Authority is given by God. We should not attempt to gain power.

Below is a story Mr. Whatley told the students. I don't think I got it exactly right, but you'll get the idea. :)


There was a boy who really wanted this boat in the shop window. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the money on hand to by the boat. After some encouragement from his father, the young boy worked all around the neighborhood doing odd jobs, until he had the money he needed. Happily, he went to the store, and bought the boat. He loved sending the little boat down the stream, watching it float a ways, and then, with his stick, bring the boat back to him, and start all over again. One day, as he played with it in this manner, it had rained the day before, so the current was stronger, and the river fuller than usual. As the boy, after watching his boat float downstream, reached his stick out to take his boat back, the current had pulled his boat farther out then the little guy could reach. Helpless, the boy watched, as his little boat, which he had slaved over the buy, floated away. Days later, the boy went back to the store with his father. Kind of bored, he looked around the little shop. His eye’s widened with surprise as he spotted something pushed off in the corner. It was his very own boat! Excited, he ran over to his father and the shop owner. “It’s my boat!” he tried to explain. The shop owner said, “It’s in my possesion now. If you want it, you’ll have to buy it back.” The little boy just loved his boat, and so, once again, he worked hard doing odd jobs around his neighborhood, until he had the money to buy his boat back. Excited, he walked over the store, and bought it back. Gently holding it, he began walking to the shop door. Now, if you were there, you might have heard him talking. He said, “You were mine before, but I had to buy you back, so now your twice mine.”


Well folks, thanks to what the Lord did for us on the cross:

We’re twice His.

We are twice-God’s.


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• God has delegated authority to different people. They need to stay in their spot of authority, and give all the glory to God-because authority-is given.

• Our faith shows understanding of authority. We trust others, work as a team, and trust each other.

• GIVEN pride will stand alone, and fail.

• Real faith is submitting our lives completely to God. If we are really trusting in God, we have nothing to fear.

• Do not “Be your own power.” Stay under God’s, and follow His authority.

Hey all, let me know what you thought of what you just read. I’d love to hear your opinions as well. Glad you took the time to read! Also, I'll be posting some more of my own thoughts later. :-)  


God Bless,

                      Kelsey

Eggplant Zucchini Casserole and an Award!

Remember the photo contest I mentioned a while back, over at Rachel's blog? Well, one out of my four pictures took second!  Thank-you so much Rachel and to all who voted!

Now, on to other things...

Eggplant Zucchini Casserole

Even if you don't care for eggplant, don't run away yet! I'm not a huge fan of it but I really love this recipe. A wonderful bonus is: It's A vegaterian dish!  OK, here's the recipe. Try it out and let me know what you think! 

Three 8oz cans of tomato/spaghetti sauce

1/4 cup water

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp oregano

2 cloves garlic minced

1 eggplant-peeled and cut into 1/4 m. slices

2 medium zucchini unpeeled - 1/4 in. slices

1 cup uncooked spaghetti broken into pieces

3 stalks celery chopped

1 green pepper chopped

8 oz. mozzerella grated or cut in slices

(Or combo of Swiss and mozzarella)

Combine tomato sauce/water/worcestershire sauce/salt/oregano/garlic.

Mix well.

Arrange 1/2 of eggplant in single layer in greased casserole dish.

Arrange 1/2 of zucchini/1/2 of sphagetti/1/2 of celery/1/2 of green pepper on top of eggplant.

Add 1/2 of cheese on top of that and Romano/or parmeson cheese.

Spoon on 1/2 of tomato mixture

Repeat layers

Cover and bake 1 1/2 hours at 375 degrees.

*Casserole will keep in oven for additional hour with heat turned off-depending on how you cook it, you may need to let it sit before cutting and serving.

This tastes even better the 2nd day! Freezes very well!

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HAPPY EATING!   :)

A Song from the Suds

By: Louisa May Alcott

A Song from the Suds



Queen of my tub, I merrily sing,
While the white foam raises high,
And sturdily wash, and rinse, and wring,
And fasten the clothes to dry;
Then out in the free fresh air they swing,
Under the sunny sky.

I wish we could wash from our hearts and our souls

The stains of the week away,

And let water and air by their magic make

Ourselves as pure as they;

Then on the earth there would be indeed

A glorious washing day!

Along the path of a useful life

Will heart's-ease ever bloom;

The busy mind has no time to think

Of sorrow, or care, or gloom;

And anxious thoughts may be swept away

As we busily wield a broom.

I am glad a task to me is given
To labor at day by day;
For it brings me health, and strength, and hope,
And I cheerfully learn to say-
"Head, you may think; heart, you may feel;
But hand, you shall work always!"

Louisa May Alcott

Hope you all have and excellent weekend!

Kelsey

Photo Contest

Hello All! How is your week going? I decided to enter a photgraphy contest hosted by Rachel over at her blog aptly titled "Rachel's Blog" 

Whether any of the photo's happen to win something or not, I hope you enjoy taking a peek at them!

God Bless,

Kelsey

"The branch of the vine does not worry, and toil, and rush here to seek for sunshine, and there to find rain. No; it rests in union and communion with the vine; and at the right time, and in the right way, is the right fruit found on it. Let us so abide in the Lord Jesus."


- Hudson Taylor

A Poem by William Cowper and Some of My Own Ramblings...

 Isaiah fifty three, verse six says "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."  
 WE are the sinners.
WE deserve to pay the price ...  It was
OUR sins...  Yet
CHRIST brought them upon himself, and willingly took a punishment that should have been OURS.

Jesus had no sin. He was perfect, and yet he did that for us. 

Isaiah fifty three verse seven: "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." 

Christ uttered no murmur or complaint, and yet we, as humans, are so quick to whine and cry about various things that happen day-by-day, which, most likely in the long run, mean nothing.  I know I'm certainly to blame.

Have you ever stopped to really think about what Christ did for you? I mean really think. I find it too difficult for my simple mind to comprehend; The amazing love that Christ has for us, to be willing to die for everyone- for me.  

Below is a poem by William Cowper. I don't know much about him, but when I found this poem of his, I thought it should be posted. Let me know your thoughts after you read this.

The Heart Healed and Changed by Mercy


               by William Cowper


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sin enslav'd me many years,
And led me bound and blind;
Till at length a thousand fears
Came swarming o'er my mind.
Where, I said in deep distress,
Will these sinful pleasures end?
How shall I secure my peace,
And make the LORD my friend?


Friends and ministers said much
The gospel to enforce;
But my blindness still was such,
I chose a legal course:
Much I fasted, watch'd and strove,
Scarce would show my face abroad,
Fear'd, almost, to speak or move,
A stranger still to GOD.

Thus afraid to trust his grace,
Long time did I rebel;
Till, despairing of my case,
Down at his feet I fell:
Then my stubborn heart he broke,
And subdu'd me to his sway;
By a simple word he spoke,
"Thy sins are done away."

 

 
 
What an awsome, mighty, loving God we serve!
May we strive to glorify Him in all we do!
 
Hope you all have a wonderful rest of your week.
 
God Bless,
 
Kelsey

What is Freedom? - An Independence Day Poem

Freedom

Freedom-What does it mean now to man,
When we fulfill the Lord’s greater plan?


We fight our rival's and then decide

To proudly honor all those who've died-

Friend’s who suddenly turned into foe,

Some not knowing which side they're to go-


Soldiers fighting o’er battle lines

Police put a stop evil crimes;

Troops wait to see what each day shall bring;

Freedom-It’s an interesting thing.


Some had it taken from their close grasp,
Others held strongly to freedom’s clasp.


Wives care for children while all alone

Waiting for their soldiers to come home.

Some say “Set one ruler for them all!”

Some say government shouldn’t stand tall.

When is it okay to be the lead?

When will we see that Christ’s our great need?


Our liberty’s now being taken-

Our bright path to God, is now shaken-


Fighting for our land-this brave kingdom-

And all this-In the name of freedom.


And then there’s other’s who just don’t see

They should cry to God on bended knee.

Evil‘s stalking as thieves in the night-

Freedom-Let’s go and finish the fight.

Kelsey Hoppman

7/2/10

 

                                             We are one Nation Under God... 

...May God Bless America!

A Christian Home

Here is a poem written by Babara Hart:

*A Christian Home*

O give us home built firm upon the Savior
Where Christ is Head and Counselor and Guide
Where every child is taught his love and favor
And gives his heart to Christ, the crucified:
How sweet to know that through his footsteps waver
His faithful Lord is walking by his side!

O give us homes with Godly fathers, mothers,

Who always place their hope and trust in Him:
Whose tender patience turmoil’s never bothers,

Who calm and courage trouble cannot dim;

A home where each finds joy in serving others,
And love still shines, tho' days be dark and grim.
O Lord, our God, our homes are Thine forever!
We trust to Thee their problems, toil, and care;
Their bonds on love no enemy can sever
If thou are always Lord and Master there:

Be Thou the center of our least endeavor--

Be Thou our Guest, our hearts and homes to share.

-Barbara B. Hart

Braving La Luz!

If you would like to read about last years hike up this very same trail, make a quick stop by my brother, Josh's blog by clicking here.

Dad, Josh, Jeremiah, Jonathan and I decided to, once again, attempt to brave the 7 mile long La Luz trail  which leads us right up Mount Sandias.

The photo's are done by Jeremiah and I. :)

We started on the trail around 8:00, which was nice. (Earlier than last year's trek!) It was shady the first part up, but on the way down was a much different story! (aka: HOT!)   

Your's truly. :)

Makin' our way up and we came upon this sign:

This was the view around the beginning of the hike.

It was beautiful!

Our first "rest" of the trip.

Back on the trail!

The sun starts to peek it's way across our trail and works on heating the once shaded desert. (A bit to the hiker's chagrin!) :)

Time for a second break!

We're off, once again!

Okay, quick explanation here, (excuse) carrying the camera became a bit of a hassle with the scrambling up the mountain trail. (It was hanging on my neck, and swinging around quite a bit. I was afraid it would hit some of the rocks/trees and things, around us.) So, neither Jeremiah or I took many pictures after that, until I got to the top.

I was the slowest out of our little group of hikers, so Dad and I agreed that when we got near the top, he would go up the mountain with Josh and Jonathan, and Jeremiah was kind enough to volunteer and stay behind with me. I still made my way up, just not quite as fast as Dad and the others.  :)

 Anyways, long story short, Jeremiah and I took the wrong turn (Despite the sign in front of my face!) and after traveling down the trail (The wrong one) suspecting something weird, and asking some other hikers for help-we ran back to the place where we had gone off. Then, we came just in time to see Dad, coming down the mountaint to meet us there. Oops. I don't think I'll make that mistake again! It cost both we and Dad more trouble and energy! (I'm seeing a biblical application here, so don't leave too soon before you are able to take a look at what I'll add at the end of this post!)  In Jeremiah's defense, he had not gone with us up the La Luz trial before. I, on the other hand, had gone up before and not paid attention to the fact that we are supposed to veer of the La Luz trail and follow another. I just kept following the La Luz and it would have eventually led us to the tram.

And then- at last VICTORY!

We made it to the top before 11:00 .

Truly a spectacular sight! The pictures really don't do it justice, so bear with me as I try to give you a small glimpse of what it was like.

Dad spoke shortly with some cute kids who had come up as a group (From a public school), in a bus. The one you see speaking in the picture told Dad he could see the Ducks the pond from that view. Dad simply responded by saying: "Well, you have better eyesight then I have!"

We then made our way down which, for me at least, was a breeze compared to the hike up. (Hotter though!)

The Hikers!

Can't wait till next year!

Okay, as I said earlier, I notice a biblical application to mine and Jeremiah's story. Can you see it? We strayed onto the wrong path despite obvious signs telling us the way to go. Our mistake cost us our time and energy, as well as the time and energy of others. When we realized our mistake, we turned back however, and came to the place we made our mistake, meeting Dad there. As fellow believers and followers of Christ, we are to strive to follow Jesus and the Bible, God's word, is our direction. It works as the "sign's" in our life, telling us where to go. We, as humans, will make mistakes, but the important thing is, we repent and turn around and get back on the right path. God will see us through and although I know I make so many mistakes, he loves me and wants to forgive me anyways. What a mighty God we serve!

Hope you all have an excellent week!

Kelsey