At camp I received many blessings from the Lord.  Going to camp I was drained and didn't want to go.  The first night after getting settled in my cabin and meeting a few people I went to service.  That night the evangelist told us about Jonathan and his armor bearer.  How there was 600 hundred men to fight the Philistines and only two actually did because they put there fear behind themselves and focused on God.  What I thought was really cool was because Jonathan was so strong in God how when he stood on the mountain men one by one fell and the armor bearer killed them when they were down.  That night during the alter call I humbled myself before God and told Him that I wanted to be like Jonathan.  To be able to put my trust and faith in God and know that the battle will be won.  By Tuesday night however, everyone was wanting to go home.  The Senior campers were getting in trouble for doing many pranks on the Junior campers.  The senior campers also had childish attitudes that clashed with everyone else.  I remember me and a friend talking to our cabin counselor saying how we didn't want to go to the service that night but that we wanted to go home.  I remember our counselor said that it was the devil causing strife and the senior camp director said that the devil didn't want us to receive a blessing at the service that night.  That night though the Lord blessed everyone.  The devil lost that battle.  That night on my knees in prayer and crying out to God, the Holy Spirit fell on me.  I danced, I cried, I praised God.  I remember the feeling, my body started shaking and I was praising God in tongues.  My legs felt like Jell-O and I couldn't help but cry out to God.  The Lord had blessed me and I felt great.  I had once again felt the joy of the Lord.  On the way home from camp I thought to myself. I knew that once I got home the devil would use many things that were once part of my life to try to steal my joy away from me.  Sure enough that evening that devil attacked a weak spot in my life.  A friend and I got in a fight.  Soon in dawned on me that this had to be the devil trying to steal my joy.  I got on my knees and prayed to God asking for forgiveness and strength to stand up to the devil.  I told the devil that what I received at camp was from God and wasn't his and that he couldn't take it from me.  And with God's help I still have my joy.  I thank God for healing the pain also of my three friends that died this year.  I learned to give it to God and let go of the pain, knowing that things happen in God's timing and for a specific reason.  I thank God for using me and making me a strong Christian teenager  

God Bless you all,   

Melissa