An Old Deleted Scene, and How It Relates To Today.

    So, I've been going through some old blog posts, and I found this one from Aug. 4th, 2016. While this is an unedited scene, and I never used it, reading through it, was really funny this week, because it related to my work at camp.

    Sometimes, when we're working with people, it's easy to get distracted with fighting fights that don't matter. Like trying to defend ourselves in arguments, or trying to convince everyone that we're right, when really, the only things worth fighting for, are the fights of the faith. Whether it's your family, your church family, or other people you find yourself around, we're not here to prove ourselves right! If our only goal, is to be right and for everyone to know it, then we've got messed up priorities. We're here to show the love of Christ, not show how right we are.

A Deleted Scene

        When I'm writing, sometimes I writes scenes that don't flow right, or just don't fit with the story so I have to cut them. The following scene was deleted from Never Forget because it just didn't seem to fit right. I hope you enjoy it!


     That evening, Paul needed to go to town and buy some things for the farm, and I decided to go with him. I didn’t think I could stand another minute of just sitting in the house. I couldn’t figure out what God was doing. Did He expect me to wait for the rest of my life for things to get better?

My leg hurt after the long day, so I grabbed my other crutch, and followed Paul to Dad’s truck.

Paul was totally quiet as we drove to town, and I felt glad. I didn’t want to talk either.

Rifton is five miles south of the Canadian border, and almost five miles south of us. Our farm was practically on the border, and several times Dad had pointed the line out to me so that I wouldn’t accidentally wander across illegally.

I enjoyed sitting and looking into Canada but sometimes, like today, I wished we could just move to Canada and start over. Things had gone from bad to worse and I was losing heart. I had been waiting on God for weeks and nothing had happened.

I followed Paul around the store as he looked for the best deals and stood patiently as he added things up in his head.

“Nice crutches!” a crude voice said. “They’re just perfect for a cripple like you.”

I turned around and found myself face to face with a guy not much older than myself. Although I could tell he wasn’t very old, he was stocky and didn’t look like he avoided fights. He also didn’t look like he lost many fights.

I turned back to the shelf expecting him to walk away. Instead he reached out and pulled my hair.

“Oww!” I spun around as fast as I could on my crutches.

“What ya gonna do, huh? Your daddy’s in jail, he can’t rescue you.”

Paul calmly stepped in front of me. “Leave,” he said simply.

“Well, if it isn’t the mute boy actually talking. I hear you don’t talk cause you got a stttttuuutttterrrrrrr,” the boy mocked. “And isn’t your sister the girl with that creepy white hair?”

Paul simply grabbed my arm and started walking away.

“What are you chicken or something?” he yelled after us.

I stopped and turned to face him. “Stop it!” I said.

“Aww, isn’t that sweet, you’re trying to protect your brother.”

“My brother can protect himself,” I said firmly, “but he doesn’t pick fights with losers like you.”

“Amy,” Paul’s voice came firm and low. “That’s enough.”

The boy stuck his tongue out at me and I started to pull my crutch up to hit him but Paul pulled me back. “Let’s go.”

The boy yelled insulting comments after us but Paul didn’t stop. He walked straight for the cashier counter, purchased his items, and we went back to the truck.

“Why didn’t you fight him?” I asked. “If I were a boy I would have punched his lights out.” I bit my lip the moment I said it. It sounded like something Sylvia would say and I regretted sounding so harsh.

“It wasn’t a fight worth fighting,” Paul said.

I stared at Paul. “Doesn’t it make you mad when people make fun of you?”

Paul nodded. “Sometimes, but it’s not worth fighting over.”

Paul drove

north and headed home.

“How do you stay so calm?” I asked. “You’re always calm!”

 We were halfway home before Paul spoke. “Amy, I used to get mad when people made fun of my stutter, but then I realized that they just didn’t understand. It’s not my job to force people to understand. It’s my job to love people. It’s my job to be like Jesus. It’s my job to turn the other cheek.”

Like normal, Paul only said what he felt he had to and then he lapsed back into silence.

“Paul?” I paused and chewed on my bottom lip. “What exactly is worth fighting for? You said it wasn’t a fight worth fighting but what kinds of fights are worth fighting?”

Paul stared across the fields that rolled by. Finally he spoke. “The only fights worth fighting are the fights of faith.”

I frowned. “Like what?”

“Like when you believe in something. It’s always worth fighting for the things you believe in.”

Paul was silent again, and I sat thinking. Was I fighting any fights of faith? What did I believe in?

The Grace Award!

  A HUGE thank you, to everyone that nominated Mission of a Lifetime for the Grace Award! It's received a finalist badge!

My Miracle Dad

When I think about Father's Day, I feel like taking Ebeneezer Scrooge's change of heart, and applying it to Father's Day. "I shall strive to live with the spirit of Father's Day in my heart year round."

I've shared my mom's story, and how she is a miracle mom, but just as much as my mom is a miracle mom, my dad, is a miracle dad.

Everyone has dreams and plans, but sometimes, God's plans don't match up with ours, and then we have to choose whether to live our dreams, or God's. When my Dad was in high-school, he knew where his life was going.

He was going to go into professional hockey. As a sophomore, he had scouts looking at him, and he knew that God had gifted him in a big way. Then, one day, his dad approached him, and told him that his sisters would be attending a Christian school the following year. Grandpa gave Dad the choice. He could stay in the public school, and become a professional hockey player, or he could attend the Christian school, and give up his dreams.

Sometimes, we have to take a leap of faith, and trust God to work it out for His glory. Dad chose to give up his dreams. He could have been a famous hockey celebrity, but he chose to follow God's leading. When we trust God, He never lets us down. Dad went on to Bible college, and has used everything God has given him to glorify God. Even his mistakes, he's used to teach us, and to help us learn to lean on God more.

God took his dreams, and replaced them with new dreams and ministry opportunities. God has used him to share the gospel with countless people. Whether it was in his prison ministry, his work related ministries, or his family ministry to us kids, he has always been an example to me of how a Christian should be.

He always had time to teach us kids about God's goodness in his life, and how we can share Christ with others.

Thank you, Dad, for being willing to let God have his way in your life. Thank you for using the talents you have to glorify God. Thank you for the sacrifices you've made for us. Thank you for showing us Christ in your life. I love you, and I will always respect the way you glorify God in your life.

The Camp Store

I've had the opportunity to work in the camp store and snack shop, and I really enjoy it! 

 I have an awesome crew to work with, and if you ever stop by, be sure to stop in and get a treat!

Also, my books are for sale in the camp store, so if there's one that you'd like to pick up, and you're in northern WI, I'd love to see you! 

This last week was a family camp, and watching the families brings back so many memories from when I was a young and we came here for family camp. I had no idea that one day, I would be working here! 

Week one - Staff Training

    For those of you who don't know, last Saturday, Hosanna and I headed to WI to work at Northland Camp. We spent this first week in 'staff training', which covers everything from sessions on learning to counsel, work projects around the place, preparing our own hearts for the ministry, and getting to know the staff.
     So much has happened, that it's hard to think of what to say, but I'll try to pick out the highlights.
       ONE - It's been AWESOME getting to know my fellow staff members. There's been campfire services, and late night talks that have both encouraged me, and convicted me.
       TWO - Instead of counseling this year, I'm working on the housekeeping/retail side of things, and I've REALLY enjoyed getting to learn the ropes.
       THREE - This afternoon, we got to do the ziplines and rock climbing. Sadly, I did't get any pictures, but I had a great time! :)
       FOUR - The messages. When you go into a ministry, it's easy to want to focus on helping others, which is GREAT! But it's important to also take the time to make sure that your heart is right with God, and that you're right with God before trying to help others. You can't help someone out of the chains of sin when you're chained yourself.
     FIVE - We played an AWESOME night game!!! :) :)

This is what my room looks like when I'm packing for the whole summer.

On another note, the Corn Maze is getting prepared, and this AWESOME sign will be for sale in the Granary. It seems like the story of my life sometimes!

   I apologize for not having pictures from camp yet, maybe next week I'll have some. :) Just a reminder, if I DON'T post some week, it doesn't mean I died! It probably just means that I'm having technical difficulties. Anyways, till next time, this is Priscilla J. Krahn, reminding you not to hold anything back while serving God.

      "Live to the hilt, every situation that you find yourself in that you believe is the will of God." - Jim Elliot