About Phil Lashinski

·        I am 22 years old

·        I graduated in 2004 from Coon Rapids High School

·        I was a Religion Major at Concordia College in Moorhead for two years

·        In the fall of 2006, I transferred to Crown College to get my degree in Youth Ministry

·        I have been a counselor at Luther Crest the past two summers

·        I am currently doing my six month internship at Luther Crest

·        This summer I will be the camp’s DVD Producer

·        I am a huge movie buff

·        I enjoy short walks along the beach, jumping in puddles, and singing in the shower

·        Most importantly, I find my identity in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ

Archive

CURRENT BLOG

1) Stop the World (3/12/08)

2) Traveling Light (3/19/08)

3) In Christ Alone (3/26/08)

4) Romans 12 (4/2/08)

5) Father Grant (4/11/08)

6) Ephesians 4 (4/21/08)

Getting into the rhythm of my internship, I finally feel at home.  Picking up on the enormous amount of sarcasm this staff exudes is no easy task, that’s for sure!  Right now I am working on a number of projects.  One project is this thing that you are reading right now.  This is the place where I talk about my experiences over the course of my internship here at Luther Crest, and most likely will have a song devotional tied in here as well.  I plan to have this updated weekly.  Another project I am working on is getting acquainted with the DVD production software for my summer position as… you guessed it… the DVD Producer!  I am pretty excited about the position.  I love taking pictures and hanging out with the campers.  Plus the kids will be able to take home the DVD and show it to their friends sharing the Word of God in a fun way!  I have an excruciatingly detailed document left by last year’s DVD producer: KT.  Thanks!  It helps a lot!  I’m not sure she will read this, but I just wanted to thank her for the work she did so I don’t lose my mind this summer!  Other projects are cleaning the camp for the weekend retreats, and hosting said weekend retreats.  I will also be traveling around to different churches in MN promoting camp; informing the congregations why camp is an important part of their child’s faith journey.  I love my job!

I really find music to be such an amazing way of sharing the message of Christ, and as mentioned before, I will usually put up lyrics to a song and talk about it.  So without further adieu… I give you a song by Joel Hansen and Sara Groves entitled “Traveling Light”

Well I was doubling over the load on my shoulders
Was a weight I carried with me everyday
Crossing miles of frustrations and rivers a raging
Picking up stones I found along the way

I staggered and I stumbled down
Pathways of trouble
I was hauling those souvenirs of misery
And with each step taken my back was breaking
'Til I found the One who took it all from me

Down by the riverside
I laid my burdens down,
Now I'm traveling light
My spirit lifted high
I found my freedom now
And I'm traveling light

Through the darkest alleys and loneliest valleys
I was dragging those heavy chains of doubt and fear
Then with the one word spoken the locks were broken
Now He's leading me to places
Where there are no tears

Down by the riverside
I laid my burdens down,
Now I'm traveling light
My spirit lifted high
I found my freedom now
And I'm traveling light

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  -Matthew 11:28-30

I don’t know about you, but I find so much comfort in those words spoken by my Savior.  There are a lot of burdens we try to carry on our own, and we just get so exhausted.  Why do we continually carry our loads, when Jesus is freely offering to carry it for us?  It seems a bit silly if you ask me. 

The song opens with the image of doubling over with carrying so many burdens and frustrations of everyday life.  Not only is he traveling with so much weight on his shoulders, he is adding more and more weight along the way! (“picking up stones I find along the way”).  His back is breaking the amount of unnecessary baggage we all carry with us every day.   However, the man finds hope in “the One who took it all from [him].”  Folks, Jesus took all our baggage of sin, doubt, worry, frustrations, disappointments etc. when He died for us on the cross.  We no longer have to carry them with us!  Paul emphasizes this point in Romans 6:2 “We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”  The price has been paid.  We don’t need to keep holding onto the guilt; it’s been washed away through Christ’s Sacrifice!  Can we all just lay our burdens down and travel light for a change? 

A book that talks about this in more detail is “Traveling Light” by Max Lucado.  I read it last year and I found it very refreshing.  Lucado uses Psalm 23 as a theme for the book.  To quote one of my favorite shows growing up: “But don’t take my word for it.  Take a look, it’s in a book. (…reading rainbow!).