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About

I'm pouring myself into trying to build a life worth living, one that I will be proud of, one that will impact others. Right now that means I'm spending a season of my life in Thailand, learning how to be a teacher, growing through new experiences, and loving my students in Bangkok, my church, friends, and family back home, and my life.

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Correspondence from Camp.... Monday, May 28, 2007 |

Hmmm... well, it seems we can't outrun ourselves. I'm going to give it a shot later this evening, but given my current location, and the content of this post, it seems that I am stuck with me.

It's been an interesting turn of events that has led me to this post tonight. And, like all epic stories, this tale began... on Facebook.

Several weeks ago, shortly after relocating to the grounds of Dauphin Bible Camp, I received a message from a guy who was, as far as I can tell, a camp counsellor at DBC during my first summer there, a full 14 years ago. Let's see, divide my life by 3, and it was at the end of the first chunk, almost exactly. (Useless fact. But hey, sorta puts life into perspective, don't it?)

This guy wanted to know if I was THE Kelly Cochrane, the infamous poet who had apparently charmed him with her 7-year-old rhyming ways back in the day. Apparently some kid had submitted some pretty wacky poems to the camp newspaper in 1993. I said... "hmmm, from that description, I can't tell you, but it sure sounds like me!" (No, I'm not being vain, but I WAS one of those nerdy kids who took Journalism religiously at camp and would likely have done something like that). But, just to confirm (a.k.a. amuse myself), I asked the guy to send me these poems to refresh my memory.

Now, I re-read the poems and they did start to come back to me, but just to be clear here, I'm still not entirely certain if I wrote these poems or just submitted them to the paper, neglecting to name an author other than myself. So whether you are currently reliving with me "My First Publication" or "My First Plagiarism" is still unclear... but hey, either way, to do so at 7 is pretty prestigious!


The Monster
There used to be a monster,
His name was Dippy Doo,
He wasn't very friendly,
For his age was 62,
There were a lot of people,
in my crowded house,
but when he wasn't around,
it was as quiet as a mouse.

The Poem
I awoke one night,
when my brother had a fight.
I awoke one night,
when my sister had a blister.
I awoke one night,
when my dog had caught a frog.
I awoke one night,
when my cat killed a rat.
I awoke one night,
when Ted turned red.
I awoke one night,
when Scott got caught.
I awoke one night,
don't you see
something really scared me.

by Kelly Cochrane
Age 7 (going on 8)

(If it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty sure I wrote these.)

As I told the counsellor in our e-mail exchange, the thing I remember most vividly is putting "7 going on 8" in the paper... now, I wasn't one of those kids who was always trying to act or sound older, but my concerns here were quite legitimate (I thought)... the youngest age you could come to camp back then was 8 (now we have Young Camper's week), but since I was always a year younger than everyone else in my grade, when everyone else was 8, I was still 7. So my mom called the camp and asked if I could come at 7 (they'd let Becca do the same 2 years earlier)... they let me come, but I was still quite concerned that everyone would find out I was 7 and immediately band together in unity, crying "You don't belong here- you're SEVEN!!!" and chasing me from the camp like a good old-fashioned exorcism - hence the apologetic "(going on 8)" tagged on to the end of every "Kelly" credit in the paper.

Ahhh, yes, there was more. The determined little under-age writer that I was, I actually somehow qualified for a personal interview- me and Fred Penner (who was apparently camp speaker or something that week... who knows?) Yup, I was in the big leagues.

Does anyone else get positively mortified when seeing pictures or hearing stories of themselves in younger years? I mean, supposedly it was cute at the time, but reading about it feels a bit like staring at a train wreck- a train wreck named ME.

Anyways, I'm just going to bite the bullet and hope you'll allow all the grace due to someone who wrote this only a third of the way into the life she now leads...

Interview

NAME: KELLY COCHRANE

Q: How old are you?

A: Seven going on eight.

Q: Why did you come to camp?

A: Because her best friend didn't want to be a Christian, so I came to be one.

Q: What's God doing in your life:

A: Making a difference. Making me a better person.

Q: What is your favorite food?

A: Maccaroni!

Q: Favorite Bible character?

A: Jesus

Q: What are your future plans?

A: To become a dancer.

Q: What is your favorite verse?

A: Ephesians something. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Q: What is your favorite saying?

A: Oh nuts!


Well folks, I think we have plenty of fodder for commentary, to say the least. Always eager to amuse you, I remain faithfully yours,

~Kelly Ann Cochrane, age 21 (going on 22!)


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Setting the Record "Straight" Sunday, February 26, 2006 |

Greetings.

Today, for your reading pleasure, I would like to reprint an article which I wrote for the latest issue of our church newsletter. This newsletter is sent out to our many church members and supporters across America, and each month we include a youth news article, which Pastor Karel often gives me the pleasure of authoring.
This past month, Focus Youth has been looking at sexuality in two parts, firstly discussing sexual morality, and then hosting an informative talk about homosexuality and God's view of these two topics. This latter issue is one that is of very deep importance and relevance for me, as many of my closest friends will know. Feel free to comment and respond to this my point of view.

~Kelly

This February at Focus Youth, guest speaker Blayne Greiner, director of Youth Unlimited, is speaking with our youth about homosexuality and how the Bible views it. 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10 reads, in part “…Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral … nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards … will inherit the kingdom of God,” giving us clear insight to God’s truth about sexuality. However, while this might seem like a cut-and-dried point, for many kids today, it doesn’t seem so black and white. The ever-present political debate over it, and certainly the mainstreaming of homosexuality in the media, has led to a cultural acceptance of homosexuality as a legitimate lifestyle choice. And for those youth who don’t embrace that mindset, the pressure to normalize the gay lifestyle is ever-present.

These factors are definitely present in my life in a very personal way, as I have several close friends who struggle with their sexual identities, and the challenge for me has become, “how do I present my deeply held beliefs while expressing my deeply embedded love for these people?”

It’s one thing to be there for a non-Christian who struggles with his or her sexuality. It seems easy in those cases to chalk any confusion and experimentation up to the person’s need for Jesus. But what do you do when a self-proclaimed Christian won’t let go of his homosexuality? What do you do with those who have restructured their Christian world-view to include it?

This matter is one that I am currently weighing and, to be honest, am not completely sure how to respond to. I mean, I know what I have already been doing, which is to be a good friend, to give honest counsel and tell the truth, and to pray, but also to lean on the promise that God knows my friend’s heart, and that my friend is in relationship with God, as am I, and that God will be the one to cut to the heart of my friend’s misconceptions. But in the meantime, how would God have me respond?

It’s true- sometimes I feel very ill-equipped to counsel my friend. He’s struggling in his walk right now, and I truly believe that it has everything to do with the fact that he won’t surrender his sexuality, and be obedient to God, but while I try and get this across to him when we talk, ultimately, I am taking things really slow with him. I don’t come down hard, I don’t preach against him. Do I challenge him about it? Yes, and often. But as far as conviction of sin is concerned, I’m leaving room for that moment to be between him and Jesus. I think this may well be the biggest ultimatum of my friend’s life, and honestly, I am very afraid for the choice he may make- that’s why I’m praying constantly and treading lightly as I await a transformation of my friend’s heart.

I know that Jesus is up to the challenge- do you remember the guy that Jesus told to sell everything and follow Him? He went away sad, because he had great wealth, and was not willing to give it up. It just may happen that my friend may end up turning away, discouraged, because he was unwilling to give up his homosexuality, his “gay pride”, for the kingdom of God. That will be a very sad day for me. I know it will break Jesus’ heart also. But somehow Jesus does it anyways, cuts straight to the heart of the issue, the stronghold of sin, with truth that is sharper than a double-edged sword. So I’m wrapping my friend in prayer, praying that God will do just that in his life. But this time I’m praying desperately that the outcome will be different.

It occurs to me that my concerns are very different from those that many Christians face in regards to homosexuality. Many times, the church’s response to homosexuality can be very impersonal, judgmental, and even threatening. Often we lash out against the gay and lesbian community with a harsh reprimand and a complete unwillingness to engage them as people, and as searchers. Our response does not focus on their need for redemption, but only on the ugliness of their sin. And so often they are not finding Jesus.

Maybe we could negotiate a trade-off. I will try with all my heart to muster up the strength to be more like Jesus, who will go straight to the heart of what is keeping His children from Him, and will ask them to surrender it, fully aware that His heart is about to break as they turn away. He can do no less- He loves us too much for that. Meanwhile, I am not Jesus, and cannot pull this off the way He does, but if He asks me to speak hard truths, I want to be obedient and do so.

And for Christians with the tendency to come down harshly and with judgment, we should be very hesitant to do anything in God’s name if it does not come from a love for the people God created. 1 Corinthians 13 emphasizes that all that we may do, if it is without love, is absolutely worthless, devoid of value, giving no gain, leading to nothing. But more than that, I think history and common sense shows that when the church acts outside of love, things get serious. Great tragedies have occurred under the banner of our Faith, and we must make every effort to never let these things happen again.

I think it is very good that I fear so deeply my friend’s rejection of Jesus. You can’t fake that kind of brotherly love. It’s what Jesus is striving to teach us, “Love the Lord your God fiercely and with everything within you, and love your neighbor even more than you care about yourself”. And so I encourage you, also, to be hesitant to call attention to the sins that separate others from God, until you have your own heart invested in their eternity even a fraction of as much as you can bet that God’s heart is.

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What It Means To Be "Coming Up Short"...

I find that frequently, in life, in relationships, at work, and especially when it comes to God, I ride through temporary lows, highs, and in-the-middles, and just when life is getting good, or I feel like I've got it figured out (even in the slightest), then comes the drop. The screw-up. The let-down. Where I realize that I am, indeed, human, so far from perfect and so susceptible to mistakes. It seems that in life, with friends, and with God, I am forever "coming up short." This blog is where I archive my "Kelly-moments" for others to read, and where I hash them out in an attempt to extract meaning. Feel free to see the world through my bespectacled eyes!