Camp Plans

Of course we’re in the midst of final preparations for camp. It’s amazing how after 9 years of doing these camps, that things still are more difficult than anticipated.

I noticed that the difficulties come in the fact that we have a turn-over of leadership through the years and we have to continually train the new “batch” that is up and coming.

This year, of the entire leadership team that is working on the Big House Camp, only 7 of the 18 who are involved in any part of the leadership have had any experience with our camps. That means that 13 of them are first-time leaders (that’s 61% of our team). Of those 7, a few of those are not as involved this year as they have been in the past, so a greater burden lays on the “newcomers.”

Don’t take this as a complaint. I don’t mean it that way at all. It’s just a reality of our situation in working with young people. In some ways, this what we’re here to do - train others so that they can train others and on and on and on.

The positive side of this is to see the number of young people who do learn new skills and have new experiences that open up their “vistas.”

I am thankful for these young people (yikes! I sound like an old geezer!) and all that they are doing for this camp. It’ll make the camp because of their part as God uses them. Please pray for all of these young & older people:
        Michelle                Emily                Hannah                Martin        Eli        Dasa                Rasto                Tomas                Jennifer        Sally Sue
        Patricia                Jamie                Nancy                Linda        Kelly
        Lenka                Matt                        Chris                

Thanks for your prayer support! Please pray that these people are tools in the hands of our Creator to impact the lives of the young people coming to camp (which starts this Sunday!).

Epitaph - what's yours?

I’m reading through the Bible in a year by using a reading program that takes about 20 minutes a day.

It’s really interesting and thought-provoking - no surprise there.

But today, as I was reading chapters 13-16 of the book 2 Chronicles, it struck me that, although I was reading a historical book of the kings of Judah & Israel, that I was also very often reading epitaphs of these kings.

Here’s one from the life & death of Asa, king of Judah:
In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. Even when the disease became life threatening, he did not seek the Lord’s help but sought help only from his physicians. 13 So he died in the forty-first year of his reign. 14 He was buried in the tomb he had carved out for himself in the City of David. He was laid on a bed perfumed with sweet spices and ointments, and at his funeral the people built a huge fire in his honor.

        Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997, c1996 (electronic ed.) (2 Ch 16:11). Wheaton: Tyndale House.

As I was reading the epitaph of Asa, I got to thinking about my life and wondered what would be written on my tombstone. What do I WANT written on my epitaph?

As I discussed this topic some time ago, one of my friends quipped, “I know what I’d want on mine!”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Just this: ‘O my goodness, he’s moving!’“

We laughed, but the question remains.

Asa was remembered as a good king. He was so committed to righteousness that he even de-throned his Grandma because she had built an asherah pole (an idol). He was hardcore. But in the last days of his life, he made an alliance with another king to avoid being attacked by another enemy king. Because he didn’t trust in God to protect him and give him victory, God told him that he would always be at war.

It appears that this made Asa angry and that anger eventually turned into bitterness. He turned his back on his Lord & God and refused to even ask Him to heal his foot disease, which evidently caused his physical death.

Is that the kind of epitaph I want?

Last night I spoke with some dear friends in the USA, who had just lost their husband/father. He was a dear friend, godly man, Christian to the core and leaves behind himself a wonderful, godly wife and children who love the Lord Jesus and walk with him.

Sounds like a fairy tale ending, doesn’t it? And in some ways, it is. But their lives have not been without pain, struggle, nor hardship. If I were to go through their history, you would be amazed at the fact that they now all love & serve the Lord Jesus Christ - but they do!

My friend left behind an epitaph, more so a legacy.

I wasn’t able to attend the home-going service of my friend, so I don’t know what was spoken at the service. But, I do know that he taught, trained, discipled, lived & loved people to Jesus Christ.

Hm, THAT sounds like a good epitaph.