Aunt Pauline

One of our adventures... traveling with Flat Stanley

My aunt, Pauline Swift, was 86 years old.  She was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and lived there most of her life.  Her childhood and teenage years were spent in Wiliamsburg, KY, and she will be buried there with her mother, father and sister Dorothy.  She was my mom’s sister and best friend, and she will be missed.  Although her death came unexpectedly, that is not to say that she was unprepared.  She had a firm faith in her Savior Jesus Christ, and was always ready to give an answer for the hope that was within her.

Pauline was a caring and responsible person.  When her mother died she stepped into the responsibilities that were left behind.  She began to assume the role of mother to my mother who was only eighteen months old at the time.   Although she had several suitors, she felt strongly that she needed to remain with her father and some of the siblings who needed her, and because of this she did not marry for many years.

When I was small we lived in a duplex in Indianapolis.  Pauline lived in the other side of the duplex along with my aunt Dorothy and my grandpa.  Pauline worked as a teletype operator at a company called Mallory’s to support her family.  Even after we moved to the suburbs, my family spent lots of time at Pauline’s home, celebrating birthdays and holidays and visiting with out-of-town visitors who dropped in regularly.  Pauline’s home was a gathering place, and she was a gracious hostess.

In regards to living out her faith, she was always finding ways to serve the Lord.  She was saved as a teenager, and shortly afterwards began teaching Sunday School.  Throughout her life she worked with children and youth, planning activities and programs for their enjoyment and spiritual development.  As she grew older she was active in visiting friends and relatives who were in nursing homes or just in need of a friend.  She took friends to doctor’s appointments and ran errands for them if she was needed.

Pauline finally did get married to Earl Swift in 1977 when she was 49 years old.  They made a happy life together until his death due to cancer in 2000.  They were married for 23 years.  Earl’s children told me that they were so thankful for Pauline being there for their dad and that she was a wonderful stepmother to them all.

Pauline was very active politically.  She voted in every election and called her representatives and senators regularly to voice her opinion on the issues of the day.  When I was going through her address book, when I got to the W’s, she had an entry for the White House.

Although she often said to me, “I hate to say too much because my voice sounds so bad,” you didn’t have to be around her too long to know that she was not shy at all and spoke up regularly in her Sunday School class and in church when the opportunity arose.  She was not at all hesitant to share her faith or to tell people who were facing hard times that they needed the Lord, that He would get them through.

I learned many things from my Aunt Pauline…what to do if you want to wear shoes with no socks, what to do if you run out of chocolate icing when you make a cake, how to find your car in a large parking lot.  But most of all she’s been a good example to me of how to grow old.  She left her home in Indianapolis after living most of her life there and moved to Dunlap two years ago.  She did it while she was still able to make those decisions and didn’t wait until it was too late.   Having lived alone in downtown Indianapolis for many years, she was cautious but not fearful.  She minimized her risks.  When she first moved to Dunlap she kept everything locked up tight as she had before, but she became more comfortable and realized that Dunlap was a safer place.  She no longer felt the need to barricade the door at night.  What I’m saying is that she was still capable of changing her habits. 

Never wanting to be without a church home, she joined our church the week after she moved in.  She was a faithful member and joined in to all the activities we had to offer.   She always had encouraging words for those around her.  When we went to Canada last summer she paid for a scholarship for a camper, so she remained a generous giver to the Lord’s work to the end.  She was faithful in prayer and Bible study and had a Bible that was well worn from use.

A few weeks ago she went for a routine checkup at the doctor’s.  She was very healthy aside from some pain in her legs.  Dr. Daniel asked her if she had a living will.  She told Dr. Daniel that she didn’t want to make one, that she would let the Lord take care of it.  Of course, I was rolling my eyes at that, thinking that I would like for her to help us make some of the decisions that I knew could lie ahead.  But in the end, she was right, the Lord did take care of it.  And for that, we are all really thankful.

Tribute to My Aunt Pauline

My aunt Pauline passed away on Friday.  She was a poet, and because of this, on the occasion of her 80^th birthday I wrote her a poem to honor her and pay tribute to what she meant to me.  I have much more I want to say about her later but for the time being I will share the poem.

Pauline Swift, my dear, dear aunt—

The point of this poetic rant.

I know she likes to write and rhyme;

I hope this poem suits her fine.

She’s always been a happy soul,

She likes to bike and skate and bowl.

A devoted sister was Pauline,

The one on whom my mom could lean.

She likes to cook and feeds us well.

The family stories she keeps and tells.

The Pacers are her favorite team,

And when they win her face just beams.

She calls the government and lets them know

How she thinks they should spend our dough.

But most of all she loves the Lord;

He is the one that she adores.

She serves Him well and knows His Word;

She makes sure His praises are heard.

A truer Christian you’ll never see.

A life well lived—

And example to me

An Answer for Caleb

My favorite picture of Caleb from the summer

One of the great things that happens at camp is that we all three meals together every day.  So every day you can end up sitting with different people and having different conversations, listening to people's stories.  It's so enjoyable.

One day I ended up sitting next to Caleb, who is in high school in Minnesota. This was his second summer at camp, and I became friends with him on Facebook.  As a result I had seen some prom pictures and asked him about them.  He proceeded to tell me how confusing girls could be and how he didn't understand them.

I said to him and Keith, who was sitting across the table from us, "I wouldn't go back and be a teenager again for any amount of money."

Keith said, "Well, if I could go back knowing what I know now..."

Caleb replied, "What do you know now?"

Very insightful.

Caleb is often very insightful.

I told him I'd have to think about that for a while.  I didn't have a good answer right then and there.  So that's what this post is all about.  Answering that really good question.

This is not the first time the idea of wishing you could know things that you will learn when you are older has been presented.  There is actually a book called Dear Me: A Letter to My Sixteen-Year-Old Self.  Many famous people contributed letters for this book.  You can read excerpts from the book here.  The letter by Jim Belushi is really wonderful.

So here's my own letter to my sixteen-year-old self.  I don't think it will help Caleb very much; lots of stuff you just have to figure out for yourself (but not necessarily by yourself).

Dear Pam,
I wish I could first of all convince you that you need to be less boy-crazy.  I know you hate it every time Mom points this out to you and you resent it, but she is right.  Other people may not know the non-stop obsession that boys hold in your mind, but you know.  Learn to be more subtle in acting on your feelings for boys.  I forgive you, though, because this drive to be accepted and attractive to the opposite sex is strong, almost overwhelming.

You're just beginning to understand what living the Christian life is all about.  Keep learning and listening from those around you because they are good people who love the Lord deeply.  Always take your faith seriously, but don't use it to build walls between you and your friends.  Find some common ground with people like Amy, maybe a project you can both agree upon as an important act of service.  This might open a door for great conversations about what you both believe.

Next year you'll be chosen to go to Girl's State.  GO!  Don't let your insecurities about wearing a one-piece swimsuit when everyone else there will have a two-piece suit keep you from having this great experience.  In reality it is such a small thing (although it is big in your mind).

When you get ready to go to college, check out a lot more schools.  You can go just about anywhere, and you can find great Christian people to be friends with on any campus.  Explore all your options.

Finally, just know that you're going to have a great life.  You'll find a good husband and raise some wonderful kids together.  You'll travel and end up getting to be a missionary, even though you think it's a dream that won't happen.  God is full of mercy and grace.  He will see you through the hard days that come, and He is worthy of all the praise for the blessings of the life you have ahead of you.  Thank Him every day for His great love. 

                                                                               Been there,
                                                                               Me

My sixteen-year-old self

Incredible Young People

Every summer we get to work with a group of incredible young people who make up the summer staff.  There is always a mix of familiar faces and those brand new to the Camp-of-the-Woods experience.  I come away each year feeling so blessed by the time I have been able to spend with these great kids.

The movie you will find at the end of this post was made as a tribute to them.  The song that plays is "Do Something" by Matthew West.  It is a great song, and the words are so true.  These young people took the challenge seriously, and THEY DID SOMETHING.  I was able to share some closing thoughts with them, and I'll share them again here.

"I am thankful for the investment you made in the Kingdom of God this summer.  You (and your parents) made the choice to forego money you could be making this summer and chose instead to invest in the lives of Canadian kids.  You have been the ones who cultivated the soil, who planted seeds, and in some cases who saw that seed bear fruit as some campers prayed with you to receive Christ.

In another sense, you too have been the soil.  There have been things that we in leadership have helped you with, rocks that needed to be removed from your life, rocks like attitudes of the heart that needed to be changed.  We have seen much growth in you, and we see your fruit.

You have done an amazing work this summer.  We talked many times about 2 Corinthians 5:20: We are therefore Christ's ambassadors as though God were making his appeal through us.  And so He says to you, through me, 'I love you all the time.  I want you to feel my love always.  What you have felt here at camp is what I want as a reality for your life.'

What a wise investment you have made by spending your summer here!  What will you do to make a wise investment when you get back home?"

It was a privilege to know these people and spend the summer with them.  I miss them very much.  I look forward to seeing them again soon.

You can watch the staff video here.

Treasure of the Summer

Finally we are home.

It was a wonderful summer full of hard work and lots of fun.  I have story upon story to tell.  I'll begin by sharing my treasures.  Every summer I collect a wide assortment of things that I love, things that connect me with people I've met over the summer.  Here are some of them:

My friend Billie loves to work with yarn.  In honor of our
theme this summer, she made Madeline and me
a pair of shark slippers. Adam has a pair too.
These make me laugh.

We have made friends with a couple from Michigan who live in a
 house on the other side of the highway from the camp.  Larry and
Noel live "off the grid" all summer.  Noel painted
this picture of The Loon's Nest.  It is beautiful.

One of my very favorite campers, Lindsey, drew this for me
while she was at camp.
She is such a talented artist, and I plan to have this framed.

For the past three years a man named Alex has come with
one of the work teams.
He is such an interesting man, and a retired shop teacher.
He made this cross for me to hold when I am praying.

It is always good to have tangible reminders of connections we make with others.  These things make my heart full with the memories of the great work we were so blessed to participate in this summer.

My Cluttered Brain

 

This has been a difficult week.  There have been so many things to deal with, some of them good and some of them bad.

This week of camp was the biggest of the summer.  We had 66 campers (max is 72).  Fortunately we had a group of about 20 from North Carolina join us, and they helped lighten the load.  They reinforced the kitchen work and the cleaning load, as well as joining in to help with activities for the campers.  Some of their young men stepped in to be team leaders, which was a big help for the guy counselors, who had some really difficult campers to deal with.

 

But for all the hard things this week, we could see progress in our campers.  Some of them prayed to receive Christ.  Some of them softened to the message.  And some of them just stopped hitting each other all the time.  It is good to be able to see small victories.

Adam spoke about compassion one night.  He is really able to break things down for the kids to understand.  On Friday, I saw one of our campers really get it.  I had picked him for a special game, and by mistake, I had picked another boy from his same team for the same game.  I had really messed up.  I told the boys to play “rock-paper-scissors” for it, and when they did, this boy, Matthew, won.  He was going to get to play the special part in our game.  The other boy, Shadin, who lost began to cry.  When Matthew saw him cry he said, “You do it.  It’ll be ok.”  I told him that he had just done what Adam had talked about.  He had seen a need, felt compassion, and then done something to meet the need.  It was a beautiful thing.

 

My special game helpers

 

Many of us working with the kids this week had stories like these to share.  These stories are what make our work worthwhile, even when it is hard.

By the end of the week we were all very tired, and we really need this weekend to recuperate before the next group of campers show up on Monday. For the kids who are coming, it is a brand new week.  For us, it is the fifth time through all of this.  Being enthusiastic at this point is a real challenge.  We are thankful for another group of reinforcements who have arrived to spur us on through this final week with kids.  I know when Monday comes and we see their faces, we will be ready to give them the best week of camp yet.

Personally, I had the wonderful experience of becoming a grandmother this week.  On the other hand, my uncle Ralph in Indianapolis had to be taken to the hospital and is now in rehab.  He is struggling, and I am not available to help.  It makes me feel sad.  These things are all a part of the mix as I move through my days here at camp.  It’s a lot to deal with.

So that why I’m up, posting this entry at midnight.  My body is tired, but my mind is spinning.   I felt like writing it all down might alleviate some of the clutter up there in my brain.

 Lots of times it does.

Dear Kathryn

 

Dear Kathryn,

I am so thankful that you are my daughter.  And now you have a daughter.

Madeline.

Maddie.

I hope you find all the joy and fulfillment in being her mom that I found in you.  You came into my life, and you saved me in a way.  I was lonely, and there you were, to fill up my time and my life.

For you it may be different, but in some way I suspect Madeline will save you too.  Mostly she will save you from yourself.  Becoming a mother roots out so much of one’s selfishness and self-centeredness.  

I  can’t wait to see you and to meet this new life you and Brandon have created.  She will be a much loved child.  You two have so much to offer her.

In the meantime, until I can get there in person, give her hugs and kisses for me, keep her fed and dry, sing her songs and pray over her.  This journey of parenthood and grandparenthood has just begun.  It will be a fantastic journey.

Love,

Mom

Junior Campers: A Theory Proposed

This week was the first week of Junior camp for the summer.  Junior campers are ages 8-11.  For many of them, this is their first time away from home, away from parents.  Some find it great to be away for a while, and others struggle with homesickness and missing their moms.  For many of the youngest campers this is the first time they have been expected to do things for themselves:  straighten their beds, fold their clothes, pick out clothes and dress themselves.  Because of this, it makes for an interesting and exhausting week for the counselors.

For the guy counselors especially this was a hard week.  Guys are often not as nurturing and loving as girls, and so it is an adjustment to care for these little guys.  They have stepped into the role and done their best, but it’s a stretch for them, and it takes them out of their comfort zone.  For both the guys and the girls, this week was a test of patience.  They have learned much from their experience.

We had several campers this week who have issues with parents.  Some of the kids are in foster care and feel lost.  Two girls lost their mother last summer.  Others feel unloved for one reason or another.  Over the course of the week, as the kids start to open up, some of these issues come out.  I have a theory about why this happens, but it’s just that… a theory.  I think that the campers feel loved and cared for in a way that they don’t always feel.  I think it feels good to them.  Even if they can’t articulate it, I think they know this is how they should feel most of the time, and they realize what they are missing.

That also means that our staff is doing their job.  They are being the tangible love of Jesus to these kids.  So the campers respond.  They may not make any kind of spiritual decision.  They are small; many have never heard the story of Jesus.  But seeds are being sown, the soil of their life is being cultivated. 

For many of them, my prayer is that God will send others to water and reap in their lives when they are away from us.  We also pray that they will return next summer, so that we can have another opportunity to labor in their lives.  

It is a labor of love.

Canada Day and More

 

 

This week we spent time with another group of teens.  There were many campers who have been coming for years now, and I have grown quite fond of them.  Because they have history with us, they are pretty comfortable sharing their lives with us.  Many of them struggle with hard things in their lives.  Several campers are in foster care.  This is our great opportunity to love them and share God's love with them.  A phrase that has come to be very meaningful to me this summer is found in 1 Corinthians 5:20: "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God is making his appeal through us."  What an awesome thought and responsibility... God using us to make his appeal to these boys and girls.  It makes you stop and think about everything that comes out of your mouth.

 

We had cold, rainy weather on Monday and Tuesday, but on Tuesday evening the sky cleared just in time for our fireworks.  The weather the rest of the week was much better but still a little cool.  The bugs have been voracious, but the campers and staff were real troopers through it all. 

 

I have grown to love the weeks we have teens.  We have a real chance to go deeper with these kids.  Next week is Junior 1.  We have to have a different approach with the younger kids.  They will require more care from us, and therefore, we will get tired.  But it is in these weeks that we develop relationships with the kids that make them want to come back again and again.  And if we can get them back, we can have the chance to go deeper with them as teens.  I look forward to a great week ahead.

 

 

One of my favorite moments of the week came when Alex played
Lobin the Lobster in our Deep Sea Drama.  He made the most of
his wonderful imagination and gave us a great show.

Kelsie and Mallory on the hike.  These two have taken on their
roles with great zeal.  I am so thankful they are here.

Will and John were both support staff this week.  We said goodbye
to Will over the weekend and he has returned home.

Harrison was on support staff this week and was also
a team captain.  He did a great job working with other
staff to play the music during our chapel times.

Mallory enjoyed the watermelon we had for dessert.  Can't you
just hear her talking?  She is always so entertaining.

 

 

We said a tearful goodbye to our dear Dr. Brenna.  We miss her already.
She is off to finish her residency for her medical licensing.

Team Dunlap

This week was Teen Week 1 at Camp of the Woods. It always makes me a little nervous right before the kids show up because there is so much to do, and we don't always know exactly how things will go.  That all changed once they showed up, and I saw their faces once again.  This is the third full summer for me, and some of these campers have become dear friends.  They were a wonderful bunch of kids to hang out with for the week, very respectful, very enthusiastic, just what you need to have a great time with kids.  I got to have some good conversations with several kids, but not as much as I would like.  The weather wasn't very cooperative, and we couldn't go on all our hikes, which is the best time to talk and find out what's going on with them.

This was a special week because Team Dunlap was complete once Will Kiper arrived on the scene on Sunday morning.  That made the team from our little town who had traveled all the way up in the wilds of Canada have a total of eleven people.  I couldn't have been more proud to serve with these dear friends.  They all did a great job at whatever task they had, with each of them tackling tasks ranging from toilet plunging, to signing songs, to preaching, to laundry duty.

Jason did a good job at chapel time, and several decisions were made.  Many of the campers asked thoughtful questions and gave their counselors lots to think about.  This is why being in the cabins with the kids is such a great training time for our young staff.  They have to be able to share their own story, and also to field questions that come from the teachings of the day.  But above everything else, they did an awesome job of loving these kids and shining the light of God's love into their lives.

Mallory enjoying Dawn's company

Harrison with one of his campers



 

Kelsie directing the signs for the song.  Bev has trained her well.

Jason connecting with campers

John and some of his boys

Me leading the charge to chapel

 

Jaren and Jaxon were both great helpers in many ways.

Hanging out at the beach during swim time.  Jessica did lots of
jobs in the kitchen and worked the snack shop.

Will teamed up with Brenna to bring us some evening entertainment.

A Week of Wonders

 

 

It has been a week of wonders here at camp.  The wonder has been the transformation that has taken place.  During this week of "Heart for Missions" camp we had a very full house with groups from Indiana, Alabama and Illinois.  The group from Terre Haute, Indiana, is one of our favorites because some of these people have come every year for the past 3 years and so they are old friends.  As always, by the end of the week we had joined together to become one body in Christ, and we assured them that they were equal partners with us in all that happens over the summer.

 

Some of the transformation was due to the decorations that they had planned, purchased, and then brought up to deck out the lodge and the chapel for "Deep Sea Discovery."  The pictures here are just a small sample of the amazing things they accomplished.

The lodge has become an ocean.

Jellyfish chandeliers in the chapel.

Octopus in the loft.

 

 

Another transformation was in our summer staff.  Adam and I spent the afternoon each day with these young people, sharing our expectations, giving them needed information and the tools they will need to be successful in the coming weeks.  They were very good listeners, asked good questions and participated in all the activities with enthusiasm.  We feel that they are in the process of being transformed into leaders, into people who can guide others in their faith.

 

Finally, there was a transformation in the mission campers who came from the states to serve.  Adam and I shared with them from a series by Andy Stanley called "Go Fish."  We thought it fit perfectly into our theme for the summer, and God spoke to our hearts when we went through it for our Sunday services last summer.  Many of the adults commented on how challenged they were by what they had heard, and I know it gave them lots to think about.  Our prayer is that they will go home and be even more committed to sharing the gospel with those around them and around the world.

 

Teens come on Monday morning.  We are ready.  May God be glorified in all we say and do.

God Winks at Me

Last week I read a blog post by Glennon Melton.  Here is part of what she had to say.

"Yesterday was one of those days. All five of us played in the Gulf of Mexico while the sun beamed down, the breeze whispered by, and the sand warmed our feet. We felt held by all of it.  Right after I took this picture, six dolphins glided by our family. They were so close that we could see their blow holes. We could have reached down and touched them. We didn’t, though, because each of us felt paralyzed by reverence. After the dolphins swam out of our sight- Tish squinted up at me and said, “Mom,  God is FLIRTING with us today!”

Oh, yes. YES. Please hold onto that truth, baby.

Please, please continue to feel yourself so madly and deeply loved by the God of the Universe that you experience everything beautiful and wonderful as a personal gift from The One determined to win you."

You can read the rest of the post here if you like.

I often feel this way at camp.  For the past two weeks I have been walking the camp grounds and praying.  I have been trying to cover every area with prayer.  In doing so, I've become quite familiar with the lay of the land and it's been easy to notice big changes and very small changes around the area.  When I see something new I realize that I may be the only person who sees it, or notices it.  And it makes me think that God put that thing in my sight to give me a "wink" that He is here, that He is near, and that He loves me.  

Here are a few of the things that I've been able to see.

I know they're dandelions, but I still think they are pretty.
They look bright and happy.

A newly hatched egg was in the path where no one else walks.
It was such a beautiful shade of blue.

In all the camp this is the only red flower, a lone tulip.

Birch trees leafing out and touching the sky.

And always... the sunsets.

"The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.  They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.  Yet their voice goes out into all the earth; their words to the ends of the world."  Psalm 19:1-5

What Phil Does

Phil has many duties around camp.  He sometimes cooks or grills.  He cleans and mops and takes garbage to the dump.  He takes people fishing.

He also makes bowls.  He often works with people on staff here to teach them to turn wood and create something to take home from camp.  It has been a great way for him to connect with people.

Today's project was this large bowl made from a white birch burl.  It turned out so beautifully.  He is giving it to the camp, and it will be on display all summer in the lodge.

He always signs his work and writes what kind of wood it is.  On this one he added a special dedication.

John and Fawnda are the ones responsible for our being at Camp of the Woods.  They served here for over twenty years, and have a huge impact on the lives of many people.  They are not able to come this summer, and we already miss them.  We are forever grateful for their friendship.

Lifetime Goals

Recently I wrote about Mark Batterson's book, The Circle Maker.  I thought it was a great book, and one of the things I liked best about it was a list of goals he created in different areas of his life.  I took it to heart and came up with my own list.  Neither the Batterson list nor my list is the entire list.  Batterson's list is much longer in every area.  Mine is somewhat shorter mostly because I am older and because many of the goals I might have listed I have already accomplished.  It made me happy to think of all the things I had completed with my kids, so it was a good time of reflection.

Goals are good things to shoot for.  Some of Batterson's are a little out there, but he says you have to have some things that are beyond your reach.

Maybe this list will give you some things to consider.

Family Goals

Batterson

1.  Dedicate my great-grandchildren to the Lord

2.  Coach a sport for each child

3.  Pay for my grandchildren’s college education

4.  Take each child on a mission trip

5.  Create a family foundation

6.  Take each child on a rite of passage pilgrimage

Me

1.  Celebrate our 50^th wedding anniversary…and beyond

2.  Take my children and grandchildren on one of the legs of the Amazing Race

3.  Host a family reunion

Influence Goals

Batterson

1.  Write 25+ nonfiction books

2.  Pastor one church for forty+ years

3.  Create a conference for pastors

4.  Build an orphanage in Ethiopia

5.  Make a movie

Me

1.  Have 100+ followers on my blog

2.  Work on a church staff

3.  Start a mentoring group for women in ministry

4.  Run the Amazing Race

5.  Create a scholarship/internship program for students in ministry

Experiential Goals

Batterson

1.  Go on an overnight canoe trip with one of my children

2.  Drive a race car with one of my kids

3.  Take one of my kids to the Superbowl

4.  Spend a night in a treehouse hotel

5.  Learn how to snowboard

Me

1.  Help my grandchildren become lovers of art and theater

2.  Attend a retreat at a monastery

3.  Read the Bible through in 7 different versions

4.  Attend at least one conference each year about something I want to learn more about

5.  Teach my grandchildren to love experiencing big cities

Physical goals

Batterson

1.  Run a 10K with one of my kids

2.  Run a triathlon in my sixties

3.  Bike a century

4.  Dunk a basketball in my forties

5.  Hike the Grand Canyon from rim to rim

Me

1.  Exercise at least 4 times a week for the rest of my life

2.  Let my hair become gray at the appropriate age (to be determined)

Financial Goals

Batterson

1.  Be debt-free by 55

2.  Give back every penny we’ve earned from pastoring our church

3.  Live off 10% and give away 90% by the time we retire

4.  Give away 10+ million dollars

Me

1.  Live debt-free for the rest of my life

2.  Lead my church in a “Be Rich” campaign

3.  Provide support personally for at least 10 summer interns

4.  Give away all money I earn in ministry

5.  Invest in a business that brings jobs to our town

Travel Goals

Batterson

1.  Retrace one of Paul’s missionary journeys

2.  Stay at Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park

3.  Visit the Biltmore Mansion

4.  See a kangaroo in Australia

5.  Straddle the equator

Me

1.  Run the Amazing Race

2.  Go to Orphanage Emmanuel with Mary Reid

Sunday Homily

On Saturday we had people from the community come to help clean up around the camp to get things ready for groups that are coming in June.   It was a beautiful day, great weather for all the work we had to do.  It's very hot for May, 85+ degrees.  It’s hard to believe that a week ago when we arrived there was still ice on the lake.

As the work was winding down and the temperature was rising, the children in the group began to ask about getting in the lake.  Their parents told them it would be so very cold, but they allowed them to go in if they wanted.  Phil said the water temperature had to be in the mid-forties.  The dipping in the lake consisted of jumping off the dock up to about the top of the legs and then running out of the water.  After a while many of them were able to wade for a short time in the shallowest water.

You may ask:  How do they do such a thing?  WHY do they do such a thing?

Canadian children have endured a long hard winter.  Deep snow and temperatures of 40 below not including the wind chill.  There is a chance of significant snow seven to eight months of the year.  All that gives them a different perspective on an 80-degree day.  These days are not to be wasted; there are not nearly enough of them. Each one has to be taken advantage of and savored.  And so they wade in.  They squeal from the feel of the burning cold on their skin and the delight of it in their heart.

There’s a lesson in this for us too.  There are activities and opportunities that come our way.  They can’t be wasted; there are not nearly enough of them.  These days that God gives us to do the “good works that He has prepared in advance for us to do” can’t be taken for granted.  We must wade in.

For us the season to savor is our summer at Camp of the Woods.   The opportunity to be here and serve is for here and now.  There will come a time when we won’t be able to come.  So we wade in.  We feel some weight from the responsibilities we have assumed in our role here.  But the overall feeling is one of delight.  Delight with the friends with whom we are able to serve; the fellowship is sweet.  Delight, also, in the connection we will soon make again with campers.  I am beginning to see the names of those returning on their registration forms, and I can’t wait to see their faces again.

 

Another reason to savor this season is that it is a time of peace in our lives.  Currently we are not living in the midst of trouble or turmoil.  Life is good.  It makes me think of the “prayer of the week” from the book of prayers I read through.  This week part of the prayer said, “…Keep me from all things that may hurt me, that I, being ready both in mind and body, may accomplish with a free heart those things which belong to your purpose…”  Being free from pain gives me a free heart, one that can fully pursue God’s purpose.  I am thankful for this season to enjoy.

Jesus talked about this too.  John’s disciples came to Jesus and asked him why Jesus and his followers did not fast as they did.  Jesus told them,  “You don’t fast while you have the bridegroom with you.  There is time for that when the bridegroom goes away.”  He makes it clear that savoring and delighting in good days and good times is not just allowed, but expected.

Perhaps Moses summed it up best in Psalm 90:  “Teach us to number our days.”  In other words, “Teach us that our days are numbered.”  Let's make the most of every minute!

Wade in!