A Snowy Day at Camp

Posted on October 28, 2008 by Sharon

We had our first snowfall this morning and it’s only October 28th!  We are hoping this is a sign that we’ll have a cold, snowy winter.  Well, it started snowing (in Swannanoa) around 10PM last night.  Then I awoke to a blanket of snow covering the ground.  As I was driving to work, I had my ipod on shuffle and a Christmas song came on.  There’s something you should know about me.  I love the Christmas season, cold weather and especially listening to Christmas music.  When the song came on, I was like a little kid again because the snow and music reminded me that Christmas is almost here!  Anyways, the snow continued till about 11AM.  Abby and I went over to Crestridge to take pictures so you can see what camp looks like with snow.

Abby was getting a little too crazy with the snow!  As you can see, the snow didn’t accumulate to much, but we still enjoyed it!  When we get more snow, we’ll be sure to take good pictures for you.  Check out the Ridgecrest blog to see pictures at boys camp!

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Construction Update #3: Footers and Columns

Posted on October 28, 2008 by Sharon

The ground has been cleared, footer holes dug and now in goes the concrete. Below are pictures of the staff cabin on Chipp/Chick hill with finished footers poured!                      

After seeing how well things were going at this cabin, we walked on over to Cheyenne/Choctaw hill to see if we could witness the concrete actually being poured.  We were in luck, and the construction crew even let Sharon get in on the action!  Here is Sharon’s ready stance:

          Wait for it…here comes the concrete:  

Good job Sharon!  Now she can add construction work to the list of her many talents!

Columns have also begun to pop up.  Only one cabin has them so far, but by the end of the week, weather permitting, all of the block columns should be in place.  Here is a picture of the staff cabin with a few columns.

          Abby got a closer look for inspection.

I hope you’re as excited as we are to see the progress.  Keep checking back to see all the action!

Posted in News | Tagged Camp Crestridge, Crestridge construction, Footers, New Cabins, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply

Snow at Camp…in October!

Posted on October 28, 2008 by Phil

We woke up to an unexpected white blanket of snow today at Camp Ridgecrest! Well maybe less of a blanket and more of a dusting. Either way, it’s cool to see Camp Ridgecrest with snow on the ground. Thought you may want to take a peek, so here you go!

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Third Day

Posted on October 27, 2008 by admin

Read This Passage: Luke 24:1-9
So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground. “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” asked the men. “He is not here, but He has been resurrected!” —Luke 24:5-6a

This familiar text is rich with reminders to us. Do you see the warmth and respect the women displayed to Jesus even after he was dead and buried? Can you imagine their astonishment that day? Honestly, I would have questioned the situation, too. The women went to the grave intending to find Christ in His burial rags and saw angels in shining garments instead.

When the angels spoke, they simply reminded the women of Jesus’ own words. The angels declared that Jesus had risen from the dead just as He had prophesied. The message was clear: this wasn’t news; Jesus had told them He would be resurrected.

Sometimes, we’re a lot like these women. They had been followers of Christ; they proclaimed that Jesus was the Son of God and the Messiah. They had seen Him raise the dead—more than once! They had heard Him say that He must die and rise again. But sorrow overtook them when they saw the empty tomb. The angels simply reminded them to remember.

That empty grave is important. Even the grave could not hold the King! Jesus defeated death itself. There are no chains He cannot break. The empty grave means that there is nothing too difficult for the Lord to conquer—wrecked relationships, sinful patterns, broken homes, painful addictions, and yes, even reconciling us to the Father. He alone is able. Jesus rose on the third day, and we can live every day in knowledge of that victory!

Real Choices
Has there ever been a time when a particular Scripture passage jumped off the page at you, so to speak? Think back through the times when you know that the Lord has used His Word to speak directly to you. Make a list of those passages and read through them each day this week in order to “remember” what you’ve been told.

Digging Deeper
Are you living as though you’ve been set free? To learn more about Christ’s victory over death, read 1 Corinthians 15:55-58.

Pray
Spend some time confessing your doubt to the Lord. Ask Him to help you to continually remember what He has said in His Word. Thank Him for His victory in your life.

Posted in Devotions | Tagged Luke, Weekly Devotions | Leave a reply

Construction Update #2

Posted on October 20, 2008 by Sharon

The construction crew is moving right along and staying busy.  At this point, the huts have been cleared, exact cabin measurements and placement have been marked, and the holes for the footers have been dug.  Within the next day or two, they will pour the footers.

As you can see above, the Village Director huts have been torn down to be replaced by camper cabins and a staff cabin.

The yellow strings indicate the size and height of the cabin.  The wood also marks off the site of the cabin.  The last picture was taken from the bottom of Choctaw hill looking up at where the new cabins will be.

The new cabins will be 18×30 plus a 10 ft. covered porch.  To give you a better idea, they will be the same size as a Chippewa cabin.  The good news is that eventually all the existing cabins will be this size and have covered porches.  That is something to look forward to for all you Cheyennes and Choctaws!

Keep checking back for more updates and pictures!

Posted in News | Tagged Camp Crestridge, Crestridge construction, New Cabins, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply

The Root

Posted on October 20, 2008 by admin

Read This Passage: 1 Timothy 6:6-10
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. —1 Timothy 6:10

Tree roots. Dark roots. Roots: The Saga of an American Family. The root of the problem. The point is, we have a lot of uses for the word root. Roots supply nutrients to trees and plants; some women color the roots of their hair to hide its natural shade. Alex Haley made the idea of genealogical roots famous with his 1976 best-seller. But today’s devotion and key verse use the word root in reference to the source of the problem.
In this case, 1 Timothy 6:10 points out that the source of “all kinds of evil” is the love of money. Notice it’s not money, as this verse is often misquoted, but the love of money that Scripture says causes problems. Loving money involves craving it, focusing on it, pursuing more of it at all costs. Money is powerful and necessary in this world, but it’s all too easy to become obsessed by an all-consuming desire for more. What else can you become obsessed with and neglect God? What about popularity or our looks? Anything, even good things we consume ourselves with can pull us away from God.

God knew that money’s power and necessity would make it vital and important in our lives. He also knew that our desires and our love could become more focused on it than on Him. When money reaches that place of importance in our lives, it puts a strain on our relationship with God. Instead of pursuing Him with passion, we’re pursuing more money, and God, our relationship with Him, and His will are somewhere in our rearview mirrors.

So what is in your heart? What do you treasure? Seek to make God your all-consuming focus!

Real Choices
Take a good, hard look at your life. What is your passion? Is it God? Fame? Money? Awards? What’s separating you from His will and point of view? As long as there is air in your lungs, it is never too late to fix your relationship with Him if you feel disconnected from Him.

Digging Deeper
Read over Matthew 6:24. This is another verse that emphasizes that loving or serving money (or anything other than God) separates us from Him. What’s separating you from a closer relationship with God?

Pray
Lord, I want You to be my all-consuming focus. Help me to focus on the things that matter to You and keep money in the right perspective.

Posted in Devotions | Tagged 1 Timothy, Weekly Devotions | Leave a reply

Word of Advice

Posted on October 13, 2008 by admin

Read This Passage: Proverbs 23:4-8
Don’t wear yourself out to get rich; stop giving your attention to it. —Proverbs 23:4

I’m not sure if it’s human nature or strictly a guy thing, but I have a strong competitive streak. I know with most guys, there is a tendency to want to be the best at something.

The key verse of this passage reminds me of some of the games we play at camp. I thoroughly enjoy watching people act completely ridiculous while playing with them. It’s all about winning and losing. I’ve seen campers go 100% and dive after balls, and do anything to score. It’s winner-take-all, and every player wants the bragging rights. I’ve watched so many people try so hard and focus so much energy on being the best in that competition. I’ve seen them lose their composure, their -tempers, and even their control. They’re striving to win that competition, wearing themselves out to be named the winner. And in the long run, it’s an achievement that doesn’t even count for that much.

That’s the point of today’s key verse and devotion: we can spend our lives wearing ourselves out to get more—money, things, attention—and devoting ourselves to activities that, in the end, won’t amount to anything of eternal value. Money is a necessary resource in this world. Fame and attention are accolades we all desire on some level, but they’re not eternal. God wants us to spend our time and energy striving for things of eternal significance, things that matter, like telling the gospel message that you learned at camp and loving God and others. These things last. So take this word of advice: devote your life to things of eternal value. You may not be rich or famous, but you’ll bring glory to God.

Real Choices
Do you focus your energy on faith and ministry or on worldly success? Take a good hard look at the way you spend your time and resources today. What do your actions and behaviors say you value: earthly treasures or things of eternal value?

Digging Deeper
Read James 4:14. What does this verse teach us about our lives here on earth? Reflect on what is important in this short time you have to serve God here.

Pray
Father, help me to use my energy to further Your kingdom in heaven rather than to increase my wealth on earth.

Posted in Devotions | Tagged Leave a reply

Weigh In

Posted on October 9, 2008 by admin

Read This Passage: Proverbs 16:8-11
Honest balances and scales are the LORD’s; all the weights in the bag are His concern. —Proverbs 16:11

I asked a teenager from my hometown to give me an example of something he did that was dishonest or unpleasing to God. He recalled several instances in which he cheated on homework in one of his classes. It was a subject he had struggled with all year, so he started to copy assignments from his peers.

That particular type of dishonesty is probably more common than most of us would like to admit—or at least a very real temptation in our daily lives. At the time, cheating probably seemed like a good option to the teen I talked with, but it didn’t honor God in any way. And my friend learned the consequences of dishonesty the hard way—a couple of -failing grades on tests because he didn’t actually know the material. It was evident that he had not been doing his own work up to that point. What about honesty while at camp? What if everyone cheated in 4 square – a tiny example I know, but think how it ruins the game. This is true with life. God set it up so that we would receive the best life possible, if we trust him. And he loves it when we are honest!

Honesty is important to God. We serve a God who is in control of all things, who has the right to bestow justice as He sees fit. But our God is also honest and good, and He wants us to embody those characteristics, too. In the simplest terms, God cares about honesty; He craves and desires it in our lives. And He doesn’t just want it every once in awhile or only in certain aspects of our lives; He wants honesty to characterize us, just as it does Him, all the time, every day.

God wants every part of our lives to honor Him, from school to work and especially in finances and when you get a job. In a job setting, you have an opportunity to show people Christ through your life. You can do that by making sure you use your money in godly ways. Strive to live a life—even now—that would make it past God’s honesty weigh-in.

Real Choices
How do you weigh in when it counts? Only you can answer these questions, so ask yourself if you really live with honesty and integrity. Do you honor God with your decisions? Your money? Your attitudes? Why or why not?

Digging Deeper
Cross reference Ephesians 4:28 and 1 Timothy 4:12 as you study this passage. Why is it important that God desires honesty in our lives, even when we’re young?

Pray
Father, help me to be more like You. Help me strive to be honest in every aspect of my life, to operate with integrity, and to set an example for others.

Posted in Devotions | Tagged Leave a reply

What’s a blog?

Posted on October 2, 2008 by Sharon

We are embarking on a new journey here at Camp Crestridge. We always feel like we have so much to say, but never the time to say it. That’s about to change! These are the first issues of the Crestridge Blog. This new addition consists of 3 main pages, all of which can be accessed separately from our website:

1. News: With all the exciting changes happening around camp this winter, we wanted to keep you informed! Look here for pictures, videos, and the latest word from within Camp’s gates. Located under the Camper Tab and Parent Tab.
2. Parent Resources: A page just for Parents with helpful articles, websites and even videos. We plan to update this page as we learn about new topics, and materials that we think will be helpful to you! So please check back often. We are committed to helping you as a parent as you do your best to raise girls in today’s society. Located under the Parent Tab.
3. Weekly Devotions: A word or two every week from Camp Crestridge for you to share with your son or daughter, pointing them back to Jesus. We want to help facilitate great conversations about who God is and what Jesus has to do with us today! By emailing and adding these devotions to our website, we hope to be of some assistance to you as a parent. Located under the Parent and Camper Tab.

It is our desire that these new features on the Ridgecrest Summer Camps website will both enhance your child’s camping experience and further equip and encourage you as a parent. For your convenience, you can “subscribe” to each blog, adding it to your RSS feed at the top of your internet browser. If there is anything else we can do, please don’t hesitate to ask. Give us a call at 1.800.968.1630.

Posted in News | Tagged Camp Crestridge, News, parent resourses, Ridgecrest Blog | Leave a reply

Construction Update #1

Posted on October 2, 2008 by Sharon

We’ve finished step one of the construction project!  The land has been cleared for the five new cabins.  Now all we have to do is build them!  Ron, Phil, and I have ordered the materials, taken construction classes, and have gotten our hard hats.  We’re ready to build!

Well, I’m glad that’s a joke or else no one would want to sleep in those cabins.  We are in the process of finalizing contracts and getting those signed.  Once finished, the footers will go up!  It won’t be long till we will hear pounding, sawing, and all those construction sounds.  Check out the pictures to see the latest view.  To see a larger image, click on the picture.

This space, along with the hut, will be used for a Staff cabin

This will be a Chickasaw cabin

The space where the hut is will be a new cabin.

The orange flags mark the start of the new cabin, built in place of the hut.

This space, right below the hut, will be a new cabin

This space, right above Boulder Junction and

across from Choctaw 2, will be a new cabin

This space along with the hut will be a new Cherokee cabin

As you can see, we are making great progress which is very exciting!  Continue to check back to get more updates.

Posted in News | Tagged Cabin Restoration, Camp Crestridge, Crestridge construction, New Cabins, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply