MONTHLY ARCHIVES: October 2010

Surprise Assignment-Pumpkin Carving Contest

Posted by Sharon

As most of you know, Halloween is right around the corner.  In fact, it’s this coming Sunday!  One way to celebrate Halloween and the fall season is to carve pumpkins.  So we decided, why not have a Pumpkin Carving Contest!  Come up with a design that has a camp theme, carve your pumpkin, then take a picture and send it to us.  All submissions are due by this Sunday, October 31. Winners will be posted Monday.  Please send your photos to rhbarnhardt@gmail.com.

Here is an example that was done this weekend:

When you’re done carving, you can even roast the pumpkin seeds for a delicious snack!  Have fun and be creative!


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Enthusiasm ≠ Obedience

Posted by Phil

Earlier this year, American missionaries tried to take Haitian children out of Haiti and into the Dominican Republic where they were setting up an orphanage. The problem? The missionaries didn’t have the required documents to take the children from the country. No matter how good their intentions, they weren’t properly obeying the laws in Haiti, and it cost them greatly.

Read 2 Samuel 6:6-11. See what happened in verses 6 and 7.

Why did Uzzah reach out and grab the ark?

What happened to Uzzah when he reached out and took hold of the ark of God?

Why does the Bible say the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah?

What does it mean to be irreverent?

What did Uzzah’s disobedience cost him?

Think back to a time in your life when you were disobedient to God. What did it cost you?

The fact is, David didn’t properly follow the instructions found in Exodus about how to move the ark of the covenant. Instead, he followed the Philistine’s example and moved the ark on a cart. David’s reason for moving the ark was understandable; he simply wanted to bring the ark, a revered, holy object, to Jerusalem. He wanted to honor God and the ark by putting it in a place of prominence. But God had very specifically laid out how the ark was to be moved, and David didn’t follow God’s directions. Because of this, a man lost his life.

God is serious about His holiness. He calls us to respect that holiness and to live a certain way because of it. David was enthusiastic about moving the ark and wanted it to be in a place of importance and prominence, but he wasn’t obedient. We can do the same thing when we’re enthusiastic in our worship of God, but we don’t obey Him. Enthusiasm is never a substitute for obedience.

When they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and took hold of it because the oxen had stumbled. Then the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and God struck him dead on the spot for his irreverence, and he died there next to the ark of God. —2 Samuel 6:6-7


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This Month’s Honorable Mention…

Posted by Karah

Due to the overwhelming number of entries, we have decided to share just a few more of our favorite pictures. If you like these posts, then stay tuned because next month’s assignment is even better!

The Cothrans show their camp pride. Mr. Cothran claims that shirt is from 1971, unfortunately our records don't go back that far

Ben Silvious and Ron arrrrr crazy about camp!

Wilson Bullington Shows off Camp Ridgecrest in Rome, Italy.


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And the Winners Are…

Posted by Karah

As promised, here are the winners. We have one Ridgecrest winner, one Crestridge winner, and two Staff winners. Winners receive a free t-shirt as well as canteen/store shipped to their door. Enjoy, and get ready for next months assignment!


Joey Day fixes the nation's capitol one blob shirt at a time.

Grace Valentine shows some firefighter what's hot...Camp t-shirts

Harrison Collins poses with his shirt before going skydiving!

Ryann Andrews rocks Camp Crestridge on a billboard in Time Square


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Handle w/ Care

Posted by Phil

When I was in fifth grade, my teacher taught us how to fold the American flag. He was a retired, decorated Marine and had spent time in Vietnam. He loved his country, and he treasured the flag, the symbol of freedom for the United States. He took great pride in teaching us how to keep the flag off the ground, how to fold it perfectly, and how to put it in a case. It wasn’t just any old cloth to him; he would have given his life for it.

Read Numbers 4:4-6,15, concentrating on verse 15b.

What was “the work” of the Kohathites”?

What were they to care for?

What were the curtains and skins of manatees to be used for?

What would happen to the Kohathites if they touched the holy things?

What do these verses teach you about the value God placed on the ark?

What do these verses teach you about the character of God?

God placed high value on the ark of the covenant. Certain people had been instructed by God to handle the ark in a very specific way. God didn’t just tell them to pack it up and go. He was very specific in His instructions. God doesn’t do things haphazardly. He always has an order and a purpose. His ways work to bring honor to Himself and to teach us to value and respect the things of God. The question is, do you?

The Kohathites will come and carry them, but they are not to touch the holy objects or they will die. These are the transportation duties of the Kohathites regarding the tent of meeting.

—Numbers 4:15b


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Winners coming soon…Will you be one?

Posted by Karah

Alright folks, this month’s secret mission is coming to a close soon. You have until Monday the 18th to get those pictures in. So far we have had some great submissions, both from campers and staff. And since the deadline is quickly approaching, any camper or staffer that includes Ron Springs in their picture will get extra points! That’s right, you get a picture with you in a camp t-shirt standing beside our esteemed director, you will instantly be rocketed to top of the submission pile. It is not too late to enter! Now get out there and show us your camp spirit!

In the meantime, here are some of our favorite submissions thus far…

Cari Phillips is Chillin' like a Cherokee

Mary Massey helps out at an orphanage in Russia

Some of your favorite boys' and girls' camp staffers went to the Mississippi State vs Georgia Football Game


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What do I need to do to protect my kids from inappropriate sites?

Posted by Phil

As a parent today, computers surround our children. I have a computer in my house that we are teaching our kids how to use…even as young as 4.  Our children will never know a world without this powerful tool. And it is because this tool is so powerful, that we as parents need be aware of the risks that are online. We welcome you to watch this very short video that poses a few questions that may help you begin to form a plan of how to protect your own kids in your home. We at Ridgecrest Summer Camps want to continue to partner with you as you continue to do your best to raise your own kids.


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When you know God, you really worship

Posted by Phil

It used to be rusty. Very rusty, with torn seats and cracked windows. (Almost like an old Camp truck.) But even then, it looked like a million bucks to him. As he stared at the 1967 pickup truck, he remembered back to his childhood when he spent hours riding in it with his grandpa. Those images brought a tear to his eye. He’d spent 10 years restoring that truck to what it looked like the day his grandpa drove it off the car lot, and now, he was proudly driving it to his first car show.

Focus on verse 2 as you read 2 Samuel 6:1-5.

How many men did David gather together out of Israel?

What was the task David gave his men?

What was the name of the ark?

What was the great significance of the ark?

On what did they place the ark?

What does verse 5 say David and his men were doing?

Why was the ark of the covenant considered holy?

What did showing respect to the ark have to do with showing respect to God?

How do you show respect and honor to God with your life?

David recognized the great value of the ark of the covenant. It was the earthly throne of Israel’s God. It wasn’t valuable because it was made of exotic wood or priceless gold, but rather because of the Name attached to it. Think about the man with the truck at the beginning of today’s devotion. That truck was valuable to him because he knew the original owner. It wouldn’t have had such value if it were just any old truck. The ark was valuable to David and his men because the Name of God was attached to it. To respect the ark was to respect God. The point? True worship means knowing the One we worship. It only comes from a relationship with our Holy God.

He and all his troops set out to bring the ark of God from Baale-judah. The ark is called by the Name, the name of Yahweh of Hosts who dwells between the cherubim.
—2 Samuel 6:2


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Let the Work Projects Begin

Posted by Sharon

The Off Season is a great time to fix up camp.  As you know, the past two years have been big for us in getting new cabins and renovating the old cabins.  This year won’t be as big but we are doing a couple things.  The first is building a roof for the Crafts porch.  This will add some extra covered space so if it’s raining, you can still sit out on the porch and work on your crafts.

Marty and Pop are working hard out there!  I’ll be sure to show you the finished product in a couple weeks.  Also, don’t forget to submit your pictures and/or videos for the first Secret Assignment by October 15th!  We’ve got some great submissions already!


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Seeing God For Who He Is

Posted by Phil

Read Revelation 4:1-11.

A friend of mine recently returned from Haiti. The devastation from the January earthquake was incredible. Buildings, homes, and families were destroyed. No words exist to accurately express how incredibly sad it was to see.

When he returned, people asked me on a daily basis to describe that devastation. With all the words he could muster, he would explain the sadness and doom he had witnessed. He had been there, and still he struggled for the right words to convey all that he had experienced firsthand.

Similarly, it’s hard to understand heaven. Everyone has an idea in mind about what it will be like, but none of us have ever actually been there, so heaven is difficult for us to describe. The Bible gives us a picture of heaven in today’s passage. But even with John’s description, it’s still difficult to grasp exactly what heaven is like.

One thing is very clear, though: the creatures in heaven recognize God for who He is, and their response is to worship Him.

There’s an important lesson in that for us: when we see God for who He is—holy, righteous, powerful, the only One worthy to receive praise—we should respond with worship. When you get even just a tiny glimpse of who God is, it inspires worship. After all, He is “worthy to receive glory and honor and power” because He created all things (Rev. 4:11).

Our Lord and God, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because You have created all things, and because of Your will they exist and were created. —Revelation 4:11


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