Compassion

Milton and Fred Ochieng, brothers from a poor, remote village in Africa, dreamed of becoming doctors one day. Their father’s dream was even bigger than that. He wanted to build a clinic that would provide health care for their desperate, struggling community.

First, Milton won a scholarship to Dartmouth College. By selling chickens and cattle, his family members and neighbors in Lwala were able to scrape together enough money to buy his plane ticket to the United States. A year later, Fred received a scholarship to Dartmouth and joined his older brother there. Even though the brothers were far away from Africa in the United States, they couldn’t forget the village they’d left behind. They knew they had to do something to help their neighbors in Africa. So, the brothers began educating people about the suffering in their hometown in hopes of raising money to build that clinic of their father’s dreams. That dream became even more important when both of their parents died from AIDS.

Today, the Lwala Community Hospital serves 15,000 patients each year. In addition, they provide small-scale micro-enterprise, public health outreach, water, sanitation, and education programming to Lwala and beyond.

THINK ABOUT THAT STORY as you read Matthew 9:35-38.

 What do the two stories have in common?

 What are some of the things Jesus did for the people?

 According to the passage, what made Jesus respond the way He did?

 Have you ever done something for someone without gain? How did that make you feel?

THE POINT
Maybe you aren’t called to build a hospital. But God wants to use you to do His work on earth. When Jesus saw the hurting people, He was moved with compassion, and He took action to help them. What about you?

TAKE ACTION
Think of one person you can serve. Pray for an opportunity to reach out this week. Plan—then act on it.

“I choose kindness . . . I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.” – Max Lucado

Posted in Devotions, Girls | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, MATTHEW 9, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply

Winner of the Where’s Ron Contest

In honor of the 2nd Annual Camp Crestridge Day we sent all of our current campers and staffers a big picture of our favorite Camp Director’s head. We challenged each of you to celebrate by taking Ron with you and documenting it with pictures along the way. We actually had so many great submissions that we chose two winners and a staff winner, who will each receive a $50 Visa gift card in the mail! The first winner is Meghan, Madison, and Mallory Hartline with their photo of Ron hanging out in their dryer! Even though we did say photos, our second winner, Ashley Myers, went above and beyond and made a video of her reading the newsletter while Ron is taking a stroll on the treadmill! Our staff winner is Caroline Knowles with a picture of her playing a little two square, with Ron as the ball! Thanks to all of you who participated. Keep taking pictures of Ron and posting them to our Facebook page, you never know when we will decide to reward a little creativity!

Here are some of the other great entries we received!

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Wrecked. Broken. Destroyed.

When was the last time you used one of those words to describe the way you felt about something? What was it? Why were you so heartbroken about it?

READ ABOUT IT
Jeremiah felt that way, too. When God revealed what was going to happen to Judah because of their sinfulness, Jeremiah was heartbroken. Read Jeremiah 8:18–9:1 in your Bible. Underline all the words and phrases that express Jeremiah’s grief over what was going to happen. Then, ask yourself:

God was broken and heartsick over the peoples’ sinfulness. When you look at the sin in the world, what’s your response?

What’s your response to sin in your life?

TAKE ACTION 
What sinfulness in your own life has God broken your heart over? Confess it and seek His forgiveness today.

What sinfulness or circumstances in the world has God broken your heart over?

What steps will you take to make a difference—big or small!—in those areas this week?

Posted in Devotions, Girls | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Jeremiah 8, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply

2nd Annual Camp Crestridge Day

Tomorrow is the day we have all been waiting for, Camp Crestridge Day! We not only want to remind you to read the Where’s Ron blog post and submit your photos for the contest but also give you a few ideas of how to celebrate tomorrow. Set your morning alarm to Marva’s morning wake up that includes the Wake Up Bell and sport the Crestridge wallpaper on your phone or computer, both of which you can find under the Camper section of our website. Stand on your chair at meal times and sing your favorite camp songs. You can find the words to them in our song book. Wear your favorite Crestridge shirt with pride. Build a fire and cook Packet Meals with your family. Take some of your favorite things about camp and do them at home. We not only want you to celebrate Camp Crestridge day but we also want to see how you celebrate. Write or post pictures to our Facebook page to let us know how you chose to celebrate this year’s Camp Crestridge Day!

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No Hope

1 LET’S RECAP…
Over and over, Jeremiah had made God’s point clear: judgment for sin was coming. He had pointed to their disobedience and railed against their hard hearts, but the people still remained unrepentant. Now, Jeremiah told the people that they were going to get to face the consequences of their sin: invasion by the Babylonians.

2 READ JEREMIAH 8:14-17 to get the peoples’ reaction to Jeremiah’s prophesy. Focus on verse 15.

How would you describe their reaction to the coming invasion?

Why do you think they reacted that way? Explain.

What would your reaction have been? Why?

The people seem rather hopeless here. Why do you think sinfulness often leads to such a feeling of despair and hopelessness?

3 THE POINT
When we allow sin to separate us from God, we will feel hopeless and alone. When you are mired in your sin and facing the consequences of sinful choices, it is never too late to turn to God with absolute repentance. Don’t wait!

4 JOURNAL
Think back to a time when you really messed up, yet hesitated to ask God for help. What happened? What did you learn? When you finally did repent, how did it affect your relationship with God? Your perspective? What consequences did you face. Jot down your thoughts and your thankfulness that God has provided a way for you to be reconciled to Him through Jesus as a prayer in your journal.

Posted in Devotions, Girls | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Jeremiah 8, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply

Real Change

“Humankind cannot bear very much reality.” —T.S. Eliot

Read Jeremiah 8:8-12.  Write down the things in the passage that roused God’s anger.
“How can you claim, ‘We are wise; the law of the Lord is with us’? In fact, the lying pen of scribes has produced falsehood. The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and snared. They have rejected the word of the Lord, so what wisdom do they really have? Therefore, I will give their wives to other men, their fields to new occupants, for from the least to the greatest, everyone is making profit dishonestly. From prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. They have treated superficially the brokenness of My dear people, claiming, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they acted so abhorrently? They weren’t at all ashamed. They can no longer feel humiliation. Therefore, they will fall among the fallen. When I punish them, they will collapse,” says the Lord.” —Jeremiah 8:8–12

Now, read verse 11 again in your Bible. How would you write that verse in your own words? What do you think it means? Jot down your ideas.

THE POINT
Reality can be ugly, but no real change can happen until you acknowledge the way things really are. You can’t ignore sin, treat it like it’s not important, or control it. For God to make a difference in your life and the lives of those around you, you have to acknowledge your sin.

JOURNAL
Get real with God today. In your journal, write your no-holds-barred, no secrets response to today’s passage. If the Holy Spirit brings to mind unconfessed sin, confess it. Ask God to help you hate the sin in your life the same way He does.

Posted in Devotions, Girls | Tagged Camp Crestridge, Jeremiah 8, Real Change, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply

Photo Shoot with Ron

Hopefully you have received your Fall Bear Tracks Newsletter in the mail.  If not, it should be arriving shortly or you can see it on our website, click here.  The front page gives details for the 2nd Annual Camp Crestridge Day which is on December 1.  That is this Saturday!  We have challenged you to take your photo of Ron (included in the Newsletter) and take it wherever you go.  Be sure to take pictures for your chance to win $50!  Be creative with how, where, and with whom you take the picture.  After you take your picture, you can either e-mail it to us at rscamps@ridgecrestcamps.com or you can post it directly to our Crestridge Facebook page.  All submissions must be e-mailed or posted by midnight on December 2nd.
In case you wanted more options of Ron’s face, we now have more available!  Feel free to print out any of these extra faces.  Again, be creative and have fun!

We can’t wait to see your pictures!  Submissions are due by midnight on December 2nd!

Posted in Girls, News | Tagged 2nd Annual Camp Crestridge Day, Camp Crestridge, Camp Crestridge Day, Ridgecrest Summer Camps, Ron Springs, Where's Ron | Leave a reply

Turkey Day Happenings

There has been some strange happenings at camp these days. It finally got to the point that they called in a couple of experts to handle the situation. This video is the footage that they were able to capture.

Happy Thanksgiving from Camp Crestridge!

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Turn Around!

Have any Christian friends who are headed down the wrong path? Maybe they’re making choices that don’t lead them closer to God or caught in a pattern of sin or addiction they can’t escape. List a few names or initials that come to mind.

 Read Jeremiah 8:4-7.

The prophet’s orders were clear: confront God’s people about their sin. It was a tall order, especially since Judah’s leaders were a major part of the problem. Jeremiah would literally be risking his life if he obeyed. But he did, and not just because God wanted him to do it. Jeremiah cared for the people, too.

Think about the people whose names you listed earlier. Are any of them hardened toward repentance? Why?

How is keeping someone accountable different from condemning them?

As a Christian, do you think it’s part of your duty to hold other believers accountable or to call them back from sin? Why or why not?

If you believe it is, how does that idea make you feel? Explain.

THE POINT

You were never meant to live the Christian life alone. God wants us to live in community with other believers who love us enough to call us back from sin when we start heading down the wrong road. We’re to do so with compassion and love, not condemnation.

TAKE ACTION

Look over that list of names you created earlier. Pray for your friends. If you believe God is calling you to hold someone accountable, take time to pray for courage right now. Ask God to give you the right words to say, and then find a way to reach out to that friend.

Accountability— noun
-an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions.

Condemnation— noun
-express complete disapproval of, typically in public; censure.
-find (someone) guilty of a criminal act or wrong.
-sentence (someone) to a particular punishment

Posted in Devotions, Girls | Tagged Camp Crestridge, Jeremiah 8, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply

Happiness Is…

Think about the last time you were really happy. Why were you so happy? Write a few phrases or draw pictures that describe how you felt.

READ ISAIAH 55:12-13 in your Bible. Consider these phrases about the happiness that will come to pass for God’s people:

“You will . . . go out with joy”

“[You will be] peacefully guided”

“The mountains and hills will break into singing before you.”

“The trees of the field will clap their hands.”

THINK ABOUT IT

It might be hard to imagine an ecstatic tree clapping its hands, but God is making a point about the whole atmosphere of the world bursting with elation and unencumbered excitement. This is the kind of bliss that explodes in the hearts of those who have followed God and are experiencing His blessings. Day after day He keeps His promises to us, and one day all His promises will be fulfilled.

JOURNAL

Do you remember a time when God came through for you and it filled you with joy? How have you experienced God’s work, whether in your life or in someone else’s? If you’re going through a rough time, what do you hope that God will do? Write it all down here.

TAKE ACTION

Pray through your notes. Whether you have experienced blessing or difficulty, practice an attitude of gratitude. If you’re seeking God’s help through a difficult time, ask Him to move in powerful ways.

Posted in Devotions, Girls | Tagged Camp Crestridge, Happiness, Isaiah, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply