The Bear Trap…With Floors

The floors were finally installed in the Bear Trap and I must say they look good!  Now I know that I’m a little bias, but look for yourself at the pics below.

Check out that nice shine on the hardwood floor!  The same flooring was added in the staff lounge and VD offices upstairs.

Also added were the combination locks on the upstairs offices…                          

Things are definitely coming together for the summer.  There’s a few minor things that need to be done and then it’ll be time to move in all the furniture!  Then before you know it, it’ll be May and the building will be in use!!

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Light of the World

Read This Passage: Revelation 22:1-5
Night will no longer exist, and people will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever. —Revelation 22:5

MY DAUGHTER  Piper  is two years old and to no one’s surprise still sleeps with a night light. Most people—at some point—experience a time when they’re afraid of the dark. Perhaps it is something you still deal with but just won’t admit to anyone. So what is it that makes us afraid of the dark?  Although Piper might still be afraid of the dark, for me, I’m afraid of what lies in the darkness. Too many times I’ve gotten up during the night only to slam one of my toes into some piece of furniture. So I use a night-light to help me see where I’m going at around the house. It is probably true of most people that their fear is not about the darkness, but what’s in the darkness.

Our last devotion mentioned things that would be missing in heaven. In addition to those things, something else will be missing from heaven—darkness. The source of light in heaven will be the glory of God, so there will be no need for the sun or any other kind of lighting. God’s glory will generate so much light that there will never be darkness in heaven!  Whether you fear darkness or what lies in the darkness, neither will be a problem in heaven’s light. Living constantly in light has side effects. According to the Bible, one side effect of walking in the light is that we have “fellowship with one another” (1 John 1:7).  As believers walking in the same light in heaven, we‘ll have healthy relationships with each other and with God. Where are you walking today?

Real Choices
Look at your relationships with others. Are your relationships with other believers healthy and open, or are you embarrassed to be seen with Christians? Does your character change according to whom you are with? Ask God to give you courage to consistently walk in the light.

Digging Deeper
Read 1 John 2:9-11. What is the relationship between love, hate, light, and darkness? Is it possible to hate someone and still walk in the light?

Pray
Help me, Lord, to not be ashamed or embarrassed to live and walk in Your holy light. Please make my life a reflection of Your light that lives within me

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New Skills?

If you’re part of our facebook fan page, then you know that we’ve asked campers and staff what new skills they’d like to see this summer.  (If you’re on facebook and not a fan of the camp, then you need to be!).  The following clips are suggestions from us on what the new skills should be.  Watch the clips and tell us what you think.

And as you know, we here at Ridgecrest Summer Camps are all about safety first, so it would be the counselors who would cut the holes with the chainsaws…just as Stewart demonstrated.

How about Ron’s throwing arm?!?!  He might even be available to lead this skill if buttered up enough!

Okay, so you’ve probably figured out that these skills wouldn’t be plausible for the summer.  Back in January we had some really cold days where the lake froze over (about 4 inches thick) and we just had to take advantage of that since it doesn’t happen often!  What you watched is some of the crazy fun antics we here in the office came up with.  Check back next week to see a couple other clips of how we had fun with the ice and cold weather.

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All or Nothing

All or Nothing
Read This Passage: Proverbs 3:5-8

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths. —Proverbs 3:5-6

I WAS LISTENING to a sermon recently about modesty.  The pastor asked a question that really caught my attention: Do you take God to the Gap?

His point was clear. You should “think about Him in all your ways,” even when it’s a decision about T-shirts and jeans. Clearly, God wants all or nothing. He desires our trust in all areas, clothing included!
But a thinking strategy like that doesn’t come easily. First of all, that’s not the way we like to do things. We want to give God the big things—decisions, goals, dreams, sickness, pain—and handle all the little things on our own. We can call Him in if things get out of control, right?

The thing is, as today’s key verses point out, God wants us to trust Him in all things with all of our hearts. He doesn’t just want the big things. He wants it all.

So, how would our lives be affected if we really sought to acknowledge God in everything we do? It might mean rethinking what we wear or the events in which we participate. It could mean preparing for our someday spouses rather than dating around. It might mean giving God the glory when you achieve a goal, win a game, or receive an award. It might mean serving God without recognition, notoriety, or the big bucks, which directly opposes the world’s understanding of success.

According to today’s verses, a “Think-About-God-in-All-Your-Ways” strategy isn’t optional. He wants us to rely on Him in all things, not just the things we don’t think we can handle. God wants it all. What does that mean for you?

Real Choices
Set an alarm on your watch or phone to remind you to think about God periodically throughout the day. When it sounds, ask yourself: Am I allowing God to guide me right now?

Digging Deeper
Proverbs 3:5-6 is a popular pair of verses. Read them in context as you study the entire third chapter of Proverbs. What new insights can you gain by reading them as a whole?

Pray
Father, help me to seek You in every area of my life. I want to trust You fully to guide me on the right paths.

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Fun in the snow

All work and no play makes camp a pretty dull place.  Thankfully we know how to play here at camp.  Since it doesn’t really snow here that often, we take full advantage of it when it does!  So yesterday Sharon and I decided to build a snowman before everything melted away.  Check out the pics below to see our new friend.

Of course once Stewart, the boys camp intern, saw what we were doing he had to come out and one up us.  He built his own snowman to tower over ours.

Okay, I know what you may be thinking, “How come Stewart’s snowman is so much bigger?”  Before you go thinking that Sharon and I were just lazy and didn’t want to take the time to build a bigger snow buddy, check this out…

Who’s the lazy one now?

We’re not sure what to name them.  Any suggestions?

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In Like a Lion…

So you know that old weather proverb about March, “In like a lion, out like a lamb”?  Well, for us here at camp, March certainly roared its head!  On Sunday, March 1st, it snowed on and off all day.  At camp, we had around 3 inches.  Now I know 3 inches may not sound like a lot to some of you, but let me tell you, for this Texas girl it was a little taste of Heaven!  And at Sharon’s home there was around 8 inches!  Needless to say, she had a snow day yesterday while others of us were in the office.  

I walked around parts of camp yesterday and took some pics since you all couldn’t be here to see it with us…enjoy!

That’s how it looked at camp, now check out how it looked at Sharon’s!

Oj sure loved playing in all that snow!  We even made some snowmen at camp…but that’s another post for another day!

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Worthy of Worship

Worthy of Worship
Read This Passage: Revelation 4:1-11

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

A LOT OF MY FRIENDS  when I was younger collected baseball cards. They even looked in magazines to find the current value of their cards. They tried to get cards of rookie players who seemed to be doing well. They knew if the player continued to rise in his stats, the card would increase in value.

Perhaps you have something that you have collected or have put away because it is special to you. What gives value or worth to an object or a person? More specifically, what does it mean to say that God is worthy to receive glory and honor and power?

A good synonym for “worthy” is “deserving.” Stop and ask yourself, Why does God deserve my worship? You may have a long list of things that God has done both for you and in your life that cause you to want to praise Him. Our praise for God should not just be about what He has done, but who He is!

Many people in our world today receive awards and recognition for what they do, but could they receive an award for who they are? A lot of people who are recognized for having talent have no character. God is worthy of praise because His character is flawless.

In a world where our very best friends or family sometimes disappoint us, we can turn to a God who has never failed and never will! At the end of time, He will still be worthy of worship and honor because of who He is. Rather than focusing on what God has done that is worthy of praise, today focus on who God is.

Real Choices
Perhaps you have received awards or recognition for personal talents, grades, or accomplishments. Do you accept and receive all the glory, or can you find ways to give glory to God for the abilities and opportunities He has given you? Look for ways to turn personal awards and recognition back to giving God glory.

Digging Deeper
God has called believers to “walk worthy of the Lord.” Read Colossians 1:10-12 and list the ways that believers can do this.

Pray
Ask God to reveal to you all that He is. Praise God for His characteristics as they come to your mind.

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Camp Crestridge’s Funniest Videos

So hopefully you’ve been keeping up with the posts and have watched some of the other videos.  Remember how the Choctaw relay race and clue night started it all?  If you have no idea what I’m talking about, then read some of the older posts and catch up on the video clips…you won’t be sorry.  Well, these two clips finish it off for those from summer 2008.  Now don’t worry, we’ll still be posting pictures from around camp and short videos of other various things.  

This first clip is from a dance-off held over the summer. The two campers featured here aren’t afraid to be in front of a crowd!

As for this clip, there is so much that I want to say about it, but mere words won’t do it justice.  Let’s just say that during staff week some people find themselves taking one for the team!

I don’t know about you, but I’m kinda hungry now!

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Fun Times at Disney World

This past week, Ron, Phil, Caleb and I had the opportunity to attend the American Camp Association’s National Conference.  Camp professionals from all over the United States gathered to learn how to make their camps even better!  It was information overload, but we learned a lot!  This year’s conference was at Coronado Springs Resort in Disney World.

On Thursday afternoon, the four of us ventured out to Hollywood Studios.  The first ride we went on was the Tower of Terror.  It is like an elevator ride that takes you up 13 stories but then drops suddenly!  It doesn’t do that once, but a few times.  I came off the ride with tears streaming down my face, not because I was crying but because I had never heard Ron scream before! We were all laughing so hard!  The rest of the afternoon included The Great Movie Ride, a Car Stunt Show, the Rock ‘n’ Roll roller coaster, and one more ride on the Tower of Terror.  I love roller coasters, but I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest on the Rock ‘n’ Roll roller coaster and the Tower of Terror.

We saved the best for last-another ride on the Tower of Terror.  We wanted all of you to experience the thrill with us.  The second video is for sound purposes only.  Listen closely and you can hear us laughing and screaming, but pay special attention to Ron!

We hope you enjoyed this special blog dedicated to our great director, Ron Springs!

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In a Little While

In a Little While
Read This Passage: 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

For we walk by faith, not by sight—yet we are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord. —2 Corinthians 5:7-8

WHEN OUR BOYS were younger, we camped quite often. We had a tent and would pack up all we needed to enjoy the great outdoors. After a few days of chiggers, paper plates, and sleeping on the ground, home usually started to look pretty good.

After several years of camping, our tent began to show signs of wear. There were a few patches, a stuck zipper, a torn window flap, warping or broken poles, and a musty odor. Our tent was generally just worn out!
Tents are nice for camping and you probably got to experience one this past summer, but they are not intended to be a permanent home. Today’s Scripture begins by calling our bodies tents. Much like a camping tent, our bodies experience a lot of wear and tear, and as we age, they eventually get worn out. God’s plan for our lives is not for us to remain in these bodies. They are temporary “tents” until He takes us to our permanent home in heaven.

As I am writing this, a dear friend is attending the funeral of her 5-year-old granddaughter. For the past two years and nine months, many people have prayed that God would heal her, and a few days ago, He did!

Rather than just putting another patch on her worn-out tent, God let her move to her new home with Him.
Perhaps you’ve asked God for a miracle, and someone still died. It is a miracle when God gives us ways to patch our earthly tents so we will last a little longer. It is an even greater miracle, though, when we move to heaven and God gives us our eternal body that will never wear out.

Camping is fun but only temporary. Life is eternal.

Real Choices
Sometimes people are afraid to talk to others about death because they don’t know what to say. If you know someone who is hurting or mourning over a loss, go to them and simply listen and pray with them.

Digging Deeper
For more information about your new body, read 1 Corinthians 15:35-57.

Pray
Father, thank You that death is not final because You offer eternal life. Give me opportunities and courage to share Your hope with those who are experiencing grief and loss.

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