My time as an Intern!

Wow oh wow. How has the year gone by so fast! To say my time here at Crestridge was amazing is such an understatement because it was so much more! It was a year of new friendships, a new job, new responsibilities, and continual provision from the Lord. It was incredible to be able to work at a place where the mission is so clear and evident, “Impacting lives for God’s glory.” I’m sure if you ask anyone in the office they would tell you that this year would not have happened without the Lord’s grace and guidance in every step. I am truly thankful for everything I’ve got to experience and learn this year from this place. Here’s a couple of things that I will never forget.

SEASONS: This Florida girl did not know what she was in for when she moved up to these beautiful mountains. I went from experiencing basically two seasons a year (summer and 2 weeks of winter haha) to ALL FOUR! I got to see camp when the leaves changed, the snow fell, and now we are at the beginning of Spring (hopefully)! Who knew it stayed cold for longer than 2 weeks and that snow was a real thing people deal with! I seriously had to stock up on my winter wardrobe (bless you Goodwill and Walmart)! What was so incredible was truly getting to see the Lord’s beauty in the midst of a super dead season. While the leaves had fallen and the trees were bare, the snow covered everything and reminded me that Lord sees me as white as snow. I am not perfect, nor will I ever be, but the Lord looks past my ugly parts and sees me as His daughter and has given me the chance to be a part of His kingdom work. So so cool.

THE PEOPLE: Camp in the off season is a lot quieter without all the campers running around, but boy, the community here is still unbelievable. From the office to being at home to the Black Mountain community in general, it was a huge blessing to be able to step into this group of people and have a chance to be a part of it. Being able to work for Sharon and Ashley was so incredible because they are such gracious leaders. They trusted us with large responsibilities and treated us as being valued members of the team, and I also get to call them my friends! Living with Elise, Josh and Garrett was a real hoot and so many hilarious memories were made. All of us are very different from one another but the Lord provided us with such awesome friendships that taught us how to respect one another and love each other well. I seriously will never forget you guys, you’ve taught me more than you know. I also just want to thank everyone else that walked alongside us in this crazy year. You welcomed us and gave us a family when we were far away from everything that was comfortable. You guys are the reason camp is so unlike any other and will always hold a  special place in my heart.

ELISE: Need a special section dedicated to my girl! Ya’ll, you got to get yourself a friend like Elise because it is life changing. Mary Elise Moffatt is one of the most incredible human beings on this earth and the Lord is so so evident in her heart. She has been an amazing friend in times that were hard and is constantly speaking truth. Her heart to serve others is probably the biggest I have seen and her goofy, fun spirit is contagious. Elise, thanks for always being down to obnoxiously jam out in the car, for never being afraid of being your wacko self, and for a friendship I hope last forever.! Don’t even want to think about saying good-bye, so I am not gonna! Love ya a whole heck of ton pal!

THE JOB: I had no idea what camp looked like during the year and seriously had no idea how much work the full time staff put into every little detail here. The directors are continually trying to make camp better and seeking the Lord’s guidance through it all. I was just lucky enough to get to be a part of it this year. And what’s super incredible is that every step taken is prayerfully thought through. Camp is intended to impact lives for GOD’S GLORY, not our own. We want the Lord to be at the steering wheel, guiding us and giving us directions in what He thinks the summer needs most. Prayers were heard and prayers were answered.

JESUS: I truly could go on and on about everything the Lord has taught me this year. His presence is so evident in this place and in these people and He has revealed so much of who He is. He is constantly reminding me of how little I know about him because He is such a big God! He is not only working in my heart but every single person in this world, that is crazy! He gives me grace every moment of every day and doesn’t expect me to be perfect because I never will be. But He is the one in control, shaping my heart and this world and showing me that EVERYTHING that is good in this world is from Him! He is filling us and healing our brokenness, drawing us closer to him. He is continuously fulfilling one of my favorite scriptures, Romans 15:13,”May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” He is giving me joy, peace, and hope, as He reminds me to always look to Him.

Truly, I don’t know how I got the opportunity to be here, but I am so unbelievably thankful for all the Lord has taught me and what He will continue teaching me as the years go on. It is sad to think that this won’t be life next year, but Grace Arant, last years intern, gave me a beautiful perspective on the future. She told me that with each year and transition there is a new season. Seasons will continue to happen, some will be awesome and some will be hard, but each one is better than the last because you are continuing to learn and continuing to grow closer to God. So even though I am sad that this year is coming to an end, I’m excited to take everything I’ve learn this year and see what the Lord has in store for it in the future. We seriously have such a cool God.

BUT GUYS! WE STILL HAVE SUMMER! AND I AM SO HYPE FOR IT! Camp isn’t camp without the campers! So seriously, get here right now! WE ARE READY FOR YA!

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Apple Pie Bites

Missing camp and skills? Here’s one of the recipes our cooking skill made during the summer! Grab some friends and parent supervision to make these apple pie bites to brighten your day!

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Makes: 8 bites

Ingredients
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1 small Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced into 8 slices (1/2 inch)
8oz can Pillsbury Original crescent rolls

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and apple pie spice. Set aside.
3. Melt butter and toss apple slices in butter. Set aside.
4. Separate and arrange crescent roll triangles on baking sheet. Evenly distribute brown sugar mixture onto each triangle.
5. Sprinkle each triangle evenly with chopped pecans.
6. Place an apple slice on the wide end of each triangle. Wrap crescent roll dough around each apple.
7. Brush each crescent roll with remaining butter. Sprinkle lightly with additional apple spice.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra sweet treat!

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Coffee and Convo with Ron Springs

Ron: A spider monkey. I love spider monkeys. I always look for them at the zoo.

Me: Tell me, Ron, is a hotdog a sandwich?

Ron: Absolutely not!

Me: What is your favorite campfire song?

Ron: Pharoah, Pharoah is my favorite campfire song!

Me: Would you rather zip line into the lake or do the leap of faith?

Ron: I’d rather zip line into the lake.

Me: What is your favorite thing to get at store?

Ron: Kit Kat! I used to get sodas…. like 5 a day, but if I had to pick a drink now it would be Minute Maid Fruit Punch.

Me: What is your favorite part about camp?

Ron: The campers. I love seeing them have a great time.

Me: What is your guilty pleasure?

Ron: Anything sweet with lots of sugar! Key lime pie is my favorite.

Me: Who is the one person you would want to do the giant swing with?

Ron: Harper Pineda (Sam Pineda, Camp Ridgecrest Assistant Directors daughter)

Me: What is your Indian name?

Ron: Singing Sequoia

Me: Would you rather eat your favorite meal for every meal for the rest of your life or never be able to eat your favorite meal again?

Ron: I would rather never eat my favorite meal again.

Me: If you had an Instagram, what would your username be?

Ron: UNCron of course!

Me: What is your favorite thing to do on the weekend?

Ron: Chill! I like to walk a lot. I go hiking and walking.

Me: What does your ideal s’more look like?

Ron: Classic… just marshmallow, chocolate, and graham crackers.  Marshmallow should be a golden brown, not burnt.

Me: What was your favorite skill to teach when you were a counselor?

Ron: The only skill I ever taught was archery.

Well, thats all the questions we have for today!! Thank you for joining Coffee and Convo with Ron! Catch Ron next summer singing some jams on Campfire night! See ya next time!

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Singspiration aka PURE WORSHIP

Time to talk about one of the best events that occurs at camp every Sunday. Oh, you know what I’m talking about… SINGSPIRATION!!

For those of you who have never experienced Singspiration, let me paint you a picture…

A chapel filled to the brim with kids. Jumping, shouting, excitement out the wazoo! Kids dancing wildly! Counselors singing at the top of their lungs! It’s like being at a concert!

“Who’s got a favorite song?”

“Dive!”

“Oh boy let’s go!”

One of the best parts of this activity is that the campers get to pick what songs are sung, so they are truly creating the atmosphere! They have a variety of songs to pick from! Here’s some to name a few (you know, if you ever want to create your own Singspiration at home):

-“King of the Jungle” by Steven Curtis Chapman

-“Dive” by Steven Curtis Chapman

-“Live Out Loud” by, again, Steven Curtis Chapman

-“The Great Adventure” by, you guessed it, Steven Curtis Chapman!

-“Jesus, You Are My Best Friend” by Hillsong

-“Rooftops” by Shout Praise Kids

-“Firm Foundation” by John Chisum

-“Me Without You” by tobyMac”God’s Not Dead” by Newsboys”Movements” by Rend Collective”Burn Like A Star” by Rend Collective

There are also silly choreographed dances that you can follow along too or if you’re feeling the music move you, you can dance however you’d like! You have complete freedom to be your wacky self at Singspiration. Whether you’ve been dancing since birth or if you have no rhythm at all, EVERYONE is welcome!  Each year a new song is added to the list so we can continue evolving this celebratory tradition!

Now people can think Singspiration is just a time where we come together to sing really loudly, jump around and dance like crazy people, but it is SO MUCH MORE.

It’s a time where we can truly rejoice our Father in Heaven. The bible shares many times about how we should praise our Lord through joyful dancing and singing and THAT’S what Singspiration is about.

“Let them praise His name with dancing; Let them sing praises to Him with timbrel and lyre.” Psalm 149:3

“And David was dancing before the LORD with all his might.” 2 Samuel 6:14

“Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:1-5

When I am at Singspiration, I feel like this is how we were meant to celebrate our Lord, rejoicing Him in everything He is and and everything He has blessed us with. Campers sing and dance without a care in the world, experiencing a freedom that you can’t quite find anywhere else.

Whether that be listening to an old Steven Curtis Chapman throwback or jamming out to a new Rend Collective song, we are truly praising and celebrating our Lord in a way that gives us a little taste of what Heaven is going to be like.

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Coffee and Convo with (Mary) Elise Moffatt

Thanks for tuning in this week on another blogisode of “Coffee and Convo.” Today’s guest speaker comes all the way from Kennesaw, GA. She can casually do backflips, runs 100 miles a day, and has the most joyful energy out of anyone I know. Her wisdom and life-giving personality makes anyone who gets the wonderful chance to meet Elise Moffatt drawn to her. She is a true woman of the Lord and I’m so happy I get the chance to call her my friend roomie. GIVE IT UP FOR ELISE MOFFATT *air horn noises*!!

Me: Elise, what gets you the most excited about camp?

Elise: JESUS! JESUS! JESUS! AND MORE JESUS! I just love him. He is just so great and camp gives such a beautiful opportunity for people to hear his name and share his love with others.

Me: What is your favorite Singspiration song?

Elise: Jesus, you are my best friend! It is such a true song, it’s so worshipful. There is a lot of jumping moments and I love going crazy during it.

Me: What is the kindest thing anyone has done for you?

Elise: What Becky wrote at the beginning of this blog, is one of the nicest things anyone has done for me haha. Also honestly, during staff banquet, all of my Chickasaw counselors got me a gift that was all of my favorite things and it really showed me how much they knew and appreciated me. I was blown away by it!

Me: Well it is all truth Elise! Anyways, what is something you think everyone should do at least once in their lives?

Elise: Follow Jesus (forever and ever), go to camp, grow a garden, and floss their teeth, but just once.

Me: What is your favorite Bible story?

Elise: I love all of them truly. Right now, Matthew 8 really resinates with me, where Jesus calms the storm and He asks His disciples ‘Ye of little faith, why are you afraid?’ It’s a cool example of life and how we try to manage the storms of life on our own instead of just trusting the Lord.

Me: If you could either be a duck or an owl, which would you be?

Becky: A duck. Ducks are more family oriented and they have more of a community than owls do. I’m not an expert on either, but that’s probably why I would want to be a duck.

Me: If you were invisible, where would you go?

Elise: I don’t know! I don’t want to be a sneaky person! BUT, if it caused me to not have to pay for things, then I would hop on a plane and go to New Zealand and visit all the cool places, then go to Europe and hangout at all those cool places, then I would go to Africa so I could ride an elephant, and THEN I would go to Disney World and ride all the rides and rollercoasters, and then fly back to Ridgecrest and raid canteen, and then head over to Crestridge and raid the store (man I am setting such a bad example). At that point I’d be tired of being invisible but I would’ve saved a lot of money, but I would miss my friends so I’d go back to being visible.

Me: If you were forced to open a bakery, what would you name it?

Elise: Bakes R Us, or Go nuts, for donuts!, or We bake things, or THE BAKERY: the place where yummy things are made, or Risk it for the Biscuit. That’s all I got.

Me: What skill would you like to master?

Elise: I would like to be able to play the guitar really well, or be able to ride a unicycle, or throw a football properly haha. Yodeling is cool too, I really wish I could do it. Also impersonations of people are funny! And be able to paint things that are pretty. There’s a lot of things I’d like to do, but yodeling is definitely number one!

Me: If you could pick a slogan for your life, what would it be?

Elise: Pray about it more than you think about it.

Me: Solid.

Thanks for tuning in to another Coffee and Convo! Stay tuned for next week where we get to have a whole interview with the one and only Scout! If only he would return my calls… ANYWAYS! Take care, comb your hair and have a wiggity wack weekend.

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A Letter to Scout (MadLib Edition)

Dear Scout,

I have a new friend that I want you to meet! His/her name is _________, (name of dog from home) he/she is very _________. (adjective) You’d like him/her a lot. He/She is so _____________! (adjective) He/She loves to _________ (verb) and will make anyone ___________. (verb) His/her favorite village would definitely be the __________ (Crestridge village) village because he/she is so ___________. (adjective) He/she would spend all of his/her time there in/at the ___________. (place at camp)

His/her favorite activity of the day would be ____________. (activity at camp) because he/she loves to __________ (verb) with the __________. (noun plural)

One time, he/she accidentally ______________ (past-tense verb). It was a disaster!! ____________ (person) had to _____________ (verb) in order to fix the chaos, but there were too many ____________ (noun plural). All we could do was ___________! (verb) So everybody had to _____________ (adverb) ______________ (verb). It was crazy!

I love him/her and I know you would, too! Wish I could bring him/her to Camp, but I can’t wait to __________ (verb) with you this summer!

Love,

______________ (your name)

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Which Crestridge Princess Are You?

Take our quiz to find out which Crestridge Princess you are! Link below!

https://www.playbuzz.com/gracex18/which-crestridge-princess-are-you

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The Parent Trap Handshake

Want a cool way to say goodbye to your parents on Opening Day? Impress all of your cabin mates by knowing this handshake!

THE PARENT TRAP HANDSHAKE:

Step 1: Face partner, stand an arms-length distance apart.

Step 2: Shake hands twice.

Step 3: Change grasp to that which you would use to arm wrestle. Shake twice. Throw hands back dramatically.

Step 4: With palms facing down, stack hands one at a time (1,2,3,4) and lift, then “drop.”

Step 5: With each of your own set of hands pressed together, bat hands together- stop on the 3rd time hands touch. (all hands will be in the center.)

(Left hands will be back to back, right hands will be on the outside.)

Step 6: With left hands still together, reach right hands up and “clap” above the hands in center.

Step 6.5: Clap the left hands in the center, and then clap your partner’s right hand below. Now keep the left hands together.

Step 7: Clap the right hands together under the hands in the center. Then clap below.

Step 8: While still holding hands, sassily place your right hand on your right hip.

Step 9:  Both jump and turn to out (to the right.)

Step 10: Bump hips.

Step 11: Repeat on other side.

Step 12: Face each other. Gently squat and place hands under chin. (so cute!)

Step 13: Lunge forward and slide (trading places) then quickly face one another.

Step 14: Firmly shake hands in a large, stiff movement (one time.)

TA- DAAAAAAAHHH!

(Fun Fact: It took Lindsay Lohan an hour to learn this routine.)

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Disney Round 2!!

Disney ROUND 2!!!! Come hang with us!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, Jan. 14th…we’re going to Disney World again! We’ll be starting off the day at Animal Kingdom at 9am. For anyone who wants to join, you can meet us at the Tree of Life between 9:00-9:15am. We’ll spend the morning at Animal Kingdom. We will then go to Magic Kingdom for the rest of the day. We’ll meet up with anyone who would like to join us there between 2:30-2:45 at the Walt Disney and Mickey Statue in front of the Castle. We (Grace, Amanda, Katie, and Sharon) can’t wait to see you and enjoy the 2nd most amazing place with you for the day (unfortunately Scout can’t make it on this trip due to prior commitments, but he will send his love)!  If you have questions or need to get in touch with us on the day we are in the park, please email sharon.aylestock@lifeway.com.

Very Important, PLEASE READ:
We want to be clear in what our plans are for the day. We will not be supervising campers. We would love to see campers, spend time with them and go on rides with them, but we cannot be responsible for them and keeping track of them throughout the day.  If a camper is dropped off at the park, we cannot be held responsible for any injured or missing campers.  This is not an officially sponsored Camp Crestridge event. Those who come will be responsible for transportation to and from home, covering the cost of their own ticket along with meals while they are in the park. We are so excited to enjoy the park and we hope to see you there!

Posted in Girls, Uncategorized | Tagged Camp family, cc4g, Disney, Florida Trip, Recruiting | Leave a reply

Meet the Interns!

Hi, my name is Grace Arant! I’m a native Nebraskan and, now, an honorary North Carolinian.

I came to Camp Crestridge as a counselor two summers ago, then returned this past summer as Waterfront Director. I love this summer camp so much that I wanted to be here summer, fall, winter AND spring. So, I decided to stay as one of the resident interns! And with that, you could say I’m a happy camper. 🙂

Following this year, I will return to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where I am studying Advertising & Public Relations and Entrepreneurship & Leadership.

I’m a little dorky, super corny (much thanks to my Midwest upbringing) and I just love the Lord a lot.

HEYYOOO! My name is Amanda Rymer, and I am currently one of the hiring and recruiting interns at Camp Crestridge. I have attended Gardner-Webb University for the past two years and will return to finish my degree in Psychology next Fall! I started coming to Crestridge when I was eleven and knew I wanted to make this place my home one day. I was a camper for six years, served in the SALT program, was a counselor for two summers, and was the Catawba Village Director last summer. My favorite moments of last summer were when I got to go to the Catawba cabins at night, hang out and be silly with the campers, and then get serious and talk about God’s word. Because of the Lord’s faithfulness and guidance through the past ten years, I am now living in a place I love and am working for a ministry that has impacted my life greatly. One of the greatest things about Crestridge is how it shapes and molds girls to become the women God has created them to be while also having a blast in God’s creation. Our camp motto is, “With my feet on the ground and my heart attune I shall reach for the stars.” Crestridge has really shown me how to build my foundation and place my hope in the Lord as I live boldly for Him, trusting He will do far more in me than I could ever ask or imagine. There is nothing quite like the eternal impact of true discipleship and adventure amongst the Blue Ridge Mountains, and I can’t wait to see what all God has in store for this next summer!

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