week 1 at Camp Keola

I LOVE this place! I see now that I look forward to these camps weeks just as much as the young campers! I was all smiles driving up the hill! this year, Keola will be such a great retreat for many reasons.

#1: escape from Fresno heat! hallelujah! once I reached Shaver Lake, a thick cloud of cool air entered the car, removing the yucky, sticky feeling that rode along with me from the Valley. up at Keola, the temperature during the day has fluctuated between 65-75 degrees. that's right: a high of 75 degrees! wonderfulness! as the campers were arriving yesterday to start week one, a thundercloud greeted them with lots of rain, coming down hard! I felt bad for the parents who were stuck carrying their child's sleeping bag across the wet wet field! but the smell of fresh rain! uhMAEzing! right now, I can hear thunderclouds above; I hope we get more rain! this three week retreat up here will be a great break from the 95 or even higher temperatures in the Valley. Fresnans: you are in my prayers. we will get through summer together!

#2: great, loving staff. it amazes me every year how God hand picks our staff. though we do not have some of the old-timers that have come to camp every year for last 10 years, this year's group is just as energetic, excited, willing to serve, kind to the campers. I am looking forward to three great weeks of watching the staff grow as a camp family and develop lasting friendships with the campers.

#3: fun campers! kids are just too darn funny! every activity I am forcing myself to laugh more quickly because these kids have the funniest observations and stories! it kills me every time. we have a lot of 3rd and 5th graders up here this first week and man, do they have personality! (thunder clap) at dinner last night, every camper was off the wall excited about every little thing. we had the staff introduce themselves and after each name was called, the campers went wild with applause and shouts for their counselor! it was so great! I enjoy every meal time to sit with a new cabin and learn about each kid. those 20 minutes are not much, but they invite me into their lives and I have now become apart of their camp family. I am sure I will have many stories to report during this week.

#4: a life of simplicity. okay, I know I am on the computer writing this blog; that does not project a life of simplicity. but being surrounded my God's beauty, the wonderful cool air, the smell of pine trees, (thunder clap) the sight of the blue, calm lake. I love this change to escape for the business of city life to slow down and really enjoy each minute of my life. I read more up here, which is wonderful because being such a slow reader, there is not much up here to distract me! I might even finish a book in one week! uhMAEzing!

#5: the close feeling I have to God. every year at Keola I am challenged to live my life everyday glorifying God. being surrounded by a loving, supportive community for three weeks, I come home feeling empowered and ready to take action for the Kingdom. with the many life changes that are going to (thunder clap x2) happen once I get home, this time to refocus my priorities is greatly needed.

five really great reasons that make this camp and ministry so special to me! please for the campers, that they remain accident-free and that they have a wonderful time up here. for the staff, that they may grow in friendship with each other and not get burnt out living (thunder clap) with these wild campers! we'll see how God moves at Keola this week. I am excited!

it's raining! smells so good! bye!

God Bless America Bless God

we see this inspirational phrase everywhere. "God Bless America" bumper stickers, t-shirts, posters, flags, buttons displayed daily and proudly by faithful Americans. during this holiday weekend, this phrase is uttered to friends, proclaimed in commercials and history specials. while I am proud to live in a country that has many freedoms, that is home to many different ethnicities and nationalities, I wonder if this phrase should be looked at another way...
"America Bless God." say that phrase several times for a while. "America Bless God."
that's a bold statement. sounds more like a command.
upon reflection though, while our country is not unified in religion, what if there was a great effort to come together to act as a nation that seeks to do good for the loving, larger God of the Universe?
how can America corporately act to reflect its love and appreciation for a god that brings such good to its people?
as I smile widely this night gazing at a dark sky lit with colorful fireworks, I will be singing my version of the beloved song, "America Bless God."