God's Stronger Than Any Knot

 Day 7 Doxology:  There are many images from my day that I could include for your viewing as a doxology moment!  However, there is one that I will share and for ample reason...the origin of this moment was one of my youth years ago.

My wife speaks often about the number of students that have had children that she now has the pleasure of teaching.  Today I was reminded, I'm not the young person I once was.  

Today, I employed a very competent and capable former youth member of a church where I served to cut down expired trees around camp.  Each tree offered their own level of difficulty, but my guys delivered time and again!

While watching their craft, I was caught off guard by their use of ropes...primarily their use of knots!

How amazing is it that something can be put under such stress, but then easily be broken down only to repeat the task time and again?  Today's image is such a knot.  It was created to guard against a tree falling on my house, my friends, or myself.  However, it was created not as defense, but as an offensive measure.   It was meant to guide!

How many times do we use God as a defense rather than as an offensive measure.  God is like a parent and wants for us the best things in our life.  I wished I could have that mother/son relationship restored that I once had...but I can if only I would include God in my thoughts and plans

Greater than any knot, God is fully capable of any huge stress we can conjure.  When undone, the line seems unstressed...do we not need that for our life?  

My prayer is this...whatever it is you feel is too great, too powerful, too strong for you to handle...the doxology of your day is simple...you don't have to do it alone.  God as a knot that will stand the test of time! And that is absolutely Camp Sumatanga.  

You like apples?

The Potholes of Life!

 Day 6 Doxology: How annoying are potholes?  If you have a nice paved or concrete drive then the stress of potholes is not a part of your world.   However, for those of us that have the pleasure of living in the woods, our "driveway wants" are often more than a Homeowner's Association can deal with.  In short, we hate potholes!

I'm not sure if you've given the pothole dilemma much thought, but they usually start very small.  So small in fact, they are often unnoticeable.  It starts as a low spot, and then over time water gathers then low spots becomes larger and larger.  You see, the low spot gathers a pool of water then the tire of your car drops in the low spot then over time, and it's like a pressure washer blowing the dirt and sediments, out and the hole gets deeper and deeper.  To make this a true doxology moment...It's that way with sin in our life.

What starts out small can grow larger until the next thing you know you're having to replace your front end.  The trick is to grade the high places to fill the low places.  Let that sink in for a moment...Grade the high places to fit in the low places. 

If we can take the low places in our life that are constantly causing us grief and fill them with the high more spiritual moments of our life we've reached a balance that we've never had before!  That's why The Walk to Emmaus is so successful.  The Walk to Emmaus is a 3 day spiritual journey to strengthen the Christian leadership in the local church.  It's an opportunity to fill in the low spots with some high spots!

Take the advice from someone that lives a half mile off the road...fill in the potholes of your life, and not just with anything, but with the right stuff!  You like apples?

Tracks of Our Lives

 Day 5 Doxology: Hope you had a great Sunday?  No, no, it's ok that you missed me and the great literary works of the little "praise God" moments of my day!  You shouldn't feel ashamed...I grow on people!

A bit of warning...today's doxology is deep.  Not like that, like this...deeeeeeeep!  Which was how bad a 26,000 lb. truck was stuck trying to get up the hill toward our maintenance area.  Just like everything else you try to do here at Camp; you try to do the simplest thing and you have to fix 4 things before you can do what you set out to do from the beginning.  I told you it was deep!  Today this young man was just wanting to come identify a simple problem on our skid steer, and because he was trying to do something good for Camp and God, he got stuck! 

Ok, that's not why he really got stuck, but sometimes it just feels like your life consist of one step forward and two steps back!  Here's the deep part...But you know, you will get to point in your life and you will look back and you can see the tracks where God was with you all along your journey.  Where it was certain events or people...God is always there!

Now before you starting thinking about that "Footprints In The Sand" stuff...that is not what I am talking about!

For better or for worse we leave stuff behind like footprints...today that is defined as your Carbon Footprint.  The popular, or not so popular, question is how small is our carbon footprint?  Do we burn coal our natural gas?  Do we use alternative power sources such as wind, water, or solar?  I'm not a tree hugger, but sometimes I feel like I should.  I do think that we are having a negative impact on earth.  So the $24,000 question is...how can we live more in line with nature and God?  I believe it is by acknowledging we can have a positive impact of a negative impact on people and nature.  We have to be willing to ask ourselves the hard questions like if a large truck is stuck in the mud, can you hear the sound of as tree falling in the forest?  That's deeeeeep!

Not sure, but I can tell if he get's out or not?  What tracks are you leaving behind?  I pray they're positive!

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Christ-like Hospitality

 Day 4 Doxology:  Well, it appears that I am cutting it close, but it has been a very fulfilling, and long, weekend.  We hosted our first retreat of 2021, and it has been a huge success. Sure, the occasional necessary need here and there, but it has been a joy!  So much so, they have indicated they want to add another event the end of this year to the Camp calendar.  Yea Team!

Something else happened this weekend that is at the heart of our life here at Camp.  Thursday evening late a dog walked up Wesley Drive, and we extended Christ-like hospitality.  I made several trips from the maintenance shed to the main retreat building and this dog followed my truck from one end of Camp to the other.  As it turned out, this dog even followed me home.  I fed him...it looked as if it had been a while since he had eaten.  We talked and few pats on the head and scratch behind the ears and this dog hasn't left since.  He even sleeps out side my window waiting on me to stir around.  Today Shannon picked me up for lunch while I was on the skid steer, and when I returned he was laying next to the machine waiting on my return.  I wonder, did we adopt him, or did he adopt us.  Either way, it all started with our vision of providing Christ-like hospitality and that is fast becomming absolutely Camp Sumatanga!  You like apples?

P.S. We are looking for a name?  We thought about Bert (in memory of Bro Bert Goodwin who was the executive Director years ago)?  We thought about Camper, but we didn't;t want to confuse hime when we are talking about the campers this summer.  Any suggestions?

Signature Cookie

 Day 3 Doxology: In a perfect world everyone would have a signature cookie!  It would reflect who was the cookie cook.  It would be easily recognized.  It would be yummy!

A few months ago I had the blessing of following up on a resume that was sent to Camp for the Director of our Food Services position.  I won't post her name, but I will tell you that I have affectionately dubbed her E.G.  E.G. is the complete package for Camp.  She sees her job as a ministry.  She is organized and plays well with others.  Most of all she can cook!  So, you must be thinking E.G. is todays doxology...she is, sort of.

My doxology is the staff that God has assembled for the next phase of life for Camp Sumatanga.  Each person feels that serving God is more than a job for pay...it's a calling to offer Christ-centered hospitality. Each member of our team does that in such way that makes you say "praise God!"

So because of E.G. and our Team we have a Signature Cookie.  I wished you could taste it with a cup of coffee, but you'll have to come to Camp to do that!  Our cookie...well, it's almost heaven, and it's absolutely Camp Sumatanga.  You like apples?

Does Beauty Bite?

 Day 2 Doxology:  Well many of you know that I am living here on this holy and sacred ground called Camp Sumatanga.  It's incredibly majestic, but there is an element of Camp that can be harsh.  This camp was forged out of the depths of nature, and nature is always reminding Camp that although it's been here since the late 40's it is still here as a guest.

Last night I awoke several times and realized that it was raining, but never did I witness a down pour of any magnitude or concern. However, this morning on my inspection of Camp it was clear that the heavens were unleashed at some point in the darkness.  In truth, the ground was so saturated that its really wouldn't take much to cause the enormous showing of run-off that was so visible in the early light.  So, it made me think!

It made me think about how beautiful, and dangerous, nature can be.  The Grand Canyon is an epic array of colors and vastness of erosion...it's simply beautiful, but get too close to the edge or descend its trails to the valley without being prepared and its beauty bites.  Or, hike to the summit of Everest and receive a view that would last a lifetime and beyond, but do it without careful planning or oxygen or acclimation and your memory is certainly shortened because beauty bites.

Today's doxology is the reflection of 70 plus years of breathtaking views of the waterfall feeding the pool at Pool Camp.  I've researched pictures and stories of so many that remember swimming in the old concrete bordered pool at Pool Camp.  It's like a distinction of an upper class or at least a badge honor to say you were "of" that era that used the original pool.  However, today it's just for pictures.

Today's picture reminded me that so many youth from so many churches in our conference used the pool with great care, but with today's current and rushing waters we would never allow such a privilege.  Have we become wiser or more cautious?  Have we learned the value of one's life or realized the recklessness of man?  Regardless of which side of the fence you fall...if you do not respect nature...we've come to know the beauty of nature will bite.\

I wished you could hear the muffle of nature against the roar of the water as I am reminded how small I am and how large God the creator is as I enjoy God's beauty.  Then and only then, it doesn't bite so bad!  You like apples?

Playing Offense

 Day 1 Doxology:  I debated if I should blog this year as part of my Lenten Devotion.  I prayed all day about the thought of adding another something to an already busy schedule.  A schedule that full of surprises at every corner.  Then I started thinking...although I am still clergy, I have a role that matches all the laity that I have pastored over the years.  Each person I encouraged to do more, go farther, become more, and each responded with trust that I was helping them strengthen their discipleship journey.

November 2nd, I hung up my stole to become the Executive Director at Camp Sumatanga.  Since then I have felt as if I am drinking water through a fire hose.  Every day I am met with a task that immediately puts me on defense.  Defense wins championships, but it doesn't build a camp. I want to play offense!

It dawned on me while I was deciding to blog this year, the best offense I could provide is Spiritual self-care.  After all, what are Lenten disciplines intended to do?  It's not to lose some weight or deprive yourself of something you enjoy to go through your day in sadistic misery.  Lent is a time to prepare ourselves for Easter and a Lenten Discipline is how we get there. So, I'd say it's time for some offense.  

This sign is waiting for a home here at Camp.  It was created because there is a similar sign at the entrance to Pool Camp.  "Let no one say and say to your shame this was a place of beauty till you came."  I want to leave this Camp better than I found it!  It's not going to be a clergy person or a laity person that makes the difference.  It's going to be a person with great Spiritual strength...It's going to take a follower of Christ!

So yes!  I'm going to play offense all over this blog for this year's Lenten Discipline!  You like Apples?