Miracle Camp and Retreat Center

Where are you potted?

2010-02-25T21:50:00.002-05:00

Some lolz before you start:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81KQu1hvaMc#

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1t8MVZRNb4

Galatians 5:22-23 is a very common Bible passage.

Many of us sang it as children.

Remember that song?

The fruuuiiiIIIitt of the spirit issss…… love! Joy! Peace! Pat-ience, kindness, goooooodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-connnnntROLLrollRoll. AGAINST SUCH THINGS THERE IS NO LAW!

But how often do we really stop and look at this passage?

The first thing commonly overlooked is Paul’s poor grammar.

The fruit of the Spirit IS….

Is?

The word “fruit” is like the word “moose” it can be both singular and plural.

The word “is” is commonly used for a singular subject

For example:

One moose IS chowing down on the fruit.

The word “are” is used for plural subjects.

For example:

All of the moose ARE experiencing the after effects of eating too much fruit.

So my problem is that in the New International Version of the Bible, Galatians 5:22-23 says the fruit of the Spirit is…

There is more than one kind of fruit listed. Why would Paul say is? Shouldn’t he say that the fruit of the spirit are…? OK that does not sound right either….

I got it!

Whenever in doubt, just use a different translation of the Bible.

The New Century Version says:

“But the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…” Galatians 5:22-23

Now that is a grammatically correct version of this verse!

I like the fact that the word Spirit comes first. The fruit of the Spirit is/are not about the fruit, but about the Spirit.

It’s simple cause and effect.

When you have the Spirit, you show the fruit.

Let me say that again.

When you have the Spirit, you show the fruit.

Christ followers are not called to show the fruit so they can get the Sprit.

The Sprit comes into the Christ followers FIRST, THEN the fruit is produced. The Spirit works in your life and you develop the fruit.

Are you limited to growing only the Spirit’s fruit? Can you grow different fruit?

Some of you may still be confused by the whole fruit thing… allow me to explain.

You are a tree.

Worse, you are a fruit tree.

Yep, you are a fruit grower.

Accept it. You have no choice.

You can choose where you are planted. You can be planted in the Holy Spirit (Spirit/God/Jesus/Etc.) or you can choose to be planted in the alternative potting options listed in Galatians 5:19-21

“19 The wrong things the sinful self does are clear: being sexually unfaithful, not being pure, taking part in sexual sins,20 worshiping gods, doing witchcraft, hating, making trouble, being jealous, being angry, being selfish, making people angry with each other, causing divisions among people,21 feeling envy, being drunk, having wild and wasteful parties, and doing other things like these. I warn you now as I warned you before: Those who do these things will not inherit God's kingdom.”

Hummm these things sound like fun! I wonder what my fruit would look like if I potted myself in these things instead of in God….

It says in verse 21 that I would not inherit God’s kingdom. That sound pretty bad…

Hummm… well lets think

Well I know that the last time I got angry, I got sent to my room.

But one time when I was self-controlled, I got praised.

Sometimes no one notices when I show good fruit.

When I plant myself in poor fruit, I usually feel unhappy.

It is hard to be planted in God all of the time, but when I am I usually feel better and happier.

And for all you fruit tree haters out there: I firmly believe that the Devil is making Christianity look boring, dull and weak to cause people to turn away. You can follow the world and live in Galatians 5:19-21, but it will only leave you empty. As empty as the Garden of Eden after Sin entered..

Snow Day (click here)

2010-02-09T20:52:00.007-05:00

You have heard that every snowflake is unique.

And you have also heard the cheesy saying about how you are unique

just like snowflakes.

AWWWW!

Believe it or not, it is possible that all snowflakes are NOT unique.

Before we go further, you need to learn a bit about snowflakes. Kindly view this poster created by The American Chemical Society (AKA your tax dollars... ok I don't know that for sure... but anyways here is the poster).

And there are several different classifications for snowflakes (see chart below).

Everything you have heard about snowflakes being unique could be nothing but LIES!

Sorry if you hate me now that the whole snowflake thing was a fib... just rejoice in the fact that you now know the truth.

Chances are that you did not come the Miracle Camp blog to learn about snowflakes so here is my point:

The snowflakes you see on a daily basis (in store windows, cut out of paper, in elementary classrooms, etc.) do not represent the full diversity of snowflakes. You only see the perfect, pretty and pleasing snowflakes displayed.

What about the rest of them?

I think I like the not perfect ones better then the perfect ones. They look cool and are more interesting. Sure some of them, like the simple prisms, may not be unique. I don't care. I just want an accurate representation of snowflakes presented when I walk down the street.

Ok now it is time for the analogy. Are you ready? You better be because here it comes:

The perfect snowflakes are the ones that everyone sees and appreciates. The perfect pretty ones are put on posters, books and everywhere else. They are the ones referred to as unique. They are the ones that are adored.

The rest of the shapes are just forgotten. If you are born a simple needle or a capped column you can forget about being the next face of snow crystals.

But these simpler snowflakes still have their uses. I would take a snowstorm of irregulars over no snowstorm any day(irregulars can still cancel school and be formed into a snowball or snowman).

So you don't always feel like a perfect snowflake.

You have your irregularities.

You have made mistakes.

And you HATE those "perfect flakes"

Well I have something to tell you.

Galations 5:13

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

You are called to a higher purpose my dear friends.

....umm I think that verse says "called to be free"

free.

That sounds pretty good.

Matt Massey, the speaker at one of the weekend Ice Camps at MC expounded on this saying that Jesus wants to allow you to be completely free.

Thats freedom from worry

freedom from sin

freedom from want

Just true freedom.

regardless if you are a perfect snowflake or a little hollow plate, God has a will and a plan for you.

And being in that plan is the safest and best place for you to be.

(Ask Jonah if you do not believe me)

In conclusion, people are unique. Snowflakes are not. Yet you still may feel like you are not unique enough or that you are too messed up to be free. Let me tell you, freedom is available to everyone who puts their faith in Jesus Christ.

Are you following Him?

He wants to set you free.

Alarm Clock

2010-01-19T20:50:00.007-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji8FzAcRNtE

Promptly at 5:40 every morning my alarm goes off.

Promptly at 5:41 every morning a little piece of me dies.

You can quote me Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it" But I reply with Ecclesiastes 5:12 "The sleep of a laboring man is sweet..."

Somedays I wish I never had to get out of bed. All I want to do all day is go back to bed. The people I encounter annoy me and seem just as unhappy as me to go through the long, challenging day.

I feel overworked and overtired. I've only been back to school for three weeks and I'm already tired of the same monotony every day. I have become so consumed with all the unpleasant things I encounter in the day I forget the good things.

At times I feel like getting through the day is as tough as parting the Red Sea.

Hey, didn't someone do that?

Oh yeah Noah did that.

Did I just say that? Moses parted the Red Sea. Noah was a biblical version of Jack Sparrow (lolz).

Look at what Noah said immediately after the he and the Israelites crossed the Red Sea in Exodus 15.

Yes, I want you to go to biblegateway.com and read Exodus 15.

Thank you.

Now look to the second verse of this passage. It says "The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation..."

That same phrase from Moses is quoted three more times in the Bible. (Psalm 28:7, Psalm 118:14, and Isaiah 12:2.

I don't think I have ever been quoted once. How great would it be to be quoted three times and in the Bible!?

There is power behind Moses' words "The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation"

When I awake with these words in my heart the day does not look so dull after all. Instead, the day becomes full of opportunity. It makes me want to share the love of Christ with my teachers and friends and the randoms I encounter at Wal*mart (yes, even those on peopleofwalmart.com).

I will try to start everyday by going in the joy and the strength of the Lord so that the next night I can have the sweet sleep of a laboring man talked about in Ecclesiastes 5:12.

Perhaps I will write Exodus 15:2 next to my alarm clock.

Unseen Becomes Seen

2009-12-13T01:36:00.004-05:00

2 Corinthians 4:18 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNlZz3RQxos

I’ll admit I’m 22 and I’m out of touch with all your tennie-bopper lingo and trends. I do know that when I was in high school, people were talking about The Invisible Children (www.invisiblechildren.com). Have you heard of this organization? Here is a basic Wikipedia definition if you haven’t:

“In the spring of 2003, three young filmmakers (Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey, and Laren Poole) traveled to Africa in search of a story. What started out as a filmmaking adventure transformed into much more when these boys from Southern California discovered the untold tragedy of Uganda. This tragedy revolves around Africa's longest running war, where children have become the victims and the weapons. Rebel armies, known as the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA),

have been abducting children and using them as troops while they wage war against the Ugandan government. This originally caused the children to night commute, or walk miles nightly to avoid these troops. It is estimated that 90% of the LRA is abducted children. The film tells their story.

After returning to the States, they created the documentary ‘Invisible Children: Rough Cut’, a film that exposes the tragic realities of northern Uganda’s night commuters and child soldiers.”

As a result of their film, these young guys allowed the lives of seemingly invisible people become revealed to America. This changed the lives of thousands of children in Uganda forever. They must have made the children they helped feel pretty special and finally noticed. These filmmakers literally changed the world.

Let me introduce you to someone from Malawi, another African country:

This is Timothy. I met him when I was in Malawi, Africa on a short-term missions trip. In this picture, Timothy is in seventh grade, he wants to grow up to care for orphan children. Timothy was always a leader in his school. His fellow students recognized him for his potential because of his kindness to everyone.

Tragically, I was recently informed that Timothy has passed away. He was just walking along the road (there are no sidewalks in Malawi) and he got hit by a car and died.

No, this is not a campaign to build sidewalks in Malawi nor is this indented to be a sob story.

Let me tell you a little about Timothy’s life. He was kind, friendly, including and a leader. People liked him and he liked people. He knew Jesus and lived to spread the word of Christ. He succeeded.

I’m not going to tell you to live more like Timothy because we both know that we are called to live and love like Jesus (John 15:12). Timothy worked to be like Jesus. You can too.

Jesus loved the unloved. He made the unseen seen. In the same way, the three guys who together founded The Invisible Children movement brought “invisible” people into the spotlight. You can too!

I know that there are times where you feel invisible. Just like you, others have felt that unnoticed, powerless and dejected. You have the ability to be there for these hurting people even if you are hurting yourself. You can work to ensure that the people around you do not feel invisible. Allow Gods love to illuminate out of you. Who can you notice today? Who do you know who is forgotten and needs to feel included? Who can you just talk to? Seek these people out and change their world.

A Text Message From Jesus

2009-12-07T22:21:00.003-05:00

There have been many times in my life where I wished God would just speak to me. I have gotten down on my knees and begged Him to tell me His will on my life. The other day I got my wish.

We all have an idea of what God’s voice should sound like – a deep, resounding voice from above. Although if you’re a true Bible scholar, you may point me to 1 Kings 19:12 and tell me that God speaks in gentle whispers.

Believe it or not, I spoke to God through text.

Getting ready for bed, I checked my phone after showering and saw that I had a new text message. Opening my phone revealed a simple message that read, “I have been very disappointed with you today.” The message was from Jesus. Expecting a joke I searched for Jesus in my contact list. Jesus was not there. So, I replied requesting for more information from Jesus. “Why are you disappointed with me?” I asked him this trying to think of anything I may have done during the day to upset the Lord. “You have not represented me well for the children,” He said.

I was becoming anxious. I feel like if Jesus would truly be texting me, He would be encouraging me not condemning me. So, at 12:14 AM I doubtfully called this ‘Jesus.’ The phone rang once; my heart skipped a beat. The phone rang again. I couldn’t breathe in the silence between rings. Was Jesus really going to pick up? No. A tired, female voice finally answered

“H-hello?” The voice said.

“Is this Jesus?” I asked.

“Pardon me?”

“Are you Jesus?” I inquired again.

“No, I’m not Jesus.”

“Well, someone is texting me from this number claiming to be Jesus.” I responded.

The voice was beginning to be more and more recognizable.

“I am a devout Christian, but I sure am NOT Jesus,” said the tired voice.

At that moment I recognized the voice. I had not dialed the number of "Jesus" in my phone. I had called my almost 90-year-old professor; she has seen visions and has had dreams from the Lord. I quickly apologized and hung up.

I now knew for a fact that it was Jesus on the other line. He must have had me call my “devout” professor to prove his point. I was convinced. I had done something wrong and Jesus hated me.

Then, Jesus called ME.

“Hello?” I said.

“Who do they say that I am?” said “Jesus” (muffled giggling in the background).

“Who are you?” I asked now aggravated.

“Go out your door and you will find me, thus sayeth the Lord,” said the “Lord” (more giggling).

It was my roommate all along. He had disguised his name with ‘Jesus’ and then hid it in my contacts (if you want to know how to do this so you can prank your friends, let me know).

So, I didn’t really get texts from Jesus.

How great would it be if we did?

This last week I have felt very spiritually dry. This is always the busy time of the year for me with homework and classes and everything else.

Just earlier today I was walking and praying.

“God, why am I not happy today? Why do I feel so discouraged?” I act like it is his fault. “I am not content with myself right now.” I told Him. “Why don’t you just tell me what you want with me? Do you even have a purpose for my life?”

Then I realized that I could not remember the last time I had set time aside to talk to the Lord and read the Bible. Time with God is set-aside for us at Miracle Camp, making it easy to connect with God. But when you are on your own, finding time for God is more difficult. I committed at that moment to not miss another personal devotional with God.

Text messaging, facebook, and e-mail keep us in contact with our friends, counselors and family members. The hours I have spent “stalking” my facebook friends have built relationships. I can communicate with them and talk about what is new in my life.

God doesn’t text us. At least I never have heard of it REALLY happening, but we still can build that relationship with Him. This next week I am committing more time to God. I am logging off my computer and phone, using them only for schoolwork and emergencies and I am going to be more intentional in building my relationship with God. So, join me and log off the facebook and log onto God’s book (AKA The Holy Bible).

Grace Like Rain

2009-10-10T20:00:00.003-04:00

What if you walked into church and were greeted by one of the following?
- Hello, my name is Adam, I trusted a snake instead of God...
- Hello, my name is Abraham, I am a coward and I ditched my wife to save my own skin...twice...
- Hello, we are Isaac and Rebecca, we failed as parents...
- Hello, my name is Jacob, I am a con artist, a coward and a liar...
- Hello, my name is Moses, I struggle with following God's instructions...
- Hello, my name is Aaron, I am a public leader who gives into peer pressure...
- Hello, my name is Sampson, I struggle with lust...
- Hello, my name is David, I am a liar, a thief, a murderer and an adulterer...
- Hello, my name is Mary, I am a prostitute...
- Hello, my name is Peter, I deserted my best friend when he needed me most...
- Hello, my name is Thomas, I struggle with doubt...
- Hello, my name is Paul, I traveled the region trying to kill Christians...

What would you do? How would this change the way you view the church, community, Christianity? Why do I look at people and make judgments about them, their character, or whether they are ‘worthy’ of my friendship or not based on how good/bad of a person they are? I hope you recognized at least a couple of the names above. They all are pinnacle characters from the Bible - people who God used in amazing ways despite their shortcomings. God’s grace is sufficient. We know this. We learned this from Sunday School since most of us were like 2 years old…and yet, we still feel like we have the right to make judgments about other people. About where they stand with God and how good/bad of a person they are.

What if people weren't judgmental, if they wore their problems on their sleeves? What if people took down their walls, stopped being fake? What if people stopped saving face? What if we stopped trying to be more religious? What if people genuinely offered to help others with their problems? What if people came to the realization that in order for grace to abound (for we are saved by grace alone), you have to let grace in.

- “What sound does rain make?
Nothing – until it hits something”

The same is true with grace. Grace from God does not have an effect on us until we open up and let Him in. Until we stop trying to be ‘better people’ than those next to us, until we realize we are all equal in God’s eyes, we cannot live with others the way Christ wants us to. We need to drop our walls and accept others, and ourselves, for who we are – image bearers of the Most High God. By not accepting others the way God created them - we treat them as less than human. To treat anyone as less than human is to bring the very gates of hell to your door step.

Now, I am not saying go and share your deepest secrets to anyone who will listen; but we all have fallen short of the glory of God. Most of us know this in our head, but we are unwilling to live this out in our everyday lives – outside the walls of a church. A life not full of secrets and lies, where people are not afraid to admit they messed up. The first step to recovery is admitting there is a problem. Do we have the courage to admit to God that we have a problem? David did, he went before the Lord and look what God did with him…

"Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me
Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, washed away" (Grace Like Rain: Todd Agnew)
Amen (Eph 3:20-21)

Ryan Thill

Rainy Days...

2009-09-23T15:41:00.002-04:00

What's that noise? I try to gather myself, but all I can see is a red "7:30 AM" glaring at me. Still, I ask myself, "What in the world is that noise?" It sounds so familiar, and yet I can't seem to think of what it is. I open the blinds and then I see... It's a rainy day. My mind starts racing about what I will have to do to prepare for this day: "Wear a jacket," "Get an umbrella," "Make sure I put on the waterproof shoes." Isn't it annoying? You have to do all of these things just to prepare for a rainy day.

People often talk about how you can become spiritually "dry" (which means you don't have those happy feelings about God that you may have once had). But not too many people talk about having a spiritually "rainy day." So, what would a spiritually rainy day look like? Maybe you feel like reading your Bible is just something you have to do in the morning to get ready for your day. Maybe you think that praying is just a way to keep the hard things (the rain) about life away. Or maybe you feel that trusting God to take care of your struggles just isn't worth it. So what should you do?

The way I see it, there are only two things you can do on a rainy day: Try to hide from the rain, or play in the rain.

When I was younger I played in the rain all the time. I would sit in my house hoping to see those beautiful drops of water fall to the ground so that my brother and I could play baseball outside and slide into home plate from 20 feet away. But as I grew up I began to try to fight against rain. I would start hiding under an umbrella or I would just sit inside the house. I lost the excitement of playing in the rain.

I believe that God wants us to get excited about going through the rain in our life. He doesn't want us to read our Bible because we feel like we have to, but He wants us to read His Word (the Bible) because it is exciting and about Him. He doesn't want us to pray because it's the "right thing to do." God wants us to be able to talk to Him and tell Him how we feel, whether it is happy, sad, good, or bad. He wants us to be full of joy all the time because we are alive with Him!

The apostle Peter says that "Though you have not seen Him (Jesus Christ), you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy" (1 Peter 1:8). Jesus died for all of us and that is enough to give us pure joy.

So next time you wake up and hear that rain falling outside don't be afraid to play in the rain, have a little fun, and be JOYOUS, because God didn't make rain to hurt you. After all... It does help things grow!

-Dan

work at it with all your heart.

2009-09-09T17:43:00.006-04:00

Well, as the green leaves of summer turn to the oranges and yellows of autumn, another school year has begun. This semester is already proving that it's going to be among my most difficult so far--which is an extreme let down from this summer. The "newness" and excitement that my freshman year of college brought has faded and I'm left with a pile of lab write-ups and dreaded online homework that seems to never end. Let me tell you, after a summer filled with fellowship, high energy, the Hoedown Throwdown, and daily worship this is quite a let down. Once the school year hits, it is very easy for me to become consumed in my schoolwork and constantly worry about my grades—no wonder I’ve been dreading starting school so much, huh?

Well one day recently when I was talking to my mom, she shared this verse with me:

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." - Colossians 3:23-25

It was then God reminded me that I'm not working to serve my professors, or to serve myself by getting good grades....I have been given an opportunity to be a light for God in an environment where many of my fellow students don't have personal relationships with the Lord and don't know about the love He has for them.

This sounds really good on paper, but it's been a really hard concept for me to work through. Like many students, I can easily get caught up in the lie that good grades are the only key to any success in the world. God tells us that we should work at whatever we do with all of our hearts, but not worry or obsess over it. Ultimately, I need to remember that God is in control of my life. Even if my grades are all A+s and God doesn't want me to get into medical school, I won't. His plan is better than mine.

I’m learning that my focus should be the people that God has placed in my life. As followers of Christ, our task is to be an example of Christ to others by serving them and committing our time to invest in their lives. As one of my friends from camp said this summer, "When we get to heaven, we don't have to show God our report card." That statement has given me so much comfort. While our lives here on earth can be consumed with what’s going on at this very moment, we need to have an eternal mindset. Our lives on earth are only a breath and if we waste that breath being caught up in stressing out over achieving success that is fleeting we are wasting God’s gift! Colossians says that our reward is an inheritance from the Lord. I don’t know about you but I’d rather have a gift from the Lord than earthly success that is bound to fade.

Maybe your focus is something completely different than your grades. Perhaps it’s sports, music or your job. God has given us all unique passions and goals, but He’s also given us the job of making him known to those around us. Instead of stressing about whatever struggle is consuming your life at this moment, rejoice in knowing that we serve and work for a God who is in control and has our best interests in mind!

Be Blessed!

Delaina Wertz:)

Summer Cleaning?

2009-08-15T16:05:00.001-04:00

All the dino-nuggets have been eaten, the sea bass is taking her yearly 9-month nap, and all the alpha wolf howls have stopped completely. It’s official folks 2k9 summer camp is finished. I moved out of my summer home in Judson 1 and moved into walnut (where Marcus, Micah, and Thanel stayed this summer) to help around camp for two weeks. Let me tell you something, the three guys who stayed in walnut all summer can make a huge mess. Kyle Stevens and I were the only people around so we had the joy of cleaning up after them. We started on Saturday. Two days, one bottle of disinfectant, and a pile of lost and found later the place was clean!

On Monday, as I was doing my devotions, I read Mark 2:23-28 (Since none of us have this memorized, go to biblegateway.com and look it up). The Pharisees, or the religious Jews who took Jewish law and traditions VERY seriously, were outraged that Jesus would pick grain on the Sabbath, a day set aside for rest. In verse 27 Jesus says:

“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

My NIV Life Application Study Bible reflects on this verse saying that “God created the Sabbath for our benefit, not his own. God derives no benefit from having us rest on the Sabbath, but we are restored both physically and spiritually when we take time to rest and focus on God” I hardly even realized that I had been cleaning walnut most of Sunday. Although I did go to church and I was serving others by cleaning, God told us to have a day of rest. It is so easy to see Sunday simply as a day to squeeze a church service into our already busy lives. This Sunday I am going to put my chores aside. I will take time to rest with my family and spiritually prepare for the upcoming week. Perhaps you can do this too.

Trusting God in Hard Times

2009-08-09T10:52:00.003-04:00

My church is reading through the book of Acts right now. This week we are reading chapter 16, when Paul and Silas get thrown into prison for preaching about Jesus. They are beat up and then locked in the most secure area of the prison. They were wrongly accused, wrongly persecuted, and they had every right to have a bad attitude and be frustrated with those who punished them. But verse 25 caught my attention...

"About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God."

It doesn't seem that they were phased at all by their persecution. Paul and Silas found hope and trust in God in the midst of a tough time. How often do you trust in God during a tough time? Do you find yourself leaning on Him to get you through or do you question why he has you there in the first place? Through their attitude, Paul and Silas were able to witness to the prisoners and eventually lead the jailer to faith in Jesus Christ. Without a proper perspective, they may have never gotten that chance.

Take some time today to think about how you can trust God in the tough times!

God's Great Creation

2009-07-17T16:01:00.002-04:00

We were at the dunes on Lake Michigan a few days ago with the high school camp session. It was an absolute blast enjoying all the sand, the lake, and the clay pits. Earlier this year we enjoyed the Sleeping Bear Dunes as a staff. In both cases, these huge mountains of sand are absolutely incredible. The thing that amazes me about dunes is that they are continually moving. As you can see in the picture, this dune is slowly taking over some trees at the base of the dune. We often marvel at the huge mountains that God created. He also created movable mountains! He is a great God and He has an awesome creation! Romans 1:20 says that God's power and nature have been clearly seen through all that he has made. That is certainly the case with Lake Michigan, with the giant dunes, and with everything else that is around us. Take some time today to spend outside, marveling at all God has made!

New Camp Dogs

2009-07-02T16:00:00.000-04:00

Our New Family Member
Originally uploaded by coonjamm

Miracle Camp now has 2 new camp dogs!!! The Coon family and the Douglass family each got a new lab puppy. The campers are enjoying playing with them during the day. We will try to update pictures of them as they grow.

Week 1 Slideshow

2009-06-26T12:05:00.001-04:00

Check out this sweet photo slideshow put together by several people who were here for week 1 of this summer. They are from Northwoods Community Church in Peoria, IL. There's some sweet Miracle Camp pictures in here!

Choosing Friends

2009-06-12T12:05:00.002-04:00

Friends can build you up or drag you down! It is important to choose good friends. Nearly everyone I know seeks to be accepted into some group of friends. They desire to be known by someone. They desire to fit in and be liked. However, in our quest for friendship, it's important to choose wisely. We need to choose friends that encourage us, and build us up in our relationship with God. Proverbs 12:26 talks about how a righteous man is careful about the friends he has because wicked people can lead you astray.

This week at camp we have talked a lot about choosing wise friends and following God no matter what the cost!

Here's some more Bible verses that talk about the importance of godly friendship!

Light

2009-04-28T13:58:00.001-04:00

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
--1st John 1.5-7

“Where, except in uncreated light, can the darkness be drowned?”
--C.S. Lewis, “Letters to Malcolm”

At a first glance, you could say today is a gloomy day. There is a blanket of clouds hovering over the tree line, covering up the whole sky. There are puddles of water all over the ground. The water on the lake looks pretty choppy. And my toes are cold.

The thing is, today is cloudy, but it really isn’t gloomy—you know? One of those days when, if someone asked you what color the sky is, you would feel like you had to say “gray,” but that seems like you’re not fully describing it. It’s more like…well, white. Seriously—even the lake is not really a color today; it’s just shiny. It feels like a bunch of light broke through the clouds somewhere, and now it’s trapped, bouncing around in the space between the ground and the cloud-blanket.

And then, add to that the fact that the grass is seriously green, and the dogwood trees have budded fragile white flowers all over, and the daffodils are still bright yellow, and neon green leaves are poking their way through the dark potting soil in the flowerbeds.

At a first glance, today is gloomy. But when you look again—I mean really look—today is beautiful. And what makes it beautiful is that light, trapped between sky and ground. The only reason I can tell you that ‘the daffodils are still bright yellow’ is because the light is hitting them, and bouncing yellow back to my eyes. I can’t see the sun today, nor do I see rays of sunlight breaking through the clouds, but I know there is light today because I see white dogwood buds and carpets of kelley green grass.

For me, it’s like that with God. I say I wish I could see Him, and that life is ‘gloomy’ because I don’t know Him fully. But the truth is, if I saw God in all His glory, I wouldn’t be able to handle it. John says “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.” C.S. Lewis, in his “Letters to Malcolm,” refers to God as “uncreated light.” The sun is created light, and on days when the clouds aren’t doing it for me, I need sunglasses to block out some of its glare. What about a Light where there is no darkness—a Light that put just a little piece of itself in the burning-hot sun? That’s really bright!

One day I will look straight into that Light, and I will finally see the fullness of my Creator. I won’t need sunglasses, and I won’t get burned (which, with my pasty skin, is quite a feat). I will be able to bask in the glory of the God of the Universe, and sin will no longer stand in my way of knowing Him fully.

In the meantime, though, I plan on finding pieces of light in the space between the ground and the cloud-blanket. I want to look for evidence—no matter how small—of God’s grace in my life and in the lives of others. And what is more, I want to point out what I find to other people. I want to encourage them to let the ‘bright yellow’ of the daffodils hit their eyes, and to look for the neon green pushing out of the dark soil.

I think 2nd Peter 5.19 summarizes it:

“And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”

Rest for the Weary

2009-04-07T11:47:00.000-04:00

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my Yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
If I have the choice I would be very tempted to stay inside wrapped in blankets, drinking hot chocolate and reading a good book from November to April. I seem to allow myself to sink down in the pit of irritability and depression most often when it is cold and drab outside. As a disciple of Christ I am called to a Higher Calling! Despite the temperature outside and the circumstances around me I am still called to live as a follower of Jesus and confide in Him my sadness and lack of motivation.
The rest I have found in Christ in so much more fulfilling and meaningful than the rest I attempt to find in myself. I can find rest in the Lord by surrounding myself with my faithful friends and by picking up the Bible and studying it EVEN when I have no desire to do so. I trust that the Lord will give me strength to follow after Him through all of the seasons of life!

Mufasa

2009-04-07T10:09:00.001-04:00

Mufasa, originally uploaded by coonjamm.

This photo is from our Grand Rapids trip to the zoo last week. Last night Emily and I attended the Lion King on Broadway in Lansing. This photo made me remember a portion of the play in which Mufasa (the big dad lion) tells Simba (his son) that he needs to always remember who he is. Later in the movie, when Simba has run away from being king, he is reminded of these words. Simba had to return and be king, even though he didn't want to, because that was who he was. He was the king's son and that was his role. I was challenged as I sat watching the play as I realized that there are probably many times that I neglect my role as a child of the one true king. I must follow in my heavenly father's footsteps as Simba followed his father.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. -Ephesians 5:1

Reviving this blog

2009-03-21T21:17:00.001-04:00

We have decided to revive this blog for the purpose of creating a devotional that is edited by our summer counselors. This blog will be for campers of Miracle Camp and will be featured on our camper website at www.eatchipwiches.com. Be sure to check back for regular updates.

Here's a screenshot of the website that this blog will be featured on...

New Website and New Blog

2006-11-02T16:41:00.001-05:00

Miracle Camp's website now has a totally new look. Check out www.miraclecamp.com to check out the new design!

We also have a totally new blog on our new website so we will no longer be updating this blog with Miracle Camp news. Check out our new blog at the new site!!!

Miracle Camp now has a blog!

2006-03-07T14:26:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Miracle Camp's blog! Miracle Camp and Retreat Center is located in Lawton, MI, near Kalamazoo. We are a camp for all seasons and a retreat center for all kinds of groups. Our website is www.miraclecamp.com.

If you have any comments or ways that Miracle Camp has impacted your life be sure to post them here!