The Power of Camp Can Change a Child’s Life

The Power of Camp Can Change Lives

Today’s kids have a more isolated and indoor life than in previous generations. They miss the life lessons one can learn at camp—not just about nature and the outdoors—but about the Greatest Adventure of all: learning about a God-centered life.

Check out these stats—and the infographic above. The average child:

. Spends 3.5 minutes in meaningful conversation with their parents each week.¹
. Plays outside an average of four minutes a day.²
. Spends an average of 7.5 hours a day using entertainment media.³

Those are some reasons why Christian Camp and Conference Association (CCCA) recently kicked off “The Power of Camp,” a national marketing initiative to raise awareness of and esteem for Christian camp ministry through various media outlets and social media.

The Power of Camp is the power of hope and an opportunity for a life-changing experience.

Plus, part of this initiative is Corners of the Field, a program to raise funds to send impoverished kids to camp. Wouldn’t it be great if every kid had the ability to go to camp regardless of their ability to pay? For more info on how you can help, go to: www.ccca.org/go/corners.

What’s great about camp?
Approximately 6 million people attended a CCCA member camp each year. There are more than 850 member camps in some of the most beautiful settings in North America—places where caring adults invest in the lives of kids and their families. A safe place to explore, make friends and ask some of life’s most important questions while also enjoying the environment and moments of quietness. Camp provides high adventure like ropes courses, water sports, horseback riding and other activities that help build self-esteem and confidence.

What can you do?
We’re looking for people to help spread the word about The Power of Camp. Here are some social media things you can do:

1.“Like” www.facebook.com/thepowerofcamp and watch for news and updates about the campaign. Repost Facebook and Twitter info about the national campaign.

2. Visit the Web site: www.thepowerofcamp.com to learn more. If you’re a parent looking for a camp to send your children to, check out the Find a Camp link.

3. Send powerful stories (and photos) of how camp has changed your life—or your child’s—to Julie Hill at jhill@ccca.org.

4. Link to, download or share The Power of Camp infographic (the visual piece, also shown above, helps people quickly understand some of the issues facing young people and how The Power of Camp brings help) and send through your email, social networks and blogs.

Christian camp ministry can make an eternal difference in a child’s life. It did for the president of CCCA, Gregg Hunter. As a teen, someone provided a camp scholarship for him and it was there he made a life-changing decision to follow Christ.

Check out The Power of Camp at www.thepowerofcamp.com.
Spread the word through your social media channels. Send your child to a CCCA member camp—or donate so a child in need can go.

And you can make a difference in a kid’s life, too!



¹http://www.csun.edu/science/health/docs/tv&health.html
²http://www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/8010.pdf
³http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/problem.html

Are You Dating or Just Friends?

“Where do we stand?”
Are we dating or just friends?"

It's confusing. It's maddening. It's the peculiar place between friendship and dating; I call it the Unknown Zone. You hang out with someone of the opposite sex. But it's so uncertain. Your relationship has not been defined.

Not really.

Sure, it could turn into something real and lasting, or it may not. How can you know when he doesn’t communicate or his signals are mixed?

Michelle McKinney Hammond gets to the heart of the matter in The Unspoken Rules of Love: “If he does not ask you to have an exclusive relationship with him, assume that you are not in one.”

The guy needs to be initiating and pursuing you. If not, she continues, “Consider and enjoy your other options. Do not behave as if you are in a committed relationship when you are not. Doing so will only entangle your heart and set you up for disappointment and heartbreak. If he doesn’t tell you he wants to be in a committed relationship, consider yourself officially ‘just a friend.’”

Entangled. Yikes. That’s a hard place to be—not really in a real relationship, not really out of one and full of uncertainty.

A pastor I know once said, “The proof of desire is in the pursuit.” If a man wants to get to know you, you will know his intentions. You won’t have to guess. Don’t pretend it's okay because of excuses like: maybe he’s just busy, maybe he’s shy, maybe he’s had a family crisis, or maybe (fill in the blank).

The bottom line is for whatever reason (you don’t even have to know what it is) if he is not pursuing you, then you need to let it go. March forward with your life and trust God for the right man for you.

Sure, it may be hard to let go. But when you do, you free yourself up for the Real Thing. Don’t settle for “it's sorta something” when God want the very BEST for you.

And when the right one for you comes along, you’ll know—-because he will show you and tell you.


Today's post was a reprise of one of the most popular blog posts on A New Day Cafe.

The Look of Love

Imagine you're at a wedding, and you see the bride walking down the aisle. But she is not looking at the groom, her intended. No, she is looking at the best man--and flirting with him! You are shocked. Appalled.

Who would DO such a thing!

Then imagine the bride is you. The bridegroom is Jesus Christ and you are ignoring him. Instead you're focused on the "best man" of what you THINK are the best things in life...He tries to woo you away from the True Best Man who promises lasting love; the best man is not the intended.

How would He feel? The One who loves you most would do anything for you, and your heart is toward another.

Ouch.

This poem captures that intensity...and offers hope. Remember Who loves you.


Flirting with the Best Man

Staring at the bridegroom
Stands a radiant, stunning bride.
Draped in silk and taffeta
And yet her vision slides…
To the man standing beside him
With a grin a mile wide.

Looking handsome as he can be
Is the bridegroom’s own best man.
The bride looks down and clutches hard
The bouquet between her hands,
Wondering how this new distraction
Will affect her wedding plans.

The best man tries to woo her,
The bride becomes confused.
She thought the bridegroom was the one,
Yet now she has to choose.
Will she pass the tempter’s test?
What does she have to lose?

Though lured for just a moment
Her heart cries out, “No, wait!”
For the bride could see the look of love
Upon the bridegroom’s face.
How could another ever take
Her dear beloved’s place?

A test, indeed, for we, the Bride,
The Church, have often spurned
The One, True Bridegroom, Jesus Christ.
O, how our hearts have turned!
We try to seek and find true love,
But lessons must be learned:

No flirting with the best man.
Don’t let the feelings start.
For the best man is not always
The best man for the part.
The Bridegroom is the Chosen One,
And He must have your heart.

-- Jackie M. Johnson

Happy Heart Day -- Whether You Have Someone Special or Not

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. If you have someone special to love--and be loved by--count your blessings. Be thankful. Treat him or her special every day, not just on the Love Holiday.

If you're on the other end of the love spectrum--getting over a breakup, then here's some hope.

Last week I was interviewed on the radio about my breakup book, "When Love Ends and the Ice Cream Carton Is Empty" (Moody Publishing) on WBCL - Fort Wayne, Ind. Our host talke with me and guest David Hawkins, a Christian author and counselor about how to deal with the myriad emtions of getting dumped--and how to move forward.

Need hope? Here's a link to the interview. Click on it, scroll down and click LISTEN NOW. Or, share the link with a friend in need.

http://www.wbcl.org/media-manager/when-love-ends

Take a listen. Find hope. And know that on Valentine's Day and every day you are loved. God not only loves you, he likes you. He provides, protects and (I love this one) he accepts us. Unconditionally. Just the way we are.

Wow.

Now that's a love that will certainly last a lifetime--and beyond.

Love is...

Love is patient...love is kind.

Resilience: Bouncing Back After A Breakup

Breakups can be difficult. When I was younger it seemed that every broken relationship I had with a guy was completely devastating. Back then, I didn’t have the emotional resources to handle the situation. After one particularly sad ending, I remember how hard it was to even eat. Lifting a fork to my mouth seemed like a Herculean effort.

I felt as if I was tree in a windstorm, tossed about an bending precariously close to the ground. The good news is that in time, the emotional storm ended. Gray clouds rolled away and revealed the hopeful light of the sun again. Hope returned!

Recovering from rejection takes time and the truth. Learning the truth about your situation, who you are in Christ and how much God loves you are keys to healing. You are loved, and you are worth being loved WELL.

Resilience is the ability to bounce back after hard times. Do you allow the tragedies of life to destroy you, or can you learn from them and move forward with new courage and hope that God will provide for you? Conside these ideas:

Accept the fact that life will never be the same again. You are different, the situation is different. In time, healing will come and you will grow to be a stronger and better person.

Express your feelings appropriately. Many people suppress their emotions and try to push them away. But like a beach ball shoved under the water, your emotions will pop back up again and they may come back up in a place and time you least expect it. Start by naming what you feel and letting yourself feel it (with yourself, a counselor or trusted friend). Like “I am angry…I am hurt…I am sad…”

Grieve the loss. Death, divorce, breakups, and the loss of a dream are some of the most devastating situations in life. Sometimes you just need to cry and cry out to God. He is always there with open arms to comfort and heal.

Look up with hope. Although it may not seem like it, your stormy times will end. We can have peace because God has a plan. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring but we know the One who knows. Never doubt the goodness of God.

Give God time. Healing comes step-by-step. Each day brings you closer, whether it’s through a friend’s phone call or a new truth learned in a book you've read. Some well-meaning people may say things like, “Get over it” or “Get on with your life.” But you can know that God has you on his timetable and His timing is perfect!

Learning resilience, recovering, and starting over is about letting go of what we think should happen and when it should happen. It’s total dependence on God to bring us back to wholeness. Healing will come. You will survive–and in time, thrive!

Lord, give me the strength to be resilient. May you bring growth from the pain, order from the chaos and abundance out of my lack. Fill me with Your love and joy again.

You Were "Made to Crave"

It's January. The time of year many people make resolutions. Like losing weight. Often we start with good intentions, and fail. And start again. And like a hamster on a perpetual wheel our desire to lose weight seems to go nowhere.

Until now.

I believe that author and weight-loss achiever, Lysa TerKeurst is on to something. Her book, "Made to Crave" shows readers how to satisfy our deepest desires with God, not food.

In addition to the book, there is also a six-session video series and a workbook. The first session of the video is available FREE on YouTube at this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4crXOCVhX1w

This year is going to be different. I, for one, want to finally make that change--lose weight, be healthier and get on with all God has for me in this life.

How about you?