Why Are Campouts Great? Community

Last weekend we had the opportunity to go on a campout with a group of other Christian families. Some we know pretty well, while others were new to us. We all have daughters in the American Heritage Girls.

The campout took place at beautiful Magnolia Springs State Park, which is about two hours from here. We all stayed at a pioneer campsite, which means sleeping in tents, cooking over outdoor stoves, sitting around the fire, and using a scary outhouse. It was real camping (as opposed to staying in some sort of cottage with electricity. O.K. I admit to having done that before).

We enjoyed fishing, going on hikes through the woods, playing games, eating lots of good food, watching the animals, etc. Personally, it was great just to breathe in a lot of fresh air (I work in a construction equipment factory with less than the best air quality).

As I think back on the campout, it is clear what made it great. It was the community. Campouts like this provide the rare opportunity to spend many hours with friends away from the distractions of everyday life. While group camping, all the tents are within a few feet of each other. Most electronic distractions are a non-issue. There isn't much to do but hang out and talk. This may involve taking hikes and playing games, or it might just mean sitting in chairs in a circle. Regardless, it provides something that is difficult to come by most of the time: a lot of time to talk and simply be together.

It strikes me that the church would benefit from functioning much like folks at a campout. We would spend a lot of time together, hanging out, eating, playing games, and talking a lot. We would share our lives together for bulks of time (this, of course, is not all the church would do.)

We can learn a lot from campouts. I hope we are able to go on another one soon.

Earth As Art

God created this world to display His infinite glory. Because of this, I enjoy seeing photos like these that show the earth as art.

(TC)

A Great Family Weekend

We had a great time as a family this past weekend at Magnolia Springs State Park. For the first time in years, our family, my sister's family, and my parents all spent a chunk of time together away from the busyness of life. We went canoeing, walked trails, played games, sat around the campfire, consumed burgers and s'mores, found alligators (to watch, not play with), and just enjoyed being together. Additionally, it was wonderful to have some time to enjoy God through His creation. In other words, instead of just admiring the beauty of nature, I wanted to enjoyed the Creator of the beauty in which I was basking. God is good to show us glimpses of His glory through what He has created.

This is Mary and me canoeing. I would have smiled but the sun was temporarily blinding me (notice Mary's tinted lenses).

Me standing by a fallen tree stump

Caroline by a very dead pine

Gator relaxing in pond / us safely on bridge above

Gator on the prowl

Favorite Falls Foto

I love this photo from Niagara Falls. That's my daughter Mary and me standing at the base of the American Falls back in July. After going down an elevator on the Cave of the Winds Tour, we walked to the bottom of the falls. Yes, that is falls water splashing down our backs. Refreshing!

Gorgeous Double Rainbow

Thanks to Dave Black for sharing this amazing video of a double rainbow. "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." Psalm 19:1

Good Stuff From Africa

Click here to see photos from my parents' recent trip to Hell's Gate National Park in Kenya. The place might sound scary, but it is actually quite beautiful.

Earth Day - What Do We Do With It?

Earth Day 2010 is tomorrow. How should we, as followers of Jesus Christ, respond to this?

First, let me mention what we should not do. We should avoid simply falling into line with either of the two major political parties on this issue. On the one hand, let's not follow the Democratic Party in worshiping the earth. On the other hand, let's not follow the Republican Party in acting like the earth is ours to destroy.

As in all areas of life, let's make biblically informed decisions.

On the issue of the environment in particular, Genesis 1:1 should settle things for us. We are told, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." We learn a couple of important things here. First, God exists. Second, He made everything and therefore owns everything.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we must recognize that we are stewards of God's creation. We don't really own anything. As Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden, "to tend and keep it," we should do the same. God has created us to glorify Him in all of life. As we do this, we will consume some of His creation. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. However, we should be responsible as we do so.

The problem with the politics of this situation is that neither side takes a biblical view of creation. The liberals care about the environment, but they have turned nature into a god to be worshiped. They fulfill Romans 1:25, which tells us that they, "worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator."

The conservatives may (or may not) worship the God of the bible, but they do not act like they care about His creation at all. Instead of working with the liberals to find ways to conserve God's creation, they act like they would prefer it be destroyed.

As Christians, we should care about nature. It is God's and points to God. When we see a beautiful flower, a magnificent sunset, or a mighty wave crashing on a beach, these all give us a small glimpse of the glory of the Lord. Because of this, we need to be good stewards of His creation.

As we do so, let us remember that we care for nature not as an end in itself. We do not worship the created order, but instead look to the One who made all of it. Let us glory in the Maker of all things.

Below are three photos from God's creation. They are part of some sort of auction related to Earth Day. I liked these three the best. To see the rest, click here. To see some excellent photos of the sun, click here.

My Favorite Flowers

These are my favorite flowers. Anyone know why?

Savannah's Secret Gardens

I love living in Savannah.

The best part about residing here is visiting the historic district. While many southern cities lost their historic buildings during the civil war, Savannah's remains. When General Sherman concluded his infamous "March to the Sea," he decided that Savannah was too beautiful to burn.

I enjoy wandering around the historic district, gazing at the old buildings, numerous statues, Live Oaks, Azaleas, and multiple parks. Every time I go downtown I see something new.

One aspect of Savannah that is easy to miss is what I'll refer to as "secret gardens." I'm not talking about the movie from the early 1990's. Rather, I'm describing small, highly cared-for gardens that sit quietly between the various historic residences. Today I took the above photo of a garden I had not seen before (I apologize for the lack of picture quality; I took it with my phone).

The gardens add a tranquil, subtle, and beautiful quality to the city. They are areas where people have spent time in cultivating God's wonderful creation. Not only do the home-owners get to enjoy the scenery, but so do the locals and tourists.

Finding these gardens requires qualities lacking in much of our society. For one thing, our loud and crass society no longer appreciates things that are subtle and quiet. Also, in order to find the various gardens, you actually have to walk. Not so many people want to get out of the car anymore. Lastly, since you can't actually enter many of the gardens, most folks won't want to bother.

These gardens are a reminder of a quieter time when society was much more modest. I look forward to discovering new gardens in Savannah.

Come for a visit.

Seeing God's Glory in My Yard

To know that God is glorious, all I have to do is look at this Azalea in my yard. These blossoms did not occur by accident. They are too beautiful for that. Instead, the majestic God of the bible gives us a peek at His glory through beauty like this. I thank Him for both His general and special revelation.

On Learning From a Goose

Canadian Geese regularly visit our backyard. The reason for this is that our property backs up to a pond. We put a lot of birdseed in feeders and on the ground. We have squirrels, Muscovy ducks, and all kinds of song birds. These all stuff themselves as if in a race to see who can get the fattest. It is everyone for himself.

Not so with the Canadian Geese. They come into our yard in pairs. They eat the same way every time. One eats while the other stands and keeps guard. The one who is eating has nothing to worry about because the other is constantly looking around for possible threats. When the first one concludes eating, the other feeds. The full one then takes its turn standing guard.

Simply put, the Canadian Geese act as a team. They take care of their own needs and the needs of the other. Unlike the other animals, they don't focus only on self.

This could be a bit of a reach, but I think we could learn a great deal from these geese. Far too often we Christians focus on our own needs before the needs of others. This happens both inside and outside the church gathering. We are often only happy if we like all that is happening.

Wouldn't the church function much better if we acted like Canadian Geese? It would be wonderful if we all focused on the needs of others along with our own. Even better, what if we looked out for the needs of others before our own? What if we focused on looking out for and keeping watch over others? This would cause the church to be a truly united group of people living like the Lord Jesus wants us to.

I think Paul had something to say about this. Philippians 2:3-4 says, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."

The Heavens Declare the Glory of God...

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." Psalm 19:1
Click here to see the Hubble Telescope's greatest hits.

More Great Photos from Kenya

As I have mentioned before, my parents are serving this school year at Rift Valley Academy in Kenya. As a bonus for them, the scenery where they are located is beautiful.

The photo to the left clearly shows some of the mountains and valleys near my parents. I have to admit a bit of jealousy since we live where everything is flat.

My parents just recently updated their blog with many new photos from their school and the area surrounding it. I encourage you to take a look. God has truly blessed Kenya with much natural beauty.