Camp. Camp. And more Camp.

It's that season in the life of our church, in my ministry, and in our family.  Camp season.

So far, my family and I have been to family camp at Pine Cove, our favorite week of the year.  I have preached at a camp, getting the privilege of taking The Bear with me.  We have sent preteens off to Preteen Camp at church and gotten them back.  Lastly, this morning we kick the teenagers and a gaggle of brave volunteers out the door to camp for our Student Ministry.

Whew.

But I love this season.  I love that our family gets time away to do what we need as a family (we call it the beginning of our family's fiscal year).  I love that the preteens and teens have the opportunity to do the same, withdrawing from the distractions for a few days and giving space to needed and eternal things.  I love that I got to be a part of praying for our students, praying with our students, and participating in the ministries to other's students at the camp where I preached.

Not just getting away, though.  There's a focus during camp where you actually expect to hear about God and maybe even from Him.  I remember solidifying my call to ministry at a camp in 1990.  I remember an awareness of the spiritual battle in life when someone at camp talked about it and prayed for us.  Lots of good things in my personal life and in the life of our family have happened at camp.  And tons of great ministry has been done too.  The focus that brings expectancy - that's another good thing about camp.

Lastly, far from hating on the so-called spiritual high at camp, I actually enjoy that people come home ready to make a difference, sing more loudly, and change a few things.  If they even change one thing, that's spiritual progress.  And I'm for it!  Life is full of peaks and valleys.  Certainly that's true spiritually too.  So I celebrate the peaks rather than bemoan the fact that a valley is probably following.

I'm a fan of camp.

But that's just me thinking thoughts...