Ahhh Camp....

This week I am co-deaning for Pasadena District Senior High Camp. Originally I was just supposed to be a counselor, but then the other co-dean moved to Texas and was just going to come back for the week of camp and the spirit moved for her to attend to her family and new home and life and for me to become the dean. Just for the record, I wasn't exactly sure what I was taking on when I said yes, and quite frankly, some of it is still pretty fuzzy, but hey, clarity has never been a pre-req for following where God leads me! lol. My primary pre-camp responsibility was writing curriculum. G, the other co-dean, had given me some pre-fab stuff, but I am not a huge fan of pre-fab, though I do use it occassionally, or at least some variation of it for my weekly youth group, and it felt like doing something from scratch would work better. So I read a book my dad had loaned me, The Ten Commandments from the Backside, which is absolutely wonderful and it forms the backbone of our curriculum.

Briefly about the book--it basically works off the assumption that people seem to resent the 10 Commandments as a bunch of rules that serve more as an imposition than a blessing. "Thou shalt not....thou shalt not.....though shalt not...." and he alters each commandment so that we come to view them more as a blessing and gift from God than some superstructure of rigid law. Hopefully when I have more time I will type them up for you so you can see what he means.

Back to camp, it looks like we have a solid staff. I was honored to bring two folks from my church (one a recent college grad and one an 80 year old woman who thought it'd be fun to be a counselor!!!) and invited my parents who agreed as well! I love camp. I love being in the mountains, smelling the pine, listening to the breeze rustle through the pine needles--it's so easy to hear God here, I absolutely love it and I love the opportunity to be a part of an intensive spiritual week for camp, and counselors too.

this morning I asked my dad if he'd think about "how I might be more dean-like". I don't feel like a dean, and I am not sure what exactly I am supposed to do to fulfill my role, but hopefully whatever I do it will edify the folks who have come and glorify God along the way.