Saturday, June 21, 2008

Summer time and loving it

Today is the first day of summer.
Some of my best memories growing up were in the summer.
I remember going out in the morning, coming home for lunch, unless I had lunch at a friends house, then back out till supper and out again until dark. Army...cowboys and Indians...race car drivers...kickball...football...baseball...basketball...bicycles (do you remember ballons or playing cards in the spokes to sound like a motor)... swimming in the river or a sandpit (not a great idea there) delivering papers...cutting yards...reading comic books...summer camp.

Summer camp...we take our church youth to summer camp every year...but it's a little different from the camps I went to. Today our kids stay in college dorms or similar type housing and they have a power packed day. Live, loud and uplifting praise bands lead them in music...some high energy camp pastor comes out in shorts and flip flops and captures the campers attention with funny stories and optical illustrations, etc. One year I watched a guy blow up a cake with a fire cracker for his sermon illustration...hey, the kids payed attention. High tech games and group exercises, along with traditional stuff like softball & swimming are also utilized.

When I went to camp...canoing, swimming and softball and hiking were the extent of activities. At night we met around a camp fire and some local pastor would show up in his black dress pants and white dress shirt and skinny black tie (90 degrees out side) and after somebody played kumbaya on the guitar a few times, the "camp" preacher preached his sermon. Things have changed.

However, what hasn't changed is the life-changing message of the gospel. And one night, when that fully dressed preacher shared that story almost 40 years ago by that camp fire, my heart was stirred and I responded to his invitation and it was then that I asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart.

My life has never been the same.

Man I love summer. Still making good memories.

Have a safe and happy and fruitful summer.

2 comments:

Cris said...

This is a first for me too. Responding to a blog. I have fought against it because of all the trash out there. I think I was 'throwing the baby out with the bath water.' I'm sure the old-timers...not me or you...even older...fought against the use of radio and tv. If we are to reach this generation we must keep up with them electronically. So keep up the good work. Blog on!

Julia said...

Hello, I too appreciate your blog...I am Kevin Buzzards mom and want to know more about your church and get to know the people where my son and daughter-in-law and precious grandson are ministering..Thanks for welcoming them so nicely..