Summer Camp - Joy in Community

Quote of the Day:  Joy is Peace dancing.  Peace is Joy at rest. Words shared in community at Mount Carmel Camp on the waters of Lake Carlos in central Minnesota.

Nothing says summer camp better than tie-dyed t-shirts!  We also had camp food, swimming in the lake, fellowship, new friends, stormy weather, gorgeous weather, and a canteen that sold popcorn, candy and ice cream.

Here's our new friend, Feyat, from the Cameroon, popping corn, as he said it during canteen.





Mount Carmel is a Christian camp/retreat center that has been part of my family's summer since I was four years old.  My mom came here for the first time when she was 10 with her parents for a family camp experience in a Christian community.  In the morning, we listen to speakers while the children have Bible school with camp counselors.  In the afternoons, we enjoy all the beauty of God's creation in and around the camp.  In the evening, we have a worship service, games for the kids, extras like a talent show, classical recital and, of course, campfires!

Families gathered here to reunite for a week of fellowship and fun.  Old friends met up, some finding each other the same week year after year to camp together, and new friends are made.

Look! She journals, too.

Melinda is just one of the beautiful people that I met in this camp community.  I have so many more to introduce to you.  The boys and I had a great time at summer camp, just being together.

Journaling Prompt:  Describe a summer camp experience or a family tradition from summer trips.

Sunshine and Sorrow

Quote of the Day:

Touched by An Angel

by Maya Angelou

We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life.


Love arrives
and in its train come ecstasies
old memories of pleasure
ancient histories of pain.
Yet if we are bold,
love strikes away the chains of fear
from our souls.


We are weaned from our timidity
In the flush of love's light
we dare be brave
And suddenly we see
that love costs all we are
and will ever be.
Yet it is only love
which sets us free.

A rose is a symbol of love. Its gorgeous shape and delicious smell draw us in.  And, yet, this beauty doesn't live forever, and its thorns tear the flesh.

We enjoyed a wonderful weekend, sunny skies, warm weather, time with friends, great conversation, and delicious food.  I finished reading the book I found on my trip West by Maya Angelou.  While I was enjoying all those things, my friend was deciding to take her four-year-old son off life support. We don't know why he stopped breathing in the night, why his brain swelled and caused so much damage, or why his days on this Earth were so short.  His brief life brought joy, love, and meaning.

God sends us sweet roses, loving friends, and magnificent sunrises to help us through the dark days.

The sunrise on the West Coast looked like this, the full moon still shining over the water, and the sun reflecting off the front of the waves. 

From Psalm 30, Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning. 

Journaling Prompt:  Write about your recent joys and sorrows.