!!!!!Camp Starts!!!!!

The 1st day of camp! Yowza! It doens't get any better, does it?
One of the accomplishments of CMAA. New basketball poles, rims, backboards and the obligatory Camp Manatawny Indian Chief!

What will we do in the future? Well the bathhouses are not a pretty investment like the Low Ropes course or the basketball nets and we do need a new playground, but a new bathhouse facility with some bunking capabilities will help camp out a lot. Matthew 21:19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered. Now it can certainly be argued that camp, like the fig tree needs to bear fruit in the form of people. I believe we do that well. Building a new bathhouse or a new playground allows the Camp Manatawny experience to become even stronger and builds people. Camp like church is not a building or buildings. It is people.....people like you and me. Help us build camp and by doing that you are building people and then we ARE a fruitful fig tree.....amen!

FIRST LOOK

Camp Manatawny

The closest place to heaven I've ever experienced

CAMP MANATAWNY

sessions start saturday

Matthew 10:42

Alrighty campers...time to get SERIOUS!

The homeless.
How do we see them. Pity? Disgust?
I ask you.....WWJD?
How does God see them?
If you smile at them, they will smile back.
They are more likely to say God bless you then anyone else I talk with.
More people will take pity on the dog then the man.
And what does Matthew 10:42 say and how does it apply here?
How do you handle them...refusal to give $$$, give food instead or just ignorance. Or do you just give them money? What do they do with the money if you give it to them, does it matter?
Jesus hung with the poor...the dirt poor. Is that the equivalent to a homeless person.

I see them almost daily and have had to answer many of the above questions.
Just think...think about it....think about them....they have names and they will bless you.

QOTM (question of the moment)

10 points to the winner

and 2 points to each person that tried!

...and this moments question is...

What am I?

First blog visitor to get it right automatically gets 10 points

ready, set, go!

encouragement

The Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down twenty-two thousand Israelites on the battlefield that day. But the men of Israel encouraged one another and again took up their positions where they had stationed themselves the first day. The Israelites went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and they inquired of the LORD. They said, "Shall we go up again to battle against the Benjamites, our brothers?" The LORD answered, "Go up against them."

If we all encouraged one another.

If we all loved one another.

If we all, looked at each other the way God looks at us all.

John Lennon (and I am a HUGE Beatles fan) said "imagine". God said LOVE.

Camp Songs

I remember so many songs @ camp.

Singing Someday as a staff song during Elementary I. It was the first time I had ever heard the song and when we (staff) would practice it would blow me away. When we sang it for the campers I had a hard time keeping a dry eye.

Singing Little Red Wagon during campfire. This is a cut loose song....'course it doesn't start out that way.

Hearing camp sing is the kind of thing you might forget about and once you do it again....it blows you away. We have taken many "camp" songs (really just new songs to us) back to the church and started singing them....Light the Fire~~Here I am to Worship to name a few.

When we first did Prince of Peace it was amazing. This was during Intermediate II a coupla years back....what a song. When camp gets this going it is amazing. Brings a BIG tear to my eyes no matter what.

Pretty soon camp will be singing again, in fact I think I hear it now....the voices singing together, to God. Bringing Him glory, letting Him be in them.

No matter your voice....bring it. God loves it.

In Cleveland, Ohio they have the house that rock built~~The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Right here, right now....You are the house that God built....live it.

will camp be ready for YOU?

ask not what camp can do for you....but, what can you do for camp?

Pics taken last week on 5/23/2007

Wanna work @ camp???

If you are interested in working @ the canteen this summer please contact me asap.

Just drop an email addy in the comment section of this post.

We are looking for Saturday workers and people who can do candy runs @ Sam's club for sodas and candy.

Hope you can help!

Sunday

A day of rest.........

Saturday~~simple

God's word is simple.

Come like a child.

Love like a child.

Why worry?

Proverbs 25:21

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;

And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

Jesus defined who a neighbor is in Luke chapter 10

If that is our neighbor, who is our enemy?

What if we loved EVERYONE the way He loves us?

Children have love, watch them.

fridays

Friday in camp is always the last full day of a camping session.

When Sat comes we are out of camp before we have a chance to even realize what happened.

If we knew on Fri afternoon what we knew on Sat would it be any different.

Would we have hugged more people?

Sat happens so fast

Why can't we think of loving more people on Fri??

Maybe because on Sat....camp is over!

OR it can mean camp is starting....

It just depends on YOUR perspective.

thursday~~~thanks

LORD

thank you for clean drinking water

thank you that i have never been hungry

thank you that my children have never been hungry

thank you that our children do not die from common diseases

LORD

i am a rich man

guide me, teach me,

O'LORD, to use my riches to help others

forgive me Father

use me LORD, to glorify you

thank you LORD for clean drinking water

thankyou

thank you for the food you bless me and my family with everyday

wednesday- WISH!

I am trying to post everyday this week.
Wishes....how often do we wish? Birthdays--when we blow out the candles we are supposed to wish. When you blow the fluff from a dandelion, you wish.
You are not supposed to tell your wishes.....here's mine....

I wish that everyone could love like Jesus. I see so many people everyday and most of them want to be good. Imagine the love of Jesus Christ---no really imagine it, He died, for us to live. Gave His life for you and me. Think about it....Him, dying on a cross for YOU....think about it....His arms and feet being nailed to wood....for YOU.
Really. He loves us. Now, can the world love like Him?
Maybe just maybe if we all stop being self-centered for a minute and worry about the person next to us, behind us and across from us....if we think about others 1st....then....maybe if we do that someone will see us doing that and do it too.
WOW!
Double WOW!!

If we act like Jesus....others may do the same and if all of the others in the world keep acting like Jesus then the next thing ya' know.....We are all in heaven.
Everybody together on this one----

WOW!

Tuesdays and TROUBLE

Remember the guys who left their fishing to go and be with God (Jesus). Who were they? Where they any different then you and me?

Jesus said; "Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men". I wrote a few posts ago about being leaders...Jesus wants us to follow. follow Him. Are we washing feet? Are we serving others? So here we are...working-studying-living a family life and are we fishing for men? Are we letting Jesus Christ shine out from us? When you are doing your daily life do people know who you are? Do they know what you believe? Are you steadfast in what you know to be true?

Everyday at work, work engulfs me and takes over for me. It becomes who I am, when I want who I am, to be Christ. STOP!!! I want to be like Him!!!

The bible tells us to pray for wisdom and pray for understanding for these are far more valuable then rubies ( have you seen beautiful rubies???). Pray for these things----Pray for wisdom and understanding.

ahhhh......wisdom

ahhhhh....understanding

what matters?

Mondays and PURPOSE

As we get up and out for this exciting day....what is our purpose?

When I am at camp and arise to the sound of basketballs dribbling on the court I am usually looking forward to a day of being filled with the Spirit and filling others with the Spirit.

It seems so easy to do at camp and difficult to do at home//school//work.

WHY??!!

It is actually very easy....Our purpose @ camp and in our normal daily world

ARE ONE and the SAME.

It's our attitude that gets in the way....

camp is easy, loving and nurturing.....

the daily lives we lead usually are not, they are of the world.

Our purpose is to change the world....fill it with Christ. Fill it with love!!

If we show Jesus, people will know and we will have fulfilled our purpose.

Have purpose.

Have Christ.

Show Him through love.

Enjoy the week....spring has sprung and camping sessions are around the corner!!!

On leadership....

...when you break trail, you need to push branches & rocks out of the way....the branches tend to have thorns and it is a fight to get through and make a new trail. People will question you as to what you are doing and where you are going. Listen to them....consider their words and adjust if needed, but regardless continue on in the main direction you are led to go....pull the thorns out and accept the loss of blood. Learn how to break the trail and learn to lead. Stay focused on what you know to be right and be sure to have integrity. Be authentic in who and what you are. Not everyone will stay with you and that's ok. The right path is the narrow one.

Enter through the narrow gate.

For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction,

and many enter through it.

Matthew 7:13

Friends @ camp are...

FRIENDS FOREVER!!

(including heaven)

Camping Sessions are coming

There are few things in life that I prepare way in advance for every year. Camp is one of them. We have started preparing for talent nite....actually we hope that the powers to be (directors) will go a step further and allow us an hour to perform on Friday nite.
As I travel the train to work this AM (PHI to WAS). I am again struggling with who I am am and my purpose. I truly try to inspire people in all walks every possible minute that I can and see our lives here as, but a mist and yet right now my job has time flying by at incredible speed.

Back to the music at hand--- I think we have a solid three songs we will be working on with maybe 2-3 more in the works. I am a music lover, but let me tell you....singing praises to God with or without an instrument is one of my favorite pastimes.
I recently started songleading @ my church and it is exhilarating...it took a while to get past the nervousness of singing, but all the while remembering that I was with family made it easier.
Some of my faves to sing:
Here I am to Worship
Shout to the Lord
Listen to Our Hearts
Step by Step
How Great Thou Art
Prince of Peace
I learned Prince of Peace from a pretty cool fella @ camp a few years ago; Monty Tuttle and family. When we geared up the kids to sing this it was some of the most beautiful singing ever.
It could bring a tear to your eye....all this being said let me add some scripture to your day:

And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.
But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became indignant and said to Him, "Do You hear what these children are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'OUT OF THE MOUTH OF INFANTS AND NURSING BABIES YOU HAVE PREPARED PRAISE FOR YOURSELF'?"

Children GET God....become childlike with Him!

Authentic

What's REAL??

Look in my eyes and tell me....am I real?

The one whose name I don't like to mention ( think evil one) will look in your eyes and is real....but is also the King of Lies.

God is the King of Kings and is justice~~~God does not lie and is as real as it gets!!!

I look at so much and it is so fake---including people---be real out there---

Everyone wants something for nothing, don't let that be you. Work for what you want/have and give to all who have need. Don't judge when you give, but give with love.

Look around~~ the world is searching for the truth of life and it is right in front of them!
It's Jesus Christ whose name is so common that it is not respected and what does that tell you???

Yup, He's as real and authentic as it gets!

Be the truth~~ Be Jesus~~Right here, right now!

Stand apart

Rocky Balboa and the book of James

It ain't how hard you hit, its how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward! ... Rocky Balboa

Been thinking of some of my camp friends who are going through some tough times.

James said it this way: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

The world is a HARSH place. Divorce--Sickness--Hurt--Pain--Death
But if you really, really, really, believe in God and that Jesus is His son, well, then, you can rest assured that He has prepared a place for you.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

That is heaven....the most beautiful place you can't even imagine.

God loves all of us so much despite our misgivings. Do not let man get in the way of God for you. Man's faults are the reason Jesus died. God loves you that much. Read His word and learn it for yourself and pray to Him.....do these things and YOU will start to SEE HIM.....

Sound crazy?
I don't think so.

the one thing that i know...

Arms nailed down, are you telling me something?

Eyes turned out, are you looking for someone?

This is the one thing, The one thing that I know.

Blood-stained brow, are you dying for nothing?

Flesh and blood, is it so elemental?

This is the one thing, The one thing that I know.

Blood-stained brow, He wasn't broken for nothing.

Arms nailed down, He didn't die for nothing.

This is the one thing,

I caught Jars of Clay last nite in Philly. Quite often dubbed as a Christian band. I like what the lead singer expressed to an interviewer once a little better then agreeing with the label of Christian music.

Dan Haseltine said: "our songs ... [are] not really there to explain our faith," but are "written about our life that is affected by our faith."

Shirt Update

Alrighty campers here is where we are:

Tye-Dye Green & White is @ 17 votes

Old School Green is @ 12

That being said I have found a source for shirts that is price friendly. So this looks like a go and the Cutts family will not have to become a tye-dye factory (they might be disappointed!).

Here is the concern:

The green and white tye dye shirt are not as fun and flashy as you might think. The green being used is more of a forest/hunter green (dark) and not really a fun happy green :(

I am thinking of pulling rank and ordering the common rainbow tye dyes....you know the over the top, insane, happy, fun, cheerful type :)

If you would like to weigh in on this thought process just "hit" comment.

If I, and whomever might weigh in, pull rank that means that we will have disillusioned the 29 souls who have thus far voted for either of the above choices....thoughts?

camp is cool

Camp is cool!

Why?

Because you can be yourself and yet you are loved.

Why?

Because the people at camp are trying to be like Jesus and love.

Why?

There are lots of reasons as to "why" we want to be like Jesus.

Lots and lots of academic reasons,

but the bottom line is.....

it just feels right

spring has sprung

Good AM campers!

It's a Sunday!

A day to worship Him
Sing to him
pray to Him

Pray...pray constantly, always talk to Him

Who by worrying can add one day or hour to their life?

Do the birds worry about being fed?

God loves us all so much.
His love is greater then ANYTHING we can even imagine
We cannot even comprehend Him

Do you realize that your home is not your home?
What will you do on earth that will matter?

Our home is with Him
Him who gives l ife eternally
Him who forgives,
loves without question

May your foundation be on the word of God
May you take this day and give it to God
Let others see the Holy Spirit in you

love to love

activities

Where do you start? Canoes, rifles, hay rides, horses, nuke-em, tether ball....the list goes on and on and on and on.....activites are awesome. I love 'em! I have watched campers catch their first fish and shoot their first rifle and ride a horse for the first time. Great stuff. I have witnessed some very, very intense tether ball games. Camp is people. People who have been made in the image of God~~~

WOW!

I love the activities and the land that camp sits on, but without you, made in His image, camp is nothing.

Question of the Day

What is your favorite cabin # ?????

Mine's Boy's 5

talking to God

here we go!!!!!!!

I had a chance to pray today....REALLY pray. Wow! When you pray, like groaning, it can really be exciting. It seems like so many crazy things are happening in this world and then I need to remind myself to build treasures in heaven and not on earth. Do you do that, build treasures on earth? C'mon, think about it....what's REALLY important?

People or things?

That answer is to easy, but yet do we practice it?

Go ahead....CRY OUT to God. He wants you to! Pray to Him for things that matter....pray for others.

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44)

Have you ever had a prayer to God answered??

I have had many prayers answered, and some were some serious prayers. God does answer prayers and He is listening.....just talk with Him....that's what prayer is; talking with God, He's listening....

creative kitchen staff

They can't even remeber what they named him/her!

Rules and Regs

When you post something out there that causes some competition you need to have your rules and regulations. So, here goes;
1. The staff shirt competition will be between:
OLD SCHOOL GREEN vs. GREEN & WHITE TIE-DYE

2. Shirts will say STAFF on the back and will be typical of past staff shirts with one, hidden, not yet revealed albeit minor twist.

3. Only one vote per person. God is watching you.

4. You can convince as many people that you want to vote, but just like BIG BOY politics, we have our limits. You are only allowed to convince 1,000 people to vote. Now they of course can also convince 1,000 people and so on and so forth.... hmmmmm what if we just convinced 10 people to love Jesus and they convinced 10 people to love Jesus and.....

5. All votes must be sumitted by midnite on 4/15/07. Absentee votes will not be considered and there will be no filing for extensions.

6. I am the tallyer of votes. I do my best to count them correctly but, hey I am just a regular "joe" like you and if I make a mistake it is not intentional. If you don't like the rules get in the game I have been looking for a "few good people to help post on the blog" so if you want to help out, let me know.

7. Now go out and win some souls for God...till then the score is

drum roll please

OLD SCHOOL GREEN 12

GREEN & WHITE TIE-DYE 16

Question of the day...

BEFORE
AFTER

What is your favorite meal @ camp?

beauty?

CAMP IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE...

WITH BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE!

Decorating your cabin

Click on the pic to enlarge it!


I like to decorate my cabin with christmas lights @ nite and add a few other key home decorating pieces as well such as a frisbee or two. I remember my first year as a counselor and I watched an old seasoned counselor (Manny from Lynn Evans week) bring in all different types of lighting, alarm clocks with a radio and window fans galore. I have since graduated up to the christmas lights.....there is something special about walking back "home" to your cabin after campfire....there is an excitment in the air!

Verse of the moment...He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done. Proverbs 19:17

folks, we've got a race!

All other votes are not even close!

Here's where we're @

(or at least the best I can tell)

Old School Green Shirts with White Lettering 9 votes

Tye Dye Green and White, Lettering TBD 12 votes

If you haven't voted NOW is the time, hit comment and

cast your vote.

dream with me...

The best way to predict the future is to invent it.

Alan Kay

This is a HUGE playground facility in Doylestown, PA. If you google around the internet you can find more info. This playground was built by the community.

I have had a dream ever since a good camp friend pointed out how badly our playground needed to be fixed and how much our playground is utilized.

The dream is not quite as big as this playground, but it is big. After you have a dream the next step is to have a goal to make it a reality.

And all steps before/after and during require prayer. Pray with me and let's see where God brings us.

TUG 'o' WAR

This was one of the most intense competitions I have ever witnessed.

Boys becoming men and tugging for all they are worth.

Let me clarify that---

Tugging-Pulling-Straining-Sweating-Groaning

Did I mention the snot that just came out of their noses as

they had no regard for anything but to PULL!

When the competition was completed not all had "won" but ALL had competed.

Staff Shirt Update

It is really hard to tally these votes, but here's where we are at so far.
Tye-Dye II
Blue w/gold letters I
Green w/white letters IIII
Choc. brown w/creme letters I
Purple w/creme letters I

Anywhere you place a comment will count as a vote. Please vote only once. This is for real. You are deciding the color of camp shirts this year. We will be putting "STAFF" on the shirts and possibly the 40th anniversary logo...we do need to have some surprises!

Hope everyone had a good time @ camp Saturday. I did not attend and bailed at the last minute. I heard the speaker was excellent. I got lots of shouts from those of you who saw my son...thanks!

Verse of the day:
Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens. He is always the same and never makes dark shadows by changing. James 1:17 CEV

Camp and you

Hi-I just received a letter from Chip @ camp and it stated how much progress is being made on the Capital Campaign. I often think about how camp needs money. It's tough stuff.
A few things I did not always know about camp. Anyone on the camp's board DVCC can better verify these facts.

Of all the money collected from camp fees to send children to camp...this money does not come close to paying for camp to operate. Hard to believe isn't it. Sometimes camp seems so expensive for kids and yet that money doesn't even cover operating costs.
We don't hire cooks to cook for campers and a good portion of maintenance is done by volunteer work. Camp is primarily staffed by volunteers! Camps similar to Manatawny even have paid counselors! Come to think of it, camp is rewarding to me in so many ways I would probably pay to be a counselor. Some people may think camp could be a better steward with their finances and costs and of course they can, all of us can always do a better job with our finances, but let me say this. The people who make financial decisions for camp are prayerful people. They are people who put their love for God above all other things and I like following people like that because it makes me more like Jesus.

Far and above any experiences I have had on earth, nothing I have experienced bonds people and brings people closer to God more then Camp Manatawny.
Maybe a christian concert impacts us or a really, really good sermon, but camp...camp tops everything.
People are baptized at camp and people develop life-long Christ-like friendships at camp.
Camp changes people for God's glory.

If you had a chance to get Chip's letter--read it. If you didn't, call the camp office or email me @ pepperplanet@yahoo.com and I will get you a copy. Like our faith should always be growing, camp with a new pool and new bath houses is growing!!

Tye dye shirts are getting a lot of votes....problem is....they are hard to find at a good price. I really like doing the tie dye in green and white...that was a good idea....Hey Renee' are you reading this?? She said she might be able to dye the shirts for us. Now that's volunteering!

It's a dead heat!!

Old Manatawny Green with white letters is in the lead with tye-dye being right behind it. Scroll down and vote if you haven't already done so!

Everyone really misses camp and guess what?! Camp misses you too!! I love camp. The sights, sounds and smells. It is the safest place I know of.

It looks like we are going to have a new pool this year and no more diving board since Junior High 2 has broken it the past two years. It is my understanding we will have some type of diving platform. I don't think we will have one like this picture but wouldn't that be nice??? Teaching a 6 or 7 year old to go off a tall diving board would be awesome....it would certainly build character. Bottom line...I just pray the new pool will be done. Pool time @ camp for the boys is some serious crazy fun!!

Staff Shirts???

PINK~~YELLOW~~BLUE~~LIME GREEN~~

What color should staff shirts be this year?
What color should the printing be?

Vote right here right now.

feels like forever

Camp seems so distant but the people from Camp do not.

Enjoy the day....God made it for you....GO out and make disciples of all nations....do it today!