Team MountainTOP headed out this morning, and we're on our way to an incredible week. We spent this afternoon at Rock Island State Park. There's a kind of canyon you can hike down into, and a river at the bottom. The water's cool and refreshing (read cold) but there are some great rocks to jump off of, and some great places to spread out your towel and get some sun, and a most incredible waterfall. A place like this makes it easy to remember that if God is infinite, then He is also infinitely creative. After Rock Island, we ate at O'Charley's and then headed to the cabins at Edgar Evins State Park, which is right on Center Hill Lake. Apparently nobody had had enough of water yet, because a sunset swim was just the thing. The sunset reflected every color you can imagine off the water. We'll be up early in the a.m. to head to Camp Baker Mountain.
Love,
Team MountainTOP
Sunday, June 8 - We Belong
What's the definition of a community? It's a group that you belong to, right? Well, on Sunday on Baker Mountain, we formed a whole bunch of new communities. First, the whole camp is a community, and each of the sixty-some people here is a vital part of it. We are from Indiana, Ohio, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia and of course Mississippi. Major groups are another community, who take turns serving one another at meals and by cleaning up the camp. The most crucial community is of course our Youth Renewal Groups, or YRGs. They consist of five or six youth and an adult or two, and that's who does the actual work. We're really happy to be in those communities finally, and we're excited about starting our work tomorrow. Cabins are a community too, and one that really requires people skills, especially when six folks all want into two showers! But in all these communities, as in the Kingdom of God, we belong!
Love,
Team MountainTOP
Love,
Team MountainTOP
Monday, June 9 - K.I.S.S.
Today we did our first projects out in the surrounding counties. David and his YRG stained a deck. Lillian and Madeline and their YRG, after a late start and some logistics problems, extended a shed, and really made the effort to get it finished. Anne and Logan painted a porch with their YRG. Sam's YRG repaired the flashing and retarred a porch roof. Tommy and his YRG demolished a wheelchair ramp, so it can be replaced later. Madison and Ryan did yardwork with their YRG. Sean and Doug and the other guys in their YRG dug a stump out of a lady's yard, and the girls cleaned the inside of the house. Meghan's YRG painted a roof, and so did LisaLynn's YRG. Joanna did yardwork and demolished a set of stairs with her YRG.
Worship tonight focused on the fact that being a disciple of Christ is a lot simpler than we sometimes make it out to be. We are pretty good at needlessly complicating things. John Wesley laid it out pretty slick for us: "Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, at all the times you can, in all the ways you can, as long as ever you can." Your ob't blogger was also reminded of part of a score from a recent musical: "There's only us; there's only this. Forget regrets, or life is yours to miss. No other road, no other way. No day but today. There's only now, there's only here. Give in to love, or live in fear. No other path, no other way. No day but today."
Don't you wonder if God doesn't want to tell us the acronym that's the title of this post? Keep it simple, sweetheart!
No Day But Today
Team MountainTOP
Worship tonight focused on the fact that being a disciple of Christ is a lot simpler than we sometimes make it out to be. We are pretty good at needlessly complicating things. John Wesley laid it out pretty slick for us: "Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, at all the times you can, in all the ways you can, as long as ever you can." Your ob't blogger was also reminded of part of a score from a recent musical: "There's only us; there's only this. Forget regrets, or life is yours to miss. No other road, no other way. No day but today. There's only now, there's only here. Give in to love, or live in fear. No other path, no other way. No day but today."
Don't you wonder if God doesn't want to tell us the acronym that's the title of this post? Keep it simple, sweetheart!
No Day But Today
Team MountainTOP
Tuesday, June 10 - Lights, Camera, Action
Last night we had some rain come through overnight, which cooled the weather off considerably for us. God provides!
Today we started our two-day projects. Sean and Doug's YRG, Meghan's YRG and LisaLynn's YRG all are building sheds. Madison and Ryan are scraping and painting a house with their YRG. Joanna's YRG is extending a porch and adding a roof to it. Anne and Logan are building a wheelchair ramp, and Lillian and Madeline are underpinning a trailer. David's YRG is replacing the fascia on the roof of a house. Tommy's YRG made a great friend in the lady whose trailer they are painting. They've also decided to level out her back stairs, and buy her a few more Yoo Hoo sodas! Nobody's seen Sam, he's become good buddies with his group and is off playing volleyball or nine-square.
Today we talked about how faith without works is dead, and how if you truly have faith, you are called and required to put it into action as the Lord directs. Abraham did. Moses did. Joshua did. Noah did. And Team MountainTOP did.
No Day But Today
Team MountainTOP
Today we started our two-day projects. Sean and Doug's YRG, Meghan's YRG and LisaLynn's YRG all are building sheds. Madison and Ryan are scraping and painting a house with their YRG. Joanna's YRG is extending a porch and adding a roof to it. Anne and Logan are building a wheelchair ramp, and Lillian and Madeline are underpinning a trailer. David's YRG is replacing the fascia on the roof of a house. Tommy's YRG made a great friend in the lady whose trailer they are painting. They've also decided to level out her back stairs, and buy her a few more Yoo Hoo sodas! Nobody's seen Sam, he's become good buddies with his group and is off playing volleyball or nine-square.
Today we talked about how faith without works is dead, and how if you truly have faith, you are called and required to put it into action as the Lord directs. Abraham did. Moses did. Joshua did. Noah did. And Team MountainTOP did.
No Day But Today
Team MountainTOP
Wednesday, June 11 - Halfway Up The Mountain
Today is H.U.M. Day! That means we are halfway up the mountain, and it's been a great half week so far. We all finished up our two-day projects today, and came back to camp with a real sense of accomplishment. The sheds we built and houses we painted and porches we roofed will still be there after we go home, and so will a little bit of us. We put our work and love into every nail and brush stroke.
Tonight after worship, it was party time! We tie-dyed T-shirts, had a dance party and an ice cream social. It's been great to celebrate each other, this place and our time together. Gotta go join the party, it looks like it'll go on into the night!
No Day But Today
Team MountainTOP
Tonight after worship, it was party time! We tie-dyed T-shirts, had a dance party and an ice cream social. It's been great to celebrate each other, this place and our time together. Gotta go join the party, it looks like it'll go on into the night!
No Day But Today
Team MountainTOP
Thursday, June 12 - Bidden Or Not, God Is Present
Today we did single-day projects for families in our service area. David's YRG built and painted a handrail. Lillian and Madeline hung gutters and painted ceilings with their YRG. Anne and Logan's YRG did yardwork, as did Sam's. Tommy built a set of stairs with his YRG. Madison and Ryan's YRG washed windows. Sean and Doug put up gutters and sealed a roof. Meghan and her YRG demolished a carport. Joanna's YRG scraped and painted a flight of stairs. LisaLynn and her YRG painted the handrails, columns and roof of a porch.
Today broke the routine, as if anything about being on this mountain is routine, because we worshiped tonight with our major groups, rather than as a camp community. Everyone participated in worship as they felt led, by singing or playing guitar, or reading the Bible aloud, or by sharing their testimony. It was very moving and God was definitely present and had His hand on us.
No Day But Today
Team MountainTOP
Today broke the routine, as if anything about being on this mountain is routine, because we worshiped tonight with our major groups, rather than as a camp community. Everyone participated in worship as they felt led, by singing or playing guitar, or reading the Bible aloud, or by sharing their testimony. It was very moving and God was definitely present and had His hand on us.
No Day But Today
Team MountainTOP
Friday, June 13 - Celebrate!
Today was for half-day projects, theoretically at least. Several groups found themselves doing a job bigger than they thought. David did yardwork with his YRG. Lillian and Madeline went back to the family they'd been with on Tuesday and Wednesday, to finish underpinning their trailer. Anne and Logan trimmed hedges with their YRG. Sam's YRG did yardwork at the same house LisaLynn's YRG was continuing to paint the porch roof. Tommy cleaned a house with his YRG. Madison and Ryan demolished and rebuilt a porch (yes, in half a day). Doug and Sean's YRG stacked wood and weeded the yard. Meghan and her YRG also returned to a previous project, continuing work on a shed they started earlier in the week. Joanna and her YRG tarred and sealed a roof.
Afterward, each YRG went to a scenic spot, or to a restaurant or ice cream shop in the area, and celebrated their time together. The members exchanged small sentimental or handmade gifts, such as stuffed animals or blocks of wood with inside jokes written on them, or beads to string on their MountainTOP nametags, or friendship bracelets. It wasn't a sad time, although we will miss our new friends when we come home. It was a time for gratitude and joy for the time we've spent together and the work we've accomplished.
Headed home tomorrow - see you then!
No Day But Today
Team MountainTOP
Afterward, each YRG went to a scenic spot, or to a restaurant or ice cream shop in the area, and celebrated their time together. The members exchanged small sentimental or handmade gifts, such as stuffed animals or blocks of wood with inside jokes written on them, or beads to string on their MountainTOP nametags, or friendship bracelets. It wasn't a sad time, although we will miss our new friends when we come home. It was a time for gratitude and joy for the time we've spent together and the work we've accomplished.
Headed home tomorrow - see you then!
No Day But Today
Team MountainTOP
Friday, June 13 (Later) - Oh Mighty Lord Praise You
After dinner tonight we sat around a campfire and shared what this week has meant to us, and then moved to a time of worship and communion and praise. And what this week has meant! You've NEVER SEEN the Lord touch hearts and move people and revive faith with His Spirit like you'd have seen tonight. Hallelujah! Shout praise! We came fourteen folks who had to be dragged up here to do a little bit of light construction, and we're going home fourteen flames ready to catch the whole world on fire for God. God has melted our hearts and hardened our resolve, and we're brand new! We're ready to be sent! Hallelujah!
Are you confused? Just WAIT till we get home - what you'll be is amazed.
We love God with all our hearts, and we love you so much. Can't wait to see you tomorrow!
No Day But Today
Team MountainTOP
Are you confused? Just WAIT till we get home - what you'll be is amazed.
We love God with all our hearts, and we love you so much. Can't wait to see you tomorrow!
No Day But Today
Team MountainTOP
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