Like Stars
I LOVE giving camp tours… and we give a lot of them during the summer. One just left, making me wish I was the one driving the golf cart. No matter where the tour goes (we are flexible on what program areas we visit based on what the prospective camper wants to see), there is usually an expanding sense of amazement on the part of the visitor.
Do you have sailing?
OF COURSE WE HAVE SAILING… Let’s go take a look!
There are benefits of having a camp located on the same property and owned by the same family for 90 plus years… a depth of experience that is only truly appreciated up close. With about 60 class areas in camp, there is no way anyone ever sees everything that we do but it is our hope that wherever one looks one sees good things. Happy campers, engaged counselors relating to the campers in a dynamic and effective manner, over-the-top facilities that look like a much beloved summer home.
As a tour ends, it is our hope that the most significant “feeling” is one of love. We hope that the visitors love our counselors, love our campers, and find themselves drawn to our community. This “feeling” is often called “The Spirit of Greystone” by our old campers and counselors. It is a feeling that is caused by a community of “lights”. Counselors and campers who are striving to be “Greystone Girls” and thereby shining in their little corners like stars.
For today’s update I am going to share the Counselor Devotion for this day of camp (Written by Heather Brown in a devotion book we commissioned for this year. It is very good and much better than anything I could write on this beautiful day.
Do everything without arguing and complaining so that you might become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life. Philippians 2:14-15
Let the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14
But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Colossians 3:8
The three worst kinds of people I see in my work place and neighborhood are those that gossip, have critical spirits, and complain. These sins of speech and attitude destroy families, friendships, communities, work environments, and churches. I see it every year.
In the professional development seminars I teach at college, I remind students that if they want to stand out from everybody else, they should refuse to gossip, be critical, and complain. The workplace culture is one of criticism and complaint. My neighborhood culture is one of vicious gossip.
Perhaps one of the best lessons I learned from Camp Greystone is the importance of positive speech. A Greystone Girl does three things: She:
1. Believes the best: Believe the best about everyone; never share bad news about anyone.
2. Finds the good in every situation: If things look awful, it’s just a challenge to find the good.
3. Gives thanks always: If I believe God is good and powerful, then I can thank him for every situation. I can “give thanks in all circumstances” because this is “God’s will for me in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Could I do it? Could I really ask God to change me into the kind of woman that has a Great Day Attitude for my whole life? I had six years of practice at Greystone, and now, two decades later, I still trust God to help me believe the best, find the good, and give thanks. I tell my students that it’s easy and lazy to be negative, critical, and slanderous. The wise and intelligent person looks deeper into every situation to find that thread of good. And when it comes to that gossip temptation, I just refuse. I put a metaphorical muzzle on my mouth. Besides, if I’m believing the best about everyone, why would I have anything negative to share? Heather Brown
Greystone shines because it is full of little stars.
I love that.
Jimboy
PS: Breakfast was pancakes and sausage links… and yes, we serve real Maple Syrup. Lunch is that most beloved of camp meals: Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole (it is creamy with a hint on lemon and curry… amazingly good). Dinner is home made pizza! We buy our ingredients from Italy (seriously: the flour, tomato’s, buffalo mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese are all imported). The kitchen works very hard, throwing pizza crusts and assembling about 200 pizzas… cooking on 500 degree “stones” for the perfect crust. We finish each pizza with fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil. YUM! Best pizza ever. As good as you will find anywhere!
PPS: JOKE A couple of cowboys are riding on the range in the deep desert when they fall off their horses. As they are hiking out of the desolate heat, they spot a single tree on the horizon! They walk toward it in hope of salvation and as they get closer they see that the tree is covered in strips of sizzling bacon! A BACON TREE!!! They start running toward the tree with great joy, one cowboy running faster than the other gets there first. Just as he reached toward the tasty bacon, he was shot in the side by a gun!!! The injured cowboy waves and shouts to his friend: RUN AWAY… IT IS NOT A BACON TREE; IT IS A HAM-BUSH!