Beautiful

Last night Margaret and I hosted 54 birthday girls to a party at our house. This was a new way of doing the birthday ball and it worked wonderfully… no surprise when you consider the details: an air conditioned “real house” setting, Chic Fil A Nuggets added to the camp chicken fajita’s making for a wonderful meal, chocolate cake and ice cream sundays made for an over the top dessert. It was a wonderful night for all of us. The more time we spend with these girls the more we are struck by their beauty.

I’m not talking about their physical beauty (though that is an obvious thing too), I am talking about their inner beauty… their kindness, courage, and love. Inner beauty is what counts at camp and it is what counts in life. Inner beauty is something that is best appreciated close up, over time, in difficult circumstances. So it is no surprise that inner beauty is celebrated at camp! Camp is a place that allows time for the “real you” to be seen. Camp provides an abundance of difficult moments in a safe setting (perfect for developing a strong character). And camp is a place that is marked by long conversations with close friends. Camp is a place full of REALLY beautiful girls.

The girl you want in your cabin is one that will be loved for her inner beauty. A “Me-Me Bird” is not a good cabin mate (no matter how pretty her feathers) and everyone knows it! Physical beauty might be a draw in those first hours, but quickly it becomes evident that you don’t want to focus on that. Selfishness doesn’t work for five weeks! Rather, you want to be the girl who is a team player, who helps, who encourages, who is sweet… for these are the cool girls at camp. These are the girls that make the bubble work.

Today’s Breakfast Club was on beauty… and this is a conversation that all of us should be having with our girls. Having raised three girls, I think I can say with confidence that this is a subject that every girls struggles with. To talk it out takes away some of the pain.

2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected[b] by men, a man of sorrows[c] and acquainted with[d] grief;[e] and as one from whom men hide their faces[f] he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

If this is the body God chose for himself… if these are the circumstances He chose for himself… it is time for us to reassess our obsession with physical beauty. Focus on inner beauty, that path leads somewhere!

Breakfast: Pancakes/Sausage Lunch: Baked Potato Bar Dinner: Jerked Chicken, Red Beans & Rice, Roasted pineapple and plantains.

EP is Council Fire… our third of the summer. We will talk about Kindness, The Honor Council, The Spirit of Greystone… important things.

The weather is warm, afternoon showers. Basically more of the same!

Camp is good.