Gr8Days
It’s another Great Day at Greystone! Great weather, high spirits, raucous laughter, quiet conversations, and memorable moments. We are on track to finish this first week of camp in a good place. We are so thankful!
Let’s start with last night’s Vespers service. This EP depends on camper and counselor engagement. We take a brief break from silly fun and find ourselves relishing the quiet beauty. The singing was beautiful (three-part harmony, guitar, violin accompaniment), the story was sweet, the verses moving, and the candles breathtaking. Home Run Night… your girls will tell you about it if you ask!
One of the lessons made clear by the program is that beauty is short-lived. The exact same day will drag by at a snail’s pace for one person and fly by in an instant for another. It is a state of mind. If we are seeing the good in every situation, we find that life is a delightful flash of intense goodness. Our campers are growing into the kind of people who see the good and celebrate the blessings of life. You will notice the change in two short weeks when they are back home telling you about camp. It is wonderful to see these girls growing in this way. We hope they will always remember to celebrate beauty in the moment, knowing it will quickly pass.
Some of you have asked for some photos of the Putt Cove Paddleboard Center. I took a few photos early this morning to have something to share on the blog. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I will just let the photos do the talking… other than this observation: we did it right. We aggressively reinvest in our facility. Sometimes the investments are not noticed by the campers (electrical, water, security, and septic systems). Sometimes they are; Putt Cove falls into the “noticed” column.
The girls can tell that this area is special. The beach area has doubled thanks to several beautiful boulder retaining walls, giving much more room to lounge and play games. Sun drenches the entire facility, making the Western Cedar post & beam paddleboard center the star of the show. To top it all off, the landscaping and fencing are artistic and lovely (featuring wildflowers and a fence that deflects noise from the adjacent road).
We do things nicer than we have to for lots of reasons:
- We seek to glorify God. We hope that even our facilities point to His excellence and glory.
- Camp reflects our family. Dr. Sevier loved architecture and design. This appreciation has continued through the generations. If we build something, we want it to be well-designed and well-built.
- Parents expect us to do things nicely. If we are paying attention to the details they can see, they are confident we are paying attention to the details they can not see. It is also true that a nice-looking facility usually works better too.
Interestingly, campers don’t necessarily notice, especially the younger ones. They just love camp! We could have the most primitive facility in the world and still provide an excellent camp experience. What matters is the people, not the place. We don’t overestimate the importance of a nice facility.
The overview of the day:
- Weather High of 77, no chance of rain.
- Joke Lila from TU 12 presented a joke to the whole camp: What’s a potato that wears glasses? A spectator! My joke: I can see Clearly now Lorraine is gone*
- Breakfast Truck Drivers Special (Biscuits and gravy)
- Lunch Shepherds Pie, Peas, Sprinkle cookies
- Dinner Chicken Brocolli Rice Casserole
- EP Rotating Group Night (break into three groups and do three different activities… Cake Decorating, Waterpark, or Counselor Hunt)