Campers Are Headed Our Way!

This has been one very busy week.  I put in 39 hours at work just this past week.  I normally don't get much over 30 hours in two weeks.  We are busy for a good reason, though.  Campers are headed our way!!  In just two weeks we have our first summer youth camp...Middle School, grades 6,7,8.  This will be a special camp this year, because one of my granddaughters will be attending.  The other granddaughter, quite a bit younger, will be attending Grandma Camp. I still need to prepare for that!  

Last year is the first time I had Grandma Camp...I should have thought of it earlier.  We try to follow the typical camper schedule that is currently in session at ILNC.  We have lessons, memory verses, activities, swimming, meals & snacks, crafts, movies...just like a real camp.  It's focused attention one on one, and my little sweetheart loves being the center of attention!  She's the youngest in her extended family, so it's nice to be "first" and "most important" for a week.  Last year she learned the Lord's Prayer.  This year I think it will be some verses from John.  (I will NOT be putting in 39 hours that week!!  Or even 15!  This is one special week in my life where it's all about my granddaughters.)

We've spent the week cleaning up from last week's tornado/storm.  We were on the outskirts of the eye of the storm, so we mostly have severe wind damage, trees and branches down.  A mess to clean up.  My heart goes out to those areas so hard hit, with loss of lives on top of homes, hospitals, schools, businesses, vehicles.  I have nothing to complain about in our minor storm.  Our week has mostly been mild weather.

We have teamed up with Kalamazoo Humane Society and are trapping feral cats.  Those we want returned (to keep the mice and rodent population to a minimum) will be spayed or neutered and given rabies shots.  Their ears will be clipped and they will be returned to us.  The others, and other various "wild" animals that we do not want returned will be turned over to animal control to be taken care of in the kindest way.  I had up to 12 cats on my porch through the winter, and I know that number has grown by now.  Our residents complain about so many wild cats getting their birds and messing in places they don't want messes.  So we think we will have about 4 cats returned to us.  This will be an on-going process this summer.  Last week we set 7 traps and caught two.  Both of those we had returned to us, and they are currently healing.  They're sort of angry with me, I think.  Cole and Shadow, a male and a female, and so cute!!!  In fact, it could be hard for me to decide which ones don't get to come back to camp.  Cats are very smart...they know how to avoid a trap!  They make sniff at it (food inside cage), but they aren't about to walk through that wire door!!  They'd have to be really hungry to do so...so I assume Cole and Shadow were really hungry.  I can hardly wait for the girls to get here to help me care for the cats!

Some of our staff went out to supper the other night, and then all of them except me headed to a bed bug seminar.  What a frightening thought that just one person coming on the grounds with even one bug in their luggage, or wherever, could infest the facilities.  We are taking all precautions to maintain our status of "bed bug free".  We have heard of the nightmares some other camps have had to go through to get rid of the problem, and it's not easy, and not cheap.

Most of my week has been involved with camper registrations and all that goes with that, plus mowing and grounds cleanup.  It's been a very nice week weather wise, and I love being busy, so I've had a great week!

From my devotional readings:

The Word For You Today (see side-bar)

1.  Living without regret:  

• renew your mind with God's Word
• use your talents and treasures to build God's kingdom
• disciple someone

2.  How to avoid burnout:

• seek God's input
• realign your priorities...learn to say "no"
• practice gratitude
• learn to relax
• exercise
• develop your own relief devices
• find a person you can share with

3.  Bring out the best in others:

• believe in others and look for their hidden capacities
• your words can encourage others to discover their gifts
• we all have God-given drives to achieve something...help others achieve
• it is a Christian attribute to encourage others
• your praise must be immediate, specific, and sincere
• Let everything you say be...helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.  (Eph. 4:29)

4.  Your best days are still ahead:

• build your life on who you are...your "person", not your roles...so when your role changes, you will not lose your self-worth/self-image
• when your role changes, move into your next assignment with joy, and keep on living and giving
• it remains to be seen what God will do with your life before it's over

John:

Then Jesus told him (Thomas):  "You believe because you have seen me.  But blessed are those who haven't seen me and believe anyway.(20:29)

Proverbs:

Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall.  (16:18)

Better poor and humble than proud and rich.  God blesses those who obey him; happy the man who puts his trust in the Lord.  (16:19-20)

2 Samuel:
As for God, his way is perfect; the Word of the Lord is true.  He shelters all who who hide behind him.  Our Lord alone is God; we have not other Savior.  God is my strong fortress.  He as made me safe.  (22:31-33)