Apologies Are In Order - Thursday, August 11th

Philbot here! I once again must apologize to you; I was absent and although I intended to get a substitute blogger to keep you company on here, I forgot to give said mystery writer the password for the blog... and so it did not get written. Or published. I am very sorry if you were looking for updates and there were none to be had!

This week has been simply flying by! As it is the last full week of summer camp, the staff is getting pretty tired so it is a huge blessing that the campers this week are so energetic! Their utter enthusiasm for Camp is not only encouraging to see, it also really fires the staff up to make it through this last final push of the summer. Most of the staff are headed back to college in a few weeks so they are enjoying trying to squeeze a ridiculous amount of fun into these fading summer days. I have said this a few times on this blog, but once again let me thank you for sharing your children with us this summer! We hope that our efforts have been able to draw them closer to Jesus, but know too that their undying love for their Savior does wonders to strengthen the staff's faith and draw us all closer to Him. Your children have been such a blessing to our faith!

Thursday's campfire had everyone in stitches! Everyone in Camp got a chance to watch the antics of Heiste Stealer as he realized he was accepted at Smugwarts, school of Stealcraft and Thievery. Turns out that Heiste's father was actually Lord Blorglamort - who would have guessed?! Be sure to ask your campers about the campfires this week as they return home on Saturday.

Can you see the double rainbow? The sky was on fire at Camp on Tuesday night!

Today's passage comes from I Corinthians 4:2 -

Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

Ben Ihlen gave devotion on Thursday, and he opened his devotion by pretending to not have prepared one. After a few awkward minutes he told us it was all to prove a point, because he actually DID have a devotion to give that evening. If Ben truly had forgotten to prepare a devotion for Thursday night, would program director Matthew Bown have trusted Ben with another devotion this summer? Most likely not. In the same way, God has entrusted us with an incredibly valuable thing - His Word! Because we have been given this trust, we have to prove faithful. The way we do this is by telling everyone who doesn't know about Jesus about how He lived, died, and rose again to save us from our sins. It's such fantastic news that it doesn't seem real all the time - but without a doubt, it is something we believe He did. Prove faithful because He loved you enough to invest in you and your eternal life. God loves you very much!

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Paul Bunyan - Monday, August 8th

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Hello everyone! Philbot here.

Do you know much about Paul Bunyan? I didn't - not until today, when Matt Werner told us all about this myth-man during outdoor sports. Turns out he was such a big man, that when he was born he weighed 100 pounds! His poor parents even had to move because he was SO big and such a nuisance. Anyway, Paul Bunyan came to Camp Phillip one time and set up some basketball hoops to play with. He even left his huge basketball behind. So what were we to do with this at Camp? We play with them, of course! To this day, Paul Ball remains a classic Camp Phillip game, one that everyone enjoyed learning yesterday during outdoor sports. Matt made sure to tell us all the story of Paul Bunyan before we got out there and started playing - it's a pretty intense game!

Our passage for today comes from I John 2:3. Someone told me once that if you are a new Christian, you should read I John through three times and then move on to reading the rest of the Bible. This is because I John ardently and eloquently expresses how much God loves uswhich is something we need to know all the time, no matter how mature in our faith we are:

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. We know that we have come to know Him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know Him,” but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Obeying what God says is a difficult thing for us as humans. It wasn't supposed to be; it wasn't God's original design for us. He created us perfectly, and man's heart and will were initially completely in unity with God's heart and will. When man fell into sin, suddenly he wanted things that were, at times, completely contrary to God's heart and will. This is why Jesus' sacrifice for us is so amazing. SO INCREDIBLE! Jesus loved us enough to come and die for us, to intercede on our behalf and be our subsitute.  We know Him, and faith in His saving work spurs us to live lives of thankful living. What an amazing Savior we have!

Tomorrow, I will be gone - so look forward to a blog post from a very special guest writer!!

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You Look... Familiar - Sunday, August 7th

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This is the last full week of the summer, friends! I have greatly enjoyed spending time telling you about the activities here at Camp, and it makes my tin heart twinge to think my time with you is growing short. There's still one whole week of Camp to tell you about, so let me tell you all about Sunday!

The last batch of full-week campers came rolling in at 2:30 just like every other Sunday - but this was no ordinary batch of kids, NO WAY! These campers this week are way more enthusiastic about Camp than nearly any other group we have had yet this summer! They got really into playing "The Robot Connection" (similar to the common backyard game, "Octopus") and to top it off, they were really awesome listeners!

The highlight of yesterday most definitely was the campfire. Two shady travel agents (who looked a great deal like Ben Ihlen and Brett Schommer,) sent Mr. Scott Lanky and his sidekick robot Clanky on a tumultuous journey to places like Arabia and Russia - and the same people kept showing up! Every new place they went, Clanky and Lanky ran into two suspiciously dressed men... that looked... familiar. Hmmmm...

The passage for Sunday comes from Romans 1:16:

 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

God is not something we need to be ashamed of - He is something we should boast about! God is powerful, all-encompassing, and moreover, He has saved us. Yet, we still seem to want to cover God up, and only talk about Him when it's convenient instead of when it is upsetting or scary. God loves us deeply, deep enough to die on a cross for our sins, and that's something to shout about on the mountaintops! This week, it is my prayer that you are not ashamed of the Gospel - instead, proclaim His love with joy! 

AM/PM - Thursday, August 5th

I can't believe how fast time flies here at Camp. Does it go faster here than in the "real world?" I think so! How is it already Thursday? And how is the summer almost over?

These are questions I simply cannot answer. Robots aren't the brightest beings.

I don't think I have told you on this blog yet about AM/PM, which stands for "A Morning Prayer Meeting". We have them every Thursday before breakfast at Camp Phillip in the Bowl. It is a nice chance for all of camp to come together and grow in prayer and praise with each other. We sing songs we don't normally get a chance to sing during the week, but the emphasis of AM/PM is always on prayer. Too often in life we forget to talk to God about our problems and concerns - when He is the One and only being who can really and truly change our circumstances. Getting a chance to reflect and spend time in prayer with God is a great blessing of AM/PM; it's just a refreshing way to start a day out with the right perspective! Alex Randazzo and Clare Sievert have led AM/PM all summer long - thanks for all you do planning this every week!

This was the biggest butterfly I have ever seen!

Today's passage comes from Joshua 1:9:

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Can I just say that I LOVE THIS PASSAGE?! WHAT A COMFORT!! No matter what we do, no matter where we go, no matter what happens to us, we don't have to be terrified. We don't have to be discouraged - GOD, the Author of everything, is WITH US! I always get discouraged in life. I try and I try and I try but I never seem to get ahead in accomplishing earthly goals. I get terrified because I worry that my best isn't good enough, or that my faith isn't strong enough, or why would Jesus even love ME if I sin so much all the time? Yet here in Joshua, God Himself comes to us with warm words of comfort - "Be strong and courageous!" We have God on our side. There's no need to fear!

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Rockin' to the... Cow Song? - Wednesday, August 3rd

Hello friends! Philbot here. Guess what?! The rock climbers went to Devil's Lake today! Outdoor adventure specialty, led by Joe Garbe and Clare Sievert, left before breakfast this morning to clamor around on the ropes all day long, and they had a blast. Eliott Kasparzak, Joel Hansen, and Kyle Heise all joined in to help out for the day as well. Even though returned home tired, the campers trundled back to Camp all safe and sound - I'll let the pictures do the talking for this one!





Baking specialty, led by Sarah Sherod in the Farmhouse, is also going well this week! I live in the Farmhouse, so every day I come home to a new lovely smell wafting around the kitchen. So far I have seen them make Amish Friendship bread, pancakes, blueberry/lemon scones, lava brownies, and bacon bread! Yum! I've gotten to personally sample their creations, and I adore everything I put in my mouth. Thanks, bacon - I mean - BAKING specialty!

One last thing to note about today - we have a new song at Camp that we introduced today, entitled "The Cow Song" - IT IS HILARIOUS!!!

Our passage today comes from Hebrews 10:23 -

 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

God is faithful in all things! Often it can be easy to doubt His love, get lost in our guilt, or only use our Christian faith when it is convenient to us, but God promises to be faithful to us. He hasn't defaulted on a promise yet - so trust Him! He loves you!

Happy Wednesday!

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made - Tuesday, August 2nd

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Hello again! Philbot here. The summer is starting to wind down a little bit, just as the summer's heat seems to be winding up! While my titanium skin is searing to the touch, the campers seem to be staying cooooool. Drinking water is a good idea in this sweltering heat; everybody drink lots of water!

Riding on horseback is enjoyable all the time, especially when it's this humid and hot; the feeling of the wind blowing through your hair is not an unwelcome one! Every day, the girls from cabin 2 led by the fearless nature girl Danielle Stone head out to a neighboring camp to ride horses for two hours before lunch. Since I keep busy here at Camp with all my communications jobs, I personally have never been to this horse camp, but what I hear from the other girls is really positive feedback - they love horsin' around all this week! It is easy to see these girls really love their horses.

Additionally, yesterday it was awesome to see the Camp Phillip woodworkers hard at... wood work in the machinery building. Cabin 7 is being led by handyman Phil Sebald this week, and along with a few girls from neighboring cabins, Cabin 7 will be crafting all sorts of wooden wonders this week. Today's project was picture frames which were not only fairly easy to make, they look awesome! You'll have to check out and see what your little woodworkers bring home at the end of this week.

The passage for today comes from Psalm 139:1-4. This Psalm is incredibly comforting - and perhaps one of my personal favorites in the Bible:

 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

I always remember this Psalm as the "fearfully and wonderfully made" Psalm. Whenever people refer to things God has made as "fearfully and wonderfully" made, it is such a comfort to me. There are so many times in my life where I feel insignificant, unloved, or unworthy of attention. Uselessness is not a pleasant way to feel in the slightest. Yet, Jesus did not deem us as unworthy of attention even though we sin against Him every day. Jesus didn't stop loving us because we're sinners to the core. Quite the opposite! God loved us enough to send us Jesus, and Jesus loved us so much that He cheerfully was executed by mortals so that someday, we can go to heaven to be with Him eternally. He deems us significant. He is the one that makes us worthy of attention, for that worthiness certainly does not come from within ourselves. And instead of being permanently useless, Jesus' saving Gospel comes imbibed with the command to go and tell others about Him, making us useful messengers of His peace here on earth. He cared enough to craft us carefully and loves enough to protect eternally. He knows us each individually, loves us each individually, and died to save you, individually! Praise our LORD and Savior who created us better than any picture frame we could ever build, and who loves us more than a girl could ever love a horse.

Tomorrow: Baking and outdoor adventure specialty!

GOOOOOOOOAL! - Monday, August 1st

01001001 01110100 00100111 01110011 00100000 01001101 01001111 01001110 01000100 01000001 01011001 00100001! Camp can be an intense place to be because from the moment you arrive here you're on the go, and the fun rarely relents! Today was no exception. We started out the day with a hearty breakfast (yum, French Toast sticks!) and then, after Bible study, split off to our various specialties. The day was muggy and weirdly warm, but when I squeaked over to the field to check out soccer specialty (my joints are getting a little rusty again; time to pull out the WD-40!) everyone out there was getting so into the game!

Soccer specialty is traditionally a favorite here at Camp for counselors and campers alike, and this week is no exception. There are two soccer cabins, cabin 6b led by Brett Schommer, and cabin 3, led by the fearless Kate Zabrowski. Kaleena Bown is also at Camp to help lead drills and various soccer games for the campers. Every morning in between breakfast and lunch, these energetic kids are all over the field shooting goals, heading the ball, and passing like fiends. In the incredible heat on Monday, they were also all soaked to the bone with sweat. EWWW!! (That's one awesome perk about being a robot, at least - we certainly do not sweat! ) In addition to being exceptionally sweaty, you can spot the soccer campers because they are usually yelling the word "GOOOOOOOOALLL!" at campfire for cabin cheers. Hopefully the weather breaks soon and these campers can enjoy being outside a little bit more!

Today's passage comes from Matthew 19:26 and says:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

It is such a comfort to understand that God can do ANYTHING! If He is a God who came down to earth, humbling Himself enough to DIE - a seemingly impossible thing for an eternal God to accomplish - for US - He can do anything. Does that mean that every time I pray for something I should get exactly what I asked for, like God is a magical genie? And that if I don't get exactly what I asked for then God must be in some way unable to hear and answer my prayers? Again, by no means! While with God, anything is possible, His thoughts and views will always be higher and better than our meager human viewpoints. He has the big picture and our best interests in His heart, and will act accordingly to accomplish His will in our lives. Could we really ask for more? God has the ultimate GOOOOOAL of heaven in mind for us and is preparing a place for us with Him eternally - and will be there to aid us in our journey every step of the way.

Tomorrow: spotlight on horseback and woodworking specialty!

Bacon Specialty? - Sunday, July 31st

Camp is full to bustin' this week with a wonderful crop of 6th-8th grade campers! In addition to hosting specialty cabins and normal Sonshine cabins, Camp is pleased to welcome 13 campers who have come straight from Beijing, China! There are here at Camp Phillip for one week of a three week immersion trip in America. What a blessing to have them here this week!

There are some really awesome specialties going on this week, such as woodworking specialty, outdoor adventure specialty, horseback specialty, BAKING specialty, (I'm going to be trying to hang out with THOSE girls!) and soccer specialty!

Last night's campfire had us all in laughing stitches as puppets told the story of new campers coming to Camp who had signed up for every specialty... but had misinterpreted exactly what those specialties were! They thought baking specialty was actually BACON specialty... not a bad idea, actually! You should all call Program Director Matthew Bown and ask him to include this on the schedule next year...

Today's opening passage comes from John 17:22-23:

I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and You in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as You have loved me.

Here Jesus is praying for us to His (and our) heavenly Father, asking Him to give us unity. Unity in Christ is the main focus here at Camp Phillip for the Summer of 2011. "Robot Connection" stresses that we are all part of the body of Christ and that we all have tasks to do that are important for God's kingdom as a whole. The thing that connects us all here at Camp Phillip and out in the "real" world is Jesus' love - and it is our job to spread that message of unity to everyone that we know.

This week here at Camp we will try to be one in Christ - and I urge you to do the same!

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Robot Renegade - Friday, July 29th

It's Frrrrryyyyday! Frrrrryyyday! Going to the robot convention on frrrryyyyday! (Does this remind you of any songs offhand?) It's the last day of Camp, and every week we celebrate with a grand evening meal that, ironically, a ton of robots attend! (I feel pretty at home...)

Every Frrrrrryday, after the robot convention, the whole camp heads out to the field to play an even-more-elaborate-than usual evening game. This week, the theme was "Robot Renegade". All of the robots at Camp suddenly went rogue - and the only way to stop them was to get 20 Frisbees in the disc golf baskets! Thankfully, after a lot of running around in the tall grass, we managed to shut the robots down and save Camp from the robot renegades! Hooray! :)

Today's passage is II Corinthians 5:17 -

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

I hope that your children had an amazing week at Camp. I pray that the time they spent in God's Word helped their faith in Jesus Christ grow stronger. And I know that they will return to your arms tomorrow renewed in God's amazing love. We are all Christians working together to spread the message of Jesus' work and forgiveness to all people - and every day, we know that we are new creations in Christ. We work to drown the old Adam with his evil deeds and desires and to daily put on the new self clothed in Christ's righteousness, knowing that the Holy Spirit will give us the strength to live for God in all that we do. How blessed we are to be daily renewed by the Author of the universe! :)

I pray that your children's faith can refresh yours, as well as that you all live like the new creations that you daily are in Christ. Thank you for sharing your children with us this week! Now get out there and share God's love with others!

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