What Are the Signs of Rebellion?

Tonight, in Bro. Rand's message, he gave us the 7 signs of rebellion. He then went on to preach a wonderful message on being "A Rebel - But No One Knows It."

1. Little or now communications
2. Loss of interest in spiritual things
3. Lousy friends
4. Lack of enthusiasm
5. Letting go of strong moral standards
6. Lack of gratitude or thankfulness
7. Little or no respect for authority

Monday @ The Wilds

We arrived safely this afternoon after an almost 5 hour drive from Charlotte to The Wilds! We'll update more tomorrow!

The Wilds - Day 4

It really is hard to believe that the week is almost over. Only 2 more days before we come home. I'm sure that most of the parents are eager to see their children and, although some of the young people are looking forward to going home, they would still love to see this week continue.

Evangelist DeGarde's message in chapel this morning was very good and powerful. The title was, "5 ways the God displays His power." His text was Jonah chapter 3. I don't have my notes right here with me so I can't give you the points. The one point that has stuck is, "God displays His power through preaching!" (1 Corinthians 1:18)

This afternoon we were able to have Family Reunion with the juniors and the teenagers. We took time for the teens to share a spiritual testimony from the week (and a "fun" testimony). From the teen's testimonies I must ask the parents, "Are you being a hinderance or a help in your teenager's spiritual walk?"

Tonight, we went to the junior's service where Jeremy Frazer preached a message entitled, "How to block Satan's attacks!" Several of the young people responded to the message.

Moms and Dads, I must ask a favor of you. On Saturday, when we get home, please let your young people rest for awhile first before you pepper them with a lot of questions about how their week was. They are going to extremely tired and may not be too excited (right after they get home) to answer a lot of questions.

Also, we will give the young people the opportunity to give their testimonies on Sunday night while the experiences are fresh on their minds and hearts.

The Wilds - Spoke Tag

The Wilds - Day 3 in Pictures

The Wilds - Day 3 (Wednesday)

Today started out with a trip into town. We have a "Family Reunion" time with the teens on Thursday and we always like to give them some snacks at that time. So, every year we take a trip into Brevard to visit Wal-Mart.

When we got back to camp, it was time for Water Wars. The Juniors play water games at/in the lake. Immediately after that we ate lunch with the teens and then they had their "Lake Games." The Wilds has not done water games at/in the lake with the teens since 1997 but with since this year's theme has water related, they brought them back. Both the teens and the juniors loved the water games.

I was able to get my laptop working this afternoon on the Wilds' wireless network. After doing a little work, I had to hustle back to my room before the thunderstorms rolled through. It rained heavy for about 30-40 minutes and then cleared up again.

Wednesday night is always "Fun Night" at the Wilds. We went to the junior's fun time, then went to the teen's preaching service, and then the teen's fun time. Willie and Matt Herbster are hillarious together.

Evangelist Ron DeGarde preached a strong message on sin and salvation. Many responded. I am eager to look at the decisions slips that our teens have filled out. I will see them on Saturday morning when we leave.

All the kids are doing great! Not a single problem! Continue to pray that their spirits will be receptive to the Lord speaking to them.

Until tomorrow!

The Wilds - Day 2, Part 2

I'm having computer problems here at camp. I have yet to get my laptop to work on the Wilds wireless network. I've got things that I need to get accomplished that I can't do until I can get that working.

Tuesday went by quickly. Everyone was busy. I was "accused" today of being 48 years old! Wow! I wouldn't have seen that coming.

All of the young people are doing great! I'm sure that there are some parents that are having a worse time of it than our young people are doing. Not one of them has complained of being home sick. They are having too much fun!

Stephenie went to the Junior Boot Camp chapel this morning and told me that they're speaker - Mr. Frazier - did an excellent job! Apparently Mr. Frazier holds a black belt in Karate and used it in his chapel message! Needless to say he was able to keep the kids' attention.

Evangelist DeGarde is preaching through the book of Jonah during senior high chapels in the morning. The teens are also studying through the book Jonah during they're "God & I Time" each day.

Evangelist DeGarde preached another powerful message tonight entitled, "The Blueprint for the Battle." His text was Matthew 3:16-4:11. His main points were 1) The warning signs of our enemy 2) The weapons of our enemy 3) The weakness of our enemy. He preached hard on sin and many of our teenagers responded during the invitation.

Stephenie & I have enjoyed watching the teens/juniors have fun. My mind tells me to go on the hikes, ride the giant swing, etc. but I can't just seem to get my body to go along with it. So, we end up sitting in a central location watching all the activity around us.

Have a great night! More tomorrow!

Wilds - Day 2

The Wilds - Day 1

Today has been a day of "forgetting." When we left the church this morning, I left the checks (to be used for paying for camp) sitting on my desk. Fortunately, I realized it before we got too far. Pastor Scott brought them to us at the Wal-Mart parking lot off of Hwy 49. Then, when we got to camp I realized that I forgot to pack the power cable/adapter for my laptop. Contrary to what some may think, I do spend some of my time during camp working. I had to call Bro. Waller and he very graciously volunteered to send it to me.

The trip to camp went very well. We had no problems with the bus. (Praise the Lord!) Would you believe, though, that it was the guys (one in particular) who were more "in need" of stopping to go to the bathroom than the girls were?!?!?

We arrived at camp around 2:30 and began the check in process. Normally it takes Stephenie just a short time to get the juniors checked in. She then meets me as I wait to get the teens checked in. However, today, I got the teens checked in and then got to our room and unpacked before Stephenie even got finished!

We took a short "power nap" after our sponsor meeting tonight. Driving several hours in a bus with that many juniors and teens can wear a person out!?!?!? It's not difficult but there's just only so many times a person can hear, "Are we there yet?" before they begin to lose a little of their sanity!?!?!

We watched the juniors tonight play a game called "Battleship Dodgeball." What happened after the game provided me with 2 - not just 1 - "Video Clips of the Day." Both of these would be on anyone's "Top 10" list! I may post one of them tomorrow.

Tonight, Evangelist Ron DeGarde, preached (to the teens) on "The Power of the Word of God." No pun intended but, it was a powerful message. His main point (and his only point) was, "God's Word has the power to change lives!" His main text was from 2 Timothy 3:15-17.

Well, everyone should be in bed and asleep by now. That's where I'm headed! I will try to give an update each day while here along with posting some pictures. Please spread the word to others about this blog so they can keep up with what the teens are doing.

Pray for the young people! Some mighty great things can be accomplished this week! God's Word is powerful!

Camp at The Wilds, Part 4 - Pictures

Ben and Tim with one of the teen speakers, Mark Herbster.

The girls at the pizza party after "Fun Night!"

Elijah getting ready to ride the "Land Trolley."

The teenagers after our "Family Reunion."

Sterling's first ride on the "Giant Swing." (Notice that Ben is such an "old pro" that he was confident enough to take his camera with him on the ride!)

Camp at The Wilds, Part 4

Last night, Mark Herbster preached an excellent salvation message from Romans 3 - "3 Statements of Absolute Truth." Those truths were...
1. All men are sinners.
2. All men are sentenced.
3. All men can be saved.

This morning, I attended the junior high chapel service. The theme for the entire week has been about the life of Joseph. Matt Herbster continued that theme in this morning's chapel. In his review of the previous day, Matt answered the question, "Why was Joseph promoted?" The answer(s)? 1. Because of his compassionate God. 2. Because of his consistent testimony. 3. Because of his competent leadership. It was an excellent message!

I will be bringing home an MP3 CD that will contain all of the messages from the senior/junior high camp as well as one that contains all the messages from Junior Bootcamp.

This afternoon we had our "Family Reunion" time. That is when each church is able to gather their young people together for a time of testimonies, prayer, etc. We also give them a little treat! (That was the main reason we went to Wal-Mart earlier this week.) I also, since I have my computer here, show them some of the pictures that I have taken throughout the week. Even though they would say they hate all the pictures I take, they always enjoy seeing them!

A highlight today was watching Sterling Dotson ride the "Giant Swing" for the very first time! He was excited.

Everyone is doing well. It is getting to that point in the week where they are all getting a little tired and are looking forward to getting back home to sleep in their in own bed. Mom & Dad, begin to prepare an environment where your child will be able to continue his spiritual growth.

Camp at The Wilds, Part 3

Stephenie and I "slept in" this morning. I got up at 8:30. For that, my punishment was that I missed breakfast!

Stephenie and I went to Junior Bootcamp chapel this morning. Bro. Ron DeGarde preached on "Protecting Your Heart!" He used several passages of scripture but his launching pad was from Ephesians 6 where we are commanded to put on the breastplate of righteousness. Why? To protect our heart!

From there, I followed the Juniors to the Lake for the "Lake Wars." They divide all the Juniors up into 4 different water games that are all going at the same time. After each round, the children switch to a different game so that at the end of 4 rounds they've had the opportunity to participate in each game.

From there we went to the picnic lunch on the ballfield with the teenagers. I was glad for this especially since I missed breakfast.

After lunch, the teenagers got to play one of their favorites - "The Cat In the Hat." We took plenty of pictures and video from that game.

This afternoon the teenagers and juniors are participating in a variety of activities: the land slide, tubing down the creek, the rope swing, hikes to the falls, swim time at the lake, put-put golf, and the list could go on.

All the young people are doing very well. Continue to keep them in your prayers daily! Thanks.

Camp at The Wilds, Part 2 - Pictures Continued

Camp at The Wilds, Part 2

Today (Tuesday)...

I saw The Wilds before the sun came up. (Stephenie and I were up at 5:45 AM in order to get our morning walk in before the day started. I know what some of you are thinking, "Don't you get enough exercise just walking up and down the stairs!?!")

I saw Janna enjoy herself on the Land Trolley.

I saw Michael & Stephen Breeden go down the Landslide. (Very quickly, I might add!)

I saw Lauren and Hannah dive 65 feet on the Giant Swing.

I saw DJ and Andrew getting "crafty" in the Craft Shop.

I saw Travis, Sterling, Jeremiah & Fon Samuel getting wet at the Water Wars.

I saw MacKenzie, Zephany, & Jessica floating down the creek on inner tubes.

All the teens and juniors are doing well. I believe they are getting tired and it's only Tuesday night.

I saw a lot of our teenagers getting "scrambled" at the Scrabble Scramble Game.

Mark Herbster preached on "3 Tremendous Truths for Terrific Teenagers." His text was from Ecclesiastes 12 & 13. Those 3 Truths were/are...

1. Rejoice

2. Remove

3. Remember

(On Saturday, ask your teens to explain those three truths. Hopefully, they were taking notes!)

I'll have more pictures tomorrow! Enjoy! Feel free to pass this blog on to others who might enjoy seeing the young people.

Camp at The Wilds, Part 1

We arrived at camp by 2:30 on Monday afternoon just as the check-in process was beginning. We had absolutely no problems with the bus on the way to camp this year. That was a tremendous relief and blessing. The young people finally settled down after we made our first pit stop about an hour away from Asheville.

Once we got off the interstate in Asheville to begin the trip "up the mountain" the young people once again found their energy. And, when we turned onto Frozen Creek Road (the road that leads to camp), the young people began to shout with excitement.

Check-in went as smooth as it ever has. The young people were handed off to their counsellors without a hitch. Everyone got their luggage. Well, almost... There were only a few pillows left and one toiletry kit left on the bus. Mothers, you'll appreciate this... Two teenagers couldn't find a piece of their luggage. In both cases the item was in sight and I pointed it out to them. In one case, the missing piece of luggage was the only one left sitting on the ground! Now I know how Stephenie feels when she has to "find" something for me that is sitting right in front of me!

A big thank you goes out to Pastor Scott, Mr. Litchfield, and Mr. Christian. Pastor drove "The Ark" (the new, short bus) which was loaded with all our luggage. Mr. Litchfield and Mr. Christian drove behind Pastor Scott in order to drive him back to Charlotte so that he could leave the bus here during the week. they will be coming back up on Saturday morning in order to drive the luggage back down the mountain.

All the young people are doing well. Stephenie and I have "made the rounds" on several occassions in order to "check in" on the teenagers. They all seem to be having a good time.

One of the teen girls came up to me before the evening service and said that she needed to call her mom. When I asked why, she said that she had broken her flip flops and only had her sneakers left. Well, we remedied the situation. Stephenie and I drove into town on Tuesday morning to pick up a few things for the "Family Reunion" time on Thursday. While we were at Wal-Mart, we picked her up a couple of pair of flip flops that were on clearance. Once again, Wal-Mart saves the day!

Matt Herbster preached on Monday night. His text was Proverbs 24:16-17. The title to his message was, "Spiritual Defeat...Deal With It!" It was an excellent message on dealing with spiritual defeat and how that sometimes we get content with spiritual defeat. It was a great way to start the week.

We brought one of the largest groups this year! I'd love to bring over 50 young people next year! Start saving now!

I'll include some pictures with my next post (propably late Tuesday night.)

The Wilds, 2007 - Final Photos

One of the last things that you see as you leave camp is the verse, 2 Timothy 3:14, "But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;"

Our prayer is that the teenagers will remember the things that God taught them during the week of camp and that they will continue to live according to those Biblical principles.

The Wilds 2007 - Goin' Tubin'

There is always plenty to do at The Wilds. Here's a picture of some of our girls preparing to go tubin' down the creek. They've added a new attraction to the creek. It's called "The Wild's Water Wars!" They have positioned and installed water guns (that are fed by the creek) along the banks of the creek so that bystanders can drench the tubers as they come into the home stretch. My wife had a blast today getting the teens wet with the water guns. However, Travis soaked her in return!

The Wilds 2007

We arrived safely at The Wilds (Brevard, NC) on Monday. This was our (Stephenie & Joseph) 8 trip to The Wilds since we have been at South Charlotte Baptist Church.

Two years ago, the engine on the bus overheated on the way "up" the mountain. The engine had to be rebuilt because of that. Last, the same bus, with a new engine, once again overheated on the way "up" the mountain. I was able to coax it up the mountain without doing any damage to it. Well, this year, I decided to go a little different way to camp which I didn't think would be as difficult for the bus. We went I-77 north to I-40 west to I-26 east to camp. Even though it wasn't as steep, it was enough of a grade over a long enough stretch that once again the bus overheated. I drove the bus on the shoulder for about 3 miles going 15 miles an hour. We made it again without damaging the bus.

All 20 of the young people did just fine. They got a little stir crazy about an hour from camp. After leaving Charlotte at 9:30 AM, stopping for lunch and bathroom breaks, we arrived at the camp at 2:30 PM which is when they begin registration.

There are over 1,100 campers and sponsors this week at The Wilds. That does not include The Wilds staff. That's a lot of people.

We are having a great time! Stephenie is doing well considering that Jeremiah is a camper for the first time this year! Her biggest concern is that he take a shower on a regular basis during the week!

The Wilds takes pictures all throughout the week and posts them on their website. Check it out, you may see one of your children!

I may post more later this week if I get a chance! If not, we'll see you on Saturday!