One of the bigger projects that Cascades Camp has coming down the pike includes some re-constructive work on our roads.  After almost 20 years of operation, Cascades’ roads are beginning to need repaving.  Some places where the road has remained gravel will now be paved to ensure smoother travels for our guests.

In the photograph above Dan Clifford, our head of Special Construction Projects, is preparing the roads for paving using a road grader to remove debris from the shoulder and create the proper angles in the road itself.

Camp could not survive without the prayers of our many faithful prayer warriors. In order to keep everyone up to speed on the current prayer needs of Cascades, we will be posting prayer requests on the blog every Tuesday-check back weekly for updates, and thank you all for your support of the work that God does through the ministry here at Cascades.

  Current prayer requests include:

• Summer Programs-our desire is that the Gospel would be spread to as many kids as possible, so pray that God would bring His children out to Cascades this summer and prepare their hearts for the lessons that they will learn while spending time at camp.
• Summer staff-It is a huge PRAISE that all our summer staff have been hired at this point, but please continue to pray for the hearts of all the college-aged students working at Cascades this summer as they serve and give their time to God’s ministry here.
• Operations Assistant-we are currently still looking for an individual to assist our Operations Manager, Alan Thomas in the general maintenance and upkeep of the facilities at Cascades. Prayer that the right person would apply and that their heart would be open to God’s leading.

Here is the THIRD Official Winner of the Cascades Camp Photoblog Friday Photo Contest. Kitsel Belmudes sent in this great shot of her daughter Lexi. Here is the story she shared with us about her photograph:

“This pictures was taken on the final day of the camp our daughter attended at Sunrise Ranch. We had the opportunity to watch the kids showcase their riding skills. In her week spent at camp, our daughter not only gained a lot of confidence in her riding and being around the horses, but we really saw how much she had grown as a person. We know camp was an awesome experience for her…she left very timid and frightened going to camp for the first time, and came home bubbling with excitement and an inner strength that we hadn’t really seen before.”

-Kitsel Belmudes

Our second winner in the Photoblog Friday Photo Contest is Barbara Dean!  Here is what she had to say about her photograph:

“What a view!  Mount Rainier in the early afternoon from Brightwood Station.  We have traveled from Texas the past 2 years to attend the July Family Camp.  The clean mountain air, crisp cool mornings, bright sunshine, refreshing lake dips, lazy canoeing, and excellent motivating speakers and services keep drawing us back.  We find there is no better way to really relax and enjoy God’s gifts of nature than visiting Cascades Camp.”

-Barbara Dean

The first winner in our Photoblog Friday Photo Contest is Rebecca Darling!  Here is what she had to say about her photograph:

“Ahh..the joys of summer…swimming in the ice cold lake followed by a cool ice cream treat from the snack bar.  What could be better?  Sharing it with your PaPa each afternoon!!   We took a family trip with Grandma & PaPa last summer during the 4th of July Family Camp and spent great quality time swimming, hiking, riding horses, playing games, building derby cars, making crafts….but most importantly, making an incredible memory that we will have forever!”

-Rebecca Darling (David Dean, Morganne Darling, and Jack Darling pictured)

“Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 5:18-21

Tuesday was April 15th. Tuesday was tax day.

I don’t necessarily enjoy taxes. In fact, they scare me a bit.

In a fit of rage (well not really rage, but maybe defiance) I decided to rebel against the government and rather than filing my taxes without thinking, I was going to educate myself a bit first. And being the resourceful person that I am, I went to dictionary.com and typed in the word “tax” so that I would be somewhat more informed…The first definition, obviously, was directed at the money that you and I pay to our government. The second definition, however brought some other thoughts to mind. This alternative definition describes the word “tax” as follows, “a burdensome charge, obligation, duty, or demand”.

Using these two definitions together we can understand “tax” to mean that we pay (in this case our government) taxes for the work they do for us and these taxes are “a burdensome charge, obligation, duty or demand” on us as humans.

I see some very real correlations to our relationship with Christ in these words. If anyone has earned the right to tax us, He has. Christ, in His death on the cross, completed the ultimate work of salvation. And for this, He has every right to demand a tax on our lives. And, I think, in some ways He does. But, rather than these taxes being a burden or an obligation or a demand, Christ lovingly asks not that we pay, but that we receive His mercy.

His tax is that of love seeking to set us free from the demands of the world, His tax is simply a life lived in worship to the One who saved us from an eternal obligation to evil, His tax is grace over death, and His tax is not one to fear, but to embrace!

Blessing and taxes to you,

Dirt

Sorry folks, no picture this Friday…we are still waiting on you to send us your pictures for our Photo Contest. Here is a friendly reminder of the contest rules:

-Photo submissions must be of digital photographs.
-The picture should be one that was taken at Cascades.
-Email submissions to claudiafisher@cascadescamp.org with “Photoblog Photo Contest” in the subject line.
-You must also tell us the story behind your photograph or why it is meaningful to you.

The winning photographs will be displayed on the blog for the next FOUR FRIDAYS! Submit your meaningful pictures and you could be the next winner. Winners will be awarded a Cascades Nalgene water bottle.

Email Claudia Fisher with any questions.

Blessings to you!

“…Lord, search my heart,
create in me something clean.
Dandelions,
you see flowers in these weeds…”

Last night as I was about to go to bed, I had a Five Iron Frenzy (old school, huh?!?) song stuck in my head, entitled Dandelions. This song tells the story of a young boy who has picked some flowers for his mom and excitedly runs and gives them to her. His mother recognizes the treasure that she has been given by her son and puts the flowers in a vase, cradling them closely to her heart.

The boy’s mother was not given beautiful roses or lilies. She was given dandelions. Now, if you are unfamiliar, dandelions are those pesky weeds that anyone with a grass yard has had to combat with weed killer in order to not fall to hostile takeover by the dandelions.

You and I have a lot to learn from this mother who, in this song, plays a very similar role to that of our Heavenly Father. We, being human and thus imperfect, bring our dandelions to God with excitement. Rather than turning his nose down at us for our imperfections, He delights in our gifts, cradling them closely to His heart. God is not concerned with the perfection of our offerings, but rather the desire of our hearts to bring Him praise in all we do.

Through a mother’s eyes, dandelions are beautiful. Through God’s eyes, you and I are beautiful. Don’t wait until your life is perfect to offer it to God. It’s okay if all you have to give is dandelions, He knows they are beautiful.

Blessings,

Dirt

Summer is fast approaching-which means that Family Camp is just around the corner. The photograph above was taken during Labor Day Family Camp’s “Family Games”. Games like the wheelbarrow race, egg and spoon race, pie eating contest and more are constant favorites and make for great family fun!

Now for the CONTEST:

Photoblog Friday has thus far consisted of pictures taken by Cascades Staff. But these pictures only capture one side of camp. We want to see camp from the eyes of our guests-that’s you guys! We are looking for digital photographs taken at Cascades to put up on our blog for the next FOUR FRIDAYS. If you have a fun picture from your time at camp, submit it to our Photoblog Friday Photo Contest and if your photo is chosen, you will win a Cascades Nalgene water bottle.

Email all submissions to claudiafisher@cascadescamp.org with “Photoblog Photo Contest” in the subject line. In order to qualify for the contest tell us the story behind your photograph or why it is meaningful to you and you could be the next winner!

 “Create in me a clean heart, O God,
       and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Psalm 51:10

I spent the vast majority of monday cleaning. cleaning toilets, cleaning showers, cleaning sinks, cleaning mirrors, cleaning. I’ve noticed that when I clean, I am quite meticulous. I spend a tad bit too long on each thing just to make sure I’ve gotten it perfectly right-with no dirt or hair or other such grossness left behind.

Sometimes I think I should do this with my life. Spend all day cleaning. Cleaning my heart, cleaning my soul, cleaning my mind, cleaning my faith, cleaning. Being quite meticulous on matters of faith-spending a tad bit too long on each bit of me that needs examining, just to make sure I’ve gotten it perfectly right. Now, I know that when it comes to matters of self there is no such thing as reaching the ultimate “perfectly right”–but what I mean is to reach the “perfectly right” that exists for the person that I am-and the person that I am becoming.  But I want to clean me in order that there is no junk and other such grossness left behind.

I guess it is time to go clean.

Blessings,

Dirt