Cascades Camp Blog

As we promised in the brochure, campers at Brightwood Station this summer will be given a cool Offroad Safari Tour during their stay at Cascades!  Brightwood Campers can get excited for the ride of their life in this 2 and a half ton army truck as it snakes through “uncharted lands”…who knows, you may even spot some wildlife along the way!

Get more info, or register for Brightwood (here).

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“Come, let us return to the LORD;
for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
 he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.
Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD…”

Hosea 6:1-3a

These few short verses at the beginning of the sixth chapter of Hosea are so rich with meaning.  I am not going to pretend that I have anywhere near a comprehensive understanding of what all is being said within them, but no doubt, they are worth exploring and learning from!  As sinners we wander from God (Isaiah 53:6) and here comes the call to return to the Lord.  Our lives are torn and rampaged – they fall short of the “perfect life” that we have envisioned for ourselves.  We fail, we lose friends, we don’t get the job, we lack – He has torn us – but in so doing His promise is to heal us.  

I must admit that I struggle a bit with the concept of God tearing us that He may heal us, but I do know that our Creator God is Sovereign.  He is Omniscient.  Outside the realm of time, God knows all, and is faithful to work for the good (Romans 8:28) that ultimately only He can fully know because He is not constrained by time as we are.  He can see all things as they have been, are, and will be, and has complete knowledge and power to work things for His glory. In this there is comfort knowing that He will  heal us.

Then there is the call to know, to press on to know the Lord.  It is worth noting that we must press on to know the Lord. Knowledge of God does not come easily.  It comes through a dedicated pursuit, and often comes after brokeness – being torn, struck down – then once we are healed and raised up, if we choose to seek God’s wisdom as it relates to our brokeness, we can learn from these experiences (Philipians 3:8).  But we must press on to know Him, that is our call, that is what gives us life.  For when we know God, when we truly know Him and the gift of His Son, we cannot help but walk according to His purpose, constantly returning to the Lord when we stray, but living only to know and glorify Him.

I pray that we all would spur eachother on to return to the Lord, to let Him heal, revive and raise us up, and in the midst of all this to press on to know the Lord, always.

Blessings,

Claudia

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 Current Prayer Requests Include:

• God’s Presence - Currently we have 11 permanent staff, 2 interns, and 7 summer staff working at Cascades.  Pray that we all would continually seek God’s presence throughout our days, working solely to glorify Him!
• Summer Planning - Right now there is a lot of planning for Bible Studies, decorations, games, schedules, work projects, menus, and so much more going on.  Pray that God would be the guiding force behind all our planning.
• Projects - Over the Memorial Day Weekend a few of our staff worked on the Deep Woods Chapel staging, but there is still more to do there and the Climbing Wall construction is steadily underway.  Join us as we pray for speedy and sturdy construction of these two larger projects.
• Summer Staff - Again, we ask you to lift our summer staff up in your prayers.  Ask God to shape their hearts and prepare them to grow as they serve Him humbly.  Pray that they would come to Cascades ready to pour out God’s love on all the kids, campers, and guests that they are working for!

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We are in the middle of our first family camp of 2009, the Memorial Day Campout.  The weather has been gorgeous and everyone seems to be having a great time at the waterfront, on trail rides, doing the Rubicon Challenge, eating s’mores, and hanging out with friends and family!

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One of the renovation projects that we’ve been working on at Cascades is the remodel of Brightwood Stations’ Deep Woods Chapel.  Awhile back a crew demolished the old chapel set-up and just today Alan Thomas, our Operations Manager, and Rob Mohrweis, our Associate Director, have begun work on the main staging.  Our summer staff will complete the job by putting in the seating and doing some other beautification pieces during staff training week in June.

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“Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”

Hebrews 13:1-2

I am continually amazed by the way God uses His people to speak truth into the lives of others.  And while I have been so immensely fortunate to be poured into by those around me, it is not enough to just soak that in – but I must remember to let God’s blessings that have so abundantly poured down on me, overflow to all those I come in contact with, and especially strangers.

Jesus wasn’t the type to only hang around with His friends – keeping all the wisdom given Him by God to Himself.  Quite the contrary!  While Jesus did have his closest friends in His disciples, He went and loved, without reservation, all those He met.  What are we saying to a stranger if we rush by them without even acknowledging their presence?  Whether we are trying to or not, their is a chance they could feel invalued.  And while they may be just a stranger to you, they could in fact be an angel to someone else, and at the very least (or more rightly stated, the very most) they are God’s children, made in His image, deserving of all grace as their ransom has already been paid. 

So, smile to that stranger.  Show them God’s love in any and all ways you can.  Who knows, you may be entertaining angels without even knowing it!

Blessings,

Claudia

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 Current Prayer Requests Include:

• Memorial Day Campout - Starting on Friday we will have over 200 guests with us for Memorial Day Weekend.  Pray that God will keep everyone safe and bless each and every person who is here with a weekend of relaxation and fun!
• Guest Groups - At Cascades we have a steady stream of guests who use the facilities here to host their events.  Please join us as we constantly pray for God to move in the lives of these guests and speak to them through His creation experienced at camp.
• Campers - Pray for the hearts and minds of the campers that will be coming to camp this summer.  Ask that God would forever change their lives for His glory through their time at Cascades.

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“So God created man in his own image,
   in the image of God he created him;
   male and female he created them.
And God blessed them.”

Genesis 1:27-28a

For the last couple of weeks, we’ve had 2 or 3 summer staff join us.  As each individual has begun working, I have been blessed by their presence and the new giftings they bring to our team out here.  As I was reflecting on that this morning, I was reminded of something I learned when reading a good book once, and that is the idea that every one we come in contact with gives us an opportunity to see God.  

When I look at Moose Jockey, I see quiet strength (Exodus 15:2) and humbleness (Psalm 25:9).

When I look at Henna I see such deep joy (1 Peter 1:8) and contentment (1 Timothy 6:6) in God.

When I look at Zaphod I see an honest pursuit of a relationship with our Maker (1 John 3:24).

When I look at Howzer I see a hard worker (Acts 20:35) devoted to service (Romans 12:11).

When I look at Libro I see perseverance and a steadfast follower of God (James 1:25).

And these are just the first five summer staff to arrive!

Just think of how much our hearts would be blessed to take time to identify the ways God speaks to us simply through the lives of each person who crosses our path – not to mention those who are a constant presence in our lives.  God has given us fellowship so that we may grow through the communities we are a part of – let’s not waste such a precious gift – let’s, rather, be intentional about getting to know God through His people.

Look for God.  Look towards the people you know and will meet and find Him there.  

Blessings,

Claudia

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  Current Prayer Requests Include:

• Summer Staff – Once again we ask you to continue to join with us in prayer for our summer staff.  Currently we have two summer staff on board with us already, three more arrive on Friday, and others will continue to arrive as we near June 19th – when the entire staff will gather together for our staff retreat.  Pray that God will ready their hearts and minds for service at Cascades this summer!
• Outdoor Education – Right now we have several schools using Cascades for their outdoor education program.  Pray that God would use this place to teach all the 5th grade students that are here with us about His Creation!
• Spread the Word – Pray that we would be able to effectively market camp’s programs to churches, campers, and other groups that would be interested in coming and spending time at Cascades.

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Check out Cascades Camp’s twitter account and get the minute by minute updates on life at Cascades!

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