Girls Just Want To Have Fun

Hey there! Well, week one of Camp is in the books. Tomorrow our first guests leave and we have five hours to prepare for twice as many.

Something special happens when good friends and family are here as guests. So enjoyed the snippets of time we got to spend with these folks (not everyone pictured). Grown up time. Just what my heart needed.

We had the best ice cream, salted caramel cookies and cream. Makes you want to visit, doesn't it? Please do.

The highlight of this week for me happened on a little island in the middle of Lake Pleasant. Tapawingo is an all girls camp and one of the arms of the CAMP-of-the-WOODS ministry. I've never been to an all girls camp. Having seen what I missed, I certainly wish I had when I was littler.

This adorable young woman's name is Miss Joy. Joy is the Director of Tapawingo. She eats, drinks and breathes girls ministry and lets God use her gifts in so many ways. It's obvious why she is so respected and appreciated. I love every minute I spend with her.

 

Before we launched into summer season, I asked Joy if she would give my Front Desk girls a tour of the Island and her ministry so we could better answer questions that always come to us. 

She happily agreed and arranged a boat for us, and off we went. This is our friend Paul, the Boat Captain/Marina Supervisosr. He puts up with a lot of our year-round shenanigans. And adds some of his own.
















Scott and Ben came too, and we all fell in love. It's the most adorable place! Much smaller than Word of Life Island, but no less wonderful. 

This is the chapel. Isn't it awesome?  

We love how you can see water from everywhere. They do so many fun things like archery, water sports and campfires. Not to mention sleepovers and hikes.

 

I hope you can see that hand made cross near the swimming area.

 

On a side note, Ben and I almost went paddleboarding the other day, but Scott wasn't sure I could do it. This aqua bike might be more my speed. 

An Arts and Crafts cabin! I wonder if anyone would notice me coming over on my day off and hanging out in here? 

Next is this cute dining hall.You should hear all the singing while they wait for their supper. These girls are having constant fun, just like Cyndi Lauper told us. 

A few months ago Joy invited me to come over and speak to the girls this first week during their Vespers service. No way could I turn that down. This was Monday night.

Since I usually speak to women's group, I wasn't really sure how to bring it to a 8-19 year old level. So I prayed and asked God what He'd like me to say.

I decided to talk to them as I would to my soon-to-be-here granddaughter. If I had to tell her the most important thing I know, what would it be? (If you're wondering why I didn't insert my daughter Ally into that equation, trust me, she has heard all of my words.)

As it happens, as I am reading through the Bible, I recently came upon a certain king in the book of 2 Chronicles 34. 

Josiah. I knew right then this was for the Tapawingo girls.

Heard of him?

Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. ² And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

Later in the chapter and a little later in his life, while still very young, the long lost and possibly forgotten Book of the Law (aka book of Moses) was found. When they brought it to the king and he realized what it was, Josiah ripped his clothes in lament (a demonstration of being aware of his own sin in the presence of a holy God). Read on:

²⁹ Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. ³⁰ And the king went up to the house of the Lord, with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites, all the people both great and small. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord. ³¹ And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. ³² Then he made all who were present in Jerusalem and in Benjamin join in it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. ³³ And Josiah took away all the abominations from all the territory that belonged to the people of Israel and made all who were present in Israel serve the Lord their God. All his days they did not turn away from following the Lord, the God of their fathers.

Pretty impressive for a young boy/man. I asked the 8-9 year olds if they could imagine any boy in their class becoming the President of the United States. They looked at each other and squealed, "Ewwwww! No way!". I mean, think about it. Know any outstanding 8 year olds?

Then I shared what I believe to be the most important thing a young woman who is a believer in Jesus Christ should make a priority in her life. Reading the Bible everyday. What a privilege to testify to a new generation of young women the power of God's Word, and more important, its Author. 

I told them The Bible is full of exciting stories about God, Jesus, the Spirit and us. That everything they need to know for life and godliness is written in that book (2 Peter 1:3). From my own experience, I assured these girls that most every question they have for God is already answered in His Book. Why wouldn't we read an amazing ancient document that He has preserved for us? I told them how God convinced me many years ago that He wants to spend time with me daily and how it's become my most favorite time of day. I hope they accept the challenge to make room in their lives to sit, read and be amazed.

These energetic, giggly girls were amazing listeners. The counselors and staff lead them in amazing ways. They could not possibly leave here without knowing how deeply loved they are. I'm so happy to have been a part of it for just one night.

Because they are girls growing up in a social media world, they were more than happy to oblige me with a group picture for you.

Scott got his turn this week too, and Ben has also been asked to speak here later this summer. My list of gifts just keeps growing and growing.

Wonder what next week will hold? Stay tuned....