I'm a camp girl!

Most everyone who has been in contact with me lately knows that I got to spend a week at camp with our church youth group last week. It was honestly a refreshing and energizing experience and I have been missing being there this week.

From the first night we were at Jonathan Creek, I felt like I was back in my element. I have had so many positive camp experiences in my life and those experiences have truly shaped who I am as a person and as a Christian. Now that I'm home, here are some of the reasons why I love camp so much:

• Camp makes me happy! Like I said, as soon as I got to camp, I felt like I had returned to a happy place in my past. I'd never been to this particular camp before, but it was organized in a similar way to other camps I've been a part of, so from the minute that we drove onto the camp property and were greeted by enthusiastic staffers, I just wanted to jump up and participate whole-heartedly.
• Camp songs! I love to sing and I'm not afraid to do silly motions to songs. I also love to worship and the songs that were used in the worship services at Jonathan Creek were very vertical and led us to the throne of God. I wasn't the only one who appreciated these songs, because most of the youth group, including my son, have been posting lyrics on Facebook and have been downloading them since we've been back home.
• Relaxed schedule and change of pace. Obviously for me, as an adult going to camp, I experienced a completely different schedule from my normal routine and work and at home. But for everyone who goes to camp, it's a chance to get away from things that distract and spend time focusing on having fun and learning more about God. While I did have some limited access to the internet and my cell phone, I definitely benefitted from spending time "unplugged" during the week.
• Hearts are changed at camp. God has used the camp experiences in my life to draw me closer to Him. I think it's the fact that many of life's normal distractions are not present at camp, plus much time is spent reading and hearing the Word and in worship. Whether as a camper, staffer or adult leader at camp, God has spoken to my heart during camp experiences. It was also very moving for me to see God working in the hearts and lives of the kids from our youth group. I have known some of these kids since they were babies (including my own), so to have a front-row seat to watch God work in their hearts was one of my favorite things at camp last week.