Family: Camp Tanda

Last week my husband's family held a reunion at Camp Tanda in Lake Big Bear, California. This was a reunion of just his immediate family. All together there were around 60 people in attendance - his mom, seven siblings and their spouses, their kids their spouses (when applicable), and grandkids (also when applicable).


The last time all his siblings were together was nine years ago, so it was a sweet gathering. They see each other en mass so seldom that they really cut right through all the superficial and head straight for heart matters. We spent a good part of the week hearing what was on each persons heart and in their plans and then praying for them.

There was time for some playing between the praying and it was a joy to see the cousins all running around playing soccer, the uncles competing at horseshoes and the aunts visiting over cups of coffee. Lots of good catching up.

One of my nieces was telling about her husband's family reunions that often end in fisticuffs (the last time it was two aunts) and I realize that it really is a blessing to be able to get that many people together and there not be any major conflicts.

SIDE NOTE: I did not supply the link to Camp Tanda earlier because I refuse to do so without a warning. Click if you want, but be forwarned that the site supplies very little information and plays some relatively obnoxious music that can't be stopped.

Latest Read: Blue Like Jazz

a bibliophilist's reading list: Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

From the book:

Too much of our time is spent trying to chart God on a grid, and too little is spent allowing our hearts to feel awe. By reducing Christian spirituality to formula, we deprive our hearts of wonder.

Travel: On Airline Seating

Allentown to Cleveland. Seat 6B. That was me. Well, me and a good part of the fellow in 6C. Trying to get comfortable in an airline seat is hard enough without having to give up part of your seat to someone who cannot fit into their own. There was no fighting over who would get the armrest, or even any amiable sharing of it. His waistline was resting comfortably there. Well, probably not very comfortably. I think he was wedged as close to the window as he could get but that did not keep him from spilling over into my seat. I have a crick in my neck from leaning over to the side so as to avoid being plastered up against him. Good thing it was a short flight.

I'm not unsympathetic to the plight of heavy people and airline seats. The size of the seats is ridiculous even for slim people. But, you get so little for your money in an economy seat - it seems like there should be some sort of compensation for people who end up having their seat hijacked by the person in the seat next to them.

Travel: On Finding an Internet Connection

Here's what I've noticed about airports and internet connections: large airports make you pay for an internet connection, small airports do not. Grand Rapids has a free internet connection. So does Allentown, PA. I'm in Cleveland, waiting for a connecting flight and had to pay to connect to the internet. Granted, here it was only $3.95 for two hours, which is not too bad comparatively. (Cleveland isn't as big as say Dallas or LAX, so I guess they charge accordingly.) It seems to defy logic for small airports to offer free wireless while the larger ones charge. Same sort of deal seems to apply to hotels, too. The more expensive the hotel, the less likely they are to have free internet.

So, here's the current theory we have floating around our house, courtesy of my husband. Large airports and fancy hotels added internet access years ago when it was very expensive to do so. So, they have to charge to recoup their investment. Small hotels and airports can hire a teenager to set them up with wireless and it costs them relatively little to do so. So, they can offer it free as a perk because they did not have the initial outlay that those that got into the technology early had to put out.

So, I'm glad I tend to stay in cheaper hotels. Now, if it was just as easy to avoid big airports, I'd be set.

Linkage: On Entertainment

Culture Watch: Thoughts of a Constructive Curmudgeon: A. W. Tozer on Our Idol: Entertainment [1955]

This is a long quote from A. W. Tozer's book, Root of the Righteous. It's worth taking the time to read and ponder, I think.

Latest Read: Pilgrim Heart

a bibliophilist's reading list: Pilgrim Heart by Darryl Tippens

From the book:
On spiritual discernment:

There is always a danger lurking that our personal preferences and prejudices will turn out -- coincidentally -- to look exactly like the will of God. I see a growing temptation among some Christians today to call whatever happens "God's will", so long as it is personally favorable to them. Is every good outcome (at least what appears to be a good outcome) necessarily a "God thing"? If so, what do we call the bad things that happen to us or others? Person A puts his house on the market, and "miraculously" it sells in three days. Person B puts his house on the markets, and it lingers there untouched for twelve months. Person A, if he is pious, may very well declare his success God's will. But we have to ask: What if Person B is equally devoted and pious, but his house doesn't sell? What then? Is his bad luck also God's will? Whose will is it when things go very badly despite our most fervent prayers and wishes? How, we might ask, do we avoid the self-serving distortion in which we baptize our own preferences and declare them "the will of God"?

The answer is spiritual discernment, which is both a skill to be developed and the product of spiritual transformation.

Michigan in the Summer: Camp

After our ill-fated trip to Tennessee, it was time to head to church camp. Here in West Michigan, several of the Churches of Christ co-operate together to run a small camp called Beechwood Hills. Last week the kids and I did our volunteer time at camp. I spent the week organizing paperwork (it really did take me all week to get it in order), my oldest son worked in the kitchen as a cook and the two younger kids were engineers (that means they did dishes, cleaned toilets, helped with activities, and generally worked themselves silly).

I went to summer camp once when I was a kid - and never wanted to go again. Most people I know are appalled that I did not like camp, for the most part they all seem to have loved it. How about you?

Groan

We started off our busy month of July with a bang. Without sharing the gory details, suffice it to say that very contagious stomach viruses, travel and family reunions are not a good combination. They may not invite us back next time.

Michigan in the Summer: VBS

On the right is my youngest daughter, playing David in one of our Vacation Bible School skits. We had a relatively low turn out for VBS this year. In part because every other church in the area seemed to be having their VBS at the same time. Those who were there had a good time though.

Latest Read: Simply Christian

a bibliophilist's reading list: Simply Christian by N. T. Wright

From the book
On the Bible:

The Bible is there to enable God's people to be equipped to do God's work in God's world, not to give them an excuse to sit back smugly, knowing they possess all God's truth.