Posts Tagged ‘Camp’

Fear Not…

Posted: 7th August 2009 by Addis Andy in Philosophical Ramblings
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Fear is a funny thing. Some of it is good for you. God gave it to you as a way to protect yourself.

For example, when you’re walking down the street and massive pit bull with foam dripping from its mouth comes running at you, your typical response isn’t, “Nice, puppy!”

It’s fear… run, kick, scream. That’s a good thing.

However, the vast majority of our fears aren’t pit bulls. They aren’t collies, or even kittens. Truth is a good chuck of our fears are like that noise in the basement we imagine is a serial killer whose been hiding there all day and is waiting until 3:46 AM because of some sick ritualistic obsession of his to come in and pounce on my entire family!

When actually it’s just the sump pump.

I’ve got some potentially scary days ahead and I just wanted to offer you this camp moment as a reminder to Fear Not.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

An Open letter to Kathy

Posted: 30th July 2009 by Addis Andy in Nonsensical Junk
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This is an open letter to my wife on our 15th wedding anniversay. She means more to me than words can say…

Dear Kathy,

On our 15th wedding anniversary, I find that today is an example like so many days in the last 15 years that show an inexplicable love and devotion that I neither deserve nor understand. But, nonetheless, it’s this relationship with you that I treasure more than almost anything in my world.
For the last 15 years I have been a youth pastor and/or camp speaker with a July wedding anniversary. So, only once or twice in our years together have we actually spent these precious camp dates together. When we did, they were days shared with others, like today.
Today, for our 15th wedding anniversary you drove yourself and our boys all the way to central Texas to spend 3 days with me and about 700 third through sixth graders. Then on this big day you celebrated by:

• getting up early
• packing for two boys, a husband and yourself
• doing most of the heavy lifting because my head was hurting again
• listening to me preach for the 1 billionth time
• working the product table and making change out of campers wet lake water money
• driving a second car 8.5 hours home
• making your anniversary dinner a burger, fries and peanut buster parfait from Dairy Queen at a truck stop in nowhere Oklahoma
• finally, making the late night unload at the church of all the tech equipment and junk we’d been hauling

Most impressive of all Mrs. Addis was the fact that everytime I saw you today you smiled and hugged and looked for a kiss. Even though many others would whine and complain about their lot in life, you showed joy and love.
It was a day you could rightfully claim as your own, even if you had given up so many others. Surely, the 15th should be special. But, you put your God, your husband and the cause before yourself.
You’ve never looked more beautiful to me.

Growing up, Graduating & Chuck

Posted: 3rd July 2009 by Addis Andy in Spiritual Growth
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I write this blog to you from the corner of the snack shop at YouthFrontZone Camp in Edgerton, Ks. I’ve had the privilege of being the camp pastor here for the last four years and it’s starting to feel like a second home.

They have great facilities, an excellent staff and some fo the most unique programs I have every seen. But, probably the most ringing endorsement comes from my boys Noah and Nathan who say this is their “most favorite camp ever”, which is a huge statement because my boys… they’ve seen lot of camp.

When I ask what their favorite part is, it’s hard for them to decide:

Is it the paramilitary game NIGHTSTRIKE played late at night when they cut all the lights at camp
Is it the grossly enormous free standing water slide that has a 30 second drop
Is it the 50s Pool Party, the Renaissance fair, the daily HYPE sessions of dancing, goofy games and indoor dodgeball
Is it the all access free pass they get to the snack shop as the camp pastor’s kids (I think this might be it, but that’s just me)

Whatever it is, I love doing this camp, because my kids love it so much. And, this camp is really unusual because of its facilities and programming.

However, there is one thing that makes this camp identical to the hundreds of other camps I have been to over the years… the kiddos.