row, row, row your boat

…gently on the lake! Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily campers have some fun! And that would be in large part to some awesome kids at an elementary school who raised money to help Whisper Mountain buy the boats for rowing! Adding to this wonderful generosity is a local friend of ours who donated his welding skills, time and some of the supplies to help build us a trailer for hauling the boats for rowing!

(green boats/kayak=donated boats!)

I know I say it all the time around here, but isn’t it a beautiful thing how people pull together for the purpose of Proclaiming Jesus?! Beautiful I tell you!

We enjoyed a day on the lake with our campers yesterday. Aside from jumping off the rock, they all wanted to be in a boat! Something fun and refreshing about being on the water, in a canoe, rowing with friends!

Something pretty amazing having people like you joining us in our efforts of Proclaiming Jesus through your prayers, serving with us, giving to us! As staff, we are entirely grateful to have you on our team!

from the peanut gallery [summer staff randomness]

A fun part of capturing the weeks of summer with my camera is catching our goofball staff in their randomness! Enjoy a few from the week with some peanut gallery commentary!

>>>Cuddle moments: a sure sign the staff get along really well!

>>>Photo bombing the camera card means I get to post them, right?

>>>I really enjoy listening to the band!

>>>Tip: when bored, stuff weeds in your ear! [dirty + weird=my boy]

>>>Working on facilities crew=dress & stand the same at all times!

>>>Tip: when hot at high ropes, open up the pits and let the breeze in!

>>>Did he see the lens pointed his direction or is something wrong?

>>>……..idk

>>>Ever ridden the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney World? The boat drifts under a bridge with a hairy pirate leg dangling down and the cave resounds with the stuck-in-the-head song, Yo ho, Yo ho, a pirates life for me!

That wraps up our first peanut gallery column! Tune in some other time whenever my mood strikes! Until then, go make somebody smile! It’s contagious!

Summer Staff, I love you! 😉

whooped!

{phone pics=poor quality!}

I happened upon this scene last night while doing the usual checking in on each sleeping angel before collapsing into bed. I first let out a chuckle at the cuteness of his sleeping position, then I felt the longing for such a position myself. We are only days away from the chance to rest our bodies. As it is with every summer's end, pure exhaustion blankets us in every way. We each are looking forward to a big exhale. A little folding of hands. A measure of rest.  

Until this exhale comes, I have hours of editing before me, late nights completing work, and early mornings requiring me to peel myself from the bed! But with all this said, I LOVE being in camp ministry! The eternal impact far outweighs any piddly little exhaustion! So, I plug on with joy!

How are you holding up with your part of the world? 

mix of life

Though in many ways we don't want to face the ending of our summer, the reality is we enter our last week of summer camp today.

The window of our staff's service with us is closing. This is my least favorite and most loved time of the year. I am ready to embrace some serious resting! But saying goodbye to these now-family people makes my heart hurt! You've glimpsed their awesomeness so maybe you can glimpse the aching!

The summer is marked by fun and silliness and bonding and growing…

…but certainly memories of unwanted things are slithered in as well. But isn't that life? Both the good and the bad, the joy and the sorrow, the struggle and the victory all lumped together into one big heap. The richness of life is found as we grow through it all!

Whether on the brink of change or struggling through monotony may you find strands of good lacing your mix of life!

Blessings to you!

week in review // locals & cornerstone

Our Robbinsville teens joined with the group coming in from Georgia for camp last week! All had a great time, but more importantly, life change took place! Here's a glimpse from their time with us (Check out our group page for convo and a few more pics!) :

{photo by Charley // meet her here tomorrow!}

{photo by Charley}

{photo by Charley}

{photo by Hope}

{photo by Kaleigh}

 

In whatever we're into today, may we be intentional to connect with others and shine the light of Jesus! There's a lasting impact waiting to be made!

Blessings on your Monday!

week in review // new covenant

// the fun //

// the adventure //

// the point //

Teens of New Covenant in Georgia had a great week of fun and adventure, but many found the quiet in nature, the time away from their noise and the opportunity to hear God whisper to be both refreshing and life changing! A couple more were added to God's family, others were spurred on in their walk with him, still others left desiring more of God! Of course our awesome staff left their mark as well! Check out Whisper Mountain's fb group page…lots of convo going on there from this group!!

Happy Monday to you, friends!

week in review // community & beulah

I missed a couple weeks of giving you guys a week in review (please don't take offense if you don't see your people here!!). I'm picking up with this past week's two groups!!

I very much enjoyed and was encouraged by the reaching out these two groups exercised among each other throughout their camp week. Bringing two very different groups from two very different places together poses a slight risk, but in this case proved to be a grand success! The only common ground needed is a little Jesus. The great news this week is many hearts were touched. The hurt some of these teens are walking around with would never be evidenced in daily life or in pictures above for that matter. But one evening of giving them a chance to share any struggles opened the door for hearts to be poured out and gathered around for prayer and encouragement! One teen girl even gave her life to Christ!

God continues to do amazing things among us! Now, if we can just keep up with it all!

Blessings on your Monday!

a greeting parade

I thought I'd give you a glimpse of how our campers are greeted upon arriving at Whisper Mountain for  their week of camp!

When we see the dust cloud following the vans up the road, there's a stir of excitement as everyone pours out of the Hub and gets "in position"!

  By "in position" I mean finding a rock or a spot where screaming and yelling and waving of arms can take place!

This year we've added some fun little blowing devices that make obnoxiously loud noises. Annoying to listen to when there's 20 of them going off, but really fun when you're the one blowing it!

Driving into such a parade of happiness usually brings about smiles to those who've been squished like sardines for hours in a church van!

And when they've reached the top of the road our staff is there to welcome them with hugs or handshakes and a quick get-to-know you before quickly settling in their cabins (dropping bags on beds!).

Then the week of fun, adventure and encountering begins! The exciting start to our weeks has us holding our breaths every time as we anticipate what God might do in each heart!

Praying your week is off to a great start (even if it's a Monday!).

pulling away

A main goal of Whisper Mountain is to offer a place to pull away from the noise in order to help people hear God's whisper. What happens when Whisper Mountain is our noise? Our staff struggles to pull away often enough, but it feels nearly impossible in the summer camp season! Yesterday I had to smile when I caught Selah pulling away! She gets it…the alone and quiet are needed to survive the chaos life can bring! I walked away from this picture inspired!

May you find the same inspiration to get a moment of quiet and alone!

Happy Friday, friends!

idk (i don’t know)

// idk why Aaron popped out from the armpit with a thumbs up //

// idk why Kyle looks creepy upside down //

// idk why Charley enjoys catching gnats in the woods //

// idk why they pose like this //

// idk why they are throwing my daughter in the pond //

// idk what's going on here //

// idk how many pictures Kaleigh has photo-bombed //

What I do know is our staff is meshing super well, laughter surrounds us quite a lot, and each person here is ama-ZING! I will start making introductions here on the blog next week! I'm excited to share them with you because I do believe you will find yourself encouraged by their hearts for God and just general awesomeness!

Enjoy today. Laugh a little more. Now is what we've got.