Weavings Were Woven | Spring Craftivities 2019

We had such a great time with the ladies who came to our Spring Craftivities Event last weekend! Getting away, even when we think we can’t, to do something we don’t always do has a way of sparking life inside our souls! We saw this be true for these women!

We learned the basics of weaving (on a loom — not to be confused with basket weaving, cough Anna Gab, cough cough! 😉) and were given the opportunity to create whatever masterpiece we could think up!

Here’s the fun part: everyone was given the same supplies, the same amount of time and the same set up, but every single loom was woven from a very different place. Each person brought something different to their piece and it was amazing and exquisite and such a wonderful reminder of our uniqueness!

We spent a little time talking about such things and more application found through the experience and found encouragement through the Word in little snippets throughout the weekend. So fueling and refreshing!

Along with the enjoyment found in weaving, many found frustration when the project wasn’t getting done quickly enough, or they wanted to be on the other side of the project. Having persevered, every woman went home a little proud of their accomplishment and a lot thankful for having done something creative!

If you were on the fence or unable to come this time, how about planning to join us in September for our next Craftivities Event! September 28th! Block it off now, work it out with your friend or family! Plan to be here! You won’t regret it!!

Thanks for coming ladies — it was a joy to spend the weekend with you! Hope to see you soon!

 

 

Author + Photography | Cassi

 

Woven 2014 in pictures

 

What a weekend we had with the women as we gathered to be spiritually encouraged and try our hand at the art of basket weaving!

Some (one!) of us hated it, many of us loved it, almost all of us walked away feeling the sense of accomplishment and proud of our handiwork!

The teaching by Deb was uplifting as she offered gems of wisdom and gently challenged us in our walks with Christ.

Worship with Charley and Chelsea was completely renewing as we turned our hearts to the Ultimate Weaver of all of life!

Ruth and Renee were a strong sister team teaching us the art of basket weaving. We have such an appreciation for baskets and for their patience!

Patti put together amazing meals, added her special touches on the whole event, and decorated the Hub to be a beautiful splash of happy and spring for our guests–as is her usual!

(I still was not feeling well and really only managed to take some really blurry/bad pictures! My apologies to you!)

While the company was fantastic, the art satisfying, the teaching uplifting, my very favorite part of the whole weekend was having both young and older women all in one place, sharing the whole experience together. Too often, in both the church and life, there is such a divide between the young and the old. We need each other, benefit from each other, are stronger with each other. My heart was made happy by such a sight!

Pretty hard to believe we went from a baggie full of confusion to a basket full of awesome in just a day!

Before the ladies left we gave them a few little goodies to put in their baskets, one of which was fudge from these amazing fudge makers over in the Raleigh area. If specialty fudge is your thang, or you're looking for something special for your upcoming something or rather, we highly recommend North Carolina Fudge! (whatever weight I've lost being sick has been kindly placed back on the hips thanks to these yummy morsels!)

Most of the crew here–aren't they beautiful! Don't they look so proud?! I love it! There's already chatter of next year's Woven! We weren't sure how this retreat would go, this being our first go at it, but we are very pleased with how well received it was! We look forward to next year. If you missed out this year, be planning to join us in 2015.

Where’s My Rocker?

Even the foggy lense can't hide the excitement of folks returning to Whisper Mountain for the summer! Reinforcements have arrived for Ramsey and his all out battle to keep on top of the grounds work around camp. Hectic and exhausting work, in spring especially! 

We find ourselves dreaming of a little more front porch sitting these days. But alas, summer for the folks at Whisper Mountain means full throttle. While you do some front porch sitting this weekend–and you should!–would you pray for us to accomplish the final details and to find a spec of rest before the nonstop begins? We appreciate your gift of prayer! (you've no idea!!)

Happy Weekending to you!

May Day or mayday?

Do you guys know about May Day? I've always wanted to start the tradition with my kids of leaving baskets of flowers on the doorsteps of those we wanted to share a little love with. Adding some happy to the unexpecting! Sounds fun to me! I just learned May Day was a (pagan) celebration of spring and as Christianity began to spread throughout Europe, the holiday began to change or be done away with. But the whole flower thing seems pretty awesome.

Do you guys know about Mayday? (no I'm not repeating myself here!) We have a tradition at Whisper Mountain that looks something like this: Mayday, mayday…coming in hard and fast. We can't slow down. We're gonna crash!  Mayday, Mayday. Doesn't sound as fun and awesome as the flower thing, but it's a tradition nonetheless (love that word!) The panic and pulling together of a million details the month before summer camp sometimes steals our happy. Details do that, don't they? They put on their scary eyes, hounding us until we cross them off our list and send them floating into completion. Meanwhile, our energy runs low, our mind feels fried, our heart feels numb. Is there any way around this mayday? I've found a few ways aside from the pretty big one of prayer: breathe in and out, take one thing at a time, laugh about something every day. 

I don't know which May Day you're facing, but I hope you are able to find happy and beauty quite unexpectedly on the doorstep of today. Happy May!

looking gor-geous

Fertilizing, fixing up, digging out, and transplanting the camp property has been some of our work these past warm days! There's no twisting my arm to get me to ignore the mounds of office work for a little bit of dirt work! God certainly has the place looking gor-geous, but how fun to add in our own splash of preference here or there!

:: hedge of forsythia's

:: Janet Magnolia and poplars

:: burning bush hedge

:: blue spruce

:: maples

Most of these transplants we've made started out as free little *sticks* from the Arbor Day Foundation. They don't look like anything more than sticks when they arrive in the mail, but once planted it's only a matter of time before the *tree* in them comes out! 

I wonder if you are waiting for the *tree* to come out in something in your life. If so, don't give up on the waiting. Life will bloom there. The quiet beauty will astound.

dropping in

Just dropping in today……to say that I wish I was doing more of this today…! But alas, campers and staffers are coming soon! There's no time for lounging in the grassy fields with the sun on my face! No, we are full steam ahead! And praying for divine creative genius from the same Guy who came up with this…Will you pray for us today?  We thank you!

Happy day to you!

 

in process

As May smiles her hello at our doorstep, we find much in process at Whisper Mountain!

   :: our garden

     :: this summer's campfire and next winter's fire wood

     :: unfolding of beauty

     :: prayer garden amphitheater

     :: life cycles

     :: facility improvements

     :: the lake build

     :: our hearts

*In process* is an ongoing state of living…for nature, for people and for ministries!

What's in process for you?

the work of encountering

 Summer 2011 marks Whisper Mountain's fifth summer of camp and first summer with every week FULL!!! (Full meaning every week is scheduled and contracted with a group, and almost all of them new groups at that!) I hope you are woot-wooting in front of your screen right now! Most of you reading this blog are friends of this ministry in some way, so I know that you can feel our excitement with us! And give God some holy hollers for answering the prayer to fill the weeks!

Whether full or not, the months of spring become slightly intense as we plan and fine tune the camp theme/program, hire our summer staff (of which we are really pumped about…solid people coming our way!) and prepare for their coming, and a thousand other details that go into making Whisper Mountain run! I happened to get a snapshot of our office after an all day staff meeting…    I had to laugh at this scene (of which I didn't capture even half of!) The physical mess (mostly from a toddler being occupied during the meeting!) represents well the mental mess of lists and deadlines, ideas and brainstorms cluttering our minds! But all the cluttering, we pray, is Divine Creative Genius that God might use to encounter hearts this summer! That's the end goal, wouldn't you agree?!And so we stream along, bending and flowing as we go about our business of camp ministry…as we continue the work that needs doing daily, plan for the work that is just around the corner, and pray for the work God surely wants to do in the hearts of the campers!

Whatever your work in life is, may it be the work of encountering God and helping others to do the same!

Let’s Get Visible!

This is just a little design I pulled together for a T-shirt for our upcoming teen girl's retreat.  

I am super excited about the printers of this shirt!  Someone I haven't seen or talked to in years has now become one of God's kids.  He and his buddy have started a company called Visible Christian. His company and our ministry have been the connection that started communication again! As I think about his life, (his hardships, his choices, his search) I can't help but be amazed at God's patience with us, His heart-healing love and forgiveness, His way of weaving our messes into beautiful tapestries!  It's just so amazing!  

Well, anyways, you can read their story and check out the goods on their website. At some point in our near future we are getting hooked up with a program that will allow you to enter a code when you purchase something off their site and money will be given to Whisper Mountain!  Woo-Hoo!  So check them out! But wait to buy until you get the code:)!

oh, and don't you love how we are all tailored made?!

Someone New In These Parts

Dear Friend,

I know you have only been with us for a short time, but in that time I have seen you grow so much!  The way you are willing to become whatever is necessary so that we can teach others about God's personal love has really inspired me. I know that you are struggling right now, embarrassed about your appearance, but hang in there. The time is quickly approaching when you can stand tall and proud, proclaiming a truth that many will need to know! You will be as a beacon of hope to those who may be hopeless! Stay strong, Sally! Stay strong!

Your friend forever, Cassi

What you have just read is a letter I have written to someone who is new to camp.  Let me introduce you to Silver Sally Junior! She will be a part of our True ID retreat that is coming in just a couple weeks (Yikes…is it really that close?!) She had her start as a Swimming Suit Holder at a warehouse last summer!  She has now adapted to the duct tape transformation… …and patiently awaits her paper mache makeover that will be coming very soon!  Her end result will be a DIY dress form that we are using in a decorative scene, proclaiming the truth that we are each tailor made!

We still have much to do to get this retreat ready, but we look forward to having Liberty University come host the weekend for our local girls.  If you'd like to help a local girl afford to come to this weekend you can go to this page on our website.

I really like Silver Sally Junior (aptly named by our friend Katie!), though I wish I had her figure!!!