Month: October 2024

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High School Camping Trip

School arranged a week long camping trip for the class of ’73. I was a teenager at the time and had not been away from home. I was excited and anxious to finally be part of a group that could share stories experienced together. The trip was an opportunity for teenagers to spend time in the wilderness, no parents in sight from miles around at Camp “I don’t know.” Our counselor Mrs.Thompson supervised us to the Northern Ontario campsite.

Arriving late that afternoon, Mrs.Thompson and the camp counselor met with us for a brief information session explaining the week’s activities and campsite rules. The girls and I were assigned to a spartan cabin furnished with bunk beds, table and chairs. The boys however, ended up roughing it, they setup tents close to our cabin.

We paired up with each other, my friend chose the lower bunk; the first night at camp we made ourselves comfortable. It didn’t take me long to hurt myself; I attempted to climb to the top bunk, I slipped and fell to the floor injuring my foot: I saw stars–ouch! It was painful to remove my shoe Oh no! I fractured my toe! Stupid me–I wore dress shoes; wrong footwear for camping that’s for sure! As I showed Mrs.Thompson my injury explaining what had happened, as she examined me, she said “which toe hurts? they all look fractured to me”. As a child I always preferred roomy shoes, my toes spread out as they grew. Well, the camp nurse bandaged up my toes and advised me to rest for the day. That first day I can truthfully say was rather uneventful for me. For the remainder of the trip I ended up limping..no fun that’s for sure!

Anyway, the first night the boys scared us out of our beds; they made noises outside the cabin; whipping a water hose around among the dried leaves it sounded like a snake or someone lurking outside. You could hear the boys snickering as they ran back to their tents waking a group of us in the cabin screaming like a pack of banshees; taking a long time to return to our beds.

The next day we hiked the rough terrain studying nature, wild flora, fauna, trees, birds and more. That night the boys learned how to build a campfire and we toasted marshmallows while singing campfire songs. Later that week, under the supervision of Mrs.Thompson, we all went swimming in a nearby lake and were taught some basic first aid. The following the day was warm and sunny, we went for a long hayride, made crafts from hay, sticks and stones we had collected along the way. That afternoon we had lunch at a picnic site near the river. The boys went exploring–climbing nearby trees to view the riverbank . A half an hour later the boys ran back to the site telling us about a raccoon and its family they saw while climbing the trees.

As we arrived back to camp “I don’t know” a native Indian member and his family were waiting near the totem pole to give us a history lesson; how each section was carved and painted representing ancestral and religious worship. That night we all packed up, had one last marshmallow toasting before we headed back to reality. I walked home dragging my bag of stuff behind me with a tiresome limp; mom greeted me at the door exclaiming “what happened to you?” I ended up staying home from school the next day. Every once in awhile as I take out the beaded necklace souvenir; memories come flooding back of  the first camping experience from Camp “I don’t know”. And ever since then I wear proper shoes for camping!

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Living Above The Celebrity Culture

Most people are both messengers and victims of a celebrity culture that defines the spirit of this age. People envy the fame and money of celebrities and imitate them as role models. Fans today worship celebrities until they become parodies of themselves, and then the media turns them into cartoon characters. In reality, many celebrities live emotionally and spiritually destructive lives. With 24/7 media coverage and the need for young people to have role models, the celebrity lifestyle of glamour and thrills seems attractive to many. This dysfunctional view of life leads to dangerous behaviour. In spite of public emotional meltdowns, drug addiction and broken relationships, millions of young people still see celebrities as quintessential images of the good life. So many people today are led to believe that those moving images and glossy, airbrushed pictures that we see of them reflect success and happiness.

As a result of this ugly development, people throughout the society have become so in love with themselves that they are losing the ability to love others. The Bible however, helps us to navigate the traps of the dysfunctional celebrity culture. The exemplary lifestyle of the tribal men of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh tells us that:

– there is a Creator, God, whose standards are worth following
– God loves us and has a purpose for our lives
– The problems in life are a result of people not living the way God intended them to live.
– There is real good and evil, and there are terrible consequences for choosing evil, and
– Jesus Christ is the Saviour who died for our sins and helps us to live as God directs.

The word which Moses commanded these tribes in Joshua 1:12-18, refers to the agreement he reached with the eastern side of Jordan (Joshua 1:14-15; Deut. 3:16-20). It is an agreement to remain in faith, to maintain purity, to get to spiritual height and to get to heaven at last (see Rom. 14:13; 1 Cor. 8:7-13; Gal. 6:2-7). Actions and activities that cause offense should be avoided; we are to love one another (1 John 3:11-18). We must also be conscious of the fact that our actions in life, even in the place we are now, do not only affect us but others around, so every true believer in Christ should deliberately and carefully live his or her life to help others achieve heaven (Josh. 1:15; 7:1-4). As Joshua addressed these tribes, we are being addressed today not to go to rest until those taken captive by Satan are recovered and delivered (Jude 23; 2 Tim. 2:26).

To become the celebrities that God expects of us, we must willingly accept and practically demonstrate all the instructions of God and be ready to go anywhere with Him. Being a celebrity accepted by God is to show a high degree of obedience, submission and willingness to do God’s work. It is resolving to put to death the ugly acts of rebellion and insubordination, and finally killing the symptoms of our present day celebrity culture such as excessive fascination with worldly celebrities, obsession with wanting to dress or model the behaviour of a worldly celebrity, hyper-sexuality, dangerous behaviours like drug or alcohol abuse, and acting out wrong behaviours on the Internet.

Real success is rooted in a strong sense of identity as a child of God and living by His rules of life. Are you in any way in the business of celebrating evil rather than good? Now is the time to ask God to come into your life and forgive you for living a way based on a wrong viewpoint of how life works. Jesus is the way to good life and His teachings are there to show us the real, eternal ways to happiness and success. If you are one of His, then you are a CELEBRITY per excellence!

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Devon: The Perfect Destination for Family Vacations

Devon is the perfect destination for those who want to enjoy their holiday is peace. It is one of those few places on earth where commercialization has not yet taken a toll on the natural beauty. It is largely preferred by those who are recuperating from illness or who want to relax and rejuvenate their mind and body. Devon is famous for its moors and parts of it still resemble the quaint country life that you have read about in old English classic books. The weather is fine for most of the year, and along with the natural beauty, it still has all the modern amenities, but without the bustle of city life.

Food: As far as the food is concerned, Devon is one of the traditional towns of Britain and here you can taste some of the best recipes of Old England. And more than five star restaurants, you will find small shacks and cafes making these delicacies. Kingsbridge and Dartmouth are places to be in if you are looking for traditional food, and you can be sure about remembering their taste for the rest of your lives.

Entertainment: Devon is place where the entertainment is not just about lavish and expensive games played under harsh neon lights, nor does it has anything to do with the loud music and rowdy crowds of nightclubs. Instead, go sailing on the waves, and you can even take lessons if you do not already know. You can lie down for hours on the pristine sandy beaches with not a care in the world, or on the other hand, if you want some serious exercise, then take a walk round the Coast Path.

For the children, there is the Miniature Animal Farm in Dartmouth and Becky Falls Woodland Park. These are a favorite with all tourists and instead of play ride on artificial animals like in other entertainment parks, children get to see and feed real animals here. The adult go canoeing or for a little adventure in River Dart Adventures.

If you are visiting with your partner, then there can be nothing better than taking a long, romantic walk on the moonlit beach. The beaches of Devon are more secluded than other beaches so it is perfect retreat for most couples. The children can enjoy themselves on the playrooms of the exquisitely furnished hotels, complete with childcare facilities. In all, you have all the ingredients for a perfect family holiday.

Next time you are planning an outing, for a weekend or for an entire holiday, be sure to check out Devon. It might not have the glamour of big cities, but that is where its uniqueness lies, in its simplicity.