being thankful

My family celebrated thanksgiving a week early because that's when my dad's schedule allowed him to be home. Amy was home too, and it was the first time that my whole immediate family has been together to celebrate thanksgiving in many years.

So then I didn't have any plans for "real" thanksgiving weekend. So I made plans to be at camp just to spend time with God. There are three things that stand out from the 24 hrs I spent there.

1- The enjoyment of simply being. Yes, God has done amazing things in my life while I've been at camp, but most of the time i'm there is doing things (even if those "doings" are just hanging out with friends or being there on a retreat with other people). This time I was able to just walk around and really take in the scenery. I walked around with my camera and just took some pictures of the places that have been so special to me for so many years- I have never done that before at camp. I went out and looked up at the stars for a while last night. Then this morning I woke up and drove out to the lake to watch the sunrise (another first at Nolin). It was so nice to not have a schedule, not have anybody i had to arrange my time with, no emails waiting to be returned (at least that I was checking). Super nice.

2- A picture of what it means to really be hungering for God. I spent a significant amount of time fasting. I have done this before in venues like the 30 hr famine, but this was the longest I have fasted just by myself. I woke up in the middle of the night just thinking about food and the feeling of being hungry. This was a new experience for me, how much physical hunger really took priority in my thinking and attitude. And it really helped me focus on what that same kind of hungering would look like in my spiritual life.

3- The importance and impact on daily life of being ready for Christ's return. I did some reading/studying on Christ's return, which is something I haven't really done since required college classes where it was more just an academic topic rather than something to impact my faith and how I live. I was reminded this weekend that Christ's return is not perpetually in the in future. The Bible tells us to be ready. I was also reading about the judgement seat of Christ and the rewards that members of the Body of Christ will earn for things done post-conversion. It was a good reminder to make choices and look at situations from Christ's perspective. What does he really want me to do.

I know that Thanksgiving is traditionally a holiday during which people get together, but I thought this personal retreat day definitely focused me on being thankful, and for that, I'm thankful.

check out the rest of the pictures at

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2099820&id=141300449&l=9e809cf5b6