CBLI 2019

Last year, Trevor and I were convinced we were experiencing our last annual Bible camp, CBLI. For years, the high school football team's summer camp has always fallen on CBLI week. Since Trevor intended to play, we figured CBLI was out. Thankfully, we discovered (early enough) in the spring that they moved the team camp dates from July to June. Since we no longer take our attendance for granted, I insisted Sean join us. Still, I worried he might ruin it for me, because his friend was having a big party on the Tuesday night of our encampment, and he would have to miss it because his mother was forcing him to go to Bible camp. Thankfully, the camp had a new draw for him - Great America.

Years ago, when Bryce and I first attended, the camp always headed to Great America on the Wednesday. Twelve years ago (possibly considering it an unnecessary expense), they pulled Great America off the schedule and switched that middle day to a family day (often holding a large picnic with games and a petting zoo). Thus, my younger boys had never really ventured to the amusement park near camp.

Sean surprised himself. He had a great time. The tween track was loads of fun and he made friends easily. Every day, he spent most of his free time with friends at the pool. He didn't even beg to go into town (something we routinely do). The only problem he encountered during the whole week was an inability to find tween friends willing to ride the thrill rides with him. Thankfully, the Lees (a couple on the tween track staff) rode some rides with him prior to the all-camp dinner in the picnic grove. After the dinner, we ran into our cabin neighbors (the Nashes) and I even joined in riding some of the coasters (I only rode the Demon, the American Eagle, and X-Flight).

I spent most of my free time reading in our room. One day, I attempted to read in the hammocks set up near the chapel, but alas a young girl came along (unsupervised) and decided it was her mission to spill me out of the hammock by continuously rocking it, despite my pleas for her to stop. That ended quickly.

One of the really great things about this year was the joint theme covering the book of Philippians. Every track focused on that book of the Bible, so the boys learned from the same passages I studied.

The adult track had outstanding guests in Majors Jonathan and Barbara Rich. Some of the highlights of the teaching included: the idea of being careful not to photo-bomb Jesus, the concept of salvation having three tenses - past (moment of salvation), present (sanctification) and future (Christ's coming), the need to have the gospel on video, instead of merely on audio, the idea of dual citizenship (heavenly is an umbrella over earthly citizenship), and the idea that there is no better antidote to anxiety than to rejoice. He asserted that what we live for can be untouchable if we understand the hardness of life, the alchemy of life (alchemy attempts to turn lead to gold; God is the only alchemist able to take evil and turn it into good), the definition of life (what we base our identity on), and the dynamic of life. The power of the resurrection makes us resemble him (more people, more like Jesus). Mindset is so important; if you focus on Christ, all the rest falls into place.

Some noteworthy soundbites:

"Those who do the most good in this world are the ones most focused on the next." - C.S. Lewis

"Oh, bless the stern schoolmaster that is my wheelchair." - Joni Eareckson Tada

"We have received your application for the Trinity, and we regret to inform you that you do not qualify." - didn't catch the author of that quote, but loved the way it communicated that we are not God.

"The gospel plus something is not the gospel; the gospel plus nothing is everything." ??

"If your 'if' is based on your 'I', your assurance of salvation will always be denied." David Bowden (click here to watch his powerful six minute spoken gospel presentation "If I")

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." - C.S. Lewis

The Athiest and the Acorn story

I enjoyed time with other repeat attenders who have become great friends over the years (Laura Allen and her sister, Emily Southfield; Tom and Cheryl Westberg, Carol Wurtz, and Susan Nash):

Trevor, while stoked to go, ended up really struggling with the transition from the tween track into the teen track. He stayed with his buddies Emmet and Ethan in one of the teen cabins.

We brought along his fishing equipment, but I don't think he really spent any time fishing. Twice I took him along for a jaunt into town. Given our experience with Cedar Point, he was not impressed with Great America (although both boys listed Superman as their favorite ride).

While Sean was acclimating better than ever before, Trevor was begging to go home early (all his smiling photos were taken in the first half of the week). It makes me sad that he didn't come away with better attitudes and memories. Oh, well. Teens! I consider we were greatly blessed by CBLI 2019!

(Special thanks to Jennifer Minter, Laura Allen, Emily Southfield, Carol Wurtz, and Susan Nash for use of their photos.)
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Update: We received shocking news. While we were at camp, I was in a small group with a young woman named Tamara Eagle and Sean swam with her 11-year-old daughter, Nyobee, during free time. The two were on their way (with the grandmother) to a funeral in South Dakota, when a car crash took all three of their lives. So glad we had a brief chance to get to know them. Hoping they enjoyed a wonderful time during their final days of life, at CBLI. We were definitely sobered by this sad news.