Another year has flown by! I've decided that it's not our getting older that makes time seem to fly by faster, but rather our inability to slow down and relax.
Here I am sitting at the Wired Monk in South Surrey writing a blog, answering emails and checking office messages. Shari is sitting at a different table researching her next Blog topic due on Friday. Yes it's a work day and I'm fortunate to be able to work away from the office, but I often find myself working longer hours and often seven days a week because everything is at our finger tips.
Of course any of us who are involved in any type of service industry (or in my case the camping industry) know the importance these days of staying in touch and being available to our campers, staff, donors, friends and family of Green Bay Bible Camp.
So how do we balance all of this, work, family, hobbies, and oh yes spiritual growth!
At this point many people have some pretty good answers...not me, not right now. What I do know is that I enjoy my job, family and friends. I enjoy my many coffees throughout the week promoting Green Bay. I enjoy my early morning meetings 5 days of the week as well as my involvement in Rotary. I enjoy the Green Bay full time Staff ( and summer staff ) and our corporate desire to serve and improve the Green Bay Bible Camp experience for all our campers. I enjoy seeing life changing decisions made during the summer and during the rental season here at Green Bay, and playing a small part in this tremendous ministry.
I also know something else...if it wasn't for my wife and kids helping me to slow down and take some time off to relax, I would not be able to do my job well. So to all of you that keep reminding me, often to no avail--Shari my wife, Kirsten and Danny, Matt and Melissa, David and Bethany...and oh yes my two gran-kids Jake and Laine... a huge thank you.
Keep up the good work! I need all of you.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Christmas Legacy
Candle light at home, a Christmas wreath, a Christmas tree with clear light bulbs, family and friends, laughter as gifts are exchanged (in an orderly fashion), Christmas Eve church service, snow, Christmas day dinner, reading the Christmas story - these are some of the things that mean Christmas to me.
The older I get however, the more Christmas seems to demand change. Some of the things that once meant Christmas to me I need to let go of. Spending time together as a family will not happen, this year. My daughter is married and they have two kids of their own. My son is married and they live four hours away. My youngest son is engaged and has also moved away. Christmas will be scattered; not once this year will we be altogether as a family.
My kids are developing Christmas traditions of their own, and heading over to "Opa and Omi's" house, or having "Opa and Omi" come over for a Christmas visit seems to be part of the tradition they are developing. Don't get me wrong, I love being a grandparent and being able to play the grandfather role is exciting to me, but I still miss the "altogether" Christmas. I will always miss being the father of young kids, having the kids wake us up Christmas day with the banging of pots.
But as I sit here and long for those good old days I am equally excited looking forward with anticipation of the good new days that are just around the corner. I have the privilege of being a grandparent, I have the privilege of knowing that my kids love having us over, (I think they do). I have the privilege of knowing that my grand kids get excited to see us. More than that though, we have the privilege of leaving a legacy to our kids and grand kids. It may not necessarily be a legacy of wealth, it will however, to the best of my ability, be a legacy of love, caring and of serving.
Merry Christmas and God's blessings for the New Year.
The older I get however, the more Christmas seems to demand change. Some of the things that once meant Christmas to me I need to let go of. Spending time together as a family will not happen, this year. My daughter is married and they have two kids of their own. My son is married and they live four hours away. My youngest son is engaged and has also moved away. Christmas will be scattered; not once this year will we be altogether as a family.
My kids are developing Christmas traditions of their own, and heading over to "Opa and Omi's" house, or having "Opa and Omi" come over for a Christmas visit seems to be part of the tradition they are developing. Don't get me wrong, I love being a grandparent and being able to play the grandfather role is exciting to me, but I still miss the "altogether" Christmas. I will always miss being the father of young kids, having the kids wake us up Christmas day with the banging of pots.
But as I sit here and long for those good old days I am equally excited looking forward with anticipation of the good new days that are just around the corner. I have the privilege of being a grandparent, I have the privilege of knowing that my kids love having us over, (I think they do). I have the privilege of knowing that my grand kids get excited to see us. More than that though, we have the privilege of leaving a legacy to our kids and grand kids. It may not necessarily be a legacy of wealth, it will however, to the best of my ability, be a legacy of love, caring and of serving.
Merry Christmas and God's blessings for the New Year.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Summer Memories
Hello everyone,
Three months have passed since summer officially ended. Many of you have shared wonderful stories of your time at Green Bay Bible Camp, and how your lives were changed. I received this in an e-mail from a Family Camper recently:
" This summer one of my long time friends, who has been living in Asia came back for three weeks to Kelowna with her two sons and a daughter. Fifteen years ago our families had gone to Green Bay together for the first time. Once again we had the opportunity to join together with other friends and much older kids for family camp.I was aware during our time together that none of my friend’s children were walking with the Lord or even interested in the Christian life. They had had terrible experiences overseas with Sunday school or no children’s church sitting through adult services and as a result had lost interest. How sad because it hadn’t been that way when they left Canada.I’m very aware that my gifting in Christ is not evangelism and as I stumbled along trying to reach them with the message of salvation we were now down to only 2 ½ days before they flew back home. As I stood on the beach our 1st Sunday afternoon at camp, I used my gifting which is prayer to once again petition God on their behalf that He would use a Green Bay staffer to reach them.My friend’s daughter soon became attached to Elise, “Peep” one of the GB counselors and spent as much time with her as possible. I was so impressed with Peep who always made time for her whether it was on the dock, during meals, kids fireside or even during her precious free time. Time has a way of disappearing on us and two and half days just flew by.As we all stood on the beach in tears saying goodbye our son Russell “Rice” called my friend’s daughter over to give her a friendship bracelet he had made; she also received 2 letters, one from Peep and one from a counselor from her morning bible classes. I then drove them to the airport.A day later Peep received an email telling her “I needed to tell you this, so that you would realize what you did …. You helped me turn to Jesus”! To say the least I didn’t know whether to shout, laugh or cry - - I opted for the latter of course and praised God that he answered a simple prayer.I continue to pray for my friend’s children; for her daughter that her roots would go deep as in Luke 8:8. For her son’s, I petition God through prayer that he would touch their lives for Him as in Philippians 4:6.I will always be thankful that not just one Green Bay Staffer stepped up to God’s calling but three of them!! I’m always aware that God is in the business of salvation, healing broken lives, grace, joy, love and so much more. So what’s the purpose of Green Bay if not this? As for my family and I we could tell of many faith stories that have happened at Green Bay over the last 17 years of attending family camp. We are blessed because of this ministry. -Teresa Miller-Tse"
We would love having you share your stories with us and with all our Green Bay friends. Please send us your summer experiences so we can share some great memories together.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Harold
Three months have passed since summer officially ended. Many of you have shared wonderful stories of your time at Green Bay Bible Camp, and how your lives were changed. I received this in an e-mail from a Family Camper recently:
" This summer one of my long time friends, who has been living in Asia came back for three weeks to Kelowna with her two sons and a daughter. Fifteen years ago our families had gone to Green Bay together for the first time. Once again we had the opportunity to join together with other friends and much older kids for family camp.I was aware during our time together that none of my friend’s children were walking with the Lord or even interested in the Christian life. They had had terrible experiences overseas with Sunday school or no children’s church sitting through adult services and as a result had lost interest. How sad because it hadn’t been that way when they left Canada.I’m very aware that my gifting in Christ is not evangelism and as I stumbled along trying to reach them with the message of salvation we were now down to only 2 ½ days before they flew back home. As I stood on the beach our 1st Sunday afternoon at camp, I used my gifting which is prayer to once again petition God on their behalf that He would use a Green Bay staffer to reach them.My friend’s daughter soon became attached to Elise, “Peep” one of the GB counselors and spent as much time with her as possible. I was so impressed with Peep who always made time for her whether it was on the dock, during meals, kids fireside or even during her precious free time. Time has a way of disappearing on us and two and half days just flew by.As we all stood on the beach in tears saying goodbye our son Russell “Rice” called my friend’s daughter over to give her a friendship bracelet he had made; she also received 2 letters, one from Peep and one from a counselor from her morning bible classes. I then drove them to the airport.A day later Peep received an email telling her “I needed to tell you this, so that you would realize what you did …. You helped me turn to Jesus”! To say the least I didn’t know whether to shout, laugh or cry - - I opted for the latter of course and praised God that he answered a simple prayer.I continue to pray for my friend’s children; for her daughter that her roots would go deep as in Luke 8:8. For her son’s, I petition God through prayer that he would touch their lives for Him as in Philippians 4:6.I will always be thankful that not just one Green Bay Staffer stepped up to God’s calling but three of them!! I’m always aware that God is in the business of salvation, healing broken lives, grace, joy, love and so much more. So what’s the purpose of Green Bay if not this? As for my family and I we could tell of many faith stories that have happened at Green Bay over the last 17 years of attending family camp. We are blessed because of this ministry. -Teresa Miller-Tse"
We would love having you share your stories with us and with all our Green Bay friends. Please send us your summer experiences so we can share some great memories together.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Harold
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