What To Do...

Cardboard boxes have a plethora of aftermarket uses.  Most people mindlessly skip over the obvious and run straight for the exotic, like:

1. Burn barrel starter material.
2. Garage floor covering for oil spills.
3. Packing material for shipping your friends presents.
4. Makeshift dust pans for large floor junk in the garage.
5. Storm window coverings.
6. Broken car window replacements.
7. Coloring material for the kids.
8. Project material for the kids and their friends and their friends...
9. Backing for paper note pads.
10. Garage notes for measuring, drawing or figuring something so you don't have to back into the house to find a note pad and pencil.
11. To use for your outside burn barrel cover, to set on the grass so the hot lid won't burn the grass.
12. Patterns for things.
13. Garage trash holders.
14. Use extra 123's to hold your movies in,
15. Use them for bookshelves or CD holders.
16. Sock drawer separator walls.
17. Place-mats for the table when kids are doing home projects.
18. Fan to restart your burn barrel fire.
19. Computer mouse pads.
20. Wind protector for the beach.
21. Cut & line with foil and create a sun tan shield for your face.
22. Inside cupboard lining.
23. Silverware drawer separators.
24. Mudroom flooring.
25. Recycle.
26. Kids play houses.
27. Play houses for your cats.
28. Tear up for a compost pile or a worm bed.
29. Donate to a local cardboard drive.

But there are some cardboard boxes whose destinies are as clear the nose on the end of your face.  Some boxes were born to be forts.

In this case, a gigantic 3 piece box which originally carried five foot round tables is now being employeed as a luxurious 19.6 square foot condo in Natalie's playroom.

Pathway: Naturalists

Naturalists are people who love to worship God out doors. "Creation gives them amazing opportunities where they "visualize scriptural truths, they see God more clearly, and they learn to rest."

"... I learned another valuable lesson by being out-of-doors: God's beauty isn't limited. Low different this is, I thought as I stood in God's cathedral, from 'Hollywood-beauty' where all the leading women need the same color of hair and roughly the same shape of body and the men need to craft a certain physique and master the same gnarling scowl.
I caught just a flashing glimpse of the difference between an infinite God and finite men and women. The glimpse was too sudden to hold on to, but strong enough to humble me under my limitations and encourage me with God's great possibilities."

"You will find more laboring in the woods than you ever will among books. Woods and stones will teach you what you can never hear from any master."
- Bernard of Clairvaux

Post: Pathway: Naturalists - from Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas

The Storybook, Prayer & Storms

As a family, we are on our third time reading through the Jesus Storybook Bible.  It's a fantastic children's Bible put out by Zondervan.  It's a very poetic paraphrase of stories throughout the Scriptures.  The part I enjoy the most is that every story told points to Jesus.  It is a wonderful tool for reading the Bible with Natalie.

I was quite surprised the other night (because Natalie is a stickler for routine) when after we got done reading, she asked, "Can pray the prayer they did?"  She was referring to Jesus' prayer in Matthew chapter 6.  "Of course", I replied, and went on to explain that lots of people for a very long time have been praying that same prayer.  In fact, many people pray it several times a day, everyday.  So, for the past few nights we have been praying that very same prayer.  It has been a great blessing to have a mini-praying the hours with Natalie.  Here it is from the Jesus Storybook Bible:

“Hello Daddy!

We want to know you.

And be close to you.

Please show us how.

Make everything in the world right again.

And in our hearts, too.

Do what is best – just like you do in heaven,

And please do it down here, too.

Please give us everything we need today.

Forgive us for doing wrong, for hurting you.

Forgive us just as we forgive other people

When they hurt us.

Rescue us! We need you.

We don’t want to keep running away

And hiding from you.

Keep us safe from our enemies.

You’re strong, God.

You can do whatever you ant.

You are in charge.

Now and forever and for always!

We think you’re great!

Amen!

Yes we do!

Tonight we read about Jesus and his disciples when they were sailing across the lake and they got caught in a terrible storm.  Jesus' disciples were experienced fisherman, but they had never seen a storm like this one.  No matter what they did the "storm was too big for them.  But the storm wasn't too big for Jesus."  The disciples yelled for help, "'Rescue us!  Save us!' they shrieked. 'Don't you care?' (Of course Jesus cared, and this was the very reason he had come -- to rescue them and to save them.)  Jesus stood up and spoke to the storm.  'Hush!' he said.  That's all.  And the strangest thing happened... The wind and the waves recognized Jesus' voice... Immediately the wind stopped.  The water calmed down.  It glittered innocently in the moonlight and lapped quietly against the side of the boat, as if nothing had happened." It seems impossible, but the disciples were so focused on the storm that they forgot he (JESUS!) was in the boat with them.  "They had forgotten that, if Jesus was with them, then they had nothing to be afraid of.  No matter how small their boat -- or how big the storm.

After reading this story and praying Jesus' prayer from Matthew 6 we took some time to talk about how our family might feel like we are in a storm when things get difficult and scary.  I tried to make the connection between the disciples needing to trust Jesus because He was with them and we need to trust Him because He is with us.  We also talked about how God is so powerful that He can do anything... even talk to a storm.  Natalie understood the parts of the story we read and our family's story... but she admitted having some difficulty piecing the two together.  This will definitely be a conversation piece at meals and bedtime.

Sacred Pathways

I just started reading Gary Thomas' book Sacred Pathways.  So far, it is an insight look at the different pathways or "temperaments" people have which most easily allow them to worship God (note: I do not mean singing).  The book is easy to read, includes good illustrations, has practical advice and seeks to help the reader become a more balanced worshipper who is aware of their temperament and the temperaments of others.

I tend to find books like this one to be very timely.  They are most beneficial because I have an immediate need for correction, repentance, encouragement, renewal, reminding or empowerment.  There are only a few books that have impacted me in such ways that I can still recall chapter titles, illustrations, concepts and specific charts, graphs or statistics.  It seems that most of the time the books I read have a more immediate effect, which of course has the potential to change me today and subsequently... every day after (even if I do not remember everything that was said).  I think Sacred Pathways is one of those books.  I do see some similarities/correlation with things like the DISC test or spiritual gifts testing which may cause some of the material to stick for a good while.

Books like this also challenge me to more accurately view myself and others through principles and parameters drawn from scripture.  Check out the next few posts on the sacred pathways, quotes, concepts and big ideas.

Rock 'N Roll

"But our bet is that you've never seen or heard a group quite like this, since Flame is the only touring band in the world made up entirely of disabled musicians."

- Bill Weir from Good Morning America

Check out this GREAT news story on the band Flame... our main stage guests at this year's Buddy Walk here in Binghamton. They were amazing and we already have them booked for the 2010 Buddy Walk!

Flame the band on Good Morning America

Shepherds Fall Retreat 09

The Shepherds Fall Retreat was a blast! It was a great opportunity to reunite as staff to serve many of our local campers who are big time regular attenders. We had a full house with about 50 campers, 25 staff and a handful of volunteers.

Despite some warm daytime temperatures the wind was blowing and we stayed inside. On the bright side we had great Halloween and fall time crafts. Classic camps games were a must and the campers really enjoyed Alex on guitar during Bible & Music. Saturday afternoon our campers got to make stuffed-paper bag pumpkins, hang out at the activity tables and try on a silly hat for the fall photo shoot (with Jerry the Scary Scarecrow). One of the most exciting parts of the retreat was our special guests, Talking Hands (from Achieve). They put on a great show on Saturday night, signing to all sorts of songs from Johnny Cash to the Ghostbuster's theme song. Talking Hands did a great job. Overall it was a great week seeing so many familiar faces from the summer.

JP Weekends!

Fall is certainly here at Arrowhead. The leaves that are still on the trees are changing colors and the temperature is dropping. We have already served several guest groups and we have a few more to go before the fall retreat season is over. We are really excited for the Shepherds Fall Retreat at the end of October. The retreat is nearly full already and we almost have all the staff lined up. It should be a great weekend to reunite and reconnect.

Another exciting part of this fall has been the James Project which has spilled over to the retreat season. With such great success this summer we are now making the James Project available for weekend retreats. The fall is booked up and we are starting to accept James Project Weekend groups for our winter/spring retreat season. James Project Weekends are open to pastors, leaders, families, student ministries, college ministries and community groups. It's a great opportunity to steal away for a weekend to serve others as a small group. Weekends at Arrowhead provide James Project groups with the ability to focus on team dynamics, more intense discipleship, building & equipping and personal growth... besides just simply serving together.

We're excited about this new opportunity because of the huge impact it has on the our guests who are loved and served well by our James Project groups. Sign up now to get a James Project Weekend this winter/spring.

Ben Myers
Arrowhead Bible Camp
570.663.2419
abc@arrowheadministry.org