Rick's Blog

MAKE THE CALL—MAKE THE PLAY

2006-08-30T14:43:00.000-04:00

My son, Brad Johnson, is the Quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. He is beginning his 15th season in the NFL, starting for the Vikings against the Washington Redskins, on the first Monday Night Telecast this season, Sept. 11th.

He has been playing competitive football since 1976 when he was in the youth football leagues. He enters this season as the oldest starting quarterback in the NFL, when he turns 38 years old two days after the first game.

He has been involved in countless plays in his career, and some were in the biggest game that can be played in Pro Football. He and his team at the time, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, won Super Bowl XXXVII. He threw a couple of TD passes in that game, and afterwards, was selected to represent his team in the victory parade at Disney World.

As big as those plays were, in my opinion, his biggest play in his career thus far, was made last year, and it was not even made on the field. It was the choice he made not to attend a party on a cruise ship during the team’s off week that several other players decided to do. All of the players obviously knew that some crazy things could happen, but I doubt any of them thought they could get caught and it would damage their reputation. Most of the players didn’t really do anything other than socialize, but unfortunately for them, they found themselves in an out of control situation. Not only did bad things happen, the whole episode turned into embarrassment for them and their families, as well. To make things worse, the situation became a national story, and a few players lost their jobs.

I am not so naive to think that Brad would never get caught up in such a thing. I would, however, be surprised and disappointed if he allowed himself to be in those kinds of circumstances. I am aware of several times in high school, college and other times in the pros, where he turned down opportunities that could have led to him injuring himself or damaging his reputation. However, things happen, and as long as parents are parents, they worry. I am no different.

Finally, here is my point. All of us need to adopt sound principles for the way we are going to live our lives.

When we consider our personal desires, it would be wise to also consider the One, The only One, who can supply our every need.

Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Jesus Christ”

And before we commit to going somewhere with friends, consider 1st Corinthians 15:33.
“Do not be deceived, evil company corrupts good habits.”

Impressions

2006-07-27T15:58:00.000-04:00

Every year we strive to select counselors who will represent us in a manner that emminates what our mission statement states. We were fortunate enough to have a new working parent this year who captured in a poem what the camper's see when they interact with their counselor's. I would like to share that with you now, enjoy:

Impressions

Smart, shy, strong, strange, spontaneous and scary,
Fun, funny, friendly good and goofy on Mt. Berry.

These adjectives I’m using were not randomly selected,
When asked about their counselors your campers interjected.

Awesome, active, crazy, cool, adventurous, athletic,
Playful, country, caring, kind, delightful and magnetic.

Daring, helpful, quiet, nice and easy everyday,
Enthusiastic, talented, unique in every way.

Understanding, tough but likable, relaxed and neat,
Wild, weird, short, tall, responsible, discreet.

Each day they watch you, storing up impressions in a jar,
That is where these words came from reflecting who you are.

You have given so much more than time all summer long,
Implanting life long memories of learning to “BE STRONG…”

Mygnon Renee

2006-07-18T14:37:00.000-04:00

This is my 44th year in camping, 33 as a full time director. I am asked all the time why I have done this type of thing for so long. It’s for selfish reasons. I and my staff receive so much in knowing that we (all of us at camp) are making a difference in the lives of the many youngsters that come our way each summer. Below is a poem that I read to our parents at our last closing program.

IF I WERE A THE CHAIRMAN OF A BANK

If I were the Chairman of a Bank
And owned a railroad too,
And had Aladdin’s magic lamp,
I know what I would do.

I would wish to be a boy again,
With cutouts in my jeans,
A big ole appetite,
Good friends and dreams.

When I am called before the great white throne
To hear the righteous sing
And the sinners moan,
I’d want no better advocate
To make my final plea
Than to have just one boy say,
Gee, God, he did a lot for me.

EACH JOURNEY STARTS WITH A SINGLE STEP

2006-06-22T13:51:00.000-04:00

EACH JOURNEY STARTS WITH A SINGLE STEP

Several years ago, a young man was working very hard in the shipping department of a railroad company. His boss offered him a chance to work temporarily in the office. He jumped at the opportunity. During that time, his boss asked him to come up with some valuable facts and figures in their inventory. The young man worked for several days on the project, and then handed his report to his boss, with several extra touches of helpful information that he thought his boss would appreciate.

The young man won the admiration of his boss and was rewarded with a permanent position in the office. From there, he was promoted many times, and eventually became the Vice-President Ralston Purina Company in St. Louis, Missouri.

Give each task your best effort, with a little extra, and you will be rewarded times over.

Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things and I’ll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big things.

Matthew25:21
“You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of
much….”

FINDING HAPPINESS AT CAMP

2006-05-31T09:59:00.000-04:00

FINDING HAPPINESS AT CAMP:

You can’t find happiness if you are trying to find it.
Happiness is an elusive state that manages just stay out of
a self serving stretched hand. You can’t reach it by reaching for it.
The harder you try to find it, the further it seems from you.
You can’t create happiness by filling your short term desires, or
on a journey that is leading you in a direction that is not blessed by
God. Happiness is not an event thing—nor is it a place or a
specific destination. Happiness is not a specific honor, or
an achievement. Those are happy times, but not
happiness. Happiness does not have anything to do with money,
possessions, or achievements.

Happiness is within yourself, placed there by God before you were a
even born. It’s your dream! Happiness goes to those who discover
it and manage to live it.

Your dream is God’s dream as well. Once you discover it,
He will support you in your journey in life. However, once you
you develop it, He will want it back. This is where many people fall
off of the happiness track. Those who keep it, they eventually lose
it. Those who give it to the Lord, get it back blessed even more than
before.

How do you find it? Serve others, and you will learn your strengths
and your gifts. Those things open up the treasure chest that holds
your dream.

PSALM 40:8 “My God, I want to do what you want. Your teachings are in my heart.”

The Thoroughbred

2006-05-16T18:00:00.000-04:00

THE THOROUGHBRED

The man who goes on until he can go no further, who reaches the limit of human endurance, and then holds on for another minute, has reached the minute that counts.

It is that last minute, the other side of the breaking point, which marks the thoroughbred. You can find the last minute in the Hundredth Man, in the
Soldier who exclaimed before the battle: “If I fall, I’ll fight on my knees!”

Of all the human qualities that have lip up the somberness of this tragic
Earth, I count this, of being a thoroughbred, the happiest.

It has saved more souls than shrewdness: it has won more battles and more games, and altogether loosed more hard knots in the tangled skein of destiny than any other
virtue

Most people are quitters. They reach the limit and are familiar with the last straw. But the Hundredth Man is a thoroughbred. You cannot corner him. He will not give up. Don’t try to drown him; he will not sink. He cannot find the word fail in his dictionary. He has never learned to whine.

What shall we do with him? There is nothing to do but hand him success. It is just as well to hand him the prize, for he will get it eventually anyway.

Pressure

2006-04-24T15:34:00.000-04:00

PRESSURE:

If you drop a raw carrot into a pot of boiling water, in a short matter of time, the carrot will become very soft and will bend when lifted out of the water.

If you drop an egg into a pot of boiling water, the inside will become very hard, and not easy to crack.

If you drop a coffee bean into a pot of boiling water, it will break open and change the whole make up of the water.

Think about these great acts of faith under extreme pressure. It wasn’t logic that caused Moses to raise his staff on the bank of the Red Sea. It wasn’t medical research that convicted Naaman to dip seven times in the river. It wasn’t common sense that caused Paul to abandon the Law and embrace grace. It wasn’t a confident committee that prayed in a small room in Jerusalem for Peter’s release from prison. To those mentioned above, there was no option for them—they acted in their faith.

The nature of the coffee bean is to influence boiling water in a positive way. Our nature should be to find a way to bring calmness and peace into an otherwise out of control situation.

Acts 16:25 “About Midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs to God as the other prisoners listened.”

“GO AHEAD AND QUIT JUST LIKE EVERYBODY HERE PREDICTED YOU WOULD!”

2006-04-04T11:08:00.000-04:00

“GO AHEAD AND QUIT JUST LIKE EVERYBODY HERE PREDICTED YOU WOULD!”

Those were the words a family member wrote back to a homesick college freshman football player, who had written his proud, but poor family back home, telling them that he was going to quit the team and get a job on a oil rig to help the family with some of their financial obligations. The words hit the college freshman like a ton of bricks. After hearing that, there was no way he was going to give satisfaction to the people who ridiculed him growing up because of his poor upbringing, and skinny frame. He remembered the last words said about him as he left for college were, “He’ll be back soon!”

The youngster became more determined and developed a completely different attitude. He worked harder to develop his skills and strength. He became relentless and single minded in his desire to become the best football player he possibly could. He went on to help his team win a Rose Bowl, be named All Conference, coached his alma mater to six National Championships, and be enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. His name—Paul “Bear” Bryant.

Bear Bryant’s story begins much like most every other famous and wealthy person. Many of them have had big obstacles in their lives, and if they had quit before the fruits of their labors manifested themselves, we would never have heard of them. Someone either encouraged them, or challenged them to be better. Whatever the reason, they were able to treat disappointment as an inconvenience—a temporary setback, if you will.

We must have faith that God has created us with all the tools necessary for us to accomplish great things in our lives. We can’t let our failures with short range goals cause us to lose sight of our long range goals. Remember, for climbers the goal is to get to the top of the mountain, not to get there faster than everyone else does. Enjoy your life’s journey—when you get to where you are going, you may find out that the journey had more to offer than what you found at the destination. Our struggles are our character builders. To successful people, difficult circumstances are more nuisances than anything else. Successful people are able to see right through a difficult circumstance and focus on their long term goals. People who fail just see the circumstances—that’s it—just circumstances!

What do you see in front of you right now—a difficult circumstance or a nuisance? What you see tells it all!

Here’s a closing thought---God has given us the gifts we need, what we do with them is our gift to him.

WHAT TIME IS IT?

2006-03-20T17:02:00.000-05:00

We have a tradition at WinShape Camps of announcing upcoming events. Someone yells, “It’s Game Time in the WinShape Nation”, and everyone yells, “HOW!”, and starts jumping up and down in excitement. At WinShape, “How!”, means that something exciting is about to happen, or we like what we hear. Sometimes we may say “It’s Laundry Time in the WinShape Nation.” It’s the same thing—everybody yells back “HOW!”, and jumps up and down in excitement (some may be feigning it, in this case). You get the idea-- it’s all about the attitude of presentation. Expressed enthusiasm usually draws enthusiasm in return.

Think about the way a Christian shares his or her faith. We all have our way of doing it. To me, it needs to be seen by example first, and then words have more meaning. When you think about it, we are saying some pretty unbelievable things about our Lord and Savior.
Things of faith sound mystical to many people. Many have to see things to believe them. Missouri is not the “Show Me State” for nothing. If someone sees Christ making a great difference in our own lives, it makes our words to them about the state of their salvation more meaningful. Because of what Jesus did for us at Calvary, we can wake up every morning with a choice. Christians are supposed to be choosing love over hatred, peace over contempt, kindness over rejection, goodness over dishonesty, faithfulness over giving up, gentleness over force, self-control over impetuousness, joy regardless of the circumstances, and patience in the midst of obstacles in our way. When we show these things in our own lives, people will know that we are happy and self-assured. Everybody wants that, and seeing the expressed enthusiasm we have for the Lord in our lives, will make them want that as well.

Try yelling out to yourself sometimes, “What Time is It?”, and then answer yourself by saying “It’s Tax Time in Your Family Nation!”, and see if your attitude towards this yearly obstacle changes a little. That might be a stretch, but hey, you never know until you try something.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

God's Signature

2006-03-09T13:37:00.000-05:00

GOD'S SIGNATURE:

A friend of mine took his son to an Atlanta Braves baseball game several years ago.
They got to the ballpark early enough to stand in the left field stands and try to catch batting practice home runs. His son,Jeffrey, caught one hit by Atlanta Braves All Star, Chipper Jones. A couple of months later, my friend noticed in the paper that Chipper was going to be signing autographs in a local mall. My friend took his son to the mall, and Chipper kindly signed the ball, dating it the day the boy caught the ball.

Before the signature, the ball looked just like every other baseball. There was nothing to make it seem unique. For all anyone else knew, it was bought at some discount store.

The same is true with us. In the scheme of nature, Homo sapiens are not unique. We are not the only ones with flesh, hair, blood and hearts, even. What makes us special is not only our body, but the signature of God on our lives. We are His special work of art. We are created in His image to do good deeds. We are significant, not because of what we are, but because of whose we are, and what He has made us capable of doing for Him. God knew us before we were born. He told us that when He said in Jeremiah 1:5, "I chose You".

They ask me why I am a counselor?

2006-02-15T09:03:00.000-05:00

I have been involved in organized residential camping since I was 19 years old—that was 43 years ago. Why have I and so many others stayed in camping so long? The answer is in the following poem.

THEY ASK ME WHY I AM A CAMP COUNSELOR

“They ask me why I am a Camp Counselor”
And I reply,
Where could I find more splendid company?
There sits a statesman,
Strong, unbiased, and wise,
Another later Lawyer,
Silver-tongued,
And there a doctor
Whose quick, steady hand
Can mend a bone,
Or stem the lifeblood’s flow,
A builder sits beside him__
Upward rise
The arches of a church he builds, wherein
That minister will speak to touch the Christ.
And all about,
There are other gatherings
Of farmers, merchants, teachers,
Laborers, men
Who work and vote and build
And plan and pray
Into a great tomorrow.
And I say,
“I may not see the church,
Or hear the word,
Or eat the food their hands will grow.”
And yet I may,
And later I may say,
“ knew the child,
And he was strong,
Or weak, or kind, or proud,
Or bold, or happy.
I knew him once,
But then he was a boy.”
They ask me why I am a camp counselor, and I reply,
“Where could I find more spending company?”

If you are coming to camp this summer, have fun, learn new things, enjoy experiences, develop a deeper relationship with God, but don’t fail to make friends. They may last
a life time. Life has a way of reuniting us with our past through good friends we haven’t seen in a long time.

The Rewards from a Summer Camp...

2006-02-01T10:04:00.000-05:00

My first experience in camping was when I attended a one week sports camp as a 12 year old. I remember two special things from that experience one was Winning a 3rd place ribbon for the high jump—I think I won with a jump of 3’3”. I really felt special when they called my name out to come down to receive my ribbon. I felt like I had placed in the Olympics. Later, my high school basketball coach would never believe me when I told him that I had won 3rd place in a high jump competition one time. When he asked me how high I jumped, I said that I didn’t remember. Had he known the height of my jump, he would have questioned me on it. Jumping was not one of my strengths in basketball.

Another thing I remember about that summer was when I made a fool out of myself playing in a camp baseball game. Without going into it very much, let’s just say that I was a very bad sport. The next day, my counselor offered to take me on a canoe ride out into the lake. I was happy to accept his offer and have another opportunity to show off some of my skills. I had never been in a canoe before, but I was sure that I would soon be an expert with a paddle. Once we paddled out into the lake, he pulled his paddle out of the water, saying that it was time for us to just float a little bit. That was when he shared with me his opinion on my behavior on the baseball field the day before. He wasn’t happy, to say the least. After admonishing me, he then had some encouraging words to say that built me back up. I really can’t remember now everything that was said, but I have a lasting memory of the time my counselor thought enough of me to spend his free time, when I didn’t deserve any special attention at all; that happened 50 years ago. Now, every summer, I find myself trying to impress on our staff the importance of spending unexpected time with each of their campers while they are here, and of finding ways to recognize special achievements or positive actions they see from their campers, even if it is only for a high jump of 3’3”.

The things that turn me on about camping more than anything else are the little things that happen in a child’s life at camp that later turn into big things in their adult lives.

The right words to someone at the right time is God’s voice at work.

Matthew 5:16 “You should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and they will praise your Father in heaven.”

Tricks of the Trade

2006-01-24T09:10:00.000-05:00

TRICKS OF THE TRADE:

John Wooden, basketball coach of the UCLA Bruins, from the late 50’s to the mid 70’s, winner of 11 National Championships, 7 straight at one point, used to say, “If you spend too much time learning the tricks of the trade, you will fail to learn the trade”. Truett Cathy, Founder of Chick-fil-A, the tremendously successful fast food family owned restaurant chain company with over a billion dollars in sales every year, says the same thing in another way; “It is easier to be a success than it is to fail”. Both are saying that everybody is given a certain amount of time to do something in life, why waste it on foolish endeavors that lead to a dead end?

The book of Proverbs expressed this thought a long time before these two famous men did. You find it in chapter 12, verses 1-2, “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. A good man gains favor from the Lord, but the Lord condemns a crafty man.”

The world is full of failures that tried all of the short cuts to success, but didn’t have the right stuff when things really began to count. Here is even another way to say the same thing. “It is better to be prepared and not have an opportunity, than to have an opportunity and not be prepared for it.”

There are a couple of ways to live a successful life on earth---With Smarts and Smarts with Wisdom. Both can lead to success on earth, leading to riches & fame, with cheering fans along the way. Here’s the big question—WHAT’S NEXT?

Here is the answer. Remember, it was given to us a long time ago---see Proverbs 12:1-2. Did we miss it?

Feelings

2006-01-12T09:19:00.000-05:00

FEELINGS

In sports or in life, there are always winners and losers—there is happiness and disappointment at the same time. Here is the question: What really determines our happiness? Does winning or losing a ball game, making or losing a sale, making the team, or even winning or losing the heart of that special boy or girl we care so much about frame our happiness or disappointment? In other words, is our happiness determined by the outcome of events, or is it determined by our outlook on life?

If we are truly going to experience happiness, our outlook on life has to be positive. If we have true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His promises, we know that everything on this earth is temporary. We know that there will be a time when we will understand it all. In the meantime, we just have to live life as it comes to us---endure when we have to, enjoy the good times when they come, and most of all, care for those around us. Sometimes we are the body that needs somebody’s help, and sometimes we are the feet, arms and hands that God uses to help someone else in their time of need.

Corrie ten Boom used to say, “When the train goes through a tunnel and the world gets dark, do we jump out?” Of course not, we sit still and trust the engineer to get us through. How do we deal with disappointment? All we have to do is read our Bible—read the story of God. We will be reminded that we are not the first to weep. We are not the first person to be helped. After all, His story is ours.

Jeremiah 32:27: “I am the Lord, the God of every person on the earth. Nothing is impossible for me.”

Feelings

2006-01-10T15:14:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine recently sent me a Peanuts cartoon. In the cartoon, Lucy comes up to Charlie Brown all excited about her favorite football team winning the big game. She had a great time describing how all the fans were yelling and hugging each other, and jumping all over the place when the winning touchdown was scored. Charlie then replied, “How did the other team feel?”

In sports or in life, there are always winners and losers—there is happiness and disappointment at the same time. Here is the question: What really determines our happiness? Does winning or losing a ball game, making or losing a sale, making the team, or even winning or losing the heart of that special boy or girl we care so much about frame our happiness or disappointment? In other words, is our happiness determined by the outcome of events, or is it determined by our outlook on life?

If we are truly going to experience happiness, our outlook on life has to be positive. If we have true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His promises, we know that everything on this earth is temporary. We know that there will be a time when we will understand it all. In the meantime, we just have to live life as it comes to us---endure when we have to, enjoy the good times when they come, and most of all, care for those around us. Sometimes we are the body that needs somebody’s help, and sometimes we are the feet, arms and hands that God uses to help someone else in his time of need.

Corrie ten Boom used to say, “When the train goes through a tunnel and the world gets dark, do we jump out?” Of course not, we sit still and trust the engineer to get us through. How do we deal with disappointment? All we have to do is read our Bible—read the story of God. We will be reminded that we are not the first to weep. We are not the first person to be helped. After all, His story is ours.

Jeremiah 32:27: “I am the Lord, the God of every person on the earth. Nothing is impossible for me.”

Perfect Timing

2005-12-07T17:42:00.000-05:00

Something happened to me last week that made me want to write this column. My cell phone rang just as I was about to check out my room on the 16th floor of the hotel I was staying in San Antonio during a Christian Camping Conference. I get a fierce feedback from my hearing aid when I try to talk to someone on the phone. I took my hearing aid out and laid it down on the bed as I answered the phone. After the call, I grabbed my bags and headed out of the room and down the hall. I had about 5 minutes to catch my ride to the airport. As I walked down the hall towards the elevators, I suddenly realized that I had left my hearing aid on the bed. I also knew that I had left my room key in the room since I didn't need to stop by the desk on the way out. There was no way I was going to be able to get another key, return to my room, and get back before my ride would leave. Almost at the identical time that I was processing all of this in my mind, a housekeeper appeared out of a room. I asked her if she could get me back in my room? She said, Yes and did in a very nice and friendly manner. She was my angel in time of need, and she appeared at just the right time.

As I was riding the elevator down I gave myself a little sermon the same one I am giving you now. I prayed, God, the next time you need me to be an angel, help me to answer the call---better yet, my Lord, help me to look for opportunities to be an angel for someone. I have learned over my lifetime, that if we look for evil, we will find it, and if we look for good, we will find it as well. This is the Christmas season, the most perfect time to be an angel for someone in need.

Wishing you a blessed Christmas season,

Rick

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards all.
Luke 2: 13- 14

INFLUENCE

2005-11-08T11:01:00.000-05:00

Years ago, a father of one of our campers, invited me to go on a day of fishing with him and his 10 year old son the next time I was in town. Months later, on a Saturday morning after my Friday night camp presentation in their home, the 3 of us headed off to their favorite fishing lake.

On the way, we stopped at a little store that sold fishing licences, bait, and fishing gear. Having no fishing equipment with me, the man purchased a fishing rod and an assortment of fishing lures for me. Then he asked the clerk for a reciept. When we got back in the car, I mentioned that I never think to ask for reciepts. He told me that he always did in case he needed to write things off as a business expense. "Is this trip considered a business expense", I asked?
"Certainly", he answered. Then he went on to tell me that he always charged his company for many of his expenses. I noticed that his son was listening closely to everything he was saying--not just then, but all day long, his son was all ears to our conversations. I wanted tell the young man that I didn't think that our trip was really a business trip, and offer him counsel that I thought his dad was wrong in treating it in that manner. I chose not to.

Years have passed now, but recently, I learned that "little boy", now 31 years old, was arrested on fraud charges filed against him by the company he now represents. I wish now that I had said something. It may have made a difference, but I will never know now.

2 Timothy 3: 10 & 14

THE FENCE

2005-11-03T09:45:00.000-05:00

There was once a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered that it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence….Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, “You have done well son, but look at all the holes in the fence”.

The father continued, “The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the wound is still there”.

A verbal wound is as bad as physical one. Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us. Don’t say something to them that you may regret later.

Your boss may not be a friend but he could hold the key to your future. Consider your parting words, if you decide to leave your job.

The Wisdom of Children

2005-10-21T08:31:00.000-04:00

THE WISDOM OF CHILDREN

Friends are always sending neat little motivational or lesson loaded stories, knowing that I love sharing them. Here is one that I just received, paraphrased for the reasons of space.

Gilbert, a cub scout wanted to enter the annual Pinewood Derby race that he has just heard about in one of his weekly meetings. He learned that he needed to make his own little wooden race car to fit the official regulations of the event. His Dad was too busy to really help, but did read aloud to Gilbert the directions, measurements, rules, etc., and let him do the rest. Little Gilbert went to work. After about a week, he finally finished his

task, just in time for the big race. He proudly showed off his “Blue Lightning” to his parents. It was a little lopsided, but having not yet seen the other boys’ racers, Gilbert had no reason not to be excited about his chances.

His pride quickly turned to humility the Saturday of the big race. There he stood, Mom by his side. Dad was golfing that day. All the other boys had race cars that were obviously built by their dads. Already humiliated, all the other boys had their Dad, or Granddad standing with them.

The race was done in elimination fashion, and amazingly, Gilbert’s little “Blue Lightning” made it to the finals. By now, all of the eliminated competitors were yelling for “Blue Lightning”. Nobody really liked the other finalist Dad. He had been obnoxious throughout the whole event. Everybody wanted him to lose and much as they wanted Gilbert to win.

Just as racers were about to be placed on the starting line, little wide eyed, 8 year old Gilbert asked if race could hold up a minute—he wanted to say a little prayer. Everybody turned their eyes towards Gilbert, who was on his knees, clutching his lopsided, but very fast little car, and praying silently for a what seemed like 10 minutes, but, really was only about 45 seconds. It was a pretty awkward moment for everybody, to say the least.

Gilbert stood up, placed “Blue Lightning” on the starting line next to the red sleek, probably illegally built racer and the race was on! Unbelievable! “Blue Lightning” crossed the finish line, winning by a split second.

Immediately, the Scout Master came up to Gilbert with microphone in hand, and said, “ I guess praying to win helped you out, huh, Gilbert”. To which the young man answered, “Oh no sir. That wouldn’t be fair to all the others. I just asked God to make it so I wouldn’t cry when I lost.”

Ah, the wisdom of children. Too bad as most of us get older, we tend to pray for things to turn out the way we want them to. However, just as Gilbert did, our prayers should be to seek God’s strength through the struggle. “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

I love this understanding of faith that I heard a few years ago. “Our faith convicts us that He can, and gives hope that He will”.

The Broom

2005-10-07T12:17:00.000-04:00

FAITH: Talking about it is one thing—having it is another.

A little boy was afraid of the dark. One night his mother told him to go out to the back porch and bring her the broom. The little boy turned to his mother and said, “Mama, I don’t want to go out there. It’s dark.” The mother smiled reassuringly at her son. “You don’t have to be afraid of the dark,” she explained. “Jesus is out there. He’ll look after you and protect you.” The little boy looked at his mother real hard and asked, “Are you sure he’s out there?” “Yes, I’m sure. He is everywhere, and he is always ready to help you when you need him,” she said. The little boy thought about that for a minute and then went to the back door and cracked it a little. Peering out into the darkness, he called “Jesus? If you are out there, would you hand me the broom?”

How deep is our faith, really? We will find out in the face of extreme tests. During those times, do we feel at peace, or are torn with fear? Faith is what Christians have that is so special. Our faith gives us the conviction that God can provide, and gives us the hope that He will. Fears and anxieties follow us throughout life. It is our faith that helps us to cope with them. Think about fear for a moment. If our fear is of the Lord, then that is a good thing. Those who the fear the Lord the most are the closest to Him. Those who fear anything else are further away from Him. So, with faith we can go get the broom. We’ll be ok!

God's Hall of Fame

2005-09-26T14:26:00.000-04:00

GOD’S HALL OF FAME

My son’s journey in life has been like few have traveled. Brad, as a young boy, set his sights on making a career as a professional athlete—basketball was his love and football was his second choice. Basketball gave him wonderful memories----recognition in being selected All State, and the AAA Player of the Year in 1986 in N.C. in 1985. Football in high school was kind to him as well. There were no championships, but individually, he received recognition as All State, the AAA Player of the Year in N.C., Parade All American in 1986, and a scholarship in football to Florida State. A career in the NFL seemed like a possibility. However, things seemed to get off track a little in college. Injuries and great competition was too much for him to overcome at that stage in life. He did have a few shinning moments, but they were brief. He walked on the basketball team as a freshman and started a few games ‘88-’89, including a NCAA tourney game. He had a brief tenure as FSU’s starting QB in 1990—6 games, before being benched in mid season, becoming a backup for his last season and half. He did manage to get drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 1992, as the 15^th QB in the draft that year. His NFL career started slowly, but began to hit its stride in middle of 1996. His highlights have been few, but they were truly highlights--- Pro Bowl appearances with the Redskins in 1999 and another in 2002 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in a season that included a Super Bowl win as the starting QB in Super Bowl XXXVII. Now, at age 37, he is closing his career in obscurity as the backup to Daunte Culpepper with the Vikings. Brad will officially retire from his career before the age of 40. Life will move on for him—he is a father of two boys, and has a lovely wife, Nikki. A home boy at heart, Brad will soon have plenty of time at home.

For all of us, through it all, there is a life to live. We have our individual journeys. We will have our different stops along the way. We all have families, we all have careers, we all have dreams, we all have relationships, and we all will have a few hours on the bright stage. We will experience disappointments as well. What we will realize along our journey is that our successes and failures are really imposters! They come and they go. Nothing on this earth lasts forever. Only eternity last forever—everything on earth is just a series of events, some lasting longer than others. Through the maze of life, we should remember that the most important thing always remains; are we placing our trust in the Lord, and are our lives glorifying Him? If so, a place in God’s Hall of Fame awaits us.

GOD’S HALL OF FAME:

This crowd on earth

They soon forget

The heroes of the past.

The cheer like mad

Until you fall

And that’s how long you last.

But God does not forget

And in his Hall of Fame

By just believing in his son

Inscribed you’ll find your name.

I tell you, friends,

I would not trade

My name however small

Inscribed up there

Beyond the stars

In that celestial hall

For any famous name on earth

Or glory that they share

I’d rather be an unknown here

And have my name up there

The Great Family Adventure Weekend

2005-09-15T14:29:00.000-04:00

Hey Everybody! I am back again, writing my columns. Only this time, it’s in a new format. It’s something called a BLOG. The interesting thing about a BLOG is for those of you who take time to read “Rick’s Corner,” you can now respond to my columns. If you do, be kind. My whole purpose of these columns, is to provide a little inspiration and insight into what our camp is all about.

We are off and running in our preparations for 2006. Early bird registration begins October 3, 2005 and if you sign up before November 1st you will receive $50 off the tuition. Visit our website at www.winshape.org to register online or get additional information.

Summer camp has always been our main focus, but this year we are trying something new during the camp “off-season”. We just recently launched our very first GREAT FAMLY WEEKEND ADVENTURE! It was the weekend of Sept. 9-11. Yes, the whole family got to come and experience a touch of what Camp WinShape is all about. We included some of the most popular camp-wide events, along with skills, for this weekend experience. Our skills included:
Bible Study
Horseback Riding
Mountain Biking
Climbing Wall
Arts and Crafts
Fire Building
Flag football/ultimate Frisbee
Soccer/Basketball
New Nature Trail
You can be assured that we included a big Sock War, and one of Janie Bird’s famous folk dances. After the dance, we all took a silent hike into the Boys Camp’s most sacred place---its Council Ring site---a place where no female has ever visited, unless they sneaked a peek on their own. It was a really special time, sitting around a huge and beautiful fire, participating in songs, games, stories, and personal sharing, over the fire as the evening slips into the night.

Planning for our Great Family Weekend Adventure has been going on for months. What is its purpose? For those of us involved in this family weekend at Camp WinShape, it will be an opportunity for us to pull our own families closer together as well as minister to the families who are attending. When a major disaster like Katrina takes place, personal belongings become less important. In desperate times, we learn what we treasure the most. For most of us, it is our personal faith in God, our families, and our friends.
I think it is ironic, that our family weekend will be going on at the same time so many families are in disarray from Hurricane Katrina. For many of us, we see it as a time when the nation pulls together for a common cause, without regard to race, religion, or culture to help those families in need. Maybe by working together in reaching out to these families, we will learn more about God. So many who have lost family members and everything that they owned, must feel that God has forsaken them. Hopefully, when order is restored, all of us will find God to be more real than ever before.

From the weekend, I hope we will:
Gain a new appreciation for our own families
Gain new insights into each other that allow us to communicate more effectively
Love on each other more
See strengths emerge within each other that we may not have recognized before
Have lots and lots of safe and wholesome fun
Make new friends
And more than anything, that we will realize that God must hold a prominent place in our homes.

Once dates have been confirmed, you can access information about upcoming Great Family Weekend Adventures on our Website @ www.winshape.org.

I look forward to your comments, questions and ideas for future Camp WinShape BLOG’s. For now, this is Crooked Arrow, (Rick Johnson) signing off.

HAPPINESS IS AT OUR FINGERTIPS, WHICH IS ATTACHED TO OUR REACHING HANDS,

2005-09-01T14:42:00.000-04:00

You can't purse happiness and catch it. Happiness comes upon you unawares while you are helping others. This philosophy has been expressed in the quote, "Help thy brother's boat across, and lo! thine own has reached the shore. " Happiness does not depend upon a full pocketbook, but upon a mind full of rich emotions. Happiness does not depend upon what happens outside of you but on what happens inside of you; it is measured by the spirit in which you meet problems of life.

Happiness is a state of mind. Lincoln once said: "We are as happy as we make our minds up to be." Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the after-glow of satisfaction
that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best. Happiness grows out of harmonious relationships with others, based on attitudes of good will, tolerance, understanding, and love. Happiness is found in little things: a baby's smile, a letter from a friend, the song of a bird, a light in the window.

The master secret of happiness is to meet the challenge of each new day with the serene
faith that: "All things work together for the good to them that love God."