Greatest Vacation

Last week, we loaded up the whole family and headed to Camp Forest Springs. I had the privilege of speaking for their Junior High Camp. We were hoping this would not only be a preaching opportunity, but that it would be a little rest and relaxation for the family as well. I described it yesterday to someone as the greatest vacation of my life...and after it rolled out of my mouth, I realized it wasn't hyperbole.

A couple of highlights that etched a week at CFS in my heart and mind forever:

10. A good time to catch up with someone you really didn't know well in college, but wish you'd have taken the time to get to know back then.

9. Lou Malnati's Chicago Style Pizza! Oh man was it good.

8. Children's eyes beholding nature. We are far from city folk, but this was more rustic scenary than we are used to. Whether it was a tiny frog hopping across a trail, or the mini-farm rabbits, the kids saw things that made the eyes open wide. (We also noticed they didn't have "lightning bugs" in the Westboro area...something we won't take for granted around here again.)

7. Amazing Travelers. This was certainly my most anxious part. How would three kids (all under 4) travel in a vehicle, sitting side-by-side-by-side. They could not have done better. We listened to "Nathaniel the Grublet" about 5,472 times more than I would have preferred, but Charity and I also snuck in a little Way of the Master Radio when the kids were sleeping in the back.

6. Lou Malnati's Chicago Style Pizza! That's right, we hit the same restaurant and ordered the same thing on the way home.

5. Walking into the cabin and seeing my wife reading Counted Righteous in Christ: Should We Abandon the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness? by John Piper. And to top it off, she then wanted to discuss the book with me! Seriously, the woman deserves far better than me!

3. Central Standard Time. For some reason, it drove Charity nuts everytime I said, "Well I know it's 4:30 but it feels like 5:30"--which made it all the more fun to say. But also it meant we woke up early. It may not sound like fun, but all 5 of us were in the same room for the week (well, sort of, Rachel slept in the closet). It's not the way I'd want to live, but there was something cool about waking up all about the same time and just hanging out in bed for a while, not having to be in a rush. Those moments in the morning were the first indication that it was going to be an amazing day.

2. Alone time with everyone. QT and I got to sit up late talking (about Piper and more). I got to spend some time with Kari, watching her figure out how to walk. Zeke and I went on a paddle boat ride and looked for fish, crocodiles and sharks. (We only found a few guppies under some lilly pads, but that was thrilling enough for him.) And Rachel came to most of my evening sessions. Nothing is cooler than finishing your message to teenagers and walking in the back hallway where your daughter runs up to hug you, and proceeds to pray that the kids would obey Jesus!

1. Battle in the midst of vacation. How often do you get the privilege. How often do you get to see the kingdom changed during vacation? We had the privilege to see students repent of sin, trust Christ as Savior, and follow more closely after Him due to our cooperation with the camp staff and counselors. There really is no reason I should get to experience that incredible gift. Yet God is so amazing, He gave me joys far exceeding a top ten list.

(Check out QT's blog for other pictures and highlights.)