SPEC 2008

Good Morning SPEC Fans,



It’s good to visit with you again. Do you notice how quiet it is right now? Actually it’s just you and me this morning. Today is the first of two sleep in days here at SPEC. So the whole place is asleep except us. No morning celebration today and breakfast has been moved back an hour. The parking lot glistens in the predawn light; it rained last night. But the huge orange ball of fire is rising just above the horizon and the area is bathed in soft orange light. This is the day that the Lord has made, let us Rejoice! And be glad in it.



After another good breakfast yesterday of French Toast, shaved ham and fruit, and warm homemade donuts, we headed off into the day. After morning celebration we went to our SPEC Today class and wrestled with the theme of “Someday is now……..so be just.” What is justice? Can we help achieve it? How? What does it look like? We had a fun exercise that showed how easy it is to be unjust and arbitrary. And how much harder it is to work for justice. And we were challenged to seek justice in the communities in which we interact.



Then the campers headed off for the elective classes. Several of the Rockies yesterday took advantage of the golf class. They were driven over to the Graceland Golf course, adjacent to campus, and given a two hour golf lesson. There is an ongoing golf tournament that campers and staff can participate in at their leisure. Honor system, score your own.



Lunch was an oriental wrap, chicken, a sort of rice thing, and veggies. This reporter took some chicken and added it to my salad for a delicious chicken salad. Cherry crunch cobbler alamode toped off the culinary experience.




Softball was right after lunch and we won this one 4 to 3. This team was definitely a more even match for us. It is fun the see the enthusiasm the kids have and the energy.



Soccer, table tennis, and volleyball rounded out the afternoon. Our volleyball team lost both games of their first match. Right after the game the coach, Mike Martens, was busy with finalizing things and when he turned around the coach and some players from the other team were giving pointers and trying to teach our kids some basics. Competition here is of a more gentle nature, especially in the less skilled levels.



Supper was beef stroganoff, (there’s usually two choices and I can’t remember the other one – sorry) and another good salad. A rich frosted brownie alamode (or white cake) finished the meal.



Games went into the night last night and we played our second volleyball match at nine o’clock. We split one and one. The kids looked much better – I think the pointers from the afternoon helped some.

The all camp activity last night was a man billed as a “mentalist”. He did some amazing mind reading activities. I won’t go into all the details, but he was able to pick out names, dates, answer questions written on papers he could not see, and stuff like that. He did an exercise with four big stapleguns and five participants that demonstrated he could control the choices of one camper in selecting the empty stapler in a sort of Russian Roulette. Three of the staplers were full as demonstrated by shooting staples through a piece of cardboard and the one pressed against his hand was empty. He had campers twist spoons that no one was able to untwist (not a trick spoon). And he had two girls hold small fluorescent light tubes and with mind energy, light the tubes (no wires, no batteries, etc) No tricks? I don’t know.



It was interesting that as we came out of the show last night the sky to the west was ablaze with a powerful and colorful lightning show of God’s own making. Then in the boys dorm during devotions this reporter compared the amazing feats of the mentalist to the amazing miracles of God – Peter walking on water, feeding thousands with little food, raising the dead, and transforming ungodly people into Godly people.



The mentalist’s exhibit, and the God of wonders, beyond our galaxy: both mysteries, and only one worth staking your life on.



As you go through your day today, watch for the amazing power of God, and thank God for the miraculous in your own life’s experiences. And may God bless you as you seek.



Don’t forget to go to cofchrist.org click on the spectacular button and then on daily photos. Most of the Saturday shots are from this reporter, who enjoys a little photog work himself as well as keeping you up with the news and views.



Until tomorrow, walk justly and seek peace,

Your SPEC reporter,

Bob