Love.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

Look into your life. Where can you love more?” Nowhere,” you say. Look again. Always  look again. There is always more room for love. It may be in the way you say good morning or the smile you don’t always give. It could be in the way you order your coffee or the words you use to answer your phone. Perhaps you can pour more love into yourself or the stranger sitting next to you. Wherever it can flow, let love flood your life.

-Katie Mclean

Sand Volleyball comin’ to Sonlight! 40 tons of beach sand was delivered this morning- so prepare for some barefoot time in the sand at Sonlight.

Program!

Sara Tyler, our dear and talented registrar, along with her husband and two little ones, came all the way from Harpursville, New York to visit camp this past weekend. We sure did appreciate help from her daughter in the kitchen! Training them young around here! Sonlight staffer 2027?

Some days I feel confused about where I am going on my faith journey and I have learned that this is not merely something I experience, but many people often feel the same way at some point. I have begun to look at my walk with God like a hike and thought I would share this metaphor with you.

You begin your hike very excited for the adventure that awaits you and maybe you start off quickly and eager. All of the flowers you pass are blooming, it a beautiful day and your water bottles are still cold in your backpack. You are full of much energy and excitement.

As your hike progresses you start to grow tired and are sweaty and are starting to get sunburnt.  Maybe you want to stop or give up. The day is no longer sunny, and you see clouds rolling in. You may have lost your trail and are starting to feel lost. But often at this point you stubble upon other hikers who give you some encouragement and motivation and you keep trekking. You might have to slow down. You might have to do a little backtracking or many, many switchback to make it only a few vertical feet. But you are not giving up. You are still on the mountain.

When you grow especially weary remember to look up and see the beautiful shining sun or breathe in the refreshing mountain air and gain inspiration to keep going.  This is when you know that there is something more than just your legs carrying you up the steep and rocky terrain. This is when you need a reminder that God is always with you,

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any posers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God this is in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 8:38-39 NIV

Remember that the coolest part about your faith journey, about your hike, is that there is no right way. Every hiker before you, with you and behind you has made their own path up the mountain. Created their own trail.  At different points on everyone’s hike people hit rough spots or particular beautiful spots.  So whether right now you feel stuck in a thunderstorm or if you have found a picturesque overlook that you never want to leave know that God is with you every step of the way.

-Leah

Temperatures are rising, the sun is shining, and Nick and Benji are shedding their winter fur. Haircut time!

Keeping in “tune” with our 2013 theme Amplify, our Friday Night Banquet theme is:

We are celebrating music and sound! Dress like your favorite pop star, come as a rock n’ roll band with your friends, duct tape a bunch of CDs to your shirt, rock an 80s rock band mullet, the sky’s the limit! We can’t wait to see what kinds of crazy costumes our staff and campers come up with this summer!

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, a great time to recognize and thank the countless individuals who have volunteered their time to make Sonlight happen year after year. From building projects, organization projects, sewing curtains, volunteer counseling, dish washing, speaking, lawn mowing, and brochure stuffing — countless hours have been donated to ensure that Sonlight continues its mission of “Being With Kids and Showing Them God”.

Sonlight believes in providing youth with the very best camp experience possible.  We are  proud be accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA), meeting standards that go above and beyond state licensing requirements. A leading authority in youth development, ACA works to preserve, promote, and improve the camp experience across the country. ACA is committed to helping our members and all camps provide:

• Camp communities committed to a safe, nurturing environment
• Caring, competent adult role models
• Healthy, developmentally appropriate experiences
• Service to the community and the natural world
• Opportunities for leadership and personal growth
• Discovery, experiential education, and learning opportunities
• Excellence and continuous self-improvement

 ”What makes any of us think that the place we are trying to reach is far, far ahead of us somewhere and the only way to get there is to run until we drop?”

—from Leaving Church by Barbara Brown Taylor