December. Always a welcome time of year; a time to reflect, to remember and renew. The breeze blows a little brisker, the leaves have all turned and for the most part fallen, the campfires begin to blaze a little brighter and warmer. The Welcome Center is decked out with Christmas decorations and the fireplace is warm and inviting. The Keurigs are brewing a constant flow of Highlander Grog, and Highland Lakes Cookies taste even better in December.
Your team here at Highland Lakes remains busy, as we continue to host groups three out of the five weekends of December. We are busy, and we are thankful to be busy. We are busy, but we enjoy the opportunities to serve. We are busy; but not too busy to greet and encourage one another, showing our appreciation for how we have been and continue to be so blessed. No matter how busy we are, December always gives us the ability to pause, to reflect, to appreciate. Why? Because the month points to the celebration of the birth of the Savior, and we automatically do what we should do intentionally all through the year; take a breath and hold a moment of genuine and complete awe. Genuine and complete awe to know that the Creator of All would love us so much that He would become Emmanuel, God with us; choose to enter our world of brokenness, and offer Himself as the Gift of Reconciliation, Salvation, and Eternal Life.
On behalf of your Highland Lakes team, (Rick Porter, Sarah Wickersham, Linda Collier, Craig Kratzer, and myself), we thank you for allowing us to serve others as they Discover, Develop, and Deploy a Transformed Life in Christ; and we wish you a Very, Merry Christmas.
Jim Shields
Team Leader, Highland Lakes Baptist Camp