Pastor Casey’s Blog

Memories

 

This past week, I was able to enjoy something that I have not been able to fully enjoy for the last 2 years.

Our district Pastor and Spouses Retreat. Not to say that I have not enjoyed the retreat the previous two times I have gone, but I am finally able to enjoy bringing my wife and spending the time together. The last few days were great spent up at Trinity Pines. We had a lovely drive up the mountain (with the top down of course) and were able to enjoy great speaking and great fellowship with many pastors/wives we knew (and some we did not).

            One thing I had been thinking about the previous week was how nice it would be to see Victory Cove. Up until Wednesday, I had only heard stories of how great it was and what people remember it for. I had yet to even see it. So Alyssa and I decided in our free time we would go check it out. We rode up there with Pastor Tim and Cindy and hiked through the campgrounds till finally we found where the old campsite was located. We saw the old cabins, the snack shack, the chapel, and even the large rock that Dr. Kratzer and Thelma had to guard in an attempt of keeping teen couples from having too “friendly” of a camp experience (at least that is what I am told). It was obvious the grounds had not been used for 10 years. It reminded me of an old ghost town you only hear stories about, you never experience it for yourself. We began walking around the grounds and I began imagining how it would feel to have a couple hundred kids running around during a typical summer camp. The whole place began reminding me of my old camp ground on the Northwest District. The buildings and the lake all reminded me of some of the memories I have at the camp I went to in high school, where I met Alyssa J.

            All that I had heard about Victory Cove was how great it was for camp, but to be honest, what I saw was far from great. After talking to a few other people, I learned that it wasn’t the camp ground or the cabins or the lake or even the big rock that made it a great camp. What made it great was the memories everyone had from their experiences from being there. Memories are what can get us through tough times, ask my mom. I bet she wishes I was home right now, but I’m not. But I bet she has a few of the most recent pictures out on the fridge so she can remember me from the last time I was home. Isn’t that why we take pictures wherever we go? We want to remember what we did, where we went, who we were with. Looking at pictures are great ways to jog our memory.

In relation to the previous blog, Pastor Paul wrote that if God had a wallet, He would have pictures of all of us in it. God would be reminded of all the good times that we have spent with Him, each time he opened His wallet and saw those pictures. When we see pictures of Jesus, we can remember how He conquered the grave, how He rose from the dead, how He was victorious over all sin. I can be reminded that no matter how tough life gets, how stressful, or busy it may seem; God is BIGGER. I bet God has memories of all of us too. Whether it’s a memory of the day you gave your life to Him at camp, or the day you were obedient when God asked you to do something. His love for you (and everyone else) never changed. Regardless of the good/bad memories you have about friends, family, and/or Victory Cove. God will always remember you as the one He gave is life for. You are the one He will do anything to have back, you are His lost sheep, His lost coin, His lost son. If you don’t have a good memory of God in your life, make a new memory with Him today. Allow God to use you so that others will have memories about how God used you to reach out to them. Then take a picture.