Lift Your Eyes Up: Reconnect with God this Summer!
by Amy “Ellie” Culhane
Well, we’ve saved the BEST arrow for last. I’m not exaggerating. Every time I present the Four Arrows during our Vespers service, I emphasize that the most important thing we do at camp is grow in our relationship with the Lord. Inward, Outward, and Downward are all great and we do it all at Cedarbrook; however, the core of our mission is to reach girls for Jesus.
Looking upward, we see the heavens and we direct our gaze towards God.
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2 (ESV)
My parents and church instilled in me the basics of the faith and how to live the Christian life - they did a great job! However, I started to take hold of my faith when I went to camp. Being on my own, apart from my family and church allowed me to own my Christian walk, express my questions freely, and see examples of Godly women who were showing me who I could become if I followed Jesus.
The camp experience provides an immersive away-from-home opportunity that can impact a girl’s faith trajectory for life. I will never forget my counselors - Ember, Arbi, Buzzi, Rock, Ani, Swift, Cygnus, Puffin, Bean, and others (ok, I guess I forgot some!) - they weren’t just telling me about God. They were showing me God, showing me what it looks like to follow Him, and they were taking an interest in ME and my life, wanting me to grow and know God more. Plus, they were pretty cool and fun to be around!
From Morning Watch to Evening Devotions, the camp day is centered around God. Girls are invited to accept Jesus as their savior and grow in their relationship with Him. Yes, we do archery and campfires and skits, but the purpose of everything we do at Cedarbrook is to point upward, toward God.
After this past year, when our world has shrunk and our churches have been online, we need camp! We need the hills so we can lift our eyes to them! We want girls to grow inward, outward, downward, but most importantly, upward and know God more. We are so excited to share Christ’s love with girls at Cedarbrook this summer. We hope you can join us!
