Category — Faith

Shear Lake at Camp Barakel

This past weekend my wife was gracious enough to send me to a much needed men’s retreat at Camp Barakel. I dropped the family off in Ohio with grandparents and I headed on up to northern Michigan. The speaker for the weekend was Tom Harmon who is the father of our best friends in Michigan. He is truly a Godly speaker. I’ve listened to him preach in person a few times, and I’ve downloaded many of his Barakel messages. Perhaps the most needed part of the entire weekend was being away from all media: no wifi, no cell phone (other than to talk to my wife a couple of times), no TV, no football, no newspapers, no Facebook, no Twitter, nothing. It was great being with 300 other Christian men in the midst of the woods, with a beautiful lake right outside my cabin window. The worship services were amazing! Imagine all these big, burly men, singing out wonderful choruses, and genuinely pouring their hearts out to the Lord in song. There were no ties, there were no suits; think lots of flannel and cammo. The messages were just what we needed. Tom Harmon lays it out very plain and simple and the Holy Spirit makes sure each man hears what he needs to hear. There was much time for quiet reflection too. I thanked the Lord for my wife, my children, and the students he has given me charge over. Many tears were shed. It had been 4 or 5 years since my last visit, but I hope to make this a more regular trip. Barakel in hebrew means “where God has blessed.” God surely has blessed Camp Barakel, and I received many blessings by being there.

Here is our family mission statement that we have been working on.

The purpose of our family is to…
• serve the Lord together. Josh 24:15
• live our lives according Scripture. 2 Tim 3:16-17
• grow spiritually as a family and as individuals. Col 2:6-7
• be good stewards of what God has entrusted to us. 1 Cor 4:1-2
• be critical thinkers. 1 Thess: 5:21
• be an example to our family and others. Matt 5:16
To accomplish these things, we acknowledge our responsibilities in the following areas and shall…
…as members of this family:
• pray for one another. James 5:16
• encourage one another. Heb 10:24
• not criticize or complain about each other to others. James 4:11
…as members of this household:
• recognize that we are all part of this family and will do our fair share to keep the household running smoothly.
• clean up after ourselves. 1 Cor 14:40
• be truthful about what happens when an accident occurs. Eph 4:25
• do any tasks or chores assigned to us without complaining. Phil 2:14
…as members of our church and ministries:
• attend all regular church services if we are present and healthy. Heb 10:25
• support ministries and charities that uphold our same beliefs and values with our time and money.
• fulfill our responsibilities in our chosen ministries. Heb 6:10
• obey those in authority over us in these areas. Rom 13:1-2
…as stewards of God’s finances:
• place value on the things of Heaven, not on the things of this Earth. Matt 6:19-21
• work towards eliminating all debt. Prov 22:7
• limit the use of credit cards. Rom 13:8
• wait 24 hours in which time we will pray over any purchases over the amount of $100. Luke 14:28-30
• set aside portions of our money for giving, saving, and spending. 2 Cor 9:7
• trust the Lord to provide for our needs. Matt 6:31-34
…as husband and wife:
• recognize that a strong marriage builds a strong family.
• set aside time to connect each day with one another.
• learn to communicate effectively with one another.
• have a date night at least once a month.
…as parents:
• learn to recognize the individual needs of our children and strive to meet them.
• teach them God’s Word. Deut 6:6-9
• strive to spend one-on-one time with each of them. Eph 5:16
• protect our children from unwise relationships. Prov 13:20, 2 Cor 6:14
• protect our children from ungodly secular media. Ps 101:3-4, Eph 5:11-12, Phil 4:8
…as educators of our children:
• be our children’s primary teachers of values whether they are schooled in the home or elsewhere. Prov 22:6
• decide the best course of education for our children. Deut 11:18-20
• strive to encourage further studies in areas of interest. Prov 15:14
• support a broad liberal arts education with a Christian worldview. Phil 1:9-10
• make our home an environment conducive to learning. Prov 24:3-4
… as trainers of our children:
• not discipline in anger. James 1:20
• incorporate Biblical training into our discipline. Eph 6:4
• be consistent in discipline so all will know what to expect. Prov 29:15
• train up our children for God’s glory, not for ours. 1 Cor 10:31
…as children in this home:
• obey our parents. Eph 6:1
• respect our parents’ property.
• honor our parents with both our words and our attitudes. Ex 20:12
…as brothers and sisters in this home:
• not raise our voices or hands to one another. Prov 16:32
• respect one another’s privacy and property. Ps 133:1
• try to resolve conflicts first before involving others. Matt 18:15-17