6 Years Ago Today...Baptized @ My Happy Place
Pines Spring Ranch is a Christian Camp located in Southern California. My grandpa went there, my mom went there, I went there every summer from age 10-17, and my children will go there.
My mom was raised by her grandmother in a very strict seventh-day Adventist household. My mom knew what it was like to be forced to go to church, and vowed not to make her children go through that experience. I did not go to church every week, but from the time I hit 10 years old, I went to PSR for a week long adventure every summer, and I felt closer to God than I ever have in any church building. Being out in nature, learning new skills, and becoming best friends with people who you just met....some may just call that the sweet memories of childhood, but for me it was and still is the sweet essence of what Jesus Christ wanted life to look like.
Here is what a typical day at PSR looks like:
Morning Schedule
08:30 AM: Breakfast* 09:30 AM: Flag Raising & Attendance Roll Call 09:45 AM: Morning Worship @ the Church Bowl 10:30 AM: Morning Activity Rotation #1 or Specialty Classes 11:40 AM: Morning Activity Rotation #2
Afternoon Schedule
12:40 PM: Mail Call & Attendance Roll Call 01:00 PM: Lunch 02:00 PM: Rest Period / Camp Store Open 03:00 PM: Afternoon Activity Rotation #1 or Specialty Classes 04:10 PM: Afternoon Activity Rotation #2 05:20 PM: Field Games
Evening Schedule
06:10 PM: Dinner 07:10 PM: Free Time 07:50 PM: Flag Lowering & Attendance Roll Call 08:10 PM: Evening Outpost 08:45 PM: Cabin PM Time
All the food at PSR is vegetarian, but delicious. The early wake up time is hard for a few kiddos, but cabins that wake up earlier have more time to clean, complete chores, and decorate, thus they have a better chance of winning cabin of the week. Morning rotation is focused on the activity you chose and then the second rotation is completed with your cabin. On Sabbath (Saturday), the schedule is a bit different and is made special for the Lord's rest day. The sabbath of August 2, 2014, I was blessed enough to be baptized with my siblings. My brother and I are three years apart and actually were at camp together the whole week, we took Ropes course together. My sister was actually the age I am now (23) and too old to attend PSR as a camper, but since PSR was her childhood summer home, they were more than happy to welcome her back that Saturday to be baptized.