Twelve Metric Tons of Fun at Big Bear

One of the highlights of my first semester in college (and one of the very few things that I blogged about) was the Generations Retreat. I made great friends, like Steve and Tommy (pictured above), enjoyed morning "Chariots of Fire" runs along the beach, learned from solid, biblical teaching about pride/humility, and was convinced to go to IBEX. But that was so last year.

This year the retreat changed from the shores to the mountains. I went with 50 other Generites (that is not a small number!) to Big Bear for the weekend. We stayed in some sweet houses while we were there; my roommates and I dubbed our room "Bag End" because the door only came up to our chest.

Once again, I had unprecedented fun on the retreat. On Saturday afternoon, a big group of us took over a Starbucks for a few hours to study and hang out. When we got back we took a hike down to the lake and enjoyed some fellowship and meditations about God. Saturday night turned into a massive tournament of "4 on a Couch;" the guys dominated.

I also enjoyed the retreat because I did not have to bring much homework with me, so it really felt like a retreat. I was able to think about the messages from the retreat and the past week of chapels. I started to realize how all of life needs to work together to glorify Christ. My schoolwork, my devotions, my relationships, and my blogging are all unified in an effort to make life all about Christ. This changes my perspective on many things. I'm not studying just to make good grades, but to prepare for a God-glorifying life. My relationships are not just for fun, but for fellowship and encouragement.

Yesterday, we drove back down the mountains and back to homework and the other busy parts of life at college. But I found that my perspective was refreshed over the weekend. Because all of life is to be lived for Christ, I can have joy in all of it. That's pretty cool.

Thanks. Bye.