INTENTIONALLY INTIGRATED

I believe that intentional living is important for a satisfied soul.  It is too easy to let life slip away like sand slips through the fingers.  I work with goals in mind and I write with outlines in mind.  The goals and outlines are the methods, not the meaning to my life or my work.  I spent many years being rigid and ruled by the method and that affected the meaning and the meat of what I was trying to accomplish.  I have learned to be flexible with my methods, leaving empty space for the Spirit to flow through my plans so they integrate and become consistent with God’s plans for me.  Life got a bit easier and much more fruitful.  Once the foundation is firm the growth can be free.

As I said earlier, during Orientation week at camp I used Goals to build a firm foundation for the successful summer I envisioned for the campers and staff.  I wanted these Goals integrated into every activity and every interaction the staff had with the campers.  The four Goals became a daily mantra so that they would become internalized in each staff member and not just written in their Staff Handbook somewhere on at home on a bookshelf.  Every day I would run the drill…Goal 1-Love Camp; Goal 2-Learn new skills, activity and life skills; Goal 3- Learn to be in a group; Goal 4- Learn to be a leader.  Throughout the day we would go from one activity site to another, not only being trained for that activity, but also spending some time talking about how the Goals could be manifested and worked out at each activity .

The Goals were intentionally integrated into everything we did at Camp, not only in the activities but in our interactions with one another, from me, the director, to the staff, to the campers.  It made for a successful Camp season, but more importantly, it made for successful people coming out of our Camp program and living successful lives as they grew into responsible people in their communities and in their world.  I keep in touch with generations of our Camp people and it makes me proud of the work we did as I hear about who and what these people have become.

I am not a camp director anymore but I still live my life the way I led Orientation week at Camp.  I set my vision, I create my goals, and then I intentionally integrate those goals into all I do and all I am as I walk through this life.  It makes a full life for me, one with true meaning.  Every morning I run the drill…Goal 1- Love God; Goal 2- Learn new skills and life practices; Goal 3- Learn how to live with and love others; Goal 4- Learn to be a good steward of all that God has given me.  I live to hear God say, “Well done faithful servant.”

High Ideals…High Praise…Keeps me on the High Road to Life