A Place For the Heart

A Drawing by Cadence Helser for me

"What we know about God and what we do for God have a way of getting broken apart in our lives. The moment the organic unity of belief and behavior is damaged in any way, we are incapable of living out the full humanity for which we were created."

Eugene Peterson

"Do you wanna play 20 questions?" Cadence asked. It was more a statement of introduction than a question. Earlier I noticed him explaining one of his drawings to Chris, an intern at A Place For the Heart. I asked him if he would draw something for me. That is when he asked, "Do you wanna play 20 questions?" Over the next few days we would play several times. And, Cadence drew a picture for me (now on my office wall).

For the past decade the staff and students of Trinity have gone to A Place For the Heart for spring camp. It is unlike any camp I have ever experienced. From the moment we walked onto the property I sensed the overwhelming expression, "You are welcome here!"

I stayed in cabin Malachi with six of my students, and guys, tho' a little smelly, you were great!! The first night, after a gourmet dinner (all the food was awesome! Thank You Linda Helser!), Jonathan David Helser led in worship.

The next few days were a blur...a shaving cream battle- Brave Heart WaterBalloon Siege- a water slide of near-Biblical proportion- late night 'smores, and anointed worship music.

But for me, the best moments were spent in the woods, alone with the Lord. The first day I found a trail marked 'Prayzebo' and headed up the hill. It was late afternoon. To my left a Cardinal sang, on my right I passed a stand of Sassafras saplings. And then, at the end of a ridgetop trail, there it was, the Prayzebo; an octagonally-shaped prayer chapel, set apart from the world and time. As I stepped inside I was overcome by the presence of the Holy Spirit. My next three mornings would be spent there- my Bible in one hand- a carafe of coffee in the other.

God is good.

Jonathan and me

Ken and me

"The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what's ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we'll never settle for less."

an excerpt from a letter to a struggling church in Corinth,Greece,

written by a former Pharisee named Paul