Christmas... A Myth?

Today I found out that the Township of West Milford (where Shiloh is located) placed a new sign at their municipal building along with a Christmas tree, menorah, and a nativity scene.

Here's the sign:

PHOTO/ANN GENADER

I'm all for inclusion of other faith's symbols on the steps of our town halls across the country.  I'm glad that there is a menorah lit up right next to the tree and nativity.  If people wanted to put up a Muslim symbol for a holiday I'm okay with that (believe it or not).  As long as it is done respectfully.

Why am I so willing to be inclusive of other religions in this sort of display?  Quite frankly I am confident in Jesus and in the life that I live.  When the Holy Spirit is active in a person's life, every other life that they touch upon will be impacted regardless of religion, heritage, or any other factor.  Jesus transcends those boundaries by reaching out and welcoming everyone into his fold when they seek his Salvation.

Inclusion of other beliefs in a holiday is cool.  What is not cool is insulting people.  And that is all that this sign is about.  It does not promote a belief, it promotes a lack of belief which is in fact the opposite and does so disrespectfully.

If Christians wanted to post a sign at the town hall at Easter (and I'm by no means saying we should) saying, "Jesus died on a cross for you. You are going to Hell if you don't ask Jesus to forgive your sins."  There would be quite an uproar.  Furthermore, since atheism isn't a religion are other non-religious groups allowed to post signs?  Can Neo-Nazi's post a sign saying derogatory statements about Hannukah?  Could PETA post a sign about not eating turkey on Thanksgiving?

No.  The slippery slope argument quickly approaches absurdity and actually pulls one away from their initial topic (that is why politicians love it so much).  And that isn't where I'm going with this at all.

I want to do the opposite.  I want to draw us back to WHY these religious symbols were placed there in the first place.  It was done by the community to show respect to long standing traditions and beliefs.  Again, it was done by the community to show RESPECT to long standing traditions and beliefs.

The way I see it atheists don't really have a place putting anything in a town's holiday display.  But if they really want something there, I guess I'll give it to them.  Maybe since they don't believe in a higher power, but believe in power of humanity (secular humanism) they could put up a mannequin standing in a triumphant pose or something.  Maybe they could just have a space set a aside and leave it empty to symbolize their lack of belief.  Agnostics could put up a poster of someone shrugging.

Regardless, the sheer disrespect for Christian beliefs is deplorable.  But, I hope that Christians in the area respond kindly rather than responding in kind.  After all we know it's not a myth, that Jesus taught us to love our neighbor as ourselves, and that Jesus even taught us to love our enemies.

So I encourage local Christians to please speak up against this sign, but do it the right way.  Do it intelligently and without malice.

In your anger, do not sin.  Eph 4:26

A Lesson on Consequences

I've been debating for the past few days what to post.  There has been so much going on in the world and quite frankly it is a bit overwhelming.  So what I would like to talk about today is a little more in size and scope to issues and the way that I can process them and deal with them.  

Today lets talk about the way that circumstances sometimes require action that we are reticent to follow through with - consequences that we are reluctant to deal with.

At Shiloh this weekend, my friend Pete and I managed to put a hole through the floor by accidentally dropping a piece of scaffolding from about 10 feet in the air.  It wasn't a large hole and wasn't really dangerous, but it did need to be repaired.  After a little bit of planning we decided to repair it by mounting some plywood underneath the affected area and filling in the remaining gap from the top.

We started out by putting some construction adhesive (somewhere in between caulk and superglue) on the board and then holding it tight against the exposed area.  We then screwed the board down from the top.  It was a fairly simple repair.  What I didn't realize when I started the day, when I dropped the piece of scaffolding, or even when I began the repair, was that I might get some of this nasty brown goop on my bare forearm.

I almost immediately went and started washing it off.  One problem.  It doesn't wash off.  I simply ended up spreading the glue around my arm.  I asked around to see if there was anything that any of the more experienced contractors knew would take the stuff off.

Nada.

One man did have a suggestion.

"Shave it off," he said with a smirk.

I sighed and whimpered as I stood in the shower desperately scrubbing my arm in one last effort to get it clean.  But, it was to no avail.

I soaped up my arm razor in hand...

...and I put down the razor to try to scrub it clean again.

Yeah, it still didn't work.  It was time to face the music.

So now I sit here writing this with one hairy arm and one arm smoother than a baby's bottom.

You might be thinking to yourself, "Self, what does this have to do with anything at all? Yeah it's funny that Tim had to shave his arm.  And I enjoy a bit of laughter at his expense, but I'm not sure where he's going with this."

Well let me say it this way.  I shouldn't have had my sleeves rolled up.  I should have been protecting my arm hair.  I made a mistake and even though I shuddered at the thought of shaving my right arm, I did what needed to be done.  There were consequences for my actions and lack of forethought.

I was sorry for the fact that I put my arm in that thick goopy mess.  Did my sorriness make it go away?  Nope.

I worked really hard to clean up.  I tried to wash myself clean.  Did the soap make my matted arm hair silky and beautiful once again?  Nope.

I probably could have ignored the problem for a while.  But would that make the problem (or the pain of my matted hair getting caught on things) any better?  Nope.

There was one solution.  There was a very specific consequence.  And it kinda sucks because my arm looks weird...  and not just a little weird.  We're talking people-looking-at-you-and-wondering-what-is-wrong-with-you-that-you-had-to-shave-your-arm weird.

You see though, the thing is this.  We have the same issues emotionally in life.  In stead of getting our arms all messy we get ourselves into all sorts of other, far more complicated messes!  God says, "Do this - and do it this way."  And we say, "Heck, yes, I want to do that!  But I want to do it my way!"

One fine example is sex and marriage.  God says, "Get married, then have sex, then have children."  We often decide to do it our own way.  We have sex.  Then have children.  Then we decide that "Oh yeah, maybe I should get married now."  And when we do things the wrong way there are consequences.  People who have sex before marriage or cohabitate are more likely to get a divorce especially if they have a child before marriage.  I don't know why this is exactly, but there seems to be a strong correlation to what God has commanded.  (This website and especially this infographic help explain it in more detail.)

So what I'm really driving at here is that just because you are sorry, or work hard to fix a problem, or ignore a problem, it doesn't mean that there aren't consequences.  Think ahead.  Live life purposefully.  Keep your pants on.  Don't move in with someone of the opposite sex until you are married.  Pull your sleeves down if you want to keep construction adhesive off of your arm hair!

I'll end here by inquiring about some interesting consequences that you have experienced in life.  I had to shave my arm.  A friend once had his bed taken away as punishment (he had to sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor).  One of my brothers, when he was very young, was once hosed down naked in the back yard because he fell into the muck at a pond near our house and my mom didn't want him to track the muck into the house.

What unusual consequences have you had to endure and how did they come about in the first place?

New Gym Update:

Even though there are no retreats at Shiloh between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year it doesn't mean that work stops at Shiloh.  We have been keeping more than busy!

I'm just amazed at how the new gymnasium is coming along at Shiloh.  Though we've had small-ish crews lately on Saturday mornings we have been really getting a lot done.  This past week saw half of the metal sheeting for the walls in the gym being put up, one of two electrical panels being completely wired and live (the lighting breaker box; the box for the outlets should be done this week.), and the audio wiring for the stage being completed.  Sheetrocking the lower level will begin this week.  And to top that all off we should have the heating system completely up and running before Christmas.  That's right 500,000 BTU's of pure unadulterated wood burning fury!

If anyone is interested in seeing how things are going at Shiloh or would like to come and help out this week I'll be there Thursday through Saturday (please just send me a message or text to let me know if you are coming).  All visitors and volunteers are welcome!

Turkey and Chicken

It has been a little while since I've posted.  The tryptophan from my turkey this past Thursday must have gotten to me.  So in honor of thanksgiving I present to you the things for which I am thankful this year.

Mostly, I am thankful for the fantastic opportunities with which God has blessed me.  I have had the chance to learn the basics (and I do mean really basic) of several trades.  I've taught a blind man archery.  I have almost completely worked my way out of my day job and into my dream job (big shout out to Jon Acuff and his book Quitter for that).  God has also blessed me with the wonderful opportunity to lead worship with my dad each week at Ringwood Baptist Church.  

God has blessed me so richly!

But a few days ago someone mentioned to me that they were so amazed at the things that I'm doing in my life.  They went on and on about how wonderful it was that I was becoming a missionary and how they wished they could do the things that I do, see God moving the way I see Him moving, and be a part of God's big plan.

This came from a man who has been a Christian for years.  Many years.  More years than I have even been alive.

It made me sad that this man was so darn chicken.  It struck me that there may be just as many people who are afraid of God's goodness and blessings of success in their life as there are people who are afraid of God's wrath and believe that God is out there to make us miserable.

In reaction, I first wished he would realize that I haven't done anything on my own.  God said "Go".  So I went.  God said, "Speak".  So I spoke.  God said, "Do".  So I did.  I don't have any secret formula for prayer.  I don't have a red phone with God on the other side.  I don't have any sort of special blessing from God.  I'm not anything more than a man.  I just obey.  And even that I don't do half as much as I know I should or half as well as I'd like!

Second, I wished he would realize that he can be seeing God work in his life and in the lives of those around him.  How?  Obey.  Now I'm not saying that everyone out there should go into full time mission work.  And I'm not saying that everyone will or even should have the same experiences along their life-journey with God.  But what I am saying is that the shock and awe of hearing that God is still alive and kickin' Should. Not. Be.

So, to you my readers.  I pose a few questions:

1.  What God-borne experience are you thankful to God for this year?

2.  If you haven't experienced anything in the last year that was definitely from God, are you ready for change?

3.  What is preventing you or hindering you from growing closer to God and being a part of his story?

In an apropos attempt to be witty Post-Thanksgiving, I'll conclude this post with a flock of foul/fowl puns.

- Don't be a turkey - God doesn't call us to be fools, he call us to be as shrewd as serpents and gentle as doves. 

- Don't be a chicken - The most common commandment in the Bible is "Fear not!"

- Remember that un-pheasant circumstances are no excuse to grouse to your spouse.  It isn't worth the squab-le or all the hen-ing and hawk-ing.

- If you feel cooped up, stuck in a rut, seek God, listen, and obey.

- When God gives you a chance to work, pigeon (pitch in) and do your part.

- Trust God - Sometimes if feels like you are flying by the seat of your pants or are living on a wing and a prayer, but God holds firm and knows eggs-actly what he is doing.

What the Church Can Learn From IKEA

Amanda and I went to IKEA recently to buy a sofa table for our living room.  As we were shopping, and this might sound weird, I thought that there were definitely some things that churches can learn from IKEA.  This idea struck me so intensely that I told Amanda on the spot that I was going to write a new blog post all about this.  But, much like if you come up with an idea for a new invention, you need to check out if there is anyone who already had the same idea.

Apparently there is a whole slew of people out in the blogosphere who have had the same thought.  IKEA has got it right!

So I began reading some of the posts and they make some great points.  But no one else's blog really touched on the thing that really hit me so directly while we walked past all that strangely named furniture.

People from every nationality, every background, every color, everyone, and I mean everyone is welcome at IKEA.  While shopping we saw men, women, and children of all shapes, sizes and colors.  We passed Caucasians and African Americans looking for new bedroom furniture.  We passed Hasidic Jews and Muslims looking to update their bathroom.  We passed families speaking Spanish and Russian deciding on which couch to buy.  It didn't matter if you were fit & trim or overweight, tall or short, extrovert or introvert.  You knew that you could go in and find a piece of furniture you loved.

Any yet with the incredible diversity that exists at IKEA, they never stop being the crazy-awesome Swedish furniture makers that they are.

When you read the label on the couch that you are looking to buy, the tag will probably have more umlauts than you can count.  Swedish?  Survey says, yes!  When you walk into the food court (which if you haven't been there, go now...  I'll wait till you get back......) you can have some of the best Swedish meatballs this side of the Atlantic, pickled salmon Lox, and lingonberry juice.  Swedish?  You bet!

Churches need to be welcoming to everyone, because we have something to offer to everyone.  However just because we invite people from every background into our churches and into our lives, that doesn't mean that we should compromise who we are as Christians or what we believe.

In America (and much of Europe) many people have a negative (or very negative) view of churches.  But when you ask those same people about Jesus Christ, most have very favorable reactions.  The Swedish-ness of IKEA is a huge part of the appeal.  The same principle applies in our churches.  Christ and our Christlike-ness should be enticing people into our churches.  If we are not seeing healthy growth in our Churches and in our own lives maybe we aren't living our lives like Christ lived.

So, Christians, live like IKEA.  Be who God has made you to be and call others to join you on your journey!

Just a quick note.

Today and tomorrow I'll be heading out to Shiloh to get some more construction done. If anyone would like to come tomorrow Saturday 11/10 please let me know and we will find some projects for you!

Also, I'd like to let everyone know that they can subscribe to this blog and receive all updates directly.  Simply click the at the top right of the blog that says "Join this site".

Lastly, don't forget to check out my last post entitled "What is your 'Sandy' story?".

What is your "Sandy" story?

It's been a while since I've posted, but so much has gone on since then.  In the last two weeks we had Hurricane Sandy, lost power for about a week (my thoughts are with those who still have no power or worse),  gas rationing was put into effect in NJ, we had an earthquake right here in Ringwood (only a 2.2, but come on... really?!?), and then we got hit by a nor'easter named Athena.

Things have been crazy.  But things are finally starting to return to a state of normalcy.

One of the most important lessons that I learned over this week comes from our 26 year old refrigerator which has been on its last legs for a while now.

Amanda and I have always kept our fridge very well stocked.  When the power went out we kept the door shut and hoped that we would get power back quickly so nothing would rot.

Over the next few days Amanda and I spent very little time at home.  However the food continued to stay in the fridge.  Without the power it started to stink.  The meat, frozen strawberries, and frozen blueberries all began to thaw and the juices proceeded to drip down and out the back of the freezer.  The smell when Amanda and I returned from my parent's house was nauseating.

We called our landlord in and explained the situation.  "The fridge is still working, but not terribly well and quite frankly, we're not sure if that smell will ever go away."  Our landlord understood and told us that they would be buying a new refrigerator for us very shortly.  Since then we've cleaned up the fridge as best as we could and just last night, we restocked our fridge.

What really amazed me is that even after spending quite a bit of money restocking, our fridge is quite a bit leaner than it was prior to the power outage.

You are probably wondering, "Ok Tim, but what does this have to do with anything at all."  Here goes!

Our lives are like the refrigerator.  We fill our lives with so much stuff.  Some of the stuff is physical: TV's books, clothing, big houses, sometimes even food.  Other stuff is time related: football practices, choir rehearsals, overtime at work, prayer meetings, bible studies, nights out at the bar.

Whatever you fill your life with, I'd put money on it that you are overfilled.  Eventually whatever your energy source is, there will be a cut in power.  I hate to say it but even if you are seeking God as your energy source, we have the capacity to cut ourselves off from his power by sinning.  When we sin it is like building up a wall between us and God.  So again, I say, eventually whatever your energy source is, there will be a cut in power.  And when that power is out you need to be careful that you only have what you need in your fridge.  Because the rest will start to rot.

Like I said, after power was finally restored we needed to restock with all new food, but we have WAY less than we did before.  We only have what we need now.  Recently Amanda and I removed some activities from our life that we simply did not have time for any longer.  Why?  Because we have more room for our relationship.  We made more room for one of the essentials.

Cleaning the refrigerator also took a while.  Amanda scrubbed the inside clean and I worked on cleaning up the tray of foul smelling juice that leaked from the meat and fruit in the freezer.  Eventually the smell dissipated, but making the foulest clean is a time consuming job.  When Christ comes into our lives and we need to clean house (or fridge in this case) it takes time to clean up the mess.  Our fridge however is now clean.

Lastly, and this might be stretching the analogy to its maximum, we will be getting a new refrigerator.  Eventually, in the resurrection, God says that we will receive new bodies.  The promise of a perfect new refrigerator is pretty awesome, but the promise of a perfect new body free from blemish in the future sounds even better.

It might be sin, it might just be stuff to do, or it might just be stuff, but is there anything you need to clean out of your life right now?

Also, I'd love to hear some of your stories about the last two weeks with hurricanes, earthquakes, power outages, nor'easters, and whatever else has been going on.  What has God been teaching you through these trying times?  If you write up something good I might even use it as a guest post!  You can leave your thoughts in the comments or you can e-mail us at thedumontsatshiloh@gmail.com.

Hurricane Sandy

If you haven't been directly impacted by the trouble caused by Hurricane Sandy, you have likely seen the devastation on TV.  From pictures of the Seaside Heights roller coaster in the Atlantic Ocean to images of parts of LBI that simply no longer exist (the island is now multiple smaller islands!) the damage really is incredible.

Here in north Jersey we had it a bit better.  We have lots of trees down and loss of power, but all things considered we are very well off in comparison to the shore points.

After the storm, however, the temperature dropped quite a bit.  And without power, many people were without heat.  Amanda and I lost power at 6:35 on Monday night.  We stayed home, played board games, and went to bed a little early.  Tuesday we got a hold of my parents and found out that they had power! So we packed up some necessities and headed on over.  Thank God for warmth and showers!

While we were there my mother and I were discussing how we might be able to help the people who were affected by the storm.  I mentioned that there are probably people in the Pequanock area that are flooded, but how could we help them? We even looked around on the Red Cross website.  After some consideration we said, "What about the people in our town?  There are people with no power.  There are mothers who can't cook a hot meal for their children.  There are senior citizens with no heat and are cold and lonely."

We called our Pastor at Ringwood Baptist Church and asked him if we could cook some food for the local residents with no power.  He was on board and contacted the Police Chief who helped get the word out through the town's emergency phone call system.  Pastor Peters also posted some signs around town.  I got to work on Facebook letting anyone know that we had a free hot meal, phone charging, warmth and good conversation.  Amanda set out to send text messages to anyone that she could get a hold of as well.

When Wednesday rolled around we got to work early, prepping food, setting up tables, putting out board games, laying out coloring books for the children, and working hard to continue to get the word out.  At 11 when our doors opened no one showed up and it was a little disappointing.  Around noon we started to get a few folks here and there.  Encouraging, but not what I had hoped for, though one man who came in was a very talented musician and stayed nearly the entire night playing piano and guitar (with me for a while) for the people who came.  Throughout the day groups of 2 to 4 people would come in once in a while, but around 5pm people started pouring into the church.  We had families with as many as 5 children.  We had teens with Halloween costumes.  We had elderly couples looking for a warm place to stay for a few hours.  We had single people who were lonely and just wanted to connect with someone after being home alone in the dark all day.  We also had some young men who were out all day cleaning up downed trees and really just wanted a hot meal.

All in all we estimate that more than 100 folks came in for some food and warmth.

God really helped us connect with our neighbors and serve them.  I pray that God will continue to allow us to bless our community and show us new ways to reach out and show the love of Jesus.

I would also like to write a special thanks to my father, John DuMont who spent the ENTIRE day in the kitchen from 9 am to 8 pm.  He was cooking and cleaning and on his feet all day (all this knowing that he had to leave for work at 4am the next morning!).  So, Dad, thank you for your hard work, and thank you for your loving service to our community.

Lessons from the Blind

Last week I wrote about a man I met who had Cerebral Palsy and was blind.  He worked his way through our "Walk of Life" at Shiloh and went for a trip on our Zip Line.  This past weekend I had the opportunity to work with another man who opened my eyes to see how God works in our lives, we'll call him Chris.  Chris, who was visiting us with a father-son retreat, was an older gentleman who was completely blind.  (The chances of having retreats with a blind man two weeks in a row are pretty slim.  Some basic calculations run that it would be about 1 in 147,300 chance to happen!)

There are things that are exceptionally challenging for blind people.  One of them is hiking.  So Chris didn't come hiking with us.  Another would be archery.  If you can't see where you are aiming, being untrained and having a dangerous weapon in your hands isn't really a great idea.

But, Chris really wanted to try out one of the bows.  He heard the other guys and kids having a great time and really wanted to be a part of the group.  So, I told him we would give it the old college try.

I took his hands and guided them to the bow.  I handed him the arrow.  I placed his fingers exactly where they needed to be on the string.  I helped him aim, instructed him to draw back and release.  As his first arrow flew through the air, I was impressed.  He was really doing it!  A few shots later, Chris was hitting the target!!!

What I've come to realize since Saturday is that in life we are all like Chris in this way.  If we grope around in our darkness we might be able to get some semblance of understanding our bearings; we might be able to find a bow if we are lucky; we might be able to even find some arrows; but what we do grasp will be pretty limited.

Having a general idea of where the target might be, in life that is like desiring to just be a good person.

Finding a bow is like finding a purpose in life.

Finding arrows is like finding a way to reach our goals in life.

But we are still blind to see God's plans.  We are still blind to see the end-game that God has planned.  You can find a bow and fire arrows whichever way you might see fit, but you are bound to miss the target.

God however wants to come up behind us and give us His vision, guide our hands with His hands, draw back our arm with His strength.  When we allow him to do this, we will realize that we can do things that we (and others) thought we would never be able to do.  I'd like to add that if we are still missing the target, it isn't because God's aim is off.  It's probably because we are resisting his instruction, guiding, or flat out refusing to take up the bow he is handing us.  God isn't at fault.

So I ask you to take up the bow that God is handing you.  Let God guide your vision.  Let God give you the strength to draw your bow and let those arrows fly.

A Jack of All Trades...

But master of none.

Or so the saying goes.

Last week I met up with Jon Frank, Shiloh's director, who wanted to know what my strengths were and to try to decide exactly where I would fit and what my duties would include at the camp.  Jon had mentioned that he wanted to speak to me about this several weeks ago and our schedules just hadn't lined up, but it had given me a long time to really think about the question.

In my head I started listing off some of the things that I have accomplished or done in my life:

I have been teaching for at least 10 years.
I know computers (hardware and software).
I have experience working with food.
I have knowledge about basic construction and tools.
I know how to take care of a home.
I've been a salesman.
I am a musician.
I'm well read in the Bible and other books.
I am a trained archery instructor.

...and the list went on and on in my head.  I realized that I can do just about anything that he needs me to do.  But I'm not really an expert in any of these fields.  This realization frustrated me.  The more I thought about it, the more it bothered me... the more the thought began to haunt me.  I began to question who I was.

Why can't I just pick one thing and stick with it?  Do I spread myself too thin?  Am I doing something wrong?  Is this why I had trouble finding work in the camping world?  Should I work on changing this aspect of my life?

After a long while of self examination and prayer I realized something important.  It is something that I hope you all realize about yourself at some point too.  God made me this way for a reason!

God designed me, not to be spread thin, not to focus in on a niche, not to change who I am, but to be versatile.  God created me to be moldable.  When you are missing a puzzle piece, I can fill the gap, regardless of the pieces shape.  Wow!  What an honor God has placed upon me!

So as I sat down with Jon, he asked me what my strengths were.  I told him that my greatest strength is my versatility.  I really am good at a lot of things.  I admitted that I might not be an expert at all of them, but God has blessed me with a passion for learning new things and with a heart that says, "Where you send me, I will go."

I realized that I can be just as useful running the rock climbing wall at camp as I could be scrubbing a toilet bowl.  Jon thanked me for my willing heart to serve wherever I was needed, and after some discussion, we decided that I was most needed working in the office (while still serving the retreat groups on the challenge course when needed).  I will be helping to book retreats and advertise;  all while still being available to serve wherever God calls and wherever else I may be needed.

I hope that each of you reading this will take the time to sit and think through your strengths and weaknesses.  God has created you the way you are for a reason.  He has a plan for you and your life.  The world doesn't have much of a place for a man without a niche.  But, God has used lesser men to do far greater things.  My humble prayer is that he would continue to use me for His glory.

-Tim

MAN UP!!!

Today I had the pleasure of serving a men's retreat at Shiloh.  Their theme for the weekend was "MAN UP!".  The group from out of state included two people who overcame some incredible obstacles.  The first man, who I'll call James, apparently was very intimidated by heights, and decided not to participate in any of the challenge activities based on the fact that the group would be ending with the Zip Line.  After the group did some games and "The Walk of Life" on the low ropes course, we sent the group on a quick bathroom break before we headed to the zip line.  When the other men returned, James came out with his camera to take some pictures of the guys flying through the air on the Zip Line.  As he headed over, I had the chance to ask him if he would be going for a ride and he adamantly insisted, "This isn't my thing...  really."

After nearly all of the other men had ridden, I asked to one of the last two gentlemen if there was any chance to get "the guy down there with the camera" to ride.  He promptly yelled down the hill, "Hey James! Wanna go?"  From all the way up the hill I could see that he was shaking his head exaggeratedly.  One more guy went down the zip line.  Suddenly I hear one of the men up by the launching point yelling, "Hey! James's coming!"  The group down bottom who were retrieving the pulley system after each ride convinced James that this was something that he couldn't afford to miss.

James nervously climbed the ladder.  

As his harness was checked his friends started chanting his name.

He leaped off of the tower and after just one moment of terror, his mouth shifted into a huge smile.

As I unhooked James from his harness I asked him how his ride was, and he simply said with a smirk, "It was great."

The second man that I wanted to talk about today we'll call Joe.  Joe required some extra instruction in almost everything we did today.  He required personal attention at almost every moment.  When we did the "Walk of Life" on the low ropes course, he was almost carried a substantial portion of the way.  And he required extra spotters when he got on and off of the zip line.  Despite all of this, Joe was an incredible inspiration.  Why?  Because Joe has cerebral palsy and is almost completely blind.

Joe had a great attitude.  He encouraged his fellow men.  He gave his fullest effort and didn't back down to ANY challenges that were presented to him today.  Before the "Walk of Life" he came to the other ropes facilitator (also named Tim) and somewhat bashfully asked, "Can I do this?"  

The answer came simply, "You might not be able to do it alone, but with some help you can definitely do it." 

He did it.

Joe needed some help with his balance (being blind makes it hard to balance... who knew?!?) and with finding his footing in a few areas (again, seeing where you are stepping is hard when you can't see where you are stepping...) but he did most of the work.  He held onto the trees and ropes.  He passed the ropes from one team mate to another.  He got in there and did it all!

When it came time for the Zip Line, there was no question of whether or not he was going to ride.  We got him hooked up in an extra special harness to make sure he didn't accidentally end up upside down and he jumped off of the ledge with no fear.  As I unhooked his harness he kept exclaiming how exciting it was that he went backwards (sometimes the ropes twist you around a bit and you end up going whichever way they send you) down the zip line!

For those of you like James, who might be afraid to take that first step - when God is speaking to you through his word, through his people, or maybe even directly through that still small voice - take that first step!  If you have to double check if it is safe: double check.  If you need to check with some trusted friends: check.  Do what you need to do to prepare, but start moving.  God has big plans for you, but you'll never get to be where he wants you if you are standing still.

And for those of you who may feel incapable, un-gifted, or different than everyone else, I encourage you to look to God for strength.  You are capable of incredible things, and with God's help you are capable of supernatural things.  Joe has lived a life full of challenges, but he looks to grow through new adventures and with a little help he did things that many healthy people blessed with their sense of sight never do.  I encourage you to allow God and others to help you on your journey through life.  You aren't alone, and you don't have to live your life like you are.

Today was a day for overcoming.  Today was a day to "Man Up!"  What are you doing today?

Shiloh Open House - Oct 21st!

Hi everyone,

Have you ever been to Shiloh before?  If you haven't had the opportunity to see where I work and would like to see what I do come visit.  Shiloh will is celebrating their 25th anniversary and I would love to invite all of you all to the Shiloh Open House on Sunday October 21st to celebrate with us!  Starting at 3:00 that afternoon there will be fun for the whole family.  We will be giving a tour of the property (including the new gymnasium, whatever state of progress it may be in), hay rides, pony rides, dessert, and a short presentation.  Be sure to be there on time because the open house ends at 5:00 that evening.

I know that there are some of you who may be reading this, whom I haven't seen in quite some time.  This would be a great time to catch up!  The only thing that I ask is that you please let me know via comment, e-mail, text message, phone call, carrier pigeon, or sky writing or however else you see fit.

Hope to see you there,

Tim

Inspections this week! EEK!

Today I finally managed to finish wiring the fire alarm system in the new gym at Shiloh.  When it came time to test the lines, all of them were perfect!  Except for one.  It took me more than an hour to track down the problem (I forgot to hook up two wires that were about 20 feet up one of the walls).  I finished up the afternoon working with Jesse who is our resident IT expert.  He needed to run some wires for the outdoor camera system (apparently not his forte).  Three really long (we're talking 200'+) wires later I realized that pretty much everyone else had gone home, so here I sit one cool shower and one GIANT glass of water later.

It was a very long day at Shiloh, but we got a lot done.  In fact this week they will be inspecting both the fire alarm system and the plumbing.

While we were working today the youth group from Madison Ave Church in Paterson, NJ enjoyed their time at Shiloh.  They were playing soccer, volleyball, and I heard them singing nice and loud during one of their times of worship and teaching.  If you are from the Paterson area and don't have a home church, they are definitely worth checking out.

What do nerve damage, leaky pipes, and birthday celebrations have in common?

Not much other than this here post...

Some of you know that shortly before I began writing this blog I was putting up some sheet rock in the new gym at Shiloh and put an impact driver's phillip's bit through my left index finger.  The resulting injury was pretty bad and caused some nerve damage. 

Since then I had been convinced that the resulting numbness was permanent.  I'm now starting to think that I was wrong (Praise God).  Over the course of about three weeks it has finally started to heal up.  The wound had been closed for a while.  Originally the numbness covered an area about the size of a penny but it has since subsided to less than half that much!

In other news, the gym is really coming along.  Last weekend the guys working on the plumbing began air and water tests!  Unfortunately there were a few leaks, eek!  They got to patching them up right away though and I believe that inspections are happening this week.  This Thursday - Saturday I'll be at Shiloh wrapping up the electrical for the fire alarm system.  Hopefully we can get that inspected the following week.

Why is this important?  Well, once the electrical/fire alarm systems and plumbing passes inspection we've passed a significant milestone.  After those are finished we will sheet rock the remaining walls, paint and put in finishing touches like carpeting and furniture.  This gym will be finished before you can say pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis!

Before you ask, yes it is a real word.

Now up to this point you may be asking, "Where does the birthday come into play?"  Well, my wonderful wife celebrated her birthday last Thursday!  And on Saturday after my stint at Shiloh, Amanda and I, with the addition of five of our friends went out to celebrate.  We had a great time eating "tapas" style and enjoying some great conversation.

I'd also like to invite all of you readers to come out and give us a hand working on the gym on Saturday.  You don't need to be a plumber, electrician, carpenter, or contractor.  All you need is a willing heart and willing hands.  We will work with you regarding skill level, comfort level, and time constraints.  Men and women are both welcome.

Generally we try to get to Shiloh by 8:30 in the morning and leave by 5:00/5:30 in the evening but come when you can and leave when you have to leave.  The work day also includes lunch and a coffee break in the morning

If you can come, please either leave a comment, send me a text message, or give me a call letting me know that you would like to join us.  And just think, you could look back some day and say something profound like, "See that ceiling tile?  I put that ceiling tile there!"


God bless,
Tim

Have you ever ridden a "Power Swing"?

Wow!  What a day!

Today at Shiloh I had the privilege of serving a church group from Livingston, NJ.  The group of about 50 had a chance to do some crazy-fun stuff on the challenge courses.  Jonathan Frank (the camp director's son) taught me how to run the "Power Swing" (Sometimes affectionately called "The Flying Squirrel").

The swing consists of two heavy gauge steel cables attached to two trees about 30 feet apart.  The cables come down in a "V" shape to meet in the middle.  This is where the kids get harnessed in and from where they will swing.  After this they are pulled up about 40 to 50 feet in the air and they get to release themselves and swing down at high speeds.  Talk about INTENSE! 

I was amazed at how brave these teenagers were.  Out of the entire group only one person was really a screamer.  We even had one teen who posed for pictures like Spiderman hanging upside-down from a strand of his web!

As we finished up on the power swing, the kids moved on to some other challenge course elements led by Jon Frank (the camp director) and George (one of the other men on staff at camp).

After a short water break George and I led the teens on a beautiful hike overlooking the Monksville Reservoir and Dam.  Though some of the kids were complaining they were tired and didn't want to go on a hike, once they saw the beautiful views they were all glad they came along.  On the top of the mountain George also challenged each of the teens with a great devotional about sharing our faith with others and praying for God's help in reaching out to those who need Him most.

God really blessed me this weekend by allowing me to be a part of this groups special retreat.  I look forward to sharing God's love with more kids, teens, and even the group leaders in the coming weeks.

Lastly, our support is coming along.  At this point I am still working three days each week at Sears, but I can hardly wait until I can give my full attention to the needs of Shiloh.  God is blessing us and surprising us along this journey, but please continue to pray for our financial support.  We still have quite a bit to go before we reach our goal. 

God Bless,
-Tim

Welcome to our new blog!

Welcome to our new blog!

This will be the space where you can see what is going on with the DuMont's as we serve God at Shiloh Bible Camp!

Amanda and I are excited to begin our time as missionaries at Shiloh Bible Camp.  Even though we are still raising support, I've already begun some construction work on Shiloh's new gym.  For those of you who are unaware, Shiloh's new gym has been about 8 years in the making (planning, permits, cutting through red-tape, more permits, etc...)  In conjunction with the local ministry of Servant's Heart, I have been installing duct work, running electrical, and painting.  The actual gymnasium in the new building is at the point where it is functional, but the bathrooms, meeting rooms, game room, wallyball court, and ropes course equipment all still need some time to get finished.  We are hoping that in the next two months this building will be fully functional quite a sight to see at that!

Despite all of the work going on in the gym, Amanda and I are still in a bit of a transition period. Amanda is looking for a full time teaching position for the coming school year (she does have a para-professional aide position locked in if she cannot find a tenure track position) and I am still currently working at the local Sears Hardware store while we continue to raise support.  As our monthly support rises, I will be working fewer days each week at Sears and more days at Shiloh.

We have several financial support goals along our journey.  Each goal will allow us to invest more time into our love of sharing the gospel and working with children at camp. Our first financial support goal will be about $15,000 each year.  When we reach this goal I will be able to leave Sears completely and will be working at Shiloh full time.  Our final goal will be $55,000.  At that amount of support Amanda will be able to leave her job as well and we will be able to start a family.

Please feel free to leave comments, prayer requests, or questions for us here.  Again, we thank you for being a part of our Journey here at Shiloh!