Gratitude

Thanksgiving is tomorrow! It's the time of year when we get together with family and friends, take some time off from work, and enjoy good food and company. We try to remember to be thankful for every good thing we have in our lives.

But what about the bad things?

Are you thankful for getting cut off in traffic? For that terrible hangover you had after partying all night? For the rain that ruins your trip to Cooper's Rock? For not quite making enough money this month to pay all the bills, let alone buy that awesome thing you want so bad? For never seeming to have time to do the things you enjoy doing? Are you thankful for the pain and sadness in your heart that you don't let anyone know about?

Needless to say, life isn't always good. And sometimes it seems like there's not a lot to be thankful for, even on Thanksgiving itself. Yet we are given this admonishment:

'Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.' --1 Thessalonians 5:18

'All circumstances' seems like a lot more than taking just one day out of 365 to give thanks to God. And it seems like a lot more than even being thankful for all the good things in your life. It seems pretty plainly to mean that we should always be thankful. Always.

This shows a couple things to me: First, giving thanks is a decision, not a way of feeling. If we have to give thanks to God even when some inebriated person spits on us from a 3rd story window, it sure isn't going to flow out of the emotion we feel at that moment. It is a choice sprung from a strong will that remains in control despite a bad circumstance.

Second, giving thanks requires a deep trust in God. If we're to give thanks even when our income is an amount smaller than what we need to live on, then we're completely trusting and hoping in God to be bigger than our wallets. We give over to Him the responsibility for taking care of us, and we are happy to do so because we have faith that He knows what He is doing and can see beyond this month's paycheck.

So as you gather in your respective homelands to celebrate with loved ones, keep in mind that no matter your circumstance, and no matter what your life is like after the holiday, giving thanks to God should be a regular and willful part of your lives.

Of Things to Come

Hello! So have you ever heard a mellow, atmospheric, tribal jam band perform live, original, improv music? No? Well you have an opportunity tonight!

'Of Things to Come,' the project of me and some friends, is getting together once again to record a live jam, totally made-up on the spot. Check out myspace.com/ofthings to hear some jams from our June 17, 2006 get-together.

We will start around 8:00 PM tonight at so.zo, 473 High St, Morgantown. Come on out, enjoy some coffee and good music!

not a lot to say just now

Hey hey. Just want to try and break my 'post once a week or less' habit. Don't have a lot to say right now really... I'm trying to figure out how to post videos here, 'cause I have a couple funny ones. I think I can do it through YouTube.

Hmm, I'm usually more 'wordy' than this. I guess that's okay though, huh? Well, I suppose I better put a few photos up so you can have a 1000 words or more (get it? picture's worth a 1000 words? AH HA HA HA HA HA HA).

This is me and my buddy Adam. I think he kind of looks like Tom Cruise in 'Minority Report' when he had to change the way his face looked.

And this is my brother Christopher's dog Bob with his ears turned back.

Finally, this is a wild, wonderful West Virginia road, on a route from Elkins to Thomas.

Election Day

Hey all. Well, it's Election Day! Not a presidential year of course but there are races that will affect the outcome of certain issues for our state and country. So, even though you've heard it before, get out there and vote! Do some last-minute studying up on how candidates stand on issues if you need and go to the polls.

On another note, here's my old great-great-great grandpa:

Here's a poop sandwich:

And here's my old great-great-great grandpa stuck in a poop sandwich:

Rodney

Rodney Pose, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Here's another shot of Rodney (see the post below) so you can see his face. He's doing a 'Land of the Giants' pose he saw on my computer; he loves that show!

Happy Halloween

Cam and Rodney, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Hey all! This is my buddy Rodney. Rodney's an interesting guy; I encourage anyone in downtown Morgantown to get to know him. He's deaf and mute, but that certainly doesn't limit his communication much that I can tell. He reads and writes real well and also signs, though faster than I can keep up with (I only know most of the alphabet, though Sarah might eventually learn sign language through social work and I can bum off her).

Rodney comes by so.zo almost everyday just to hang out. Sometimes he asks for money or food and we help him out when we can, but mostly I think he just needs some good friendship. It's been a true joy getting to know him a little bit. He's really funny! Sarah and I both think he has a great smile.

Halloween's gotta be Rodney's favorite holiday, 'cause he's been talking about it for the last couple months. So this morning, bright and early after our leadership meeting, he comes busting through the door with this Dr. Strange outfit on!!! It was hilarious. He's very expressive when he communicates, especially because a lot of people don't know sign language, so he often acts out what he's trying to say.

Anyway, if you're ever at so.zo and you see him, say hi to Rodney. :o)

October.2006 prayer letter

C A M E R O N ' S __ P R A Y E R __ L E T T E R

O C T O B E R ___ 1 6 , ___ 2 0 0 6

S O . Z O
Sarah and I have been busy bees since I last wrote you! And so September passed without my usual correspondence; I apologize! However, it’s been a good kind of busy. The start to the year has been, I believe, one of the best in our history as h2o. The reason I say this is because we at h2o have been able to connect with students and others in a way not previously as easy for us. Much of this is due to the new location for the major chunk of our day-to-day activity: so.zo. I wrote to you about it in my last letter, but that was right at the start of our occupation, which seems so long ago now because of how much of a home it has become in the interim! Just the amount of time we spend in it compared to what we spent in the Waterhouse makes so.zo feel more like a home. We have it open for coffee, studying and just general hanging out from 10AM to 2PM every weekday, and then Open Mic is from 8 to 11PM on Friday nights. It’s closed Saturday and Sunday as far as the ‘business,’ but of course it houses the h2o service on Sunday nights. People have been able to connect more regularly in this space during the few weeks we’ve been there than, I would say, during any same amount of time in our old space. And it’s simply because we are more present.

This is a lesson from which we all can learn. I’m certainly not knocking the Waterhouse; I loved it and I was very sad to see it go (as I said in my June letter). However, as time has passed, more and more I’ve been able to see how little it was able to be used to truly connect with people. You know how a new house feels for a family when they first move in? It’s foreign and unfamiliar. But you start to fill it with things that are part of you, that you love, and you sit and move about in the rooms, just living your life, and pretty soon you stop and look around and say with a smile, ‘This is our home.’ In three years, we never quite got to that point with the Waterhouse, primarily because it was used more as an event location rather than a ‘living space.’ With so.zo, it’s quickly approaching that home-feel already. Our leadership team especially has helped it become this way, constantly giving their talents and time to maintain the warm atmosphere. It’s definitely more work for all of us, but it forces us to be available for anyone who might walk in off the street. We’re right in the thick of the downtown life now, though we’re only about 20 yards from where we were! But people can see us now; that big storefront window makes our lives more visible to anyone who wants to peek in. We get people stopping by all the time, asking what this place is. So pray for those curious people, and pray that we never tire of inviting people to a place of salvation, healing and rescue (which, by the way, is what the Greek word sozo means).
S U P P O R TI wanted to let you know about some awesome extra help Billy, Ryan and I have been given as the staff of h2o. Of course we have a wonderful team of volunteers, comprised mostly of students and young professionals. But so far, there has been no one else able to commit to full time labor with us, until now. I have known Brian and Megan Shope for a number of years as ministry workers with Trinity Episcopal Church (right across the parking lot from the Waterhouse) through an organization not dissimilar to GCM called CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach). Their work has been centered through that church and they’ve always worked with college students, but this year they’ve decided to join forces with h2o and become part of our leadership team. They are passionate about the gospel and transforming peoples’ lives, especially those in this town who have few friends or anyone to care and provide for their needs. They provide a LOT of richness that I believe we needed. And it’s nice for me and Sarah to have a married couple with which to work alongside! Please pray for them in their new roles.

F A M I L Y
October is a great time for family get-togethers for us, partly because my birthday is on the 29th. But even more than that, I always greatly anticipate Forest Festival in our hometown of Elkins, WV. These are 2 of my brothers, Duncan and Christopher, at the event. Thank you for the family of support you’ve become for me! In Christ, Cameron

forestfestival2006.brothers, originally uploaded by camkingh2o.

A New Leaf

Autumn Leaves on a Tree, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

'I'm turning a new leaf.' Have you ever heard people say that? Usually it's accompanied by some action point or resolution to change one's behavior. The person is all excited and determined to bring into reality some dream or vision they've been putting off until the statement is declared and they can begin the new process.

Unfortunately, the excitement almost always quickly wears off and the determination is not as strong as it seemed at the start, especially when failure is first experienced and the weighty responsibility of the task bears down harder as time passes. Then guilt taints the whole project as expectations continually are not met, so much so that it feels better to just free oneself from the original goal and give it up.

The reason I mention all this is because I want to turn a new leaf with this blog, and I will likely experience all and more of what I've described above. Even if very few read my words, I want to be faithful in regularly updating and laying down thoughts and observations as my friend Billy has been so diligent with of late. There's no doubt there will be times when both of us forget our 'duty' and let enough time pass for guilt to creep up, but it is my hope that I (and he) will push through and keep writing.

I hope my words are ones with which you can empathize, be encouraged by, be inspired by or at least laugh at from time to time. Please leave me comments whenever you wish, giving me some of the wisdom you gain as you live your life.