Monthly Archive for June, 2009

Review: Washington YAK Camp 2009 (With Photos!)

Posted June 29, 2009 at 1:45 am // 4 Comments

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(Above: The group that attended this year’s YAK Camp at Millersylvania State Park, Washington. Check out my full gallery of photos from the weekend here.)

What a wonderful weekend this was.

Not only was the weather gorgeous, nor did I only get to see people I haven’t seen in a fair amount of time, but the gentle and peaceful presence of the Lord was evident at all times this weekend as He ministered to me in a way I have not felt in years.

There were over fifty paid participants, and directors Bill and Cindy Davison shared on the first night that this year’s attendance shattered any previous high number over the past eight years.

YAK maintains a different feel from the other camps in that it is more laid back and more free time is given (naturally, since the attendees are young adults), but in that same vein the Lord ministered to many in a quiet, calm way that spoke peace and grace over the entire weekend.

Pastor Frank Smith of New Horizons Church gave the message on Friday night and kept with the camp’s theme “I Shall Not Be Moved.” He spoke on how our faith needs to be unshakeable especially as we face increasing hardships in our lives day by day. The altar response was great.

Saturday morning, classes were taught by Sarah Nelson, Rick Bear and Ruthie Turner. Each of their classes focused on a different spiritual topic and was very beneficial, ministering to many.

Then throughout the afternoon, free time was a highlight for many. Personally, I spent most of it chatting it up and catching up with people I haven’t seen in years, but if you know me I can’t turn down a good basketball game. We had two heated yet friendly games of four-on-four in which I scored 15 and 10 points, respectively (winning score was 21). Yes, I came to play!

After some good free time and dinner, we gathered for worship led by the NHC praise band and then Cindy Davison delivered a word the Lord had given her regarding our walk with Christ. She said the song “Slow Fade” by Casting Crowns had come to her mind and she began to pray about the message the Lord had given her…the word to us, the campers, was to always be vigilant, keep our faith in the Lord strong, be accountable to each other and pray for one another in our relationships with the Lord so we do not falter. After listening to the song, Pastor Smith gave an altar call in which eight people were received the salvation of the Lord. That message was the highlight of my weekend.

The post-church movie and bonfire was excellent, and suffice to say that sleep evaded many of us as we continued to enjoy each other’s company.

Today it was all over but the crying, but after a good breakfast we wrapped up the retreat with a prayer in which the camp staff came around and prayed for each camper.

It was an excellent weekend full of many blessings for me. Some of which I’ll list below:

- I particularly appreciated a lengthy chat with Greg and Sherry Johnson. Not only did we catch up, but they offered words of wisdom and prayers that blessed me in a way beyond my imagination.

- It was a blessing to be able to hear about what the Lord is doing with the Bremerton (Perry Avenue Chapel) youth group from Tim and Danielle Moon. They are tremendous people.

- I shared a cabin with Brandon Lord, Tom Marshall, Blaine McCowen, James Ells and Ryan Russell. A great group of young men that the Lord has blessed tremendously and their lives will only get better as they follow His leading.

- The Lord gave me some tremendous direction this weekend regarding my life in general. The Lord used two people I had never met before this weekend to speak a word into my life that I will regard as a word of knowledge and I will grow from it.

Praise the Lord for such an awesome time, and I wish it wasn’t only confined to 48 hours. I pray blessings upon everyone that was there, campers and staff alike.

Driving To YAK Camp

Posted June 26, 2009 at 8:12 pm // 1 Comment

Here is a shot of my camera on the dash of Cris Birch’s truck. I have an interval meter set to take shots every seven seconds. This is looking at Interstate 5 northbound near Vader, Washington.

Jeepin’ Through Portland & The Blazers Draft Party

Posted June 26, 2009 at 3:36 pm // 2 Comments

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Yesterday was a neat little excursion into downtown Portland for the Blazers’ draft day party with the brothers Perozzo (Michael and Jordache). Michael let down the top on his Jeep so we went cruising on the freeways…as you can see from above, I claimed the back seat and thoroughly enjoyed it. As for Michael and Jordache, they had a little bit of protection from the deafening winds.

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I’m jealous. As for the Blazers draft party, we selected some dude who apparently is going to save the franchise. Watch in the second installment of the Chris Brewer Experience, coming up later today or sometime this weekend, I’m not sure.

I better get back to refining the packing of my suitcase for camp.

My Reaction To The Death Of Michael Jackson

Posted June 25, 2009 at 10:50 pm // 7 Comments

Don Blumenthal, a family friend and my youth pastor for a time, put it best when he wrote on my Facebook page that the death of Michael Jackson is this generation’s passing of Elvis.

I see resemblances between the two in so many ways — both had reached the pinnacle of success years before their passing and had struggled with medical and mental problems short of their deaths.

Michael Jackson needs no description. We all know what he has done and what he is famous for. His accomplishments are many, his music known by millions around the world, and his image ingrained in our thoughts and many people’s hearts.

Yet in his later years we saw him fall from grace, suffer through numerous illnesses, and even face the legal system. He was trying to restore his image and make a comeback in the musical world this year, and obviously that’s been cut short.

One thing bothers me greatly about the death of a man so iconic and idolized by so many in our world.

In the long run, and I’m talking eternally, what are all of Michael Jackson’s accomplishments worth? All the Grammy awards his album Thriller won. The millions of dollars he earned. His very presence creating a buzz among anyone who came near him.

In the long run, what does it all amount to?

I am in no place to judge one’s soul but I have been praying and hoping that Michael Jackson knew Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

The ultimate tragedy is that we have lost a man whose influence upon millions will never truly benefit anyone in the long run.

May we all remember through all this that we must strive for higher things than even the greatest fame in the world can provide.

Safe & Sound In The Pacific Northwest

Posted June 25, 2009 at 1:11 pm // 2 Comments

You know you’re in the Pacific Northwest when clouds roll overhead, you don’t hear thunder, it’s still somewhat warm and a cool breeze blows with no humidity.

I made it safely to Camas, Washington after a 40-minute delay on my Southwest connector from Las Vegas last night — I got in around 12:30 this morning and my friend Cris Birch came over and picked me up. I’m staying with him, so we headed over to his apartment where I now occupy the guest room.

In less than an hour, I’ll be heading out to the Portland Trail Blazers’ NBA draft party at Buffalo Wild Wings in downtown PDX. The draft doesn’t start until 4 but we’re heading over VERY early to get good seats and check out the landscape — not to mention get some early food. I’ll see if I can rub John Canzano’s head for good luck and see what we come away with in the draft today. Should be good.

Tomorrow begins the first day of YAK Camp, which I’ve been plugging on this blog since I knew I would be going. Got a couple extra surprises in store this weekend so hang tight to find out what it is.

Also be prepared for some very short posts with photos…I’ll be posting regularly from my iPhone throughout the course of the days to come to show everyone what I’m up to at that point in time. Kinda like Facebook updates but not exactly.

Random Musings While Sitting At McCarran Int’l Airport

Posted June 24, 2009 at 11:29 pm // 0 Comments

- The U.S. soccer team came away with a brilliant 2-0 win over Spain in the Confederations Cup. Spain had won 35 straight matches and the U.S. isn’t anywhere near the best team ever. Where was I?
30,000 feet above the ground, that’s where.

- Some dude with an Arabic accent came up to me not an hour ago, told me he was from Canada and asked if he could use my laptop to e-mail his “seester.” I said okay, but only if I could use his credit card to go buy food. He walked away. Fast.

- My flight to Portland has been delayed at least fifty minutes. Can’t be due to weather, I don’t think, so I’m still wondering what’s up. This means I will get into Portland well after midnight.

- I shot a bit of video today, just enough to create a TCBE Episode 2. I may hold off on it though, and just shoot tomorrow’s gathering with friends in Portland for that episode.

That’s all for now, keep it locked here for more trip updates.

Told Ya It Was Coming Today: T.C.B.E.

Posted June 24, 2009 at 3:14 am // 1 Comment

The Chris Brewer Experience is finally here, just as I promised it would be.

This, in the middle of packing for my trip to the Northwest. A freak thunderstorm intensified near Republic and hammered our town with wind and rain for about 15 minutes yesterday…and I caught some of the imagery on video.

Weather around here in really weird, and I especially don’t like it when it blows heavy trampolines straight up and sets them down in my yard.

Here’s the CBE, Episode 1. Hopefully you enjoy it somewhat, there’s no real humor in it, but rather just a simple video blog. It’s all shot on a Kodak Zi6 and edited in Avid Media Composer.

God Bless Tammey Burns!

Posted June 23, 2009 at 1:41 pm // 0 Comments

Some of you may hearken back to a story we did at the Springfield News-Leader on Tammey Burns, a woman who has now lost over 400 pounds. We caught up with Tammey at the end of last summer during the Sunshine Run, where she racewalked the entire course — a whopping ten kilometers. Six miles for those of you wondering.

If you don’t remember, I’ll provide the video after the jump, because it autoplays…
Continue reading ‘God Bless Tammey Burns!’

Camps Brought Excitement, Friendships & Blessings

Posted June 22, 2009 at 12:09 am // 0 Comments

Today, the Church of God of Prophecy in my home state, Washington, kicked off their 2009 Senior Camp, open to anyone ages 13-19 from their network of churches across the region.

Every year around this time, I pause and reflect on some of the greatest times of my life that were, thanks to those summer church camps. We would all converge on Millersylvania State Park for five days every year, and enjoy some of the best times.

In 1989, when I was five years old, I attended my first camp — PeeWee Camp, which was tailor-made for kids ages 5-7, occupied the weekend between Senior and Junior (age 8-12) camps.

My memory of that first camp centers around two events. One was my father driving, me in the passenger seat — he was a staff member for the weekend — and listening to Mylon LeFevre as we turned the corner from North Kelso Avenue to head up north on I-5. The second was of a silly game we would play called Coyotes and Roadrunners. Basically a version of Last Man Standing, and somehow I was the last man.

Through the years, I progressed from PeeWee Camp to Junior Camp in 1993, then Senior Camp from 1997 to 2002. I attended camps for fourteen years straight, and for most of those years my best friends attended right alongside me.

Camps were a time that I looked forward to, because it was a central location for my friends and I who were geographically separated to spend extended amounts of time with each other. We would joke around while sitting by the bonfire, play basketball and field hockey during the day, and pray with and for each other to grow in relationships with Christ during church.

Some of my greatest spiritual moments came during Camp. I will never forget mentors like Rainier Camina, Dave Cabales, Rob Judd, Paul Symonds and Frank Smith praying for me and blessing me with their wisdom of the Word of God. The worship was always good as well, and each message preached night in and night out was relevant, inspired, and blessed.

What great times Camps were, and I will always treasure them. My times attending PeeWee, Junior and Senior Camp are long past, but the memories stay forever.

Looking at today, twenty years after I attended my first Camp, much has changed.

- Most of the friends I attended Camp with through the years have gone their separate ways — some have started families, others are finishing college, and some are accepting their call into ministry.

- PeeWee Camp is no longer in the state it once was. Rather, the camp has split up to provide day camps for kids in every district the COGOP serves in Washington state.

- Young Adult Camp began in 2002, and even though I attended the first year, I have not had a chance to see what it has become. I have heard many good things about the camp, though.

This Friday as I find myself in the Northwest, I will once again find myself participating as a camper for the first time in seven years — and twenty years nearly to the day since I first stepped foot into one of those brown cabins. I look so very forward to not just my trip, but especially my time at the Young Adult camp. The agenda for me includes simply taking it easy by spending some well-needed time with good friends, talking with some mentors and spiritual leaders, and just relaxing in general.

One person recently asked me why I rave about Camps back in Washington State COGOP so much, and the reason is simple yet clear: I love the Camp experience so very dearly, and I want current and future campers to take it all in, get the most they can from it, and simply savor the times they will have with friends, at the altar and the environment in general.

That being said…please pray for the good people in the Washington State COGOP over the next couple weeks as they enjoy their Camps.

Coming Wednesday: The Chris Brewer Experience

Posted June 20, 2009 at 3:11 am // 1 Comment

It’s no secret that my vacation is coming Wednesday and I am overjoyed at the thought of going back home.

For the occasion, I purchased a Kodak Zi6 pocket HD camcorder to capture the small (and some large) moments of the trip. I figure with me being a videographer by trade, I might as well get some good shots of me and my friends doing what we’ll do.

Today came the ultimate inspiration to start a video blog on my trip. Just short two or three-minute clips detailing what happened each day, where I went, who I hung out with, etc. It’ll give you an inside look at my life back home, and will thus be named The Chris Brewer Experience.

Watch for the first episode Wednesday or Thursday, depending on when I feel like editing footage down.

Now the question remains: Who will watch it? Hmm….