"But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like." James 1:22-24 NLT I recently had a physical. The doctor made some recommendations for my well-being. I listened attentively. Every one of the doctors’ recommendations made good sense to me. Imagine ...

As a first-year Intern at Black Diamond Camp, it is truly a joy to help run The Lights of Christmas. When I was a little kid, I experienced The Lights of Christmas with loved ones. Now that I work for the event, I have come full circle! I am blessed to see friends and family excited to see me participate in the long-loved tradition of sharing the joy and hope of Christmas with the community through the event. During my ...

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”)." Matthew 1:23 NIV Before you start reading this, I encourage you to take a deep breath right now. Breathe in for five seconds, hold for five seconds, then breathe out for five seconds. Now think about this scripture for a little bit. How true does that scripture ring true to you when you hear “God with us”? As we ...

Hi! My name is Jenna Clifton, and I am 18 years old. I’m from Auburn, Washington and I’m currently an Intern at Black Diamond Camp. I have been a part of Black Diamond Camp for about 11 years as a camper, Service Team Member, Summer Staff, and now as an intern!I have made so many fun memories, many of which are from my time as a Service Team member. If you don’t know, Service Team is a program for campers ...

The past couple of years my mom and I have started a new tradition of picking an area of the country and seeing as many states and baseball games as we can in as few days as possible. This year we found ourselves exploring New England and all the beauty and food there was to discover! As any good tourist roaming the eastern seaboard, we HAD to have a lobster roll. We discovered that one of the best spots was ...

Hi, my name is Alyssa! I’m 21 years old and from Black Diamond, Washington. This summer, I served on Summer Staff, but more specifically, I served as a Counselor in Group Camp!Each session of Group Camp, counselors are assigned to a youth group that we spend the whole session serving. We facilitate their activities, run Bible studies, and overall, just get to know those campers in an in-depth way. I think one of my favorite things about this summer was ...

Have you ever rushed to pick up your kids after a long workday? Thoughts of what to make for dinner, the nighttime schedule that has yet to be started, and wondering if running late burdens those watching your children? That was the reality for a single mother on her way to pick up her two children from Black Diamond Camp last summer. Upon arriving at Black Diamond Camp, the mother apologized profusely for picking them up late. While leading her ...

“The council members were astonished as they witnessed the bold courage of Peter and John, especially when they discovered that they were just ordinary men who had never had religious training. Then they began to understand the effect Jesus had on them simply by spending time with him.” - Acts 4:13 (TPT)I am struck by the last phrase: “Then they began to understand the effect Jesus had on them simply by spending time with him.” Am I spending time with ...

Spring is here! You know what that means? Spring cleaning. Personally, I find myself going through my closet and using this season to get rid of things. Finding clothes and items I don’t need or want and throwing them out, or donating to a thrift store nearby. It’s a time-consuming process, but it’s needed to prepare for the next season, Summer. Often in life we find ourselves decluttering and digging deep into the things we don’t need, but how often ...

As Day Camp approaches at Black Diamond Camp, the staff will begin preparing for guests to arrive by readying the grounds, planning activities, and brainstorming what they will teach the children attending. However, there should always be flexibility, for in particular circumstances, the staff are the ones who learn the most through interactions with the children at Camp. Sometimes a guest will bring out a child-like faith in all involved. That was the exception this past summer when a unique ...