My Opinion on Campmeeting (for what it's worth)

I have read several blogs recently it seems about camp meeting so since I am hopefully leaving tomorrow to attend camp in IN, I thought I would share my thoughts.
First of all, the above picture was taken 16 years ago this weekend. It's Ashley and yes, I went to a 10 day camp with an almost 4 year old boy, a 2 year old girl and a 10 day old baby. Looking back, that was so dumb of me but hey, 16 years ago you probably weren't all that smart either!!! :) AND, for the record, I did NOT make it the whole 10 days as I recall. My husband came in to camp late one night after working and found me sicker than a dog and we went home the next day!!
So - now to the original reason I blogged about this. Camp meeting was never a big deal to me until after I married David. I went to youth camp here and there but never "family" camp. In the last 20 years, we have probably been to camp close to 15 of those years. It's been a little more difficult getting there from FL but we try.
It's not the cleanest but I can sweep and dust. The bed isn't the most comfortable but I CAN sleep. The food is nowhere near what is needed for a diet but I certainly don't go hungry and there is always the snack shop after church! The showers are usually cold but if you get up early enough you can have your pick of the cleaner, hotter more bug-free shower stalls! It's hot but they have rewired the dorm and you can take your own window a/c if you want. Find the right spot out from underneath the trees and you can have fairly decent cellphone reception. The internet could be another story all on it's own but it IS possible. Even sitting through business meeting can be handled well if you are sitting with or close by the right people!!
Want some more reasons I go to camp? Well, as a female - there are LOTS and LOTS of other females to talk to all I want!!! My girls have an endless number of cousins to hang out with and there is usually a boy or two or ten hanging around. My husband will have terrible cell phone reception so no one from Florida can bug him about trivial matters (or serious ones for that matter)!! Ummmmm.....oh yes, there are usually fresh tomatoes, fresh corn and home grown green beans to eat!!!
The real reasons I go to camp? There is something unique about being in that old, somewhat tattered tabernacle and waiting with anticipation as to what is going to happen. It all starts early in the morning - 7am to be exact - with prayer meeting. The older I get the more I want to be there. I could give you countless memories as to what has happened there but I won't. Not enough space here!! Then the night services - oh my - I can't even come close to explaining that!! Scenario - you have entered the tabernacle and the song service starts. You just "feel" something happening. Then there is a special song and God settles in. Then prayer and an offertory and then another special song. By this time, Sis. Grile has begun to feel the Spirit moving on her. She starts off in her little corner with her own little shout and as young people we KNOW without a doubt what is happening. God is blessing her and we just want to hug up close. There are messages that are preached that it SEEMS we have never heard before. Then there is the altar where more than one battle has been fought and WON.
I guess I have gone on enough. I don't particularly look forward to this trip because of the distance but I know pretty much what the end result will be. My daughters and their parents :) will come in very close contact with Jesus and THAT makes ALL the difference!!!!