Ya Can't Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd!

I have always been told “Ya can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd…Ya can’t take a shower in a parakeet cage…Ya can’t go a-swimmin’ in a baseball pool…Ya can’t change film with a kid on your back…Ya can’t drive around with a tiger in your car…Ya can’t go fishin’ in a watermelon patch…” No, ya can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd, but you can be happy if you’ve a mind to.”

            Roger Miller wrote and sang those words back when I was a kid, but the word picture it painted in my mind was how absurd the song was. Everyone knows that all of what he sang was silly, but I forgot to look at the actual meaning the song was trying to push forward. I was only six when he debuted his album The Return of Roger Miller. So it was a long time ago. The visions that came through my mind were comical and I loved the tune.

            Being a young child I concentrated on the words I liked and didn’t listen to the rest of them with as much interest. A couple of days ago the song popped in my mind as I was working in my office.  I got to thinking about the rest of the song but I couldn’t remember. Thank goodness for Google I found the words with the most meaning. Yes, the tune always sparked my interest but I couldn’t remember all the words and had to look them up.

Like many who read the Bible, I had heard it enough to remember a part of it but not enough to get the real meaning of the words. See, the chorus and bridge of the song goes like this. “All ya gotta do is put your mind to it, knuckle down, buckle down, do it, do it, do it. No, ya can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd, but you can be happy if you’ve a mind to.”

No, you can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd or any of the other things that Roger sings about here. But, we can all smile and be happy if we put our minds to it!  We can read and learn the rest of the bible to find out what God wants for us in our lives.

How are you doing? I love you all!  Britt

Miles of Smiles

I love Christian Camping in the summer. For that matter I love it anytime. But what makes me enjoy it so much I believe is seeing the miles of smiles as the campers arrive. The campers are so excited to see one another and to see the returning staff. They are sometimes disappointed when past staff have failed to return, but for the most part the miles of smiles continue throughout the week.

I have seen this for over twenty-five years of camping. I have seen those smiles on women who are now married with children coming to camp. I have seen those smiles on men who were campers and now preachers and youth ministers. I have seen it on staff members who are now grandparents bringing their grandchildren to camp. It is a wonderful scene each and every year.

I am proud to be associated with Christian camping. It is one thing I believe all Christian young people should do each summer. I will pray that my grandchildren will be involved in Christian camping and their grandchildren as well. I am a firm believer in the spiritual strength that can be gained by being a part of Christian camping. I know it made a difference in my life in two ways.

First, in a spiritual way. I found that I could be a Christian around people I didn't know well. I did not have to fit the mold of the world. I could stand up and be counted for Jesus and know there were others who felt the same way I did. It is awesome.

Second, in a physical way Christian camping made a difference in my life. How, you might ask? I found my wife while Christian camping. I found the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I have thanked God over and over and over again for that little spot in East Texas called Camp Deer Run so many times that I believe He might know how I feel by now. Lisa has been a wonderful help when it comes to camp. She loves it almost as much as I do.

Now, I am the camp director of the Central Texas Christian Camp at Camp Hensel outside of Austin, TX. It is a beautiful place and parked right in the middle of the hill country of Texas. Every year on Father's Day I have the opportunity to see the miles of smiles line up and check into camp, and for the most part they wish me a "Happy Father's Day." They are all my children. I love them all and can not wait to see them each year.

However, at the end of the miles of smiles there comes a difficult time we usually don't like talking about. It is the River of Tears that flows as camp ends. No one wants to go home. Everyone wants to stay. That has been going on since before my camping days as well. The good thing is that the River of Tears always turns into a Mile of Smiles.

I'll see you later, maybe at camp!