Insider Blog

What What a summer it has been!  The stories of God’s power and goodness working on the lives of people have been constant over the past 3 months.  Yesterday Juniors for Jesus went home after an incredible four days.  Tonight a group from The Rock in San Diego comes in for a special event for those involved in their ministry to the homeless.  And tomorrow San Diego First Baptist arrives for their annual Labor Day Retreat.  So today was one of those rare days of quiet and stillness as we wait for everyone to join us.  It’s funny how when the camp is empty, even for just a few hours, the animals seem to notice and we start to see more of them.   Take this gopher snake for example that Lane Yule spotted on the edge of camp.  Lane knows these creatures are harmless and the kids with him believe it as long as Lane doesn’t let go.  DID YOU SEE ANY COOL CREATURES DURING YOUR VISIT TO PALOMAR?  LET US KNOW!

It’s our first snow of the season!

“I’ve never seen snow before!” exclaimed this young lady from the Christian Arabic Church.

Photo op for the guys of the First Church of God Center of Hope Youth Ministry.

“Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness” (Job 30:26, NIV).

“You are my lamp, O LORD; the LORD turns my darkness into light” (2 Sam. 22:29, NIV).

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God . . .” (2 Cor. 4:6, NIV).

“The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.  So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Rom. 13:12, NIV).

Intervarsity is finishing up their leadership retreat today, a time of relaxation and refreshment in the quiet beauty of God’s creation.  When’s the last time you set aside time to be still and know He is God?

We’ve been enjoying some unseasonably warm weather here at Palomar.  The leaves are turning and there are splashes of color about the mountain.

Stephen, a student from Good Shepherd Catholic Church, counts the deer on the ball field Sunday morning.  You’d never know there are 200 people in camp at the same time!

A frosted leaf adorns the walkway down into camp, a timely reminder that, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecc. 3:1, KJV).

Much of Palomar Mountain was burned in the fires of 2007, covering much of the forest and meadow areas with ash.  Many expected that 2008 would yield wonderful meadows of beautiful wildflowers.  That expectation never came to fruition, but this year, in the spring and early summer of 2009, God unleashed His blessing of renewal and brought forth new creation from the ashes.  Purple Lupines have been plentiful, as well as various species of wild flowers that haven’t been seen here for years.  Just as God has been faithful to restore and magnify the beauty of the wild flowers, we can trust that He will be faithful to bring forth His beauty in the burned out and devastated areas of our own lives.  His timing is always perfect.

Calvary Church of Santa Ana: “Several decisions for Christ were made, plus many commitments for spiritual renewal”

Living Water Fellowship: “We saw God move in many lives. Many youth came with heavy burdens due to broken families, and God met them there. We had many make deeper commitments to Christ.”

Soldiers for Christ Community Church: “Our goal was to draw closer to God and to allow Him to grow a stronger bond between us and it was met beyond what we imagined!”

Adonai Christian Center: “The Lord did what we asked. There were three saved souls, healing and His power among us very strong.”

Brave student from Yucca Valley School shows off a Gopher Snake durring Palomar’s second week of  Outdoor Education.

Group of students from Yucca Valley School on their hike to Doane Pond

One of the smaller critters on Palomar Mountain is the gray fox. These little guys are out and about after dark. They eat voles, shrews, mice and birds as well as whatever fruits and scraps they may find.

The Gray Fox has a strong neck and a black-tipped tail. He measures about 3 feet in length, and his tail accounts for half of that. He weighs between 7 and 15 pounds.

The Gray Fox is able to climb trees. His strong, hooked claws allow him to scramble up trees and to escape predators such as the Domestic Dog, Coyote, or to reach tree-bound arboreal food sources. The Gray Fox descends primarily by jumping from branch to branch, or by backing down slowly like a house cat would. The Gray Fox makes his den in hollow trees, stumps or appropriated burrows, and resides there during the day.
Scientific classification:  Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Mammalia, Order: Carnivora, Family: Canidae,
Genus: Urocyon

These little guys can sometimes be seen scampering about in camp late in the evening (like after pie cafe or camp fire). They will stop and look at you and then run away into the forest. Watch for the gray fox next time you are at  Palomar.

Hot spots from the Poomacha fire were continuing to burn on the mountain until Nov. 29th, when the rain came. The rain brought mudslides and road closures but soon ended on Dec. 1st, as the snow began to fall.