A day in the life of...Mark Williams

The Countdown on my phone alarm

Each night at camp, I would use my phone as my alarm clock.  Actually, I believe most of the staff did this.  I know that the function on my phone and on Melanie's phone has this one feature:  When you set the alarm, it tells you how long before the alarm will go off.  I.e.  "you have 5 hours and 23 minutes until the alarm will go off."  There were MANY days that the time was less than 6 hours.  There were maybe 1-2 days that it was in the 6 hour range.  And...I remember one day that it was actually over 7 hours. 

It was always a great joy knowing we had a little longer to sleep.  It wasn't such a joy when we looked at that and it said 5 hours and......you get the point. 

Our lives are not like this.  God has a set time for us to be on this earth.  However, He hasn't given us that time.  So what should we be doing?  Ahh....Matthew 28....making disciples.  If you ever wonder what you should be doing with your life.....make disciples of Jesus. 

I'm actually glad the countdown isn't known on my life.  What a dreadful way to live.  What about you?  What are you doing with what God has given you?  My prayer is that we Make Disciples. 

Some pics from M4 Camps 2011

I thought I would share this link to some of the pics we took at M4 Camps 2011.  We should be adding some to this later.  Enjoy!!

 

http://m4camps.smugmug.com/Camp/2011/M4-Camps-2011

M4 Camps 2011.....Something Big recap

First things first.  We have an amazing, infinite God that we serve.  He is able to do immeasurably more than anything that we can ask for or imagine!! We give Him all the glory for what He has done at M4 Camps 2011. 

It has been an amazing summer with M4 Camps.

Arrival Day--July 7th:  I woke up early to get going for camp.  It was also my birthday!!  I've spent a good number of my birthdays either at camp or getting ready for camp.  That's ok!!  I love every minute of it.  The anticipation on the day before camp brings so much with it!!  The M4 staff started arriving at our house around 8:15 A.M. for a 9 A.M. departure.  We loaded up the last of the supplies before leaving right at 9 A.M. 

We trekked up to Laurel to eat lunch at Sweet Peppers....an annual tradition before camp starts.  And then, we were off to Waukaway Springs.  We were greeted by the Waukaway staff, and their camp manager Bryan Linkins when we arrived.  We unloaded our luggage and proceeded down to the F.C. (Friendship Center) to begin setting up the room for worship. Set-up went fairly smooth.  I think it gets quicker every year with our staff.  After working through a few minor technical issues, we were set up and ready to go.

Camp 1, Day 1

This is the moment we all wait for!!  When the churches started arriving, we were so pumped!!  Agricola, the church I serve came the first camp.  So this gave me dual roles for this camp as a church leader and camp director with Melanie.  Also, we had Antioch Baptist and Sandtown Methodist Church come.  My brother, his wife, and son Beck were there.  That was super cool for us too!! 

All The Camps!!
Every camp was special and unique to us.  We have SO MANY friends that we have made through camp.  They really are like family to us!!  We miss them all now that camp is done. 

Worship
We had some amazing times in worship.  The Spirit of God was there throughout the entire two weeks.  And we were blessed beyond measure.  Chris Layton and Curt Hale were our two worship leaders.  They both do an incredible job leading in some high energy music, as well as bringing us to a place of focusing on God.  Our speakers were Jack Bailey....a great friend to us, Curt Hale.....one of a kind, Gary Permenter....a guy who has been involved with M4 Camps for a while, and D-Hat...who joined us for the first time this year.   They all did an incredible job bringing God's Word to us. 

M4 Staff
I cannot even begin to tell you how much this group means to me and Melanie.  Our hours of preparation, praying, and carrying out camp together creates a bond that will last a lifetime.  For Drew, Trent, Dawson, Carson, Brandon, Jessica, Olivia, Kelsie, Lauren, Elise, and Jennifer....they are an amazing crew who worked alongside Melanie and I to create a team that was brought together by God for His glory.  We are a family.  And it was a great two weeks together!!  I can't say Thank you enough to this crew!!  And also, Micah and Malaree even chipped in a good bit this year!!

Waterfront
The cold water.  The blob.  The canoe and paddle boat trips.  The jumping platform, the water slides, the shallow end, the island, the whole waterfront experience is amazing at Waukaway.  63 degree water feels good when the heat index is 110!! 

Target Sports
It's always a great time for groups to spend time together and shoot stuff!!  Paintball, plo-gun, Archery, and slingshot!!  Just as long as you don't start at slingshot!!

Free-for-All
The sno-cones, the popcorn, the games in the gym and game room.  Despicable Me....6 times!!  Enjoying camp like we all should.  It's always a great night!!

Loaded Camp Fire
Smores, peach perfection, UNO, Volleyball, and FOURSQUARE!!  It's a great night under the stars and enjoying a peaceful evening by the waterfront.  Frizz sure can make a mean smore!!

Nights in the Room
For campers, memories are made.  Late nights laughing and giggling.  Fart contests for guys, and frilly nights of painting nails for girls.  For the staff....well, we made survival bracelets each night.  And well worth our time too!! 

Survival Bracelets
What was something little turned into something Big.  We raised just over $4000 for missions selling survival bracelets.  What an amazing God!!

Salvation
Salvation came to some of the campers at M4 Camps.  We don't have the numbers, and not sure we'll ever have a definite count.  But we do know of some that gave their lives to God.  They surrendered to Jesus. 

Just a few words I'll leave you with that sparks a million moments at camp!!

Waterfront, M4 Staff, Gave my life to God last night, Do it Big, Shorty, I'm alive, alert, awake, ENTHUSIASTIC!!, the Waukaway Staff, Salvation, Authentic Worship, Guy dancing during Set Free (YES!!  UNHINDERED WORSHIP), Janga, Ooooooh....Mrs. Melanie, Yellow team, Blue team, Green team, When I say Pur....you say ple......and many more memories!!

There is so much more to camp than I could ever put into words.  I just wanted to write down some of the amazing memories that will be etched into my memory for a lifetime!!

2011 Camp Schedule, Parent Page, and Small Group Bible Studies

Click on the links below to download each document.

Download M4 CAMPS 2011small groups

Download M42011 Large Schedule

Download M4 2011 Parent Page

If you have any questions, email us at mark@m4camps.com or melanie@m4camps.com.

thoughts on camp and friends...

Camp is less than 2 weeks away!!  Wow!!  We are really pumped up about camp this year!!  We have 850+ people coming to camp this year.  We covet your prayers!!  The opportunity we have to share the Gospel each summer at camp is wonderful.  I can't even describe in words how grateful we are to God that we get to do this each summer.  We are surrounded by so many people who have a passion for seeing kids experience Christ at camp. 

Our M4 Camp staff always does an AMAZING job working their tails off, and just being with kids.  I know that they are all super-pumped up.  I am so thankful for their commitment each summer.  Our speakers and worship leaders are AWESOME!!  Curt Hale, Chris Layton, Gary Permenter, Jack Bailey, and David Hatton are all guys who have a passion to communicate and lead others to Jesus. 

My wife Melanie is super-talented and has a passion that is uncontainable.  She does so much for M4 Camps.  We are in this thing together.  God has given us the opportunity to work together in ministry through M4 Camps.  I can honestly say that the time we spend preparing and carrying out camp is so amazing.  There are times that are intense, but most of it is spent in this creative mindset of making sure kids connect to Christ while at camp.  I am so thankful that we have this opportunity together!!

We love Waukaway.  I have spent at least some time there each summer since 2004.  This will be my 8th summer in a row going to Waukaway.  It is my summer home for about 2 weeks.  This place is special to me and my family.   It is the place where I have seen so much life-change, and so many dreams come true for M4 Camps.  God has His hand on this place.  I'm just thankful to be able to spend time there each year. 

Our relationships are SO important.  I was reminded of that today.  We had some wonderful friends stop by while driving back from seeing family, and getting away for a few days.  It was so refreshing to just enjoy the company.  I am so thankful for the people that God has placed in my life and in the life of my family. I am blessed beyond measure with people who love God and love me and my family as well.

 

 

The Waukaway Song

I found this song that my friend Curt Hale wrote a few years back about our camps at Waukaway. Back before M4 Camps, Curt would write a song and sing it during the last session.  It would have little "inside jokes" from camp.  Always creative, the song was the highlight of a few days at camp!!  

This song does capture a lot about the experience at Waukaway, where M4 Camps are held each summer.  From "The Launch" to the "Gator stories" to everything being "up hill", it gives you a glimpse into Waukaway.  Enjoy.

Waukaway

Monday again...in March

Man.....it's already March.  It's already March 7th. 

Mardi Gras Break:  It's always nice for the kids to get out for a few days.  One of the benefits of living in S. Mississippi. 

M4 Camps Update:  We are super excited about this coming summer!!  We are still taking applications for M4 Camp staff.  We will be finalizing our staff toward the end of March.  It's gonna be an awesome summer!!

Geocaching Update:  We've slowed down a little.  We did find one last night with the family.  Always fun times!!

Agricola Baptist update:  My position at the church continues to be a blessing.  I've been teaching a study over the past 5 weeks for a S.S. class.  It's been great.  I love teaching the Word.  I'm in my element when I do that. 

Soccer:  We have had so many rainouts and cancellations it's not even funny. We have won both of our games up to this point. 

Video:  I've been doing a few video projects with church.  One was for our family experience on what people were afraid of.  The other was a baptism testimony video.  Both seemed to be very effective. 

Reading:  I finished two books this past weekend.  One was Poke The Box by Seth Godin.  It was on initiative.  The other book I finished was Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick.   It was a good read too.  I've got a few books right now on my iPad that I really need to finish before purchasing any more. 

Family:  Not really an update.  Just recognizing that I'm extremely blessed with an amazing wife and two wonderful children.  God continues to show His love for me through them. 

Camp 2011

It feels weird typing that in August of 2010.  But, alas, I did it.  Pre-registration for M4 Camps 2011 opened yesterday like a shuttle launch!!  After an hour, we had over 250 signed up.  By the end of the day, around 360 spots were filled.  I am constantly amazed at the way God is including us in on His story.  The story isn't M4's.  It's God's.  We're just a part of that story. 

I am reminded of His faithfulness.  In the fall of 2006, when I was taking those first steps in the journey of M4, I was wondering "What am I doing?"  "Are we going to actually be able to pull this off?"  "Is anyone going to even come to our camps?"  Now, after 4 summers of camps as M4, and countless numbers of lives that have been impacted, influenced, and touched, I couldn't imagine summer without M4 Camps.  I remember praying earnestly about whether starting camp was what God wanted us to do.  After LOTS of prayer, we took those first steps that were actually HUGE steps of commitment.  It really was an ALL or NOTHING type of decision.  The commitments we were making to do camp both financially and planning for other churches was one we wouldn't be able to back out of.  And after we made those steps, God continued to show us His faithfulness.  Even through today, we are reminded that God always provides, and always uses the willing. 

Worship at M4 Camps

Here is a video of the song "You Are The Light" by Steve Fee...performed at Kids' Camp 2010 by Chris Layton, Trent Lawson, and Keaton Pope.  Check it out!!

Back to blogging....Summer update. M4 Camps.

What a whirlwind last few weeks it has been.  M4 Camps 2010 happened.  And man....it was Ah-maz-ing!!  Our time at camp is incredible.  The worship.  The activities.  The swimming.  The friendships.  The kids.  The adults.  Our staff.  The creativity.  Waukaway Springs.  Twin Lakes.  M4.  Laughs.  Inside Jokes.  Ninja.  Great camp food (not an oxymoron with M4).  CIA Radios.  Cold water at Waukaway.  Golf carts at Twin Lakes.  Singing "You Are The Light" by Fee.  Illuminate.  4 square.  Gorilla, Man, Gun.  Nacho Libre.  Smoothies by Byron.  Driving the golf cart as fast as it'll go in the dark with Keaton screaming.  Loving that our staff loves to lead and love.  Melanie on stage.  Curt singing the last verse of Ah-la-la-la.  Trying to slip in the last verse of throw-up on Curt.  Glow man dance.  Funky Jesus Music.  The Director's Cabin.  "The Lodges" at Twin Lakes.  Jack.  The Chicken Song.  Bust the windows out yo car.  Churches from all over the state joining us for "camp".  Maestro.  Bubbles.  Tech.  Tuan.  Target Sports.  Mine and Melanie's home churches at the same camp.  Birthday cakes for staff members.  Salvation.  Tears of joy.  Praying with hurting people.  Seeing kids start their journey with Jesus.  Sno-cones.  Hayless hayride.  Smores.  Riding the golf carts on the bridges at Twin Lakes.  Turning the music up loud....er.  Chris Layton.  Joey Cochran.  Gary Permenter.  Jack Bailey.  Animal crackers.  Set-up with the staff.  The anticipation.  Turning off the last light.  Creating an amazing camp for people to experience Jesus.  Jesus.  Savior.  Master.  Light of the World.