A wise man once said the following:
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you
could miss it.”

            This
could easily sum up my summer, and what I might have missed if I’d not stopped
for a brief moment.

            My
Tyndale colleague Timothy Botts asked me this past spring if I’d be interested
in attending the Masterpiece Arts Camp this summer. It sounded intriguing and I
said yes. I imagined being able to share some publishing wisdom with students,
then having some time to write and enjoy nature. I really didn’t know what I
was getting myself into.

            A
week before the camp, I regretted saying yes. I was in the middle of writing
three books this summer. Life was moving very, very fast. Too fast, in fact. I
arrived in Kentucky still not knowing what the week would entail.

            I
can honestly say this now: my week at Masterpiece Camp was one of the best
weeks of my life. Yes, I forgot to bring a towel or bed linens or even shampoo
(because somehow I forgot what the word camp meant). But no matter.

            It
was on the first evening after the students arrived when I realized what an
exceptional place this was. It was a camp for kids with artistic interests. Not
only that, these were talented, bright kids. Music and visual arts and
animation and drama and writing were all celebrated. But they were celebrated
for the right reasons. God was at the center of this celebration. And
honestly—this took my breath away.

            It
still does, in fact.

            I
was transported back to a time when I was a teenager in the 80’s who discovered
he loved to write. My parents encouraged me, but that was about it. I had no
other fellow artists to share my passion with. My writing was my silent, unseen
best friend. I kept at it, but I really wish I could have met others I could
really relate with.

            The
Botts and the Rogers founded Masterpiece Arts Camp because they knew kids like
me. They were once kids like this, too. They had been to sports camps or
Christian camps that still left us artistic sorts feeling a bit left out. At
Masterpiece, creativity is paramount. Out-of-the-box thinking is pushed. But
everything is done in a safe and fun way.

            There
were too many remarkable moments to share in a simple article like this. There
were incredible lives that I got to meet. Amazing stories brought into camp.
Astounding talents shared. Yes, I know—I’m using a lot of adjectives here, but
I’m being honest.

            Masterpiece
is a special place. Period.

            I
really love how the week is built to not only encourage and motivate you, but
to also challenge you. Both mentally and spiritually. By Friday, I was the guy
around camp shedding lots of tears. In part because I realized the unique
nature of this camp. But also because God was speaking to me in the Kentucky
wilderness.

            I
mention the famous Ferris Buehler quote at the beginning for this reason. I
always thought Ferris was cool and somebody I would have loved to hang around
with. Well you know what? I hung around with a bunch of Ferris Buehlers this
summer at Masterpiece. Students and adults that were cool and that I’m proud to
know.

            If
you know a teen or are one who loves the arts, you have to check out
Masterpiece. It might truly impact your life. It certainly impacted mine.