Marine Science Center Summer Camp - Day 1

Today was the first day for Madison for the Marine Science Center Summer Camp, and she couldn't be more ready.   You can see her above, as we dropped her off around 8:30 this morning at the Marine Science Center at Ponce Inlet.

It was a first day, so it was a day to get to know everyone else there - Madison didn't recognize anyone from last year, but she did make a new friend who is also from a great distance away, North Carolina.  Obviously, it's not that far away, but the point is that she and her new friend don't live in Florida.

There were plenty of things on tap for today, but to start with, there was a bit of an orientation at the center itself, where the kids were reintroduced to some areas of the building once more.  The museum itself was closed today, so this made it the perfect day to have free license to roam about and see the sights.

Of course, Madison has seen all of this before, and on multiple occasions.  This did not deter her excitement in the least.  She was quite thrilled to be here to see the models, the sea turtles, and even the octopus.

For the record, this particular species of octopus is unable to predict the outcome of any World Cup games.  Still, it is kind of cool to look at.  Also cool were the rays in the touch pool:

Madison is seen here in her Summer Xtreme shirt, because the other one got pretty wet earlier.  If you're wondering why, it's because of the field trip the kids went on - they got to go to Ponce Inlet Beach, where they did some seine netting!

Here they are, learning a bit about how to net something before they had out to the shallow waters to try their hands at catching something.  Madison did this last year, and caught a little something - and this year she caught something as well, something her teacher believes was a larger hermit crab.

Here she is, netting away.  As you can see, the weather was perfect today - although it was supposed to be a higher potential for rain in the morning.  It was hot, but the kids were all in the water, so that was nice.

This was a lot of fun for the girls.  It's the hands-on stuff that works the best, as Professor Jones tells us.  And this is the kind of place where you'll do the most learning.  She's been looking forward to this week, and we were again excited to have this opportunity.  It's an educational camp, and there's a lot to be said for that sort of thing.  Soon, the kids were examining their catches to see what got in the nets.

The inevitable question of "what is it?" comes up, and the teacher there was going to each specimen, checking out what was caught.  After a bit of this, it was time for a picnic lunch, and a walk out onto the jetty.

But look who they spotted in the grass along the way.  I think this may be a gopher tortoise, but I'm not sure.  Madison probably knows the answer to this one.  Regardless, it came by to visit, meandering by the campers and just showing off.

They made it to the jetty, which Madison loved because it was windy out there and considerably cooler.  The view was nice, and the kids were loving day one so far.  Back to the science center!

The day ended with learning about things based on the sense of touch, and a scavenger hunt on top of that.  And before you knew it, the day there was over with.  She had a blast, and was pretty worn out by the time we got home.  You know she was tired when she declined an offer to go down to the beach.

We ate together, and Madison had some ice cream as well.  And tonight we finished the "Ersatz Elevator" and read another entry in the devotional.  Not long after that, Madison was fast asleep.  Daddy, meanwhile, has been working on Sunday's message for "Cars 3," which was in fact inspired by this very beach we're overlooking.  I'm guesstimating that the pier I'm looking at to the south was probably the pier represented in the movie.  Cars used to race along this shoreline, which is amazing to me.  Anyway, here below is the script I wrote out to follow along with the movie.  We'll leave with that for tonight, the ending part to a very full day!

KidPak Adventures: Hot Wheels

“Cars 3”

CUE SLIDE:  “HOT WHEELS”

HOST:  “On your mark.  Get set! Go!  If you’re looking for a thrilling race, you don’t have to wait any further, because there’s another “Cars” movie out, and from this moment, everything will change.”

CUE SLIDE:  “CARS 3”

HOST:  “This movie brings back all our favorite Cars characters. For example, when you need a paint job, who’s the guy you go to?”

CUE SLIDE:  RAMONE

HOST:  “Ramone is the artist of the group, but then there’s also Lightning McQueen’s girlfriend.  What’s her name again?”

CUE SLIDE:  SALLY

HOST:  “Oh, that’s right.  It’s Sally.  And who is Lightning McQueen’s best friend?”  

CUE SLIDE: MATER

HOST:  “That’s right, Mater!  But in this new movie, we meet a few new characters, and one of them appears out of nowhere, unbeatable, arrogant, and ready to change everything. Does anyone know his name?”

CUE SLIDE:  “JACKSON STORM”

HOST:  “It’s Jackson Storm, and the name fits.  Because for Lightning McQueen, there’s a storm coming, and this ride looks like it’s going to get a little rough.”

CUE CLIP #1:  “JACKSON STORM”

CUE SLIDE:  JACKSON STORM

HOST:  “This guy came out of nowhere!  He seems faster in every way, and he seems completely unbeatable. At the end of the racing season, Lightning McQueen has one last shot to win the Piston Cup.  Can he do it?”

CUE CLIP #2:  “FROM THIS MOMENT, EVERYTHING WILL CHANGE”

CUE SLIDE:  “LIGHTNING AIRBORNE”

HOST:  “It’s a stunning moment.  I remember the first time we all saw this crash – we all knew it was coming because we saw it in a movie trailer about six months before the movie came out.  They didn’t show anything but Lightning McQueen rolling through the air, obviously about to take a hard crash.  It was shocking!  How could something like this happen to Lightning McQueen?  He’s the greatest!”

CUE SLIDE:  RADIATOR SPRINGS

HOST:  “He was asking himself that same question.  The world was looking on, and the big question they were asking was this:  it’s time for you to retire, right?  Let’s hear his response.”

CUE CLIP #3:  I DECIDE WHEN IT’S TIME TO QUIT

CUE SLIDE:  LIGHTNING MCQUEEN

HOST:  “The simple fact of life is this:  if you’re still here, your racing days are not over.  In fact, that’s our first point.”

CUE SLIDE:  “POINT 1: YOUR RACING DAYS ARE NOT OVER”

HOST:  “Your racing days are not over.  Jackson Storm may have been pretty intimidating, but Lightning McQueen had the right attitude.  You see, a storm may be coming, but youdecide when you’re done racing.  God sees something in you that you may not even see in yourself. God has a plan for you to win, and the only thing that can stop that is you. Develop a winning attitude:  you belongthere.  You belong in the winner’s circle.  A famous voice from the Bible said it in another fantastic way.”

CUE SLDIE:  “1 Corinthians 9:24”

HOST:  “In a race all the runners run. But only one gets the prize. You know that, don’t you? So run in a way that will get you the prize.”

CUE SLIDE:  “CARS 3”

HOST:  “If you’re still breathing, you’re still in the race.  Focus on the prize, and race hard!  That’s what Lightning McQueen does.  And he decides to go through some difficult training, although the toughest part for him is listening to good advice.  You see, he’s been racing for a while, and he thinks he knows it all.  They tell him not to tryout the racing simulator.  But he does anyway, and you know how that turns out?”

Let audience answer.

HOST:  “You’re about to.”

CUE CLIP #4:  RACING SIMULATOR

CUE SLIDE:  YOU HAVE CRASHED

HOST:  “You have crashed.  And that’s what’s going to happen to you if you don’t listen to those people God has put in your life.  One smart voice told Lightning McQueen something pretty important, and it’s your next point.”

CUE SLIDE:  “POINT 2: THERE ARE NO SHORT CUTS”

HOST:  “There are no shortcuts.  Lighting McQueen got impatient to try out the racing simulator, even though he was warned not to.  It didn’t end well.”

CUE SLIDE:  “CRUZ RAMIREZ”

HOST:  “Don’t ignore those teachers and mentors God has put into your life to help you.When we ignore and disobey them, we start heading in the wrong direction, and yes, we’re heading for a crash.  Find a mentor, and find victory!  The Bible tells us this simple command.”

CUE SLIDE:  “PROVERBS 23:12”

HOST:  “Apply your heart to what you are taught. Listen carefully to words of knowledge.”

CUE SLIDE:  SMOKEY

HOST: “When your teachers and mentors are telling you something, they’re just trying to tell you the best road to take. They know, because they’ve gone off the wrong way sometimes, and they’re just trying to warn you.  Ignore those warnings, and guess what?  You’re going to go off in the wrong direction too. It’s a simple as that.”

CUE SLIDE:  CARS 3

HOST: “Fortunately, Lightning gets it. He learns from those that are trying to help him.  And because he’s been a winner all his life, he sees something special in one of his trainers.”

CUE SLIDE:  CRUZ

HOST:  “She’s a winner too.  And Lightning knows this because he’s been paying attention. Every step of the way, in everything she’s done, his trainer Cruz Ramirez has done everything with all her heart, never giving up, and always trying to find a way.  And if that part about doing it with all her heart sounds familiar, then good for you!  It’s in the Bible.  Let’s take a look!”

CUE SLIDE:  “COLOSSIANS 3:23”

HOST:  “Work at everything you do with all your heart. Work as if you were working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

CUE SLIDE:  CARS 3

HOST: “Cruz wanted to be a racer, desperately. But until that dream is realized, you know what?  She’s doing the best she can at whatever life throws at her.  And Lightning McQueen was watching.  We need to be like Cruz too, because the Bible spells it out:  work at everything you do with all your heart. Or, as point three says, ‘put it in cruise control!”

CUE SLIDE:  “POINT 3:  PUT IT IN CRUISE CONTROL”

HOST:  “You see, God is watching.  God is watching each of us, and how we handle all the stuff thrown at us.  There are obstacles in our race, and challenges put before each and every one of us all the time.  And if you’re going to win this race, you have to decide to run the race to win the prize, and do it with all your heart.”

CUE SLIDE:  “CARS 3”

HOST:  “She was working hard at all the little things, with all of her heart.  And there’s a simple law that Jesus spoke to us, and is still speaking to us this day: if you can be trusted with a little, you can be trusted with a lot.  Can you be trusted with a little?  Can you be trusted to clean your room, or do your homework?  Can you be trusted to invite a friend to KidPak?  Can you be trusted to spend a little time reading the Bible or a few moments in prayer?  If you can be trusted with a little, you can be trusted with a lot. ”

CUE SLIDE:  “CRUZ RAMIREZ”

HOST:  “So it was Cruz Ramirez’ chance to shine.  The question is, would she be up to the challenge of beating the unbeatable Jackson Storm?”

Let audience answer

HOST: “Want to see?”

Let audience answer.

HOST:  “Me too!  Let’s find out at the finish line!”

CUE CLIP #5:  CRUZ CONTROL

CUE SLIDE: CRUZ RAMIREZ

HOST:  “Like Cruz Ramirez, your time will come too.  And you’re going to do great, great things. But you aren’t going to be a winner until you do your very best right now where you are, with what you have.”

CUE SLIDE:  “CARS 3”

HOST: “You aren’t going to be a winner until you start listening to your mentors, parents and teachers.  And you aren’t going to be a winner until you decide to get back in the race, and do your best to win the prize.  So are you ready to run the race?  From this moment, everything will change.  On your mark, get set… GO!”

HOST:  “Let us pray.”