Monk's Musings: Leaders & Willing Volunteers

Deborah and Barak sang, When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves, praise the Lord! My heart is with Israel’s princes, with the willing volunteers among the people. Praise the Lord! Judges 5:1-2,9

Last week I came across the verses above in our devotional at the table, and it reminded me of the many “willing volunteers” we have at Beacon every year! Also of the many “princely leaders” who come to Beacon to lead campers, teach lessons, direct sessions, and grow in leadership skills. Deborah & Barak praised God for those who served courageously in Israel’s time of need, including Jael, an otherwise unknown woman, through whom God gave Israel a great victory. The same chapter speaks of others who “searched their hearts… but stayed among the campfires”, and others who “lingered by the ships” and “remained on the coast” because “they did not come to help the Lord against the mighty”.

Today, there is also a mighty enemy who seeks to enslave children, youth and families to deception and falsehood. Who will volunteer to take them the gospel of truth, telling them that there is forgiveness and salvation and true life to be found in the Name of Jesus, the Son of God, who died on the cross and rose victorious from the grave?

Many of you have volunteered at Beacon in the past, and many of you have already signed up to serve God in one way or another. We too praise the Lord for each one of you! However, God is still looking for more volunteers, in many varied roles: Is God perhaps calling you to courageously “offer yourself” also? Perhaps at camp, or maybe at your church or youth group. We would encourage you to invest your life for God and His people in one of these many strategic ways. So, whether as a camper, cabin leader, session director, or other volunteer, we look forward to seeing you soon!

We wish you courage and fulfilment as you serve the Lord!

On behalf of all the Beacon Staff,
Andrew ‘Monk’ Nunn

Into the Woods with Curio: Nature Journaling

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12

FOS means First of Season. FOTY means First of the Year. Both of these terms are used by naturalists to report seeing the first of a species for the year, especially in springtime. Examples are FOS robin, red-winged blackbird and bluebird. It can also be applied to other animals, such as a FOS salamander, raccoon, chipmunk, garter snake, butterfly or even a FOTY mosquito!

Recording when we first see an animal is part of the joy of spring, as we look for signs to the end of the winter’s cold, and look forward to warmer days. When such records are done year-over-year they become a journal for comparing information over time, such as whether the FOS robin is earlier or later than last spring, (my FOS robin is March 14th this year compared to March 8th last year). Nature journaling is a great way to create these records, and makes us more aware of these natural events in the process.

Nature journaling can take many forms, and be as personal as you. It can be just a list of dates as mentioned previously, such as an annual bird list, or a record of the sequence of spring wildflowers. When more information is added, such as the weather conditions for that day, and where the animal or plant was seen, (or heard) – in your backyard, in the local park, or maybe a location at Beacon -- the record holds even more value. Add some sketches of what was seen, or a photo, and the journal takes on an added dimension. Together with some personal thoughts jotted down in the moment, and its value is still greater, creating something tangible that can be revisited years later, and even handed down to the next generation.

An example could be a record of a nature walk done in early spring which lists the various sightings, shows a sketch of a butterfly, records the date, and time of day and weather, and comments on what kinds of behaviour were observed.

Committing to nature journaling encourages regular exploration outdoors, whether it’s around your neighbourhood, or a favourite place you like to visit, such as a local park or beach, or while you are at

Beacon. Journaling also forces you to take a second look at what is all around at any given point in time, to record it, and then try to make sense of it. If you see an early butterfly landing on a maple you may notice it as it angles itself to the warm spring sun, then watch it sip some sap from under a broken branch. Note what colours it has to help with identification, but also note its behaviour – why is an adult butterfly around so early? how will it survive without flower nectar? where did it spend the winter?

As we get outside regularly and build our journal we not only grow in our appreciation of God’s incredible Creation but also see His love in providing us with an amazing place to live now, and a home in heaven with Him through His gift of salvation.

Monk's Musings: Fly, Run & Walk

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles;they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31

Dogs run, eagles fly and people walk. Which do you prefer? As a boy, my ambition was to become a pilot and fly aircraft. I got as far as two years of training as a cadet pilot with the RAF. But then I realized that while I enjoyed flying as a hobby I couldn’t do it as a full time job. And so God led me into engineering and then high school teaching and then missionary work. I quit flying and then ran, and finally walked. Life slowed me down.

Some months ago, I heard a speaker commenting on the verse above, puzzled as to the order of the three verbs: Surely the progression should be to walk, then run and finally fly? But upon reflection, he realized that the prophet was encouraging us all to persevere in following the Lord, even when our strength runs out, and we are weary and stumble and fall. As winter drags along, with its heavy burden of snow and cold and grey skies, how are you feeling? In the midst of the inevitable colds and flu, or worse, is your strength giving way? May we all “hope in the Lord” so He can “renew our strength”. May we persevere with Him, whether we’re flying, running or just walking!

Perhaps God is calling you this year to fly for Him, or maybe to run with Him. But possibly what He really wants is for you to walk with Him. In your weakness and weariness, He calls you to not give up. To put one foot in front of the other, and do the next good thing He has prepared for you to do. Perhaps part of that may be serving God at Beacon, as a cabin leader, summer staff, teacher or cook. Setting apart time to commit to coming to Beacon to love and serve our campers in any capacity. So we would also encourage you to invest your life for eternity in this strategic way. Whether as a camper or as a volunteer, we look forward to seeing you at Beacon soon!

On behalf of all the Beacon Staff,
Andrew ‘Monk’ Nunn

Into the Woods with Curio: Deer In Winter

“It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the
heights.” Psalm 18:32 & 33

Which animal hibernates during the winter, but still walks around every day?
Not a groundhog. They sleep all winter, except on Groundhog’s day.
Not a skunk. They sleep most of the time during the winter.
So do most raccoons, (unless they live in Toronto).
Chipmunks sleep most of the winter, though sometimes get up for a snack.
And bears sleep all winter, too.
Have you guessed? It’s a deer!

Deer are awake every day in the wintertime, but they are also hibernating! They do a ‘walking’ hibernation because they can’t find the grasses and other green plants that they normally eat during the rest of the year.

To help them survive the winter deer grow a layer of fat in the fall by eating acorns and beech nuts. That layer of fat helps them when there is not much to eat during the long winter.

They also grow a coat of long hair. This hair is hollow inside, and much thicker than normal hair, so it keeps the deer warm, even when it is really cold and windy.

They still eat during the winter, browsing on cedars, and the twigs and buds of young trees and shrubs, such as sumacs. They may visit a backyard bird feeder and eat the seeds that spill onto the ground.

The female deer, called does, are especially hungry because they are pregnant, usually with twins. And their fawns from last spring may still be with them, though they are almost fully grown, and can find food for themselves.

Because deer are unguligrade, that is, are hooved and walk on the tips their hooves, they cannot move about as easily in deep snow. When the snow gets deep, as it has this winter, the deer make ‘yards’. These are a series of paths, usually located in a group of cedar or hemlock trees for shelter, or in a swamp near a river or lake so they have water, and shrubs and young trees to browse. They stay in these ‘yards’ to save their energy. But living in such a restricted space makes it easier for predators, such as wolves, to find them. And, if the snow is really deep it’s hard for the deer to escape.

Winter is hard for deer, but a ‘walking hibernation’ helps them survive until spring comes, when there are grasses and other green plants for them to eat!

Monk's Musings: To be Loved and to Love

My lover is mine, and I am his… I am my lover’s and my lover is mine…
I belong to my lover, and his desire is for me… Song of Songs 2:16, 6:3, 7:10

February is the month in which many couples celebrate their love on Valentine’s day. It’s an ancient tradition, and like all traditions it can be enjoyed appropriately or abused. Whether we commemorate it or not, the Bible does have quite a lot to say about human love and attraction. The Song of Songs is an entire book of the Old Testament dedicated to exploring the love between man and woman. In the three verses above, the Beloved rejoices in the exclusive relationship she has with her Lover. Marriage between one man and one woman, joined until death, is the ideal that Jesus taught his disciples. Those of us who are married are called to live out the responsibility and privilege of loving our spouse with faithfulness and sacrificial love, putting the other ahead of our own desires.

The prophets in the Old Testament also likened marriage to the covenant relationship between God and his People. And in the New Testament, Paul says that marriage is a shadow of the relationship between Jesus Christ and his Church. So each one of us who are disciples of Christ, whether married or single, can apply the verses above to our relationship with the Lord Jesus. We can claim Him as our own, and rejoice in the fact that we belong to Him. We can rest confidently knowing that He desires us, and nothing, neither death nor life, nor “anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom 8:38-39.

May the Lord help us to grow in understanding more of his love, and to respond with our own love in return. Not a sentimental temporary infatuation, but a lasting love that shows itself by our committed deeds and life decisions that honour Him. Neither does He want from us a slavish grim obedience that acts out of cold duty, but the willing and joyful service of a Bride that is in love with her Husband and rejoices to give herself fully to the One who gave himself on the cross for her! May God help us so to love and so to live this month!

On behalf of all the Beacon Staff,
Andrew ‘Monk’ Nunn

Monk's Musings: Life and Death come to all

“He heard my cry… He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.”  Psalm 40:1-3

A new year 2025 begins! Who knows how many more God will give us? A couple of days before this Christmas my father, Peter Nunn, went to be with the Lord. On Christmas day, the mother of a close friend also passed into God’s presence. On the Sunday after my father’s passing, I noticed behind the table on which stood the bread and wine, symbols of Christ’s death, was a manger, symbol of his birth. Life and death, close together. Jesus experienced both, just as we do. The question is, are we ready to pass from this life to the next? They were both trusting Jesus as their Saviour, so we know they are now seeing Him face to face. Will you? Are you ready to give an account of your life to Him?

Not long before my father passed, we were sharing about the three verses above. He said God had taken him “from the mire to the choir”, by which he meant God had saved him from his sin, put his feet on the solid rock, which is Jesus, and given him a new song to sing and a new life to live, one that would praise God. He did not consider himself a great man, but he knew he trusted in a great God, and that made all the difference.

And so, as we face another year, with its uncertainties, with our hopes and fears, may we also trust in the Lord Jesus, for salvation yes, but also for guidance and strength to sing and live for Him. Perhaps God is calling you to come to Beacon as a camper, or perhaps as a volunteer. Be encouraged to step out in faith! We serve a great Master, who delights to use weak and fallible servants such as you and me, so only He gets the glory.

May the Lord bless you and yours this year!

On behalf of all the Beacon Staff,
Andrew ‘Monk’ Nunn

Into the Woods with Curio: Shrike strike

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…” Colossians 3:23

There has been a shrike visiting our backyard bird feeders several times already this winter. Unlike the chickadees, goldfinches and other small birds that are looking for birdseed, this robin-sized grey, black and white songbird is actually a raptor and is after the birds themselves. When it suddenly appears in the backyard it causes a big stir, with the smaller birds flying for cover and sounding the alarm.

Like many raptors, a shrike must get as close as possible to its prey. It first uses the cover of small bushes and conifers to sneak up on the unsuspecting birds. Then it waits for an opportunity and flies out for a quick chase, using an aerial dive to force its chosen victim down to the ground, where it pummels it repeatedly with its beak to injure or kill the small bird. Shrikes don’t have the sharp talons and beak of a hawk or owl, nevertheless, they still hunt small birds, as well as mice, and insects in the summer.

Despite these disadvantages, the shrike is still capable of carrying its prey in its beak or claws, though its weak feet and claws prevent it from tearing apart its prey to eat it. Instead, a shrike hangs its victims on the thorn of a hawthorn or other ‘spikey’ bush so it can manipulate it. Sometimes it lets the prey ripen a little, so it comes apart more easily. This rather gruesome trait has earned the shrike the nick-name of ‘butcher-bird’.

Seen around camp and in Muskoka only during the wintertime, the northern shrike moves much further north come spring, to its breeding grounds. It is replaced by another shrike, the loggerhead shrike, though this species is now rare, and not often sighted in our region. These two shrike species are members of the larger shrike family, which boasts over 30 members, most of which are Eurasian or African. There are no shrikes in South America, Australia and Antarctica.

So, is the shrike a raptor or a songbird? Or both? It can sing, unlike most raptors, with both sexes vocalizing throughout the year. But it hunts other birds and small mammals, like a raptor. Even though it doesn’t have the size or strength or equipment of a hawk or owl a shrike is a formidable predator and behaves as such to make its living.

In some ways, it’s comparable to me trying to do a task for which I am not trained or equipped. Yet, with the Lord’s help, and my cooperation and commitment, it can get done.

Into the Woods with Curio: Porcupines are Loners

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?... If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”
Psalm 139:7, 11&12

It sounded like a small child was fussing, but it couldn’t be. Arriving home in the dark, I heard it as soon as I exited the car. What a strange sound. I grabbed a flashlight from the house and looked around, still hearing it, but not finding the source. It was a mystery. The next morning the answer was sitting in the neighbour’s tree – a large, black porcupine!

Now that the leaves are off of the deciduous trees, there is a better chance of seeing a porcupine.

They are not uncommon in Muskoka, and at camp. November is also the month that porcupines breed, hence the sounds – it was a female looking for a mate. Breeding season is the only time porcupines purposely meet other porcupines. Porkies are loners by nature.

They can survive on their own because of their impressive defence mechanism -- over 30,000 quills, extending from the top of their head to the tip of their tail. Any would-be predator, (or overzealous dog) that tries to attack a porkie usually ends up with a painful surprise. Porkies don’t shoot their quills at attackers, but simply keep their backs to them, letting the loosely attached quills come away if the attacker is too aggressive. While it is dealing with the nasty shock of quills embedded in its face and body, the porky makes its escape up a nearby tree.

The list of potential predators of porkies is a short one, and includes bobcats, lynx, mountain lions, coyotes, wolves, great horned owls and fishers. In Muskoka they only really have to worry about fishers, and people. Because their defence strategy has no effect on cars, porkies are often hit when crossing roads at night. They are actually nocturnal because there is more nutrition from trees at night, biologists have discovered.

They spend a lot of time in trees, not only for safety but for food, feeding on leaf buds in season, acorns and apples, and the tree’s inner bark at this time of year. They’ll also eat canoe paddles, wooden-handled tools, and even gnaw on the wooden siding on a house. They don’t hibernate, but try to stay off the snowy ground, as, like their larger cousin the beaver, they don’t move fast on land.

Come spring the female gives birth to just one little porky. By next November that young one will be on its own. If it’s a male it may stay around the neighbourhood, though will be chased off by larger, older males, including his dad, during the breeding season. That may be the only time it sees its dad, as Mom is always a single parent. If the young one is a female she has to venture out on her own to find her own territory, as her mom won’t tolerate her sticking around. Porcupines really are on their own.

While we may choose to be alone, or sometimes we may feel alone, we don’t have to be, as Christ has promised to always be with us, no matter where we are.

Into the Woods with Curio: A Hiding Place

“You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.” Psalm 32:7

Mice are always looking for a place to hide. It could be in the hollow of a tree several metres above the ground, (mice are good climbers) or in a birdhouse, in a woodpile, on a shelf in the toolshed, or in as unlikely a place as an empty compartment in your lawn mower, or even in your car!

They need a safe place because there is always someone hunting them. Foxes, coyotes, weasels, skunks, raccoons, owls, hawks, snakes, domestic cats and dogs, as well as squirrels and chipmunks, and even shrews all want to make a meal of a mouse. No wonder mice are always trying to hide.

I’m referring to deer mice specifically, which are the dark brown mice with big eyes and big ears that you might see by chance when at camp. They are called deer mice because their colour pattern of brown upperparts, lighter sides and white tummies resembles a white-tailed deer. And they are as agile as a deer. The white-footed mouse is almost identical to a deer mouse but usually lives further south. Two species of jumping mice are also found at camp but hibernate from the late fall right through the winter. Meadow mice are actually voles, and look different, having much smaller ears and eyes, and short tails. It is voles that make tunnels under the snow and may be active during the day, while deer mice are nocturnal, and prefer to stay above ground.

At this time of year, the deer mice start looking for a place to stay safe and warm because they lose their cover when the frost kills the vegetation. This is why you may hear the pitter-patter of very little feet in the ceilings of your house, or during your stay at camp. Somehow the mice find a way inside these buildings, being able to
squeeze through openings less than an inch wide. Once inside your house, they hide in a corner of the basement or crawl space, in the walls, or sometimes in a corner of a cupboard. And they search everywhere for food. Outside, their usual diet is seeds, nuts, berries, grasses, insects, and spiders. Inside your house, they eat whatever is available.

With food and shelter taken care of they then proceed to make a cozy nest for themselves, using whatever soft material they can find, such as tissues, rags, or the stuffing from a couch.

This nest is home to both parents and their family of one to nine pups. That’s right, the young are called pups. These youngsters only stay in the nest until they can take care of themselves, which is at about 5 to 6 weeks of age.

Once the pups leave Mom starts another nest somewhere else, (mice aren’t good housekeepers) where she’ll give birth to the next litter about three weeks later. She may have four or more litters between early spring and fall, while the young themselves start producing families not long after they have left the nest. The math shows it doesn’t take long for the local mouse population to increase dramatically. However, that long list of predators helps keep their population in check.

That’s why most deer mice never live to see all four seasons of the year, though some may live as long as 18 months. There are just too many dangers, and not always enough places to hide.

God provides a safe place for us to hide from the very real dangers we also face every day in this world.

Monk's Musings: For such a Time as this!

Mordecai tells Esther: “who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

We are now halfway through our Fall Season of Beacon camps. The leaves are turning colour, mushrooms are popping up and the days are drawing shorter. The nights are getting colder and it takes a bit of courage to dive into the lake! The Lord has been so faithful, orchestrating the details of each of our lives and bringing us to our present circumstances and positions. Many centuries ago, a young Hebrew maiden was made queen over the empire of Persia & Media, married to King Xerxes. He was a pleasure-seeking proud despot who ruled by inspiring fear, so her royal position was a tricky one to be in. And when the king carelessly signed an irrevocable decree to exterminate her people, her position went from delicate to desperate. Should she try to hide? Or flee? Or lie about her ancestry? Mordecai convinced her to use the position God had given her as queen to risk it all and seek to save her people from death. It’s one of the great Old Testament stories which is exciting each time one reads it! Eventually, God DID use Esther and Mordecai, in miraculous ways, to bring about salvation for the Jewish people.

I don’t know what position God has placed you in. But it’s true to say that each one of us is in the middle of a sphere of influence where others look to us as an example, role model or friend. And these folk may be going through critical times or are about to face suffering or tough decisions. Who knows but that God has put us in our unique position “for such a time as this”? May we pray and fast as they did, but may we also put our trust in God and courageously initiate that sensitive conversation that God wants us to have. Let us not shrink back in fear, but bravely step forward and trust the Lord will use us to further His good plans in the lives of those around us.

And once again, may we encourage you to make Beacon a part of that plan! invite a friend or a family member to come with you to one of our Fall or Winter Camps. Look up the details on our website, and register this week!

May God powerfully use each one of us in the “little corner” He has positioned us in!

On behalf of all the Beacon Staff,
Andrew ‘Monk’ Nunn