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Taking the plunge…

Our family went to the Walnut Education Center Carnival tonight and had fun together.  We'd called some friends (whose kids go there too) to meet us and then we'd all go out to Round Table pizza afterwards.  While we were there our son Eric and their son Jake found the GIANT plunger in the Men's Restroom.  They thought this was the coolest thing ever, and so they just had to take some phone pictures while posing with it. 

I think I would have done the same thing when I was 15.  In fact, if I had found it tonight I probably would have done my own photo shoot.  Sometimes I think it's the little things that crack me up that make life so sweet.

Dale

This is my friend Dale.  Tuesday night we went up to AT&T Park (I hate that name.  I still like the PacBell Park name which rolls off the tongue so much better), and caught the Giants as they played the Colorado Rockies. 

The Giants lost 3-2, and deserved it, but the Rockies played equally bad ball.  There was a total of 19 hits and a total of 5 runs scored (and the winning run was scored on a balk).  But you know, the score wasn't even really the point, I was able to hang out with one of my best friends.

Dale and I were in the church nursery together and lived about a block apart.  We went from Kindergarten through H.S graduation and into college together.  He was the best man at my wedding, we've watched our kids grow up together, and guess what . . . we live 1 block apart now! 

It's pretty cool to have someone in your life that has walked with you through everything and is still your friend.  There were times we fought when we were kids, but it never lasted more than an afternoon before one of us would show up at the other's house.  There have been busy seasons where we haven't connected much; but one phone call, one ball game, one dinner with Gena and I and Dale and Donna, and it's like we haven't missed a beat.  Never any pressure or guilt or games, just a true friend.

I've been reading through the life of David in the OT recently, and read again how Jonathan was David's closest and most trusted friend.  It hit me for the first time that Dale's first name is actually Jonathan and mine is David.  Wow!  I really do have a Jonathan in my life.  I'm pretty blessed to have a friend like that!

Back from Yosemite

Yosemite was incredibly beautiful this last week.  It was pretty warm during the day but it was FREEZING at night and early morning.  So I went from my ski parka, sweatshirt, beanie and gloves to shorts all in about 2 hours.  When we were hiking and we'd be getting close to a waterfall, you could just feel the temperature dropping.

I was with the 10th graders from Turlock Christian High School, and had the chance to lead worship and also to challenge them on Wednesday night.  Their devotion for the night was Psalm 19, so I used that to launch into a challenge to live life with passion.  It's so easy to "play" Christian, wear the mask, and just go through the motions.  You can know all the Bible stories, answer all the questions, but it's still about knowing Christ and following Him with passion and courage.  I was able to pray with a girl who talked to me later that she wanted more of Jesus to live for him.  Pretty cool!

I led a group of students on Thursday on the Upper Yosemite Falls trail.  Our goal was to go to the very top but after reading that it was a 6-8 hour hike, we knew we didn't have the time to make the round trip.  We were able to do about 2/3's of it though, and the views were unbelievable.  The picture at the left is at Columbia Rock which is about the half point of the hike.  At this point we're about 1000 feet up from the valley floor, and the views of Half Dome, Glacier Point, and the valley just take your breath away.

I also realized on this trip that my 45 year old body does NOT sleep well on the ground. I stayed warm, but MAN I'm sore.

Yosemite Bound

I'm heading out this morning to Yosemite to speak and lead worship for a High School Camp for three days.  I was looking forward to it until I looked at the weather report and it's supposed to by "Snow turning to Rain" today with a low of 17 degrees.  Yikes!  Pray for us as we're up there that God would do great things in these students and let them see that they have a "divine destiny."

Stockton Thunder!

I went last night with 6 dads and their sons to a Stockton Thunder hockey game.  I was given 14 tickets to this final game of the season and I wanted to really make it a guys-night, so we did it up right.  Hockey, polish dogs, nachos, and screaming and yelling for more fights.  OK, the last one is a bit of a stretch, but we were a little disappointed that NO FIGHTS broke out…at all!  Can you believe it.

• It's great to hang out with Godly men, who aren't afraid to BE men, and who love their sons too.

• I've been to several hockey games, and I still don't get the whole "icing" thing.

• Even though I don't get all the rules, I could really get into hockey.  There is no half-way play in hockey, it is ALL OUT!

• The game ended in a tie, and stayed a tie even through overtime.  The Thunder won on a 5 player shoot out.  We actually all wanted it to go to the shoot out.  It was pretty cool.

• The renovated downtown Stockton is really nice (really!  I'm not even joking).

• Going to a hockey game on a Saturday till midnight is probably not the best preparation for Sunday for a pastor.   God's going to have to really come through (like He always does!).

Blessed

The last several days I've been gone and had no internet access and it has felt GOOD.  Sometimes you just need to unplug and be refreshed.  That's what these last few days have been for me and I feel so incredibly blessed. 

Not the "bless you" after you sneeze kind of blessed, but the rich, deep, satisfying, kind of blessing that you realize comes from God himself.  It's that "thumbs up" from God that encourages you.

Several things this week have given rise to that sense of blessing:

• Easter!  What a weekend.  You can read about it below on my Sunday Night Thoughts.

• Tuesday we took our entire staff and their families for a day away at Gilroy Gardens (formerly Bonfante Gardents).  The weather was beautiful, the gardens were great, but our staff… they are the absolute best.  There was a whopping 43 of us on this outing, and it was great to talk, and laugh, and ride some rides together.  We got to see our kids smiling and loving every minute of having parents that are sold out to God.

• Wednesday through Friday our family was blessed with some time at a cabin up in Cold Springs (Pinecrest Lake area).  Gena and I didn't take any work, and we had no agenda.  It was wonderful.  We played games and watched movies, went on some hikes, played in the snow, and BBQ'd some good eats!  It was refreshing down-time, and my family needed it.

I AM BLESSED!

Road Trip -- Phoenix, AZ

Well, we're in Phoenix, AZ for a brief layover before jumping on our USAir Jet for Charlotte, NC.  We flew over the Sierra's which were full of snow, and even went right over the Grand Canyon (Can you say a big "YES!" for window seats!!)

Here's Jon checking his email as we wait for our boarding call. 

Pastor's Retreat

Last weekend I had emailed Pastor Ken Van Vliet at Monte Vista Chapel asking him what his week was like and maybe we could have some coffee and catch up.  He called me back and said, "Tuesday afternoon would work, OR would you like to go skiing on Monday."

Well… purely for the sake of our friendship and Pastoral relationship, I said "I could make Monday work." 

I don't want to cause you to sin by being envious and jealous, but that was just about the most perfect day skiing I've ever had.  Bear Valley Resort had 42 inches of snow the previous three days.  It was cold and bright, and I sunburned my face with sunglasses on, so I've got the whole "raccoon" thing going on.  But it was worth it. 

If you are reading this and you go to Monte Vista Chapel, let me just say that you are incredibly blessed to have a man like Ken as your pastor!

You can click here, and see some more pictures.

Tour of California

Several weeks ago I volunteered to be a Course Marshall for the Amgen Tour of California cycling race.  This race has been going for several years now and is getting international attention from the cycling community.  Modesto was lucky enough this last year to secure a spot on the tour. 

Today was the 3rd leg which began in Modesto and traveled 103 miles through Del Puerto Canyon (Patterson area) over Mount Hamilton (Lick Observatory) and finished in San Jose.  They say (whoever "they" is) that this is the most grueling leg on the tour, and is comparable to the toughest legs on the tour de France.  And we got to see it right in our own backyard!

So I was able to work with 290 other volunteers in making it happen.  Though my part was really small, I was able to be part of the team keeping the race safe and on course out on Paradise Road west of Modesto.

You can see my gallery of pictures here, or on Picasa here.