bumblebee

go to lemoore to see bumblebee!
41 north to fargo ave flip a U and see the gloriousness!

monday night blues

carlin wanted his hair black so we made it black...as well as a smiley face on his chest that is burned into his left pectoral now. happy monday night to you!

Changes...

"There's one sure thing, nothing stays the same." "Change is inevitable."

I've heard these words spoken multiple times in my short life. And unfortunately I believe them most of the time. I have placed trust in those words. That nothing is stable, nothing is sure, nothing is sound. And it's easy to believe when it looks like everything is changing. I've rented more tux's in the last few years of my life then I planned on and been to more weddings then I can remember. And I’m getting ready for several more this year. One in particular, my friend Chris. This is a bit different because I not only have a great friendship with Chris, but I also live in Chris's house. He is getting married in October, and let me pause to say I am thrilled for this new chapter in his life His fiancé Kathleen is amazingly wonderful and Chris is going to be a fantastic husband and father someday, it just means that I will be packing up my stuff in cardboard box's soon. It's kind of fun the adventure of change, but also a bit overwhelming at times. And the phrases of "nothing stays the same" ring true in times like this. Or if you loose a job or break it off with a girlfriend. And I start to believe that Nothing stays the same, until I hear Jesus say, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." Hebrews 13:8

That's the kingdom I belong to. one that does not change. One that is completely different then what this world does or says or believes. It's just like Jesus to turn our logic upside down to reveal his glory.

so I may move a dozen more times before I finally go home, but it doesn't matter because i'm only visiting the land that changes daily for a short time, but my residency is in a kingdom that has not changed, does not change and will not change.

Surf Camp

We took a group from the Elevate Community to Moro Bay this weekend for a Surf Camp. It was totally refreshing and invigorating to be next to the ocean and sleep on rocks and sticks and smell of campfire smoke and eating trail mix and getting to know people you see every week a little bit better.

Saturday we went surfing all day...it didn't start well for me, well it started better for me then it did Tommy. Tommy Got his big toe toenail ripped of by his surf board. No Bueno! i didn't have that happen, but I also didn't see the ocean form a top my surf board either. mostly i saw it from underneath it. Finally after lunch i went out with determination and finally road a wave and then another and another and another for the rest of the day i wondered what was so hard about this before. There was a moment when it was just me out on my board no one else around but me and the waves and sore arms and looking out i saw these huge blue waves role in and i thought to myself...i could get sucked under by one of these things and i could do nothing about it. You don't tell the ocean when to let you go or when to be let up for air...it tells you when its done with you. The power of this thing made me sit in wonder of the Lord, the unknown power that rest in his will i know little about. The God who created this rolling ocean of power also raised men from the dead and conquered death itself with one fatal swoop. I said i was sorry out loud for the times in my life where i doubt that God can do something or he is even knowledgeable on how to get a job done. When we submit to the authority of Jesus Christ we don't get to tell Him when to slow down or when to let us up for air...we just trust He knows what He's doing and allow Him to sweep us away. Scary. True Adventure. Better then finally standing on top of my ten dollar surf board.

j-AV in the AM

waking up early on saturday mornings can be a task..unless you have something to look forward to seeing, tasting or hearing.

I saw good friends. I tasted good coffe. I heard good music.

Sitting on a Rock

Yesterday I went 6 hours without worrying about my cell phone, e-mail or running off to anyplace other then the bathroom. I spent the day at Potwisha sitting on a rock next to the river with Jonathan & Joel... it felt a lot like I was on a hiking trip with my dad. Instead of having my pops point out things around us and turning them into a life lesson I felt like the Lord was sitting on a rock with me all day pointing out things and turning them into life lessons. It was very Andy Griffith...just not in black and white.

(Thoughts on some of the life lessons to come..)

Saturday morning coffee 10am

Woke up to go to small group at the cafe and hung out with Colleen. It was filled with great conversation about loving our enemies and took time to pray for them and how to creatively love the ones who don't love us. We watched the St. Patrick's Day parade and then to top it all off...this took place...