Got my cell? Send me a text.

That's right folks. If you know my cell phone number, you're welcome to send me as many text messages as you like! I've had unlimited text for many months, but this month I'm trying to set a personal record.

As of this afternoon, I had reached around 540 texts so far this month, a number that includes both incoming and outgoing texts. The most I've ever had in a single month was 1,514 (according to my monthly statements from the fine folks at Sprint), and I'd like to break that personal record here in November.

So, if you have my cell number, you're welcome to text me! (At reasonable hours, of course...)

Just mark it up as a silly personal experiment.

UPDATE: Just checked my usage. So far, up to 717 texts this month. Keep 'em comin!

This looks and sounds gross.

My friend Matt Wilkie, a fellow Evangel University alum and now a member of the Convoy of Hope team, posted this on his blog today. He uses xanga, and I think I found the right way to link to JUST this one post, but if it doesn't work, look for his November 5 entry:

I haven't blogged in a long time, but when you eat balut, you just want to share the experience.

I just returned from Manila where I worked with our Convoy of Hope Intern team. We had fun. Among the fun times...eating balut.

If you don't know, balut is a partially formed duck fetus, still in the egg and boiled for your enjoyment. It comes in various levels of development, but ours had the beak, feet, eyes, feathers and more. Not all ate it, and we could understand why.

Servanthood sacrifices self.

Spoke this morning at our monthly men's breakfast. Good atmosphere, good group of guys and good food. Nice way to start a Saturday -- even if it requires me to awaken much, much earlier than I'd like on a Saturday!

The struggle to pursue servanthood begins with our decision to sacrifice self. We all struggle with selfishness. I'm most selfish in the morning, around Round Table Pizza and in Best Buy. I'm sure you have your own place where the ME-FIRST attitude kicks in strongly. God's plan is for us to live lives that benefit and serve the people around us. That doesn't mean we have low self-esteem or ignore our needs. But it means we make a choice to live less of a life that is focused on just us. If we try to be #1 in all areas of life, then we're missing the boat when it comes to servanthood.

Pursuing that lifestyle requires sacrifice, just like it requires sacrifice for a lot of us to get to the gym. It reminds me of the people I've been watching on "Everest: Beyond the Limit" on Discovery Channel. These folks make huge sacrifices just to get an attempt at climbing Mt Everest. Pursuing a lifestyle of servanthood requires sacrifice, just like Jesus Himself made the ultimate sacrifices for us. Philippians 2 reminds us that He demonstrated ultimate humility by taking on human form and then dying on the cross. We must sacrifice self to become servants.

Jesus should be the greatest role model for anyone wearing the label of Christian, of Christ-follower. He told us in Mark 10 that He came to serve others, not to be served. Let's face it: If anyone should have been served, it was Jesus! He deserved it because He's God! But He chose a different path. He chose to serve others, and that should be our goal. Servanthood is a lifestyle and an attitude. If we want servanthood, we must choose to sacrifice self.

5 stories worth a read: Part 16

Start your November with a fresh dose of some interesting articles online:

1. Foreign automakers drive makeover of Smalltown USA from CNN

2. Class assignment: Write an original Wikipedia article from The Associated Press (on cnn.com)

3. Rush of Cuban migrants use Mexican routes to U.S. from the International Herald Tribune

4. EU report on Turkey deals new blow to Ankara's membership bid from the International Herald Tribune

5. Cheney: Being Darth Vader not so bad from The Associated Press (on msnbc.com)

Enjoy.

Post No. 36

Wow, 36 posts in a 31-day month. Sometimes I impress even myself.

Great night tonight. Lower numbers in some of our midweek programs because of Halloween, but a great turnout for our Trunk or Treat event for the kids. Our children's pastor and her team did a great job with an event we haven't tried before. Didn't really know if we'd have a good turnout, but we did.

And tomorrow, we move into November. Two months left in 2007. Wow.

The power of our senses.

I had lunch today at Baja Fresh. We don't have one in Antelope (or near my house in Sacramento, for that matter), so I went to my usual one up in Roseville. As I was sitting there enjoying my Baja burrito (chicken, with extra guacamole) and my chips with salsa, without the Spanish-language music in the background, I realized that the combination of sensory elements created a unique response. I was reading a ministry book, but I felt like I was reading a book from several months ago, which I primarily read at Baja Fresh. Just a weird experience.

Live weather update.

Just a few minutes ago, we had a nice thunderstorm roll over us here in Antelope, California. We don't get a whole lot of these puppies, and this was a nice one. Had one big thunderclap strike almost right over us, and a good amount of rain in just a few minutes. It's moved out, but here are some images from it.

Why have I blogged so much?

So I've finally broken the average of "one blog a day" for the month of October. This is the first time I've ever written more than 30/31 posts in a single month. Why?

1. Harvest Festival
This was a big event, had a lot of excitement and activity and involvement, so it was easy material

2. New job
I try to send one or two emails each week to our worship team, and I've started carrying over some of those thoughts into this space, too

3. More thinking and reading
I guess I've been doing a lot more thinking about ministry and writing and ideas and other stuff, so some of it is bound to spill over here

4. Greece trip
I didn't really do lots of blogging while in Greece, but I did lots of journaling, so I had plenty of material to share -- mostly funny stuff

5. Family inquiries
Last month, lots of friends and family were asking me what was up with the blog because I wasn't posting much

Sometimes, too much to do.

Ever feel a little overwhelmed? Not to the point of mental or emotional breakdown, but the sense that little things just aren't getting done because of all the bigger things on the schedule?

I feel that way today. I'm attempting to get some "thank you" notes written and sent to our Harvest Festival volunteers. This was an event that happened 12 days ago, and I'm just now getting around to it.

Maybe it's not a "huge" issue, but I just think it's important to thank the nearly 200 folks who volunteered and made the event a success. And the further out from the event, the odder it is to receive a "thanks" in the mail. Oh well.

Indiana Jones rocks.

This is awesome news:

"The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Volume One" was released on DVD Tuesday, the first of three boxed sets gathering all of his youthful exploits from the 1990s TV series.

Along with seven feature-length adventures, the 12-disc set packs 38 documentary segments offering historical insight into the eras, events and illustrious figures Indy encounters, including Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Thomas Edison, T.E. Lawrence and Sigmund Freud.

"If Indy just touches on it, sees it or hears about a major historical character, there's a full half-hour documentary on every one of those people," said Rick McCallum, Lucas' producing partner on "Young Indiana Jones."

I remember the shows on TV, and they were well produced as far as TV shows of that era go. I bought many of the episodes on VHS, but now I need to go get my hands on the DVDs. And the second set is supposed to come out in time to make the annual Christmas list for family members...hmm...

Trivial knowledge inside my head.

Need an example of that trivial knowledge?

Twelve years ago today, I started by first job out of college, as a reporter for the Turlock Journal.

Why do I remember October 23? Why should I remember that date?

I don't know. I just do.

Oh, and October 28 is now the anniversary of when I moved into my first house. Again, moderately trivial knowledge.

Shared just for you. Enjoy.

All kinds of fires.

UPDATED BELOW

The weather is wonderful up here in Northern California, but the same can't be true for all of our friends down to the south. This morning I came across a bunch of news articles and blog posts about the wildfires in both the L.A. and San Diego areas.

From CNN:

Helping residents who ignored evacuation orders diverted fire crews away from firefighting efforts Monday as wildfires burned out of control in the San Diego area, officials said.

"We've been unable to do any suppression effort because, in most cases, the fire resources are being used ... to do rescues," said Bill Metcalf, chief of the North County Fire Protection District in Fallbrook.

Metcalf said the wildfire situation in the San Diego area "has gotten dramatically worse overnight."

From YSMarko (Mark Oestreicher from Youth Specialties):

weird morning here in san diego. there are two fires, burning somewhat out of control, in the hills to the east of san diego. one of the fires, overnight, moved into a neighborhood to the north and east of san diego and burned down some houses. i’m still watching the news and don’t know all the details. heard from one of our seminar speakers this morning that he stayed with a friend in north county and can’t get down to the convention, because the roads are closed. a few of our ys staff live in areas where there homes will likely be evacuated soon. i’m still trying to find out if there’s any sense that i should be worried about my home - i don’t think the fire is moving to my area at this point (the fire in the north east seems to be the one that’s much worse at this point; my home is closer to the fire that’s in the south east).

From Mike Lovato:

Be praying for those in SoCal who are affected by the wildfires. It's all over the news here. And if you go outside it smells like smoke (even though our house is a decent ways from the closest fire). Also, be praying for Malibu Presbyterian Church. Their church building burnt down today in the fires.

There is also more wire service coverage from MSNBC and SFGate, plus local coverage from the L.A. Times.

UPDATE: A woman in our church passed along this item this afternoon. "Please pass on a prayer request to the team. My parent's house and brother's condo are in the path of the fires in San Diego and they were evacuated today."

5 stories worth a read: Part 15

Hmm, things have been busy over the weekend, but still time to share a few of the best stories I've encountered online:

1. In many countries, cement is crucial for growth but an enemy of green from the International Herald-Tribune

2. In Europe, a growing fervor for Elvis Presley from the International Herald Tribune

3. As Apple gains PC market share, Jobs talks of a decade of upgrades from the International Herald Tribune

4. Children detach from natural world as they explore the virtual one from the San Francisco Chronicle

5. Colbert says presidential run is no joke from Reuters (on msnbc.com).

Enjoy.

Leading people into God's presence.

This was a thought I shared in an email earlier today to our worship team:

I spent some time the other day thinking and meditating on the principle of leading people into God's presence. That really is our most important role on Sunday mornings. We don't stand on the stage to entertain. We're up there because WE spend time regularly in God's presence each day, and our Sunday experience is simply an extension of our ongoing, intimate walk with God.

What we do on Sundays is just part of the leading, the going, the experiencing, the being in God's presence. Our job ISN'T to push or prod or cajole or manipulate people into His presence. If folks don't want to seek Him, we can't make them. Our role is to walk in each week eager to be in God's presence because we've been spending time with Him. That doesn't mean being perfect, but it means living a life that glorifies and honors Him.

5 stories worth a read: Part 14

Some random browsing brought these to light:

1. U.S. Southeast reaches most severe category of drought from the International Herald Tribune

2. French strike expected to affect travel elsewhere in Europe from the International Herald Tribune

3. Mutants or saviors? Rabbit genes create trees that eat poisons from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer

4. Friction over weak dollar expected at G-7 meeting from McClatchy News Service

5. Stephen Colbert to run for president from The Associated Press (on mercurynews.com)

Enjoy!

Too many books?

I've been trying to reorganize the books in my office, to shift things away from my desk that are less relevant (i.e. youth ministry) and bring other books closer to my quick grab (i.e. worship, adult ministries, etc). I'm having mixed success. But really what occurs to me is that I own lots and lots of books. I've read many, but not sure if I can say I've read most of the ones I own.

Perhaps the best solution is to stop buying more books until I read every tome I already own.

Yea. Right.

5 stories worth a read: Part 13

Check these out. Maybe grab some popcorn, too. Or not. Your call.

1. Secret tunnels tell tale of gambling, prostitution (down in Fresno) from The Associated Press (on cnn.com)

2. Writers strike could pull plug on TV favorites on msnbc.com

3. Top secret no more, restored fort opens doors from the San Francisco Chronicle

4. U.S. Supreme Court refuses to hear Modesto case from The Modesto Bee

5. NBC overhead camera falls onto field from The Associated Press (on modbee.com)

Enjoy.

Hmm, a new Harvest Festival event?

I wonder if my boss would approve of this feature at our church:

What can you do with pumpkins? The list is not all that long. You can make pumpkin pies and breads, carve jack-o'-lanterns or use them to decorate your front porch.

Or you can send them hurling into the autumn sky at 400 mph with a 30,000-pound cannon.

It's pumpkin-chucking season!

Probably not. But still a fun idea.

I like books.

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Literate Good Citizen
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

Saw this quiz over on YSMarko's site and figured I'd give it a shot. I'd say it's pretty accurate. Anyone who's seen my stash of books knows it. But I think it's genetic, from both sides of my family. I blame, er, thank them.

Best news hour on TV.

If you're looking for a good one-hour news program that isn't filled with a bunch of idiots yelling at each other or non-significant news stories, check this out: Watch CNN each day at 9AM Pacific (noon Eastern), for "Your World Today." It's actually a broadcast from CNN International, which I've fallen in love with during my various trips to Europe. CNNI has a calmer tone than its American counterpart, which I find obnoxious (I also find Fox News and MSNBC obnoxious). Anyway, it's not quite as "serious" as the "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" over on PBS, but "Your World Today" is a good, internationally focused program that helps Americans remember that we aren't the only country of significance in the world.

More pics from Harvest Festival.

Today I received some more photos from volunteers who were part of the team at our Harvest Festival yesterday. Thought I'd share some of the really cool pics.

My day just keeps gettin' better.

Sweet! I just checked YSMarko's blog, and I won his most recent "photo in need of a caption" contest. Awesome. Now I just gotta figure out which Youth Specialties book I want as my prize (quite ironic, now that my job description has changed).

It's 6PM, the day of Harvest Festival

Wow, it's all over. Our 6th annual Harvest Festival is done, in the can, finished, complete -- and man am I tired!

We don't keep an exact count of the number of guests each year, but here are some facts that I do know:

We had more volunteers than last year

Our construction work was nearly complete by Friday night, giving us lots of time this morning for decoration and atmosphere

Our men did an incredible job handling all the cars, with more volunteers in that area than the last few years

We had lots of new faces among our volunteers, always a healthy sign

We had plenty of veterans return to help, another healthy sign

We ran out of ministry brochures within the first 90 minutes and had to print more, which has never happened before

Our "Celebrate Recovery" and "Fired-Up Ministries" booths got lots of inquiries from people

It rained much of yesterday, but no one got stuck in mud here

We gave away at least 2,000 hot dogs

It's 6PM and I can go home!

This is an incredible event each year because it shows the power of a church coming together, all of its ministries and all of its leaders and all of its team members, focused on the single cause of creating a fun, free event that sends a positive message to our community.

And at the end of the day, isn't that what a church should be doing every week? Focusing on helping others and not fighting petty battles? Working together as a team and not defining territory? Looking out for others and not worrying about the sacrifices that must be made?

An awesome day indeed.

It's 9PM the night before Harvest Festival.

It's 9PM on Friday. A small crew of us is wrapping up some projects here at the church, getting ready for our Harvest Festival tommorow.

First volunteers arrive in 10 hours.

Main set-up crew arrives in 11 hours.

First early-bird cars arrive in 14 hours.

Gates open in 15 hours.

Cleanup begins in 19 hours.

Rob crashes hard in his bed to get a good night of sleep in 23 hours.

And we pray that whatever seeds God planted in people's lives will continue to grow and eventually produce a harvest. That's why we do this!

Can you hear me now?

Horribly wonderful story about a guy who had an ear grafted onto his arm. Seriously. I can't make this stuff up. I'm not that funny.

An Australian performer who has had an ear grafted onto his forearm in the name of art has sparked controversy.

Cyprus-born Stelios Arcadiou, known as Stelarc, says his extra ear, made of human cartilage, is an augmentation of the body's form.

But surgeons questioned whether such an operation should have been carried out, given the absence of clinical need.

A patient who had similar surgery to correct a birth defect said she found the artist's work offensive.

Weird. Just plain weird.

ht to Amanda Coffman for the story

5 stories worth a read: Part 12

Hey, haven't done one of these in awhile. Guess it's been a busy season of life. Anyway, you might enjoy a trip to check out these stories:

1. In India, a $2,500 pace car from the International Herald Tribune

2. Belgians agree on one issue: foreigners from the International Herald Tribune

3. Many patients can’t name drugs they’re taking from Reuters (on msnbc.com)

4. S.F. plans market rates for prized parking spaces from The San Francisco Chronicle

5. Merced takes turn at top for lost homes from The Modesto Bee

Enjoy.

Um, excuse me?

Forgot to blog about this yesterday...

I went into my bank to make a deposit Tuesday. Walked up to the window. These were there words out of the cashier's mouth: "Did you find everything you needed?"

Um...how do you respond to that kind of question IN A BANK? I mean, that's a wonderful question at a grocery store, or a bookstore, or Wal-Mart. But at a bank? What am I supposed to find?

Good thing I wasn't feeling like too much of a wise guy, or who knows what might have come out of my mouth.

What a team.

We're 48 hours away from the official start of our 2007 Harvest Festival outreach. Wow! It's come down to the wire. Fortunately, we have a team of volunteers already on campus constructing and preparing and creating.

The last couple of years, most of our construction work -- we build various facades for the food booth, prize booth, etc. -- has happened the day OF the event. That's just madness.

This year, some of our men have really risen to the occasion, and they're working today. I'm proud to see the team working this hard and this well.

Regardless of how many people show up Saturday, it's already a winning event for our volunteers!

The single pastor.

This afternoon, one of the junior high students in our school made this comment to me:

"I can't believe you're not married," she said.

"Um, OK...why's that?" I replied.

"Because you're such a cool guy."

Kinda made me laugh when I got back into my office, thinking about what an early adolescent (or younger) kid thinks about who gets married, why people marry, how easy it must be the find the right person to marry. Gave me a chuckle and a smile.

Random moments from Greece: Part 3

21 September 2007: Irakleion, Crete

Someone on this ferry apparently thought that the hits of Lionel Richie would be a great way to send us off musically here in Irakleion. His music is playing right now. Interesting, eh? No. Not really.


22 September 2007: The road to Meteora

Rick had an interesting episode today. We ate at a restaurant along the route to Meteora. Apparently something he ate gave him food sickness, and we had to stop so he could throw up. But he only ate a salad -- one of the two things I ate at lunch. I haven't thrown up, but something else has been working through my system in other ways. Ugh.

Postscript: On the drive back to Athens, we noticed this: "All Time Classic" on the signage for the restaurant where Rick got sick.


23 September 2007: Meteora

Just finished visiting a second monastery here at Meteora. Smaller than yesterday's but still interesting, with great views. This one had some surveillance cameras all over the place, keeping an eye on us guests. Yesterday's may have had cameras too, but I wasn't looking and didn't see any.


24 September 2007: Athens

Sometimes a free flower really is a free flower. Mom was just offered a rose by a young German guy. She refused it, because she thought he was a vendor trying to sell a flower (that has happened a couple times to us). But it wasn't. It was just a free flower.

Some recent reads.

Here are some books I've recently read:

1. "Encouraging the Heart: A Leader's Guide to Rewarding and Recognizing Others," by James Kouzes and Barry Posner
As someone who's always led more from my head than my heart, I found this book inspiring, thought-provoking and encouraging. Kouzes and Posner, who wrote "The Leadership Challenge," do a good job of explaining the benefits of creating a team environment where everyone is encouraged and motivated to perform well and to reach their potential as team members. The book ends with a great to-do list of ways to encourage others and yourself.

2. "Jim & Casper go to Church," by Jim Henderson and Matt Casper
It's a quick read, but this book really forced me to reconsider the first impressions people have when walking into a church. Granted, most guests aren't going to be atheists (one of the authors is, and that's key to the book's approach), but people often do walk in with skeptical minds. At the very least, the authors' experiences gave me deeper ideas about the thoughts a first-time guest has at a church. I guess I'm just glad MY church wasn't picked...and I'm sure most other pastors would say the same thing!

CURRENT READS:
1. "Simple Church," by Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger

2. "The Complete Worship Leader," by Kevin J. Navarro

ON DECK:
1. "The Three Signs of a Miserable Job: A Fable for Managers (and their Employees)," by Patrick Lencioni

2. "In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day," by Mark Batterson

No YS = a little sadness.

I got an email today reminding me about the upcoming National Youth Workers Conference sponsored by Youth Specialties, and it made me a little sad because I won't be attending this year.

It's not a financial decision, or a schedule conflict. It's simply the career shift that happened in my life this summer. No longer a youth pastor, I can't find any way to justify attending this time around.

And that's just too bad, because it's tough to find an event for associate/worship/adult ministries people that is as much fun as a YS conference. Oh well. Life goes on, eh?

Why I value our Harvest Festival.

This coming Saturday, thousands of people will visit our church grounds for our 6th Annual Harvest Festival outreach to our community. Last night, as part of our annual vision night/business meeting, I shared some of the reasons I value Harvest Festival as a meaningful outreach effort. Here are some of those thoughts:

• I value the wisdom of veterans

Over the weekend, I spoke with one of our longtime volunteers, Marcus Vincent, and he reminded me about the first time he got involved. He was worried that it wasn't going to all come together -- but it did. Now he can look back and rest easy this week, knowing that God will provide everything we need, as we continue to work and prepare for the event.

• I value the enthusiasm of newcomers

While I was out of the country, Helen Moran made dozens and dozens and dozens of phone calls. She gave me a huge list of highlighted names, and info added to the list, and all sorts of other details. Then she asked what she could do next. I passed along a project. She got that done within a day. Then she send me an email asking for a new project. And then another, and another. Such enthusiasm!
I'm also enthusiastic that Pastor Randall and our Celebrate Recovery team will have a booth at the event this year. We know from experience that many hurting people will be on our church grounds that day. This is a great chance to connect them with a ministry that can help them with their hurts, hangups and habits!

• I value the smiles of guests

That's really what each person is Saturday: a guest. They're coming to our church, and we need to treat them with dignity and respect as our guests. Some of them will be happy guests, and some will be rude, unhappy guests. But we still treat them correctly and have the right attitude -- even if they don't!

• I value the sacrifices of our congregation

Sunday morning, we had a first-time guest at church who offered to donate some portable bathrooms for the event. We've never had that donation before! We have so many people willing to sacrifice their time and energy. Our parking areas are already done because of the hard work of David Sherr and Javier Moran, who spent all day Friday preparing the ground.

• I value the prayers of the team

We ask all our volunteers to take time this week to pray for the rest of the team, pray for the guests, and pray for the spiritual seeds that will be planted in people's lives this weekend.

Just around the corner.

We're just 3 hours from our annual business meeting here at the church. We don't like calling these things "business meetings," because it's really about the vision and direction of the ministries and leadership team.

We've ordered a bunch of pies from Marie Callendar's, along with whipped cream and ice cream. Pastoral staff members are working on some cool, passionate presentations, and we will have a board member election at the end of the evening.

Right now a team of volunteers is working around the church grounds, getting things ready for tonight. So, I should get back to work with them!

Yep, it snowed.

Here's how Tioga Pass looks today, after the storm that came through on Thursday and Friday. Didn't bring huge amounts and didn't drop much on lower elevations, but it appears winter has begun a little bit early for parts of the Sierra. And we can all say yes and amen to a good snow year in the mountains!

Will snow arrive?

Apparently, we have a storm system moving our way that could drop some measurable snow over the Sierra. That would be awesome, considering how dry last season was. So, I've posted this image from this afternoon up at Tioga Pass in Yosemite NP, elevation around 9,000 feet (I think). By tomorrow afternoon or Saturday morning, I hope I can post a snow-filled image from their webcam. Oh, and it might rain here, too. That's a good thing.

Random moments from Greece: Part 2

15 September 2007: Athens
We're continuing to see tortoises here in Athens. Very weird. First one was near the Acropolis a couple of days ago. Then we saw some while watching through the National Gardens. So far, we're up to 4 tortoises. I lived here for six months and never saw any. Weird.


15 September 2007: Athens
Large man, loud music, small car. I was expecting that we would get passed by a Mercedes or a BMW, but it was just a guy in a Smart car.


18 September 2007: Crete
We went driving today. End up way in the northeast corner of Crete, around Vai. If you have to pay to park at a beach, leave! That's what we did. We kept driving on the road, with some winding roads and slow drivers along the way. Mom got some pictures of goats along the side of the road. We reached signs telling us we couldn't take pictures because we were in a military area. Then we saw signs telling us to turn around -- because we were in a military area. Oops.


19 September 2007: Crete
Along the national road, there's a sign saying it's 64 kilometers to Agios Nikolaos (where our hotel was). A few km later, we see another sign...saying we have 65 km to go. Huh??


19 September 2007: Agios Nikolaos, Crete
So, who are these 6 percent? We just a report on CNN International saying 80 percent of people surveyed believe O.J. Simpson was guilty of those murders in 1994, and 14 percent don't think he did it. So who are the 6 percent who can't decide one way or the other?


19 September 2007: Agios Nikolaos, Crete
Sorry folks, but I just don't think soccer is terribly interesting to watch. We have two soccer options on TV right now, but I just don't get much out of watching soccer on TV.

Random moments from Greece: Part 1

11 September 2007: Frankfurt
We were walking through passport control, with long lines. Suddenly, one of only two lines for non-EU people closed, sending that line into ours. Needless to say, people were quite upset. One guy started yelling, "Wake up Germany! Open up the gates!" Remarkably, he wasn't arrested. But many people's tempers were rather short. Ironically, just as we reached the passport control, they opened up several more lines. Lucky us.


11 September 2007: Athens
This is pretty cool. I'm in Athens with Mom and Pepie; we just ate dinner. We stopped at a business owned by some of our extended friends here, and a woman just bought a copy of the Sandie Morgan's Greek cookbook. Pretty cool.


14 September 2007: Athens, National Gallery of Art
Translations in art museums can be fun. Just walked past an artwork translated as "The Holly Trinity." Hmmm...


14 September 2007: Temple of Poseidon, Sounion
I didn't come all the way to Greece to listen to some Americans debate politics. But that's what I've been hearing for the last few minutes. Ugh. Had a couple of ignorant tourists (not Americans, btw) go past barriers here at the temple. That just bugs me. The guy even went up to the temple and put his hand on it. Why? Because his lady was taking a picture of him.


15 September 2007: Athens
While walking through Plaka, heard a restaurant guy attempt to get a potential customer's attention by saying "konichiwa," even though the guy clearly wasn't Japanese. (And no, I wasn't the potential customer.)

Gotta return to my blogging ways.

I only blogged six times in September. Yes, I was out of the country for two weeks, but I apparently lacked the writing energy to post my thoughts. I sure hope Josh doesn't disown me as a blogging friend...

Traveling far from home.

Here are some thoughts that I had while visiting the ancient Minoan site of Malia on Crete, during my recent trip to Greece...

It's hard to imagine living a lifetime without traveling more than a few miles from your birthplace. I can't even imagine never leaving a single state, like many of my former students who had never left California. I guess I'm a reflection of my family's habits and the current state of my culture.

Growing up, our parents traveled. A lot. We moved 4 times before I was 9 years old. I've visited 45 of the 50 U.S. states, and much of that happened while on family trips. I've been to Canada several times, Mexico four times and Europe six times. Family members have been part of many of those trips.

And it's just so easy -- though, perhaps not always cheap -- to get on a plane and be on the other side of world. Sure, it might take 2 or 3 or 4 flights to get there, and it might require nearly 24 hours of travel. But you can't travel on a train for 24 hours and end up in Europe or the Middle East. You can't hop on a steamship and do it, either. Today's culture truly has made the world "smaller" and easier to experience.

The irony for me is that I don't get the same "feeling" when I travel, that I once did. Yes, I just returned from two weeks in Greece. It was awesome. Had great time. Good memories with my mom and brother and friends. No regrets. And yet, it doesn't hold the same level of "magic" that travel once did. Maybe I've traveled to Europe too many times. Perhaps I should go to Africa or Asia or South America. I love traveling, and I never want it to become routine or boring. It's a long way of reaching that stage, and I never want it to get there.

Back home.

Yep, I'm home. And I'm tired. No real posting tonight. Maybe updates throughout the week on how my trip to Greece went. Bye.

Nice quiet day.

So, today wasn't really a sightseeing day. We all slept in (which everyone should do as part of a vacation), then we relaxed around the hotel grounds for most of the day. We drove into the nearby town, Agios Nicolaos (St Nicolas), for lunch and some walking and some great Greek ice cream. But that was the biggest part of the day.

It's been really muggy here today. We've been blessed with great weather throughout our time in Greece. This was the first "bad" weather day we've had, and it's tough to call it bad compared to some of the weather they're having in Paris or London or other parts of Europe this week. We're content with highs in the 80s and 90s, even if today had its touch of humidity.

Tomorrow is our final day on Crete. We don't return the rental car until the early evening, and our ferry leaves at 9PM for Athens. We arrive early Saturday morning, and then we drive with a friend up to a place called Meteora, which has some of the most incredible monasteries imaginable. Once again, photo-posting will have to wait until we're back home next week. I've shot more than 200 digital pics and I've used about 5 film rolls so far. I only brought 8 rolls with me, so I've tried to conserve them.

That's it for today. Hope your Thursday is beginning well, going well or ending well -- depending on when you read this!

Crazy driving.

Well, we're over on Crete now. It's been a great week. Lots of sun and fun and sightseeing. We rented a car, so that's allowed us to drive ALL over the island to see stuff. It also created the setting for today's hilarious moment...

I was driving this morning. To fully understand this story, you need to realize that Greek drivers -- well, they take certain liberties while driving that few Americans ever would (with the exception of some of my teenage friends, I guess). Speed limits are suggestions. Lines are recommendations. Shoulders are second lanes. And honestly, it's hard to avoi picking up some of their driving habits while here.

So... I was driving this morning. We weren't far from our destination. We came around a bend in the road, and this big-rig was driving "too slow" for our desires. So I made my way around to pass him...even though it was a double line. And you have to understand...most cars move over to the right shoulder, so you never really even leave the lane while passing another vehicle. But for SOME reason, this truck didn't.

I soon saw the reason.

There before my eyes was a police officer. He was standing next to his motorcycle, and he signaled for me to pull over. Ugh! I did. And then I played the dumb American tourist and didn't use ANY of my Greek to talk with him. I gave him my passport and my international drivers license. I then showed him our rental registration form for the car. He checked it all out, gave it back to me, thanked me and sent us on our way. That was it! No ticket, no warning statement. Nada. Rien. Tipota. Nothing.

This is the SECOND time this year that I've been pulled over by a cop yet escaped with nothing more than a warning. I'm sure there's some kind of life lesson in here somewhere. Maybe.

Headed on to Crete.

Hey folks, we're leaving Athens in just a few hours, on our way down to Crete, where we'll spend most of the next week. Athens has been a lot of fun. It's always good to see folks and visit places you haven't seen in several years. Our weather has been pretty much perfect all week long, so that's enhanced the overall experience.

A few odd notes:

1. We've encountered tortoises on this trip. Yes, tortoises. We're up to either 4 or 5 so far, and we've seen them in odd places. Not sure why they're here and why I never saw even 1 back when I lived here. Weird.

2. Ran into some rather ignorant folks at the Temple of Poseidon yesterday, out at the edge of this region. There are very clear barriers that keep guests from touching the actual temple, but these two bright individuals chose to walk past those barriers -- twice. Ugh.

3. We visited an art museum yesterday, featuring various art pieces from the 19th and 20th century here in Greece. Wasn't something I would have planned to see, but my brother thought it would be a good idea, and he was right.

Well, that's enough for no. I'll update sometime while in Crete, and pics once we're back in the States. Cya!

I'm not dead. Seriously.

Yeah, yeah...it's been way too long since I've posted! Some of you have probably dropped me off your must-read list because I've been so silent for so long.

No good excuse. But I am in Greece right now on a two-week vacation with my mom and my brother. We're having fun in Athens, seeing some fun sites and catching up with some friends over here (I lived here in 2000-2001). This weekend we head to Crete for a few days on the island, which will be fun.

I've taken a bunch of pics, but mainly with my film camera, so you'll have to wait until I get home to see those.

It's likely I'll post from time to time, depending on Internet access. It's easier to find than it used to be, but it's still a little bit of a luxury in some corners. In any case, enjoy this post and eagerly await my next one!

Healthy churches rock.

Don't you love just going to church when things are healthy? People go because they love God, they want to serve others, they want to live meaningful lives. I love that kind of atmosphere.

You know the kind of atmosphere that disgusts me? When people let their personal agendas and their wounds and their bitterness contaminate other people. That's just no fun. Sometimes there is no other answer than the back door.

This news stinks.

It's always possible NBC and Apple will work out a new deal, but right now they don't seem to be on good speaking terms.

Apple Inc. escalated a dispute with NBC Universal over the pricing of television shows by announcing Friday it would not sell any of NBC's programs for this fall season on iTunes.

Earlier, NBC had told Apple that it would no longer allow its programs to be sold via iTunes at the end of the year. NBC Universal-controlled television programming accounts for an estimated 40 percent of the video downloads on iTunes.

"We are disappointed to see NBC leave iTunes because we would not agree to their dramatic price increase," said Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president of iTunes. "We hope they will change their minds and offer their TV shows to the tens of millions of iTunes customers."

Rather than cut off NBC programs in the middle of the season, Apple decided to stop before the new fall episodes premiere next month, he said.

Average mediocrity.

Once again, a month will close without my posting at least one thought per day average. I've yet to hit that mark. Some friends seem to flow forth with great brilliance each day. Yet I do not. So for now, I'm settle for my mid-20 output each month. Maybe I'll have more to say in my new role...

Updated profile.

I just realized my profile still said I was the youth pastor at my church. Seeing how I've now had my final youth events, programs, classes and service with the students, it was time to "upgrade" the title.

While there, I opted for a new question, too.

BLOGGER ASKS THIS:
"Do you believe that forks are evolved from spoons?"

ROB ANSWERS THIS:
"No. More like intelligent re-design."

Sometimes my witticism amazes even me.

Vending machines rule.

I've tried to cut back on the number of times I visit vending machines to buy a soda or a candy bar. And that's OK, because there are still plenty of other reasons to hit up a vending machine. Here are two recent experiences

iPODS AND SUCH
While walking through the halls of the, um, mighty Indianapolis International (?) Airport earlier this month, I encountered one of those cool iPod vending machines. Lost yours on the plane? Forgot it at home? Got 150 bucks just sittin' around in your pocket begging to be spent? This is the answer! Seriously, it seemed to attract lots of attention from passers-by but no one stopped to buy anything. Still, it's cool.


MAPS FROM AAA
And then today, I needed a map from AAA. I went to our nearest office, and what did I see but a vending machine with maps and tour guides! How cool! Now I can avoid those awkward interactions with, um, what are they called -- oh yea, people! All I have to do is slide my AAA card into the slot, select my map, and presto! It drops like a can of soda! Wow. So awesome. That whole talking and interacting with real people thing is so overrated anyway.

An exciting step for our church.

Tonight, a group of folks from our church gathered in the nearby community of North Highlands to pray, dream and see what God has in store for us. The door is opening for us to launch new outreaches into these neighborhoods, which are plagued with crime of all sorts.

Earlier this year, an 18-year-old young man was killed in a drive-by shooting. Some of his relatives attend our church, and we held the funeral for Joseph. God began stirring something in the heart of our senior pastor that a door was opening to begin reaching people who would never walk into our church on a Sunday morning.

Well, after a series of setbacks and many doubts, the door has opened! But not just one door -- two opportunities have emerged. On Sunday, September 9 we'll hold a concert on the campus of a nearby high school. That's a miracle and an answered prayer.

And tonight's gathering was to pray about this second, unexpected opportunity: a small ministry that rents space in the middle of North Highlands, just blocks from where Joseph was shot and killed. Aida, the woman who is renting the facility, has been praying and praying that God would bring along a ministry partner that would help her reach more people in her community -- and we believe this is the right fit for our church and her ministry!

It was incredible tonight to hear from one guy in our church who's been clean for 137 days, and another who's been clean for 120 days, and another who's been clean for more than 3 years now. We're believing for even greater miracles and changed lives in the months ahead.

5 stories worth a read: part onze

Taking a break from a project for a few minutes, I came across these lovely morsels:

1. As China rises, pollution soars from the International Herald Tribune

2. The Iraq war is not like others, or is it? from the International Herald Tribune

3. UC Merced freshmen find a new home from The Modesto Bee

4. Where will Bush rank in presidential history? from McClatchy Newspapers (via The Modesto Bee)

5. Study finds emotional trauma can alter size of a child's brain from the San Francisco Chronicle

Dig in and enjoy.

Wild wildfires in Greece.

Came across this image online as I was sifting through some news websites. Pretty incredible view of all the wildfires in Greece.

Buncha fires in Greece.

I'm going to Greece next month with my mom and brother, but it sounds like the country is having all kinds of problems with fires right now:

Fires pushed by gale-force winds tore through more parched forests, swallowed villages and scorched the edges of Athens on Saturday with ashes raining onto the Acropolis. The death toll rose to at least 49 as the government declared a nationwide state of emergency.

Soldiers and military helicopters reinforced firefighting forces that were stretched to the limit by Greece's worst summer of wildfires in decades. In the most ravaged area — a string of mountain villages in southern Greece — rescue crews picked through a grim aftermath that spoke of last-minute desperation as the fires closed in.

Dozens of charred bodies were found across fields, homes, along roads and in cars, including the remains of a mother hugging her four children.

And new fronts emerged. Dozens of fresh fires broke out across the country — including some blamed on arson — with the worse infernos concentrated in the mountains of southern Greece.

5 stories worth a read: part dix

1. Scientists detect change in planet Uranus' rings from the San Francisco Chronicle (on sfgate.com)

2. Police probe MedicAlert theft: Ex-worker accused of e-mailing patient records to herself from The Modesto Bee

3. Merkel's coalition puts stability before change from the International Herald Tribune

4. Game widows grieve ‘lost’ spouses: Mates have become consumed with ‘World of Warcraft,’ Second Life from msnbc.com

5. Crime in the naked city is just a prank from The Sacramento Bee

Enjoy.

Hey, I know that guy on the billboard!

Strange experience yesterday. I was driving along a major street near our church, and I glanced up at a billboard and thought I knew the guy on the sign! In fact, I was pretty convinced it was Mike Tuck, a professional angler who attends our church.

It turns out Mike's primary sponsor for the upcoming season is Hydrate 2-O, and it's one of their billboards. There's another billboard in Roseville/Rockline with ultimate fighter Urijah Faber and then a third one downtown with both guys on it. And there are at least 3 buses in town with the ads on them.

Pretty cool.

I agreed with Mike when he said it's kinda weird to see yourself up on a billboard. But as I pointed out, I'd rather see myself on a product endorsement sign than on one of those "most wanted" signs!

5 stories worth a read: part neuf

Check these out. Some pretty good choices today.

1. Turlock Students Face First Day with No Cell Phones from News 10/ABC affiliate in Sacramento

2. Barack Obama gets name-dropped in hip-hop from cnn.com

3. United adding digital TV from Bloomberg News (on iht.com)

4. Hollywood studios split on format to replace standard DVD from the International Herald Tribune

5. College knowledge relegates more to history; What’s the Berlin Wall? Incoming freshmen grew up after the Cold War from The Associated Press (on iht.com)

Enjoy!

Worship God in the middle of it all.

A thought shared with our worship team after a technically challenging Sunday!

I'm a big believer in doing everything with excellence because it's a reflection of our commitment to God. But I also know that life throws us curveballs, and we always have to be ready for those unexpected moments. I've learned, through trial and error, that it's always better to deal with problems and challenges head-on, instead of trying to ignore them or pretend they don't exist. When they microphones go dead in the middle of worship, what do we do? We pretend that the only instrument in the house is our voice! We sing acapella and lift up a joyful noise and declare that our God is great! We roll with it, and through our actions and responses, perhaps we encourage others to remember that worship isn't about slick performances or a picture-perfect life. Worship is honoring God and demonstrating our devotion IN SPITE of all the challenges.

I look up to the mountains- does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord , who made the heavens and the earth!
He will not let you stumble and fall; the one who watches over you will not sleep.
Indeed, he who watches over Israel never tires and never sleeps.
The Lord himself watches over you! The L ord stands beside you as your protective shade.
The sun will not hurt you by day, nor the moon at night.
The Lord keeps you from all evil and preserves your life.
The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.
Psalm 121

This scares me.

I probably need to say a few Hail Mary's this week to make up for the results of this silly online test (apologies to my Catholic brethren and sistren in the mix). I'm evil? Harsh.

I AM
79%
MEGATRON
Take the Transformers Quiz

Megatron
Megatron is the leader of the Decepticons. He will stop at nothing to establish his empire and destroy the Autobots, starting with Optimus Prime.

Like Megatron, you are evil, motivated by destruction and chaos. You are inspiring, confident, and a natural leader. The Decepticons have chosen well. In addition, you enjoy technology and are aware of the latest trends, but you stick with what works for you.


ht to Taffy for this

Goodbye, early 30s.

Today is the final day of my early 30s. Back in my 20s, I had a conversation with a friend about exactly how to divide each decade. Our solution was quite brilliant: the "early" years are 0-3; the "mid-" years are 4-6; and the "late" years are 7-9. So, a 22-year-old is in his "early" 20s, while a 28-year-old is in her "late" 20s.

And now I'm in my 30s. Tomorrow I turn 34, ushering in the beginning of my mid-30s. I just stepped into a new ministry role at my church. I own my own home. I drive a moderately new car that isn't falling apart and isn't covered in oxidized paint. I've got a great family, with a wife and 2 kids. (Well, OK, haven't quite gotten to that part yet...)

Now sure if I'm happy or sad to see my early 30s ending. Perhaps I'm just in a reflective mood tonight. Seasons of change tend to do that to me.

Change the worship forecast.

I shared this today with our worship team, as part of my new role working with that team and many of our adult ministries. I thought it was worth reposting here:

Supposedly it's August outside, but I'm sure enjoying this spring/fall type weather. Somehow it just makes things less tiring and makes the outdoors a little bit more appealing when our temps are in the 90s and even the 80s!

The weather forecasters say it's going to be a great Sunday, with highs in the upper 80s. Incredible! These forecasters use all kinds of maps and gauges and devices to predict the weather, but no matter what they say or do, they can't AFFECT or SHAPE the weather. It will be what it will be.

But did you realize that you and I can AFFECT and SHAPE the "weather" in our services each Sunday? Our hearts and attitudes and lives will affect the atmosphere in the Sanctuary at 11AM Sunday. If our hearts are filled with anger or bitterness or frustration or greed or lust or resentment -- any fruit that ISN'T the godly fruit of the spirit -- then we're bringing "down" the atmosphere. But when we walk in and our hearts are filled with love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and gentleness and faithfulness and self-control, then we help to "raise" the atmosphere. Incredible isn't it!

That doesn't mean we walk in wearing a "happy Christian mask." That doesn't mean we hide the pain we've experienced over the last week. That doesn't mean we pretend we're perfect. But it means that we prepare our hearts LONG before 10:59AM on a Sunday. That means we're worshiping God all week, not just during our set of songs each weekend. It means our choices and lifestyles during the week honor God and set an example for the people around us. It means our attitudes and actions on Sunday draw people closer to God. It means that as we stand on the platform, lifting our hands, clapping our hands, singing out praises to God (or playing our instruments for His glory), we are setting the temperature and atmosphere for the rest of the congregation. We're leading people into God's presence through our attitudes and actions and heart condition. And that's just an awesome thought. The weather forecaster can't change the weather. But worshipers can change the atmosphere of worship.

5 stories worth a read: part huit.

Some good stuff online today.

1. CD celebrates 25th anniversary from cnn.com

2. Beijing pulls cars off the road to clear smog ahead of Olympic Games from the International Herald Tribune

3. U.S. moves to declare Eritrea a 'state sponsor of terrorism' from the Associated Press (on iht.com)

4. What happens inside an earthquake? from msnbc.com

5. Pinole councilman, facing recall, enlists in the Army from the San Francisco Chronicle (on sfgate.com)

Enjoy.

Sorry I'm late to The Office.

I'm ashamed to admit this. I've only recently become a fan of The Office. It's not that the show started weak and has improved. It's just that, um, well, I only recently started watching.

And that's embarrassing to admit!

Last week I downloaded the entire first season (gee, all 6 episodes) so I could watch on my iPod while traveling to and from Indianapolis. I finally got around to viewing yesterday on the way home. Advice: Don't watch hilarious shows on your iPod in the middle of an airport. You'll get strange looks from other travelers as you truly LOL.

Anyway, it's now time to download the second season and enjoy more of the hilarious, painful, authentic, gutwrenching fun!

Thoughts from General Council, Part 1

If you're not affiliated with the Assemblies of God, some of the next few posts might feel foreign to you. I just spent a week in Indianapolis, Indiana, for our denomination's biennial General Council meeting, and most of my posts from there were pretty harmless. Talked about the weather. Mentioned friends and more friends I ran into during the week. Nothing too deep. But I'm home now, so time to offer some opinions.

(As a disclaimer, part of the reason I didn't blog many opinions during the week is because I cover the business sessions each time for the Council Today newspaper. The paper's produced by our headquarters PR office, so most folks know we're not going around digging up dirt or focusing on the negative stuff. But I still do my best to distance my reporting work from my opinions as a license A/G minister, who has the right to comment from the floor but chooses not to because of my role each time.)

This year's GC revealed that many ministers in our fellowship are unhappy about a number of things. This isn't a new revelation, but a mix of new technology and a greater willingness to speak openly has brought it to the forefront. I don't think any of the disgruntled or disillusioned folks walked away totally happy from Indianapolis. In fact, I know many of them left even more upset and maybe even ready to leave the A/G.

There is a growing sentiment among some of our younger pastors (generally meant by 45 years or younger) that they aren't represented well by our older leaders. As a sweeping generationalization, I'd agree. Most older ministers I know (let's say 60 or older) aren't exactly in touch with younger leaders...in much the same way that many of our younger pastors aren't exactly in touch with the needs of older leaders or older folks in their churches (if there even ARE any older folks in their churches).

Many younger ministers are seeking new ways of doing ministry, new freedoms in associating with other churches and leaders, new strategies and methods and paradigms for ministering to an increasingly non-Christian, un-Christian, post-Christian society. Many older ministers feel increasingly disconnected from a culture that bears little resemblance to what they knew growing up, and too many of them associate the younger leaders with the culture as a whole. Too many of our younger leaders associate the older generation with the stale, predictable, organ-and-choir-robes ministries of the past.

Some younger ministers believe an effective way to increase their voice and impact is to increase the number of younger ministers in key leadership roles. They believe that a greater diversity on a national level -- age, gender and ethnic diversity -- will result in a fellowship that is more open to new ideas and new leaders and new strategies.

Several attempts were made at this year's General Council to address some of these issues. One of the oddest moments came Friday when we failed to approve a plan that would add an extra 10 percent membership to our General Presbytery (GP), a key policy-making body. These extra members would have been women and ministers under 40. But then we turned around and added 2 slots to our Executive Presbytery (EP), basically our CEO/Board of Directors group, one for a female minister and one for a minister under 40.

Why the contradiction? It's really all a matter of politics. Both changes required a two-thirds vote of the body. The GP vote came first. After vigorous (though predictable) debate, a voice vote was taken. Clearly, a majority of delegates approved. But did two-thirds approve? A pastor challenged the vote from the floor, we used our electronic voting devices (one of the coolest things from this year, worthy of a later post) and it turned out "only" 62.8 percent of us approved. So the measure failed.

Later in the day we debated the EP proposal. More of our national leaders spoke in support, and this time, the measure was approved. Weird, perhaps. But the critics have missed the point: Yes, the GP plan failed. Yes, more national leaders should have spoken up.

But come on, guys! Four years ago in Washington, D.C., the delegates rejected a plan to add THREE women to the GP. It wasn't even a close vote! And this year we ALMOST added 30 women and younger ministers. Progress can be slow sometimes, but progress is happening.

An even better example: Zollie Smith, president of the Black Fellowship of the A/G, has been an executive presbyter since 2002. He stepped into that role after the fellowship created a spot specifically for representing our various ethnic fellowships (we have a separate spot just for our Hispanic fellowships). This week, Smith was elected our executive director of U.S. Missions -- one of the top 6 executive positions.

Oh, and in the voting for our assistant superintendent, the second place finisher is 45 years old (Doug Clay), and the third place finisher is a woman (Beth Grant).

That isn't progress?

Yes, I realize it isn't fast enough for some. There are times I'd like things to radically change overnight. But the Assemblies of God is a 93-year-old group that has become more like a denomination than just a fellowship of likeminded ministers and churches.

Yes, the GC rejected a plan to create "relational districts" that churches could join regardless of where in the U.S. they were located. I think the idea is intriguing but the bottom line is, if you approve a measure like this, you're basically setting the death watch for many geographic districts. Maybe that's not a bad thing! But let's approach it differently. Besides, this was the first time the idea was floated nationally. Try it again in 2009, or 2011.

Sure, some of our churches "can't wait" that long because of all the rules that forbid pastors from joining other organizations or creating affiliation networks or ignoring sectional and district activities (oh wait...we don't have rules like that). But some of these churches are ready to bail on the A/G anyway because of years of frustration or discontent, or because of theological disagreements. That is unfortunate, because we need to be open at a national level to examine and re-examine our theology. That's a sign of strength not weakness. Regardless, a relational district concept might not even retain some churches or ministers that are ready to leave.

Our fellowship is at a crucial place in its history. We just elected a general superintendent who's 65 years old -- but he has a law degree, graduated from a liberal arts college, pastored in Costa Mesa, California, was a district official in Southern California, and was the best chapel speaker I ever heard in 4 years at Evangel College. I believe George O. Wood is the right man for where we are today. Maybe a Doug Clay or a Beth Grant will emerge in 4 or 6 years to take a national role (Clay got elected to the EP, so he's already part of the way there).

Patience, love and understanding. That's what older AND younger ministers in our fellowship need right now. When everyone's shouting at the same time, no one's listening and no one's truly communicating.

Deodorant was needed.

Ugh, I sat near a guy today who wasn't wearing any (or maybe just not enough) deodorant on my flight from Indy to Chicago. Fortunately, it's just a 35-minute flight. The people around me on the Chicago-Sac flight were must more well groomed. Which is good, 'cause that was 4 1/2 hours long. But I'm home. Tired. Had great week back in Indy. I'll try to post couple times on Monday, get caught up on stuff. But not right now. Too tired. Adios.

Faces and names, vol. 2

Some more folks I saw today here at General Council in Indianapolis:

• Andy Denton
• Matt Wilkie
• Jason and Jill St. John
• Brett Hendrickson (in person, over lunch)
• Chuck Cox
• Glenn Bernet
• Helen Waggoner
• John Maempa
• Vance Turnage

And a whole bunch of other people I ran into on Monday or Tuesday. That's one of my personal highlights from our convention every two years: seeing people I know yet seem to only run into at Council!

Wow he did it!

Like him or not, but Barry Bonds just set the new HR record! Wow!

Faces and names.

OK, so far at General Council, I've caught up with the following:

• Josh Wellborn
• Paul Logdsdon
• Dan & the Council Today Crew
• Mel "we only see each other every two years at Council" Surface
• Juleen Turnage
• PR office staff
• Ken Horn
• Brett Hendrickson (via text; that counts, right?)

I'm sure I'm forgetting folks, but the odds are they won't be reading my blog, anyway.

It's really hot here in Indy.

Ugh. Warm and muggy. I hate this weather. Seriously. I don't just dislike it, or have strongly negative feelings toward it. I really, truly, honestly hate muggy weather. Yes. Hate.

I'm back here in Indianapolis for a week for my denomination's General Council meetings. These happen every two years and we meet in a different city each time. Because we always meet in early August and we usually congregate in the Midwest or East, the weather typically is miserable.

Indy is no exception. Highs have been in the 90s with high humidity. When I got picked up Monday at the airport by college buddy Josh Wellborn, we went to the store to buy some snackage. Getting out of his air conditioned van, my glasses steamed up because of how warm and muggy it was outside. Yuck.

But I'll make it through, thanks to all the water I'll drink and all the time I'll spend indoors. I cover the business sessions for the daily newspaper produced by the public relations office, so this isn't a vacation week. My senior pastor is awesome, that he allows me to do this every two years; it's a fun opportunity and a great chance to see old college friends, former employers and co-workers, and even a relative or two.

Not sure how much I'll be posting from the various sessions. My main focus is writing articles, so the blog writing will take a backseat. But I might be able to catch up in slower moments and share some of the highlights from workshops and business sessions. We'll see!

Time to Transition.

Well, the day finally has arrived. I'm no longer the youth pastor at my church. I've now moved into the role of worship/adult ministries pastor. It's been an incredible four years working with our students, but I know God's hand is in this change.

He's been stirring something inside of me for many months. Wasn't quite sure what He was doing most of the time, but as far back as February or March, I knew He was up to something. And just the other week at summer camp, I finally experienced the release and the peace to know that it was time to take this step.

I'm excited about the new role. I've been working with our 11AM worship team for the last month, since our worship pastor left our staff. Things have flowed much better than I had anticipated, and I really began to feel God shifting my attitude and perspective on where and how to serve this congregation.

Of course, that doesn't mean it will be easy for the students. They're handling it in different ways, with different mixes of acceptance, anger, excitement, disappointment -- all the emotions we feel in a big transition.

But I've reminded them that this transition is different from a "typical" departure of a youth pastor because I'm not going anywhere. Yes, my role is changing. Yes, we'll be hiring someone to oversee youth. Yes, that person will become their primary leader (or leader of leaders). But I'll still be around, still be visible, still be available in some capacity as a staff pastor. And I'll be there to encourage them to give the new person a shot, to pray for that person, to remain active in ministry, to keep their focus on God and not just on the circumstances.

So, here's to the next chapter!

Bourne hits big again.

I don't usually do movie reviews, but I gotta spread the word and the love for "Bourne Ultimatum." I'm a huge fan of the first two flicks, and this third one keeps the adrenaline flowing, the action moving, and the fists flying.

I'm not gonna give away any major plot twists, and there are several that will interest fans of the franchise. Let's just say that "Ultimatum" answers a lot of questions from the earlier movies in a consistent fashion to what we've already seen. Some old characters return, some new ones are introduced, and a few people are killed along the way.

At the same time, the movie manages to make some political statements about it would be like to live in a world where your government could hack into your email, tap your phones and track your every move -- even if you're an American citizen. Sure glad we don't live in a world like that...

Anyway, it was a blast, the best movie I've seen this summer (yes, different from yet better than even "Transformers"), and I'm sure I'll be back to see it at least once more while it's in theaters.