2 Days - Part 2

Well, the "2 Days with Rob Bell" event is over now.

It will take me a while to process some of the things that were said.  Regardless of content though...I've come back hoping for renewed discipline in some areas of life, with renewed inspiration in others, with more hope than I came with, and with 1 random thing that I hope Rob changes about his life.

Besides the hours spent in a room with 50ish other people and Rob, surfing with Rob (just a small group of us) and a dinner with him (again just a small group of us) were some of the unique fun times as well.

My face, and the tops of my feet are both a little more red than Sunday though my Spirit has been marked by the experience in less physical, but to me, more noticeable ways.

Day 1 of 2

I'm spending my "2 Days with Rob Bell" this week and its half over.

Spent time talking about Identity, Innovation, Invention, Spiral Dynamics, Communication, Criticism, Care for the soul, Care for the family, and many tangents.

It's been a lot to process, and i'm sure it will take me a while to process it.

One of my goals has been to take in the information fairly objectively.  By that I mean, not to hear the information and immediately apply it to one area of mine or another's life but to let it sit for a while so I can see what rings most true.  This has been good for me.  Not thinking immediately of a ministry change, but instead thinking of what evaluative questions I need to ask of myself as a leader has set this conference up to change me for a long term of ministry and not just some short term excitements within a ministry program.

Looking forward to processing some of this in writing after it settles a little more in my head.

Time Spent Walking

I spent most of my memorial day walking.

Flew to California early in the morning and checked into my hotel at about 10:15 Pacific time.

Walked the beach for a couple of hours before lunch.

After lunch, probably took about a 10 mile walk up an down the beach before dinner.

After dinner I only walked about a block to a grocery store to stock up some snacks for the hotel room and have been watching t.v. for the evening, though I may go listen to the waves for a bit before sleeping.

Looking forward to the next two days trying to learn as much as I can to improve myself as a communicator/pastor.

No Evenings

This week is packed with meetings, weddings, dinners, events, services, ect...

There isn't an evening I have free.  Actually, there isn't a day (usually friday/saturday) that I have free either.

Nice way to pass the time leading up to my California trip I suppose.

Back To The Real World

Well, after 6 days of fun (some video games, some golf, some men's retreat) it is time to rejoin the real world with work tomorrow.

While I was away, the blog hit a milestone that is unseen to the rest of you....it passed its 10,000th view.

That means I've wasted lots of peoples time :)

Morning and Night Games

This morning I played golf again.  It was an up and down experience.

4 over after 2 holes.

Holes 15-17 were played in 7 over.

The other 13 holes combined I played much better.

I drove the green on a par 4.  But then three putted for par.

That was the morning game.

Night games start soon.  The video game of the year (Diablo 3) and most awaited game since my adolescence (it's precedent was finished 12 years ago) arrives at midnight.

These two games will consume my week.  Video games Tuesday and Wednesday.  Golf at men's retreat on Thurs-Friday.

Life is rough for this career aged adult :)

Par

Jenny and I went golfing with another couple this morning.

Jenny got her first ever par and played better than she ever has.

It was awesome!

Tentative Plans

The dates have changed after being told to me before, but right now the plan is that July 8th will be the next time I preach the Sunday morning services at Grace Fellowship.

The preaching schedule shows that our church will be in the middle of a series entitled "You Asked For It" where the topics are all taken from congregational requests and write-ins.  Unless told otherwise, I assume I'll be answering/preaching on a topic submitted by our congregation and picked for that series.

If you are in the area, and the date doesn't change, feel free to come on by.

Truly a Digital Age

At work today, our internet service and our server were down.

That left most of us wondering what to do.  No access to our files, the internet, or our printers.

We had our staff meeting, but couldn't pass around the agendas, they couldn't be printed.

Most of the afternoon, the staff spent...cleaning.  Organizing things we had ignored.  Clearing out spaces that had seen more bugs die in them, than people utilize them in the last few years.

We didn't know how to do our "normal" tasks, so we resorted to doing the things we've been putting off, deeming unimportant for so long.

All i think it really showed was how digitally reliant we really are.  Tomorrow, if the technology works again, I imagine not many people will be found cleaning.

Lock-In

Youth Pastors often throw Lock-Ins for their youth groups.  All night events that teenagers seem to love.

The Young Adults asked for one.  I've never liked throwing them, but did find it much easier with Young Adults than with teenagers.

After the night of not sleeping, and a party at our house, I actually decided to go to bed at 8:15.

The 12 hours of sleep wasn't enough to recover.  I'm excited for sleep again tonight.

Hopefully, I don't have to throw another lock-in for a while, though I admit, it was a whole lot of fun.

Survivor Kabobs

Tonight we got together with another couple (The Awesome Cronens) for a Survivor double date.

We hoped to theme dinner along with this date as it is the first Wednesday of this Survivor season that I didn't have a class to teach.

We chose to do Kabobs and eat with our hands off of the wooden sticks.  It was delicious.  It was made more awesome when the reward on tonights show included a beef kabob cookout.  Couldn't have planned it better.