Detour

I talked with the pastor about the ministry position yesterday, and I have set some time aside to pray.  I got directions here in Newberg, OR to a State park, which you have to pay $3 to visit.  I started driving there and there was a detour.  I followed the signs and turned once, then twice, then a third time.  There was never a connecting road to get back to where I was heading.  My detour never got me going where I was going.  I ended up pulling over at a little spot where there was some parking and a place to walk a trail.  

I find this interesting because in some ways I think that is where I am starting to think this ministry position is heading for me.  I feel like it might have been a detour in my thinking of God's direction.  I think that if I continue to follow too long, I will end up being lost.  Like I was never suppose to make it to the State Park, and so was led on a wild goose chase with a detour.  Because my thinking involves so much more than just prayer.  Too much thinking in terms of "pluses and minuses".  Making lists of good and bad.  The question comes down to, "where does God want me to be".

I think we can be led the same way.  Since I have quit my "normal" job and gone into speaking, I ask myself everyday if this is the day to go get a job.  You know, one with a steady paycheck and a human boss.  I always want to entertain and think and pray through everything that God puts in my path.  I believe that God put my name on this pastors mind, and on the other person that he talked to that mentioned me.  This was definitely a God crossing road.

Please keep praying for Tauni and I as we seek God in this time.

Berries, chick and birthday

Michael is having a great time picking berries.  Here he is picking raspberries.

He filled up a fruit container.  He picked raspberries, strawberries, cherries and snap peas.  He ate them that last night and again this morning.

Ah, the baby chick.  The kids look forward to seeing it everyday.  The chick is a little blurry, and looks very uncomfortable.

Happy birthday Kirstin.  I may not be able to be with you in Guatamala, but I can still have desert, and enjoy the first piece.  Nah, nah.

Oh, yah, I also had to create a mess of the brownies.  Wow, they were good, and a very confusing order of eating.  Surprise, surprise.

I am disappointed about not being at Red, White and Boom in Columbus tomorrow.  Please eat some food for me.  If you can, take a picture or two and send it to me.  That would be awesome.

I am looking forward to hiking though.  We are going to climb Mount Hood.  We will begin around midnight and be using pick axes.  What do you think of me having a pick ax?  Kind of scarey, huh.

I AM INTRIGUED

I am intrigued. I just received a voicemail from a pastor wanting to catch up. I have not been in contact with this particular person in a while and he called me out of the blue. He said that he has a Youth Pastor position open and wanted to talk with me. I am intrigued by what is going on.

Is God moving in this direction? Am I being called to do something else? Do I give up full time speaking?

I do need to say that there has not even been a conversation between this pastor and I yet, which means there is no offer or anything. I will probably call tomorrow.

The thing is, I haven’t had anyone contact me about any pastor position for the past 3 years. Why this one? Why now?

I am not worrying, just wondering.

The Falls

Yesterday, I spent the morning at Chapters book store and cafe doing some updating and working on upcoming conferences and camps.  We then took a car ride out to some falls.  We spent the afternoon hiking up the falls.  It was about a mile hike or so to the top, which had a some steepness at some times.  We had to carry Michael and Zoe up, mostly on our shoulders.  It was tough.  After a few rests we finally made it to the top.  The descent wasn't so bad, but took a little longer than I thought because Uncle Clyde had to point out every weed, flower and moss and tell us all the names, species and genus.  It was good for Michael, but I am worried he is going to ask me what things are now.  

I was up late last night as God was pouring into me what He was wanting me to share at CSBY.  CSBY stands for Cambodian Southern Baptist Youth, which also includes young adults, up and past my age, which I will not divulge at this time.  I am getting excited about what God is asking me to share.  

I think we are going to have a couple of days of relaxation here as some of the Thomas Family is driving 6 hours away to help move Grandma and Grandpa Thomas back to this area.  That leaves a few of us up to our own devices, which won't be as much action since we do not know the area quite as well.

I will try and continue to add pictures to my picasa web page.

Relaxing on the beach

Hanging out on the west coast.  Enjoying ourselves.  I have had a chance to meet a lot of new family.  It is so cool to see that my kids have generations of Christ Followers on both sides of the family.  I am beginning to get back to "normal", whatever that is.  My energy level is returning some.  The kids are starting to adjust to the time change.  We are still out pretty late in the evenings, and up in early in the mornings.  We are currently staying at a family house that has been donated and used by and on George Fox University Campus.  It has been really cool.  

I got to meet a couple of directors at a camp called Twin Rocks yesterday.  The yearly meeting office is just a couple of blocks away, so I will eventually make it over there to talk with a few people.  

LIFE is good.  I have some video to show, but my camera is not being very helpful as of this moment.  Hopefully it is ok.

God did amazing things at camp last week.  I had a chance to read a note of one of the students that they journalled and put online.  It was pretty cool.  It is always nice to read the response of those I have come in contact with.  

GOD is GOOD.  

This is a link to some other pictures I have posted.

Final 2 days in San Diego

I am now sitting in the San Diego airport flying to Portland, OR with a connecting flight in San Francisco.  I got here at  8:30 am and will be finally arriving in Portland at 8:30.  What a crazy day.  Camp finished up very well.  

As I was sitting in Panara Bread on Coronado Island, I had a chance to not talk at all for a couple of hours.  The problem was, when it was time to begin again, it would not come out right.  I lost my voice.  I think that with all the yelling and screaming that I have been doing, by voice decided that once it got a break, it was going to keep it.  I have been drinking a lot of green tea with honey in it.  I had to do some yelling when I spoke because I was competing with the sound of the Ocean.  I did not have any amplification, so it was up to me and my big mouth.  I was able to speak well enough to do what God wanted me to say.  

God was amazing.  I worked really hard to remember everyone's names and I think I did a pretty good job, but it is still something that I need to work on.  The Holy Spirit was moving in ways that were so awesome during the week.  There were times in my talks that I had to hold back tears because of the heartbeat that God had for these teens.  The teens and adults connected really well with me.

The weather was pretty rough.  Monday and Tuesday were nice, which means we got to go surfing and swimming.  Wednesday and Thursday were very foggy and misty on the beach.  It made it very chilly and caused the lifeguards to shut down the beach because they could see out well enough to keep people safe.  I really wanted one more crack at surfing.  And believe me, I actually needed quite a few more than that.  

I am ready for some sleep on a bed.  I was thinking that sleeping on the beach would be nice because sand would kind of conform to your body.  In the words of Jessie from Seattle, "wrong".  It was actually like sleeping on concrete.  I would not recommend it.

Please continue to pray for me and my health.  I am going from one San Diego with people to Portland, OR with family members that I have not spent much time with.  This means more people.  Being a people person, I get energy from people, but it also means that I cannot turn myself off while around people.  I need to get away to relax and recoup, but will not have the opportunity this time.

Half way through San Diego

The trip is going great.  I have had a chance to connect with the teens in different ways.  We had a 6 hour bus trip which made it easy.  Sand Volleyball time, oh yea.  Surfing... well, laying on a board and getting to my feet for like a couple of seconds.  I WILL GET IT.  

The spirit of God is moving.  Last night I actually had a hard time finishing.  I was talking about accountablility and God prompted me to ask anyone that had pain and suffering in their life and felt alone to raise their hand.  I was  a little choked up praying for them.  God is good.  I have a couple more days.

Please pray for me about rest.  I have not had very much.  We are camping on the beach.  I thought it wouldn't be bad on sand, but it seems to be a lot like concrete.  It hurts.  I ask that God will give me the strength to finish strong.

Here are some photos I have taken with the old handy, dandy Treo.  

This is Ty Godwin's House.  He is the Youth Pastor at New Life church in Pheonix, AZ.  Check out the yard.  All rocks with some flowers and bushes in them.  It is real.

This is the Bus's front windshield after we hit a huge bug on the way to CA.  I had to get a picture.

These are the big energy mills that we saw in CA on our way by bus from AZ to San Diego.

      From San Diego Trip