Pirates Are Coming...

Had a great meeting with our church's kids director, Jeff. Over Pho (our meeting of choice) we finished the outline for a summer family event in August. There's a lot to it, but suffice to say...

The Pirates are coming.

Haiku (one single impression) - Kindness

My haiku for this week's prompt from One Single Impression - a blogging haiku community. The prompt was Kindness.

Sweet teardrops fall
Adult children coming home
After all these years

Hugs at the doorway
“Just set your coats anywhere!
And how was your flight…”

And then in the hall
A quiet apology
“My dear, it’s okay.”

Eating Hummus Is Like Being Part of a Church

I'm eating Stacy's Pita Chips Simply Naked (the chips are, not me), dipped in really good hummus, with garlic, pesto, pine nuts, and roasted red peppers.

Dang.

It's real good stuff. There was a time when I was real unsure about hummus; I had eaten hummus that really was nasty. I'm sure the AFHL (Association For Hummus Lovers) would have cried out if they had tasted it, warning me, "No! That's not how hummus should taste! You've been robbed!"

I never had that conversation; I just decided to give it a go a few more times. Some more bad hummus came my way, and some good. And because of that, my lunch today is unreal.

Sometimes it takes another try in some fresh new hummus, but we have to be brave - bad hummus stinks. It's worth it when you taste the good, though.

Haiku (one single impression) - Change

This is my haiku for this week's prompt from One Single Impression - thanks for continuing the weekly haiku community! And to Jennifer (premiere sister o' mine) and Susan, thanks for many moons of providing One Deep Breath.

This week's prompt - Change. It was a fun one.

Grey clouds and grey streets
My tired old monochrome life
But I’ve bought red shoes...

Beautiful Americano

Powerful in its simplicity. Pure goodness, in liquid form. Americano, you are my friend.

Sunday Drumming

I often leave our Sunday morning gathering with such a huge amount of gratitude. Thanks to all of you for your friendship, comraderie, and unity on loving Jesus and loving each other.

On a side note, getting to play music with all of you was great. Bill, you are a rockstar, except in the truest sense (most miss this). Dan, it's like walking down a road with an old friend; I usually know where you're headed, and I always want to come along. Chris - great guitar work. It was fun to hear what you chose to play when you didn't have to sing too! Chara, it's like a magic carpet ride (Beatles?), your keys always in the mix, pulling us to a new spot. Very cool. Bryan, considering our conversation the other day, your steady strum is like a Sunday drive.

And of course, all of you singers doing your thing - Crystal, Rachel, Elisha, Jennifer, Melissa, Chris, Bryan - You give words to our worship, and I love how you all sound together. Unreal.

Tron. Oh yeah.

I just watched Tron with my kids; it had been too long. I'm on a childhood movie kick, enjoying some stuff from my early years.

My son Aiden looked over at me halfway through the movie and said, "Maybe when I'm a dad I'll watch Spiderman 2 and it will look kind of fake compared to how real movies will be then."

Uh, Yeah. Pretty much. But the light cycles are so cool...

Love Days Off

Monday was great; snowshoeing, sledding, and fortbuilding at Paradise on Mt. Ranier. The day was gorgeous - we were actually shedding our clothes in the snow!

Good times. Stopping for milkshakes and burgers afterwards, my kids falling asleep in the back of the van - top notch.

A Book, a cup, two with the flu, and He's enough

A Book - Right now I'm reading Christ Plays In Ten Thousand Places, by Eugene Peterson. So far it's a great read; a conversational yet in depth look at spiritual theology.

A Cup - Of rich, full bodied java. Few friends are as faithful as coffee. Of course, it's a limited friendship.

Two With The Flu - Our kids have been taking turns. Eli and Libs are home today, coming out of days with fever and such. We watched The Aristocats this morning - "everybody wants to be a cat!" My son disagrees; he says dogs do not.

He's Enough - In talking with a few friends this week, it's a good reminder. Jesus' grace is sufficient for me, and His power is perfected in weakness. I can rest in the fact that God has (and knows) what I need, and the fuel I put into worries, anxieties and fears can instead fuel my trust in Him. He's good like that.

Haiku - I Love 'Ku

The topic for this week's posting at One Deep Breath was love. A fun one.

Familiar yet new
I can’t move; can barely breathe
Your blue eyes again

Don't Stand To My Left...

I had to finish up a novel the other night, thanks to the advice of my sister Jennifer - Germ, by Robert Liparulo. The book had some good tense moments, the kind that you choose to have a late night and dragging morning in order to finish.

That left me reading on the floor, slowly developing a kink in my neck, or a pinched nerve or something - possibly a spine goblin wreaking havoc? I moved to the couch around 11p to finish up, but sleep took over. About 4:30a, Kristy came and found me knocked out, in an even worse position.

So you can't stand to my left. Or I guess you could, but you'll get the feeling I'm ignoring you. I just can't turn it that way. The book was good, though.

Good days, bad days, perspective

I am at home taking care of my son Aiden, who stayed home from school today, sick with the flu.

Which could make you upset, worried, whatever. Or you could take it for what it is, make chicken soup, and watch Rudy together.

We went for option B.

Haiku - Winter Wonders

Frozen breath, red cheeks
Numb fingers in soaked-through mitts
“Hot chocolate time?”

This haiku is part of One Deep Breath, and online poetry collaboration blog. The post for the week is "Winter Wonders". Really gave me an instant mental picture of my little ones coming in from the cold after whatever outdoor adventures were done being found.

Thirteen Years...

It goes by so fast. Yesterday Kristy and I celebrated thirteen years of choosing each other! We talked about trips we took, things we've done. And I came to a great conclusion: It gets better and better every year.

The Olympia Oyster House just rocks. And because I was in anniversary mode, I looked on the left side of the menu first (descriptions), instead of the right side (price). This allowed me the fun freedom of choosing Steak Oscar...

I guess some guy named Oscar liked rich, heavy ingredients.

Tis The Season

I am editing sound effects for Jacob Marley - chains rattling. Too much fun.

When I was in 5th grade, I was Bob Cratchitt At Littlerock Elementary's version of A Christmas Carol. It's fun now to see my daughter Syd in the same play, at the same school.

Deja Vu.

Haiku - Boulders, Rocks, Stones and Pebbles

Must take it out now!
I thought it was a boulder…
Pebble in my shoe.

This haiku is part of an online poetry project called One Deep Breath. The topic was Boulders, Rocks, Stones, and Pebbles. I try to go with the first thing that the topic brings to mind. It's funny how much a little thing can hurt!

My Dear Syd

Tonight was a special music night at Littlerock Elementary - the 4th grade was performing music to honor local veterans. My dear Sydney was part of the choir - she even had a solo!

She had felt a little nervous at home getting ready, and I could see that she was still feeling it at the show. So many parents! Waves of proud faces, eyes wide, knowing smiles, cameras and crying babies littered throughout this parental sea! And somehow Sydney is supposed to just sing out like she's at home...

Well, she did great! What a sweet voice. If you have kids, you know that at some point they begin to gravitate towards things, finds strengths, discovers loves and interests. I think Syd is discovering hers.

But I didn't need tonight to know that. Setting up all of her toys in concert fashion while she plays disco CD's and sings along was a big indicator. She is just too cool.

Haiku - Loneliness

My iPod guards me
Beats and sounds drown out my fears
Quickly fill the void

This haiku is part of an online poetry project called One Deep Breath. The topic was loneliness, and I was reminded that we mask loneliness in different ways.

Take My Luggage, Please!

So I am speaking at our church for three weeks on luggage; the teaching series is called "What About My Luggage: Unpacking Doubt, Guilt, & Control". From the feedback I got from last week, there are a few thoughts that many of us have floating in the back of our minds:

1. We have doubts packed away in our spiritual luggage
2. We do not feel like we can open our bags and ever let that be seen

I know there's several reasons for this (judgment, fear, how we will be viewed, etc.), and it stinks. But God is bigger than our doubts, and if we open our suitcases up, our doubts can become an invitation to know God in deeper ways.

So hey, as a pastor with some doubts of my own, it has been a real refreshing thing to study and speak on. If you want to download the audio, it's here. In a couple days I will talk about unpacking guilt. Ugh. Another thing that weights down our luggage.

I Love Thursdays...

Thursdays are just cool. It's my work-from-home day, accompanied by my endearing four year old sidekick Libby:

Then the rest of the kids come home from school. After we all eat dinner together, we take the Fab Four (our kids, not the Beatles) to a kids' Bible study down the street. From here, Kristy and I spend the evening in town together - usually conversation at Starbucks or a walk-through / talk-through of Costco.

After this, we pick up our kids and move on to bedtime (stories, songs, prayers, & hugs), and then Kristy and I bound upstairs to relax and catch The Office. Thursdays are great.