We live in the golden age of collaboration. North Face is making a shoe with Vans, Channel Islands is shaping a bonzer surfboard with the Campbell Brothers, Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé are recording together…the list goes on and on. Companies and artists are realizing that there is something powerful in joining forces. And the combination of the two is greater than the sum of its parts. Somehow, 1+1=3.
Read MoreSt. Patrick's Day: Day 28 /
Last night Leprechaun’s came into Lila’s room and played some pranks. At least they tried. This has gone better in years past, because last night’s shenanigans were left up to me and not the original instigator of this tradition, Mia.
Read MoreMom's Gone: Day 27 /
Patty just left a minute ago for the Women’s Retreat for our church. She’s on her way to Forest Home where it is supposed to snow later tonight. So fun! I know it’s going to be a good one. Hopefully she’ll make it up there without needing to put on chains!
Read MoreTrusted Friends: Day 26 /
I’m reading a book right now that is getting under my skin. You know that feeling, where it irritates you more than it should? And most of the time I’d just pitch it and move on to something less unsettling. Because who has time to read annoying books, right? But I can’t get out of this one, since I’m reading it with my Thursday morning book group. I’m committed to the long haul.
Read MoreOrdinary Happiness: Day 25 /
One of the joys of returning home from a trip is the renewed sense of gratitude I feel for the things that had become overlooked in their everyday familiarity. Before the plane even hits the ground I’m anticipating all the goodness that awaits me. I’m standing on the curb scanning for Patty’s minivan, so anxious to see her. To catch up on all that has happened in the last couple days. The goods and bads. The highs and lows.
Read MoreLeaving and Returning: Day 24 /
I'm writing from the Seahawks 12 Club at Seatac Airport. Similar to the unwinding that occurs on the front end of this trip, there is also a process of reengagement on the back end. As cell reception improves on the ferry ride home my phone begins to ding incessantly. It is the consistent dinging of emails arriving in my inbox. Each one a reminder that time never stops, that life continues on, and that it is on me to get caught back up.
Read MoreSemiotics: Day 23 /
One of the most significant things I’ve learned from my mentor, Len Sweet, is the power of symbols. The doctrinal program where I studied under him focuses on the philosophical discipline of semiotics. Semiotics is defined as the study of signs and symbols as elements of communicative behavior.
Read MorePilgrimage: Day 22 /
Today is the first day of what has become an annual pilgrimage up to Orcas Island to participate in a think tank hosted by Portland Seminary. It has become such a significant event of the year for me. I love it for so many reasons.
Orcas Island is a magical place. All of the San Juan Islands are incredibly beautiful and also wonderfully charming. Old growth trees covered with moss combined with island style cottages and local businesses and farms. It is a special place. A thin place. A place where I feel my heart rate immediately slow and my breathing deepen.
Read MoreConfession: Day 21 /
This week we used one of our big trash pickups. We only get a couple of these per year, so it is always wise to make the most of them. We got rid of a couple old pieces of furniture, our worn-out mattress (Thanks Randy Lake for the new one!), and all those various odds and ends that just sort of collect over time. They pile up on the side of our house in all of out of sight corners. Things that we hold on to because we might, one day, need them. And in the meantime, they deteriorate rapidly. They rust and collect spiders. They get covered with a film of dust and disuse. And the clutter does more than just take up useful space. It becomes an eyesore.
Read MoreFlat Spells: Day 20 /
We're twenty days into Lent, but for surfers, we’ve been fasting for months. It has seriously been one of the worst winters for California surfers that I can remember. Not only are there no waves, but the anticipated forecast is dismal. It has been flat, and the outlook going forward isn’t getting any better. At least for the next few weeks to come.
Read MoreDirection: Day 19 /
Today I have my monthly spiritual direction appointment. And although it has been clearly marked on my calendar for some time, it still caught me off guard. Thankfully, I received a text reminder this morning from Lynn. Because today I’m jumping from one meeting to the next. All good things, but hardly a pause in between. Life can be so full.
Read MoreBlessing: Day 18 /
This last Sunday we did a baby dedication for Kaia. This is one of my most favorite things to do as a pastor. But it isn’t something I do alone. We do it. As a church we bless this little child with our whole hearts. We bless her with all the goodness of God we can put forth.
Read MoreNew Wine: Day 17 /
My very favorite words of Scripture are the red letters; the words that Jesus, himself, spoke. We’re studying through the gospel of Luke on Sunday mornings at my church, and it is always so centering to read the teaching and actions of Jesus. They are so deep and provocative. They often leave me with more questions than answers, but the questions are somehow more satisfying. The layers just keep going deeper and deeper.
Read MoreDisruption: Day 16 /
Today it rained on our parade. Literally. In one of the driest years of California’s history, we just so happened to get hit with a storm at the exact time the Patriot’s Day Parade was beginning in Laguna. What are the odds?
Read MoreCaring Too Much: Day 15 /
I have grown up not trusting my emotions. Because they seem to have a mind of their own. They can even betray you. They can cause deep pain and suffering. They must be managed. At times, kept at bay. Sometimes just plain ignored. Because they have this tendency to not behave properly. They speak up at all the wrong times and say all the wrong things. The stronger the emotion, the greater the risk. The more you care, the more you can be hurt.
Read MoreQualia: Day 14 /
I love the smell of Jasmine. This time of year, our vine erupts with color and fragrance. Right now, it is covered with hundreds of tiny pink buds that will soon burst open with the most incredible aroma. When I walk past it in the mornings, I pause for a moment and take in the fullness of it. Sometimes I’ll even pick a flower and carry it with me on the way to Lila’s bus stop. I love the smell. It is so good for my soul.
Read MoreRest: Day 13 /
I have a tell that I’m going to admit to you all. It happens when I’m tired. When I’m in the middle of a conversation that is taking everything I have to stay with the person. I start to feel a yawn coming on. And not just a quick intake of air and a close of the eyes. No, it is one of those yawns where your mouth stretches open so wide you’re afraid of tearing the corners of your cheeks.
Read MoreMy Coach: Day 12 /
I didn’t want to write today. I told Patty that I was going to quit (I didn’t mean it, but sort of). Her response… “pssh, you’ve got this.”
And that’s all I needed to hear. Why? Because I believe it. More accurately, I believe her. Because she lives that phrase. Every. Day. That’s her mindset. And there is seriously no holding her back.
Read MoreLearning: Day 11 /
I have so much to learn! This isn’t some acclamation of false modesty. It is the plain, hard truth. I need to be a better leader, husband, father, and friend. I need to get over some past hurts and overcome some lingering fears and insecurities. I need to grow!
Read MoreSimplicity: Day 10 /
I love ideas. One of my top strengths in the Strengths Finder Inventory is called Ideation. They define ideation like this… “People who are especially talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.”
This is so true! Disparate ideas are like this beautiful chorus of voices singing in surround sound in my mind.
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