There is a brand of ink for fountain pens called Noodler’s Ink that is my very favorite. It writes so smooth and dries quickly. It comes in every color you can imagine, but I always just choose black. And one of my favorite things about this company isn’t just the ink quality, but the fact that the bottle is filled all the way to the very top. Which might not seem like a big deal, but it is striking to me every time I open a new bottle. All the way to the brim! Who does that?
Read MoreLent
Weakness: Day 30 /
One of my favorite personality tests is the Clifton Strengths Finder. The test identifies your top five strengths and then categorizes each of them into one of four quadrants of leadership style. My top five are ideation, strategic, intellection, learner, and input. All five of them, rather uniquely, fit into the strategic thinking category of leadership. No wonder I enjoyed that Think Tank so much! Ideas and learning are like candy for me. Intellectual discussions are better than Disneyland.
Read MoreCollaboration: Day 29 /
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 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 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 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 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.
Read MoreSpeaking Truth: Day 9 /
I’m a classic over thinker. It shows up any time I stick my neck out there. I worry. I over analyze. And I constantly second guess myself.
And any time I speak out, I regret it. Sometimes for hours afterwards. I feel over extended. Like I foolishly revealed more than I should have.
Read MoreOld Friends: Day 7 /
Yesterday I ended up having lunch with one of my oldest friends, Tim. We’ve known each other since 7th grade, spent a couple years of college rooming together, worked a few summers together at Forest home, were best men in each other’s weddings, have climbed numerous peaks and mountains together, and have continued to keep in touch to this day.
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