Picnic Table

We had some really high winds come sweep through here a few weeks ago. When I looked outside I saw that our umbrella to our patio set was laying on the other side of the back yard. After retrieving it I walked back over to our table to find the glass top shattered into four billion pieces (approximately). We love sitting and dining outside and to be without a table has stirred Mica to appoint me as project manager. 

We looked for patio furniture that might be on sale with the changing seasons but we were a bit too late to get in on some of that action. We decided a picnic table would be cool and I set myself to build one. I landed on some plans on found online, wrote down the shopping list and headed to the Home Depot. Now, if you're from Eugene/Springfield you are incredibly spoiled. I guess I've just taken advantage of the fact that our "Jerry's" is the largest privately owned home improvement shopping center in the country! They not only have everything you could possibly want they also have an incredibly well-trained staff with years of field experience, and they do customer service like non-other.  So I'm down at "The De-pot" looking for lumber for my picnic table and they don't even sell cedar deck boards! Ha!  Therefore I resorted to Doug Fir while the boys and I proceeded to sift through two units of lumber until we obtained all the best-looking boards.

I spent the next day cutting and sanding in preparation for the application of some kind of wood treatment (stain, sealer, etc.), which I wanted to apply prior to assembling. So I'm back down at "The De-pot" in the paint department talking to a surprisingly knowledgeable sells guy who told me that I had plenty of options, that is until I told him my table was being constructed of Doug Fir.  Shaking his head he told me that it was unfortunate I had not gone with Cedar, for now I would have to go with a full-color stain because Doug Fir does not take stain very well.  I call this “The De-pot Paradox.”  I miss you Jerry’s.

Swedish Fashion Is Here!

I’ll try to introduce you to some of the amazing people we’ve met here and share their incredible stories with you.  Right now I’d like you to meet Bijörn (as in the Swedish “Baby Bijörn” front pack), Nina and Lewis (pronounced Luisz).  They are such an incredibly fun, young couple with such an awesome story!

Nina has always had a dream to transform the fashion industry for the Lord.  They decided they were going to do this through jeans.  Through a series of unbelievable stories that reveal the supernatural favor of God on their lives they have started their own line of jeans called “Ninaqui” (pronounced Nina-key”).  A generous chunk of all their proceeds go to charity and each pair of jeans is personally numbered and individually prayed over.  The anointing of the Lord over their endeavor has brought international attention and unprecedented advertisement without costing them a dime.  One such story showcased of the winner of “Swedish Idol” (similar to American Idol) who wore their jeans at the final round of the show and which flashed several images of their design logo continuously over national television in Sweden. 

Check out their website and if you’re feeling spicy order your own pair of Ninaqui’s!

www.ninaqui.com

School Overview

October is just around the corner but summer is very much alive and “hot” down here in Redding with temperatures remaining in the upper nineties.  As you can see from the picture we’re still rocking the pool in the backyard (I’m so glad we brought it!).

I realize I have yet to write anything about my schooling other than “it’s begun.”  I’m two-and-a-half weeks into it now and this experience has been so much to take in.  The Lord is doing such a powerful work in me through the gentle moving of his Holy Spirit in my life.  He is affirming so many things in me through so many different ways through so many different people. 

Picture of the main building from across the parking lost 

The school is comprised of first, second and third-year students (interns).  There is over nine-hundred first-year students, over one-third of which are internationals.  First-year students all have the same lecture sequence and course-work curriculum, but get to choose “Activation Groups,” where first-year students are combined with second and third-year students who facilitate a variety of weekly, community-wide outreach programs that integrate the classwork with hands-on experience to see God release the supernatural in the lives of people through ministry in the marketplace.  There are over five-hundred second-year students and a hundred-some interns who have separate classes but work directly with the first-year students as part of their leadership development training.  Bethel has a discipleship school over on the coast, but the school we are a part of here is specifically designed for leader development for ministry deployment.

We meet corporately, all nine-hundred first year students for general sessions four days a week, Monday through Thursday.  We always start with worship, which every time is the most incredible concerts you’ve ever experienced!  Imagine nine-hundred people, whom most have sold and left everything to travel half-way around the world, who are desperately hungry to see the Lord move in power ways all gathered together praising the God of the universe, all led by some of the most talented musicians you’ve ever heard… it’s worth the tuition right there!

The general sessions are lecture style classes with time allocated questions at the end.  We have a rich variety of really top-notch teachers including senior leaders Bill Johnson,Kris Vallotton, Danny Silk, Paul Manwaring and many others (you can google their names to learn more about them).

We also are assigned to “Revival Groups” of about sixty to seventy people who are overseen by a Revival Group Pastor and an intern.  We meet with our revival group twice a week.  Even in the short amount of time we’ve been together we’ve got to know each other really well. 

I hope to “unpack” some of what I’m learning along the way through this blog. 

This is a picture of the "Alabaster House" which is a 24 hour prayer chapel on the property

Back Yard Moments

Having kids there are so many funny moments in everyday life that are such a treasure. Now days, with the convenience and capability of "phones," you can capture these beauties on film in an instant and share them with the whole world, or anyone who's willing to watch your backyard videos, mostly your own parents, at least not until our boys are old enough to do backflips off the roof in the pool on their bikes or something amazing. I suppose the rest of the world can wait for our back-flipping-boys-on-bikes while the grandparents enjoy their princess on the trampoline.

The Lodger

I told my British “mate,” i.e. buddy or bro, James, we were going to be getting a guy moving in with our family and attending school as well.  He refers to a roommate as “a lodger.”

Colton, “The Lodger,” was our neighbor back home who just graduated from Thurston High School in June.  I was his mentor this past year with “A.S.P.I.R.E.,” which is a program that helps students prepare for college and apply for scholarships.  Linda, the wonder gal in charge of the Career Center who oversees the A.S.P.I.R. program was concerned that Colton was not getting his stuff done to get into a four-year school for this fall.  It was kind of funny breaking the news to her that Colton wouldn’t be going to a four-year school right out of the shoot, but going to Bethel’s school of ministry… oh, yeah, and I won’t be here next year either because I’m going too J. 

When we were building our house five years ago I never imagined that I would be “college roommates” with the eighth-grade kid down the hill. 

Colton and I rode our bikes to our first day of school today.  Powerful, powerful stuff.  I still can’t believe I’m here experiencing all of this.  Truly incredible!

Oh, yeah we had to get our pictures taken at registration.

Skype

Oh the wonders of modern technology.  Can you believe skype?!  I had never used it until we moved here.  Now we’re part of the space time continuum where life and relationships are visually connected instantaneously through high-speed fiber optics. 

 

So far I’ve given my sister a virtual tour of our home, Grandma Desie has read the kids a bed-time story and we pulled one of Josiah’s front teeth before of a real-time audience (Papa Mike & Grandma Susan) all with my laptop over skype.

(Josiah before tooth pulling)

(after)

Behold, the trophy!

(Hang on to that puppy... it's worth a whole dollar at our house if you stick it under your pillow)

Lassen Peak

Labor Day morning came early with a 5:20am alarm clock.  Dean arrived at my house at 5:45am and we drove over to pick up two other guys, Justin & Josh, and then headed over to Adam’s house by 6:00am. 

Justin, a coffee connoisseur, brought two French press’s along with him of some freshly brewed black magic of some beans he had roasted the night before.  Josh, a purist health nut, brought a box of doughnuts for everyone else to eat so that he could feel better about his own health conscience choices encouraging us to “eat up.”  Dean, who is half French, half Cree Native, is easily identified by his Saskatchewanian-Canadian accent (eh?), in the same way Adam, who hails from North Carolina, is recognized by his “ya’ll.”

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Mica and I have connected very well with these guys, their wives and children.  This would include James, who was unable to make this hike, and his wife, Fiona (read Blog Entry “English Pool Party” to meet them).  We have only been here three weeks now but have shared some incredible memories with these families already.  The common link that we all share is Bethel Church – the Christian school that all our kids’ are attending as well as the school of ministry.  The common bond that unites us is Christ and our desire to see Him continually shape us and use us to fulfill His kingdom work. 

In moving here I quickly learned that our “sacrifice” in putting our life on hold back home in Springfield was not much compared to our new friends.  They have left good-paying career occupations and businesses, sold most all of what they own to travel across the states and around the world to Redding, California.  About the time I start to think they’re crazy, I realize that I’m here too. 

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We had all taken our families up to Lassen Volcanic National Park the previous Saturday to tour around: picnic, swim and hike, when Justin had suggested “the dad’s” come back to hike Lassen Peak -- the stoic, volcanic mountain standing 10,400 feet into the atmosphere, situated at the very center of the park. Turns out Labor Day was the last day the trail would be open for the summer, re-opening July first of next year (some kind of government scheduling deal), so we made it a date. 

We drove from Redding, which is about 600 feet in elevation to the base of Lassen Peak at  8,500 feet.  We arrived by 8:00am and started hiking by a quarter after.  We shared all kind of stories on the hike up, mostly guy stuff – bear attacks and cougar siting’s.  By 10:45am we had reached the summit of 10,400 feet.  This was a much more enjoyable experience compared to my hike the previous Monday up the mountain that will remain my nemesis, Shasta.  I could see her towering over 14,000’ on the horizon glaring back at me.

Standing on top of Lassen, I got a pure sense of satisfaction knowing that I had stood atop both snowed covered peaks that can be seen from Redding.  Beyond the ego of “conquering mountains” there is overwhelming closeness to our Creator that is gained from such a perspective.  The dichotomy in standing on such a vantage point is seeing my significance swallowed up in the vastness of His creation yet realizing He created all of this for me to enjoy.  The only response is a heart of worship!