Going off-road…the weekly 4×4

1.   i mentally and physically prepared for this.   i knew i was going back to california and i was intent on eating some of my favorite food from our previous life on the left coast.   and i did it.   and i’m feeling the effect.   it’s fun.   the memories are great.   and the heartburn is killer.   and the added poundage is gross.   and on top of that,  we come home and the cupboard is bare,  so all we’ve done since we’ve come home is eat out.   double gross.   i’m lethargic.   i feel like i’ve been injected with syrupy sludge and it’s brought my metabolism to a standstill.   the road back begins this week.   seriously.

2.   speaking of coming home…we worked really hard to put our house somewhat in order  (after the roof leak disaster) before we left on vacation.   at least it seemed that way,  until we got home.   i’ve got a mountain of repair and clean up still to do…not to mention:  painting.   ugh.   i picked out the perfect paint color for the living room and got it painted before we took off.   somehow it changed color while we were gone.   it doesn’t look the same.   so it’s getting repainted this week.   this is ridiculous that i am going to do my least favorite DIY home project… TWICE.

3.   the weather.   i’m usually one of the last people to complain about the weather.   the weather in texas is actually one of the things that endears me to the great state.   after 40 years of nearly perfect year-round weather in socal,  i love  the thrill of getting up every morning of my life and listening to the random predictions of our local weatherman (or woman).   but this year has got me concerned.   we ran our two window units at full blast this week.   it’s only march and the air was thick and heavy in our house all week.   i’m scared of summer this year.   very scared.

4.   i’ve been doing a lot of reading these days…much of it online.   and i’ve got to tell you,  there’s a lot of divisiveness in the church these days.   criticism… judgment …caustic attitudes…name calling.   you name it.   it seems like if it’s not one thing,  it’s another… with people on the christian right. words like evangelical and  fundamental and  conservative are words that used to define me…but are now words that i find myself working to distance myself from.   not because i have wandered away from the central core beliefs that my faith is built on…but because so many of the people who claim to hold those same beliefs come off as narrow,  ugly and mean-spirited.   and i’m really finding i no longer want to be associated with them.

1.   ever since i was little,  i have always rooted for the underdog.   it’s how i’m wired.   i love the little guy. that’s why this year’s march madness has been so awesome.   even though SDSU didn’t make it to the elite eight,  i am still loving it!   all four number one seeds are gone.   the big boys are down.   the ultra little guys…VCU and Butler University…are in the Final Four.   This is what makes college sports so sweet.

2.   every week.   i mean every week.   we have new faces at north point every week.   new folks are inviting their friends.   as much as i don’t like the “big business” of church growth…and in spite of my steadfast refusal to define the success of north point by an expansionist perspective…i will never lose sight of the fact that the church exists to help people see jesus.   whoever they are.   wherever they’ve been.   whatever they’re struggling with.   to know that we are being used by god to help people on their journey to faithfulness is a good thing.   a really good thing.

3.   the Radical Experiment is over this week.   i’m glad we did this.   i’m especially excited about all the different discussion groups that formed…both the formal and the informal ones.   the book has challenged us.   it introduced us to new ideas and exposed us to the uncomfortable demands of jesus in new ways.   i’m really looking forward to introducing the five commitments we will be making together as a family.   i think the process will turn us upside down.

4.   even though the high school and college baseball seasons are in full swing,  there is always something about the start of the major league baseball season that makes life better.   i love when spring training draws to a close.   i love opening day.   i love that the padres are tied for first place and i my dreams of them making it to the world series seem totally realistic…at least for a couple of months.    it all begins thursday.   this will be a great week.