happening

It looks like my Nissan is dead.

Krista and I are having a baby boy.

It should be unbelievably clear which one I'm more excited about.

future

It seems there's some confusion out there ...

Krista and I are not scheduled to move anywhere at any time yet. We MIGHT be moving when and if Krista gets accepted to an internship. If she does, then we'll either be moving to Spokane or staying in So. Cal. Either way, we won't know anything until March.

Regardless of what happens, we will not be going anywhere until late August/early September.

Questions? Feel free to comment.

Sometimes ...

you just have a craving for a cookie.

(and a glass of milk)

Back to it.

Well, it's been a long break, but it's time to jump back into this blog thing. Instead of rehashing the last bunch of months, I think I'll just start here.

1. Krista and I are having a boy in April. Yes, we know his name. Sure, I might tell you. Then again ... it may already be posted on Krista's blog. Who knows?

2. A car shot off the road by our church and almost went straight into the sanctuary. Luckily there was this really tiny tree that stopped it.

3. I'm back in classes ... sweet. I'm back in classes right now as a matter of fact.

4. Brother Rob and sister in law Kate are still in Iraq. We're still praying for and thinking of them.

More to follow.

oh ... and happy new year.

Vacation

Thank God. We were able to squeeze in a vacation at the end of the summer. It was good. SO GOOD. We shot over to Cape Cod and hung out with Krista's grandparents.

After that we shot up to NY to see Riggs for a few days ... so good.

yep

Progression:

plant ... fish ... cat ... dog ... ____

Yep.

Three Cups of Tea

If you haven't read "Three Cups of Tea", then you should probably get on it. This guy is figuring out how to bring peace in some wild areas, and he's doing it without even meaning to. We should all back him in whatever way we can! That means money if you've got it and prayer either way!

Fresno Dome

The Calvin Crest week 8 junior high that we took our students to was quite small this year. As a result, we were able to do some pretty sweet stuff. In fact, we took every single male camper and hiked to the top of Fresno Dome, where we spent the night. It was a great time for students and leaders alike. Moreover, it's been impressive to see how the team here has looked for new and different ways to run the week with such small numbers. Kudos to them for going above and beyond; it made all the difference.

He saves lives

We've learned that if we swim too deep at the lake (or pool) our dog will swim after us, grab hold of our hand, and drag us back to shore. He won't break the skin, but he sure won't let go!

And we love him for it.

La Esperanza

Well ... we made it. 3 more homes for families that did not have them 1.5 weeks ago. We also survived a move, a junior high overnighter, and several house guests within the last couple of weeks.

Life is good. Right? :)

Photos

The Future

Yum flour 02
Originally uploaded by LNPC Youth

I happily entrust my future to students like this ...

Happily.

A little late

So, we got a new dog, Denali. He's been with us for just over two weeks, but I wanted to wait until I had a couple of decent pictures before I posted. So here you go:

meeting

I think this is the way that we should all greet each other. I've always wanted a "hand shake" that said a bit more ...

Irish Bowling

My father would be proud. Today I played and won my first game of Irish Bowling.

Youth Stuff

Here's a link to the youth web page at LNPC. You can check out the photos for recent mission work.

New Life

When we were in Mississippi a few months ago I snapped a bunch of shots of these two youngsters and their make-shift teeter-totter. How quickly they brought life to a few pieces of wood and a couple of bricks gave me hope.

The Gulf Coast is still in a bad way, and if you have time and energy these people still need us.

New Life

signs of the time

It's been a long time since I've had a moment to get here and post. Reality is - I still don't have time to post. I'm at a coffee shop with my wife, and we're both working on papers (present moment accepted).
Anyway, they have a sign in the lobby here that reads:

"Unattended children will be given espresso and free puppies."

Brilliant.

Northbound

Krista and I head to Spokane this weekend with one of our high school students. She's coming up to check out schools and Krista is coming up to do some leg work for her dissertation. You might wonder why I'm going north ... I'll get back to you on that.

Calvin Crest

Here are some pics from the recent weekend with the LNPC junior high.

So good.

If only I had the free time ...

I think that this is pretty much what I would do with myself if I had the time. And yes, I would be just as excited as these guys if I pulled it off.

Stuntman Update

1. We filed to get ourselves a Limited Liability Company.
2. We own the State of California TM for "Stuntman Clothing".
3. We're still waiting on the Federal TM. In the meanwhile, Steve-o, yes the one from the fine movies, has applied for "Stuntman Skateboards" and all clothing rights etc. This could get interesting.

The Album

Right now Krista and I are in Bend Oregon @ a Motel 6. Yeah ... this Motel 6 has a wireless connection.

It also has very thin walls.

But none of that has anything to do with this post.

I just wanted to make you aware that the OC Christmas album is out. Check it out at this web address:

http://www.bombardmentsociety.com/ocxmas.html

Andy and I wrote Braveheart, but there's quite a bit of ... well ... you'll see ...

Saddleback Mountain

5700'- Check.
(no, it doesn't sound that high UNLESS you live at sea level)

And the view wasn't that bad either ...



Dan and I took some bear spray after a near miss with a mountain lion on our last attempt. We stopped midway just to practice our quick-draw skills. They're sharp.

Sometimes you just see it.

Life is truly amazing, and I am blessed.

The Climb

This past Saturday Dan and I attempted the summit Saddleback Mountain on our mountain bikes. We didn't quite make it to the top partly due to weather and partly due to the fact that we're old and out of shape. I'll tell you this much, I have not been as cold as I was on the top of that mountain in a VERY long time.

We plan to make another attempt, and next time we WILL make it to the top. We're also planning to bring some mace. According to some guy in a Land Rover, we just missed a mountain lion that was stalking another rider. Apparently the lion came out onto the fire road and was walking right toward the biker when the guy in the Rover came around the corner and started honking. Man, I would not make a ride like that alone.

Whelp ... peace all, and let me know if any of you want to make the second attempt with us in January!

In Honor

This week we send off the papers to form our LLC (Limited Liability Company). Stuntman Clothing will live! The TM is looking good, and we're moving forward.

In honor of the occasion ... we present you with this fine site, which you may find entertaining. Enjoy.

Laugh Yoga Nothin!

The plan to check out laugh yoga (see last post), was interrupted by one of the greatest surprise birthday parties in history. Thanks to my wife for putting it together and to all of you that made the trek.

It truly was a surprising, wonderful and joyous day from the balloons to the frisbee to the pizza, presents and games.

More than anything, thank you for being friends that bless me, humble me, and make me more than I could ever be on my own.

I am blessed and so very thankful!

... and breathe

I think my head is finally above water now. It's not quite the end of the quarter, but the worst of the papers, test, and projects are finally over.

So, what am I going to do with my small bit of spare time? Laughter yoga ... I just saw it on TV! They meet every week in Laguna Beach. Classic.

CSM

Last weekend Krista and I took a group of 9 high school students into inner-city Los Angeles, which by the way is not nearly the full name of the city, and worked with the Center for Student Missions.

It was an amazing weekend. We had a chance to be in worship and prayer from Friday until Sunday, and we did it with some of the most needy, spiritually attuned people you could ever hope to meet. We sang praises with "grandpa" on a street corner, we broke bread, we prayed together, we got on the ground (the cold hard ground) and reminded ourselves of what real need is ...

The list goes on. It was the body at work. We experience church, not the planned 60 minutes of liturgy, but the life of faith lived out in fellowship with the Lord and his people. It was the church gather and the church moving both at the same time.

It was beautiful.

Thank you to those of you that prayed. Thank you to those of you that joined together with us physically. Thank you Jesus.

I remember

My dad used to make us read poetry on the way into school. He would bring the book and drive at about 45 down the freeway just so my older brother and I had more time to read. You can image how excited two high school guys were about that. (On occassion the book of poetry would disappear, but they always seemed to print more for dad to buy.)

Anyhow, I came across this reading the other day. I remember this poem, and this guy reads it well. So, this one's for you dad.

The Cremation of Sam McGee

New Car

Well, crap. We did it. We've got a new car that better last us about FOREVER. We post about 40k/year on car per year; so, we got something we thought would last the next bunch of years, a Honda Civic. I'll stick some photos up later.

In the end ...

Is our goal to come to the end and arrive at death intact, well-groomed, at peace, content and happy? No. We are called to arrive tattered, torn, weary, and yet joyfully satisfied saying, "I have carried my cross, and I have known the suffering, and I have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."

And then we truly begin ...

Prayer for the Road

What follows are the lyrics to the song that is played at the close to every service at our church. Without any further remarks, I would really like to hear some of your reactions to the lyrics alone. (If you attend the service and see it as part of the tradition, then please refrain from comment. I'm really interested in what fresh eyes see.)

May we be blessed as we go our way
May we be found in safety and love
May grace and compassion find their way to every soul
May this be our blessing Amen.
(repeat Amen ...)

What does this song say to you? How would it send you out week after week?

I plan on leaving this up for a bit. I don't know how often this blog gets read, but I'm really curious about your thoughts. So, I wait.

Halloween Cookies

So, we made some cookies (read: Krista made some cookies). Anyway, while the base-coat of icing was being applied Krista asked me to go to the store to grab a few things. She needed a tip to do the faces, some garlic, and some vanilla pudding. So, I hopped on the skateboard and went to the store.

I came back with an icing tip, some garlic, and a pack of vanilla pudding. The only problem was that I brought the kind of vanilla pudding that was already mixed, not the powder. (read: crap). As a result Krista then headed to the store (read: luckily we were short some tin foil that she also needed) and I was left to make the faces.

Hence, among other things, a pirate cookie.

(Note: we have since managed to successfully procure both the foil and pudding mix.)

Moving on ...

We've recently decided that it's time to let one of our aging cars go. We're sad to see it go, but it's time.

(If you have a free, working, car let us know!)

:)

Why not throw in some laptops?

On the way back from Mexico I snapped these photos. They were taken in the entry way to a Von's grocery store.
What ever happened to gumballs and sticky-hands? Remember when you thought you were dropping some serious coin when you were buying the $.25 gob-stopper? I'm pretty sure when I made regular use of the grocery store vending machines I didn't even know what a credit card was.

Dead Bird

Whelp.
Here's the cat surveying some of the carnage. Like I said, the pictures don't really do it justice. So, I just picked one. The bird's feathers went around the entire table and back out the door.

Pets, rodents, birds, and kids?

People say that owning a pet is a preamble to having kids. If so, I'm not sure that we'll be leaving the doors open for our children to go outside. Why you ask? Well, yesterday Krista left the screen door open for a few hours and our cat, Zep, took full advantage of the situation.

Zep is known to do battle with mice and even the occasional rat. He's also been known to leave the carcass of said animals just outside the screen door. He's also been known, at least on one occasion, to bring the not-quite-dead rodents inside just to get a rise out of us (it works). So, again I say, Zep took full advantage of the screen door being open.

The thing is, mice and rats are generally pretty "clean" animals to kill. What I mean is that there's not a lot of fur that gets spread around, nor is there much blood at all (sorry if this make some queasy). So, where's the fun in killing that sort of rodent inside when Krista and Jeff aren't around to freak out? Answer. There isn't any.

Knowing that, Zep got creative. He found himself a bird. Based upon the physical evidence (a trail of feather throughout a decent percentage of the apartment), Zep captured the bird and immediately brought it inside to "do battle." Most of the bird's feathers were strewn throughout the entryway, dining area, and into the kitchen it what proved to be a definite line. You really could tell, and picture don't do it justice, where the bird was brought in, where it was put down, and where the various stages of battle took place. (I'll post some pictures of the event later, but they really don't do the fullness of the scene justice).

Anyhow, true to form, Zep deposited the bloody and mostly bald bird back outside on the patio. Thanks a lot for that cat.

Did I mention that all this comes directly on the heals of a huge flee infestation (I hate flees)? We've spent the last two weeks evicting and eviscerating flees thanks to the very same cat being outside.

So, I say to you, if pets are a preamble to kids, our kids WILL NOT be going outside. Ever.

Hmm ...

- How do you kill Harold Crick?

- Further support that hampsters should make a come back as popular pets.

- It cost HUNDREDS of dollars to replace an airbag, which is why you should always be patient with people crossing the street.

- Finally, for those of you still looking for a costume for halloween, I suggest a ninja. Once you get your costume, work on mastering this trick.

Did you know ...

That Paul's letter to the Thessalonians was actually written before the first Gospel? I didn't, but I do now.

Weird to think that Paul's foundational teachings were floating around before Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

It's also weird that the story that Paul tells about his own life is often different from the story of his life that Luke writes in Acts. Why do you think that is?

Remember

We are called to love louder than this. If we cannot, we should not be surprised that the church in this country is shrinking.

... there is more to be said here, but not right now.

Creation

If you have seen the contemporary version of the creation story through Cory's blog, it's worth checking out. (He's right, though, it's pretty geekish.)

K and the Girls

K and the Girls
Originally uploaded by crotty.

Sally, here's Spring preview. (I hope.)

Overheard

I don't mean to dwell on divorce at all ... but I just overheard one of the ladies in teh office say, "It sure would be nicer for everyone if people didn't get divorced." She was referring to the excess paperwork it creates. It's amazing how far the ripples of such things go. It's tough.

Sadly, not surprising

When the divorce rate goes up in the United States, toy makers report that the sale of toys also rise. (a reported fact)

So, what are we trying to buy?

burn(ed) out

i just had lunch with a guy I met through some classes at Fuller. He just quit his job as youth minister of a church in the area, which is a relative term around LA meaning somewhere within a 30 minute drive. Anyway, he was running a ministry that was reaching a lot of kids in a way that seems pretty darn healthy, but the church was unable to handle it. So, they started to run the rumor mill, and eventually he just couldn't handle it. It's sad.

Why is it that we, as Christians, often have such a hard time dealing with issues face to face. What are we afraid of? Do we really believe that loving in the sake of Christ means that we never approach someone in a confrontational manner (see Luke 19:45,46)? What happened to tough love? Are we afraid to give grace ... or are we afraid that if we really start confronting people they might make us confront ourselves? (I think it's the latter.)

cubicles

For all of you that have known the joy ...

It's been a few years since I've had to be in a cubicle, but I remember how sterile it was. Of course, we weren't allowed to call them cubicles; we had to call them carrels. Why? Well, because then maybe we wouldn't notice they were really cubicles.

Anyway, this one's for all you cubicle-bound folks.

Origami - YES!

This is some of the best usage of origami that I've seen in a VERY long time. For those of you that don't know me; I'm a huge fan. In fact, I think there should be competitive origami. You know; head to head origami action. They do it with cooking; so, why not IRON ORIGAMI? It's not that much more ridiculous. Right? (don't answer that)

quotes

"The acknowledgement of our weakness is the first step toward repairing our loss."
- Thomas Kempis

"The path of sorrow, and that path alone, leads to the land where sorrow is unknown."
- William Cowper

Owning our weakness and our brokenness is difficult and sorrowful, but until it is owned it cannot be given away. Until it is given to Christ it cannot be redeemed; we cannot be free.

... that I am still working on ... and it is hard ... and it is good.

bitter sweet

It's been a great summer of ministry, but it is becoming more and more apparent that Krista and I need more time and space to be ministered to ... how do you do that ... where do you go? I could say more, but will refrain for the time.

Picture of ministry coming soon.

nothing ...

I am entitled to nothing ... I think that's what makes the grace that fills that void-of-deservedness so infinitely incredible.

mississippi sign

mississippi sign
Originally uploaded by crotty.

This is not how they used to sell things. In a weird way, I think I like it ...

it's like the marketing people are finally showing you exactly what they've been doing behind all the cute pictures and catchy slogans.

I might like this guy ...

A synopsis of Moltmann: The mission of the church is not to perpetuate itself; it exists to perpetuate the Kingdom of God. Sometimes we forget the church does not exist to be self-serving (unto collective self or to the individuals therein), but it is to be serving the world and the kingdom.

stuntman

We've finally made the leap onto the Federal TM website! That means that we're counting down the days until we get an official nod or shake. Hope for the nod!

You can go here to check it out. You have to type "stuntman" as the search term, then you'll see everything people are trying to TM. We're in the mix under "stuntman." When you find us ... you'll see the flaming logo!

luchadors

luchadors
Originally uploaded by crotty.

Here's the two guys that I took down to Mexico to vist the Orphanage and meet the FPC students. There is absolutely no need to wonder why I like them.

indian girl

indian girl
Originally uploaded by crotty.

There is much work to be done for these people.

Update

1. Krista is safely back from her trip to Thailand and India. It was tough and good.
2. I am writing this from a new Powerbook. YES!
3. I almost rode my bike into a bobcat a couple days ago. Not cool.

2x

I had to write a paper on a movie for class and I didn't really feel like watching a 2-plus hour movie. So, I watched it at 2x the speed. Technology rules.

The OC meets the Inner City

Last weekend a co-leader and I took nine junior high girls into inner-city LA to do some ministry. I had no idea how the girls would react to the realities of city life.

They were awesome. God was awesome. And we will go back!

For those of you that were praying, THANK YOU!

Amazing

This kid's story deserves a look. After all, he was on pace to score 200pts.

Code Police

Yesterday Krista and I saw the Code Police handing out a ticket to some poor guy. The ticketee had no car and did not appear to be drunk. In fact, he seemed pretty, well, normal. It got me to thinking ... who are these Code Police of Pomona, and more importantly ... what are the mysterious codes they enforce?

These code police were clearly not regular police. They had a truck, not a cruiser. They had nowhere near as extravagant of a utility belt as regular cops, and they just didn't have the really cool badges.

So, the question is this ... Pomona Code Police - institution or fraud? Will investigate.

(you know what they need a code for ... feeding pigeons ... that should be illegal. Clearly pigeons are doing quite well already ... If that's what the code police were ticketing the guy for, then I support them and their work regardless of whether it's a fraud.)

Leftovers 2

Make sure you get to the leftovers before the mold does

... otherwise you're setting yourself up for some mild depression.

Leftovers

There's just something comforting about having some leftovers around the house.

birds and barn

birds and barn
Originally uploaded by crotty.

snapped this on the way home from Christmas. In the larger version you can see the millions of canadian geese when you zoon in.

offering blog

I mentioned before that we've started a new service at LNPC. We've thrown together a blog if you're at all interested in keeping up with what we're doing topically, feel free to check it out.

www.theofferinglnpc.blogspot.com

Enjoy.

Genesis chapter 2

We're three weeks in to the new service, and I think I'm beginning to touch on something that I want to get a better grasp of ... I'll try to get it out.

The first night of the service was awesome because one lady was able to be vulnerable; she was able to say what God was doing in her life at that moment. We don't do that during church all that often. We do group prayers, and occasionally we remember someone that was ill or injured that has recovered. We seldom, however, rejoice together, as a body, over what Christ is doing in our lives. That's what I want to hang on to; I want to remember to give space for people to share the transformational moments in their lives.

If we don't give the space for those moments, then our worship is often limited by the praise we offer in song and the truth that is often a verbal proposition/proclamation with little practicality attached. That means we have the full capacity to completely miss any transformation. We can leave feeling like we've sung our praises and have a "truth" to try to apply to our lives, but we RARELY get a chance to hear whether anyone has tried to live it (let alone whether God has actually met anyone in it).

Isn't it those moments that our Christian forefathers used to build altars to remember? It wasn't the truth, but the transformation. Right?

Don't get me wrong, I see lots of worth in what DOES go on in a worship service ...

It is good.

I had one of those weeks where, by the end, you just wish you could curl up in a ball and stay in that ball until ... well ... maybe springtime. It was humbling, hurtful, weird, and just plain tiring.

I'm still processing a lot of it, but I can say that the weekend made up for the entire week. Shannon Roark is here visiting (we're trying to talk her into staying, though), and the new worship service at LNPC kicked off. Krista, Shannon, and some others spent over 20 hours putting this room together, and it looked awesome. The night was supposed to be a dry-run before the actual kick-off next week, and we didn't expect many guests. There was, however, one lady, an angel if you ask me, that did show up.

She had walked past the partially decorated room earlier in the day and saw the decorations. Not knowing what was going on she checked around and found out what we were doing and when. So, she showed, and she cried. She spent most of the 1.5 hours crying ... just thankful for the worship. God was there, and her tears of joy were my healing. It's amazing how God works. After a terrible week, I found joy in a sisters thankful tears.

It is good.

Next week she plans to come back with her kids (in their pj's if necessary) and intends to bring some of her clients from her wholistic healing business. She thinks they might find healing during that time ... I sure did.

the dust settles

Finals are over and the youth program is on hold for the holidays ... so, here I am.

It's been too long, and I'm up late as it is. So, let me just say that K and I are heading north to Washington. Snow? I sure hope so.

Merry Christmas to all of you! (If anyone checks this blog anymore.)

Phones

Let me tell you ... Californians, specifically those in Orange County, have taken cell phones to a new level. So, I recommend this article to everyone, but especially ... well ... the OC.

Love

I am continuously struck by how intentional love must be ...

My wife and I have to work at our love. It is work, but it's that kind of work that is more rewarding than any amount of sweat and tears you put into it.

... I wonder if that's how it is for God. So intentional ... so willing to sweat and cry ... and how he must rejoice beyond any meaning of the term we can fathom when the love is returned.

No wonder angels dance.

Public Service Announcement

Garbage Pale kids are back! Unfortunately the packs no long include the really terrible-tasting gum, which is how you rationalized buying them.

Galloping Gertie

My brother, Rob, is now living in Tacoma, Washington. True to form he's spent much of his spare time uncovering the folklore and finer points of his new turf. In the process he's reminded the family of the classic attempt by Tacoma to build its own suspession bridge. The bridge was the third largest in the nation behind the Golden Gate and the George Washington Bridge in NY.

Anyway, people loved the bridge because even in the lightest wind four to five foot waves would roll down the bridge causing cars in front of you to disappear and reappear as they drove accross. Not surpisingly the bridge failed only four months after its completion. The best part is Galloping Gertie was almost left open despite the fact that it was clearly unsafe.

Luckily ... except for Tubby the half-paralyzed dog, there were not casualties.

Thanks Rob for the fine trivia.

Change colors. Why bother?

Since moving to California, I've noticed that Fall is a formality largely reserved and revered for the mere fact that we get to set the clocks back (don't get me wrong, I revere the clock thing as well). In the Northwest, though, it was more of a process, and it was appreciated.

Where is this bitterness coming from? I'll tell you.

When Krista and I moved to Dana Point I took notice of all the deciduous trees, and I hoped (oops) that I might get to see some Fall colors. As it turns out, the trees here, much like everything else, just skip straight to the outcome and have no appreciation for the process. So, leaves don't really change color as much as they just pick a night and in the darkness die and fall off the trees. It's depressing.

Now I will go get a haircut.

Go Ireland!

It looks like the Irish are trying to keep up with the realestate prices here in California.

Rabies continued ... again

Krista and I had our last rabies vaccine shot today.

I vow to kill the next bat that even comes near me.

a reflection on the evening ...

Krista and I went with Jordo and Sue to check out the Shepard Fairey art show tonight. On the way we happened to see the Cinderella Carriage. (If you check out the link make sure to note the awesome graphics!)

During the art show I found myself thinking that in all likelyhood neither Jordo, Shepard Fairey, my cat, nor I will probably ever ride in the Cinderalla Carriage. Come to think of it, I'll be surprised if I ever meet someone that has.

That's all for this late night musing.

(No, that's not Jordo's normal look. It was a one-time deal ... as far as I know.)

Pet Day Spa

I had to run to the hardware store today, and I happened to notice there was a "Pet Day Spa" next door. Let me just say these two things:

First, I am by no means the man I should be, but I'm trying.

Second, toward the end of helping me become the man I hope to be ... Should I ever take a pet of mine to a Pet Day Spa, please remind me that there are people in this world that don't even know what a day spa is, and that they might have some needs worth meeting before my pet is subjected to the confusion and money-sucking experience of a Pet Day Spa.

Finally, as it stands right now, it would just be good for me to ask, and be asked, how I'm being a steward of my current resources. I'll have to think on that ... maybe that Pet Day Spa will be good for something after all ... but it sure won't be for my pet.

getty

getty girl
Originally uploaded by crotty.

My brother was in town a couple of weeks back, and we got some time to get to the Getty - hence the photo. (no the people in the photo are no direct relation)

Really I just wanted to say that I love my family and value what little time I do get with them. Ben, my brother that visited, lives in France, and he told me that the French think it's weird that we blog ... since most of what gets blogged consists of personal feelings and "private" stuff.

So, weird though I may be, let the world know that I miss being able to spend more time with my family.

Anniversary

Krista and I have been together for a little over a year now, and we still love it.

We didn't get to celebrate our anniversary on our actually wedding date, since we had a bunch of stuff going on. We did, however, celebrate this last weekend. It was so good to spend some time looking back at what was joyous and what was challenging about our first year. It was good to spend some time telling and hearing about our love for one another. In fact, I got myself to thinking that it's something we should be more intentional about.

The only reason I write about it at all is to let you in on it. If you are recently married and you haven't stopped, looked each other in the eyes, and spend an hour or two sharing about your love, joys, struggles, and dreams, then get to it. It's good for the soul. I assume that goes double if you've been married longer.

Oh, and thanks to all of you that sent cards and called to wish us well. I cannot tell you how much that means! We thank God for you.

published

My wife had an article published in the Youth Worker Journal complete with picture and brief bio. I think I'm married to a nerd, and I love it!

It's unbelievable

I never thought that I would be able to say that I can see the ocean every day on my way to work ... and not be lying.

Rabies continued

This morning Krista and I given more shots to fight the rabies ... yippie.

I'm thinking that since we'll be impervious to rabies for a season that I might hire myself in some sort of bat-removal capacity. What do you suppose the going rate for such a service is ... ?

Get this

Within 2 minutes of posting the "drunken cat" there were two comments. That's one comment per minute, which isn't too shabby. Both comments, however, were blog spam (for lack of a better term) ... which, of course, is funny if you read the post just before the "drunken cat."

Classic.

drunken cat?

drunken cat?
Originally uploaded by crotty.

Our poor cat has the worms. Today he gets a shot that will get the worms out ... which will probably make him feel ... well ... the same way he does in this picture.

Comments

I've had several people post comments that have nothing to do with anything being said on this site ... comments like:

"WoW !---Talk about SPAM ! I'm almost afraid to post on your site ! I was looking for ideas for web sites, cuz I'm putting up one called Cell Phones, which of course covers topics related to cell phone holders . Are you using a Blog Template or free-handing it ? ---Jack---"

Or

"So many Bloggs so little time. Thanks For letting me leave a comment. movue "

Whoever "Jack" is hit it on the head; it's SPAM. I thinks it's also annoying.

(As a point of humor, and to prevent anyone from inadvertantly linking to the sites these SPAMers want us to visit, I changed the original links to something self-serving.)

katrina

I bought a dollar sunday at McDonalds today, and I felt guilty. I think my guilt was justified. There are brothers and sisters in our own country that couldn't get a dollar ice-cream let alone use decent plumbing.

I've resolved to get my act together ... and soon ... to help those people - definitely before I get another ice-cream.

it's true...

...if you haven't seen this, you should.

(Click on the "watch this movie" link. It should be the Numa Numa dance)

our man

our man
Originally uploaded by crotty.

This is a youngster that Krista used to work with. He has some food allergies.

Rabies

I can tell you a lot about Rabies now that Krista and I are going through the immunization process for it ... I can tell you things like: when they give you shots for it, the first round is based on your body weight. So, if you weigh less, you get five shots (like Krista) instead of six (like me). Of course, that's only the first round in the month-long immunization process.

I guess it beats dying, though. After all, rabies does have a 100% mortality rate.

What happened ... ? A long story ... but let's just say it mostly has to do with a bat, a small room, and a mom who's full of caring concern to the point that you just have to, well, get a half dozen shots to start off your week.

fishing boat

fishing boat
Originally uploaded by crotty.

moments like these are why we love the Northwest

before the wedding

before the wedding
Originally uploaded by crotty.

nothing like a brother to bring joy to your life ...

Seattle Library

Seattle Library
Originally uploaded by crotty.

From the weekend ... vacation is good.

whelp ...

K and I are off to my little brother's wedding. First Seattle then the "kan."

On a related note: It hit me how different the place we are now is when I saw a plumber's van, a well-cleaned and professionally painted one, that had a white-board displaying the local surf report magnetically attached to the back. I can't tell you how much I wish I had a camera.

Out of Touch

I am at the office of the new job in Laguna Niguel. The internet at the house doesn't start to pick up until the 10th of the month; so, we've been way out of touch.

The new ministry here is sweet, though. It's a smaller church than I'm used to, but I like it. It's nice to feel like you have a voice. The head pastor is a great guy with a great vision, and I will enjoy working with him. The downsize is there are a lot of informal systems that I have to learn. Things just seem to work like you would expect them to in a smaller organization. I like it; it's just hard to get a handle on.

Other than that, life is good.

Just a point of interest ... when we moved from our address in Pasadena to our address in Dana Point ... our car insurance dropped by a third even though Krista will drive more! According to the guy I talked to it's because both living and driving down here is much safer. Interesting.

Movement

To those of you that know us ... you are welcome to visit us at our new home. We have a spare room reserved from you, and would value and appreciate your company and investment in our lives.

In fact, we move this Friday if any of you are interested in helping.

As far as movement goes ... I just spent the last week in Tijuana, Mexico. I was blessed with the opportunity to lead worship for the week, and was a small part of building the houses. Dave runs a sweet ministry, and he's blessed with some sweet kids.

There's also movement on the Stuntman stuff ... we think. The lawyer has money and is working ... we think. We shall see what exactly he's working on ... we shall see.

Laguna Niguel

Krista and I are headed to Laguna Niguel Presbyterian Church!

I've accepted a Youth Ministry position with them, and we start August one. So, we've been madly searching for a place to live. We think we've found a sweet place just outside of Dana Point, and will know for sure tomorrow.

Please pray for the transition and the new ministry!

Back

Well, it's been way too long since I've posted . . . and so it goes.

I spent last week speaking up at Calvin Crest, and it was a sweet time. Junior high students are so fun, and seek in a way that is very much their own. At the same time, speaking is really humbling. It's been a bit since I've spoken, and could do little more than realize anything that happens is all God's doing.

And God does stuff, which is great.

passion flower

passion flower closeup
Originally uploaded by crotty.

simon says ...

simon says ...
Originally uploaded by crotty.

cover your eyes with your "arm."

I don't think the cat liked the camera flash any more than I did.