The next few days will be tense

Now I wait on Walla Walla. The interview went well and they said they will get back to me by the end of next week. I'm cautiously optimistic.

I've interviewed with them before and this is the one church I want to serve at. THey had brought up someone else to candidate in early January, but he didn't work out. According to them, they realized quickly that their ministry philosophies were pretty divergent (how you don't figure that out before is kind beyond me)

THey didn't really tip their hand one way or another, but their Senior Pastor Brad did say at the end, "I can't make any promises, but I've been very encouraged by what we've heard tonight."

Now is the time for prayer

Walla Walla back on the table

The church that I had been most interested in being a pastor at was Trinity Baptist Church in Walla Walla. I had a series of pretty good interviews and felt very comfortable with them. Of all the churches I had talked to or interviewed with, Trinity seemed like the best connection. So I was disappointed when they told me in mid-December that they were bringing someone else up to candidate but that I was still 'in play' if the other person did not work out.

I did not hear anything from them for awhile and had pretty much given up on them. Until last week when I got an email from them and tht they want to continue the process with me.

I have a video interview with them tonight. I think that it is pretty much a 'catching up' interview to see what is going on with both of us.

But this is the job I want. I'll post an update tomorrow

The new Red Green show

I didn't even know this was still on, even in reruns!! I saw 2 episodes once while visiting my friend Bryan in Boise. Caught an episode last night on a PBS pledge drive.

This may well be the funniest show ever made. It was on Canadian tv and was a cross between a reality show and sketch comedy. The basic set was the Possum Lodge in Canada and Red Green was the leader. The show was built around men helping other men to be men.

Here's what last night's show dealt with. Trying to pu a sunroof in a van. But once the hole was cut, Red broke the pane of glass. He therefore used an upside-down aquarium with the logic that you could stick your head out and see above traffic.

There was a section on bungee jumping, but Red decided that the bungee rope was too expensive and instead bought 100 pair of extra stretch panty hose for the job.

The third bit was about establishing a petting zoo at the Possum Lodge. The first idea didn't go over so well because all they had were badgers and skunks. The second idea was for a drive-through petting zoo, with animals in mail boxes. You would drive by, open a mailbox, p[et the animal and go to the next.

I heard some of these were on DVD. Gotta get some

Ministry at any (almost) cost

Christa's small group meets at our house on Sunday nights. Usually I'm just upstairs with the kids. Regan goes down just abut the time the group starts. Caleb, maybe a half hour later. So I was going to have some 'me' time last night, reading, that sort of thing.

There's a woman who signed up for the group. New to Bay Hills and a single mom with a 3-yr old. I had said that I would watch her son with Caleb if she came to the group. She didn't show the first 2 weeks so I think the group maybe gave up on her a bit. She came last night ith her son.

So much for my 'me' time. But that's a good thing. I was able to minister in a way that I'm normally not able to...by babysitting. This woman would not be able to come to this small group (or maybe any other) unless someone could watch her son during the time. I guess this is just an extension of my role as small groups pastor. Her son and Caleb had a good time together. This next summer, Caleb and I are going to go on an overnight backpacking trip. Caleb asked tis other boy (having met him only an hour before) if he wanted to camping with us.

Caleb is good at ministering as well

Blessing upon blessing

Our heater went out the other day. Just refused to keep working. Obivously this becomes an issue in February with 2 young kids. So we sucked it up and called the heater repairman. A friend of mine recommended him to us. He's local, works by himself and is also a Christian. He goes to Valley Bible Church.

While he was working on the heater today, Christa was in the bedroom talking to me about ministry opportunities, espeically the church in Walla Walla which is back on the table. Greg the repairman heard a bit of the conversation. When he was done and the heater was fixed, Greg said that he would accept no payment from us because of my pastoral search. His exact words to Christa were "Let me bless you".

Blessings indeed come from God when we least expect them. Blessings aren't always desperately needed but they are contually a sign that God is working in the lives of his children. The challenge for us as Christians is to take the blessings which God gives and somehow pass them along to someone else.

Speaking of that, we're fnally getting the DMV work done on the Buick today so that we can pass it along to Emily and Joe

The Last Season

I just finished reading "The Last Season" by Eric Blehm. It's the story of a backcountry ranger in Kings Canyon/Sequoia National Park who disappeared one summer.

Backcountry rangers are those who live in the backcountry during the summer and into the fall. They've got elaborate tents or even cabins to live in. It is their job to be the ranger presence far away from any road or other building. They direct hikers, clean up trash, destroy illegal campfire pits and lead search and rescue operations (called SARs).

The main character in the book, Randy Morgenson, had been a backcountry ranger for almost 30 years when he suddenly disappeared while on wilderness patrol.. Tis book gives his history and what eventually became of him.

I was a good boy with this book. I didn't turn to the last chapter to find out what happened to him...I really had no idea, even mostly through the book. It comes to a head in the last few pages as his disappearance is explained, but there was no hint of it before in the book. Just questions and no answers until near the end.

What the book also did for me was to give me a hunger for the wilderness again. Until the past 4 years or so, I regularly backpacked 2-3 times during the summer. Since 2004, I've been only once. Having 2 kids is of course a factor in this. But I had forgotten how much I miss it until I read this book. The writer talks about and describes places that I've heard about for years but never been to, such as LeConte Canyon, Dusy Basin and Rae Lakes.

This summer I will take Caleb backpacking for the first time. Just an overnight trip, maybe to Union Resevoir with about a 1-mile hike. Bt it is time to indoctrinate him. And it is time for me to get my wilderness mojo back

Friday night dinner

Friday night dinners tend to be my most complicated. But it doesn't always have to be that way. Tonight I sauteed Veal Scaloppine and topped it with a wild mushroom sauce (bottled from Williams Sonoma). I also stir-fried some asparagus with garlic, soy sauce and a pinch of sugar. Bon Appetit!!!