i'll thank You for the day

I haven't had a day off from the spa for 12 days now, and maybe a couple more once the restaurant is factored in. Needless to say, I have abdicated my responsibility to honor the sabbath (a day of rest in this case). Fridays are usually my day off, and today I actually didn't work, and of course, it was amazing. This morning I got off work and drove to the beach and met up with Nick as it was his turn to film for his friends. They rotate every Friday. I took my camera and tried out surf photography for the first time, and thought the lighting was bad, it was fun. I took pictures, but didn't get in the water for multiple reasons: time, energy level, energy conservation, size of waves, I had a long-board vs. a short-board, and of course most importantly my skill level :) So yeah, needless to say, this picture is not me.

I left the beach and had breakfast with Willie and Dennis. We had a good conversation, one that I was personally really blessed by. God's sovereignty was the theme of the conversation, and it's funny how even during the conversation it was obvious the Lord was "authoring and perfecting." Good people, and good times. Thank You Lord.


From the restaurant I went to the house, gathered my hockey gear (which reminds me I need to pick it up, it is still outside drying and hopefully losing its smell) and drove to the rink. It's been four months or more since I played, but it was great. My legs went weak after the first twenty minutes, but somehow I managed to make it the full time. A few more Fridays of that and I'll be up to par.

Next stop was Panera Bread to meet up with Tim Cain. It had been a while since we'd met, so it was definitely a good thing. We chatted about doctrine and Moody, as he's alumni, and I know I gleaned a lot from our time together. Hopefully I will have time off soon to make it to his college group that he teaches; at the very least I am going to go to Mammoth with them for their snowboarding trip a week before Christmas. Snowboarding, at the very least, ha :) Oh, yeah, Tim is going to Uganda in January, but there is some political unrest right now as the elections are coming up, so please pray for the country and his safety.

Wow, it was a full day, it didn't seem like it though, it was really relaxing. To top it off, Jaime and Nicole blessed me with the opportunity to watch Kaden for them this evening as they went to see a movie. Ahh, kids... He chilled, I chilled, he ate, I ate, he laughed, I laughed, he cried, I asked him not to cry, and finally we rested. It was great. The other day I was jokingly telling Willie how I would probably be diagnosed as bipolar if I went to a psychiatrist, and he was telling me no, and I actually agreed, saying that it's as if all people have mental disorders, it just depends on how intense. Babies prove that, they're all bipolar. They're up, they're down, and not on a small scale. One second they have the most grandisimo smile and two seconds later, face red, lip quivering, blood curdling shrieks. Such is life as an infant. It makes me feel better, as I know I don't have those extremes, but there is a spiritual lesson to be learned here. As an infant one is tossed by emotions and needs, as mature adults we need to be growing...

...until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:13-16

Apply it to emotions, doctrines, desires, all things, we should not be tossed around by anything. God is sovereign, and our trust in Him will guide us through all things... even crying babes. I am super tired now, but I do have pictures of the day, so I will post them. To all... Godspeed...




"Man's capacity for love depends on his willingnes to seek a good together with others, and to subordinate himself to that good for the sake of others, or to others for the sake of that good."

Love and Responsibility - Karol Wojtyla