Family Camp 2008

So we are back from OPC family camp 2008.  Wow, we had a blast, and wow, we are exhausted.  First, the confines of the upper reaches of the San Bernadino mountains was absolutely beautiful.  We stayed at a conference center at about 6000ft. right at lake arrowhead and close to Big Bear Lake.  The place was called "Blue Ridge Bible camp" and after eating a couple of meals there I coined my gas pains as "Blue Ridge Bible cramps."  Anyway, Rebecca and I taught an excellent bunch of 18 first & second graders.  The picture above of all the kids is our group performing at the "talent night."  We performed my own arrangement of a tune going through the whole armor of God found in Ephesians 6:10-18.  The kids absolutely rocked and I think as a whole we sounded a lot like a mix of the mountain goats and the arcade fire.  It was fast folk, yea with 18 kids our sound was just huge, choir-like anthems.

The other pictures with us and others, are with our new friends the Phillip family.  The top photo is with us and their daughter Suriah.  The bottom photo is with us and the rest of their crazy kids and Santosh the dad (Steph the mom is taking the photo).

Then the other photo is of my basketball team that played all week.  Newly inspired by the Celtics 17th NBA title win, my team took 1st place at this years tournament.  We swept our opponent in a five game series 3-0.  It was awesome, however, playing at 6000ft. has a way of causing quick fatigue.  

Dr. Tony Curto was the keynote speaker all week.  We did not get to hear much from him since we were teaching our own class.  However, we got free mp3's of his talks.

All in all it was a great time.  Our favorite portion was the nature walks with Dr. Larry Mchargue.  He walked us through the forests and pointed out all kinds of things in nature, and instructed us.

Ok, we have to go now.  Enjoy the photos. 

Family Camp

Rebecca and I are off to the OPC family camp for the whole week.  We are stoked.  Our camp is in the San Bernadino mountains.  There will be archery, basketball (in a newly built gym), frisbee, and all kinds of other assorted fun things.  So the Publican Chest will be dormant this week as we will not be around internet.

See ya.

Titus, Torrey, Tough

This week I begin a sermon series through the book of Titus.  I am very excited about it.  The first sermon, introducing the book, I have titled as "A letter to God's appointed preachers, for God's elect people, because of God's eternal promise."  I am getting the hang of this preaching thing, three points, three p's (Preachers, People, Promise), three hours...oh wait, that last one might be a little off, more like 35-40 minutes.

In other news, the US Open began this week in San Diego.  Torrey Pines is the site of the 108th US Open.  Rebecca and I were able to go the third round of the Buick Open held at the same course this past fall.  Torrey Pines is a great set-up and will provide a good setting for the championship.  I think you always have to count on Tiger to make the grade.  However, the hometown favorite is Phil Mickelson, the one I am routing for.  

Tonight, Rebecca and I are going to a KRAV MAGA fighting demonstration in Temecula.  A friend of ours that we go to church with is part of the Krav Maga scene and happens to be graduating a belt this evening.  I am told that tonights special for the graduating demonstrations is "shotgun grabs."  What this means is that an assassin armed  with a shotgun will attack the graduate, and the graduate must take the shotgun from the assassin and subdue the assassin.  I am also told that there will most likely be some light bloodshed.  All in all, I guess I am stoked to see this.  It sounds like Krav Maga makes the UFC guys look like the Berenstain Bears, we'll see.  

Be well,

P-Chest

What to do?

There are many things which I hope to accomplish this summer.  A few of these things in no particular order include:  First, I want to survive my internship.  Second, I want to vacation with my wife regularly each month.  Third, I would like to read a few books (William Willimon's "Peculiar Speech"and Sinclair Ferguson's "The Holy Spirit" to name a few).  Also, I would like to record some music.  I have been batting around a few songs, even though I have no time to do that kind of thing anymore.  This doesn't mean I don't want to record, I do want to record, I just hope I have the time.  Finally, I would like to body-board a bunch, fix -up the car, see the dentist, hang-out with friends, listen to great music, catch a Padres game, etc.

We'll see.

In other news..CELTICS 2 LAKERS 0...So far, this finals season has been great.  We'll see what happens in LA.  For the Celtics its all about Rondo, Powe, Posey, Perkins, and the role players.  We need defense and smart offense.

New Beginnings

So Rebecca and I just returned from West Palm Beach, FL and I am immediately jumping into my summer pastoral internship.  I begin this Sunday by teaching a Sunday School class by walking through an Amazing Grace apologetics DVD that is really good, I will just be leading a short discussion after showing the video.  I am also booked to preach this Sunday night.  Being short on time, I am revamping some parts of an old sermon on Colossians 1:15-20, the sufficiency of Christ in all things.  The sermon basically goes under the two headings that arise very naturally out of the text:  1) Christ's supremacy over creation, and 2) Christ's supremacy over the new creation (or Church).  Anyway, I am adding some material regarding the application of the passage in our current monistic milieu.  I am indebted to my professor Dr. Peter Jones for some of the material regarding the implications of this passage upon intruding pagan syncretism creeping in the church, and of which is absolutely taking over the bookshelves (going airport bookstore hopping revealed just how popular Eckhart Tolle's program is among American readers along with the lingering popularity of the book "The Secret").  Anyhow, I am also just polishing up some of the exegesis.

Besides this, I finally got to go golfing for the first time in quite awhile yesterday.  It was great, I beat everyone playing with me, while I also came eerily close to my first hole-in-one.  The third hole at the Vineyards course in Escondido is a par 3, 109 yards over water, and with thick brush in the back there is very little room for error.  Anyhow, I just took a wedge and plopped the ball about 3 ft. from the cup and the ball started drifting closer to the cup, but stopped short.  Anyways, I tapped in for birdie and was happy.  I wish the rest of my round was that good.  Don't worry, I had my share of double's, I am not that good.

I live in Southern California but I am routing for the Celtics in the finals tonight.