i'm going to try to get off of candy.
AACK!
I'm going to try to go for 6 weeks- no candy or soda.
so- if you read this- you can keep me accountable.
and don't buy me candy please!
i can't turn down a gift...
wish me luck.
-rob
today is the last day of my vacation.
before I get started with my post-vacation blog, I’d like to say 2 things:
1: a big thank you to josh Tidwell, brooke commons and the entire middle school staff team at venture for letting me slip away for two weeks. they are total pros and i was able to take a break without worrying about the ministry because i knew it was in good hands. thank you!
2: I’m not all, “back to the daily grind! ugh! I don’t like work!” because i really enjoy my job. i enjoy the people i interact with and i feel like its time well spent. some people dream of being a pro athlete or a famous actor. when i was a teen, i dreamt of being a pastor, so i’m grateful everyday that i get to live out my dreams. so, I don’t mind going back to work- i think it will be fun.
ok-
we had a “stay-cation,” where you stay at home and have all the fun that you can in your local area. and my local area has all kinds of fun things to do. here are some of the fun things that we did as a family over the last two weeks::
:: i took jane to sky high sports twice! she loved it! and there were no injuries!
i spent the majority of the last week reading/ listening to a book called “the jewish war” by a man named josephus. i’ve been wanting to read this for years, and finally got around to it on vacation.
josephus was born in 37 AD, four years after jesus ascended into heaven. he is pretty much the best source of history of the time after jesus in Israel. he was a leader in the jewish army, but later defected to rome to save his life.
in the year 66 AD, Israel rebelled against the roman empire, and fought for their freedom. by the year 70, over a million jews had been slaughtered by rome. josephus tells the story of this war as an eye witness.
here are some of my reactions to reading/ listening to this::
:: number 1, it was exhausting. 20 hours of audio. i listened to it and read it at the same time. not only was the time exhausting, but the subject matter was exhausting too. total war, bloodshed, torture, and desperation.
:: josephus has a lot to say that fits hand in glove with the bible. being a jew, he references the prophets often. he also has much to say about john the Baptist, and jesus, though he doesn’t call them by name. he calls jesus “the miracle worker” and speaks openly about how he healed the sick and was crucified. he talks openly about the message of his resurrection, but he doesn’t confirm it, because it happened just before he was born. josephus also talks about the torn curtain in the temple. he also says that the jews actually put a sign in it saying that it was torn when jesus was crucified. josephus also speaks of the apostles and how they spread the message of the resurrection and how they healed many themselves. what was really curious was the the audio version of this book included these thoughts, but the text version omitted it. hmm-hmm.
:: josephus speak of the temple as the most amazing building ever constructed. he speaks of how the romans actually did not want to destroy it because of its beauty. he is absolutely crushed to see it destroyed.
:: regarding rome, these guys really know how to make war. they know how to talk trash, they know how to torture. josephus defected to the roman side to save his life, and his writing of this history seems to be very slanted to the roman side in parts.
:: the jews fought tooth and nail. they held off the romans for four years. they killed thousands of romans during these battles. they often fought without leaders, all knowing what they should do.
:: the romans surrounded Jerusalem to starve out the jews. there is stories in this book about how desperate people ate their children. there is also a part about how people escaped the city after swallowing their gold so that it would not be stolen. when word got out about this, the romans captured these escapees and took their gold right out of their bodies. 
:: the last site to fall was the fortress of Masada. the romans built a ramp to the top of it that still stands today. when they jews discovered that they would be captured, they considered the thought of their wives being violated and their children put into slavery and killed their wives and children themselves. after that, they set the place on fire and committed suicide so that the romans would not be able to say that they defeated them.
:: the romans destroyed the temple and stole all of the golden articles for worship within it. this has been memorialized in the arch of titus which shows romans taking the lampstand out of the temple.
when jesus entered Jerusalem on Passover, riding on a donkey, the people rose up and shouted “hosanna, God save us!” they thought that he was coming to deliver them from rome. but jesus wasn’t feeling it. instead, “he wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you."
i’m glad i read this book. it shed a lot of light on times and culture the new testament. if you’re a history buff, and have a lot of time on your hands, i’d say read it.
jane loves her dollhouse.
its got lots of different kinds of dolls who live in it, but the primary ones that she plays with are from a line of toys called “calico critters.” jane has a family of toy rabbits who live in the house. there are also 4 animal-kids: a fox, a cat, and two twin bears.
the dollhouse has evolved and it now has its own park/ theme park that goes along with it. one of the features in this theme park is a teacup ride- which hold 3 animal kids. but jane has four.
when jane plays with this ride, three animal kids climb on board the ride, and they all show their tickets to the ride attendant, who is a grown up rabbit. the rabbit also checks to see if their seatbelts are buckled. again, there is an issue of who doesn’t get to ride-
you would think that the animal kids would rotate in and out, but no.
the cat never gets to ride.
one day i was watching jane play with her toy and i said,
“does the cat get a turn?”
“the cat doesn’t want to ride.” she answered.
“is she afraid?” i asked.
“no- she doesn’t want to ride.”
i started feeling bad for the cat!
“jane! it’s the cat’s turn! the cat wants to ride!”
“the cat can wait. the cat can stand in line.”
“the cat has been standing in line all day! when is it the cat’s turn?!”
“its not her turn yet- still the bear’s turn.” she replies.
jane has another ride sitting in a box,
waiting for her to earn it by using the potty.
this one is a ferris wheel.
i said, “now you’ll have 2 rides! and the cat can ride too!”
jane answered, “nope. still the bear’s turn.”
what is all of this cat-discrimination?!
why can’t the cat ride the rides? !
she has been waiting in line for weeks!
Deanna thinks that she is mad at calvin for scratching her
and she is taking it out on the cat doll.
i really don’t know.
but i’m thinking of giving that cat a turn the next time jane isn’t looking…
like i said in my last blog, i read this book called, the likeability factor- and I’ve been thinking about it a lot actually. i think about it when i interact with others, and often find myself asking, “how likeable am i right now?” “am i doing things that are unlikeable?” “how can i be friendly right now?” one of the questions the author encourages readers to ask is, “have i made anyone smile today?” I’ve been asking myself all of these questions when i meet someone, and i have to say that its made a big impact on my interactions with others.
here is one example: today i was out with jane and Deanna was getting the oil changed in my car. we were in the same neighborhood so we met up. good thing too, because while they were changing my oil, my check engine light came on. this situation graduated from a Deanna errand to a rob errand. the guys at jiffy lube told me that their sensor wasn’t working and that i should go to another jiffy lube. and i did. I turned on my l-factor. i really tried to be friendly to the guys that were helping me. i made an effort to be interested in them and to have a friendly demeanor. normally, i would go in all mad because they broke my car and their stuff wasn’t working, and they were wasting my time, but i tried a whole different route. and i got great service. the second jiffy lube couldn’t figure it out either, but they promised that if i found a sensor that could diagnose the problem that they would fix it for free.
i went to kragen and again get it my best to be friendly, interested, empathetic and authentic- and again, i got some great help. one of the managers called one of his mechanic friends to try and help me for free. he couldn’t get a hold of his friend, but he gave me his card and told me to call later so that he could connect me with his friend.
i kept driving to the ford dealership and told them what had happened and again, gave it my best to be friendly, interested, and empathetic. they told me, “we don’t want to charge you for this, so let’s just look under the hood.” the guy said, “these systems are very unique. and when this plug (he held up and unplugged-plug) are unhooked, your check engine light turns on!” he plugged it back in, and sent me on my way. i called all of my new friends who helped me and thanked them again.
wow! not only dies this work, but its just more fun to be friendly than to be a jerk. we believe a lie that if we storm in and demand our rights and be a jerk, then people will bend over backwards to help us. that’s just not true.
so i’m going to keep it up and see what happens. and whether i get free stuff or good service or even a new friend, I’ll know that i had much more fun than i would have if i was acting rude, and I’ll know that i passed on a blessing, and made someone smile.
i was reading wide awake, by Erwin mcmanus, and he mentioned two books by tim sanders, and of course, i picked them up. i’m almost finished with the first one, the likeability factor. this is a fascinating book- and i recommend it to everyone. he basically claims that success is dependent on the choices of others- and choices are based on likeability more than anything else. people who are likeable do well, and people that aren’t don’t.
the book goes on to give strategies to improve likeability (all of these can also be found in the pages of scripture); the first and most important element to enhance likeability is friendliness (duh). and one of the primary ways to improve friendlieness is to rid unfriendliness from your life (again, duh.) but this is where it gets good. he writes something that puts into words something i’ve been trying to put into words for awhile. he says this:
“unfriendliness is a weakness. every time you’re unfriendly with someone, you’ve experienced a failure to control yourself."
"friendliness is a strength. when you’ve been friendly, you’ve been strong. you’ve flexed your friendliness muscles. challenge yourself to maintain friendliness despite the stimuli around you. don’t succumb to the weakness of unfriendliness. make it a matter of pride.”
sadly, i have seen way too many see unfriendliness as a sign of strength. i’ve seen way too many people treat others with unfriendliness and walk away thinking that they displayed strength or somehow did what was right. i've seen way too many people think that they had the right to be unfriendly because they were in a position of power. when in reality, their actions prove that they are powerless over their own emotions. “unfriendliness is a weakness. every time you’re unfriendly with someone, you’ve experienced a failure to control yourself.”
if you can walk away from a stressful situation where someone “below you” disappoints you or frustrates you and you can still be friendly/ polite, you are the strong one.
friendliness is not a sign of weakness or tolerance for disrespect. i think that this is what jesus was getting at when he told us to turn the other cheek and to give up our cloak. when we are in control of our emotions, we are the strong ones, not the bullies in our lives. friendliness is a sign of strength. so be strong, be friendly, “make it a matter of pride.”
seriously, pick up this book. you won’t regret it.
:: ok- there are like a million different sports in the summer olympics- but nbc seems to think that all we want to see is those two girls playing volleyball. how many matches are they going to play?! give them the gold medal already!
:: what is the deal with ptting michael phelps on every night at like 11:30? our productivity as a country must be going down because we're all going to bed so late!
:: they give gold medals out for badminton?! and ping pong?!
:: still totally blown away by the opening. we're about to open our remodeled worship center. i think that we need to put one of the pastors on wires and have him run around the perimeter of the ceiling. that was a cool effect.
:: back to the volleyball girls. they guys volleyball team is fully clothed. not quite sure why the girls need to basically play in their underwear and visors.
:: the divers get out of the pool, and then into a shower- and they take their towels in there with them. i know that its all for a reason, but it doesn't seem to make sense.
:: girls softball: what is the point of having the greatest female fielders in america, if no one can actually hit a ball thrown by jennie finch? those girls in the outfield must be so bored.
:: I keep hearing about the guy who broke his arm lifting weights, but i still haven't seen it.
:: i would love to show up at a pool party wearing one of those swimmer suits.
:: i thought that all of the wars were supposed to stop for the olympics! come on world leaders!
8/8/08 was a great day for me-
I started out taking jane to the jungle-
while she was there, she hit the jackpot on one of the games! 392 tickets from one token! I'm taking this kid to vegas!
after that, I headed to the triton museum in santa clara, where i officiated a wedding for a very cool and artsy couple. i got to use all kinds of artsy metaphors for their artist friends. i felt like rob bell or something. i got to work with my friend ruthanne from uni who played harp at the wedding. the wedding was held outdoors in front of this cool old house, that reminded me of my old house on college avenue in modesto. 
i got home just in time to read stories to jane before she went to bed. she has been getting really hyper at night. lately she is really into the "10 little monkeys jumping on the bed" song. last night we heard her singing it in her sleep! (I got to hear about all 10 monkeys before i left for work this morning).
after stories, i picked up some take out from lee's kitchen (delish) and was blown away by the opening ceremony of the olympics. best opening ever.
saturday was pretty stellar too.
we went to vasona, rode the train, the carousel, and the airplane. i took a lovely nap, grilled some chicken that could easily take on bobby flay, and watched the giants beat the dodgers. what a weekend!
have you ever moved away from home? are there places that you make sure to go to when you go back? for some reason, whenever I go back to modesto, I always go to the velvet creamery, the taco trucks, and david wong’s china express. I’ve got memories all over that town, but I never really go and visit anything other than those restaurants. I was thinking about what i would miss if I ever left the south bay area; and here is the short list::
1. vasona park/ oak meadow park:
I’ve had so many great memories here with my family. jane and i have easily spent hundreds of dollars riding the train and the carousel. (i was actually riding the train with jane this morning as i was thinking up this list). if i ever leave and come back, I would visit there.
2. willow glen
when we first moved into town, we lived on the willow glen side of town. it’s a charming little strip. we especially enjoy the world famous children’s bookstore, hickelbee’s, as well as powell’s candy shop, pizza my heart, starbucks, and the frozen yogurt place. the thrift shops are great too. I love willow glen books- they have the best local history section around.
3. venture/ my office
if i moved away and came back, i would definitely come by the church and see who is in my office, and what they are doing with it. i’ve spent a lot of time in that little room, and i’ve had a lot of incredible conversations in it.
4. the santa cruz mountains
if i moved away, i would miss the view of the santa cruz mountains that i enjoy from just about any part of the area. i love to hike in the new almaden area and i have spent many hours at the novitiate which overlooks highway 17. i have loved driving through those mountains to boulder creek, mount hermon, roaring camp railroad and to santa cruz. the mountains are beautiful, and whenever I leave the area, they are always a welcome sight, and an indicator that i’m close to home.
5. almaden lake park
the place that i have often called, “my front yard.” I have biked and hiked through this park hundreds of times. jane loves the toddler park and the bocce ball. we have so many great memories here.
6. Malibu grill“my other office.” when people say, “where do you want to go to lunch?” or “where did you take your friend for lunch?” i often answer, “where else?” of course it’s the grill. i love the people who run this place, i love the food, and i love the vibe. its not great for a real serious meeting, which might be the reason i go there so often.
7. los gatos
there are so many places and sights in los gatos that i love: the great bar coffee shop with their CCC’s, the wooden horse toy shop, the borders bookstore (the best borders in the world). i love the town and its charm.
8. the mountain winery
this is my favorite place to see a concert by far. so intimate and memorable. i’ve seen al green, hall and oates, k.d. lang and i’m sure others. check their website, odd are that one of your favorite bands will swing through the winery- buy some tickets. you’ll be glad that you did.
9. the shark tank
i’ve spent so many nights at the tank cheering on a team, or watching a band or attending a conference. its so cool that its so close. again, I have so many fun memories in that building.
10. santa cruz
i really enjoy santa cruz. i live elm street mission. i love the boardwalk- when all of the lights and music are on at night, it created such a fun atmosphere. i love seabright and natural bridges beaches.
i love where i live. i love reading about all of the local history of this area; i love being able to say to my family on a saturday morning, “what do you want to do today?” and have so many options. there are a bunch of other places in town that I really love: like the discovery museum, happy hollow, Santana row, villa montalvo, my gym, and a bunch of other places; but these are the places that I think that i would really miss if i ever moved away.
:: there are times when you find yourself in a place where there is no traffic, no hurry, and no stress. if you’re not in a hurry, slow down and enjoy the ride.
:: there are times when you find yourself in very stressful situation. there are obstacles around, distractions, and you may or may not be lost. in those situations, focus. keep your eyes on the road. be a defensive driver and watch out. be on the look out for your next move, and be on the look out for an accident to happen.
:: sometimes we get bad directions- or we try a short cut that doesn’t work. if you get lost, you can call a friend who has traveled that road before. they can help you find your way home.
:: there are crazies out there. some of them drive so fast and crazy, that they won’t last much longer. some are filled with rage, and it is making a dangerous environment for everyone else. get out of their way, let them pass; steer clear of them, or you may join them in their next accident.
:: there are decisions to make on the road. some of them are meaningless, like, what lane to drive in, or how fast to go. some decision will affect you for a long time to come, like which direction to take on the next freeway. so have your headlights on, and your directions handy. they’ll help you make better decisions, and keep you from getting lost (ps. 119).
:: its important to communicate to the others on the road. warn them of the moves that you plan to make, so that they can help you and avoid conflict.
:: if you drive on the road long enough, you will encounter a crisis. make sure that you have someone that you can call; and make sure you’re ready for that next crisis to hit. be prepared.
:: you will also see others having a crisis on the road too. some have the help that they need, some don’t. but if you can help, you should. sure it will slow you down, and there is nothing in it for you. who said that there needs to be a payoff for helping someone in need?
:: if you disobey the rules, you don’t get to drive. even worse, your disobedience could permanently damage someone else.
:: sometimes obstacles come out of nowhere. stay calm, slow down, and stay alert. this way you can see them coming, or at least handle them quickly.
:: while you are driving, there are all sorts of things that want your attention: billboards, advertisers on the radio, your cell phone or blackberry. none of those things are as important as getting to your destination. those things could actually keep you from getting from here to there. stay focused on what is important- the details and the distractions can usually wait. after all, why did they invent voicemail if its not something that callers can use?
:: some good music and some good company always makes for a better trip.
:: leave early so that you can go slower and enjoy the ride. don’t get so bothered by the other drivers that it affects the passengers riding with you. you have a responsibility to get them where they are going safely.
:: sometimes we're driving and we don't know which way to go. the signs are trying to help us find our way, but they just make everything more confusing. its ok to pull over and ask for directions. it will feel like slowing down, but you'll really be speeding up. if you're lost and you keep on driving, you just get more and more off course.
:: its all about the journey, not the destination.
can you think of some more? shoot me a comment!
I had some funny conversations today- here are some of the excepts::
7:30am; jane’s room
DW: “calvin barfed all over the floor this morning!”
jane: “he BARFED?! calvin BARFED! he BARFED dad!”
me: “she has a new word.”
jane: “he BARFED! calvin BARFED! what did he do dad?”
me: “what did he do jane?”
jane: “he BARFED! calvin BARFED!”
me: “do you like that word, jane?”
jane: “I like that word! BARF! calvin BARFED! what did he do dad?”
me: “what did he do jane?”
jane: “he BARFED! calvin BARFED!”
10:15 am; at church,
(with a middle school boy who came to church to help me clean a storage bin)
middle school boy: “hey rob? when you were my age... were you into pirates?”
me: “oh yeah. totally!”
middle school boy: “because I’m going through a serious pirate phase right now.”
me: “that’s cool.”
middle school boy: “when did your pirate phase end, rob? like, how long it it last?”
me: “I don’t know- does it ever end?!”
middle school boy: “mine has been going on since my birthday! its all I think about! I even have a pirate costume!”
me: “did you hear about the time that we had a pirate-night at church?”
middle school boy: “really? that sounds awesome! could we do that again?”
me: “sure.”
12:15pm; in line at the food court at the mall
woman wearing a tupac shirt: “is that a bible you’re holding? isn’t that great that people are reading their bibles. we’re in the end times you know? I know it. good for you. rread that bible. God bless. could you pray for my friend here? he needs prayer.”
me: “what’s going on?”
friend: “oh you know- baby-mama-drama. just pray that the truth comes out. because there is a lot of deception going on right now. so I need prayer.
me: “sure. of course!”
me: “I’ll have orange chicken and fried rice…”
2:35pm; at the bus mechanic
bus mechanic one: “it looks like someone tried to siphon your gas by disconnecting the gas hose! we can put it right back on for you.”
bus mechanic two: “whoever did that is going straight to the underground facility. get it? the underground facility!”
me: “yeah.”
3:45pm; in the facility director’s office
me: “don, I had a question to ask you about the back lawn…”
don: “we just had it re-seeded, and had the turf replaced, its going to look beautiful. we really went all out to make it perfect. anyhow,, what’s your question?”
me: “would you be opposed to me dumping 80 gallons of jello on the lawn next month?”
(and one from tuesday night)
6:55pm; the church parking lot
mom: “rob, I just want to say that when you spoke at my friend’s funeral, that it was such a blessing…”
middle school boy: “rob…rob! rob I need to tell you something!”
me: “hold on bro…”
mom: “her kids are doing well, they’re still grieving of course, but I just wanted to thank you again…”
middle school boy: “rob! its really important! rob!”
me: “just a second buddy…”
mom: “I’ll tell the kids you said hi, thanks again.”
middle school boy: “rob! rob!”
me: “WHAT?!”
middle school boy: “the wii in the game room; it needs new batteries!”
its been a week or so since my last blog.
I’ve been sort of busy, and not feeling all that creative, but here is an update on me and my world:
:: I was off of caffeine for a couple of months, and just starting to feel like I was over it. then missy, one of the middle school staff ladies came to church on a tuesday night and gave me a cup of mcdonald’s sweet tea. it was a gift. I had to drink it. after one sip I felt like I could see better- and hear more and my skin felt tingly- and I became so creative and full of life! I woke up! and my sparkle was bright again! some students got a kick out of seeing me hyper. some have developed a pretty good impression of caffeine-rob. I had caffeine all that week and all week at hume. it was so fun. I even had a few red-bulls. whoa! now I’m off again (except for the invigorating water). maybe that’s why I haven’t felt so creative…
:: I found a bag of m&m’s on my desk the other day with a post-it note attached to it. it said, “congratulations rob! I’m so proud of you!” I asked around to see who it was from, but nobody knew. it was from luke. he felt bad that I didn’t get a prize for my potty-power last week. wow- that IS a good prize! I’m a big kid now!
:: speaking of big kids, I’ve been having a lot of fun with my big kid recently. we’ve been looking all over for a safari hat so that jane can go on a safari around the house searching for a black panther (calvin). we finally found one at a party store.
and the safari began right there in the store. it got a little awkward when she started crawling around on the floor with her safari hat, searching for calvin. we also got big sunglasses at chuck e. cheese after cashing in our tickets.
yesterday we had dinner together at the mall. there was a sale at disney store and we got new ariel-flip-flops- only $3!
(seriously. if you have kids, and they like disney, keep an eye out for their sales. once they are ready to move something out, they slash the price.) last weekend we got to go and ride thomas the train at roaring camp railroad.
the train ride was ok, what was really awesome was the way that they decked out the entire area to be like the island of sodor, thomas’ home.
:: I spoke in big church a couple of weeks ago.
I felt like it went over. the people at venture are so kind. they often see me and ask if I’m speaking soon. and they always tell me that I did well afterwards. i think the best compliment that I heard was, “if I had only heard that message 30 years ago, I would have saved myself a lot of pain.” wow. if people are able to do business with the Lord, then I’m satisfied with the message.
:: my biggest bus day of the year was last week. annual inspection by the CHP. I save documents and keep those busses in tip-top shape all year, just the see my friend Dale sign his name on a piece a paper and check a box that says, “satisfactory.” he always seems to toss in a threat somehow; like, “cute little girl! that would be such a shame if she didn’t get to see her dad for five years if you ended up in prison for falsifying documents- and I’ve sent youth pastors to prison before…” sheesh! this year we passed with flying colors.
:: I’m working on a new series of messages for the fall. the series is called activist and is based on several passages from the book of james. I’m looking forward to it.
:: I’ve been in 2 chronicles for quiet time. after 1 samuel, 2 samuel, 1 kings, 2 kings and 1 chronicles, I think I’m ready to stop reading about mistake-making-kings.
:: finally, I’ve been going to spin class on monday, wednesday, and fridays. most days its pretty chill because its just me and a bunch of old ladies. but today, there were some star-spinners there. all women. the instructor had us stand up and sprint at the same time on the bike. she usually has us do something like this for 30 seconds. I can usually keep track of the time in my head. after about 30 seconds she said, “almost there!” she lied. she’s a LIAR! we weren’t almost there! we were nowhere near THERE! we couldn’t even SEE there form where were were! another 30 seconds go by. “almost there!” LIAR! I was in serious pain. my face was beet red, sweat was squirting out of every pore on my body. I was really tempted to just sit down, but since there were all girls in the class, I didn’t want to sit down and give up. I looked over at all of them, and they were all doing just fine. instead of 30 seconds, this lady had me spinning and standing for a WHOLE SONG. like 3 and half minutes. LIAR!
crazy. back to work.
