just so you know that I'm still alive and kicking, I'll leave a short post. It seems that I don't sit down long enough to blog in the summertime, not sure why. I have all the time in the world, I just don't feel like it. And if you know me well enough, if I don't "feel" like it, I don't do it. One of my downfalls. One of them :)

Had a great Father's Day, steak lunch then off ot 18 holes of golf at the in-laws Country Club. Did not shoot very good, but what can I expect for the first time out this season. I would love to golf more, but I need partners and $ to do so. Neither seem to be happening soon. Sunday night group turned into a roundtable around the fire til midnight. This is the real stuff. Real confessions, real conversations, real passions in life, real community. It means a lot to me that my home is a space where teens can find their faith again amidst histories of legalism and shameful rejections. The Kingdom of God just makes so much sense and I believe the only way to find that reality is through the only gate, Jesus the Christ and a relationship with Him. I know it sounds so basic, but that's where the beauty lies. I pray these guys take their hunger for the Kingdom reality to its fullest extent, I'll hang around to influence them in that direction.

Much family time in the summer and that's a good thing. Today, Ali and I will head out for something to do besides just errands. Let's see what happens.

Am doing tons of planning and researching for Scotland/England with Palmer. Getting really stoked about it, I can't believe we will be taking a pilgrimmage in just a few weeks. Lining up housing and what area we'll be in on what days. The rest of the details are God's for us to find out.

Went out with Rains on Friday night cuz he found a place downtown advertising "free hookah after 9:00". Once the bell chimed 9:00 p.m., we waltzed in and got a table. Had some really good arabic dishes and the fine flavor of apple hookah. It turns out this place was owned by a Palestinian Christian family as they don't sell beer but promote dancing and smoking. There was a graduation party going on in another section with a D.J. and multi-generational dancing. Real dancing that everyone can enjoy and participate in, not the bump and grind caveman crap! So I guess the evangelical tradition of no drinking, no smoking and no dancing actually doesn't harken back to 1st century Palestinian culture. I guess those laws don't originate with Jesus but with the onset of modernism as played out in the Holiness and Fundamental movements. When you get some perspective in the world or history, American evangelicalism just looks silly sometimes. Nevertheless, conversation with Rains is always a good time to dream, challenge and dream some more. I can't get enough of it. And the fact that we found an arabic christian place with free hookah is just surreal. It seems that most of out time together eventually leads to the surreal. Life is good.

peace,