It takes 32 minutes to drive from Vicinato…

to my house and then back. I know this because I drove straight home tonight, beginning at 7:57pm after setting up and sound-checking everything, only to realize i had left my guitar at home. How crazy is that? It’s the first time ever, in like 10 years of gigs, that I’ve gone to a show w/o a guitar… So, we started tonight about a half-hour late.

Of course, things still went OK – Thomas was phenomenal – and the crowd at Vicinato Wine Bar (www.vicinatowinebar) was incredibly gracious. Looking forward to playing there again in September.

John

Funny Sticker on Car

So this post/picture involves some semi-acceptable swear words… If that one word for your butt (the one that starts with an “A” and ends with two “S’s”) offends you, read no further.

If not, enjoy the funny sticker below that was on the minivan in front of me while I was driving yesterday. I thought it was funny enough to wait for a red light, jump out and snap a pic, and give the driver an obligatory head-nod.

The Pic:

Dworshak 2008

I spent the week of July 13-19 at a HS water ski camp on the Dworshak Resevior just outside of Orofino, ID. A few cool highlights to tell you about.

1st – this was my 2nd time speaking at the camp, and this time I came prepared with my own tent and camp chair. Here’s what my little setup looked like:

Pretty comfy actually – all things considered… Anyway, at this place it is CAMPING camping – I.E. no electricity, no running water, no showers, no nothing! But this group of people didn’t let this stop them from having an incredible week. The church (Damascus Community) has been coming here for like 15 years so they’ve definitely figured out how to make it work.

In the main part of camp, there’s a kitchen and eating area – btw, the food out there was some of the best I’ve had – I was amazed how great the food could be w/so few resources.

Then there was a little campfire area where we had our meetings each night:

Some students who had just graduated were there to lead the music and did a great job!

Shout out to Joel and Kevin… The students were pretty stoked on being there for the most part – here’s a pic from the worship time the last night.

There was definitely some pretty sweet wakeboarding and tubing going on all week:

This tube – called the “Molecule” was a favorite among the more adventurous students…

What can I say? I really enjoyed the whole week. I got some much needed rest during the down time (I can’t remember the last time I didn’t answer a phone call or return an email for a week – God bless no electricity or cell service) and I was able to do some good reading (Potok’s The Promise, Endo’s Silence, Webber’s People of the Truth). The weather was incredible – only one little spot of rain, but mostly warm, warm sunshine. Each night, I was blessed to speak to these students, offering them visions and images of what Christianity is and could be: Story, Community, Powerful Practices, Mission, and Discipleship. It’s a unique experience and the people at Damascus have definitely created a powerful week for these students. Here’s a pic of Phil, the youth pastor, on the boat ride out to the camp to close the post…

A Little Plane Ride…

So about two weeks ago, I traveled out to Orofino, ID to speak to a group of HS students at a water ski camp. Pics and Blogs of the camp coming soon, but one of the coolest parts was I got to fly out there!

A Pic of the Plane:

Once in the plane I was a little worried by this sign:

Luckily, Gary Dunfee, the pilot, was incredible! He took good care of us and delivered us safely into Lewiston.

Of course, he also had some help from a pretty sweet co-pilot…

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Well Friends,

What can I say? I love making casseroles. It all started when I got married, and Marissa and I realized if we were going to eat, either we’d spend a lot of money at restaurants or I’d learn to cook more. This tasty dish is one the first I tried. I found the recipe online and now gladly share it with all who may be interested. I’ve included pictures so you’re sure to get it right!

Ingredients:

Bread, Chicken, Broccoli (frozen florets or fresh will do…), Deli Ham, Cream Cheese (1 brick), Cream of Chicken Soup (2 cans), Swiss Cheese (grated is best, 2 little bags will do.)

Note on creating soup mixture: Use your 2 cans of soup, add 1/2 cup milk and a dash of pepper, mix to desired consisency.

Step 1: Begin with your pan, spray some good non-stick oil on the bottom, then line with your favorite bread. I recommend something wheaty and/or grainy.

Step 2: Grill or prepare your chicken. Sometimes I will simply microwave 3 or 4 chicken breasts and then cube them, other times, like here, I use frozen chicken and grill it on the foreman. Either way, don’t over cook the chicken – it’s going to be in the over for another 45 mins, so overcooking’s a bad idea.

Step 3: Cube or cut up the chicken, spreading it evenly over the bread.

Step 4: Using 1 brick of cream cheese (i prefer the non-fat in order to feel better about myself) try to spread cream cheese out over the chicken as evenly as possible. I often use a knife to cut slices of the cream cheese then place them appropriately.

Step 5: Add a layer of deli ham. I prefer the honey ham, but any kind will do.

Step 6: Add a layer of swiss cheese.

Step 7: Add the Broccoli.

Step 8: Spread your soup mixture over the broccoli.

Step 9: Add one more layer of swiss Cheese, then place in oven. Bake @ 350 degrees for 45 mins.

Step 10: Remove from oven, hope it looks as good as mine, and enjoy!

The Way to Write a Sermon…

I was typing away yesterday, working on a sermon for sunday, when I realized the beauty that was sitting in front of me… surely this is what the lord intended for those who write sermons

Fire Pit

With the weather finally turning nice, it just felt like the perfect thing for our little patio. After hours of begging, Marissa finally caved in an let me buy one!!!

Home Group Beach Trip

Some pics from the now annual event… lots of fun, beautiful weather, and shuffleboard for all!!! You’ll notice the broken key… which threatened to ruin the trip, but disaster was carefully avoided via the locksmith, and a tasteful shot of Charles and Nicole crashed out on the ride home. I think they slept more on the way home than the whole time there…

Moment of Zen…

You know how the Daily Show with Jon Stewart ends with “here it is, your moment of zen…?”

I felt like I had one the other day when Sara Milliken crashed the end of Mike and I’s meeting and all 3 macs converged… it was a beautiful thing!

Why I Love My Prius…

That’s correct! For the first time, I finished a tank of gas averaging OVER 50 MPG!!! Lately I’ve been averaging around 48 or 49 but this last tank I finally made it!

As you can see, I traveled 435 total miles on that tank and averaged 50.4 miles per gallon, which means my “fill-up” today was just over 8.6 gallons. There’s a few “tricks of the trade” I’ve been learning along the way that have proved helpful and I do in fact now drive like an old man… but at $4.20/gallon, I’m still feeling the love for the prius!