Making memories

Having taken no time off this summer apart from 2 Fridays, since mid-June and the family having been gone much of that time, I wanted to build a few memories together for the whole family.

So, we intentionally built in some time this week.

On Wednesday, I left the office at 3:30 to round up the boys and head to SunSplash, a local water-slide park for $10 Wednesday nights. Although it was a little chilly, it was their first experience at a water slide park. They're ready to go back... :-)

Both especially fell in love with the wave pool.

Brendon chose, as his first ever water slide, one of the wilder solo slides. I knew he was nervous as I looked at his face for the last time before I headed into the darkness of the tube. He has told me to go down first and he would follow. It was a fast dark tube that broke open into a toilet bowl in which you spin around and around, eventually dumping you in several feet of water. When he finally emerged, he was so thrilled with his accomplishment and still scared from the ride that his whole body shook for 15 minutes afterward.

On Thursday, I left the office at noon and we spent the day together as a family. We rode our bikes together at a leisurely pace to the local library, perused the books, came home to rest and then headed out for ice cream. We finished the day with a DVD and popcorn.

On Friday, we headed to the Bay. It was a foggy day in San Francisco (go figure, it normally is) and a little windy as we found our way to the Zoo. Ian was in heaven as we explored the animal areas one by one. His favorite, of course, was the insect zoo. He described each insect to us in detail and informed us about how dangerous it was.

After wandering the zoo for several hours, we set the GPS for Fisherman's Wharf to delve into a mountain of Ghiradelli Square Ice Cream for supper. We attempted to walk off the sugar rush on the wharf and the beach before fighting rush hour traffic back home.

Saturday morning greeted us with sleeping in, pancakes and cartoons.

Time makes all the difference...

Sabbatical...one year later...

Next week, it will be one year since the Skor Family finished up our Sabbatical time away. My good friend is currently finishing up his much needed Sabbatical time as well.

Those two connected thoughts have caused me to ask myself, now one year removed, what the Holy Spirit has taught me through our Sabbatical experience, which is now viewed through the lens of a year "back in the saddle."

So here are 10 "learnings", worth something to me, but probably not much to you:

1. Health and Faithfulness are far more important to me that whether I'm perceived as successful ~ Life and circumstances may never allow us to be "healthy" in this sin-filled world, but I can still make right choices to be as healthy (spiritually, physically, emotionally) and as faithful to my God, as possible. I've watched far too many who are addicted, dysfunctional and driven by wrong things burn out and crash. As far as it depends on me, I do not want that.
2. Listening is far more important that Speaking ~ Whether it's in a conversation with people around me or in my relationship with God, this is just simply True.
3. Investing in Relationships is far more important than, well, most anything else.
4. If I cannot disconnect my esteem from "what I do," my heart is in danger ~ I am in danger when I allow myself to be influenced by those who are caught in this dysfunction as well and may need to remove myself, for a time, from that relationship.
5. If I cannot give up my need to be needed, or involved, my heart is in danger ~ I'm also convinced that this is, if not sin, bordering on it.
6. My worth, purpose and affirmation come from my relationship with my God.
7. I am called to lead, and I am gifted accordingly ~ regardless of what some who have selfish interests may have tried to say to me.
8. I choose to believe in people and speak into their lives rather than criticize them and leave them in my wake.
9. The Church is about to undergo a major reformation and paradigm shift in order to reach our current culture ~ I am called to be part of that change.
10. God has broken my heart more than ever before for people who don't know what it means to have a relationship with Jesus my friend, savior and leader.

Staycation or Vacation?

I've been reading a lot lately about the effects of the economy on the church.

In the summer of 2008 "Staycation" became the buzzword of the summer. The economy was beginning to tumble, gas prices sky-rocketed and so most American families chose to limit their summer vacations to local venues. Most stuck around home.

How did this affect the church? Many churches saw a rise in their summer attendance or maintained when most would have declined.

In the summer of 2009, things are different. Although the economy is still volatile, Americans are determined to make up for lost vacations and time off. A high number of families have planned vacations away from home this summer. Albeit, most are not taking extravagant vacations or travelling across (or out of) the country, but they are taking time away. It appears that a higher than normal number are taking short weekend vacations multiple times throughout the summer.

How will this affect the church? The church in America will probably see attendance slip much more quickly than normal this summer. Even those churches with planned special events are seeing a high number of their congregation heading out.

What does this mean for churches (gathered from several leaders)?

1. Celebrate health ~ Encourage and celebrate when families spend healthy time together in rest, play and building memories. Encourage them to find a place of worship wherever they may be while away and to engage in worship there.
2. Talk about Biblical Stewardship ~ Economists and financial planners are viewing the high volume of planned vacations with an uneasy eye. Many Americans have seen financial and/or job loss this year and yet they are viewing vacation as "something they deserve" and spending beyond their means which will drive them into deeper financial crisis in the future.
3. Plan for Growth ~ Those who are watching the trends are predicting that, despite many being gone, the current job insecurity and economic instability will bring many to church to seek answers and hope this summer. Those churches whose presence is felt in the community and who appear to offer relevant events and a hopeful message will find themselves greeting new guests each week.

"Just don't think about it dad.."

I walked into the kitchen a few moments ago to find my youngest drawing and coloring. It's one of his favorite things to do.

I asked him what he was doing and, after a long pause, got "the look" and he said, "it's a surprise."

My response was a question. "Oh, is it a surprise for me on Fathers' Day?"

Longer pause...

[sigh] "Dad, just don't think about it." [long pause and sigh] "Don't think about if it might be for you or not and then it won't bother you."

After I recovered from my laughter I left him alone.

Eventually he came in and offered me this as a gift.

When I'm Empty

Ever wake up in the morning feeling like your gauge is on empty? I'll be the first to raise my hand. I do.

The more I read and study God's Words for us, the more convinced I am that one of the primary ways we refill our tanks is to gather with "the body of Christ" (those people who have chosen to follow Jesus as their forgiver and leader for life).

Yes, solitude time is vital.

Daily time in prayer and digesting the Bible is irreplaceable.

But...there is something that happens when we gather together...

When we worship in song together...

When we explore God's Words together...

When we, yes, serve, together...

It is one of the primary ways that my heart is refilled, rebuilt, reformed, renewed, reshaped, redirected and redeemed.

Listen to just one, of many, teachings on this from the Bible: In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his spirit. (Eph. 2:21-22)

The challenge is, the natural direction for most of us, when we are experiencing emptiness, is to stay away. 

We isolate ourselves. 

We think, "I need to feel something more in order to engage with other people who follow Jesus." 

We think, "I can't serve if my tanks are empty. I'll flame out. I'm not good enough."

That is precisely the time when we should press into God's Truth and engage more deeply.

That is the time when worship is most needed for the survival of our souls.

I can't neglect getting together with followers of Jesus each week.

My soul won't survive without it.

Eugene Peterson

A few of my friends, whom I respect deeply, have been following the writings of Eugene Peterson lately and shared some of his thoughts that have affected them. Here are a few that are tumbling around in my brain these days:

"People are uncomfortable with mystery(God) and mess(self) – so they hire a pastor and start a program to deal with these."

Pastors should never brag about their busyness – it is the disqualifying factor to the role of pastor." 

"Busyness is a sign of insecurity or laziness." 

"Discipleship is a decision to live by what I know about God, not by what I feel about Him or myself or my neighbors."

I understand

This post from Craig Groeschel captured my mind this morning. The bare Truth of what he wrote pinned me to the wall. The greatest growth points in our family's life have always been preceded by times of private pain, often due to the testing of our integrity. Will we follow God, do the right thing, and trust Him even when other ways could be easier?

Here's Craig's Post. (If it doesn't link you directly, it's the April 22nd post).

Sandals

Ian has rediscovered sandals lately.

He's a true California boy in that he HATES to wear socks...or shoes, for that matter.

Kiley pulled new sandals out for him yesterday and his eyes got big. "You mean I don't have to wear socks with these?! sweet!"

So he wore his sandals to church on Sunday.

This morning (Monday), he donned the sandals again and announced, "Mom, someone told me at church that my sandals are just like God's sandals!"

Who knew?! 

Sandals can make me more like God...

Prayer

Be in prayer for the Skor Family...there are some decisions to be made.

Out!!

Ian played 1st base today.

The ball was hit and headed his way.

We held our breath.

He ran to the ball.

Looked at the guy running to 1st...

...and took off running himself.

His foot hit the base.

OUT!

His first unassisted out.

The only one of the game.

Plus, he smacked that ball when he was up to bat today. 

Those practice swings with the wiffle ball pounding the back of the house, must have paid off...

I wonder

The boys and I are excited to have their mom, my bride come home today.

I wonder if these are some of the feelings Jesus has when He thinks of the day we get to come home?

Meta...what?

I walked downstairs on Saturday night to catch the tail end of a brother-on-brother argument.

I hear B look at his younger brother and say, "I'm going to kill you if you do that again..."

Then, he spots me coming down the stairs and he adds, in a louder voice to make sure I can hear...

"I'm speaking metaphorically of course..."

Guess he's learning SOMETHING at school...

2 Things Dad

Ian was waiting in bed for me this morning, much later than he should have been. When I went to tell him to hurry up he said, "Dad, I've been waiting to tell you something."

"What was it you wanted to tell me?"

"Two things you need to know dad."

"Really?"

"Yes, the first things is 'everyday you need to treat me like a king, and the second is everyday you need to have my clothes laid out and ready when I wake up."

I think there's some reality coming his way soon...

Ian's 6th

Ian celebrated his 6th Birthday party today. His real birthday isn't until the 10th, but we were able to get an opening at Planet Gymnastics for his party (we bid on a birthday party at the Birth Connection Auction/Fundraiser and won it).

Ian's theme was dragons - Kiley did her usual spectacular magic and made a dragon cake complete with wings. Plus, Ian insisted that every dragon needs a rock so he had a rock cake.

Ian had several friends come and join him: Kacie, Kylie, Josie, and Baylie Andrews, Ryland Davis, Zachary & Jacob Dosick, Holly & Kobe VanNort, Adam Owyang, and Ryan & Hunter Aguilar (hope we got everyone).

A few Ian quotes:

• "Mom, your cake art is so creative."
• "My birthday party was just WONDERFUL!"

10 Things I Love About My boys

There was no event or snafu in the Skor house that brought this post on other than I've just been watching these two grow up lately and have been filled with a growing love for these two boney boys. So here's 10 Things I Love About My Boys (in no particular order):

1. Their sense humor - they make me laugh - every day!
2. Their hair - seriously, they both have crazy hair.
3. Their creativity - you should hear the ideas that spurt from their brains.
4. Their obsessions - I wonder where they get obsessiveness from?! hmm
5. Their kindness - they are known by their friends, parents, coaches and teachers for their kindness.
6. Their honesty - Although, when they're talking about my waistline, they COULD do with less honesty.
7. Their artistry - both have a love for art, which I love.
8. Their love for wrestling - There is nothing like pounding on your kids at the end of a long day. :-)
9. Their love for reading - what can we say, it runs in the family.
10. Their pursuit of God - there is nothing like hearing your children talk about learning about the very real God.

Another Good Quote

One of our prayers for our boys is that they would be men of character. We don't often pray that they would be leaders, that might not be their gifting... instead we pray for character and humility and influence for the Kingdom. I would rather see them live life unnoticed and unannounced if they live life in love with Jesus, His Kingdom and are willing to do whatever it takes... even if it means the death of personal dreams, pride and perceived position. That's why this quote from John the Baptist is one of the greatest "leadership" quotes, in my opinion, that there is:

"He must become greater; I must become less." ~ John 3:30

There are and will be times when men of real character are called upon to step back and to push others forward. That's a sign of real character.

Starting a New Blog

We started this blog some time ago to log the highlights and hilarity of the Skor Family. Since that time, we've posted nearly 160 posts.

But, from time to time, we've posted items that were "outside" the goings on of our family and, we know, don't necessarily interest you. 

So.... for now we've chosen to keep this blog focussed on the fun and journey of our family...we'll be posting a bunch more soon, so keep coming back.

So, there are two new blogs starting:

1. Kiley has started a blog out of one of her passions and calling just for Pastors' Wives. You can link to it here.
   
2. I'll be starting a new blog soon of a different stripe. Watch for details. 

Quote on Leadership

I'm a collector of quotes and this one caught me attention. I've observed it to be mostly true...

"Humility recedes as Leadership Advances." - Eugene Peterson

Choices

When our family finished our Sabbatical time last summer, Kiley and I took some time to talk about what we learned and what changes we might need to put into effect in our family life. 

As I've reviewed some of those commitments recently, I've come to realize that we've slipped away from some of those healthy changes. It's time to step up and re-invest in some of those commitments.

Confession time...one of the hardest ones for me is to make myself more fully available during the "peak" relational times for our family. This means leaving the computer in the bag and not continuing to deal with e-mails and issues during the times of potential peak family time each day. For a techy like me, that's a challenging discipline. :-) And...for a person with my guilt-driven work ethic, it's going to take me a while to just "let it be."

Dork with a capital D

So...today I reinforced two things I've been aware of for quite some time.

1. I really hate talking on the phone.

2. I should never try to do two things at once; especially when one of them is talking on the phone.

Here's the story...I needed to make a quick call today. In the list of things to do this one should be pretty simple. I call, get the answering machine and start in with my message. At the exact same time something happened to set Ian off. He started crying and all mayhem broke out in the family room. Without realizing it, my brain floated off to the issue at hand while my mouth was still jabbering away. Note to self, don't talk without thinking about what you're saying, especially when what you're saying is being recorded. I got to the end of my message and instead of saying "goodbye" I heard myself say "in Jesus' name, Amen." Can I play the spiritual card by pointing out that it's more automatic for me to end a conversation with "Amen" than "Goodbye?" 

What's that noise?

So, after Brendon and I came home from our recent Sutter Fort Adventure we crashed, or at least I did.

He sat and read. I turned the TV on for some background noise and promptly fell asleep.

I found out later that when Kiley walked into the room Brendon asked, "Why does dad make that weird noise when he sleeps?"

She replied, "Dad snores."

"That's really annoying..."

"I know, tell me about it."

My family loves me... I think.

Connecting in 1846

Brendon and I had an incredible 24 hours this week (actually it was closer to 28 hours).

As mentioned in the previous post, his class was part of the ELP (Enviromental Living Program) this week.

I arrived at the Fort bright and early on Tuesday morning in full 1846 regalia. I was dressed as a Norwegian Immigrant (I figured it wasn't much of a stretch) thanks to my wife's creativity in sewing and finding a costume. Once there, the parents prepared the Fort for the arrival of the "wagon train" from across the country. 

We had spent a day training with the docents earlier in the year. There were "teams" of parents who learned specific trades that were common to the era. The teams positioned themselves around the Fort in various stations that would have been common back in the day. Here's an incomplete list of our stations: Blacksmith, grain mill, carpentry, rope-making, bakery, butter-making, trade store, fur-trading/trapping, corn-husk doll making, and more.

I was partnered with two other parents to teach rope-making. We crammed a bunch of rope-making facts in our heads and quickly learned the art... and it is indeed an art. Did you know that Columbus carried over 15 miles of rope on his ship alone? But I digress...

The kids soon arrived at the front gate in covered wagons. We poured out the gate to use, what the fort manager described to the kids, as "magic boxes" that doing something called "taking a picture."

Once the formal welcome was over, the kids spent the next 7 hours going from station to station, learning life at the Fort. Each child was a specific character who had been documented as part of Sutter's Fort. They had done research and were to pretend to be that individual for the day. They did a fantastic job.

Kiley came and helped for a while. Which was somewhat of a chore on her part as any parent coming had to be in costume. So she got all dressed up for 2 hours.

About noon, we paused to fire the cannon (which set off car alarms all over the area) and eat some old-fashioned lunch. Then, it was back to learning the trades.

At dinner time, their principal showed up in full 1846 garb and led them in tug-o-war, sack races and more until dinner was ready. Dinner featured bread and butter made by the kids during the day.

After dinner, we gathered around the fire with a fiddler and guitarist to learn some folk songs. Then we moved inside to learn how to square dance... THAT was an experience for them.

As late night drew near, we put the kids in two big rooms in their sleeping bags.

But, in the interest of helping them understand what life was like... we woke them up in groups until late in the night to walk guard duty. There were scenarios we arranged in which they discovered people breaking in, checked on prisoners in the jail and so on. 

I was one of the fortunate ones who talked the girls into feeling sorry for me and letting me out of jail and feeding my in the kitchen because I was hungry. You can always get them to feel sorry for you...

In the morning we feasted on sticky buns and bread which they had made in the outdoor fire-oven, cleaned up the fort and headed back to the school. 

Brendon and I crashed about 12:30 at home. Well... I crashed. He had gotten sleep during the night. I hadn't...

It was an incredible memory for my son and I. And a great learning experience for him that has fostered some great conversation this week. The time Brendon and I spent together has connected us in some great new ways this week.

Pictures are posted on Facebook...

Sutters Fort

This morning I get to dress up like a person from 1846.

This morning I get to drive through traffic and find a parking spot where I pay by the hour for 25 hours.

This morning I get to meet 46 fourth graders and begin spending 25 hours with them...

...no showers.

...no beds, only a dirt floor.

...food we cook over an open fire.

I GET to spend 25 hours with my son and his friends and their parents.

That kind of opportunity doesn't come along very often.

I pray that the Holy Spirit will let me be salt and light.

Let thirst for Him be created.

Let Truth and Grace be shared.

Let laughter, joy, hope and love be the rule.

Mommy moments

Had a true "mommy moment" today. I was making supper...grilled cheese sandwiches, yum...when all of the sudden I realized Ian's sandwich was on the blue plate. My sandwich was on the green plate. Ian loves green. It's a passion with him these days, as in "Oh, you got me a toy. Thanks! Is it green?" What did I do? I ate my sandwich off a blue plate of course.

A Vulnerable Moment

I took Nyquil before I went to bed last night because this stupid cold is back again. Normally Nyquil doesn't affect me too strongly. It evidently did last night...

I got up in the night to go to the bathroom (sorry if that's too honest for you, but hey, it happens to us all). 

I woke up 20 minutes later still sitting in the bathroom...

Birthdays and Babysitters

Last night Kiley and I went out with my folks, grandma and my sister to celebrate my dad's birthday. As is our tradition, we went to Red Lobster.

I love my dad, and it was fun to honor him and hang out with the family. He's been hard to buy presents for though for years. I'm still trying to figure out what to buy him...

While we were out to eat, the boys were at home with some friends of ours. A younger couple who have become good friends recently have been asking for some time to come over and babysit the boys for an evening. They have no children of their own...yet...and wanted to come over and "practice" with ours.

When we got home, they were all still up and playing Wii. They had pizza, ice cream, cartoons and video games all evening. Sounds like they might have had more fun that we did... :-)

Psalm 20

Early in the morning this week, the Holy Spirit led me to Psalm 20 as a promise for me and for my family. As I read it again later this week, the first sentence captured me:

"May the Lord answer you when you are in distress, may the name of the God of Jacob protect you."

This led me to go back to some of my old school personal study and remind myself of some of the names of God in Scripture:

• Jehovah-Jireh (the Lord will provide)
• Jehovah-Nissi (the Lord my banner)
• Jehovah-Shalom (the Lord send peace)
• Jehovah-Shammah (The Lord is there)
• Jehovah-Tsidkenu (The Lord our righteousness)

The name that Jacob refers to in Genesis is El-Shaddai which means "all-sufficient" One.

MLK Weekend Trip

We surprised the boys with a last minute trip this last weekend. Kiley and I packed the van and had it ready to go when we got home from Sunday celebrations. They knew something was up, but didn't know what, when or where.

We drove to Reno, where a friend had found a deal on a hotel room at Circus Circus. Once there, we headed to the Circus Midway and played the evening away. There were circus acts to watch and loads of carnival games. The deal included some 2 for 1 tickets for the games, so we set about to see what we could win.

One of our favorite games was "the fishing game." Basically, they have a bunch of metal discs that float on a current in a circle. We were given a "fishing pole" which had a magnet on the end. If you snagged a yellow disk, you received a small prize (which anyone could do), but if you snagged a red disk all by itself (which is much more difficult) you received a bigger prize. This was one of my dad's favorite games at the county fair growing up and he had it dialed in. He had taught me well...we walked away with two armloads full of stuffed animals.

Once Ian went to bed, Brendon and I headed down for another round and won another several prizes. He had his heart set on a guitar that was won by knocking down 3 blocks with a bean bag...problem is, neither of us could hit the blocks! So much for that...

The next morning, we played a few more games and ate brunch at the buffet. It was fun to watch the contrast in the boys at the buffet. Brendon comes back with breads and goodies, but Ian comes back with fruit and oatmeal. :-)

We stopped in at Cabela's to look at the stuffed animals on the way back and then met some friends near Boreal where we found some very hard packed, but deep snow. We played there for several hours. Ian headed right for the top and sledded down over and over and over until finally he hit his head on my kneecap so hard that he cried for quite a while. After that he was done, but we were a few minutes from leaving anyway. Brendon and his friend played with snow ball makers and did their best to start a war with the parents. I don't think they expected their mom's to be quite as good as they were at taking them out with snow balls. :-)

When we got back in the van after stopping for a quick dinner at KFC, the boys pronounced, "This was the best day ever!" That always makes you feel good as a parent.

The Routine wears thin...

As much as we may enjoy routine around our house, we're only 4 days into it and all of us are dragging ourselves out of bed in the morning saying, "Again? When is the weekend coming?!"

January always seems to be this way. It takes a while to get back in the habits and we have to force ourselves to get up in the morning and do it all again, and again, and again, and again... ;-)

My Wife is Incredible

Kiley has been working her fingers to the bone over the last few weeks making costumes.

Brendon's 4th Grade class has the opportunity in two weeks to participate in an overnight history immersion experience at Sutter's Fort. They will, for 24 hours, live, work and play in the fort in the same manner that the early settler's did. They will learn to cook in the same way. They will learn the basic skills of the day such as rope-making, blacksmithing, building with no power tools ;-), and more.

While at the fort they will also be dressed in period clothing. Each child is given a character (an actual figure who lived at or near the fort) to research and "become" for those 24 hours. 

So Kiley is sewing...she is making period costumes by the arm load. She's an amazing woman with more talents than I can keep track of. It's fun to watch her in action. 

What am I doing with this whole field trip? I get to spend 24 hours with a bunch of 4th graders in a fort. I get to sleep on the floor with them. I get to dress up in a period costume as well. 

I'm not sure who go the easy job...

Little Enigmas

If you have kids, you've probably experienced this. Our boys are so different and we revel in those differences. It's always interesting to hear how other people perceive them.

Most people see Ian as the "outgoing one" because of his lively sense of humor and sparkle. The truth is, he's an introvert to the core. He could go days at home in his little bubble and not be bothered. He can play alone for hours on end. If we spend too much time with people, he gets cranky and we'll find him off alone in his room when we get home, quietly recharging as he plays.

Brendon is viewed as our introvert, and he's anything but an introvert. This young man is a social animal. He would have friends over every day for hours on end. He'll engage in conversations with about anyone if they're talking about something that interests him. It kills him to play by himself. His conversations after school are full of what he did with his friends that day.

They are our enigmas. They both come across as the opposite of what they are. It adds some serious spice to our family.

We wouldn't have it any other way.

Back to the Routine, and yet...

Today marks for the Skor family the first official day, after a fashion, of getting back to the routine of life after the Holidays. I know, last week was the first week of school, etc. but there were a few anomalies that made it more of a warm up than the actual routine for us.

Brendon and I are alike in that we have a love/hate relationship with routine. We both do better in routine, but we get bored with it easily and have to change it up. When we change it up, it throws our little world into chaos for a while until we find the routine again. We get more done with routine. We, ironically, find more joy and fulfillment in routine because we know what to expect and therefore, we choose to have better attitudes.

I look forward to the routine of 2009 mainly because God is hard at work in the deep recesses of the Skor family. He is breaking our hearts for people around us and stretching the boundaries of our comfortable faith again.

He has placed several families in our lives who, quite honestly, are going to mess with the routine. People who, evidently, see something in our little family that intrigues them. 

Kiley is greeted with hugs by moms at the school whose lives are so perpendicular to ours that there is no parallel perspective at all. We are finding ourselves in homes eating unfamiliar foods (which, if you know me, is a real stretch for this boy) having conversations about life, parenting, and more that stretch our thinking processes to the max. More than once, we'll have to have another conversation on the way home in the van with the boys saying something like, "I know that other families use those words, but our family is going to choose not to use those words because God wants us to live differently. But we love our friends don't we?"

The irony is that the very thing that we felt we have been "called" here to do (to help pastor a church) is often the greatest barrier to doing what God seems to have in store for us... reaching people He loves.

We look forward to the routine of 2009 and all the messiness it brings. :-)

Holy Spirit Lessons

I try to spend the some time at the beginning of each year reflecting on what the Holy Spirit taught me (or, in most cases, tried to teach me) over the previous year. 2008 was a year when He seemed to teach me many lessons...or, perhaps, I just needed to learn a lot. 

Here are some of the lessons that have made the deepest marks on me. I don't claim to have learned them, only that He is teaching them to me. I pray I learn them and He may transform me.

• Criticism and Condescension ~ One of the things that has marked the lives of those whom I have followed who know Christ well is that they seldom fall into the trap of placing people into categories, talking about their weaknesses, thinking less of people, arrogance, pride, and so on. He has challenged me to be an encourager first and foremost. He has challenged me to speak Truth TOO people, but when I am talking ABOUT them, to speak positive Truth or keep silent. I've still got a lot to learn here.
• The need for ALL of the Spiritual Gifts ~ In the history of the church, we have often made the mistake of overemphasizing or de-emphasizing certain gifts of the Spirit. In recent years, much teaching has gone into certain Spiritual Gifts, and much of it needed, but the unfortunate result has been an unbiblical hierarchy of gifts and an attitude that, "the church can survive without certain gifts, but not without THE gift." Scripture is clear that all the gifts are needed. The higher gifts are the gifts that receive least notice. If any gift is to be sought or held up, it is the gift of prophecy, which is often the least popular...especially viewed by those with administration and leadership gifts.
• A daily time of Reading and Reflection on God's Word is not ideal, it is VITAL for the growing believer ~ My first question of people these days who are struggling is, "are you spending time, not just reading, but listening to God's Word? Every day?" My heart, my thoughts, my effectiveness, my peace, my parenting and so much more is affected far more than I am aware by my time in His Word.
• A growing Love for People who want to know God, but aren't sure who He is ~ He is breaking my heart more and more for people who need Jesus. I am almost overwhelmed by the weight of watching people try to live life without Him. And, conversely, I am sickened by those who know the Truth who insist on pursuing anything BUT Him. I also long to be part of a movement that helps those who seek to find Him. A church that simply brings people in from other churches, or only "saves" those with previous church experience is not the answer...there must be more for what God's doing in my heart.
• He is a God of Promise ~ He promised me and my family several things 8 years ago. Some of those I have seen already and others I continue to watch and wait for His faithfulness. He has reminded me again that He always delivers on His promise to His children.
• My First People to Pastor are my Family ~ I was strongly prompted to make several commitments after our Sabbatical. The primary focus of each of these was our health and Kingdom focus. Scripture is clear on this, as a leader in the Church, my first responsibility is to keep my family healthy (which includes my own soul).

I could write several more lessons, but these are the primary ones that are still affecting my thinking on a daily basis. I so love my Savior and His graciousness to continue to transform and teach me.

Best of 2008

The Skor Family had some great moments in 2008. Here are some of my favorite memories:

• Our first trip with our new little camper to Monterey in the Spring. Ian was running a temperature. It was raining, but it's a moment we still talk about.
• Camping on the Beach at Seal Rock, Or. The boys and I got up early the next morning and braved the rain to wander on the beach with very low tide. We discovered thousands of star fish and had lots of moments of wonder.
• Taking Grammy & Grandma Virginia to Florence, Or for Thanksgiving. Through the gracious gift of a friend, we had a beautiful little beach bungalow where we celebrated Thanksgiving.
• I carried Ian through a mile of stairs and winding pathways in Wind Cave after he puked all over the ancient walls...
• Sitting on the 2nd story balcony of Old Faithful Inn eating old fashioned ice cream with Kiley's folks while we watched Old Faithful go off one more time in the sunset.
• Following a swerving Dodge Durango through the Nebraska pasture - realizing that our children were driving (under their Papa's supervision, of course).
• Floating the Niobrara River with Brendon - just father and son.
• Ian's first day of Kindergarten with Mrs. Stevenson. He was so proud that he was finally going to school!
• Hearing Brendon and Ian declare on Christmas Day (knowing that this year we intentionally spent less), "This is the best Christmas ever!"
• The hundreds, if not thousands, of snuggles, hugs, kisses and moments with my beautiful bride and my two precious boys. We have been blessed beyond imagination.

There are more, but these are the ones that have come to mind over the last few weeks.

Best of 2008

Macworld - 1st Round

Well, I just wandered through the 1st Expo hall full of hundreds of exhibitors.

I met the creators of Missing Sync, one of my favorite products. It syncs every kind of phone with your mac. It's always fun to meet people who I follow via the online world.

I also walked by the big Microsoft booth. I'm going to go back in a bit and plead the case for tasks to sync between Entourage and Microsoft Exchange. You'd think with a business app, they'd have that figured out.

The Apple booth was a ton of fun to stop in and play with all the new products. The new iPhoto with facial recognition is pretty amazing. That'll save me so much time. Plus, I'm anxious to try out Garage Band's new tutorial for teaching guitar and piano with the boys. If we combine computers with music, Brendon will be in heaven!

I've seen everything here from mac-driven digital drums, to every peripheral device and cover there is...I feel a little out of place being one of the few without an iPhone though. :-)

I'm sitting here looking at the Mac Company store full of t-shirts and hats. It's calling to me, so I may have to outfit the family in Mac gear...

Adventures at MacWorld

I'm spending the day by myself at a haven for Techy Geeks...at least those who love Macs - MacWorld, San Francisco.

As I write, I'm surrounded by more macs, iPhones and iPods than I've ever seen...and, what's amazing to me is people are from every walk of life. Every age, every background...you name it.

I'm also hearing conversations about tech stuff that I have no idea how to interpret. :-)

I'm looking forward to a day just to wander, and, believe it or not...to listen. I try to take a day at the beginning of every year just to go off by myself and listen for the Spirit's voice for the coming year. He's been so good to us, and I've been sensing for some time that a new chapter for the Skor family is just around the corner. I'm anxious to hear what He has to say today as I wander and He and I have our ongoing dialogue throughout the day.

How much fun is this? I get to spend the day alone with my Heavenly Father AND enjoy geek gadgets galore!