Adventures

It's been some time since we've updated you on the adventures of the Skor Clan...

However, we're going to change that this week...

We're confirming the details of another adventure on the horizon...

We'll update you as soon as we can...

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."