Out of burn't ground...

Sorry it took so long for this post to get up, free wifi has been hard to come by the last few days.

Dan and I were able to play the 'pastor card' to get onto our church campus with our insurance adjusters.
It was really erie driving into this silent neighborhood where complete devistation had just taken place. Very different from driving down to San Diego the first time after the fires started. When I drove down on Tuesday I felt overwhelmed with this impending sense of doom. With the black clouds billowing, it was kind of like I was entering the land of Mordor with Frodo and Sam.
But when I drove through this neighborhood, it was just sad, not scarry, just sad.
Walking into the sanctuary of our church was crazy. So much of it was standing and there, and then I saw the stage:


I just taught on this stage 2 weeks ago and now it's gone.
But there is good news! All of our offices were untouched, all papers, books, and computers were dry and undamaged! Oh yea, except mine. My office got got jacked up. I have a skylight above my desk, a complete set of shakespears works (from the mid 1800's)- special waterlogged edition, and a slightly messier than normal desk:



We walked around the church and saw that God had incredible grace and mercy on this place. There were multiple places where the fire burned all the way up to the building and just stopped.






I think this is the first time where I personally feel an incredible debt of gratitude to our police men and fire fighters. They are aaamazing! 9/11 was too far removed for me to really feal the impact of it, but after this experience, I seriously want to seek out these men and woman to thank them.

I really don't know what else to say at this point, there's too much going on.
RBBC is setting up a crisis center for our neighborhood (the neighborhood should re-open today). If you want to help you can go to our Web sight rbbaptist.org and give your donations to the place you feel lead.

The way the church is coming together in this time of crisis is awesome. I was so proud to be part of our team last night. A table full of people (some whose house had burned down) coming up with incedible ideas about how to serve others. It was christians being christian. It was beautiful...

I can't write any more right now, but I will as soon as possible.
Despite what it looks like and how it feels, God is here.

...and then my church burned down

(House down the street from the church)

"... and then my church burned down."
I think it sounds like a line that you throw in the middle of a story that people are losing interest in.
Kinda like- "... and then I found $5"
And then when it really happens you don't know how to react. It's so weird how one day changes what life and ministry are going to be like for at least the next two years.

300 house burned down in Rancho Bernardo. I have no clue how many of those people I know. I have no clue if our condo is still there or not. (good thing we rent) - I think...

I'm at my parents in Laguna Niguel, my friend Rick and I are gonna drive down in the morning to see if we can get into town. He's 99% sure his house is gone. (he's married with 4 kids)

Crazy

I'll update with new info tommorrow.
God is here.

soggy bottoms

Soggy Bottoms... my gals got-em. Yes my wife sat on a wet bail of hay today at the pumpkin patch at Irvine park. It was fun and entertaining to say the least. I saw the Biddles (I love that family) and an old friend from high school who used to go by Laura and now goes by Jane. All in all I would give it an 8 out of 10.

P.S. never call your wife a 'muffin top'. I thought it was funny and sweet, but it turns out that it is a name given to girls, who wear tight jeans, and have their excess 'poof' bulge out over their pants like a muffin top. Lesson learned.

mmmmmm....

Cheesy Potato cakes from Claim Jumper are awesome!

I'm eating them right now, and am happier than a blind dog in a meathouse!