Third Place

I am really enjoying my Starbucks experience. Today I was certified a barrista. Which in essence means I was tested on all the stuff I am supposed to have learned over the past 6 weeks. Thankfully I passed:) I have heard that if you don't pass, they send you to Lancaster or worse.

One of the primary goals of Starbucks is to create the third place for people. People have a place called home and then they have a job or go to school, etc. Starbucks wants to be the third place that people go to connect, to be, or to hang with friends. In many ways this is the life we are trying to live as missionaries. We want to create spaces for people to be at home, interact with us(and the Jesus in us), and do life together. Interestingly enough, Starbucks is one of the spaces that is already designed for this type of interaction.

Brent (not Brent Colaw who is moving here from Oklahoma) is someone who has bought into the third place idea hook, line and sinker. He shows up at Starbucks everyday, by himself and hangs for a couple of hours. What does he do? He talks to the barristas, sips his venti half caf and enjoys the experience. Brent has a second home at our Starbucks. He wouldn't dream of visiting another place, because he knows us and is known by us.

Brent will talk about anything. We have already talked a little bit about issues of faith. He seems to know a lot about the Bible and faith, but chooses not to follow any particular faith. I like Brent. He is willing to be honest about his doubts and faith. It was good to see him today...even though he was giving me a hard time about my certification/evaluation.

On the Move

Brent & Becky Colaw and their four, yes four children, have been accepted by Christian Associates and will be out here next week for the Staff Candidate Orientation. Brent is leaving a church ministry in Oklahoma to become a missionary in Socal. We are excited to meet them and see how they might fit with our team here in the SCV. In addition to being at the SCO they will have the opportunity to join our gathering on June 30th.

My Girls

My Girls
Originally uploaded by Frodo242.

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there! These are my two princesses. Yeah, I'm proud, who wouldn't be!

Steps to Vernal Falls

Steps to Vernal Falls
Originally uploaded by Frodo242.

Mimi and I thought we had fallen into a tale of some great importance as we traveled up the winding, wet 700 steps to the peak of Vernal Falls. The Mist Trail could have been more accurately called the Downpour Path this season, reminded us of the climb Frodo and Sam make to enter into Mordor. We were blessed with refreshing beauty and accomplishment!

El Capitan

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Originally uploaded by Frodo242.

Not only is this a mecca for rock climbing enthusiasts, this is the biggest rock in the world! El Capitan is one of the most imposing sights you will ever see. And it is said to have defeated the glaciers. Scientists believe that the Yosemite Valley was created by three different glaciers that carved out the granite mountains. El Capitain being the one place that withstood the force and will of the glacier and stayed in tact! Our God calls himself a rock and I imagine he is like El Capitan! Tonight I concluding our discussion of Kingdom Living from the Sermon on the Mount. We are talking about building our lives on the Rock, not on the sand! This picture is the visual dynamic of our time together!

The Whole Gang

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Originally uploaded by Frodo242.

Minus myself and Casey, this is the crew that camped, ate, and stunk together for four wonderful days....(we didn't have any showers!) Thankfully we got showers last night, otherwise the good people of community242 would probably decide to disown us:)

Half Dome at Dusk

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Originally uploaded by Frodo242.

Mimi captured this beauty from our campground in Yosemite Valley. The light and colors at Yosemite were a sight to behold! We could hardly contain ourselves, becoming overwhelmed by the sheer power and beauty that surrounded us at every turn. I mentioned to Mimi at one point that it reminded me of Paris. "Everywhere we turn there is another landmark."

Sitting in the Midst of Majesty

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Originally uploaded by Frodo242.

Denying your Creator in a place like this? Impossible! We enjoyed the untamed beauty and majesty of Yosemite for four wonderful days.

Center Stage

Center Stage
Originally uploaded by Frodo242.

Baby Marissa is perhaps the most beautiful member of our community...and the best baby on the planet!

Schoelen's Strutting the Dodger Gear

Schoelen's Strutting the Dodger Gear
Originally uploaded by Frodo242.

Mark, Danielle, Lucas and Travis taking in the game in style.

Rob & Kyle Rooting for the Home Team

Rob & Kyle Rooting for the Home Team
Originally uploaded by Frodo242.

Our neighbors' Rob & Kyle were last minute additions to the group and we were thrilled they joined us!

The Fam at the Park

The Fam at the Park
Originally uploaded by Frodo242.

We had a fantastic time cheering, hanging, and being together. And the game was good too! Dodgers 10, Brewers 6!

Faye, Stew & Daniel

Faye, Stew & Daniel
Originally uploaded by Frodo242.

Our new friends from England takin' in the game with us!

Dodger Girls

Dodger Girls
Originally uploaded by Frodo242.

Last week at the game our girls took time to dance in their seats!

Natalie & Miss Jennifer

Natalie & Miss Jennifer
Originally uploaded by Frodo242.

Natalie and her favorite teacher, Miss Jennifer today at her graduation.

Yosemite or Bust!

We are on vacation! Very early tomorrow morning we are headed for one of the most beautiful places on this planet, the Yosemite Valley. We will be camping with Mimi's mom, dad, sister and her family. We are so excited! I just read that Yosemites' famous waterfalls are the best they've been in decades because of all the rain and snowfall we've received this year. I'll post some photos when we get back. I'll be offline for the next 5 days.

Natalie Graduated Today!

My beautiful 4 year-old daughter graduated from her first year of Pre-School today. I am so proud of her. She will still return for a second pre-school year as her birthday is 10 days after the kindergarten cutoff. Her teacher Miss Jennifer is starting to attend our church community on Thursdays with her family. We are happy to have them. Natalie loves her teacher!

4 Spaces to Belong

I've been reading a great book by Joe Meyers, called the Search to Belong. Joe turns traditional small group theory on its head with his insightful study and writing. I met Joe at Soularize a year and a half ago in Boston. We spent some time talking about small groups, house church and ways that people belong. I really didn't get was he was talking about until I read his book, however. ...as if I really get it now! Anyway, some things are making sense.

A quick synopsis of his ideas: people belong in four different spaces. These spaces are public, social, personal, and intimate. Churches tend to focus on one of these spaces or at most two but discount the others. We see the spaces as hierarchechal. Joe sees them as all valid in their own right. We don't need to graduate from one space into another in order to be healthy or to belong adequately. Belonging can happen in each space though they tend to flow freely in the course of relationship.

Joe also writes that we will have more public relationships than social, more social than personal, and fewer intimate still. In many churches we try to drive people to personal and intimate spaces that may be intimidating or altogether wrong for a person. We need to relax and allow people to belong in the spaces they choose to live in and be OK with that.

So now the work begins as I try to identify the various spaces that exist in our little church and how we can faciliatate better belonging in each space. I have a lot of unlearning to do!

Singing Dodger Blues

Our community got together with some friends and enjoyed 9 innings of magic on a Sunday afternoon. We were blessed to have cloud cover for most of the day with a cool breeze. Roger and Cynthia brought their English friends, Stew and Faye and their son, Daniel. We brought our neighbor Rob and his son, Kyle. We had a great time downing dogs and a slew of other less than healthy offerings and the game was good too. The Dodgers won 10-6 and banged out 15 base hits. It's always a good day when the Dodgers win...and with our friends enjoying some good community together it was all the better.

Ted's Got a Friend Moving In

Through a remarkable series of events, Alice (Ted's wife and Mimi's grandmother) moved into the house next door to Ted. The care facility where they both are now owns several homes together in Camarillo and when a room for a woman at the house next door opened up it seemed to be an indication that now was the time.

Though Alice has been apprehensive she seemed to take to her new environment very well. We spent most of the day yesterday getting her ready, packing her things, and settin up her new room. Her house even has a piano, which for Alice will be a huge blessing. Her fingers aren't what they used to be, but she still loves to play!

More to come...