headed out to saddelback for a couple of days of hearty conversation. this will be my first endeavor as part of what they call “the gathering.” annual the folks at pdym step off in an “advance” of sorts to talk about the current and future shape of ministry to students. i’m hoping to solidify in my mind some turns that i need to take our current program into as we begin a new season. i’ve really come to value the insight of the folks at saddleback. they have implemented a healthy model that draw students in, moves them up in spiritual maturity and then empowers them go out and bring others back in. i’m also looking forward to getting to know better those that i’ve learned so much from at a distance. i’m especailly looking forward to a common conversation with my new pal tony steward as i transition to the mac environs. the more i’ve used it the more i’m liking the platform. but there’s still a learning curve and tony is willing to help break my naivety over lunch.
work continues on the youthscape project. we’ve uncovered several surprises…all of which have offered some cool enhancements to our original plan. i’ve begun to order some of the new a/v equipment which should make a huge improvement on the current expereince.
finally, this morning i had a great and long awaited conversation with our great friend, trevor. he’s currently living in south america. its been more than a decade since we’ve seen him face to face. i’m grateful to this new technology thing because with skype i was able to sit in the comfort of my easy chair and have a wonderful conversation…it was almost like being together. we both got up and refreshed our coffee mugs and heard good stories about where our journey has taken us. i met him almost two decades ago. 
he was a huge encouragement to my work in another context. he was (and still is) kind towards our common mission. he was my point guard for the internship program i ran in dc. he personally hosted a dozen of our students over the years and was great at showing them a part of the nation’s capital. though our context has changed we both are still very much engaged in changing the world in our own small way. i’m exicted because of a couple prospects of investing in the lives of the disconnected in his area. it will be interesting to see what comes from our dialogue.
trevor also shared about his brother who is doing equally interesting work…The Abraham Path Initiative (API) is working to inspire the opening of a route of cultural and religious tourism through the heart of the Middle East. The route will be centered on a new long-distance walking trail that follows the journey made by the Prophet Abraham – the common patriarch of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – some 4000 years ago.
its amazing how small the world has gotten…mostly because of our context. not much has really changed in 4000 years.
oh yeah, the images on this post are from the jedster’s gridiron game last friday. been awhile since i’ve shot the grid, its taking some effort to get the groove back. there was an incredible sunset…which sort of gives the sense of “friday night lights.”
