places . . . and . . . things . . . .

some of you have wondered and asked me, 'are you still walking'; the short answer is yes, daily!  i have my pedometer with virgin health, and in june, i completed their national employee wellness challenge in which nearly 75 companies participated with over 63,106 people participating.  i placed 6,436, with an average of just over 15,000 steps a day!  i get up on most days at 5:30 am to complete most of my daily walking ... my goal is to walk as many steps during the day as i do in the morning....

during my vacation, i stayed around town, spending the majority of time attending to a close friend whose brother died suddenly; i led the memorial service....

on my way home, i stopped at the sunol water temple ... it reminded me of the water temple in golden gate park in san francisco, that i remember visiting when i was younger.  this is the location where three bodies of water come together before heading off to the bay area's water supply.  when you are on highway 84 outside of fremont/hayward, stop and have a look-see!

after attending to my 98 cabrio, i decided to completely paint the extra bedroom at the parsonage -- and this is how it turned out!  i am not a painter, and would never claim to know what i was doing, but, i felt accomplished.  so, there you have it.

i can now walk down my hallway and glance through that room into the backyard ... and it gives me a feeling of calm and renewal.  there is something empowering when one can walk into their home and have a sense of welcome; a room that can say, in a sense, come in; relax; be renewed.  now the parsonage really feels like home!

there is this wonderful restaurant called silver spur not too far from the parsonage that has wonderful food; one never feels rushed there; folks are friendly -- in fact, it is so popular that linda, the owner, created a community table that is round; when you feel like eating alone, or want to be in conversation with people you do not know, this is the table for you!

on this particular day, i was waiting for a seat -- in summer, it is popular and crowded, but no one seems to mind -- i was reading outside on this beautiful morning (the second in a series of mysteries by nicci french entitled 'tuesday's gone' -- do start with 'blue monday'; you'll be ever-so-glad you did!) when one of the servers came walking out with this bird and a carrot!  so, silver spur also provides entertainment!  this particular day, the food was well worth the wait!

if you haven't had an opportunity to see 'begin again', take the chance!  there are some great movies out there at the moment; a group of us from the congregation are going to see 'third person' on sunday ... we'd be glad to have you come along!  ah summer!  the places you go and the things you see!  come to santa cruz; catch a wave! 

like i needed a 5th ... room ...

the parsonage in santa cruz is 2,000 square feet located in the 'banana belt' ... it is a wonderful home in a quiet neighborhood, within walking distance to the harbor, a small safeway, the post office, and easy on/off to highway 1.

i rattle around in this 4 bedroom, 2 bath, formal living room, formal dining room, family room, eating area and kitchen -- enough space for a large family; lots of storage, and an over-sized garage.

as I am told by neighbors, the spacious backyard has experienced many transitions; a garden, a play-yard for families with children and their pets, among other things.

the weather in santa cruz, unlike where i was raised in daly city, affords opportunity on a regular basis -- this past year, it was really all year long! -- to spend time outdoors.

so i spent some time exploring how i might want to utilize this space. 

 it wasn't difficult to realize, with the drought in california, that i needed to shrink the size of the weed-patch (i mean lawn area).  and so i set to work to decrease the area in a house that requires the most amount of water-use.  so i have become the shredded bark consumer!

when i entered the nursery where i purchased the back on a regular basis, they knew by my look that i would be purchasing somewhere between 20 and 25 bags of bark, which easily fit in my vw cabrio with the top down.  purchasing bags rather than in bulk, while less environmentally friendly, allowed me to place the bark with less labor, and more accuracy!
 

 and, i got smart after awhile, and began to use the empty bags to cover the grass-weed patches before i placed down the bark, making it, in fact, more environmentally friendly!  or so i hope!

not being a landscape technician, and having several people give me their suggestions and opinions, i ended up doing the 'make-it-up-as-you-go' style of landscaping.

and before i knew it ... ok, i worked on this on my day off for months! ... the yard took shape, and became a 5th ... room!

 one of the things i needed assistance with was the pergola.  calling on the congregation, i in fact had a number of people willing to help me move that (not-too-heavy) piece into the corner;  ultimately, it was a team of youth and their fun-loving driver who came and 'did the deed' and they also moved a very heavy marble baptismal fount (formerly from the grace united methodist church sanctuary) into the yard; it now serves as a bird bath -- so much more useful than collecting dust in the garage!


 

 and with the coming of spring, and with the help of a great sale at costco, the yard took on a personality.

the lemon tree up and died when i first moved in.  rather than pulling it out, it has the amazing ability to serve as a centerpiece which holds solar color-changing lights.  who knew bed-bath-and-beyond would prove so useful?!

as easter came, and before my trip to alaska, the decision was made that this project needed to be completed.

 and so, even though the grass/weeds might be a sight for sore eyes, this yard, in fact, requires much less water than when it started, and since the remaining lawn area is uneven, it also requires weed-whacking only once every three weeks ... wha-hoo! 

actually, this is a delightful new "room"; i can sit and enjoy, listen to the sound of recycling water which hasn't had much issue with evaporation, and i can find renewal for my soul -- which, at this time of the year is really great because often i can't find a single parking spot on west cliff drive ...

 i'm hopeful this will be a spiritually renewing site to be shared with others for years to come.  the roses bloom on and off, the honeysuckle fills the air (and will eventually grow to become the covering for the pergola), the water fountain trickles, and the birds come and find refuge.  i get to read and on many sunny days, an umbrella and sunscreen are all that are required.

so come, share in the renewing parsonage in santa cruz ... and don't let the bishop know this is "paradise" -- just over the hill at the end of 17! 

cruzin' alaska ... what a way to go!

 i finally did what i had been hoping to do ... combine a cruise with alaska.  and so i left santa cruz and went crusin' alaska ... what a way to go!

so here is one of those arm-chair tours; it won't take very long, but you can pop pop-corn if you want and grab your favorite beverage.

flew to seattle ... and i've never gotten a picture of seattle's beautiful skyline from this angle.

anchors away; pop the cork; we're sailing!

 the inland passage we went to prevented us from cruzin' up all the way to the glacier because of the many icebergs drifting down ... they didn't want a titanic experience, so we just got to look from afar.

but since i love waterfalls, and spring is in the air, this was a beautiful combination!

 from afar, we could see more snow, tips of the glacier, and an island surrounded by icebergs.

from the comfort of the ship, and hot coffee and cocoa, it made for a wonderful morning!

 now, if you look closely, there is a little boat with a man in it.  and look at how BIG those chunks of ice are -- you can just imagine!

 alaska is very lush, with storybook towns, and various weather patterns.  one day was drifting fog and another port welcomed us with 'tee shirt and shorts' kind of weather.

 alaska has vintage and modern, and is filled with lush greenery and friendly people.

like santa cruz, alaska is a tourist area.  when the cruise ships come to port, the community is filled with people snapping pictures, asking for directions, and purchasing jewelry! 

i took pictures, never asked for directions, and didn't enter a jewelry store ... i guess i'm not a very faithful tourist.

 but alaska did remind me of home; each harbor is unique, of course, but some of the basic attractions remain; boats, water, docks ... and like santa cruz, a lovely background.

 i just really liked this picture ... wondering what it must be like to live right on the water and then have people always snapping pictures of your house.  at least i didn't knock on their door and ask for a tour!

but this state has a beauty that cannot be denied.  well worth a visit, don't you think?

 returning to seattle on the 8th day, a side trip to the space needle area, and a tour through chihuly gardens gave me all kinds of ideas for pentecost ... and my yard back home!

but i leave you with these two pictures ... imagine this in your own backyard!

i hope you've enjoyed your trip; it has been my pleasure to serve you on this little journey to alaska . . . .

holy happenings . . . .

having been in several locations in my lifetime during holy week, i kind of knew what to expect; expect the unexpected!

begin with palm sunday ... what have all the palms gone?  those long branches that wave in the breeze ... well, when all else fails, go to a florist and get smaller ones ... and, ta-da!  instant palm sunday.

there was singing, and celebrating, and eventually, the experience of the rest of the week.

on maundy thursday, also called holy thrusday, we gathered for a simple supper; we began by adding more and more table settings because more and more people kept coming!  santa cruz has this great big table ... and you can just keep adding seats and place-settings!  while we ate, we began with the guessing game of 'name the plagues' (exodus, chapter 7) and then remembered the passover (chapter 12) .... and then we moved forward in time to remember the last supper and the foot washing (john, chapter 13), and concluded with communion (i corinthians, chapter 11); always plenty to eat at a united methodist pot-luck!

saturday evening saw us gather on west cliff, spending time in quiet reflection at the easter vigil.  finding time with god can sometimes be a struggle in our busy lives.  taking time for renewal and reflection is worth finding; open up your electric or paper calendars and just schedule it in!


and then there is easter; gathering 12 hours later we find ourselves in the same location, but in an entirely different atmosphere!  celebration in music and communion and the beauty of the coastal morning! 

 

then there is an easter breakfast and worship with more music and celebrating!  the day just never seems to end because this year, easter falls on 4/20 which in santa cruz is a whole celebration of its own! 

 

 

 

 oddly enough, however, there is a whole different week that happens during holy week; 14 days packed into 7!  what more might you do, you ask?  well, there is work to be done in providing
our shelter program with new matts and pillows. 

who could ever guess one can get 20 pillows and 20 air mattresses packed into a cabrio ... but, when all else fails, take down the top (on the coast, of course!)  it is amazing what you can do in a cabrio during holy week!  (you can also get 25 bags of shredded redwood back in there with no trouble at all!!!)

and then you ask someone to make a closet to store all those bags of bedding!

 and then you throw in getting a new computer and learning a touch-screen windows 8.1 program, and you ask yourself, was this really necessary?!  and then you realize the week isn't through yet because earth day falls on the day before easter, and there is a whole other awareness that happens in santa cruz ... we have no plastic bags, but re-usable everything!  who knew a butterfly could look so beautiful in recycled bottle caps, or that united methodists could do so many things with used wine corks?!  and, of course, there was a demonstration of how you can make fruit smoothies by modifying your blinder and attaching it to a stationary bike for power-blending!! 

only in santa cruz, i suspect, could holy happenings make one so cool, calm, and at peace!

 

holy happenings in deed!  christ IS risen; christ is risen INDEED!

in the midst . . . of drought and of lent

 i was departing the office after our music team finished rehearsing, when i came upon the sky; what a great vision this was, and so, thanks to my trusty iphone, i was able to capture this delight!

the sky on the coast changes so rapidly that you hardly can blink before the images before you make a dramatic shift.  i still can hardly believe i am back on the coast, where i haven't been since 1980!

but here i am, drought and all!  and so it goes....

 when we were planning the season of lent with the worship design team, we were very mindful of our lack of water.  and since we planned the image of water, we have still had very little, and water rationing  is (voluntarily) in effect.

and so we are 'in the midst ... of drought and of lent'.

while attending my class on law enforcement for leadership santa cruz county, we began our day at the police department where they had recently dedicated a memorial garden for the two officers who were shot while on duty just over a year ago.

this fountain flows with renewing waters to remind us of the cycle of life.  while we are ever aware of this cycle, we are more mindful of death as it occurs in that cycle -- from illness and age.  we don't usually include the pangs of life to be experienced so abruptly, especially during a call of duty ....

 and so water becomes a form of healing for those moments, both anticipated and unanticipated, in our lives.

the beauty of the coast is ever changing, like the sky. and so it is with the water.  renewing, powerful, soothing.  a beauty to behold.

i keep trying to capture the 'perfect' splash on the rocks.  as they say, timing is everything, as is patience.  both of those adjectives continue to evade me as i work at getting the perfect picture.

 either my iphone clicks too slowly and misses the moment, or i don't hold out long enough in one spot to get the picture that 'i have seen before and after i click'.

water continues to be that vital source of life that comes in the moment and is lost.

but i did get the creative ingenuity of someone who was able to put rocks together to form an image...and the splash of water seemed 'just perfect' in this instance!

one of the things about lent is that as i walk, my pedometer just doesn't understand when i need to stop for five minutes at a time to get that 'perfect' picture.  and so it goes ... but i have managed to become part of the 10 million step club since i began my walking regiment two years ago ... who knew?!

one final 'in the midst experience during this drought and lenten season ... my yard.  without rain, and without watering, flowers don't really grow.  so, along with many others in the area, i keep empty milk jugs and buckets in the areas where i can collect water, be it a sink, a shower, or the garage.  and so, i was rewarded with my efforts by one -- count it ONE iris!  now, that was worth the wait!

back to blogging . . . let the healing waters flow . . . .

ah, to blog again!  it has been a couple of months, or nearly, and ash wednesday has just come and gone; i actually started this post yesterday but got interrupted....a longer story to tell!

so what's been happening?  diana butler bass came to visit santa cruz, sponsored by the progressive christian forum for which i am a member.  a group from the congregation did a book study on her book, 'christianity after religion; the end of church and the birth of a new spiritual awakening'.  we're setting up a 'post diana' group at the church.

the wall posts (pictured) reflects the thoughts of some 225 people who gathered for the diana's workshop.  being able to see the changing tides of religious beliefs and spiritual unfolding is a helpful process ... and colorful too, don't you think?!

and we have had such an odd winter in santa cruz ... and in california in general.  dry.  we're putting water restrictions into place.  our congregation even began to plan the whole season of lent around the subject of water; to cherish this life-giving substance; to care for our earth; to remember water as part of our baptism and to be thankful.

then just as february nearly ended, the heavens began to open up with this life-sustaining wetness we call rain.  so far, we are not out of the drought danger, but we are seeing some good results.

on one of the breaks from the few storms we did have, i took a walk on west cliff, heading to natural bridges where we will have our easter vigil and sunrise service.  and this is one of the views from that walk.  renewing; refreshing; life-sustaining.  no surfers in this part of the ocean, but enjoyable none-the-less! 

the ebb and flow of the waters of life renew us and remind us of the blessings of life.  i invite you to take some time during this season to ponder your place in your spiritual journey, and to find renewing times each and every day.  as you are renewed, so you will face the situations of life in a better space.  you'll make better decisions when your life is calm.

one of the benefits (ok, the challenges too!) of being a pastor is that we get to be a part of everything!!!  the congregation here in santa cruz is very accommodating, and while i don't feel i have to be at everything, i also hate to miss out -- it's just who i am. 

on tuesday mornings to have an upper room study at the abby -- a local church building opened up a coffee house, and we are several groups that show up to check-in, chat, and fellowship together; this is a great environment for spiritual growth.  and they don't mind that we pray!  we've been averaging about 9 on a tuesday morning at 8; and you don't have to come prepared ... just open for the possibilities!  this is a rich opportunity; so come join us!  we can always add another chair!

and so we come to the beginning of lent.  ash wednesday is the beginning of this 40 day (more or less) journey with jesus.  this is the opportunity we have to explore deeply our relationship with god and one another.  lent is an intentional time to find our grounding as a christian.  and as we ready ourselves for new life that will come on easter, we take on a deeper commitment to be what god calls us to be -- if we are willing!

the image we will use this season will be water, and we will hear this image each time we worship.  we will be surrounded by empowering words to wash us and empower us from the battery of words that are thrown at us in our daily lives; nurturing words such as silence, hunger, open, repent, reconcile, mercy and love.

a cross of candles will light our way; the light of Jesus, the two thieves crucified on either side of Jesus, peter james and john, and even a candle representing judas -- all these personalities flow through us during this lenten season; we can come to understanding of what it means to be wrongly accused, crucified for what we believe, learning to grow deeper in faith but still not comprehending fully, and even to betray and wish we could take that moment back.  lent invites us to understand more fully.

so take take to be washed and nourished by renewing waters.  be open to the possibilities.  let the healing waters flow . . . . 

not just a regular day . . . .

 this is not a regular winter; nor is it a regular day.

i was listening to the radio on my way to the office this morning when a song came on the radio ... the chorus of which is ' . . . dance with my father again . . .'. 

it is a song sung by a son, remembering his father and how he use to dance with his mother and he as a child; he is now singing about how sad his mother is, now that his father is dead, and he wants so much just to be able to have his mom dance with his father again, hoping to cheer her; a wish and a prayer.

so, i'm singing along, the romantic in me, when it dawns on me that it would have been my father's 87th birthday today; i am the same age he was when he died.  how ironic is that . . . .

we never do know what time is allotted to us or our  loved ones.

and i am constantly reminded here in santa cruz, to get out and enjoy; get away from my computer and take in the area.

this is one of the most beautiful places on earth, and even though we are seriously talking about water restrictions -- having had only 5 inches of our 30 inches of rain this year -- one cannot help but enjoy wearing short-sleeve shirts in the heart of winter . . .
 

 i mean, honestly, for a community that is supposed to be rainy, foggy, and dreary at this time of the year, irony has dawned upon us; no water, but the ocean! 

and so, here it is:  a little redwood, a surfer, and a wee ship, anchored by the dock of the bay.  santa cruz at it's best in the midst of the worst possible times . . . what more can one do but make the best of it?!

and so, i leave the office after a text message that delights me to know that i will not have to search the parsonage for my opera glasses -- because one does not need to have magnification in order to see one of the other wonders of the world right here in 'my own back yard'!

and really, why travel anywhere else when you can see such wonders as this?!

 ok, seeing a HUGE bumble bee atop a blooming flowing of ice plant might not constitute one of the wonders of the world ... but my being able to take a picture of said bumble bee without getting stung, is!

my elementary school in daly city, thomas edison, was surrounded by ice plant.  we just took it for granted; we climbed on it, tore away patches of it to fling at each other when we were team fighting at recess ... kids stuff.  now i appreciate it, and fathom its ability to hold water and produce such a delicate flower without much rain!

just beyond the shores of west cliff, these reminders of my childhood have followed me into my adulthood; i never could have imagined!

 and yet, another real wonder of this community is that we host a migration area for monarch butterflies.  with the buzzing on the ground, one need only look up into the trees to see a host of hundreds of orange and black fluttering in the trees ... a christmas tree light display could not possibly do it justice!

this particular butterfly was a little out of the migration path ... i had thought, 'wouldn't it be great to get a picture up close and personal?!' ... for the migration area is roped off to keep people like me away from disturbing their rest and relaxation.

but, there always seems to be a non-conformist in the pack, and tuesday was my lucky day!  off by itself, this butterfly found a bit of sun on a tree, just eye level from me as i was walking back to my car ... did i say that i had my convertible top down in the mid-(not so) bleak winter?!

and so, i added additional steps to my pedometer this week, and renewal to my soul.  and i wonder today, about my dad ... might we have enjoyed a bet of a 'get-away' together on tuesday; to enjoy the sights and the unusual weather, even while we would have said, 'even though we need the rain'.

alas, one never knows how much time we have, so we are called upon to enjoy every minute of every moment, and learn to embrace what we are given -- even on this not just a regular day . . . .