another youth pastor

What can I say? Youth dudes, I know a lot of these guys... It's my job, I'm one of them. I first met Kent several years ago and have only gotten to know him over the last year. What's sad is this, Kent is stepping down as the Youth Pastor at his church. I guess it's not sad that he's doing this... God is calling him somewhere else and his faith is allowing him to follow. I admire that. What's sad is Kent has worked, literally, next door to me for the nine years that I've lived here and I've only gotten to know him in the last 9 months. Shame on me. That's how it works. People and relationships are all around us. Some we walk by and never notice. NEVER! I'm thankful to have had this time to know him better. In about a week, our morning prayer time will come to and end for the summer as each of us grind away with summer activities. Not Kent. He will have his first summer vacation without a youth group. I can't imagine what that will be like. I'm sure it will be a hugh blessing to his wife. I'm not sure where or what he will be doing next. I doubt he will fall off the face of the earth and so I will be able to continue my friendship with him, only not as fellow youth ministers... at least for now. Who's my neighbor? What's their name? What's thier story? This is the challenge of 52 people peace. johno~

Best kept secret

I do love photography. It is a wonderful outlet for me. It stops the rushing world around me and makes me stand still. Details. To be able to share lives in this forum is a great blessing for me. Old lives and new ones, old friends and new ones. Landon Michaelson presented a lighting class at our photography association class a few months ago and it was wonderful. I knew there was something different about him. Not only does he tower over the masses in his physical height his smile and joy overflowed. Overflowed... that's something that doesn't come with many. It is a sign of the Spirit. I gathered knowledge from the class, got a business card and went on my way with a promise to connect sometime. Time. Time. Shopping time at Costco, I ran into Landon and his family, again, the smile and I felt the "overflow." I met his wife and two children and recommitied to "hook up" again. In a follow up email, Landon wrote, "Good to see you again. Contact me anytime about anything. Always good to meet up with another photographer, family man, and man of faith!" I KNEW IT! ANOTHER MAN OF FAITH! When the Spirit of God lives in lives, it's different. My time in knowing Landon has not been long, however, it is a relationship which will live into eternity. I love that. I look forward to the many adventures we will have... the rest of our eternity. peace. johno~

love the game, love the kids

I'm still not sure I would ever make a good coach. I have witnessed 3 in my time as a parent with my kids in community sports. Sandy, however, stands out among the other two. This sport is her life. She loves the game of softball and she loves the kids. She told me once, "I don't care what the score is, I just want them to learn the sport and have fun." Not the words you would hear from a coach who only wants to win and will do anything to make that happen. These are words from someone who wants to give back, continue a legacy in a time that thinks only of the here and now. Giving back builds something. It's tradition. It's character. It's honor. I'm not sure if we will ever win a game, but Sandy will win hearts. She takes that which is unshaped and forms something better than gold trophies, which are lost over time in brown boxes and garbage dumps. What is formed is a child who rises up and understands the legacy of giving. Young ladies who will, someday, be mothers, teachers, leaders, and small town softball coaches. A life that gives back will reward generation upon generation; It is greater than gold. peace. johno~

On the road with Bob

I didn't know who my person of the week would be for this week, but I chose them before we even met. I wanted to profile the driver who would drive us from LAX airport to our hotel at the Disneyland resort. I met for the first time Bob, our driver. As Bob pulled up to the curb and helped us load our luggage, I could hear a baseball game on the radio. Loading the kids into their car seats, the smell of cigarettes filled the interior of the van with the faint hint air freshener, which poorly masked the odor of tobacco. I couldn’t wait to know the story of Bob. As we took off from the airport, I pulled out my camera and started taking pictures. I could only imagine what was going on in Bob’s mind as this “idiot” clicked away at, well, nothing. We had started to make our way to the freeway and there was really nothing to see. But I noticed Bob’s eyes in the mirror. He was a man who looked tired before the day had begun. Gray hair and a peppered grey, tobacco stained, mustache. But, it was his eyes that caught me. What has he seen over his lifetime? He travels everyday on roads with hundreds of people. He is a shuttle driver. I asked him, “What’s been the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to you while transporting people?” He said, “Not much, really. I had a flat tire once and another van had to pick up the family I was driving.” Huh? I thought, out of all the hundreds of people, thousand of road miles every year, the most exciting thing was a flat tire? I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed. I could tell, at this point, Bob was doing his job. Driving people. It was not his place to hold a conversation, it was to drive people from point A to point B. However, I’m not a normal passenger or person as far as it goes. I jumped to the baseball game and asked if he had been to a Dodgers game, to which he replied, “I don’t really like the LA Dodgers. I’m a Brooklyn Dodgers fan. (This is how I found out he was from Brooklyn) He and his wife had moved from Brooklyn in 1981 to live near his wife’s father. When they arrived, his wife’s father moved to Florida. They stayed. Yet, I get the feeling that his heart never left Brooklyn. As we arrived to our location, I thanked him, gave him a tip and said, may God bless you on the road. He smiled a bit and with a little laugh said, “yeah.” I get the feeling Bob's not use to passengers talking to him so much. I hope I gave Bob a little side track from the many people who travel with him and never ask his name. Thanks for the road trip Bob. Peace. Johno~