Resident

The other day, while I was walking in the biting wind something occurred to me: I live in Oregon. This sounds silly, but every once in a while a simple thing about life strikes me (I am married, I am a father, I am a pastor, etc.). After having always been a California guy, it struck me that I have been up here in Oregon for over three years, and will continue to be for a while, as far as I know. In that spirit, I began to think about the things I don't like about Oregon. So that I didn't get down, I started to think about how each of those things is also something that I like about Oregon. So, here are 7 of my least/most favorite things about living in Oregon. Some pictures, mostly of Matthew, will walk you through them.

1. Negative: It gets cold here. Positive: In Oregon, we actually experience four seasons.

2. Speaking of the coast, Negative: Oregonians don't really swim at their beaches. Positive: In Oregon beaches, you can pretty much start a bonfire wherever you want to.3. Negative: In Oregon people complain about traffic anytime there are more thena 6 cars on the freeway. Positive: This happens because traffic is not that bad. We get places faster. That is, were it not for the fact that Oregonians drive horribly.4. Negative: People rip on Californians because, when we move up here, we drive up housing prices. Positive: Housing prices are really cheap (and we can have college students over).
5. Negative: A lot of Oregon churches speak pretty much equate Republican politics with Christian values. Positive: People up here actually believe that Christians should engage in the political process.

(I know this is a random picture, but I don't have a picture of a politician)

6. Negative: They do not allow you to pump your own gas up here, so you have to wait for the gas station attendant to come and do it for you. Positive: There is neither a positive, nor a picture for this one. It is utterly pointless, and, quite possible, my most frustrating part of living in Oregon. I guess the positive is that, if that is the worst thing, it can't be that bad.

7. Negative: I am far away from the LA Dodgers. Positive: I am far away from the ridiculous drama of the Angels changing their name to the Los-Angels-Angels-of-Anaheim-outside-Whittier-next-to-Disneyland-and-we-are-not-changing-our-name-because-of-an-inferiority-complex-really-we-are-not.

Hope you enjoyed these. I know I did.

Checking in, Hanging Out

Hi,
Well, it has been a little while between posts. We were away this past weekend at a place on the Oregon coast called Ecola Bible School. I had the really fun opportunity to teach the book of James there during the week. I would teach twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. It was fun and exciting. Karina and Matthew came too, and we stayed in a little home. We got to hang at the beach sometimes during the day, and watch some playoff baseball in the evenings. It was a half-vacation, half-ministry week. Pretty cool.
Well, this picture of Matthew was not taken at Ecola. Maybe I will have a picture from last week soon, but I thought I would post today while I had a moment. This was taken at Multnomah Falls a couple of weeks ago. Matthew loves to hang from things, and he has gotten pretty good at it.