Two months off! Maybe a little longer layoff than i've made a habit of here at the Chimp Shack.

After many years of ducking out of it, I tried paintball at youth camp. Hardly any of the youth from SGVAC went, but i had a grand time teaming up with half the Cambodia STM team.

I ate at Juanita's again today. Someday, Mexican food will make me fat and slow. Until then, i delight in my favorite burritos in Pomona. I'm seriously contemplating a move to north Pomona-- i could eat there twice a week!

Recently, my pastor asked me if I was feeling left out or nostalgic because many of my comrades are going on short-term missions (STM) trips this summer. I responded that this was exactly what i wanted last summer, when i said, "No more STM's for me." At the time, when i said it, i was just mostly tired. But, i was also saying, "I really want to see a group of folks step into the missions field for the first time. Sometimes, i worry that my participation is preventing others from participating."

But the more i think on it, the more excited i get. 2 first-timers going to one field. 2 families with kids going to another field. You know, not to criticize my friends who have gone year after year, but... i'm really glad that it's fresh faces. People who will come face-to-face with the mission field for the first time and realize the scope, the depth, and the breadth of what God is accomplishing with faithful people.

But also, i am hoping those folks will come face-to-face with the level of commitment and faith it takes to have lasting impact. That two weeks, or a week and a half, or whatever it is we give up when we go overseas, or across the border, isn't all that much.

And i love the re-entry stuff. Wrestling with what do we need so badly, why everything is so expensive here, how much further our dollars and efforts go outside of North America, what we could be doing for (or, more accurately, seeing in) God's kingdom when we stop holding back something for ourselves. When i lay in bed at night and think about this stuff, i can't sleep. It's difficult, and because of that, it's great.

So this kid i grew up with... you know, a kid i remember playing Nintendo with, a kid who had a horrific haircut for months because i stuck gum in his hair? He and his wife just welcomed their son to the world.

I've been accused of holding out on people. Here are some things for my life stage (single, post-college, not-a-homeowner, involved in some cause) i wish someone had pointed me at sooner:
kiva.org
Roth IRA
facebook
craigslist
local library
local performing arts
gmail
GTD (Getting Things Done)