What I Did On My Summer Vacation

25th Anniversary in Carmel California

It's odd how quickly three weeks of experiences can evaporate into feeling like they were a dream.  This phenomenon seems happen most easily with vacations.  Once vacation is over, it's poof, like it never happened at all.  This summer I took three weeks; the longest vacation I think I've ever had.  Ana and I celebrated 25 years of marriage by returning to Carmel, the same spot we enjoyed on our honeymoon.  Despite overestimating how much we would enjoy driving down the Oregon and California coast, the time in Carmel was relaxing and fun.  After spending a few days with family and doing a tour of Stanford University with Becca, we drove back home to Beaverton, organized and loaded camping stuff, and trekked back to California's Lake Siskiyou.  It's a little hidden gem of a lake near Mt. Shasta with a warm water, huge campsites, and plenty of sun and heat to drive way the dismal memories of the long Oregon winter.  We swam, kayaked, read, slept and played.  It was a good, low-key vacation.  We had time to refocus and reconnect with each other and what's important in life.  

Lake Siskiyou fun

Rest easy, this week's message isn't really going to be a slideshow of vacation photos or a long diatribe about camping experiences.  Vacation did provide me with an opportunity to disconnect from much of my normal life, and perhaps that's where I reconnected with some important realities.  Which is what Jesus also attempted to do for the Pharisees in Luke 12 when he tells the story of the "Rich Fool." He uses the parable to chop through our normal priorities and values and hone in on what's truly important.  That's what we'll study together in worship.  And don't forget our Party in the Park Saturday at 11 AM!