3 pools

What a beautiful day! We took the day to go out to 3 pools in little north fork. I love that place. We were a little concerned that it would be too crowded being a HOT day and end of summer and all. It wasn't too bad at all actually. We went to the top part and set up our chairs and unpacked our lunch and went to test out the water.

As always it C-O-L-D! We went down the "slide" a couple of times and then I went to jump off one of the rocks. The first jump was off the middle one and then the second jump was off the top. I love doing that! Sucks the wind out of me just a bit and makes me want to do it more. hmm...drugs?

Later, after we walked around a bit we went down below and I jumped off the tallest rock. Man...I want to go sky diving. My friend Steve is going tomorrow and I am a bit jealous. It's so stankin' expensive! But this makes me want to go even more. It was interesting as I stood up top waiting to jump. In the past I have always been slightly hesitant even though I know I want to jump and will jump. Today...no hesitations. Not even in the slightest. Cool! I think. Am I losing my ability to make sound judgement choices? I dunno. Still, I liked it.

New Vietnamese Students Going to Heaven

Yesterday I spoke on the passage in Luke 10 and the parable of the Good Samaritan. I focused on the opening part where the expert in the law asks what he must do to inherit eternal life. And how Jesus responded by asking what the Law says and how he interprets it. The expert says to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Jesus tells him he has answered correctly and to go do likewise.

That’s the set up. I shared about how this expert asked the wrong question and that it was really focused on him, not God. He thought he could earn his way into heaven by following all their rules.

I then walked the group through how we need to begin asking different questions. Ultimately they are questions that relate to them and God. At the end of the message I gave an opportunity for students to respond to Jesus Christ’s freely available forgiveness. FIVE students prayed for forgiveness for the first time and invited Jesus to be part of their lives!!! Wow. That never ceases to amaze me! God is good…all the time!

Terrorist on my plane?

On Wednesday I got to the airport with just under three hours before my flight was to leave. With the new restrictions (no liquids, gels, toothpaste, etc) they say you should be there 3 hours before on a domestic flight. Well I got there with plenty of time to go and I was through security so fast. One of the faster times I have done it actually. So I had plenty of time on my hands and sat down to go over my messages for camp.

I like to be early to the airport anyhow so that I can be the first in line at the counter. I always ask if they need volunteers. So as it was almost 1 hour before I got up there and the ladies who work the counter came. They were walking with another lady who I overheard tell them that she had overheard something.

There was a Middle Eastern guy about 20 years old who had said something on the phone about our plane crashing. The next thing you know there are cops there and they begin to question him. They arrest him and take him away. To make sure he wasn’t back, I scanned the entire plane as I was one of the last people to get on. CRAZY!!!

Then we had a delay. But it was the first delay I have ever been thankful for. They took off all of the bags from under the plane and went through everything. Then they put them back on. They never told us why, but I think I have an idea.

I guess God still has some things He wants to use me for, so here I am in California speaking to over 150 Vietnamese students and leaders in up in the mountains.

This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Cali, Vietnamese, Leaving...

So I am sitting at the airport right now and waiting for my plane. I got here 3 hours early, like they have been saying all over the news. Guess what. No lines. Oh well, better safe...you know the rest.

The worst part was trying to find a parking spot early in the morning when no one is leaving to open up spots. I think I may have parked in one of the furthest parking spots from the front. I started in the blue and ended up in the red parking lot (e2). <--that's for me in case I forget. haha.

I am heading down to Verdugo Pines camp east of Los Angeles. Speaking to a group of vietnamese middle school and high school students. I am pretty pumped. The them is ourspace.God. Hmmm...could be cheesy, but I think it will be good. I created a little flash animation of what God's myspace might look like to help me with my first message. I posted it up on erikwith.com. click on truth and then click the green button. I will try to fully update it later. Maybe with my voice talking over it so it makes more sense with what I am talking about.

Last night as I was putting my children to bed, it hit Kynzi that I was going to be gone for a few days. That did not sit well with her. She usually does pretty well when I go away, but this was not one of those times. My heart just broke and I wanted to call down there and tell them I wouldn't be making this trip. So we just hung out for a while and she fell asleep in my arms. I love my family!!! God has truly truly blessed me. Wow!

Girls sleepover

So Kynzi turned SEVEN yesterday! Can't believe this. She is an absolutely amazing little girl who isn't so little anymore. It's freaking me out. She had a birthday party that was a sleepover for 7 friends. It was crazy. I thought it would be no problem, but it was crazy weird. Lots of moments where I had to have conversations about including everyone, etc. Jeanne-Ann and I had a bunch of stuff planned, but they did plenty on their own.
Kynzi called them all into her room and told them all to pick out a toy and then they went out to the backyard and had a show and tell. Each one had a turn to sit in the show and tell seat and the rest sat quietly on the grass and listened.
Then something happened that blew me away. One of the girls shared her own toys and said her grandma gave them to her before she died and that she would never see her again cuz she is in heaven. Her friend Grace said, "Well, do you have Jesus in your heart? If you do you can go to heaven one day too and see her." She said no. Kynzi said, "Do you want to ask Jesus to come into your heart? It's really easy. you just have to ask him." She said yes and Kynzi walked her back to her room and prayed with her.
WOW!!!! Unbelievable. I am learning from her.