The Place of Rest: The Beach!

Sometimes, I'm simply speechless when I head to the beach with my wife to simply hang - to go with no agenda, no 5 miles to run, no 200 crunches to pump out...just to hang with my babe!  It was last night, both of us worked most of the day - Tami with her favorite client named Sammera (I call her Habibi...Lebanese for Sweetheart) and me, with the MBPD.  My wife had a good day, yet difficult with her caretaking ministry; my day was long, though relatively easy.  Tami cooked, cleaned and labored at puzzels with her dear friend; and, my pal Richard and I drove the streets of Morro Bay doing police work (we were able to feed two homeless guys and provide a token of love for them).  Needless to say, when I came home at 6 or so, both of us were exhausted from a long week and we needed some solitude.  Well, we quicky ate some chicken tacos and looked at each other with that special '...we're going to the beach look', and drove literally 4 minutes to our favorite place, the beach at Morro Bay.  You see, after a long day, an action packed week, a crazily busy life - we are drawn to the ocean to rest, to recharge, and to experience the peace that our Creator promises to His kids.   

Let me paint a picture for you of what we experienced last night; you'll have to allow me some literary freedom, okay?  Cool...close your eyes for just a moment.  Breath in through your nostrils, a deep breath.  Alright, the scent of the sea water, the kelp beds and the ocean is beginning to fill your lungs.  Keep your eyes shut; can you feel the slight breeze brushing up against your face?  Can't you just feel that little droplet of water crashing against your cheek to welcome you?  Are your eyes still shut?  Good!  Now, listen closely: Can you hear the waves coming in and out, the birds chirping, the sea otters barking and yes, the dolphins frolicking through the waves?  Okay, open your eyes!  Can you see the sun setting off in the west, saying goodnight over the cliffs in the horizon?  Can you see the marine layer making its presence known with the dampness ringing through the air?  (this was our exact experience last night; in fact, its almost identical each time, yet so different that each experience is new...)

The beach, for Tami and I, is not only majestic, beautiful, amazing and yes, breathtaking, it is also an invigorating experience with our God, every time!  We firmly believe in a Creator, no question.  And, we firmly believe that this Creator desires for His kids, you and I, to experience Him in specialized, individualized and personalized ways, ways that are unique to each person.  For Tami and I, it's the beach.  For you, it may be the mountains, the desert, your backyard...I don't know, but I do know this: He wants you, us, to visit that place often to catch up, if you will, to recharge, if you may, to simply hang and enjoy Him, if you're open? 

I guess the reason for this short note is to first, thank God for the place He's carved out for me to visit Him; my special place that He expresses His love to me at (...the Torah calls this Bethel - the House of God; John the Beloved calls this experiencing God anywhere, anytime...).  And second, to encourage my friends to go to that place He's handpicked for you to hang, enjoy and rest.  Today, take a step back from the busy life you've adopted, be careful to not allow the urgent to preempt the important and go to that place and experience Him in a whole new way...you'll be glad you did!

King David wrote one day, "One thing I have desired of the Lord that I will seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His Temple!"

In Celebration of a Dream

It was the summer of 1983, I just graduated from Cal Poly and I was moving from SLO to a place called paradise, commonly known as Morro Bay.  I distinctly remember driving my blue Toyota Turcel down main street in a nostalgic, cocky on top of the world, ready to make my mark type of attitude.  I turned left on Napa Street and drove about a quarter mile or so and parked at street number 420.  As I jumped out of my car to begin unloading my minuscule worldly possessions, I layed eyes on the most beautiful brown eyed babe I'd ever seen; in fact, this beauty was washing her car and, yes -she was even in a purple bikini.  I thought, '...man, I've got to meet this one!'  The first words of out my mouth were so romantic, so profound, so me.  I said, "...hey, will you wash my car?"  You know, it just came out; what was I thinking?  Something like, "...good afternoon, my name is Randy.  How are you today?  May I help you?" would have been appropriate.  But NO, a fumble, an error, a missed free throw - yes, "...hey, will you wash my car?"  Seriously, what a dufus.  Well, her comment was, "...um, I think you should be washing my car!"  It was as if she said, "...you idiot, what a dork you are!  Really, can I wash your car?  Get lost you weirdo!"  I proceeded to smile, unload my car with my head down in shame and embarrassment and yes, anger.  You see, I blew it and felt there was no chance of ever going on a date with this well spoken, direct and absolutely hot looking young coed! 

Well, after a few weeks, I couldn't help myself.  I mustered up enough guts to ask her on an official date (I still didn't know her name...).  She said, "...sure, I'll go!"  I couldn't believe it.  Well, from the moment she agreed, I knew I was in for the ride of a life time.  In fact, deep down, though we had only talked once or twice since my lame introduction, I knew this was my gal.  On our first date, back in 1983, on the Embarcadero in Morro Bay, in my car, I asked her to marry me.  Seriously, I really did - I knew she was the one.  Well, in Tami fashion, she responded, "...um, please pull the car over and let me out.  I'm going to walk home!" 

I look back one that day and chuckle, as she does!  A year later we were married and twenty seven years later, with three grown young men, a daughter in law and a host of cats, I'm still in love with this brown eyed babe.  Today is our anniversary and I celebrate my wife and thank God for the blessing of my life.  A few years ago the movie Dream Girls came out and there was a song that had the following lyrics, "...when I first saw you, I said Oh my, Oh my that's a dream - that's my dream!"  Today, I feel the same, Tami is not only still my dream - she's the Proverbs 31 lady that still captures my heart!