Tonight...

Tonight in the middle of the Sierra Nevadas there is a small plot of ground where music and laughter rings out, commitment and forgiveness is spoken, and wonder and expectations are standing with eyes shut, hearts open, and hands entwined.

Letting my freak flag fly...

OK, I am bald and 52.

I think that the official designation for what I have is male pattern baldness syndrome. My head looks like a geodesic dome surrounded on three sides with moss.

I don't try to cover up. I don't do the comb-over. I don't color my hair to hide the gray. I have accepted it terminally.

In the 60's through the 90's I wore my hair long. I just let it go. Wore it in a pony tail. It went down to my back. (Where it transplanted itself because now that is where I get the best crop of hair.) I parted it down the middle. Bi-leveled it. Once I even let a friend who was a beautician perm it. I didn't need to because I had curly hair already I just like this person and when she asked if she could practice perming men's hair on me, I said what the heck, go for it.

Even after I started losing my hair I kept it long. Benj Franklin did it and he is one of my heroes. I had to use "product" to keep the top part glued to my head and in place but I did it.

When we moved up to Coarsegold and my wife started noticing that only the Imbredded who had the soundtrack from Deliverance playing in their pickup-armory-daycare center-livestock insemination laboratory-vehicle, with pony tails, she thought it was time for me to cut my hair.

So I did. I trust her judgement and I was a little scared of the mail I was starting to get from the White Pride Liberation Cigarette Shack and Diner Community. I started with a simple cut off the pony tail and kept the rest long. But that looked a little like a mullet and I just could do the mullet. One day I was sitting in the barber chair, and Mike the barber came up and said, should we start talking about growing it so that it covers more of the top. "The Comb-Over?" I yelled. "Hell no! I want a 1" buzz just like I had in the second grade. Block the back, no white-walls around the ears and save the clippings for "Locks of Love. Do it before I change my mind!" I thought I heard him snicker as he said, "Locks of Love" under his breath. He cut it. I went home my wife loved it. I have been wearing this way for the past 5 years. But after Mike's snicker I went out and bought my own clipper and do it myself with Christel's help for the back.

I have a healthy respect for my baldness. When Jean-Luc Picard was the captain of the Enterprise I found a new role model.

If we can talk confidentially... I do have a problem. Dry scalp. Flakes. I have tried dandruff shampoo but it didn't help. I don't think it is dandruff because on the commercials they never show a bald guy with it. I don't know who to talk to. I can't go back to Mike the snickering, freakin' barber, I am a little embarrassed about going up to a bald guy I don't know and ask him what he uses. I did that once and the guy was in Chemo therapy. I didn't know. How was I suppose to know?

The other day I went to Raley's SuperMarket and thought someone must make a shampoo for bald people. So I studied the entire row of shampoos. The row was full of "hair product," coloring for men and women, shampoos, conditioning, new growth products, combs, brushes, picks, tape, squeeze bottles, spray bottles, mirrors, shower caps, extensions, wax, etc... This aisle was full. Seven feet high by 50 feet of hair products. 350 square feet of stuff for hair. That is bigger than most stores in Ecuador have for bread, meat, produce, pharmacy, etc. all together.

Anyway, I was studying the products and looking for something that would be just for bald guys. I spent 20 minutes easily reading boxes, bottles, cans... nothing, bubbkiss, zilch, nadda, zero. No bald guy cream. I didn't want hair restorer, just want my scalp clean. My dad uses Ivory Soap, has for years, but that left my head feeling clean but not healthy. I want a healthy head like Jean-Luc Picard.

And then, as I was looking up at the row of hair care products, some people from church see me. And the weirdest thing happened. I was embarrassed.

Embarrassed!?!!?!

I wasn't at the magazine rack. Wasn't on the women's personal hygiene section. (Side note: When I do have to buy feminine hygiene products, I always buy a package of giant tortillas and cover up the box.)

I haven't been that embarrassed since I bought a nose hair trimmer from the Sharper Image Store...

So far...

I am either having the time of my life or I have a brain tumor...

A tradition...

Yesterday was an interesting day. Very camp.

Arranged to have a staff member drive a camper home in Bakersfield. We do not offer this service very often. only if there is a critical concern for safety... and there was. But we couldn't find a vehicle that was road worthy because all of those where out with OutPost who got to eat at Jones' Store. We rented from Hertz.

Found out Thursday night high school campers unhooked the boats and threw the pool furniture into the pool (which I guess is where we get the name Pool Furniture!) Which reminds me of a joke:
Q: What's Irish and sits outside in the summertime?
A: Paddy O'Furniture!

Ok I am sorry, I will return to the blog.
I don't like pranks. Not only because they waste and destroy furniture, buildings, self-esteem, good pies, shaving cream, BUT mostly because they are not very creative.

Needed to talk to a pastor friend, who was concerned about what he was hearing about his Youth pastor. I don't want to go into details because too many youth pastors will think I am talking about them.

There was a fight that attempted to breakout over a girl, but the only damage done was when one of the guys (the jealous one) hit a folding chair instead of the guy. He made a good decision to channel that anger into the chair and not into this guy's face.

We spent the night until 2:30am, this morning, catching high school students plotting to carry on a tradition of ringing the bell at 2:00am on the last night of camp. It was a tradition carried on throughout the ages. I prefer the tradition of praying for someone who wants to commit their life to Jesus and the work of the Kingdom on Friday nights. We had the bell surrounded with about 12 staff people, I in my Mitsubishi Montero. And when about 10 boys came walking up to do the deed, we squirted them with water and I pursued after them in my SUV with brights and fog light blazing, as they took off running. I followed one kid running at full speed up the East View trail. I clocked him at about 18mph but I was going about 45mph! (I probably would have fired anyone doing what I was doing!!)

He finally gave up and stopped. We rounded up most of the young hooligans and told them to come to the dining hall at 6:00am this morning to help Accommo clean up the grounds. I was the only one who showed up except for two girls who were caught waiting for two guys for a prearranged MacOut time. Guys never showed. LOSERS!!!

This may be the new tradition...

Brokenness part two...

I have been struggling with why the conversation of brokenness is so prevalent today. I think it is tied to a false sense of humility. The only problem I see is that brokenness doesn't lead to humility but being broken. Humility leads to humility and then to contentment in Christ. And you can't talk much of being humble.

We had a high school person in our discipleship program complaining that he wasn't being broken this year like he was the past few years. When asked why that is a bad thing he couldn't put his finger on it. Brokenness is an event, humility is a way.

I think when we talk about brokenness the central figure is us but when we walk in humility the central figure is everyone else but us.

I am not saying that we don't need to be broken, but our goal is not brokenness but being set apart, holiness, to do the will of the Kingdom. Glorifying the Lamb.

Just a late night ponder...

Visits...

Chris Erdman, senior pastor to the people of University Presbyterian Church, Fresno came up for a quick visit today. Great conversation regarding the state of the Presbyterian Church.

A surprise that revives the soul...

I ran into James Orr, an alumni staff person from a few years back, down in A Week in the Forest. a camp for people with developmental disabilities. James is taking a week of his summer to be a counselor for these wonderful people. It is a week that is hard on the body but great for the soul.

It was refreshing for me to see him and regain a friendship. I appreciated and admire his heart.

(I am the one who doesn't have "James" pinned to his shirt.)

Staff shirts ala 2006...

Not sure if I posted the theme and logo for the the staff shirts. This was a collaborative joint with Cory Piña.

The idea is that we were not just created, but we were designed for a purpose, the Designer's plan and purpose.

The shirts were non-sweat shop certified!

Sunday, Bloody, Sunday

I think I may like this one even more than U2's...

Consider...

This week for our high school camp (and hopefully those that follow) we are asking them to consider that which the Lord tells us to consider. We are not trying to "fill in the blanks," download more information, but to read some scriptures and consider. "Do we believe this?" Why or why not? If we believe this, then how should we live?

Many scriptures will be read on a topic, today's is Living a passionate life. Other topics deal with the poor and oppressed and some will deal with having dominion over the earth and what are our responsibilities and authority?

The idea is to get them, the student, to take responsibility for the information and the action that it warrants.