Update

So things have been rather quiet around my little corner of cyberspace.  Life has been busy with 2 new babies added the chaos that was our life with only one set of twins.  On top of that, our poor old desktop computer has decided it isn't a big fan of navigating blogger.com.  So I've brought my laptop back from semi-retirement and will try to post more regularly again.

Overall, not much has changed in the last few months.  The babies are nearly 6 months old, which makes me wonder where the last half a year went.  I am still very involved with worship ministry at Camarillo Community Church and even had the chance to preach this past Sunday.  I recently had an opportunity to lead worship for Moorpark EV Free Church.  That was a lot of fun!  Still looking for a full-time gig, but God has been providing in amazing ways.

My work with the Census Bureau is over.  Now I don't have to worry about being threatened by crazy people when I take down their names.  That was an exciting day.  Especially when they nearly got me fired.  Thankfully, cooler (saner) heads prevailed and I got to keep my job for another few weeks until I tried to break my leg (unsuccessfully) moving our tent trailer.  I was hobbled and unable to work for a couple weeks and by the time I was better, things had all wrapped up.  The funny thing is that I am now eligible for unemployment.  Work for 3 months, get up to 9 months of unemployment.  Gotta love our government.

Christie and I are both trying to get in shape.  Christie is recovering from the incredible things a woman's body goes through during pregnancy, and so has been doing a workout video series she's really excited about.  I am gearing up for a backpack at the end of August with my brothers.  We are hoping to hike Mt. Langley, one of California's 14k peaks.  Caleb has done it once, but this will be a first for Andrew and I.  So in that vein, I have been hiking or biking 5 or 6 days a week to try to whip my body back into shape.  It's been good for me to get out regularly, not just for exercise, but to also clear my head.  It's amazing how overpowering the chaos can be.

Such is my life.  There seem to be some new things on the horizon.  Perhaps one of them will eventually materialize.  We shall see.

Preaching

This past weekend I had the privilege of preaching at Camarillo Community Church.  Christie and I have been attending the church since fall and I have had a ton of opportunities to serve in worship ministry, but had yet to use my teaching skills.  The senior pastor, Ralph Rittenhouse, was speaking at another church this weekend, so he asked if I would fill in.  I had the wonderfully easy topic of "Hate Your Mother & Father" (part of a larger series called "Extreme Devotion") from Luke 14.  Here's the recording if you want to give it a listen...