Taking off...

If you are on Facebook, then you may have seen this picture already.  We were passing by...the sign was blinking...I simply couldn't resist.  I pulled in, the doors flew open like it was a water hole in the middle of a desert.  I've never enjoyed sucking down pure lard so fast.   

This picture captures, for me, one of my favorite things to do.  I love to find fun, spontaneous, over the top, crazy, once-in-a-lifetime, memorable moments to have with my family.  I want to make memories that they will never forget - memories that they will talk about with their kids.  I want them to tell the stories over and over again a the family reunions.  

So, I knew this was a moment waiting to happen.  I walked in, I grabbed 5 Krispy Kreme hats.  I asked the lady if she'd take our picture.  I watched her hand pick our 4 dozen hot glazed donuts through the window and we waved at her like she was the Queen of England and we were the peasants peering through the bullet proof glass.  I told her that I thought I was in heaven and that she was an angel.  My teenagers shook their heads and tried to pretend they weren't with me.  Later, though, I heard them telling the story to their friends.  They like having a dad who can have fun, create a scene, act a little crazy.  

Tomorrow, we're going to get a little crazy.  For the past few months, I've made major adjustments in my finances so that I could give my kids a Christmas gift of a lifetime - a trip to ski in the Rocky Mountains.  Even with being frugal, I'd have never been able to do it if Delta hadn't given me some free tickets because of a flight they overbooked some months ago.  We got bumped off, they rewarded us and I knew God had made a way for this dream to come true.

So, because of God's goodness to us and because we've been very careful, we're now going to be extremely crazy.  We fly out tomorrow at lunchtime, get to Denver around 6pm (Central time).  Then we rent a car and drive (in high winds and snow) for 4 hours up the mountain to Steamboat Springs Ski Resort - one of the most renowned ski locations in the country.  We'll finally get to sleep at midnight and we'll be up early on Tuesday.  We'll ski all day Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  We'll hope to swim in the outdoor heated pool every night to sooth our aching muscles.  But our goal is to stay on the slopes all day every day.

The weather is perfect for the Rockies, but it's very cold.  it's -2 right now, but it feels like -18 or so.  There's a good bit of wind.  We are well prepared and we have good gear.  All 3 of my kids are avid skiers and Susan and I have been skiing for many, many years.

So, the adventure begins tomorrow.  I'll miss all of you.  I'm anxious to get back to work, but this time with my family will be priceless.  I won't be on my email at all, or on facebook and I won't have access to my voicemail or cell phone.  The office can get me if necessary.  

A trip we will never forget is how my kids will remember this.  I'm grateful for the opportunity.  God was so unbelievably generous to our family to allow this blessing to come to us.  We give Him all of the credit for allowing it to come to us, and we are looking for a way now to pass the blessing on to another family when the right moment comes along.

So, I am really looking forward to seeing you on January 11.  I will be there, amped up, full of enthusiasm and energy, and ready to tell you what I see about the future of our church - I can hardly wait to tell you about what God has put on my heart!  Unbelievable things are in our future.  I hope to see you there!