Under the Rainbow

Hello my friends. This is my January as described in words and images. I hope it was a good month for you all. It definitely dealt its ups and down to me.

Saturday, a week and a day ago, our youth group loaded up drove a couple hours west towards the coast for the annual retreat. This year the house was actually on a lake instead of the beach. It was a lovely old house – at least a hundred years old with floors that kind of sloped down towards the water. The guys ruled the basement, the girls the upstairs, and we hung out in the middle.

Some of us did take a venture to beach to see the ocean, and a precious few of us braved a voyage across the lake in the small yellow kayaks they had there. But mostly we played games and ate food. Liar’s Dice and Signs  were the weekend favorites. It’s kind of funny how Oregonians view their coast. We were playing Code Names, where you try to come up with a word that pertains to certain other words, and the word was ‘cold’ – and they were thinking of the beach. It’s definitely not the same as the balmy beaches of Florida.

We went to Mo’s on Saturday night. They serve a pretty decent fish taco. I thought I had lost my wallet, but it’s found now.

Me, Ellie, and Travis

And then we came back home. My guitar had her 18th birthday yesterday.

‘There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.’ – Ernest Hemingway                             

A few nights ago Travis and I went to Eugene to see the movie ‘Silence’. I don’t think I’ve ever watched a movie that left me with as many questions or provoked more thought. Maybe I have; I don’t remember when. Someone said of it, “This is not the sort of film you “like” or “don’t like.” It’s a film that you experience and then live with.” I think maybe that’s true..because I’m still not sure if I liked it or not. I think I did – you should probably see it for yourself. I’ll warn you, if you’re a big fan of the ‘yay Jesus’ moments you get in God’s Not Dead and the like, you’ll probably be quite disappointed. Because the bad guys don’t convert to Christianity while dying in the rain – this one isn’t that easy.

On Sunday morning I went with Mike, Debbie, Travis and two other men to the a prison about forty-five minutes from here. The three man worship team and about four other guys came out to chapel. There is nothing quite the same as worshiping with a small group of men in the small room of a prison on a Sunday morning. It was the last time we’ll see their worship leader before he is released back into the free world. He is special guy and an incredible guitar player.

February 16 (I think) we head back out on the road for about two weeks. We’ll be in Washington playing songs.

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I’ve not listened to much of Josh Garrels – but I love this.

A few articles,

Rebecca Reynolds – and of course the song, The Silence of God.

Looking For America: Because Hope Deserves An Anthem, because the cynic is just a dreamer with a broken heart. – Jon Foreman

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Take care my friends,

Javen.