YONDER BREAKS

Originally published on the StoreYourBoard.com blog . A friend sent me this picture earlier in the week with the caption, "Too bad we're at work...."   A big WNW swell has been hitting Los Angeles all week, but I'm likely going to miss it because the sun comes up as I'm on my way to work, and goes down before I get home. To make matters worse, my car broke down last week, so the bus has doubled my commute time, making an early evening surf session impossible. The swell is weakening as the week goes by, from what I hear, so by the time Saturday hits, I'll have missed the best parts. So what do I do in a crisis such as this? I've narrowed it down to a few options: Quit my job and go surfing Call in "sick" and go surfing Miss the swell The first option sounds pretty appealing, but not so practical. Number two is against my code of ethics. So that leaves option three -- and with it comes two sub-options: complain or deal with it. And s

All In #3, by Joseph Barkley, can by found here . I don't want to write too much, because these notes below have a lot of good information from the sermon - please read and consider them. I will say, though, that as I revisit this sermon, something feels missing... Renewing your mind is a bit of an abstract concept, and even though Joseph gives some practical insights below, applying ideas that aren't concrete or fully understood seems like an empty practice. Sometimes depending on Jesus as a person even seems too abstract to accomplish, but what God's been teaching me lately is that scripture is where to begin on this. If you're struggling with something, lack direction or feel like you're missing out on Jesus as a person, go to the bible . Really study, deep and thoughtful. Ponder the words, whether you understand them or not. Pray about them. God will show up. I promise. I'm going through it now, and it's funny how simple it can be, but also how ea

That's an interesting title for the second sermon in the " All In " series, isn't it? In here, Joseph says some things about being "present" in worship. Lately, living in the present moment is something that has been coming up a bit in my life, so I'll write about that... I listened to this quick video , which talks about how often "today" is used in the bible... 2 Corinthians 6:2 - "For God says, 'At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.' Indeed, the "right time" is now. Today is the day of salvation." Matthew 6:11 - "Give us today our daily bread. " Genesis 24:12 - " Then he prayed, ' Lord , God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.'" ( Here's a search on it if you want more.) So much of our lives are about tomorrow (the next job, retirement, buying a house), and I'd wager that a lot

The Wave that Got Away | Conquering Your Fear and Surfing Big Waves

It's been a while since I've posted. The holidays slowed me down a bit, and I've also been surf blogging for StoreYourBoard.com! Check out the blog here . Now, back to sermons and such... Here is the first in a series from Joseph Barkley at Ecclesia Church...ALL IN! It's a study of Romans 12, and this first sermon is a quick summary of Romans 1-11. Joseph talks about how there are certain things in life you can't do halfway, like cartwheels or backflips. I would add dropping into a vert ramp (watch Jason do it in this video at 4:27 ). I remember dropping into that same vert on a skateboard -- it took me about an hour of staring over the edge in fear. It's especially scary because you can't do it halfway or ease into it. You either drop in and roll to the other side, or you fall -- all or nothing. All or nothing is a scary concept, but isn't that the way to live? As the Avett Brothers sing , "One foot in and one foot back, but it don&#