st. louis

well, sara and I are taking some vacation time this week in st. louis (hotwire makes it affordable and this time of year is in right rhythm for a break). we love hanging out in the city. I get energized by people so being surrounded by them and yet anonymous is somehow relaxing to me (don't try to figure me out, just love me).

I found another public gathering besides church where it's apparently acceptable to be late (don't construe that statement as an endorsement of late church attendance)...the ball park. People were actually showing up today at the cards/rockies game in the third inning! c'mon man, I've gone back for more cracker jacks by then. By the third inning you've missed some great plays, the national anthem, the kids trying to start the wave, and passing beers down to the guy in the middle of the row. In other words you don't get the whole experience - you've missed a third of the total picture. I could develop this as a parable for going to church and get on some soap box about that, but you get the picture (if you come to our services at church 15 minutes left you may have already missed a home run). Besides, I left after the 8th inning so i'm like the guy who leaves after communion to beat the crowd to the restaurants. But I knew the cards weren't coming back. Unlike church, there were no miracles. O.K enough of that.

What do I do on vacation? Nothing. Or more specifically nothing in the awareness of God. What I try to do is not plan, intentionally work, or worry, or set an alarm but try to think about God and be aware of His presence as much as I can. This is rest for me and so far, I'm rested. One thing I did bring along was a biography on Jonathan Edwards, famous pre-revolution American preacher (among other things). As the theologians Bill and Ted say, he a "famous dead dude" of faith and i'm always inspired when I read of such guys. It's a long book, so I hope I get it done (i read slow and distracted...It took me a half hour to get through the famous "Dick and Jane books" from my childhood. I mean I read "See dick run." And I think "Who's he running from?" "Is he in a fight?" "Is Jane mad at him?" "I wonder if Dick is very fast?" "I see him running, there is a drawing on the page." "He doesn't look that fast to me." "I bet I could beat him up." "Maybe he's running from me." "No, wait, I'm reading this book not chasing Dick." "See Dick run." I think this parenthetical tangent proves my point!)

I must be on vacation!

Oh yeah, one more thing...I sat one table over from Colorado Rockies star first baseman Todd Helton last night at a downtown steak place (Mike Shannon's). Sara wouldn't let me talk to him though he was with his family. I saw him run today too.