2013 - Wow! Really!

If we are on target, you should be receiving this letter during the 1st week in Advent.  I (Ric) love this time of year!  But I also get frustrated.  It is a great season to prep ourselves for celebrating Jesus 1st coming and remember its significance to us today and for eternity, but it is also meant to cause us to stop and prepare for His 2nd Coming.  Unfortunately, both often get caught in the hustle and bustle of the secular holiday celebrations!  For this reason, we still open gifts on St. Nicholas day!  We love being free for the rest of the month to worship and celebrate and not be stuck in shopping.

Anyway, enough about what's coming up, what about the past year?  The highlight of our year

At King Solomon's Copper Mines

together as a family, including my Mom, was a 14 trip to Israel with a group from several congregations here in Orange County.  We followed the story of David, beginning in the Valley of Elah where the Lord defeated Goliath thru him, and the Caves of Addulam where he hid from Saul's armies.  We travelled to the south visiting Beersheba, a Biblical Safari Park, Snorkeled in the Red Sea, visited King Solomon's Copper Mines, and a replica of the Wilderness Tabernacle, before heading north.  We stopped on the way to spend the night with Bedouin's in a large wool tent to escape a Haboob (sand storm).  The next morning we hiked Herod's Masada fortress and took a float in the Dead Sea before heading up the Jordan Valley to the archeological wonder of Beit Shean beneath the ancient ruins of Gilboa where Saul and Jonathan's bodies were hung after their defeat We spent the next few days exploring the shores of the Sea of Galilee which dominated the  ministry of Jesus, including sites like Capernaum, Dan, Caesarea Phillipi, Gamla, baptisms in the Jordan River, a boat ride on the Sea, among others.

The Garden Tomb

Before heading south again toward Nazareth, we hiked the Horns of Hattin on Mount Arbel and the trail Jesus would have walked to Capernaum.  After a quick stop in Nazareth, we toured the water tunnels of Megiddo and headed to Jerusalem.  Jerusalem can't be covered in a few sentences, but among the highlights were the Western Wall Tunnel, a tour of the newly excavated David's City (including the Great Stone Structure believed to have supported his palace and the recently discovered Pool of Siloam -Magnificient!) and a wet walk through Hezekiah's Tunnel.  We held NATHAN'S BAR MITZVAH at the Southern Temple Steps (we had planned on a Bat Mitzvah for Keziah, but it wasn't permitted).  

Nathan's Bar Mitzvah

Archeological Dig at Tel Maresha

Our final days included hikes through Herod's newly discovered burial site at the Herodium, and ironically on the same day participated in an archeological dig at the town of his birth.  So many stories to tell and literally thousands of pictures.  Come over some time and we would love to show you.  Nathan did a 3.5 hour presentation to a class of 5th graders and held their attention.

Since we spent all our vacation money in Israel, we decided to go camping for our summer vacation, never expecting we could actually find spots at Yosemite, but we did and had a blast.  We biked, tubed, hiked and had a great week together.  This was largely a success due to Nathan's deep involvement in Boyscouts where he is mastering knot tying, packing, and preparation skills that made him a super valuable asset in prepping to go.

We also had a couple boy/girl split trips this year:
Nathan and I went to Boyscout camp just outside Yosemite for a week following our family trip, so needless to say, I was excited to see my bed.   I was also a chaperone for his 6th grade science camp near San Diego.

Carolyn and Keziah travelled to Washington DC and New York with Keziah's 8th grade class for a week in October.  What an amazing opportunity to see monuments to our nations history.

We travelled to Colorado over Labor Day weekend as I was invited to  speak at a Family Camp at a beautiful resort there.  It was a great and unexpected way to end the summer.  I am so grateful they asked me to bring my family with me.  On the way, we had a last minute reunion with a long lost cousin who lives just off the road from where we were heading, and his wife and sister.  I look forward to reestablishing that connection.

Fly fishing on the Rio Grande

We were blessed with some great visits this year including Cousin Hannah Leverich this summer after her high school graduation.  In November, her younger sister Clara and her Dad Brian came out for a week as well.  Hannah got to camp with us at El Moro.

Both Keziah and Nathan continue in orchestra at school playing violin and bass respectively.  Keziah took a significant role in her school play this last year in the Seussical Jr. and has already landed a part for this next year.  She also has been playing piano and guitar in her spare time and knitting like crazy.  Nathan's sport seems to be Lacrosse, which is a winter sport, so we are just getting ready to dive into that for a few months.  Fortunately, their activities don't overlap seasonally.

We are grateful for the opportunities God has given us and realize that this is a season to be slow and intentional with as our children are both now in middle school.  We hope to spend every moment we can with them.

Please pray for us if you get a chance.  We are trying so hard to not be so preoccupied with activity that we miss God's best for us.  It is hard in this culture.  How can we pray for you?  We are getting better at praying together as a family and we could use some fuel for the fires.

Thanks for the role you play in the life of our family!  We do appreciate you!
Love and blessings,
Ric, Carolyn, Keziah and Nathan

Prayer Warriors

I write this to you listening to Gregorian Chants in a 225 year old wood and adobe chapel. I am on a silent retreat day trying to get a grasp on all the things in my life and people too. THANK YOU for agreeing to pray for me and my family.

As I mentioned in the initial letter, you all I ask is that you...

1. add us to your regular prayer list. You can pray generically.
2. I will send periodic (at least monthly) and specific prayer requests including important things on my calendar. I only ask that once you receive the requests, that you pray immediately. After that, pray as often or as little as you are led.
3. VERY IMPORTANT: If you feel the Lord is prompting you in prayer about something, will you promise to let me know what He is telling you?

That is it! It is my goal to get a prayer list to you once a month at the minimum. Usually by the end of the month. Lois Hudson is taking the lead as my prayer team captain. She may contact you with information more often.

So here is my agenda for the rest of this month and for April...

MARCH

25-26 AWAKEN I lead the training of 30 of our leaders in understanding God's work in their lives.

31- APRIL 3 INTERNATIONAL FIREFIGHTERS RETREAT at Hume Lake.

• Pray for Carolyn and I to get some quality time alone together.
• Pray for relationships with some great believers in the fire department

10 END OF FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY many people new to our church to find a place to transition to.

END OF MESSAGE SERIES ON MATTHEW 22-26 Call to Discipleship

17 PALM SUNDAY

22 GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE

24 SUNRISE SERVICE with the community @ Fairhaven Park

RESURRECTION SERVICE @ the Beacon

ONGOING:

• 1st Thursdays Orange Pastors Prayer meeting. I am really trying to develop a sense of unity in our the Body of Christ in Orange.
• YG11 MEETINGS We have 800-1000 teens from all over North America coming this summer for 3 days to serve in our community and we need to shore up the partnerships in the city that we will be serving.
• ISRAEL 2012 - We are in the final phases of negotiations for our 6th pilgrimage to the Holy Lands. It takes time and wisdom.

HERE ARE SOME OF MY GOALS IN MY ROLES:

• Husband: reschedule regular date nites. Get meal menu back online.
• Father: Split date night 2 times a month. 1x with each kid.
• Disciple: Quiet time without distractions. Monthly retreat days.
• Friend: Meet with core friends monthly.
• Catalyzer: Meet with 2 people and explore God's path for them.
• Creative: Work on Summerfest 1/2 day per month.
• Networker: Meet with 1 new pastor in Orange each month (42 evangelical churches in Orange)
• Team Leader: Awaken Training two times in by May.

Thank you for your prayers. I trust that is enough to start with.

Please let me know how I can return the favor. We would love to pray for you as well.

Love you all!

Ric

FROM CAROLYN: Pray that we can make family time a priority in the midst of the busyness.