Disneyland Report

So they say--and by "they" I mean someone Amy read about on the internet--that you haven't really experienced Disneyland until you see it through the eyes of your children.

And you know what?!? I think "they" are on to something. Because where I saw a slow ride through an imaginary world, they saw Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and hunny pots. And where I saw a castle that I swear looked smaller than I remembered it, they were in awe and went around looking for Sleeping Beauty (or Peach, Mario and Bowser, but I digress...). And, finally, where I waited, all sweaty and grumbling, in a small, cartoon house with 200 other sweaty grumbling parents, they were willing to pay any price just for 20 precious seconds with Mickey Mouse.

And so our trip was a smashing success. The kids did great, Aunties and Uncles were fabulous, our Disney dollars allowed them to get whatever they wanted, and we even made it back to Fresno before midnight. Here's a shot of the kids with Mr. M. Mouse:

Off to the Magic Kingdom

Birthday week at the Dixon's concludes today and tomorrow with a trip to Disneyland! We've decided that when the kids turn 5, it's Mickey time. So we'll be in the park all day tomorrow, 8am to after the Electric Light Parade. The kids are all about princesses and Pooh Corner (by the way, what's with taking out the Country Bear Jamboree?!?), but Amy and I will be looking for the new Space Mountain and the new Pirates. Full report Monday!

Turning 35...

A new blog look for a new year. I'm celebrating today by taking the day off, playing some Mario, taking a nap, watching ManU at 11:30, dinner at Chevy's and then the Lakers to cap the day. Good times.

On travel...

I just got back last night from 4 days in Santa Barbara. In this most recent concentrated travel season, I've been on the road 16 out of the last 28 days. Here are some things I'm learning about the travel part of my Staff job:

1. I really love my family. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" is a true statement. Plus, it freaks me out to know that daily Lucy is terrorizing my office...

2. I've got the maximize the time. My latest realization is that if I'm going to be on the road in meetings or at a conference, I might as well "supersize" the workload. So you'll find me slotting in extra meetings or working on things around the edges (or during the meetings...) in order to get more done. That way, less to do at home!

3. Coming back is tougher than leaving. Here's what I mean...I drag my carcass back from a trip exhausted, and all I want is a couch, the remote control and some ice cream. But Amy is also exhausted, and she wants essentially the same thing (substitute ice cream with popcorn...). So I'm learning to adjust my expectations for reentry. Yesterday on the drive up the 99, I began to pray that I would wake up today with a servant's heart, since there is much to be done with the kids and around the house.

4. I shouldn't complain. If you catch me complaining, smack me! Two reasons...one, it's always tougher for Amy than for me. For instance, during this last trip, while I'm hanging out with cool people playing "Up Jenkins" late night at a Denny's, Amy is home tending to Josh while he's up all night with Bronchitis (true story). Second, the travel I do I do because of our calling, and it has eternal consequences. It is a common thing for me to see students become Christians at Conferences these days, and then to realize that the decisions I/we make at meetings have a direct impact on that moment. That's a sweet understanding that makes the sacrifice worth something.

No more long work trips until May 9-12 (Vegas, baby). In the meantime, I'll enjoy the time at home...folding laundry, vacuuming, errands and, most importantly, protecting the office from Lucy...

Nightmare

For a campus minister, the Virgina Tech tragedy hits close to home. VT has an InterVarsity chapter, and our national site has this update. Join me in praying for the situation in general, and for the IV students and staff in particular.

Here's a thought

What if EVERYONE is a racist?!?

I've heard a couple of Don Imus sound bites recently where he declares something to the effect that "anyone who knows me, who has listened to the show, can tell you, 'I am not a racist.'" Mixed with the appropriate gravitas and earnestness, case closed, right?

But what if by that statement Don Imus is answering the entirely wrong question? In fact, what if the question is not "are you are racist or not?" but instead is "how are you on the road to recovery from your racialization?"

I've posted about racialization before, but to sum it up, everyone gets racialized in their life, like it or not. It's in the cultural air you breathe, and the effect of it is that you have a bias. For me, it's the bias that white is somehow better or more normal (I have a similar bias about being male, and clearly Mr. Imus has that as well).

So the key issue in my life, or, in my opinion, anyone else's, is what are you doing about your bias?!? Have you acknowledged it are you trying to grow? Where are you in admitting your racial brokenness? What does healing look like in your life? In the case of Don Imus, what if, instead of repeating the litany that goes "I'm not a racist," he (or anyone else in power who at some point let's their racialized heart break through their guarded mouth) says, "I regret very much that I said that, but at the core I've got some racial brokenness that I need to work through. Clearly, I have a ways to go, and I'm sorry."

How much more powerful (in addition to being more truthful) would a statement like that be anyway?!?

What happens when you throw a nice, new Dell toner cartridge in a bubblebath?!?

Thanks to Lucy, we get to find out!

So what does a 325mg Tylenol suppository feel like anyway?!?

Here is the follow up to Birthday-girl Gracie's procedure!

Thanks so much for your prayers and well wishes. All is fine with Grace. We went in early this morning, and the procedure was quick and successful. We had a little trouble with the "dismount;" Gracie did not like the coming out of anesthesia feeling (or maybe it was that suppository...), and spent her first 45 waking minutes crying. 3 shots of narcotics later, all was well and she's right now sleeping it off in her crib. Dr. says she should be up, around and normal later on tonight.

We're grateful for her health and for safety. And we thank God for his comfort and provision, while at the same time praying for that for our various family and friends who have children who are persevering through worse and/or chronic conditions and situations. Hang in there friends!

Thanks again for upholding us in prayer!
Rob (for all).

A Bath-time Conversation at the Dixons

This one is contributed by Amy. To set the scene, Lucy is in the tub finishing up a bath and Josh is on the potty...pray for us...

Josh: “Mom, mom, come look at this!”

Amy: “Josh, I don’t need to see your poo-poo, just flush it down.”

Josh: “You don’t have to smell it, just come see it.”

Lucy: “I want to see it.”

Josh: “You know what would be so so funny? If little kids ate their poo-poo.”

Amy: “No, that wouldn’t be funny at all! We don’t eat poo-poo.”

Lucy: “But Josh’s poo-poo looks like hot-dogs!”

Amy: “It is NOT hot dogs, it is so, so yucky...”

Josh: “It would be okay if we tried some.”

Amy: “NO!”

Lucy: “Hot dogs are yummy! I love hot dogs!”

Josh: “Water is good for your body, maybe we could just have the water from the toilet.”

Amy: “No, water from the toilet is yucky too.”

Lucy: “We could put it in a cup!”

Amy: “NO, please both of you promise me that you will never, ever, eat or drink ANYTHING from the toilet!”

Lucy: “Can we have hot dogs for dinner tomorrow?”

Praying for Grace

Below is a copy of an email I just sent out about our daughter Grace. Feel free to join us in praying!

As many of you know, I just got back from Catalina and a powerful week where as a community we saw God answer our prayers. In fact, I think I prayed more last week than I ever have before at an IV event! And it was great.

Which is why I'm writing to invite your prayers for our daughter Gracie tomorrow morning. Many of you know this, but Grace has had to endure an almost constant ear infection since Thanksgiving. She's been on like 7 or 8 antibiotic treatments (we've lost count!). And in the past several weeks, we have been trying to weigh whether or not to take her in to get drainage tubes or not. On one hand, by the Dr's estimation, the tubes should relieve up to 90% of the infections. On the other hand, putting your 1 year old under anesthesia and sending her into surgery is not something you do lightly.

In the end, we've decided to take her in for the procedure. It should be quick and the healing should be short. The tubes would then go to work and fall out naturally in a year or so. We're waiting for our final instructions for tomorrow, but it will likely be in the morning here in Fresno at our Dr's office.

Could you join us in praying...

1. For the surgery to go well and free of complications!
2. For, in particular, the anesthesia process to go well (that's our biggest fear).
3. For comfort for Amy and I was we endure the realityy of Gracie going through this.
4. For a quick recovery (tomorrow is actually her 1st birthday and her party is Saturday).

Thanks, and I'll update you on Friday!

I needed that

What doesn't make it into my regular prayer letters is how discouraging ministry can be sometimes. And that's exactly how I've felt with some regularity in the last, oh, 3 months or so with the ministry at Fresno State.

Which is why last week's Vision Seminar was exactly what I needed. Catalina island, students who were excited to be there and expectant for a profound week, lots of prayer, decisions for Jesus, baptisms, frisbee golf, manuscript study in the book of Philippians...the bottom line is that God showed up in a powerful and unmistakable way, and this crusty, old campus minister needed that!

Here's a shot of the crew up at the cross after praying up Noemi, the next Fresno State Team Leader:

Influential

We Dixons try to be influencers, and that's why we're proud to see Josh already changing the lives the people around him, in this case, his Uncle Jeremy. "Let's-a go!"

Bummer

Our friend and Staff partner Robert just had this happen to his car:


(that'll teach him to leave his car under a tree in stormy Fresno!)

Why I love turbulence...

2 reasons:

1. Each bump causes me to have a conversation with Jesus.

2. With the elevated heart rate, I get a terrific workout. I spent two hours today at my anaerobic threshold.

In Denver tonight, one more flight to Madison, WI tomorrow...

They're Baaack!

One thing I love about living in Clovis are the bi-yearly community clean-up days. Twice a year the city welcomes residents to literally pile anything they like outside at the curb, and then they come through with a skip loader and some trucks and clean it all up. Genius! It's nice not to have to worry about dump runs. The one downside to the process is that for the two weeks (or more) leading up to the actual day, the neighborhood looks like one big landfill. I never like to invite anyone over during these weeks, since to do so means that they see pile after pile of yard clippings, old appliances and kids toys (the three most popular items). By the end of the two weeks, we're ready for our curbs back!

But because there are these two weeks of "landfill time," there's also this curious phenomenon of people who cruise around and pick at the piles. Last year I blogged about them as well, calling them "crap collectors," "garbage grabbers," and "leftover looters." Whatever you call them--and this year I've gone with "trash trollers"--I love watching them at work! They swing by in a minivan or maybe a massive pick-up, survey your gear, then load up the winners.

Yesterday I put out my pile. The first version of the pile looked like this (by the way, can we appreciate the order to that pile--the nicest pile of trash on my street, proud to say!).


The pile out, I began to watch and wait. What would go first? My money was on the table. But maybe the half sheet of drywall? The old tool holder? The black shelving?

They went with the shelving. In under 10 minutes, it was gone. Later, I put out an old TV and it was gone in less than 5. Upon waking this morning, it's almost all gone except for the old water heater, the bucket of old BBQ rocks and, strangely, the tool holder.

I think for next year I'm going to put out the pile and then watch for our trollers to come by. When they do, I'm going to interview them and get their picture. "Why'd you take this cinder block, sir?" "What are you going to do with that old hoola hoop, maam?" "Would you all pose next to your Chevy Suburban full of my cast-offs? Smile!"

I think it would make for a good coffee table book...or maybe a reality show?!?

Any way we can pimp Goodyear...

Watching the NCAA tourney today (Go Bruins! Save my bracket!), and it dawned on me that the most inane thing ever has to be "aerial coverage..." OF A DOMED STADIUM! I mean, really, great that we have the blimp floating around for hours giving us a live look...at the roof of an arena. How helpful to the coverage. On the flip side, next time I need tires, I'm going Goodyear...

Strange Bedfellows

Wild to read about internet porn companies and the religious crowd on the same side of an issue, and yet it sounds like that's exactly the case with the proposed .xxx domain name. Here's the article.

But as crazy as that is, here was the alarming takeaway for me from the piece: "more than a third of U.S. internet users visit [adult sites] each month, according to comScore Media Metrix." That seems high to me, and it's surely tragic if true.

Staff is for young people?

I'm beginning to think that is really true. As my years on Staff increase, what brings me more and more joy is seeing the next generation(s) develop. That I get to participate in that is even better!

One of my Staff, Robert Madrid, has a ministry blog that chronicles what God is doing in and through him. Check him out here.

Needing to pray...

8:30 to go in the second half and my Cal Poly Mustangs are down 60-53 to Long Beach State in the finals of the Big West. At stake is our first NCAA tourney bid ever. Come on Poly!

Freakin' me out

As our President gets roundly defiled on the first leg of his Latin America trip, I found myself telling a friend tonight, "the only thing that matters to me in the next election is which candidate do I think will restore our nation's standing and reputation in the world?!?"

Look at that picture. More here.