linklove

well we are back from lake powell camping adventure.  and an adventure it was!  we are calling it “survivor 2009: lake powell”  the camping trip from hell. the best part was we were with our heavenly friends, the nunezes, who are rally-ers, too, and have a magical way of making everything somehow feel okay. (their family bookends ours in this picture on our last day there)  we will be telling our war stories for years to come:  winds so high we couldn’t keep our tents up, shuttling everyone back to civilization to outrun a terrible thunderstorm, sleeping in our cars, port-a-potties at the top of mountains, broken sunshades, chapped faces & lips & 4 of us with the throw ups just to add insult to injury.  and somehow, this is the funniest part, we had a good time!  there’s nothing like lake powell when it comes to water skiing & wakeboarding & tubing.  anyway, the timing couldn’t be any worse, but we are leaving today for the 4th annual refuge camping trip & lake baptism.  it is one of my most favorite things we do as a community together, and when we get back on sunday you can rest assured, the escobars are done with camping for 2009!

i have two out of the darkness interviews coming up next week so look out for those.  meanwhile, here are a few links to check out.  enjoy!

• the walk – this is a video produced by craig spinks, who recently launched recycle your faith and  features the refuge & hope for “church” despite all it’s messed-up-ness.  all of the videos are worth checking out & can spark some really great discussion.   two other refugee features are:  choices & the golden dancer.  i’d love to hear some of your reflections on them.

• bridging the gap – one june 24th there was a synchroblog on bridging the gap with our gay neighbors.   i was unable to participate because i was out of town, but you can check out some of the links on their site.  my one sentence contribution:   “love changes everything”

• tracy simmons, one of my all-time fav bloggers, is back with a new blog:  fiercely loved and she’s full of glorious fury on behalf of freedom & inclusion.  unfortuantely, i just now found out that blog trolls have already invaded so you have to register to log-in, but it’s a simple process.

• ken loyd of home-pdx is blogging, yeah!  he’s my hero and my friend.  what a gift of simple & powerful wisdom he has.  check it out at  www.kenloyd.net.

• some of you have already heard it, but for those of you who haven’t, this is one of my favorite church-in-the-flesh stories from my friend nadia’s community in denver:   taking the eucharist to denver international airport.  oh, how i love these peeps!

• christine sine is hosting a series on everyday spiritual practices at Godspace.   i love the thought, especially because i think we so often try to separate out “what’s spiritual” from “what’s ordinary” and miss so much God in the midst.

• best quote of the week, thanks makeesha:  “being an ally/advocate means AMPLIFYING the voice of the other–it does not mean BECOMING their voice.”

thanks for reading and for being part of the carnival craziness.  peace, kathy