Randy Wray’s Blog

Parking.  You don’t have to pay for parking.  This is my first and most direct observation about life in Stockton.  I know everyone talks about the areas of town to stay away from but you don’t have to pay for parking

Vehicles.  There are more trucks and blazers on the road.  Not those sissy, city, teal jobs but vintage, bondo, black spray paint jobs with mud tires and dual exhaust.  The kind of truck that says "who cares if gas is $6 a gallon, I can burn rubber shifting into three different gears."  I’m still on the lookout for a gaggle of pintos.

Art.  It seems the local schools have an urban art program involving spray paint and paint by numbers.

Delta breeze.  We heard about the 115 degree temperatures.  Where we live we can open the windows in the house and this cool breeze comes in off the delta.  Not only is it refreshing but we have not had to turn on the AC.

Garbage.  They have this one all messed up.  Three different containers.  One 60 gallon container for yard debri, one 60 gallon container for recycling and one 30 gallon for trash.  This of course is an effort to encourage recycling and save our world.  They send three different trucks to each house in this city / state to pick up one container a piece.  Does anyone else see the irony?

I am now a commuter.  I didn’t want to be a commuter.  I didn’t ask to be a commuter.  It just happened and so now I’m a commuter.  The house is about 15 minutes away from the office.  There is a freeway (I-5) involved in the picture.  So far the drive has been quick.  Today, I got my first taste of "time to find an alternate route."

We used to go places and visit people in the Arlington area and I would say "I would not want to sit in this traffic day in and day out."  Perhaps I’ll blog about those things which I’ve said that unfortunately came true.  Neither am I comparing my mini commute to the mega commute that some of you in Arlington and LA experience.

So far it’s been an interesting part of my day.  Time alone in the car.  I’m curious as to your suggestions to pass the time on the commute.  I tried praying but I kept weaving in and out of my lane.  I’ll be especially interested to hear the suggestions of Greg and Brad and how they handle their mega huge commute from the house to the office. 

I spent the day getting acclimated to the new office environment and getting my office put together.  Just in case Brady is wondering I was even able to take time out for some renewal at Costco.  I arrive home around 6:30PM and after checking in with the family sat down to relax with some mind numbing television.

With great surprise there on the tele was the Monday Night Football game - in the third quarter already!  When we lived previously on the West Coast we always attended or hosted Monday Night Football parties.  When we moved to the East Coast not so much.  Mainly because the game did not start until 9PM!  I don’t recall ever staying awake past half-time.

For some reason Monday Night Football was always a fun time for us.  It certainly had to do with the people we would see each week.  I’m looking forward to our next chapter as Monday Night Football fans especially with Tony Kornheiser, one of my favorite TV / Radio personalities in the booth.

Are you ready for some football?

Almost ten months of prayer, fasting and discernment of God’s leading came together yesterday as we began our ministry with the Family of God at Central.  It has been a difficult transition in that we cherish and miss our friends from Arlington.  It has been an revealing transition in that the calling of the Lord continues to be affirmed.

To begin my preaching and teaching ministry here at Central I was anointed (with oil) by one of the shepherds.  Sobering, humbling, inspiring, encouraging and motivating are just a few of the words that come to mind.  It is the second time in my life I have been anointed by a godly saint.  It was the first time in my ministry career to receive anointing as a sign of dedication to the ministry of the Word.

I knew God was leading us here.  I didn’t fully understand why he was leading us here but knew he was leading us here.  Yesterday I began to see, with greater clarity the reason why.

It’s just that we’ve been without an internet connection until today.  It’s a wonder I was even able to survive such barbaric conditions.  I’ll update later but for now suffice it so say.  Much work has been accomplished to get the house set up and ready for my sweetie to arrive.  If it were not for Marie’s sweetie I would have been lost.

Brady has already written about the two touchdowns, the field goal and the safety scored at the minor league baseball game last night.  With a final score of 17 to 16 you can understand the confusion of the scoring system.  It was great fun watching the score keeper (who changes the score by hand in center field) get out the white athletic tape to make numbers.  Somehow 23 hits by one team was not what he was expecting.

Our household contents are scheduled to arrive in the shipping terminal located in Modesto, California this afternoon for a delivery between 8 and 12 tomorrow morning.  Let’s see how the time-table holds up on this end.  I am not holding my breath because of our experience on the other end.

I just don’t get the television show Prison Break.  My sister-in-law speaks of the virtues of the shows.  I was mystified about a show with a premise of breaking our of prison.  What happens to the show when they break out of prison?  The answer arrived today in the Fresno Bee.  The prison escapees will set out to elude law enforcement find who framed the guilty brother.

Speaking of the Fresno Bee, I miss the Washington Post.  I never read many of the articles but the comic section was a beautiful thing.

I am not one who encourages or participates in vandalism.  I react strongly to evidences and remnants of vandalism.  Yesterday, however, I saw some vandalism that made me smile.  My father-in-law asked me to teach his shepherding group class at church yesterday.  This is one reason why it is hard for ministers to experience a true vacation.  When attending church with friends and family (even on vacation) you are often asked to speak or teach.  I’m not complaining I’m just explaining.  I enjoyed teaching the class.  I was glad to be able to help out my father-in-law.   

As I placed my Bible and notes on the wood lectern I noticed that someone (presumably a kid or teenager) had carved these words into the lectern:  I LOVE CHURCH.  Curious the choice of words.  Again, my first reaction is negative toward acts of vandalism.  Someone took their switchblade or bowie knife to Bible class and decided to see what that baby would do.  Interesting contrast between the act of vandalism itself and the message of the vandal. 

Here’s what I want to know:  What is happening at a church that prompts someone to carve out the words I LOVE CHURCH.  We’ve all been in and seen church situations where vandals have written and carved other not so flattering words regarding their church experience.  Some of our own names might have even been included in the artistic expression.  What was happening in this family of God that prompted this act of self expression? 

Knife open.  Hiding in an empty classroom.  Poised to leave an enduring mark.  One such ruffian had some incredible experience that he / she decided to make a lasting statement:  I LOVE CHURCH. 

We arrived.  We are no longer homeless.  We wait for our household contents.  The house has a big wall suitable for our big painting.  Now we wait for our household contents to arrive.  Vacation time is coming to a close.  Time to get to work. 

I. t’s been a while since I’ve seen the stars in such a way as here "deep in the heart" of Texas.  Too many lights in our former neck of the woods.  Too much traffic, too many freeways, the provencial life is becoming quite attractive.  We just sit out by the pool and look up.

Speaking of stars.  While I was working away at Hastings a young lady approached the counter of the coffee bar ordered her usual and said "this will probably be my last visit since I’m moving to LA to become a movie star." 

We leave today to continue our journey westward.  We fly out of DFW and land in Sacramento around midnight tonight.  Time for one more visit to Sonic and a refreshing Dr. Pepper with a splash of vanilla.

My family moved back from the mission field to Victoria, Texas when as I was about to start high school way back in 1979.  Four years in Victoria and four years in Abilene was enough to embed some Texan molecules in my DNA.  Being here in Wichita Falls has brought back many, many memories.  In a certain twist of irony I gave my well worn two pairs of ropers (if you don’t know what ropers are you’ve never lived in Texas) to goodwill prior to leaving Virginia.  Maybe I should have kept them for one more fling in the Lone Star state!

We’ve enjoyed our don’t have to do anything visit at Rancho Drennan.  The museum certainly must be a cultural oasis out here in the scrub land.

We ate at a hole in the wall BBQ joint in the seedy side of town.  That is, of course, where all good BBQ joints are located.  Finally, after a long time, I enjoyed some good brisket.

I consider myself a technical, electronic, media savvy kind of guy and so was brought down a couple of notches when I had to have Madison fix something on my mobile phone and had to have Reese show me how to work the Television remote.

Karl and Marisa, if you read today I’m sitting here in Hastings making use of the free high speed internet connection.  Next I’m going on a hunt for some of that Dr. Pepper made with real cane sugar.