It's a good thing....

So as I approach the end of my first week of teaching and pastoring at Champion, i must say that i enjoy it more than i can express.

It is an amazing opportunity to be with students, and to study immense amounts. I am creating the entire curriculum for 4 bible courses and a leadership development course and as a result i spend a number of hours each day, just reading the bible and putting things together.

I have had a great time getting to know the students and I feel like i connect with many of them already. That is certainly a good thing. I couldnt handle being called, "Mr. Solecki" and the school has officially switched over to "Pastor Brian". I feel much more comfortable with that, and I suppose that is much better than "Butthead"...

I feel a bit overwhelmed with the amount of work required in researching, reading, and writing the classs curriculum for 5 classes. But it is immensly enjoyable work and i feel like i have learned more about the biblical texts in the last week, than i have in the last 5 years. It is amazing what can happen when you have no choice but to read the bible for 3 hours+ a day....

Till another time....

-B

Living in a campground

We realized the other day that we feel like we now live in a campground. We were walking through the park the other night, watching people of all ages, walk, ride, skate, hike and swim in the amazing beauty that is Bidwell Park. Here is a quick photo tour of living on the park. (Click on the picture for a bigger version...)

Somedays we walk to the river, somedays we ride the tricycle and the skateboard. Other days, the kids ride in the stroller. Once i get my tire fixed, we will mount the old bicycles and journey further into the park. (Nice crack, Nate!)

Here is the trail/road that gets you to and fro in the park. There is one on each side of the river. In addition to the paved trail, there are over 50 miles of dirt trails and single track to explore... As you come into the park from our house, you can turn right on the road and be in downtown chico in just over a mile. If you turn left, and head about two miles you are up in the canyons of "Upper Park".

Here is a panorama photo i put together of the upper park...

One of our favorite spots so far is a large area called the world of trees. Bidwell planted trees from all over the world there a long time ago and now we get to enjoy them. There is a great nature trail for the kids to hike and explore.

Nate Likes to jump in the river and get rocks from the bottom...Of course, one of our favorite places so far has been the swimming hole right by our house. We have spent a good amount of time there relaxing and beating the heat. It is a great little hole, probably 50 feet wide, and 60 feet long. The main part is probably 8 feet deep or so, and then it has plenty of shallows for wading and enjoying....

Then we walk back home and enjoy our parklike backyard, perhaps a bit of time on the hammock to end the day.... sounds good to me. I think i just might head out there....


-b