Surfbird

As I look out my window at the coming weekend I wonder: How will I make these days stand out? Will I dare to be different this weekend, or will time tick by, the dare unanswered? What is at the center of our being? My Answer: a deep love of God and doing right. Your Answer: …think about it. Whatever it is, I hope it grabs you this weekend and pushes you to be different. This could be your last weekend! I don’t mean to be morbid, but what if it were? Wouldn’t you have wanted to stand up for what you believe in, wouldn’t you want to be remembered for what you finally did on that last weekend of your life? It is said that it is easier to die for what you believe in than it is to live your entire life for it. Think about that! What are you going to choose? Make this weekend count…

…kept messing with that watercolor I posted back on 7·17·10…but am not sure which one I like better. It may have been a case of if-it-aint-broke-then-don’t-try-to-fix-it…which do you prefer?

Drove all over dodge to find a face, a lip, a bump or a lump…opted for photographically sliding into the future. Shot this surf’rig as it flew by a local spot- they weren’t interested in getting wet either…I like this shot ’cause it lets you decide for yourself how good that local spot looked today on the other side of the truck…could be going off!

Brush in hand, I spent some time last evening staring up at the heavens trying to replicate that immense perfection…check it out here.

Not always sure if it’s worth getting in…but figured I’d try. It was fun.

The swell is dying and this guy is making the most of that set. What a fun week if you were able to catch that south swell…spent last night with my good friend Michael, who is without home and lives on the streets. He goes without food for days and days at a time and is all skin and bones…so sad. I’ve been bringing him a turkey (he loves turkey) sandwich almost every night for about 10 days now (some nights he does not show up), and he is looking so much better. I don’t tell you all this to boast or to get your kudos, but to say tell you this: I asked him if he wanted me to change it up and get him a burger or other type of sandwich instead of the turkey and he said, when you are starving, you are just glad you get to eat and you’ll take anything. And that got me thinking…How starving are you guys? I don’t mean hungry, i mean in life, how hungry are you for compassion, for righting wrongs, for love, for goodness, for truth, for helping the less fortunate, for faithfulness? How hungry are you to truly live. I know I am way too content. Content with the roof over my head and the way I spend my days. Content that I help people here and there and feel good about myself. Contentment…where is the hunger? I need to go on a diet from this perverse reality where I find contentment in being able to buy things, always thinking of the next board I am going to get or the surf vacation I am going on or whatever. How much fat can we cut out of our contentment to be leaner and more hungry for life. What a rant this has become, but I am serious. How hungry are you? Cause if we were truly starving to find direction, instead of this aimless to and thro thing most of us have going on, i guarantee that you we would be glad with even a morsel of simple truth…It is said that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness”…How hungry are you?

Drove by this scene yesterday on the PCH…miles and miles of open ocean and emptiness being filled with some pretty sick drum beats. Talk about rocking out for God. It was a sick show!

Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way…found surf in LA today (it is much bigger than you think).

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed…

Not much surf around these parts this last week…thoughts of moving to Nica on my mind, thinking sometimes we just need to see the open doors and jump right in!

…a work in progress…–>7·29·10

Life is so so precious…and so I write to all of you to let you know that famed surfboard shaper Al Merrick’s granddaughter, Daisy Merrick, is fighting for her life this morning…At 6 years old, she has been fighting cancer for the last 9 months, and though she was in remission, it is back on the attack. She needs your prayers this morning, keep her in your thoughts and just love on her from wherever you are.  If you shortboard you have probably at one time or another surfed an Al Merrick shape, or ridden a board that was influenced by his designs.  He is a part of your life’s story and you are part of his…It is said that it takes a village to raise a child, well you are part of His village and so I ask for you to do what you can to lift her up and help raise her out of these difficult times. Pray for her, keep her in your hearts and thoughts and, like these ladybugs, together we can have an impact.   Life is so so precious.

You are stopped, at this very moment, at life’s crossroads: time to figure out how you want to live…really, truly live. The train of time is about to charge right by and it’s decision time! If you are like me, you probably think that you can put off that decision, let the train pass and cross these train tracks, since there will most likely be another set of tracks down the winding road…but what if this is it? What if today is your last day, these are your last tracks? This could be your last chance to jump onboard and charge towards eternity. I hope you’ll turn off your car and think about this for a moment longer before crossing the tracks. Seriously, stop what you are doing, look into the review mirror and decide if that is how you want to be remembered. Now look forward and live the way you know you should…stop meandering and get on that train! My grandfather once said that “We are not eternity conscious enough”…think about it.

“As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.” This one is for sale…all proceeds to go to Orphan Network.

…return to me with all your heart!

Found a little surf these last few days, but we’ve had to travel far and wide just to find it. Ran into a friend that is separating from his wife because things just aren’t working out and I thought I would pepper this post with a little depth instead of staying in the shallows just talking about my not so epics last few sessions…”Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” …be the peacemaker, humility is key. It is never our fault, pride is always there to rub our back and say “don’t worry about it, you are right” or “she is this or she is that or she just doesn’t get me” and so we blame the other person or….The grass is always greener and we think the next girl is going to understand us completely, when in fact we don’t want to open up our shells to let anyone in. Be the peacemaker, meet halfway, and if needed take another step or two towards humility and away from pride. Realize that we have the power to change…the problem is you and you must be willing to fix yourself if the machinery of marriage is to work…be the peacemaker.

Been playing my new guitar…this long exposure was shot in low candlelight and weird fluorescent lighting…here are some lyrics from a song I’ve really been digging lately…”Your eyes are doves behind your veil. Your hair is as a flock of goats…”