I missed it by an HOUR!!!!

So Sunday and Monday in LA were heinously hot. I know everyone's tweets and facebook statuses talked about it, so I feel like I'm just being a bandwagoner. But I have a slightly frustrated perspective on it.

Now, first, let me remind you all that I cannot stand heat. I don't know how I'll survive in Hawaii and I'm pretty sure God started prepping me for the adjustment in climate by having me go on a week-long trip to the Dominican Republic over spring break (up to that point, the hottest/most humid/most miserable weather I'd ever experienced) and then by spending five weeks in Orlando this summer for New Staff Training (now, the hottest/most humid/most miserable weather I've ever experienced).

But even with my absolute dislike of heat and my passionate love of semi-cold weather, I'm really mad that I MISSED THE HOTTEST DAY IN LOS ANGELES HISTORY (see the LA Times story here that proves Angelenos weren't just being whiny about it getting a little warmer than our usual year-round 75F with no humidity)! UGH! I love records! I love being able to say "I was there for that"! And yet, on Monday, I left Los Angeles at 11:10 am (when it was already well into the triple digits) for a support trip to Phoenix (which, quite ironically, turned out to be an escape from the LA heat), and an hour and five minutes later, the thermometer in downtown Los Angeles FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN RECORDED hit 113 degrees Fahrenheit!!

BY ONE HOUR AND FIVE MINUTES! COME ON!!!!!!!!!

I got to Phoenix and found out that the high that day was only 106. Weaksauce.

Sigh... Maybe I just have to be alive for another 120 years or so and maybe, just maybe, I'll be there when LA hits 114. :)

Letting go

A couple of months ago, God put it on my heart to pray that He would reveal idols in my life, so that He could remove them. I had NO idea how intense a prayer I was praying!

A week or two later, there were three weeks IN A ROW where the speaker at Reality LA mentioned idolatry and explained it in a way that stabbed at my heart in a different (yet equally severe) way each time. Who knew I had so many things that I wasn't willing to let go of?

I mean, it's fairly easy, after a while, to recognize "obvious" idols- money, prestige, (both heavily tied to) career, etc.

But it gets trickier when it becomes things like social status/popularity in spiritual communities, talents, even spiritual gifts! Or aesthetic things like the beauty of nature, gorgeous music, God-given talent in sport/dance/performance, etc. Like most other idols, these are not, in and of themselves, bad things. In fact, a lot of them are things given to us by God to help us worship Him better. But it can actually be sneaky and turn into the very thing we worship. YIKES.

When you're getting ready to leave a state you've lived in for 17 years, and are coming face to face with leaving behind just about everything, you really start to see what things you hold on to too tightly... and I've been discovering that these "security blankets", these things I say that "I can't live without", are IDOLS. All I truly need, is God. And He is a jealous God- He doesn't like there being anything other than Him at the center of my life. Because, really, if I'm saying that I NEED other things, that I can't live without them, that it would hurt too much to lose them, I'm basically saying they are part of my life source, my GOD. No bueno.

It's a really freeing experience, but boy does it hurt! I'm just glad my God is a God who cares deeply for me and walks right beside me/ahead of me leading me as I go through these experiences, comforting me, healing me, filling the holes left by the idols, and satisfying and fulfilling me in ways that nothing else could ever even attempt to pretend to act like they could.

When God commanded in the Ten Commandments to not have any idols, I know that a big part of it was because He is God and refuses to have His people worship anything else... but I also thing that a big part of it was that He KNEW how much idols were hazardous to our health, and becausee He KNEW just how good it would be for us to be wholly given over to Him.

"You shall have NO other gods before Me."

NOM

Like I've said, it's been a blast meeting with a bunch of people and getting to tell them about the ministry I'm involved in and such. The conversations have all been so refreshing and encouraging. But there's another perk to this support-raising period of my life: FOOD.

I've been meeting with people all over Southern California, and they all have local places that they like that they've been taking me to. So I'm getting to discover some sweet socal finds. Here are just a few:

- The Counter: These gourmet build-your-own burgers are out of this world. All the ingredients are super fresh, the meat is sustainable, hormone/antibiotic-free yumminess, and the choices are endless. Choose from 12 different cheeses (like Tillamook cheddar, Gruyere, soft-ripened Brie), 21 toppings (like awesome grilled onions, roasted green chiles, hard boiled eggs), 21 sauces (like chipotle aioli- SO GOOD, horseradish mayo, ginger soy glaze), and even 5 buns and 5 meats. The sweet potato fries are also legit. The Surprise-I'm-Awesome Award goes to the veggie patty. It's the best veggie burger I've had. Thanks, Lisi Keye.

- The Habit: Apparently LA is becoming one of America's top burger hot spots. This Santa Barbara-born joint makes super fresh, charbroiled burgers. It's not so much variety- just quality. A good, solid, tasty, fresh burger with a side of hefty onion rings makes for a great lunch! Thanks, Will Liu.

- Alcove: I hate driving to Los Feliz, but once I'm there, I'm in love. It's a trendy neighborhood, lined with cool cafes and bars. Alcove is simultaneously cute and cool. Everyone there's definitely hipster and the menu is super west coast with its selection of paninis, salads, breakfast dishes, most with fresh and healthy ingredients (lots of fruits and veggies). And yet it's a small building with a big front patio area with garden lights and "cute" seating. My apple and brie panini was yummy. And I hear they have a great bakery. Thanks, Lana Sanfilippo.

- House of Breakfast: Kind of a hole-in-the-wall place on Olympic and 5th. The place is owned by a Japanese-American family. Classic breakfasts with a slight Hawaiian twist- spam and eggs, Portuguese sausage, etc. And REALLY good pancakes. Don't know what it is about them- they're just good. Thick, fluffy, and totally tasty. Friendly service too. And it's so close to where I live! Thanks, Dave Kleinknecht.

- Shoops: It's half European market (Swedish, Danish, German imported goods) half delicatessen. Lots of heart and healthy options. The place feels very local- it's on Main St in Santa Monica and doesn't feel at all like a snooty tourist trap kind of place. Urth Caffe (which is also great) is across the street but it has such a different, more pretentious feel. I loved Shoops' feel, service, and food- the wraps are great. Thanks, Jed Bunkowski.

Plenty others... these are just a few of the places I've tried out in the last couple of weeks. Check them out! :)