My Week... so far...

It all started normally enough- after preaching our services at , Central Community, rested for the afternoon, then headed out to the streets of skid row in Los Angeles for our weekly work with Jackets for Jesus. I'd battled a tooth ache all weekend, so... Monday morning bright and early I was waiting at my dentist office. Fortunately they said they could make the pain go away in a matter of days. Unfortunately it was going to cost several thousand dollars. I walked. Told them I'd live on Motrin until I could make a decision.


That's my friend, Joe, he's a professional fishing guide, member of Central Community and all around good guy who's been trying to get his pastor out on his boat fishing for a year or more... life get's busy... we'd agreed to get together Tuesday morning for a few hours on a local lake. He picked me up just before 7am, beautiful bass boat in tow, me hauling a mouth load of pain and the promise of a dentist who said she'd just pull the tooth for $125- the next day. Fishing ahead, end of pain in sight, we headed out for a great morning.

I've only fished with a guide once before in my life- and never on fresh water -if you've never done it, I highly reccomend it. And if you're in Southern California, give Joe a call, he works all the main, and some of the not so main lakes. Sat back on his boat, used his gear, he even taught me a completely new style of fishing. It's been awhile since I've fished fresh water and even longer since I've targeted large mouth bass. We slayed 'em. Well actually we didn't kill any of them- but we caught a bunch- keeping a few of the larger ones in the live well for a end of morning photo before sending them back to where they belonged, sore lips, but ready to fight another day. While fishing, the tooth pulling dentist called and said she could see me in two hours, it was an early end to our day but I needed an early end to the pain. Here's me before the big release.


also caught this incidental catfish on plastic... this guy went to a friend for dinner!


The dentist ended up saving my tooth and shipping me off to an endodontist who operated with a cool microscope shoved down my mouth... interesting... feels much better now... after 3 days of dental work and several more to come.



Skipped out on Siempre Wednesday and spent the afternoon with friends at CBS Studios in Hollywood for American Idol Gives Back. Getting tickets to the event seemed too good to be true... apparently it was. Ended up being a first come first served kind of deal and we didn't make it in- just a parking lot away from the stars! Still had a great night with friends- stopping in Pomona for dinner -a first for me. They were all natives of the area and Debi and I were able to eat enchilada's and chile relleno while hearing stories of growing up in Pomona. Way better than American Idol!


More dental work Thursday morning. Worked all afternoon then preached in our Thursday everning services. Worked and rested Friday morning then spent the afternoon with mom and dad. Clicked this shot while visiting mom at the nursing home. We'd picked up dad, where he lives with my brother Tim and his wife Nancy, gone through Del Taco, then ate with mom. It's odd the changes in life we can adjust to: dad living with Tim, mom in the nursing home... both amazingly confused much of the time with so little short term memory and the long term fading fast. Makes an afternoon together so sweet. Once mom had tired of us... or actually dad was ready to go, forced dad out for a hair cut then back to Tim's.

Debi and I ended the evening at dinner together in Orange County, waiting for the traffic to ease before we hit the freeway home. It's Saturday morning and I have a full day scheduled, but that's my week... so far... it's been a good one, a painful one, an expensive one, another one... filled with miracles and wonders... hope your week was equally amazing.

blessings,

Eric