Driftwood Diaries

I just got back, it’s Friday night, and if you ask me, I think this was the most beautiful day of the year. It was 80 degrees…and it’s January! The beach air had a warmth and softness to it with just a faint, delicate breeze. I caught the day at its close; 4-6 pm, an amazingly clear sunset dipping below the crystal outline of Catalina.
My life has always been close to the sea. I grew up five miles from the chilly coast of Humboldt County, lived in Santa Cruz and Costa Mesa, and the activities that have oriented me to these locales are permanently etched into my persona. I have become very used to the visual and sensory treasures of the beach and ocean. Almost every one of my solo retreats throughout my life have ended up at the beach somewhere, and almost every time I’ve sensed God speak to me in some way or another on these trips. In fact, I’d say pretty every “big word” I’ve ever received from the Lord has been at the beach. The ocean connects me to God because of its grandeur, wildness, and mystery.
Around here, Corona Del Mar and Laguna are my favorite coastlines because of the rocky points and cliffs, and with only two hours and a hectic day, I opted this time for CDM’s “Cove” and the trailing beach walk to the southern point. As I mentioned earlier, the weather was gorgeous and every site was stunning. I walked down the long steps with the fading sun in view and was instantly enveloped by the majestic trees and rocky boulders. The smell is the thing that actually hit me first; flowers, plants, and salt air – fragrances that remind me of childhood and carefree days, which never cease to transport my heart to a peaceful, hopeful place.
As I hit the soft shore break and headed south, the sun began to dip in the sky, its golden hues diffusing and spreading across the landscape behind me. The little waves lapped the sand quietly, and I felt the cold dampness under my bare feet. Usually, I’m transfixed by the waves and the way they break on the shore, creating patterns in the sand and leaving behind sparkling trinkets from the sea, but not tonight; tonight my gaze was to the horizon and the darkening deep water against the fading light of day.
By the time I reached the jutting, jagged cliffs of the southern point, there was only a few moments of sun left above the waves. I sat on a rough rock and took in the sites. It was like a postcard. Faraway birds swirled in the painted sunset, gentle crashing waves set a slow rhythm, and I began really thinking about God’s faithfulness and all of the hope found there. Something about the beach sets me up to dream, gives me strength to trust again, and settles my soul even in the most uncertain of times. You’d think it might get old, but no - it never does!
I really felt refreshed by my time on the rock, and as the sun finally disappeared, I got up and started the trek back. Even with the retired sun, the air was still warm and streaks of yellow and pinks remained high above. I thought of all my questions and doubts, giving them to God, and was reminded of the Hebrew people in the wilderness; how could they distrust this miracle working deity when He obviously could do anything? How did they forget His power, love, and care so quickly? How could I? I’d seen God’s faithfulness and care, too, and a few miracles to say the least, how could I fall into fear and doubt so often? I’m repenting now as I write this. My walk back to the car was one of recommitment and renewed faith. Even with so many unknowns and obstacles ahead, I had a settled feeling in my spirit. I thanked God for the gift of His creation, the glimpses of His great love in our every day.

My wife and I live across the street from another country. At least it’s seemed like that to us. Several times through the years, we’ve looked out from our yard, across Baker St., to the densely populated Latino apartment complexes full of life, color, music, laughter, and wonderful cooking, and wondered what it would take to make friends with these neighbors. I wished I could build the “Bridge Over Baker” - it seemed like a mile away. Our kids all went to the same school, but we’d only had brief conversations. Finally, one day, while dropping off our daughter for a birthday party, we were invited to stay for a bit…and we did…all day! We were overwhelmed by the generosity of our hosts, by the lively discussions, the soccer game on TV, and of course, the amazing food. Our friendships deepened, and God has brought us together now with many of the families on Baker St. in miraculous ways. Less than a year later, and I was the one climbing onto a garage roof and holding one end of a piñata string!

Through Rockharbor’s partnership and First Fruits, we’ve been able to provide groceries in tough times for our neighbors, or cover a rent payment or a medical bill, but most importantly we’ve had the chance to sit down, hang out, sing karaoke, develop bonding relationships, and have our hearts stretched for others. As I’m struggling to learn Spanish, many of our neighbors are still struggling with English, and the idea came up in our Lifegroup to host a night called “Share Your English”. We thought rather than have it be classroom oriented, we’d have it at our house with food, conversation, and games for kids - trying a bit to return the extravagant hospitality we’ve recieved. It was a hit! With the partnership of three other churches now, Share Your English happens once a week at various homes and locations. MIKA Community Development interviewed one of our students recently, and here’s an excerpt:

“Beyond the language learning, Elvia went on to share about the hospitality of her Share Your English host. ‘She welcomes my children and I into her home as if we were her family. My kids feel so happy there and are proud to be participating with the other children. If I miss class, I feel like something is missing from my week.’ When we first met, Elvia shared with me that she and her family did not know anyone in their neighborhood. ‘We saw them, but we didn’t know them. We did not have anyone to help us.’ Now as Elvia was winding down she told me, ‘All that has happened on Baker St. has given me new life. I feel good and important being a leader. I feel proud of my community.’”

Watching God bring this vision to reality has been so powerful in our lives. Watching His Kingdom crash into our little corner of the world has truly been a life changer. I can’t read Elvia’s words without getting choked up. I’m so thankful to God for inviting us into this journey!

Circle the City from OCforOC on Vimeo.

A few friends and I are hosting a 1-day spiritual retreat in Orange this Saturday! I’ve been inspired by my grad studies in Spiritual Formation at Talbot, and I can’t wait to share a piece of this reflective journey with you. It promises to be a unique, refreshing, and renewing experience. I’d be so honored if you’d consider being a part!  Here’s the info:

Saturday October 29, 2011

| One-Day Spiritual Retreat |

HOMECOMING

three interactive sessions featuring the art of Rembrandt and the words and reflections of Henri Nouwen

Old Towne Chapel

537 East Palm Ave.

Orange, CA 92866

(near the Orange Circle)

9:30 a.m to 3:30 p.m.

cost: $35

-snacks will be provided-

info: 949-294-7039 | justin@justinfox.com

It’s time to say

THANK YOU!!!

Thank you for your prayers, advice, and donations.  After several weeks of waiting on God’s direction, we felt led toward a mini-van for our family, and all of your generous contributions enabled us to buy this beautiful 2003 Honda Odyssey with cash, free and clear!  We are blown away at God’s extravagant blessings in our lives - the kids are especially captured by the DVD system

We’re praying for many more miles of ministry and family togetherness in our new van.  I had to look outside in the driveway again this morning, just to make sure it’s real.  We are humbled and grateful that you’d consider our ministry worth investing in.  We are so excited for the fall and all that it holds for us; teen mentoring at three public schools, after-school programs and prayer gatherings around three elementary schools, our homeless community outreach, the youth leadership team, our church unity initiatives, and all the music ministry dates in between!

God is using you to TRANSFORM A CITY!

Thanks again for playing a part!

It seems fitting that this post would follow one I just wrote about God’s provision and walking by faith.  Ah, God’s timing!  We are getting to live it out now, so here’s the scoop…

It’s time to say goodbye-

to our beloved touring van. 200,000 miles of love, music, laughter, and ministry. She will be greatly missed!!

This 15-passenger Ford Clubwagon has also doubled as our second family car, so we’re in quite a pinch.  We’d love your prayers as we seek God these next few weeks for His direction.  I’m touring less with the band these days, so we mainly need an around-town family car that gets ok gas mileage.  Should we use our small, emergency savings to buy an older 7-seater for around $3,000 - Or, do we wait to see if God will provide somehow in another way?  We’re going to take a few weeks, juggling one car and praying for what God has next…

Will you pray along with us?  If you know of any cars that could fit our family of six, we’d love to hear about them.  Also, if you know someone that fixes and replaces engines, who’d be interested in buying our van, please let us know!  Our non-profit ministry can receive tax-deductible contributions, and we’d be hugely blessed with however God directs you.

Have you been fortunate enough to experience a road trip in our well worn van??  Or, do you have a favorite memory?  Send us a comment here or on Facebook, and we’ll send her off in grand style!

God provides.  It’s His nature, it’s what He does.  God and His loving action are inseparable.  Dogs bark and wag their tails – God rescues and saves - it’s who He is.  One incredible thing about God’s provision is that it is coupled with His wisdom, which is higher than ours, and we’re sometimes left in mystery as to the why and when of His care.  For those of us who’ve walked a while in God’s ways, though, we’ve seen over and over that He’s always right.  His love for us is perfect, flawless.  He’s like a master chess player, making each move with every other move before and ahead in mind.  He knows.  He knows everything.

It’s interesting to read the stories of God’s provision throughout the Bible.  Most often, His action occurs just in the nick of time.  He seems to be partial to the cliffhanger rescue.  In fact, when He rained down bread from the sky for His people wandering in the desert, He didn’t even allow them to collect and store it.  He made it good for one day only, leaving them to rely on Him every morning just to eat.  Jesus taught us to pray; “give us this day our daily bread”.  He knows this sense of dependence is the best thing for us and our relationship with Him, and He plays the theme like a catchy, pop chorus – repeating again and again and surprising us every time.  The Red Sea, water from a rock, a ram in a thicket, a baby in a manger – God’s specialty is the dramatic, last-minute save.

No wonder we experience His provision in our lives this same way.  For us, as a missionary family in Southern California, we often find ourselves praying for God’s provision in the quite literal sense; finances.  It seems even with all our budgeting and planning, we still meet many months with not enough money for the bills, and we’ve learned to trust in the unpredictable, recuing love of God.  A couple weeks ago, my wife and I were going over the finances on a Sunday afternoon.  Our accounts were slim, and we decided by faith to cut our grocery budget in half for the week.  We’ll see what happens, we said, maybe we can make it and God will help us…  Not more than fifteen minutes later, my wife got a text from a friend who owns a catering business.  She had just cooked for a massive wedding, there were tons of leftovers, and did we want any?  That food fed our family of six for half the week!

A few years ago, our house payment was in danger of not getting paid.  Our mortgage was due the next day, and we were a couple thousand dollars short.  We needed a miracle.  We prayed and put our cares into God’s hands.  We surrendered it all, and I slept like a rock that night.  In the morning, I waved to our kids from the porch as they walked the couple blocks to school.  Lingering on the step, I was at peace even though I wasn’t sure of God’s plan.  I drank in the warm, sunny morning and noticed something in the bushes near my feet - a dirty, frayed, grass stained piece of paper.  I picked it up, realizing it was an envelope, fallen from the mailbox, who knows how long ago…  It was a check for the entire amount and then some!  He had provided.  My heart leapt with thankfulness once again to a God who loves us, who rescues, who saves.

As a pastor in our city of Costa Mesa, I’m always looking for needs that can be met and people we can help. My wife and I have been making friends with our Hispanic neighbors on Baker St. for several years and our appreciation for their rich culture continues to grow. We’re amazed at their warm family bonds, their passionate work ethic, their exuberant generosity, and of course, the incredible food! Some of our neighbors live with economic hardship, and yet their simple joy and giving hearts inspire us.

We have seen that many of the moms in these homes speak very little English. They’d love to communicate better with their children’s teachers, understand the computer more fully, and have a more confident grasp of the language, but there are obstacles; inconsistent ESL classes, limited childcare, lack of transportation, and intimidating environments. This scenario sets up an incredible need and a powerful way to be a blessing. We have a profound opportunity to share ourselves in the simplest way possible; sharing our English! It’s really that easy. Do you speak English? You can join in!

Along with our community partners, we’ve developed a weekly curriculum that any English speaker can use to facilitate a fun, casual, English class which builds relationships, embodies God’s call to care for others, and impacts the life of a parent, potentially shaping the course of their family for generations to come. On one of our first “Share Your English” nights, we had almost 10 adults (and a battalion of kids) come over to the house. We set up different seating areas, told them to imagine themselves in a restaurant, and had them sit at each table depending on English proficiency. We then went around the tables as “waiters”, taking their “orders” and guiding them through conversational English according to their skill levels. It was a blast! All the while, the children were finding places to run and play in the background. Another time, we had a couple older Hispanic moms practicing English by telling my friend and I (two six foot-plus white guys) how to clean a kitchen. They bossed us around with glee and lots of laughter…and they gained some valuable life skills, too!

Our Spanish speaking friends have been blessed and cared for by this effort in profound ways, and so have we. It’s been such a hit for all of us. A request has been made for a class each week, but our small leadership team can only host one night a month. In order to pull off a weekly gathering, we’d need three more teams to come forward and help in the effort. Would you and a few of your friends be willing to give one night a month toward this Kingdom cause? You don’t need to speak Spanish, and you don’t need to be a trained ESL teacher to jump in. We’ll equip you, walk you through the curriculum, set up the venue, time, and location, and in no time you’ll be experiencing the joy of generosity, making new friends, and joining a brand new dance that you’ve already known the steps to all along; sharing your English!

To help out, contact Heidi or myself…

Justin Fox / jfox@rockharbor.org / 949-294-7039

As my family and I dove into the ROCKHARBOR community five years ago, we were struck by a risky dependence on God. It was electrifying to rally around “giving ourselves away” and the wave of missional service as thousands stepped into the first “Go” campaign. The weekend we cancelled services for Serve Day was a time I’ll never forget; my kids actually washed windows in a trailer park!

Although our outreach efforts of late have not been quite as high-profile as things like The GO Campaign, our posture as a church has not changed. We are still a faith community marked by gutsy dependence, risky generosity, and radical service. One of the ways our church has continued to press into this posture is by creating the new volunteer position of “City Pastor”.

What is a City Pastor, you ask? It’s a journey in process, but the main idea behind it is to seek out, create, and participate in mission endeavors within the city, and to invite our church community into the action.

The big question City Pastors are asking is; if ROCKHARBOR were to end today – if we were to close our doors and shut down, would the cities of Costa Mesa, Laguna Hills, Fullerton, or Huntington Beach miss us? Sure, a couple thousand church goers might be disappointed, but would the city miss us? Would the public schools miss us? Would our civic leaders, immigrant families, homeless population, at-risk teens, or neighborhood children really miss us? This is a haunting question, and one we continue to wrestle with…

There are a few other local churches that have aslo felt a similar call. And we began talks about what it would look like to be involved more in our cities. Two weeks after I officially started as Costa Mesa City Pastor we were called into action.

As many of you know, a Costa Mesa city worker committed suicide after learning he was going to be one of hundreds to be laid off. We responded with a network of churches for crisis care, a city-wide prayer gathering encircling City Hall, and a memorial service followed by a hospitality area for prayer, refreshments, and a listening ear…all on city grounds. Something started that day, and the ripples of it are still being felt at the civic level in many ways as the relationships built continue to grow.

A month later, another tragedy struck; a student at Costa Mesa High took his own life. He was a well-liked sophomore on the volleyball team. As the school community reeled in shock, we had another invitation to respond with many pastors on site for prayer and counseling, and I was able to sit down for an hour with his team as a mentor, chaplain, and friend – quite a change from when, just a few weeks ago, I was told no pastors would ever be allowed on campus.

In the midst of pain and brokenness, God is moving in this city.

As a church, we now have invitations from this school and several others, the city council, and MIKA Community Development to invest in relationships like never before. Beyond a summer service project or a single mission trip, this is our chance to begin making a sustainable, deep, long-term impact in Costa Mesa. There is a dynamic balance in giving and receiving, of caring and being held, of comfort and risk, and I believe God is calling us once again toward a season of daring adventure.

If you live in Costa Mesa, we invite you to love our city with reaching arms, quickened feet, and open hearts. Let’s love the people around us in such a way that God’s grace is compelling and the Gospel is heard loud and clear. As Jesus followers, this is what we do.

……………………….

reblogged from http://www.rockharbor.org/2011/05/city-pastor/

My first ever video podcast interview! Click on the image below to be taken directly to the Circles blog at ROCKHARBOR where you can view the podcast in it’s entirety, subscribe to other episodes, and even leave a comment. Darin McWatters is a fun interviewer and brought out some deep subjects, as well. I was humbled and honored to be a part of this!