Thursday, March 28, 2013

Book Review: California's Best Trips

If ever a state was made for road trips, it's California.

With its moderate climate, scenic coasts, urban culture, snow-capped peaks, sprawling farmlands, and quirky deserts, every corner of California is ripe and ready to be explored. And California's Best Trips is a great guide to plan your next family vacation in the Golden State.

There are two basic ways to plan a trip:
  1. Region. Choose a specific attraction or region you want to travel to, then pick one of the road trips in that area. The book is divided into three main sections: Northern California (pp. 31-148), Central California (pp. 149-168), and Southern California (pp. 269-363). Each section offers an overview map as well as specific itineraries, attractions, driving instructions, and local dining and hotel options. 
  2. Theme. What really sets this book apart is that if you don't already have a destination in mind, you can build your itinerary around a theme. Choose from seven Classic Road Trips (pp. 8-11), five Scenic Routes (p. 15) or four Historical Routes (p. 22). Explore some of California's Major Cities (pp. 26-29) or slow down in one of the Best Small Towns (p. 17). You can even choose a road trip geared toward children (p. 23) or the great outdoors at one of the national or state parks (p. 23).
A word of caution: make sure you budget ample time and travel expenses to get to the start point and return from the end point of your trip. Most of these are one-way trips from point A to B, and will take significantly longer when you factor in travel time from your home. For example, Road Trip #11 "Trinity Scenic Byway" is 235 miles long and covers some beautiful territory in Northern California. But someone living in San Diego would have to drive 724 miles (11 hours) just to arrive at the base of Mount Shasta and begin the road trip. You'll definitely want to factor that in.

California's Best Trips is a fun and unique tour guide to California. My family can't wait to jump in the minivan and start our next trip! But remember, it's not just about the destination, but the journey to get there.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary review copy of this book as part of the Amazon Vine Program and was not influenced in any way by the publisher.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Pastor's Update

Here's a church update I shared at last Sunday's quarterly business meeting...

“Keep Up the Good Work!” These are words every worker wants to hear. Or, as Paul told the Thessalonians, “You have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing…But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more” (1 Thess. 4:9-10). So let me encourage you, First Southern Baptist, to keep excelling in ministry. Keep excelling in your love, in your growth, in your service, in your discernment, in your joy, in your attention to the Word, and in your evangelism.

Ryan Hodson and I had the privilege of attending The 40th annual Shepherd’s Conference in Sun Valley on March 7-9, 2013. Together with 4,000 other pastors and elders, we sang, listened to the preaching of the Word, and enjoyed great times of fellowship. During our time, we were amazed at the glory of Christ and humbled at our duty to serve Him. Thank you for making this trip possible so we can come back refreshed and better equipped to minister to all of you.

Our church leaders have recently been discussing our Sunday School or “Life Groups” ministry. Currently, our attendance is hovering around 25 each week with few or no children. But we believe this ministry has great potential and could become a key component of our long-term discipleship strategy at First Southern.  With many of you traveling up to forty minutes one way to attend church, we know our weekly time together is limited. So we are looking for ways to make Life Groups a vibrant ministry that you will want to take part in. 


Details are still coming together, but we are talking and praying about moving to the “Gospel Project” curriculum produced by Lifeway. Some of the benefits of this program are its cross-centered approach to the Scriptures, excellent teacher resources, and a comprehensive, three-year lesson plan for children, youth, and adults. Stay tuned for more details in the months ahead!

Friday, March 1, 2013

Free Music


For a limited time, the Christian band Page CXVI (pronounced '116') is generously giving away every song they've produced in the last seven years. This includes seven hymns albums and four pop albums (through their alternate indie band name Autumn Film). Just click here to visit their site.

We had this band at our church a few years ago for an outreach concert, and were blessed by their musical talents and their willingness to perform in smaller venues.

Their press release says, "Between re-arranging the classic hymns, to creating beautiful emotive indie pop music, the band has recorded 11 albums together. Please join them in celebrating this jubilee by catching up on the records you’ve missed or download the entire catalog."

Don't miss out on this great opportunity.

Now it's your turn: What are some of your favorite Christian artists today?

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