There’s something so essential about good rock music. It scrapes the weight off your soul like a cheese grater. Tuesday was one of those heavy days, so I left the office late in the afternoon with the Foo Fighters. I have their new album. It’s amazing.

I had to get out. I needed to go hiking. With my iPod in hand I left. The music blared and the sun broke. I felt alive. I hiked a while down a trail till I came upon an old railroad bridge that ran over the Stillaguamish River. I make my way to the middle of the bridge and sat down, watching the river race by. As I sat there I noticed something in the water. There was one a first. Then another. Then tons of them. Salmon were running and upstream, right under me. I watched them for a while, making their way upstream.

Jumping and struggling with such a passion to get nowhere in a hurry. What lay ahead? Spawning and death. I wondered why they were in such a rush. It reminded me of our lives. We’re in such a hurry to die. We don’t think of it like that, but that’s what we’re doing. Always staying busy. Always on that upstream push.

I sat and meditated for a while, praying and praising God. I just let the peace of creation soak in all around me.

As I hiked back to my car one things occurred to me. I swim upstream too much.

About 30 min north of here lies the world famous Mt. Vernon tulip fields. Every year, people com from around the world to see these fields. They are amazing (God’s colors in bloom). So here are some pics from our visit to see them.

Imagine these pics, only fields and fields of them. Is there a God? Oh yeah, I know so.

Mt Vernon Tulip Festival

The whole weekend was pretty physical. Sea Kayaking, Mountain Biking, and Paintball. The guys were pushed. Some sweated, some complained, some wanted to quit, but they all completed the challenges before them. Wear them out, show them creation, then share the gospel.

It’s a challenge though. I had a group of 7 knuckle heads. You know the type that try to see how man crayons can fit into someone’s butt crack when they’re asleep (and no it wasn’t my crack). But they are hungry. They’re hungry for something, they just don’t know what. They want to know that there’s more.