Continental's Response

In defense of Continental, they responded today to my aforementioned e-mail. They were following protocol, are forwarding it to senior management, and have upgraded me to "Dr." :) .

"Dear Rev. Matson:

Thank you for contacting Continental Airlines."

"We appreciate your email, Dr. Matson, and hope you will include Continental Airlines in your future travel plans."

Hair Today.....

"Excuse me", he said, as he slid by me to get to the baggage claim. By all means.

Later that day, a milder version.

Immanuel - God With Us

Poop!

Hmmm?? They say you learn something new every day.....

Down with the Guvment and Can'tinental Airlines!

An expiration date does not an expiration date make.

I usually resist jumping on the bandwagon to rage against the machine but have to take my turn tonight. They tag teamed us and sent Antony packing. He was going to go witness the nuptials of his friend Brian in Honduras but they got all funny on us and rained on his parade. I was this close to having a John Q. moment there in terminal 6 of LAX airport.

Word to the wise - It seems that even if you have a passport that expires in June 2009 it doesn't mean you can just hop on a plane up until that point and travel with it. Some countries, or maybe it's Uncle Sam, have requirements like your expiration date cannot be more than six months out from your arrival date in another country. After you've reached the 15th of a month it's like that month doesn't figure into the equation - round down. Despite the guvments website statement that you can find there today, the info that Can'tinental abides by says 6 months. They won't bend. Supposedly they could be fined and/or the traveler could be stranded at any other point along the trip. They asked us to show them this info (below) which we couldn't 'cause we got it when we phoned a friend. They brought us into the inner sanctum and showed us their statement from immigration but wouldn't look this one up:

• "ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS: A U.S. passport valid for at least three months from the date of entry is required to enter Honduras." [Confirmed current with U.S. Dept. of State by phone on 12/17/08 1-877-487-2778]

Let's hope Billary cleans this up when she comes into power.

Additionally, their recommendation is to camp out in L.A., go to the American Embassy and ask for a rush job on a new passport that costs an arm & a leg. Then, they want to send you off two days later if the rush job thingy works for an additional $400. Where's the love?? The buyer was given no caveat emptor - a term I learned when I had to bring the weight of the BBB and the CA State Attorney General's Dept. of Consumer Affairs to bear on Ticketmaster when they reneged on an agreement.

Our night in a nutshell.


Continental Airlines could not be reached Wednesday for comment.... well I got cut off after waiting in line on hold for 5 minutes. We'll see if they answer their e-mail.

Merry Christmas!!

Having grown up in Wisconsin I was used to having a white Christmas more often than not. It's still hard for me to get in the mood with the absence of snow in So. Cal. There are the universal elements leading up to the 25th - carols, food, trees, lights, traffic jams - but it still seems like something's missing. I remember my first December here. The season seemed so contrived to me. The snow and the cold does add something to it all. I kind of miss all it has to offer. I remember:

Sledding, innertubing, skiing, skating, getting in trouble for errant snowballs, trudging through it to deliver newspapers before anyone was awake to shovel the sidewalks, shoveling, blowing it with a snowblower & trying to prevent your eyelashes from freezing together, losing control of your car, the car getting stuck in the snow, doing doughnuts in the mall parking lot, giving your enemies a facewash, making snow people, snowmobiles, & the Klondike Derby with the Boy Scouts.

I hope to get a dose of snow in Colorado when I go home.

Merry Christmas!!

Ellis Island

Part of my evening was spent picking up more items for our annual hygiene kit project. I visited friend and former neighbor, Sebastão at the 99¢ store he staffs. Later, I parked near two drugstores to do some comparison shopping and stopped in between at *bucks for a pit stop. When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, Ellis sitting at a table alone. Life's been hard for Ellis and he recently lost a family member. We shared coffee and a Cranberry Bliss Bar. He preached to me - the Cotton Patch Version. I was happy to listen and get lost in his world for a moment forgetting about mine.

Ellis is a good egg. He rarely stays for the entire church service. You'll find him arriving late, crisscrossing the sanctuary obliviously right in front of the main speaker as he finds a seat. He is a survivor and is always restless. Philippians 4:11-12 is not a picture of Ellis. He has a hard time making his ends meet. That, and the love of Christ he finds at the church, keeps him coming back for more. He plays some kind of game hustling cell phones and pagers. He goes through them like dirty diapers. Though he tried to explain more of that to me tonight, I still don't get it. It keeps him busy and out of real trouble. It just makes it hard to get ahold of him as his phone number(s) change about once a week. That's our Ellis!

Random Thought of the Day: IMHO, the bassline in "It's My Life" (Talk Talk or No Doubt) is one of the best around.

In the Street Smarts Dept. - I was approached again tonight in a parking lot. My tendency in these cases is not to engage a stranger in conversation at night when alone. Call me new-fashioned. I get it often late at night near the church or in a parking lot when shopping. If someone does this and begins their petition or even before they begin it I'll utter a preemptive "Don't approach me!" If that's not enough, they won't be satisfied and I feel like it, when they say "why?" I'll just say something like, "It's too late at night." Yeah, I know "what would Jesus do?" I'm still asking myself that but also I am still here to tell you about it. All this keeps them guessing as to what surprise I might have for them if they do approach me. I guess I may be cold in this regard but for all I know they may be out to do me harm or in the case of a female approaching me, far-fetched as it may be, it could be an undercover police officer out for a night of entrapment.

CBS Evening News with Katie Couric

A local CBS news crew is here using the Church's food distribution as a backdrop for the national network CBS Evening News. May air tonight. Shout out to Katie Couric!

Lucky

There you have it. The fortune cookie gods know something I don't and I have until 11:59 PST to figure out what it is.

"They Call Me Mellow Yellow"

O.K., this one's a little graphic but it's where I live. Sorry.

I just had someone come up the steps of the church toward my office. There's the tell-tale sounds. You hear them come up to the stoop, expect a knock, or a ring of the doorbell (before it was stolen) but nothing. It can only mean a few things. They've dragged their kill over here from the taco shop across the street and are feasting on it, they are thinking they're going to bed down in front of the door (i.e. - from a facility coordinator's position - fire escape) for the night or they are thinking what better place could there be to commit an act of public urination.

Then there's the other tell-tale sound I need not describe to you. I threw open the door and there SHE was stooped on my stoop, a young "lady".

stoop ² (stp)

n. Chiefly Northeastern U.S.

A small porch, platform, or staircase leading to the entrance of a house or building.

---

stoop ¹ (stp)

v. stooped, stoop·ing, stoops

v.intr.

1. To bend forward and down from the waist or the middle of the back: had to stoop in order to fit into the cave.

4.

a. To lower or debase oneself.

v.tr.

1. To bend (the head or body) forward and down.

2. To debase; humble.

n.

1. The act of stooping.

3. An act of self-abasement or condescension.

She's not the first and unfortunately won't be the last. We've had our share and more. There was the "Urinator". His work was found most mornings in a stairwell or in the alley. Becker and I stayed up all night to catch him red-handed because he would deny having done it every time.

We're a popular spot for those going through the drive thru across the street to come and find relief. Behind the dumpsters is another popular spot. I get really upset when they do it during business hours and our restrooms are open at the time.

The excuse is usually the same - "I'm really sorry, I couldn't find anywhere else to go." Usually I lay into them, coming on strong in the beginning and then lighten up. I did that with one guy. I ranted, he apologized, I started to make a friendly gesture and offered my hand to shake hands but then pulled back remembering what he had just done. This time tonight I was speechless. Instead of biting her head off, I bit my tongue. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

F/A-18 Down!

FYI-Well I just got a text from BFF, Steve, in Indiana - "How close was the plane wreck to you?" Fortunately, not too close - 10 miles. I'm not an ambulance chaser but had to be in the area so we checked it out. We took an alternate route, I-15, to the Feeding America/Food Bank and then took the 805 back to see if we could see anything - you can barely make out the rising smoke. It had subsided quite a bit at that point. The exit to that neighborhood from the freeway is shut down and rightly so. They don't need people like us over there right now.

A Date Which Will Live in Infamy

Today we remember those who were injured or lost their lives during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941.

U.S.
2,345 military and 57 civilians killed, 1,247 military and 35 civilians wounded.

Japan
55 airmen, 9 submariners killed and 1 captured.

My brother, Lyndon, and I were able to visit the memorial on our trip to Hawaii, courtesy of 24 Hour Fitness.

Entertaining Angels

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2 NIV

Hats off to Angel! Though he completed his community service with us long ago, he continues to come by and help out often. Many people tell me after they do their duty they'll return and volunteer. The truth is, it seldom happens. Without much fanfare at all, Angel returns time after time and always with a smile to serve the Lord and his community. Thanks!

SERENITY NOW!!!

Now I lay me down to sleep….

Well today (Wednesday) was a day off. I won’t go so far as to say a good day off, but a day off. Parts of it were good. I estimate it was split up the middle; 50% work, 50% off. In that time off, I found some time to read and to commune with the Creator and the created. The all-encompassing aspect of the work, though, crept in via the mobile phone. It was turned off for a time. I know, "That's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind." “We have been trying to get you to do that.” “Why did you even bring it along?” I heard you today. Thank you.

Lately, the job is driving me to drink and because on principle, I don’t do that, (occupational hazard and all) I’ll find another outlet for my angst. I don’t drink, but I know those days when I would, if I did. Today will find me at some point at the driving range, shooting range, Sarah’s Smash Shack, or all of the above. Please flatter me and tell me you have days like that too. I have an old cell phone that might be martyred in the process. Why not bid good riddance to some golf clubs as I wrap them around a tree? Please don’t try and stop me. In the end, I will be a better person/parson for it.

Have a good day,

My thoughts and prayers are with a family member who’s in surgery today…..

Can You Hear Me Now Mr. Edison

I think Google is onto something here:

You have to check this out! I'm looking for the best type of internet service. You've got Cable, DSL, & BPL. Google has a new type that they are BETA testing - TiSP. If anyone has experience with this please let me know. Personally, I think it's ground-breaking and will revolutionize the way we communicate. Seeing this I can't help but think we've come a long ways since the tin can telephone.

Washington, D.C.

It is good to be back in DC today. One thing I loved about being here was the variety of license plates. Of course you have those from DC, MD, & VA. You also have diplomat plates & plates from all the states and beyond. I never licensed my leased vehicle in DC when I was here. I did when I picked up another vehicle and moved to MD. DC at that time had some Clergy plates that would have been cool to get.

The tag-line on the plates are interesting to read. MD has their website mentioned. I was reminded that the slogan on the new DC plates is a political statement - a slap in the face - "Taxation Without Representation". They have been trying to get statehood and were even willing to settle for the status of a U.S. Territory for awhile. Wisconsin's is and has been for a long time, "America's Dairyland". When they redesigned the plates they asked for submissions of designs and tag-lines. The all-time classic which didn't win - Wisconsin: "Come Smell Our Dairy Air".

You think red light cameras are bad? They have the equivalent for speeding here. I guess some zones have warning signs warning of the cameras and some don't. YIKES!

CBN Story.

You can watch it here (click on the downloads tab and search for: "The 700 Club: November 21, 2008") or download it here.

CBN News story to air tomorrow.

On November 4 I mentioned that a CBN News crew was at the church to do a story on hunger. Here's the information I've been given today.

"The story airs tomorrow on the 700 Club. Locally, look for it on your ABC family channel--or view it at CBNNews.com. It will also air on Newswatch and possibly Christian World News--two of our others newscasts."

Samuel Nehemiah Smith

This weekend I will be returning to Washington, DC and will be attending a Homecoming/Homegoing of sorts to celebrate the life of a Pastor, Friend and Mentor. Rev. Sam Smith was my pastor when we lived in Danville, IL. My Dad was on his staff as the church's Minister of Music.

Years later he invited me to do my college internship with him in Washington, DC. My parents would visit the church, return and try to explain to me what a wonderful place it was. I was somewhat hesitant; maybe a fear of the unknown, a new city, considering obstacles I would face in picking my internship destination and getting that approved. A college choir field trip to DC First, directed by George Dunbar, during my senior year (my first senior year :) ) again was providential and helped to remove the mystery and mystique surrounding the situation. I fell in love with the place immediately and now had faces and names to put with my prayers about returning there for the internship. My request was approved! The director was leery at first, but upon learning that Sam Smith was behind it, soon acquiesced.

The tradition in March was for candidates to attend a lunch, with bags packed, ready to go out to parts unknown. They and their new pastor would dine and dash to a church in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, or Wisconsin. Only then did they find out where they were going for the next two months. Instead, I dined and drove the 700 miles alone to my new assignment. When I arrived though, I was really made to feel at home. I was in seventh heaven. I could not have found a better learning lab myself. The Lord was gracious.

Washington, DC First Church of the Nazarene (since then National C.O.T.N. and now "Mosaic: A C.O.T.N.") was "the church home for 450 people from some 45 different nationalities. Incomes range from those barely subsisting on welfare to a few earning more than $200,000 a year." It was a pleasure to watch Rev. Smith thrive in this setting. It's not always easy in such a context or an urban setting. Rev. Smith could "honestly say that the benefits of ministering in the city far outweigh the frustrations: 'I love the diversity. Within minutes of each other, I might be in a millionaire's mansion and a welfare home. I enjoy helping those people learn to love each other.'"

Regarding his preaching: "He learned that 'the farmer who's been alone on his tractor all day wants to know you're preaching to him personally. If you use notes, he'll tune you right out. He needs intimacy. In the same way, city people are starving for intimacy and love. Their real needs are the same.'

So Sam has kept his country preaching style - using few notes, lots of self-deprecating humor and colorful stories, and avoiding literate phrases that some may not understand. He firmly believes that 'the best sermons are preached where the pain of the people and the truth intersect.'"* It was fun to sit behind him each Sunday and watch the sermon unfold in this way.

Rev. Smith took his chances again and hired me to return after graduation. Following his retirement, Ed Felter was given the nod. He allowed me to stay on during his tenure. 3 1/2 years spent in ministry in the Nation's Capital was a dream come true.

So it will be bittersweet to make the trek but trek I must. One more trip to DC alone and back Home.

For more on Rev. Smith see - http://www.ncnnews.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?sid=10000023&id=10006599

"The Church Without Walls"

*excerpts & photos from "The Pastor in the Big City", Lyndee Breeding, Worldwide Challenge, Campus Crusade for Christ, Inc., March/April 1990, pp. 26-31.

National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day

Today is an important National Holiday. The banks remained open. Most employers didn't give workers the day off but many stayed home sick to clean their nasty ice box. How did you celebrate the day? There wasn't much to clean out of mine but I took time to give it the once over nonetheless and give it a fresh box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda. The idea is too purge your appliance of all the unnecessary entrées and accoutrements, making way for the inevitable Turkey Day leftovers.

Bon Appétit!

Hi Mom!!

I was blessed to have grandmothers who could cook and who passed those skills on. Both of my parents know their way around the kitchen. When Mom was completing her degree, Dad often took over for her. When Mom was sick, which as I remember it was rare, he wouldn't resort to ordering pizza but came up with a full-course meal.

I'll pit my Mom against your Mom any day in a cooking contest. She can cook things in short order, go southern, international or gourmet. She can acommodate your allergies or hers. Catch a cold or the flu and you'll receive some comfort food and room service to boot. Sunday dinners and holidays were the most memorable. She has entertained everyone in Nazarenedom from the top dogs to the rank and file. She can easily follow a recipe or taste something she likes in a restaurant and mimic it to a 't'. Forget the tableware for tailgating at a ballgame? Nevermind, she'll make her own out of whatever she has on hand.

You've probably heard of the Ritz Mock Apple Pie. Well, my mom is so good, she can make pumpkin pie without the pumpkin and pass it off as the original. :) We like to give her a hard time around Thanksgiving and Christmas every year because she forgot the main ingredient in a pie served at a potluck and people might not have known if my dad hadn't told them. For a minister as with anyone, confession is good for the soul.

Here's to you Mom!

Today the church received these large cans of pumpkin and a pallet of pie shells. Wish you were here!!

Tastes Like Chicken - Turn Your Heads My Vegetarian/Vegan Friends

We had the Sculpin (a.k.a. California Scorpionfish) last night for dinner. It was a small fish so it helped that the deck hand threw in two more from someone elses catch. They either didn't want them or were over the limit. It turned out to be a good tasting fish.

Wendy Kessler found a great recipe in a Rachel Ray magazine for Parmigiano-Reggiano Crusted Chicken Piccata. She cooked up some chicken and sculpin that way. I was as equally enamored with the dish as I am with the author of the recipe.

Wendy, you were wondering about the garlic changing color and why? It just adds to the presentation. :)

"Garlic contains anthocyanins, water-soluble pigments that can turn blue or purple under acidic conditions. This is a variable phenomenon that is more pronounced for immature garlic but can differ among cloves within a single head of garlic. If you grow your own garlic, be sure to mature it at room temperature for a couple of weeks before using it." http://cetulare.ucdavis.edu/news/n0898pub.htm

Undone. C'est la vie!

Well I've learned not to take life too seriously - why bother? It's better that way. Sometimes you just have to laugh at life.

Yesterday the stitches that went in on 11/01 came out. Larry called today. I hadn't told him yet about the injury with his TV. I didn't want him to feel bad about it at all. He did feel bad when I told him. He then said, "Is that the TV set that came out of the bedroom? That TV was no good. It needed to go in the trash."

:)

ginormous pumpkin

we have received all kinds of things in donation. limburger cheese. scrapple (yes Dad, you can be proud I know what that is). caviar. store displays. lawn furniture. things i can't mention here but are sold in the store. add to that an 80 lb. pumpkin we received yesterday.

CBN News Visits Our Food Distribution

Today we hosted CBN News Reporter, Heather Sells, and crew at the church's food distribution. They are are planning to air a story sometime prior to Thanksgiving. More to follow.

Thanks!

I had a wonderful birthday yesterday. In the morning I got to do something I love - fishing on the Pacific. I caught a Sculpin and a Barracuda that was too small to keep.

In the evening some friends took me to the Old Spaghetti Factory. They solicited letters from friends & family & then took turns reading them. Thanks to all who called, wrote, sent e-mails, text messages, facebook shout-outs, etc.! It was a lot of fun and very humbling hearing what you wrote.

We really laughed at a portion in my Dad's letter that I'll relate here. He spent some time this last week looking at some of my photos and papers that they have at home.

"I also found a really cool list of 10 things that you were promising yourself about life. I'd sure like to know how old you were when you wrote the list, but I'd guess that it was somewhere in the second, third, or fourth grade. The list is printed, but your signature at the bottom is written in cursive, so I think that may be a tipoff as to when you wrote it. Want to know what you wrote? Here is the list.

1. I will never smoke
2. I won't quit high school
3. I will graduate from college
4. I won't marry for money
5. I won't beat my children
6. I won't watch T.V. a lot
7. I won't change my religion
8. I won't drink
9. I won't try drugs
10. I won't be on welfare

It seems to me that those were pretty good goals for you as a child, and it appears that you have lived up to them in your life. I do wonder about number five. I wonder if the list was written after one of the infrequent spankings either Sharon or I administered. :) "

So .... I was fascinated by this list that was found. I was pleased with it - except for #4. I'm willing to make some concessions now on that one. I learned cursive in the second grade and tried drugs in the third so that tells us when it was written. :)

Sleep depravity took over at the end of the meal. I could identify with the would-be drunk driver at that point. I wanted to charge my phone which was as dead as I was & go check the alarm system at work to be sure it was armed. The Kesslers threatened to take my keys and phone. Their will thankfully won out. I ignored the phone, re-charged it and myself on their couch. Thanks! I'm well rested and ready to write the next chapter in life.

I heard the song "All the World" coming to work this morning & it seemed apropos for how I feel today. [Had a chance to serve the ladies (Point of Grace) dinner while catering in college.] I would post the lyrics here but want to abide by the copyright guidelines. I could probably do it with the church's license but don't know all the ins & outs of that. You can google it if you'd like. Sorry.

Saint Deron/I want my Mommy!!!

If this doesn't flow so well I'll blame it on my head trauma.

********************************

Well, I came into this world on All Saint's Day at St. James Hospital so it is fitting that I would spend 4 hours in the hospital this go around on All Hallow's Eve/All Hallow's Day. A run in with a television was the cause this time. A few of us were helping Larry move everything out of his apartment. He's recuperating in a nursing home.

It was a race against the clock - trying to beat the 8:00 curfew at the storage place. I think I ducked to exit the truck and hit my eyebrow on the corner of the TV. It felt reeaaallllllll good - let me tell you. Then came the blood (sorry - PG-13). Some have been trying to tell me I'm accident prone. I say I work/play hard. This takes the cake of my most recent escapades if nothing else just because medical intervention was required or desired to reduce scarring. Popping the wheelie last week and the subsequent melon jarring fall to the pavement - no sweat. Running into chairs in the dark at work because I'm too lazy to turn on a light - routine. Working on my truck recently, stumbling backwards over my toolbox, breaking my fall not by landing with my hand on the ground but my thumb in my toolbox, sitting on the toolbox as I went down, threatening to sever said thumb from the rest of my hand - levity for those looking on.

I now have bodyguards at work that go before me and clear my path of all obstructions. They pretend to talk to each other in microphones hidden in their cuffs like the Secret Service. Where were they tonight??? Greg tells me of a dream he had where I break my arm. We're just waiting to see how that happens.

I've got to thank the Doc on duty tonight for 4 wonderful, strategically placed sutures in the upside down Y or "Mercedes symbol" in my left eyebrow. I have arrived!! Thanks also to the nursing staff, one a PLNU alum. Thanks for the warm blanket, an update on the tentanus and for dinner. It does help to have someone familiar nearby in such settings. I was blessed also when I had my wisdom teeth pulled. One of the nurses in the room was one I had done a grad check for while working in the Records Office.

I learned early on tonight that there was another Matson in the house. What are the chances? Whenever they called for Matson, I had to clarify. "Matson come on in here." "Which Matson - there are two of us." Then the lab guy came around with a cart of vials. I was pretty sure they didn't need my blood tonight. I knew I didn't want to give any blood tonight - for me on occasions a.k.a. "pass out". He poked his head in my room. "Blah, Blah, Matson?" "It's Deron Matson". I thought he said Devon Matson. I get that all the time b/c people read the r as a v. He said "no, Kevin (not my cousin) Matson. What's your date of birth?" "No there are two of us." Upon further review he chased down Kevin and came back, got his cart and left without any of my blood. I wish Kevin Matson would have paid my co-pay.

So much for my planned snooze before fishing this morning. There will be time for that later.

Pastor John says the church would make me a Saint but reminds me they would have to kill me first.

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

This song by Chicago has come to mean something different for me this week.

Daylight Savings Link to Heart Health?
Heart attack risk declines after an extra hour of shut-eye.

O.K. - someone's got a little too much time and grant money on their hands. Leave it to the Swedes [of which I am one or am 1/4 of one] to figure that out.

I can relate a little though. I was away from home this weekend housesitting. Monday morning I woke up in my own bed again. I looked at the clock and about had a heart attack. I planned to wake up at 6:00 a.m. My clock read 6:00 but my phone read 7:00. Foiled again!! @#$*)(^&!!!!

Who can I sue?

You see, we are too automated now. The clock sets itself. I plug it in and sparks fly, numbers flash, and voilà, the time is set. It must be one of those new-fangled atomic clocks. It's usually about 10-15 minutes off which really confuses me but that's another topic. This clock had reset itself while I was away housesitting. No one told it though that Congress has postponed our cessation of DST by one week again this season. I wanted to wake up at 6:00 and woke up at the old 7:00 or whatever. I'm still confused. If I wasn't renting, that clock would be thrown at or into the nearest wall. That's saying something too b/c I'm usually one of the calmest persons I know. I might take it to Sarah's Smash Shack. I've been wanting to check that place out and this would be the perfect specimen to obliterate. Someone told me Monday that they had some aggression to work out and wanted to beat me up. I recommended we go there instead.

Wikipedia says, "Many computer-based systems can adjust their clocks automatically, but this can be limited and error-prone, particularly when DST rules change." That is an understatement.

On this date in 1894, Daniel M. Cooper of Rochester, N.Y. received the first U.S. patent for a time clock (No. 528,223). I think he's the one I should sue.

Seefood Diet

Are you on a seefood diet? If so, they've got you covered here:

Got Yogurt?

Church starts at 10:30. That's not time certain - it's usually more like 10:45. We'll today it was more like 11:00. It was a surprise to all of us but for good cause. At 10:30 I met Gerry. He was parked outside with a refrigerated truck. He said he had some yogurt for us and asked if we had room to store about 100 cases? I mulled it over for a second and said sure, we'll put it in our refrigerated truck and plug it in.

We summoned help from those gathered and began the relay from one truck to the other. He explained that he was looking for a church to donate it to and had about given up. Just then he looked up and saw a steeple & cross. He happened to "find" a church that had several gathered at that hour who could make use of it and a church that distributes food 3 days a week and also has been blessed with a refrigerated truck. What are the chances? Oh, & his count was off. It was more like 440 cases. 440 x 12 = 5280 containers of yogurt. You can imagine the street value!

"'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?"

On Tuesday, October 21, between 5-9 a.m. Fox Channel 5 will be featuring a facet of our food distribution. We receive food from many places and are constantly amazed at the volume. They will be concentrating on Albertson's Fresh Rescue program which is administered by Feeding America San Diego.

It's nice when the publicity comes but we make it clear that we do not seek it. We have been feeding the hungry as our Lord commands and will continue to do so whether or not it is publicized. The publicity does shed some light on the increased need, the increased supply and how we are all used as instruments of His peace in the process.

There will be a segment once or twice an hour during those times.

Have a great weekend!

San Diego - "America's Finest City"

I've got to brag a little and say I live in one of the best cities in the U.S. I mean I can have an eyeful of this on a nightly basis if I want. I know it's got an ugly side too. Don't they all. I have lamented that and probably even spoken out against it a time or two.

For now I choose to bury my head in the sand. I rarely watch or listen to the news anymore. It's probably not recommended for someone in my position to do that indefinitely, but for now it works for me and helps me keep my sanity. People often ask, "have you heard about this or that"? There's something to be said about the liberation that comes in simply saying, "no I haven't". Period. I've got enough cares of my own. That may sound selfish but I think that's o.k. for us to proclaim once in awhile.

We do have a nice cityscape. It's simple, fairly contained and you can't go wrong when you add in a portion of the bay or ocean along with it. Some of my favorites have been:

• Chicago from the top of Sears Tower.


• Looking across Lake Monona from our home in Madison, WI with the State Capitol Bldg. in the background.


• Copacabana from Hotel Sofitel when we took a bump after Heap's wedding. [Each of us got a separate room, food, ground transportation, $1000 American Airlines voucher, & seats in Business Class the next night.]


• View from Lady Bird Johnson Park of the Lincoln, Washington, & Jefferson Memorials lit up at night across the Potomac River.
  

Subway's website.

O.K. - I think this is funny and creative marketing, but perhaps bordering on sacrilegious. I've had occasion to visit Abe Lincoln's Memorial, the places he governed from on a state & federal level, the theater where he was shot and the room across the street where he supposedly died & his tomb. I don't know how he would feel about this portrayal of his likeness but go ahead and have some fun at his expense.

Subway Fresh Buzz

I'm not going to SPAM you all with this like I did with the interactive phone call from Samuel L. Jackson telling you to go see Snakes on a Plane. I'll leave it up to you and let you SPAM yourself.

Mail Call!!

Well, today I arrived at work later than usual for a Saturday morning. The main reason was that someone asked me to pick them up at the bus station at 1:00 a.m. and then take them "home". I say "home" because unfortunately they are homeless again and home is a make-shift campsite near the freeway in Chula Vista.

I receive messages constantly as we all do and from all directions; snail-mail, e-mail, v-mail & on and on. Some of it I would just prefer to delete or throw away. Property tax bills, suggestions and work orders, anonymous complaint letters ad nauseum. This letter was on my desk as I arrived this morning and was a welcome change. I'll take this kind any time.

Centennial of the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene

Today we celebrated the centennial of the organization of the "Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene" in 1908. I felt like in some ways it was just another Sunday and in other ways like we were caught up in something bigger than ourselves that only comes once in a lifetime. We were instructed that it would be best to celebrate it in our local church rather than face the nightmare and logistics of trying to gather together in one location. It was cool to hear what other churches did to observe the occasion.

Dr. Terry Read spoke for us. He is a former missionary, seminary professor and a multitude of other things. He & Joan have circled the globe and have connections to many in our church's congregations having lived in their homeland or been exposed to their culture. I've seen his picture many times in the past. It was good to meet face-to-face.

As one who is privileged to have documents, letters, books, photos, news articles, etc. pass through my hands on a regular basis, some 100+ years old, pertaining to our history, I was in seventh heaven. You can't help but think what it will be like in another 100 years when the church is 200 years old, D.V.
[The church used this D.V. in the early writings a lot - latin deo volente - "God willing". Essentially, in this case, if the Lord doesn't come back before that.]


When we sang "Tis' a glorious church without spot or wrinkle, washed in the blood of the Lamb", my mind went to the scandals of the church I've read about. Those make for interesting reading, if enough time has passed and they've been de-classified :). I guess you can't help but be 100 years old and not have a scandal or two or .... The song seems to say there's forgiveness for those too. I am glad to be a part of a 100 year old church. Still, my heart goes out to friends that are no longer with the Church of the Nazarene who've been burned, let down, disenfranchized, disallusioned, etc. Lord help us!

Bikefast

Congratulations to Tom & Kari Crittenden! Mari is now officially part of the family. It was my first opportunity to attend an adoption ceremony & it was an awesome experience.

I've been a part of the process in other ways before, albeit a small part. I assisted with the recruitment of families by pastors through San Diego County Adoptions & was tapped as a spokesmodel for them - Mr. March in the '03 calendar :) . Whenever I think about adoption I am reminded that all who believe in Christ for salvation are adopted into the family of God. (Romans 8 & Ephesians 1)

"Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons [& daughters], the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."

Patience paid off today. Mari was beaming.

I had to laugh at the Curse of September 30th and break the bike fast today. It was a perfect day for it. The weather advisory was: "Get to the Coast". I saw 102° in the North County so it wasn't hard to convince me. To the boardwalk we went. Greg showed Dave & I one of his favorite hangouts in his old stomping grounds.

Then it was off to Anaheim to see the Red Sox/Angels game. Aaron Firberg & I have made it a habit - since he started law school at UCLA - of going to see the Padres play at Dodger Stadium late in the season. Somehow we missed doing that this year, probably because of the Padres performance or lack thereof. Tonight was a make-up game for us - Game 1 of the ALDS. The last time I was at the Big Å I was partaking of Holy Communion with 50,000 other Nazarenes courtesy of the Big J.C. If I remember right, that time I was seated in the Upper Deck above third base.

O.K. - I'd seen enough red for one night. I had to snap one in black and white to mute it all. Ahhh!

The Curse of September 30th.

September 30th is a day which will live in infamy for the Matson clan. On this day we are forbidden from bike riding. One year apart on that day both Kathy and Melody had biking accidents. One involved failed brakes (I have to contend - brakes she wasn't used to) and a cement block wall. The other involved a bike race with a borrowed, modified bike and a rather hard, sidewalk-type surface. One was left with two front chipped teeth and the other ... well .... one of her front teeth is no longer with us. OUCH!

Happy Birthday!!

Happy 4th Birthday Hannah! I love you!!,
Uncle Deron

Under Construction

Thanks for checking in. Apologies. My intent was to blog on each days happenings here from Mexico City. So much has been going on that it hasn't happened that way - good stuff. In the meantime I had hoped to let some pictures speak a thousand words on my flickr account but I'm fighting with a "low" wi-fi connection. I'll try to catch up but it may not happen 'til I return to S.D.

Peace.

D

Ciudad de los Palacios

Well it's been 25 years since the last time I was in Mexico City. That time I was representing the Nazarene youth of Wisconsin attending World Youth Congress in Oaxtapec. The sights, smells, & sounds have brought back a flood of memories. I'm on vacation here visiting my sister, Kathy. It's good to see where she calls home and the work she's involved in. She's been here in this capacity since 2003 so in a land where "mi casa es tu casa", I don't have a good excuse for not coming sooner (I know... double negative but when in Mexico....).

The flights went well and the jaunt through customs went off without a hitch. The layover in Dallas was just long enough to see a couple scoring drives by the Chargers on Monday Night Football (24-14 at that point). The customs line in Benito Juárez International Airport was short. The airport was nice but I have no pix to show. I learned the hard way in Brazil once that they frown on picture taking in Customs. After walking down the stairway, off a plane and onto the tarmac I promptly turned around to snap a picture of friends deplaning. People rushed at me from all angles and I feared for my life for a second - looked like they were going to tackle me and I didn't know why? Still have the picture :) .

The flights gave me a chance to catch up on sleep, reflect on what I forgot for the trip and work on some unfinished business. The main flight attendant on the second flight was a hoot. He announced the pilots as if he were announcing a wrestling match with Nacho Libre. First-class passengers got fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. I regretted for a bit, my decision not to cash in some frequent flyer miles and upgrade. That would have been an expensive cookie though. When you're a landlubber and used to just buying what you want, when you want, to satisfy your cravings & that smell is filling the air, it's hard not to rush that cart at 30,000 miles up. A cooler head prevailed.

So I forgot a pair of shoes I wanted to bring. Stores just don't carry shoes here over size 10. Hard to believe, but I guess I could search day and night and not find a man here wearing anything over a size 10. It's like trying to find a size XXL shirt in Brazil. Can't do it. And don't forget your swimsuit when going to Brasil. If you're shopping for one you're going to be looking at speedos. I'll leave you with that thought.

Scott & Sarah

We had a sending service today for Scott & Sarah Borger. Two weeks ago we sent Sam Nichols and Vanessa Contopulos. They will be greatly missed. Scott's background in economics might tell him "money makes the world go around". My physics teacher would tell us "financial capital causes the earth to rotate on its axis in centripetal fashion". It's people like this that push the church and help it to go.


Adeui mon amis! I will miss my fellow ONU alums and Chicago-style pizza affecianados. Sarah has taken a job in Baltimore with World Relief.

Prayer Request

Please say a prayer for P---. Please pray that he can see beyond his past & present pain and realize the hope that God can give him for his future. I have known him for 7 years. In that time, I've visited him in every type of living situation from the streets, ICU, hospitals, a hotel, "crisis house", independent living, sober living, board & care, and lock-down psych facilities (County & State). I've traveled all around the county for visits and even to San Bernardino.

He's hit bottom again. I remember the first time I saw him in a drunken state. I let it happen on my watch. I agreed to take him out of a facility on a pass to attend church. I had to take him back to the facility in that state. It felt like someone balled up their fist and hit me as hard as they could in the gut. I've seen the cycle occur now over and over again. His request today for $3 was categorically denied because I had no doubts where the money would be spent.

He's made numerous attempts to end his life. He bears the emotional and physical scars of those attempts. They are evident on what he calls his "earth-suit". He hopes to shed it one day in exchange for a heavenly one. A few months ago I saw something on his neck. I thought it was just dirty. I said "hey you've got something on your neck, why don't you wash it off?" "It won't come off", he said. "How about using some rubbing alcohol?" "No that won't work, it's a tattoo." I took another look. It was a dotted line from one side of his neck to the other. Below the line it read, "CUT HERE".

Thanks Roy for taking him to the hospital for me today.

David C. & I visited Bill in the nursing home & changed a seat belt on his wheelchair. We took the occasion to go across the street & see David's friends at Badlands Motorcycles - a flashback to his former lifestyle. He's educating me on motorcycles & the shopkeepers educated me by teaching me a few new choice words.

D-E-R-O-N

Today, several of us assisted the Hunt family with packing, cleaning and exterminating. The move had Bill's dad and a friend pulling away a trailer with an estimated 90% of their belongings & leaving friends with more questions than answers.

I acquired 3 more baseball cards today of my namesake, Deron Johnson. Depending on which dictionary you consult, I'm his namesake or vice versa. Technically, he might be my eponym because I don't think I was named after him for who he was & what he did ?? but because my parents liked the spelling of his name. My Dad took me to meet him once when he was coaching with the Angels & they were playing the Brewers.

I like my name. Always have - good thing. It has caused some difficulty though. I've heard all the pronunciations & been called them all - D'ron (Deron Cherry - KC Chiefs), Dee-Ron (Ryan gets away with that one routinely). There are probably as many ways to spell Darren as there are letters in the alphabet. I've even seen it with an 'h'. At Starbucks if they ask for my name & for the spelling I tell 'em they can just spell it however they like because even if I spell it the next person that reads it is probably just going to slaughter it anyway. How hard can it be? :) Deron rhymes with heron - the bird. Roll call in class at the beginning of the school year was always fun too. For those that get it right the first time, it's like we have an instant connection - want to give them a high-five.

I will sometimes avoid the trouble when making reservations at a restaurant by using my middle name. It seldom gets used for anything and is hard to mess up. Interesting side note: I learned while working in the Records Office - Japanese & Swedish students do not typically have or use middle names. I think I'm going to mess with my kid's name by putting a punctuation mark in the middle of it. That will also give me an automatic excuse to raise my voice when addressing him. "Joh!nny."