Hello all... I have to say that this is a grand day in the Smith household, for today I have internet access. Shannon and I are currently rocking out in a very spacious house that had no warm water and for days we didn't have have our bed or our stuff. This was no big deal. I could live in a cave somewhere surviving by licking dirt off of rocks and with no baths for a year but I gots to haves my broadbands (sic). So, with all of that said, I have nothing but good things to say about life out here in California. Well, it is a bit windy, but other than that its all good. Today is my first official day as the Associate Pastor of Youth and Young Adults at High Desert Baptist Church in Phelan, California (yes, I know, that is a lot of capitalization). I have my office set up in our parsonage with an awesome view of the mountains... Sidenote: I've come to realize that I don't believe in mountains. I've live my life in what is mostly a snow-free and mountain-free environment. When you see a clear horizon there is nothing to see but trees or houses. However, out here there are gigantic snow covered mountains in almost every direction. I see them and they are incredible, but I really don't give them a lot of stock because it seems like they're just painted on a wall or something. I've seen too many Thomas Kinkade paintings or something... Oh, and speaking of mountains, one almost killed me the other day (which would make you think that I should be a believer that they exist, but oh well). I guess it is unfair to say that the mountain almost killed me. Actually, Shannon was just as guilty. You see, there was a lot of snowfall the other day in a mountain town very close to us called Wrightwood and Shannon and I decided to drive up there to check it out. We drove up and up the mountain just enjoying all of the Narnia-esque scenery along the way. The road had been plowed and there were turnarounds every so often that had been plowed as well so you didn't get stuck up there... Well, we went too far. We got up around 7,100 feet (amazing to a hick like myself who is used to elevation like the -34739734 below sea level of New Orleans) and all of a sudden the turn arounds were no longer plowed. However, we saw one that looked like somebody had successfully turned around on and I stopped to survey. Shannon was completely sure that we could make it, but I was far more hesitant. However, she's lived up here forever so I trusted her... I started into the snow very slow and we were doing great. I pulled the truck around and got the front end onto the pavement and just about clear when both of my back tires started spinning. In a wonderful nonchalant panic I jumped out to inspect the damage and sure enough we were bad stuck. I sent Shannon up the road to wave down vehicles so they wouldn't hit us and I got to digging the tires out by hand (without gloves... dumb idea). I had some cardboard in the back of the truck that I shoved under the tires to get some traction but nothing was working. Oh, and by the way, on the other side of the road was a massive 1,000+ feet drop-off so if we took off too fast then we'd plummet on down to the bottom. Shannon started to help me dig and then we decided to push the truck out. Shannon jumped in the driver's seat (she did great other than a few mini-meltdowns) and I got behind the truck. I said one desperate prayer for help and then told Shannon to go. The engine revved up quite loudly but nothing was happening. I was scared that if we broke loose then Shannon was going to drive off the cliff. I looked around to see how the tires were spinning... They weren't. The truck was in park. I politely asked Shannon if the truck was in park and she squeaked to me that she was "so nervous" and then we tried again with the truck in drive and with me pushing from the back and we managed to get out. We caught our breath in the truck and then took off down the mountain only to meet two oncoming vehicles a few seconds later that would have either hit the truck or really made fun of me getting stuck... After recuperating we went and played in the snow for a while and shot some video and pretending it all didn't happen. We're good like that... So that is my one interesting story for the day. I'll blog some more later about what is all going on church-wise, but for now I've got actual work to do... I love you all so very much... | 
