Greetings this morning from the Alpine Coffee Cafe in South Lake Tahoe, California. It's that time of year again for the most difficult of ministry tasks -- speaking at the Tahoe Family Encampment.

Yesterday, as I made my way from the Sacramento Valley up the moutain to Tahoe (elevation 7,000 feet), I watched the outside temperature go from 105 degrees to 74 degrees. Among the many benefits of 70ish degree weather in the dead of summer, it is just heavenly being able to spend a July night sleeping without the need for air conditioning.

This morning, with my body clock still set to Central time, I awoke at 4:45 a.m. I decided to greet the rising sun and admire the majesty of God's creativity. This morning was mostly overcast, with occcasional dashes of sunlight piercing through the clouds. The incredible blend of mountains, clouds, sun rays, remnants of snow from last winter, and the cool, clean air all reminded me of how incredibly, abundantly blessed I am to live in my Father's world.

The Psalm declares: "I will lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth." This morning, that truth is indellibly imprinted on my mind.

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I picked up a great new book yesterday morning in the Austin airport to pass the flight time to Sacramento. For all you baseball fanatics, get your hands on a copy of Seth Mnookin's Feeding the Monster. Mnookin chronicles the incredible run of the Boston Red Sox (though I am not a Red Sox fan, I am a baseball fan and the recent history and success of the Boston franchise is impressive). From the sale of the team by the Yawkey estate to John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino to the building of the front office to the formation of organizational philosophy and the actual implementation of that philosophy on the field, it is an enlightening, behind-the-scenes tale that you'll love.