WARNING: This is more of a rant than a blog

I live in Glendale. On my property I had a Live Oak that was the showcase of my house. It had been ailing for a couple of years. Last year I spent $1k trying to save the tree, giving is phosporous baths (the same treatment they are using to battle sudden oak death.) After the final treatment, the consensus was to wait for spring and hope for the best. Spring came, new growth did not. I called the city to find out what was needed to remove the tree, as it's a protected species in Glendale. After being transferred around multiple departments, I finally was connected to the one person who had authority over oak trees. In April, he came out and declared it dead. He also issued me a permit to remove the tree. However, it was a conditional permit that allowed me to remove the tree only if I planted another Live Oak (at least a 24" box). He initially only gave me 30 days to get this accomplished. I reminded him that he had said that oaks were best transplanted in the fall, so he revised the permit and gave me 6 months until the end of October. Fast forward 2 months. I came home and found a violation notice from the city regarding weeds and a dying oak stating that I had 30 days to rectify the situation. I called the department, which was different from the tree guy's, and explained the situation to them. I faxed them my permit from the tree guy and thought all was taken care of. I pulled out the weeds and was waiting for summer to end. The next week I received another notice in the mail and another and another. By then, I'd decided to just go ahead and pull out the oak, just to get the city off my back. They must have inspected again right before the oak was scheduled to be removed ($1400 worth or removal) becuase I came home to another violation notice, followed by antoher barrage of mailed notices. The tree was removed. I pulled some more weeds and covered the entire front yard with bark, hoping the bark would keep the weeds and the city at bay while I waited for the fall and planting. Fast forward to yesterday. I came home and found a third notice, this one stating that I had to have a landscaped yard within 30 days. Called the city, completely frustrated. After much discussion, reminders of the past history, I was told that I can apply in writing for a 30 day extension, which in all fairness, puts me back in the timeline for originally planting the oak. I kept reminding the official that I had shown due diligence through this entire process, by approaching the city months ago, getting my ducks in a row, only to have it thwarted by another department, who by their own admission has no authority over oaks. Yet, I am obligated to appease both departments operating on different timelines.

For readers of my blog that wish to follow posts relating to specific Information Technology items, I have decided to post those to my workblog. As most of the content on shadyvale.org is unrelated to specific areas of computing, I think this makes more sense. Perhaps as the semantic web matures there will be a secure way for me to post to both sites for areas of combined interest. Even with drupal's categories it just doesn't seem to make sense for people interested in my personal blog to read my technobabble. Perhaps I will link to items of some interest from time to time.

Please add my workblog feed to your reader, if you don't want to miss out on my technical interests.

A friend, I haven't spoken to in a while, recently asked me how I was doing. I realized that I don't reflect enough on personal things. When someone asks you how you are doing, we are often so automatic in our responses, never really communicating what is on our hearts and minds. So I will answer the question, assuming that it had just been asked by you.
"How's everything going?"

Pretty good. A bit of a slow start this morning as I overslept. I'm
just not the same without an early start and time in prayer and the
Word.

But, all in all I am doing very well. It was a bit difficult coming back
from my Moldova short term missions trip. The time there went quickly, and was
amazing because of the relationships with the dear brothers and sisters
in Christ there. When we came back, it felt like we had been gone for 2
months. After the mountain top experience, it was hard getting back
into menial tasks at work.

Extended time alone with God at APU's Day of Prayer on July 1, and a recent performance appraisal which included goal setting for the next fiscal year, helped me get
re-orientated as to what I am supposed to be doing at work and why it matters.

I also may, in order to make the best use of my time at APU, take
advantage of my staff discount on courses. I am considering taking
Greek 1 from the Graduate School of Theology here. We'll see what I
have to edit from my busy schedule to make that happen. I have never
wanted to pursue Graduate education because I didn't have a reason.
However, I am hungry for the things of God, and would like to prepare
myself better for continuing teaching ministries in which I have been involved
at church.

The Lord has been faithful, and has blessed me with a Body in which I can grow, experiencing the joy of faith in Christ. I can't believe I waited so long in my life to commit myself to the bride of Christ, His Church. For in the commitment over the last 6 years or so, comes the joy of service... to humbly be used by God, even though I am still sinful, causes true faith to swell up inside of me. For now I see the grace of God over my life being executed through those men who spiritually lead me. I would have never experienced such happiness, had I continued in rebellion, seeking to control the variables in my life. Enslavement to the perfect and loving Master of my life, is more freeing than anything I could have imagined.

[Jesus Said]

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, 
and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, 
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.

For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Matthew 11:28-30  (NAS)

I've been thinking over the last couple of months that we need to start having barn raisings again. The Church body would come together to help a person raise a barn. Everyone would work, building, providing food, watching children, etc.

Lately this thought had been brought to the forefront of my consciousness as our pastor has been preaching about the unity and the team dynamics of the church. This thought has been coupled with a youth study out of Ecclesiastes, revealing that two get a better return on their labor than one.

While I realize that most people living in urban/suburban America do not have barns, I was the recipiant of a barnraising this past weekend. Friends came over for a meatfest, but we ended up working on small projects all over my house. Gardening, patching holes, and cleaning were just some of the things accomplished.

Well after 24 hours of continuous travel by car/turbo prop/jet the team made it safely back to LA. Thank you for all your prayers. It was an incredible trip, and I am sure I will be sharing more of it here. But first I must get some sleep.

The team is healthy, you can expect to see many of us at church tomorrow.