Deep Calling

"You are the salt of the earth...Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven." - Matthew 5:13-16 This weekend Loretta and I took a short drive up the coast to visit some friends in Carmel, Ca. If the phrase "God's Country" ever applied, it's there. We always love seeing Carmel, and we've determined that if we ever move cities, Carmel awaits. The only thing better than the view was the couple we were there to visit. Mike and Sima Saeidi. A former colleague of mine in the hospitality industry, Mike and his wife Sima are some of our closest friends. If the phrase, "Salt of the Earth" ever applied, it's to them.

Speaking of salt, one afternoon we toured their resort in Carmel and on the grounds they have an actual salt house. It's the neatest thing. They harvest the resort's salt directly from the waters of Monterey Bay. And something I read made me think of all of you. In order to farm the salt, the salt company "heads out about a mile into the deeper, hallowed waters of the Bay where the water is pure and fresh."

Friends, isn't that the goal each day for our lives, work and health? To go deep? It's deep into God's word and deep on our knees in prayer, and deep into our perspective of the body where we find real, lasting meaning. Shallow is easy. And quick. And popular. But we're called to a deeper love. Peter wasn't called out of the boat where his feet could touch the bottom, and neither are we. In order to be God's salt of the earth in this industry or any industry, we know where to go, the gospel. Where water is pure and fresh. Let's have a good week. Jimmy Peña

Carmel In Pictures I likely have a week's worth of entries in my head from all we saw on our quick trip. Just take a look at these images.