Not our home, but we'll take it!

Nick and I are house sitting for some friends. Can I say that it is wierd being in such a quiet house (beside their two weiner dogs that bark every now and then for no reason at all)? Just a little reminder, we've been living in a trailer on my parent's property and then down to Nick's parent's property for about 5 months. So it has been pretty nice having a space to ourselves, even though it will only be two nights. We'll take it!
Other news... last weekend we took Zech to the emergency room. I went to wake him up and when he roled over he could not open his eyes. They were swollen shut. Well that freaked me out and him as well. So we found out it was just allergies... really bad allergies. They said to just give him allergy medicine. Well you'd think that would be enough but I had some hesitation about giving him antihistamines because Nick can't take them. My hesitation was correct. Zech's reaction was the same as Nick's was at that age. Over emotional and down right mean, which is not like him at all. So I have to make a decision, deal with a child who's eye's are bloodshot and swollen and runny nose or a child I want to have in a continual choke hold. We'll see.
Anyway that's it for now.
Redding Christian Fellowship's Easter musical is this Thursday and Friday. Nick is playing drums and I'm in the choir. Hope to see you there!

soupa ball

just a reminder...in between eating, drinking, analyzing various thematic elements of commercials & decyfering their cryptic cultural message...worship Jesus with your heart, soul, mind, & strength.

the end is nigh!

so last night i am sitting on the couch/bed in the living room/den/guest bedroom & saw on the news that hillary clinton has officially entered herself as a candidate for the democratic nomination for president in 2008. this may be a good time to mention my disdain for women in politics. no this is not based on any misogynistic attitudes or chauvinist biases, i just think that God's best plans for the lives of believers is also how things would work best in society. since God desires that women should not be in authority over a man & that men should love & protect women i think government would function much more effectively if women were removed from their positions & men were removed of there predispostions. so i am officially announcing that if hillary clinton is elected president of the United States me & my wife & child will be making preparations to move out of the country. we are not sure where yet but, by my calculations, if clinton is elected president America will be a socialist nation within 2 years. am i being dramatic? am i blowing this all out of proportion? can i be serious? consider this my "i told you so" for 2008. heil hillary! get used to that one.
if you who know me...you are laughing or not taking me seriously.
if you don't know me...you may have already reported me to blogger & the proper authorities.
either way...have a nice day.

we're back?

it's not like we went anywhere, but we have been incommunicado for a while. "attention safeway shoppers, nick welch will be back crushing your eggs before you know it." that's right, i couldn't hack unemployment so i broke down & got a job. i'm kind of excited...kind of annoyed...kind of confused. but God usually doesn't mess up, actually i don't think it's ever happened. well, i have to go. look for the "real" post tonight. welch...out!

i FELIZ NAVIDAD !

here are some memorable moments from the mapes-welch christmas eve extravaganza. enjoy.

we oughtta be in pictures!

so rachael's MOPS group hosted a family picture day thing. i love pictures of my family but i hate taking pictures. it's such a fake environment for smiling, which i'm not that good at anyway. but we did get some good pictures. so enjoy.

i'm sorry, i only play in the key of B sharp.

well with only minutes to go until the performance starts I am frenetically going over all of the worst case drummer scenarios in my head. maybe i should stop here & fill you all in on the fact that i am playing drums in RCF's christmas musical. it is pretty cool but kind of intimidating considering the fact that i am the only musician in the 20 member orchestra who cannot read music. it's kind of like a dyslexic in a spelling bee. anyway, here are my nightmare scenarios. scenario #1-i lose control of a stick sending it into the crowd. scenario #2-i hit myself in the eye during an overdramatic drum fill. scenario #3-i somehow manage to do everything right only to rip a huge fart during the dramatic pause scenario #4-somehow, in a tremendous display of incompetency combine a little bit of 1,2,3, & 4. no matter what, it should be fun!

check these out

life is a highway!

or so a one-hit oneder once said. "no it's wonder.' 'i know it looks like oneder!'" speaking of oneida, tomorrow is thanksgiving. yep the giving of thanks will begin in just a little under 2 hours. you know what else starts in just under two hours?...hmmm...tomorrow. i (nick) love cake. not the band, they're good too but specifically i mean the baked good. well enough hijinks. i just got a call two days ago from rosemary (the mother of hailee who i transported down to oakland) anyway, hailee is doing better & we look forward to staying in touch with them. that is definitely something to be thankful for. have a good one!

God is good even when we're busy

Nick is usually the updater, but this week he's been working like crazy. And we feel completely awful because we've been neglecting our friends in the process. Not to be over dramatic or anything, it's just that we really haven't had time to settle ourselves anywhere. Between the trailer and Nick's folks house we kind of feel like we haven't been able to take anything out of our suitcases. Don't get me wrong, it certainly is an adventure and I'm thankful to God for this time in our lives(no, really, I am!) ~Phil.4:6, right?!~ God's timing is perfect.
Please pray for Nick right now. He's in Oakland on a transport. This transport has proven to be a hard one. Anytime children and illness are involved it's never easy. This one involves a two and a half year old girl, named Hailee, who has an immune disorder. Which has really touched Nick, seeing as we have a 2 1/2 year old child ourselves. How easily this could be our little one. When they got to their appointment down in Oakland, they found out Hailee's liver was not doing well and had her admitted to the ER immediately. That wasn't the main issue, the mother, Rosemary, brought her 9 year old down too, and when her sister was admitted, she was not allowed to be in the room over night. Rosemary had a problem. She had no place to take her 9 year old. Finally, she found that the Ronald McDonald House had room for her 9 year old, but she couldn't keep her there by herself. Now she has to leave Hailee at the hospital by herself. That is so tough. It makes our situation not that much of a situation, ya know?
Please pray for Rosemary, Hailee, and the 9 year girl (Nick didn't give me her name). It makes our situation not that much of a situation. Anyway, we'll try harder to keep in touch with everyone. Don't give up on us!

Snow Day!

So here's an update for ya... us country bumpkins got snow. While we were sleeping, a nice blanket of wet, white, beautiful snow topped our trailer and pretty much anything else not covered by huge trees or tarps. I (Rachael) think we need to get Zech some snow boots now. (Tennis shoes aren't going to cut it!) Especially since he runs straight towards the slushy puddles and jumps into them (I guess I need to get over it, he is a little boy). Nick went fishing near McCloud today with a few friends, two of which are professional fishing guides. Nick did just as good as they did -- zero fish. He actually stayed pretty warm, until he realized the hard way... his waders had a huge hole in the crotchel region. Oops! All in all, a good day for everyone.

it's official...we're hillbillies!

sorry. no "lost" post this week. we have been way too busy. "with what?", you might ask. well we have moved out of one place, moved into a trailer in shingletown, started a new part-time job, had a garage sale, you get the idea. most importantly though, is this: 2 days ago zech caught his first fish. no joke. he said, "dad, i fish." to which i responded, "ok, i'll show you how." after 3 or 4 times casting while holding his hands in mine & letting the fly drift 25 feet or so i let him do it by himself. he casted perfectly & let the fly drift just like a pro. then, when the fish struck he jerked back on the rod & set the hook himself. all i did was keep the rod tip up & help him reel it in. it was a 9 inch rainbow caught on a beadhead pheasant tail nymph #14. i don't mind telling you that catching fish with zech that day nearly brought me to tears & at this rate he will be outfishing me by his 3rd birthday. but then again outfishing me really isn't that tough.

p.s. our phone is not up & running yet, but should be by the end of the week.

the great pumpkin

here are some pictures of the welch side of the family at nash's. mama, papa, us, aunt shannon & uriah. it was lots of fun & they even had a camel, well, technically it was a dromedary but who's keeping track? we tried to get zech to take a pony ride but he wasn't having it. so we had a pony ride observation, definitely not as much fun as an actual pony ride. overall it was awesome & always a good photo op.

this is nothing like a pauly shore movie

so i’m posting this as i sit inside jury duty as i wait for what will probably be the entire day. technically i’m not posting right now because the geniuses at our local government decided not to put in an internet connection in the courthouse. i know what you are going to say... “it’s for security purposes.” that is not a goood reason nor is it the reason i think they failed to properly outfit the jury room & here’s why: reason #1-i honestly don’t think they thought of anyone but themselves. reason #2-the legal system has this ridiculous attitude that they are doing us a favor by letting us get to the courthouse @ 8am, stand in a line, & wait in a crowded room with not enough seats. (i’m sitting on the floor as i write this) reason #3-there is this idea that jury duty is my civic obligation as well as a privilege of citizenship. you know i would probably be cool with that if the idea of citizenship wasn’t so tainted nowadays. why should i view jury duty as the great benefit of citizenship when illegal aliens can recieve all, or most of the benefits without the hassle of jury duty. man, those dudes sneaking across the border from canada got it made. i know i sound negative but it’s really hard to be positive when i have an apartment to clean, a wife who’s stressing out, & no money coming in. which reminds me, if any of you would like to help clean our apartment just give me a call. we really need help. see ya.
p.s. there is an internet signal, i was just on the wrong side of the room. let that be a lesson to you.

ode to a fish

the season for fishing creeks, streams, & most rivers is rapidly coming to an end. in fact there are only a few short weeks left. yeah you can still fish the sac but it's just not the same. oh well. of course, i will be living up in shingeltown & will be able to fish mccumber almost every day (rachael permitting).well that makes me feel much better. fish on!

Lost...it's the new X-Files3

last wednesday's episode of lost was of particular interest to me. the story focused on locke’s history. for those of you unaware, locke is a very interesting character as well as my favorite. i don’t know why he is my favorite but his story in many ways is the most heartbreaking & compelling. in fact i believe that he is the single most important & strategic character on the island. this week picked up with locke, charlie, mr. eko, & desmond shortly after the explosion (or implosion) in one of the hatches they were in. following the --plosion mr. eko had been taken to which locke felt compelled to rescue him since it was his decision that led to eko’s capture. i think some of the spiritually related issues regarding free will, repentance, & reconciliation were the most interesting. in many ways locke is a microcosm for many of the christian experience. in his character there are the essential elements of faith: hope, suffering, betrayal, uncertainty, inadequacy, failure, joy, determination, friendship, & most importantly-the desire to be a part of something bigger than oneself. this is what makes lost & locke such an enjoyable experience on wednesday nights. oh, that & the fact that it is the greatest show of all time.

Contemplate This!

i am currently reading a book i have had for a while. contemplative youth ministry by mark yaconelli, son of the late youth specialties founder mike yaconelli. the book focuses on applying variations of practices & methods for the purpose of recognizing the presence of Jesus in our everyday lives. while i know most of you who are reading this are not youth workers i think the principles still apply. one of the key things that the book focuses on is the benefit & necessity of silence. some catholic monks spend 20 hours a day in silent reflection. some buddhists will spend spend weeks in silence. the amish & mennonite communities value silence so much that they do not permit spoken prayers. why do i say all that. simply put, even these distortions & outright perversions of the Truth get one thing right that most of us do not, silence. when was the last time you took five minutes to be in silence. no phones, no homework, no parents/kids, no distractions. just you & God in what He desires most...time with His beloved. you all know i love giving assignments & projects. so here goes. i will give you two options. (1) take 5 or more minutes to meditate on your relationship with Christ, but do it in a loud, busy, crowded place. starbuck'’s, the grocery store, you get the idea. then take the same amount of time to do the same thing, but this time do it in silence. go into your closet & turn the light off if necessary. try to limit any & all noise as much as possible. then evaluate which seemed to be more effective. (2) there is an ancient practice that has been used by jews & christians for the purpose of connecting to the Word of God in a deeper way. it is called "lectio divina", meaning: divine reading. there are 3 steps. step1-pick a passage of scripture. read it 3 times & pray that God will direct your thoughts towards what the passage means as if you were the first person to ever read it. step2-read the passage 3 more times & use some tools (dictionary, commentary, whatever) to discover what the passage truly, at it'’s heart is speaking about. then pray. step3-read the passage 3 more times & pray about how God might be using it to direct your life through His word. bottom line: get quiet, calm down, listen... God is here. please tell me about your experiences.

Lost...it's the new X-Files2

"spoiler warning" the last episode of lost was the most revealing to date about the others. the most remarkable peice of info...they have lived there their entire lives. what? is this some kind of neo-utopian experiment gone wrong like they might have us believe? or maybe it is in fact a very sophisticated, technilogically advanced para-military installation for the purpose of intelligence gathering & alternative weapons capabilities. yeah, you heard me! now i must say that i am not fully in agreement with this theory. it is however one i have been hearing lately. i would also like to take this opportunity to address the "purgatory" theory. many of you seem to treat this with an almost snobbish dismissal. "it's too obvious!" you say. well i would like to remind you of many of the catholics overtones & a few key pieces of info.
(1) the statues of the virgin mary found by locke & boone
(2) locke's belief that the island demands certain actions for everyhting to go well for the crashies.
(3) mr. eko is a priest & confessed to "henry" or "ben" if you prefer. this is significant because priest can only confess to other priests of equal or higher standing in the church & "henry" is the clear leader of the others & by extension the island itself.
regardless of what theory you subscribe to, you cannot discount the supernatural happenings on the island. so if you think it is a real place with real people in the real world that you & i live in then think again. things are happening on the island that are not that easily explained. well that's all for now until next week. oh by the way, i do know that it is just a show & not real life. but for one hour on wednesday nights it might as well be. so long.

i am the fish whisperer

i (nick) went fishing on battle creek wednesday evening & have no independent verification for this so you will just have to trust me when i tell you i caught 9 trout, 8 rainbows & 1 brown. they ranged in size from 10" to 18". the brown struck & fought like a fish twice his size & the rainbow was probably one of the prettiest fish i have seen in person. hardly any silver, mostly reddish-brown with a dark purple stripe. strictly catch & release, all caught on olive & crystal wooly buggers & sculpin, 1-3 splitshot & with hardly any backcast. it was awesome. i took pictures of 4 of the 'bows but then dropped the disposable camera into the creek which i recovered but have yet to find out if the pics will turn out. if they do i will post them asap so you will all know that i'm not lying. anyway, i had a great time & would love to go fishing with you, whoever you are. if you want to know where i got them you have to spring for gas. hey, i'm not cheap...just poor!

i'm off the bread line!

so the last couple of weeks has been pretty weird for me (nick) since i haven't been working. don't get me wrong, it has been great to stay home & help rachael out with zech & our nephew uriah but there is only so much a man can take. i have felt totally worthless not bringing home a paycheck so today (wednesday) will be pretty sweet as i get to work at two jobs today. one will be a doing some light construction work on a deck & the other will be up in shingeltown putting on a roof. the best part...i'm getting paid for it! i may even stop on the way home & do some fishing. can life get better, i submit that it cannot. well it could, but right now i'm just happy to be working. by the way, i watched "the royal tanenbaums" today for about the 100th time & it's still hilarious! definitely on the must see list.