Casual Friday

The Boy is Back in Town

After 6 weeks of travel it is nice to be home again in Toronto. The last couple of months has been a wild ride. I was with my friends in Youth Specialties at the beginning of May in San Diego. The company was recently acquired by the long-term publishing partner Zondervan. It was great to be with everyone there and to see how everyone is adapting to the change and ramping up for some great things in the future.

I left San Diego and for Lake Tahoe where 10 of us met in a cottage chatting for a few days. This is a group we call Young Notorious Sinners (YNS). I know we are all getting older but the name has stuck. This is either year 4 or 5 where the same group of people have met to support one another and hold each other accountable to healthy lives. I would be lost without this group. They help remind me who I am and what I am on this planet for. They show me grace and help me to live in a manner which I desire.

From there I nipped home for a few days to pack before heading off to Spain. Claire and I went with the kids and also with my parents. My parents have a place on the south coast of Spain in a town call El Morche. I have been going there since I was 15 years old and know many of the people. It was a great time relaxing, reading and playing in the waves with the kids. Claire and I got a lot of good time together as my parents looked after Shaughan and Eirann quite a bit. See my previous post on the booklist if you are interested in what I was reading.

From Spain we went to Ireland. We stayed with my parents in Ballynahinch and took some time to see both my grandmothers. I then went to Dublin for a few days to the Ireland Funds conference. I stayed at the Merrion Hotel which was just fantastic. There were about 60 of us in total from all around the world in to learn what is going on in each other's chapters and to share some direction and new projects that are being supported. It was inspirational as well as a lot of fun.

The remainder of my time was mixed between visiting friends, doing a little work and spending a day training a group of young leaders for my good friend Adrian Eagleson from CFC.

The strange thing about being back in Toronto is that I am back alone. Claire and the kids are staying in Ireland for another month while I hang out with myself and get some work done. One of my goals is to write a book that I have been working on for quite a while. I will keep you updated....

posted by Mark Dowds @ Monday, July 03, 2006