Left the house at about 8:30 this morning. Its a mostly sunny but also hazy and balmy but also wonderful day here.

I get to the parking lot and there is a thin vapor of cloud coverage that gives the horizon almost a smoky hue. The vibe has certainly mellowed from the Labor day weekend.

It’s a relaxing stroll down the stairs as I watch a SSW swell roll in. We are still in the thick of a heat wave. It’s supposed to reach high 80s today. That’s hot for right here but I realize it’s laughably not hot for a good part of the globe and US. At any rate, it is warm and comfortable right here and I wouldn’t turn the dial a single notch either way (ask me again this afternoon).

When I step on to the beach it’s nearly exactly high tide and the water reaches my feet almost immediately. The first thing I notice is how pleasant it feels. There is no shock or chill.

I pause for a few minutes to wait for a decently sized set of waves to pass by and then I head out.

Oh man this is good. The entire swim is warm. Hardly any cold patches and those are not bad at all. The ocean surface is smooth and these balmy conditions are largely agreeable.

As I head south, I am thinking of the Lectio Divina group I participated in last night. I’ve been away from the group for the last two months due to a Wednesday night conflict. There is something about this group that I absolutely love. They are very sincere and authentic in the pursuit of their faith. Their relationship with God and Jesus is so palpable and very human. Sometimes when I am in a more evangelical leaning group (which I don’t consider this group to be) I feel this self consciousness of us and them. I feel like there is this framework everyone has ascribed to of what “right relationship with God” is and what correct beliefs are. I feel a tension when I sense the innermost being and experience of those in the group not lining up with these beliefs.

This Lectio group is just a safe place to be oneself and talk about one’s experience with Jesus. I felt this warmth in my solar plexus through the night last night and I still feel it now. And this water is certainly not cooling it off.

The entire swim is beautiful and relaxing and peaceful.

I eventually finish up and I can feel the heat of the day rising as I ascend the stairs.