Lifecation

By Rick Gordon and Paloma Gordon

LIFECATION: Biblical principles that will enable your family to stay in that vacation mode long after the tan fades and the daily routine resumes.

Lifecation teaches families how to apply biblical principles into daily routines in a fun and simple approach that gets everyone involved. The book metaphors traveling experiences to apply learnings of how we can best operate as a family with the goal of living in a year-round vacation mode. The book tackles family issues from finances and budgeting, dealing with challenges, technology, serving each other and the community, raising your kids to have faith and how to keep the sparks flying in your marriage. The book will surely ignite productive and game changing conversations that can translate into applying new biblical strategies into your family’s daily routines. So, you don’t have to have wait for that once a year vacation to experience that elusive joy and peace we all desire.
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Rick and Paloma Gordon live in Los Cabos in Baja Sur, México. They’ve been married for 12 years and have a beautiful son Luke. Rick is from the United States. After graduating college and spending 12 years starting technology companies that had been either acquired, merged or failed, Rick moved to Los Cabos in 2002 fulfilling a dream to live in a small beach town. After years of following the Lord and serving in his community, Rick followed a calling on his life and enrolled in seminary and was thereafter ordained as a pastor. Today Rick is a co-pastor of “Puerta del Cielo” church. He surfs daily and enjoys writing and teaching.

Paloma is from México. She studied tourism in Mazatlán. She worked for the Los Cabos Hotel Association for the last 17 years. In 2015 she was promoted to Executive President, the first woman to hold that position. She committed her attention to promoting the destination around the world and working on energy, water and security reforms. In 2019, Paloma retired and joined Rick in ministry. She loves working with kids, teaching, community projects, cooking, skiing and snorkeling.

To learn more about our ministry please visit www.thesurfingpastor.org

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rick Gordon
• Release date: Jan 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463122945

Rick Gordon

Rick and Paloma Gordon live in Los Cabos in Baja Sur, México. They’ve been married for 12 years and have a beautiful son Luke. Rick is from the United States. After graduating college and spending 12 years starting technology companies that had been either acquired, merged or failed, Rick moved to Los Cabos in 2002 fulfilling a dream to live in a small beach town. After years of following the Lord and serving in his community, Rick followed a calling on his life and enrolled in seminary and was thereafter ordained as a pastor. Today Rick is a co-pastor of “Puerta del Cielo” church. He surfs daily and enjoys writing and teaching. Paloma is from México. She studied tourism in Mazatlán. She worked for the Los Cabos Hotel Association for the last 17 years. In 2015 she was promoted to Executive President, the first woman to hold that position. She committed her attention to promoting the destination around the world and working on energy, water and security reforms. In 2019, Paloma retired and joined Rick in ministry. She loves working with kids, teaching, community projects, cooking, skiing and snorkeling. To learn more about our ministry please visit www.thesurfingpastor.org

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

We hope you’re having a wonderful vacation, whether you’re reading this on a sunny beach, nestled in a warm snowy mountain lodge, waiting in the lobby of a hotel in a historic city, or looking out over the Mediterranean Sea from your cruise ship balcony. We commend your initiative to find time to take a vacation; it’s not easy to find time amid a busy schedule to get away, nor is it inexpensive to travel anymore, especially with a family.

We’ve met so many vacationers, while living in Los Cabos the last 20 years, who tell us how great their vacation has been, and how relaxed and happy they feel being down here. We also get to hear about the anxiety they feel about returning home to the daily grind of everyday life with the endless traffic, constant errands, and pressures of staying ahead in life.

We’re excited to share with you how you can have that vacation attitude and peace every day of your life by applying simple biblical principles… what we call a Lifecation.

Did you know that God gave us all the knowledge that we would need to walk through life filled with a constant renewing joy and peace? The Bible contains the road map we need, but it also requires a strong desire and the obedience to follow through with applying God’s infinite wisdom to all aspects of our lives to get and stay on a Lifecation.

Here’s more good news: God not only gave us the knowledge we need to handle everyday stressors and spirit-saboteurs, but he gave us the Holy Spirit to provide the strength, encouragement, and guidance needed along the way. The bible says in Proverbs 2:6 "It is the Lord who gives wisdom; from Him come knowledge and understanding."

This book simply and easily highlights some of God’s wisdoms, providing the knowledge that can be apply to your family life for a more meaningful, relaxing journey, where the joyous vacation vibe trickles into each prayerful day of your permanent Lifecation.

Blessings,

Pastor Rick and Paloma

P.S. We’ve taken the many teachings from our Lifecation book and have created fun and interactive free one-hour seminars for Resorts, Churches and Schools. If you’re interested in learning more about the seminars please visit our website at www.TheSurfingPastor.org.

"I am the way, and the truth, and the Lifecation.

No one comes to the father, except through me."

(John 15:5, with a little revision!)

Chapter 1

INTRODUCING YOUR LIFECATION TRAVEL CONCIERGE:

THE HOLY SPIRIT

In the days pre-internet and Expedia, Mom spent hours on the phone planning our vacations—calling her travel agent to book flights and research hotels, dragging me down to the office to flip through brochures, and stopping at AAA to pick up maps. On more than one occasion, Mom had to call the travel agent during a trip to help secure a better room or make last-minute itinerary changes.

Today, you need an American Express Black card to get that same level of personalized assistance. OR you can choose to embark upon a Lifecation, which comes with your very own personal travel concierge—The Holy Spirit—who will advise you in critical moments and remain by your side every step of the way. Don’t worry: this concierge doesn’t cost you a cent or require you to have a perfect credit score.

The Holy Spirit goes by many monikers—the Helper, the Comforter, the Advocate, the Intercessor, the Counselor, the Strengthener, the Standby. Jesus tells us in John 14:26, "The Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

One of the greatest of all blessings bestowed on Lifecationers is the profound knowledge that we are not alone on this journey. As your travel-through-life concierge, the Holy Spirit will advocate for you, strengthen you, comfort you, and stand by you through everything that happens in your travels.

WHAT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?

In the Bible, the word spirit is translated from the Hebrew word for wind ruach and the Greek word for breath, pneuma. Most often, those words refer to God’s active force, or Holy Spirit.

"The Holy Spirit is God’s power in action, his active force."

Luke 1:35

"God sends out his spirit by projecting his energy to any place to accomplish his will."

Psalms 104:30

It is impossible to have a Lifecation without being filled by the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). God contrasts being filled with the Spirit with being drunk. Somebody who is drunk with wine or alcohol is controlled and consumed by it, whereas somebody who is drunk in the Holy Spirit is led by God’s righteousness and holiness.

Before Jesus was crucified, He told His disciples: "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because