New Blogsite

So I'm trying a new blogsite because it's more customizable. Check it out: http://myheadinthesand.wordpress.com

It’s been a while…

So it’s been far too long since I’ve posted anything. Since my last post, Kristi and I went to Santa Cruz with her family for vacation (I fell in love with Santa Cruz), I’ve been to DCLA with high school students, Hume SD with middle school students, I went to Tennessee for Rebecca and Cedric’s wedding, I went to Magic Mountain and Raging Waters, then Karleigh Rose Gibson decided she wanted to hang out with us 3 weeks early! It’s been a wild 6 months since the last time I posted. Our church launched our second campus at Tahquitz High School on the other end of town. So it’s been exciting to say the least! Here are some pictures for you to catch up.
Z

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Moron, pt. 2

So, a year ago, I posted this blog about a guy named Cyrus Yazdani, aka Buket (I know I spelled it wrong, but apparently Cyrus doesn’t know how to spell, good old California Public School System). I was amazed at his brazen arrogance, tagging in the middle of the day and then posting his videos on YouTube. I thought it was a comedic story so I wrote a short blog about it.

Well, here we are, a year later, and good old Buket was caught again doing some more tagging. He was on probation, after having been released for time served when the police caught up to him. What baffles me is that he continued to paint his name everywhere even though he knew that when he was caught, he would be tossed back into prison and left to rot for three years. And sure enough, almost a year to the day that I heard about Buket, there he was on the news again. So enjoy your time in Prison Cyrus, ___________________________ (insert inappropriate prison joke here).

Vacation ‘09

This past week, Kristi and I took a much-needed week of vacation. We didn't go anywhere crazy, we stayed home Monday, and Tuesday left for Palm Springs, CA (La Quinta to be exact, but unless you've been there, have you really ever heard of La Quinta? I'm guessing not). So we stayed at a really nice resort, the La Quinta Resort (Which the city of La Quinta is named for). We had an amazing night, we got to chillax by the pool that afternoon, and then we shooby-doobied on down to Ruby's where we had a good dinner.

Now, I love my wife dearly, and usually we've got a give and take when it comes to movies, I'll take her to see killer awesome movies, like Star Trek, and she drags me to see total pieces of crap, I mean chick flicks, and this trip was no exception. We previously went to see Wolverine, which was pretty good (don't email me and tell me how terrible you thought it was, you're a nerd, and it wasn't bad for what it was, IMAGINATION!!!!). So if you've kept up with my entirely scientific method of movie choices, you'll see that it's clearly Kristi's turn to pick the movie. So Tuesday night, we went to see the Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. I know, you're proud of me for even admitting I saw it, but truthfully, it was, probably, one of, if not the worst movie I've taken my wife to. Matthew Mcconaughey was all fake tanned and gross; and here's a shocker, the plot was insanely predictable (am I the only one that knows going in how these movies are going to end, because they all end the same). But I digress.

So Wednesday, I got up after having slept in, and we had breakfast at Panera, one of my favorite places and I noticed my leg was really itchy. I look at my leg and I had 8-9 bug bites on my left leg, 3-4 on my right, and 2 on my left arm. What the heck! I got eaten alive in my sleep at this supposed fancy pants resort. We got moved to another room, which the girl promise was much nicer, which it wasn't. We got moved to a room with a couch instead of a chair with an ottoman (the chair was way more comfy). Wednesday night, Kristi and I had one of the most amazing meals of both of our lives. We went to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, and it was absolutely awesome. Truthfully, it wasn't the most expensive meal I've ever paid for, but I preformed a wedding last weekend, and that helped quite a bit. Our steaks were amazing, cooked perfectly and they just about melted in your mouth.

Thursday, we took an uneventful trip to SD to go to Ikea. We bought a sweet desk that we promptly had to return because it didn't fit in the Accord, so sad. It's interesting, this is the first time in my lifetime that I've gone on vacation and been excited to return to work. I say that not because I didn't enjoy every second I spent with Kristi, because I did, I say that because I love my job. I love that I get to serve God on a daily basis. I work with fantastic people that have a heart not just for this church, but for God's Kingdom and we get to serve Him together! This summer is going to be amazing, but crazy, so let's have some fun!
Z

It's a....

So I promised a blog Wednesday and I have to apologize for the fact that it’s not getting posted until today. I had a couple of phone calls I had to make before the end of the day and I simply ran out of time. That being said, let’s get right down to the nitty-gritty of this post. If I haven’t told you yet, I apologize for not having done so personally, but there are simply too many of you to have called personally.
If you haven’t already guessed by the title of this post, Kristi is pregnant. She’s between 20 and 21 weeks and we found out Tuesday the sex of our baby. Drum roll please… We’re going to have a Daughter! We’re more than excited that she’s healthy and getting bigger (the baby). We’ve got a few names that we’re leaning towards, but those for now will be held close to the vest. If you’ve got the cell, I might be inclined to share. Below is the best picture of the baby so far. We’d be glad to accept any and all gifts for our baby girl, so be generous! I kid. We can’t wait to meet her and I know that you can’t either. Here’s to a more fruitful year of blogging!
Z

Borrowed John's Blog

For those of you that don't follow my church's blog (it's ok if you don't, you just don't love Jesus), I got to borrow John's blog for a day and write about our upcoming Amor trip. You can check it out here, or simply click on the title of this particular entry. Enjoy!
Z

New Post Forthcoming

So I'll admit that I've pretty much sucked at blogging recently, but here's my promise that I'll have something earth shattering sometime soon.
Z

Ode to my DVR

Recently I've realized just how spoiled I am to have a DVR. When Kristi and I first got married, we relished the opportunity to go on a trip and stay in a hotel that had cable. It was a whole new world (technically an old world) where we could watch our favorite shows of yesteryear and enjoy the new exciting things on cable. Well that excitement has worn off. Now every time that we go somewhere, it's not nearly as exciting. Sure, some hotels throw you a bone and give you a flat screen, but what's spoiled me is my DVR. I love that I can skip commercials if I record something. I was made painfully aware of how much I hate commercials Sunday night. 24:Redemption was a lot of fun, but the second hour bogged down with commercials. What a pain. Today, as I enjoyed a day off I realized that I'd watched almost everything there is to watch on my DVR (except for some of the shows my wife likes, like Gilmore Girls), and I thought maybe I ought to record more things…Why not? I have a hundred or so hours of recording time. But I won't have time like this off during the day often, so taping more things means less hours with Kristi. Catch 22.
Z

Sick of it!

I'm officially sick of this election. I've had enough of each of the candidates taking ridiculous shots at each other. I'm sick of people equating Obama with Islam and over emphasizing his middle name. I'm sick of people calling a vote for McCain a vote for Bush. I'm sick of people that don't know a single thing about either candidate getting overzealous, and frankly retarded, about one candidate or another. Sarah Palin's not an idiot, she was obviously smart enough to become Governor of Alaska.

I'm just sick of what politics in this country have become. All either side does is throw mud at each other (or in the immortal words of Mrs. Stump, they're slingin' hash). For once can't we elect a candidate based on their ideas, and not on their skill as a hash slinger? I already voted, but not for McCain or Obama. I think they're both terrible candidates, give me Colin Powell, give me anyone with a degree of integrity. Don't even get me started on socialism. I'm done.

Z

New Site

Price Cut

So I realize that the following blog is a long time in coming. And, I also realize that the following makes me a giant nerd. That being said, Xbox 360 is finally cutting its price, cue the whistling smiley face! I've waited it out, I even got a Wii for Christmas last year from my amazing wife Kristi! (Wii=AMAZING!!!) The graphical difference is definitely obvious between Wii and 360, but you can't beat the Wiimote. The draw is, and will be Halo 3. I know, I'm almost a year behind in the Halo 3 craze, but we'll see what happens. I'm excited with the possibility of a 360. Too bad this was a limited edition.

Foreign Oil

It seems like foreign oil is going to bankrupt this nation unless something drastically changes. Wages have to increase at the sake of the consumer whose wages have to increase and it's just a vicious cycle. I realize that that's the economy that we've built, but with outsourcing we're killing our own nation. We're a cancerous people, killing the body that is this nation from the inside out. People can't afford to pay their mortgages because their jobs are dissappearing and they're having to pay over $4 a gallon to go anywhere. Why? Because Exxon Mobile needs to make a 60 Billion dollar profit. Yay for congressmen like Arlen Specter who is too concerned with whether or not a football coach cheated. Wouldn't his time be better spent figuring out how to dig this nation out of the hole that we've dug ourselves into? Apparently not. God Bless idiotic Senators.
Z

Moron

Youtube is a rad website. I appreciate the things you can find on there, such as sweet Chuck Norris videos, etc. But the things that people put on there crack me up. Like this guy, Cyrus Yazdani, who goes by the pseudonym "Buket" (I wonder if he realizes he spelled that wrong); good Ol' Buket posted videos of himself tagging around LA. Here's where it gets stupid: He had a warrant out for his arrest for crying out loud. I'm sorry but if there were warrants out for my arrest, posting videos of myself on YouTube committing a crime would be the last thing I would do. But then again, I have somewhat of a conscience. But I digress. Cyrus Yazdani, don't eat too much bologna (if you dont get that Google Jim Gaffagin: your bologna has a last name and it's Gaffagin).
Z

Guilty Post

So I feel awful, I haven't post in a long time (Ok, so I don't really feel that bad, but a remorseful tone might help right?). Anywho, a lot has happened in the life of the Gibsons lately. If you're not in the loop, and I apologize if your not, we still love you; we just finished signing papers to make it official, we bought our first house in Hemet. We're pretty excited to have a place that's ours and it'll be paid off in just 30 short years, June 2038 baby! It even has a pool! We absolutely love it here. The Church that I work for is doing amazing things. We're growing in a healthy way, which is extremely exciting. I love that I get to come into work everyday and work with people that are passionate about seeing people's lives changed. If you live in So-Cal, once we move in you'll have to come out for a ride on the slide (rhyme unintended, but you're welcome). Other than that, life is status quo. Summer's about to explode and I can't wait to have a great time with the kids in my youth group. Until next time.
Z

The Travesty of Iraq

The death toll in Iraq has reached 4,000; I have mixed feelings about that. As a nation, we've toppled the government of another. A tyrant was removed from office, a good thing. But 4,000 American men and women have died for what, a fledging government? As a Christian though, I'm pretty sure that Jesus said that we're supposed to turn the other cheek when provoked, not topple two national governments. So in honor of the 4,000 people that have died, let's figure out how to quit wasting taxpayer money and get our troops out.
Z

Reflections on Easter

So this weekend is Easter. Easter has been my favorite holiday since I was about 10. For some kids, it was [insert favorite holiday here], but for me it's always been Easter. I remember a buzz in my soul on Easter, not because when I woke I got an Easter basket full of good stuff, but because I knew that Easter was the day that Jesus rose from the grave. So this weekend, rejoice in the great glory of the Risen Christ.

Z

2008…

So I realize that it's January 5^th, thus we're 5 days into the New Year, but I'm excited to see what God brings for this New Year.

2007 started in a weird way. Kristi and I spent X-mas with family on the Central Coast, and since her car hadn't sold, I was going to drive it back to TN by myself while Kristi stayed for her mom's wedding then she would fly back with her little sister Jen. So I drove down through the OC and caught up with some old Friends, Jonathan and Chad. I left the next day, December 29^th, I was going to be back in East Tennessee in time to have dinner with my parents and sister in Knoxville to celebrate my mom's birthday on New Year's Eve. That is until New Mexico decided to crush my dreams. I should have looked at the weather and avoided Albuquerque, but it's the middle of the desert, what could go wrong. Well they got the biggest snowfall ever in the history of mankind (well not all of mankind, just in New Mexico) so Zach got stuck for 2 miserable days in Albuquerque. I had my trip all planned out, I was going to get to Amarillo, TX, then Memphis, then home. Well that didn't happen. Here's what Kristi's Rodeo looks like under 2 feet of snow. I did see an amazing sunset though in Albuquerque.

So I finally left Albuquerque on New Year's Eve, and I headed south through El Paso, TX and all the way across the God Forsaken state of Texas, if you can avoid driving across it, my advice is not to. So I finally made it home New Year's Day, only a day late, but I was mad not because I was a day late, but because I couldn't watch the USC/Michigan Rose Bowl. Although, I don't think I'll ever be as glad as to see Tennessee as I was that day.

In March, Kristi, Chris and Danielle Csergei, and I went to Lexington, KY, which was a great trip, it was nice to get out of East TN for a night, even if it was Kentucky. The rest of school year to that point was rather uneventful, other than the fact that I was probably the worst student of all time, but hey, you do what you can right? I sold copiers for 2ish months in there somewhere, but I've blocked that horrible time out of my mind. Churches are jerky, and I never want to be as rude as the people were at these churches. In June, I got the coolest B-day present of all time and Kristi took me to Cincinnati to watch the Angels play the Reds. Of course the good guys won both games. Here we are at second game. For vacation the next week, we rented a cabin in Gatlinburg, and it was the most relaxing vacation of my life. We just hung out and enjoyed each other's company.

Anyways, I tell you all of that to get to where I am now. I don't know who's aware of it or not, but Kristi and I have moved back to California. I spent the first 8 month of 2007 waiting tables at Applebee's in good 'ol Elizabethton, TN. Well in June I was asked if I wanted to go to the North American Christian Convention in Kansas City, MO. Of course I said yes because I love to travel. While I was in KC, I had a few duties to perform on behalf of ESR and one of those duties was to man this lovely booth. Other than that, I basically had free reign. I went and saw Transformers at a theater in a rough neighborhood, and let's just say that people do yell at the screen, and really it was great.

I also had the distinct pleasure of going to a desert hosted by my alma mater, Hope International University. I got to catch up with some people that I hadn't seen in a while, but I also met two guys who were interested in interviewing me for the Youth Minister position at their churches. Well one was in Hisperia, and I was interested, but not as interested as I was in the other guy, John, who was from Hemet. For a visual, here's John's ugly mug. Gary, from Hisperia, took me to an amazing restaurant, Morton's, and if you have a chance to go I would most definitely recommend it.

Back to the topic at hand, John and I talked, but didn't get a chance to get together again before the Convention ended, so I sent him my resume, but didn't hear from him again. It was at that point that I didn't really worry about it, I had resolved to go back to East Tennessee and finish school and then see where God would take me. Needless to say, I didn't expect what happened the first week of August. I got a phone call and the caller ID said John Scott, and I was floored. He had said that he was going away with his fam for few weeks of vacation, but I just figured he'd forgotten about me (which had happened too many times in TN so I guess I expected it). Well John and I talked for at least an hour, and he asked me to send some references so I did, and I got a call 2 days later and John said he'd like to fly my wife and I out for an interview. I've already killed you enough with details so I'll give you the reader's digest version, we came out for a weekend and I was offered the job the following Wednesday. So Kristi and I gave our respective places of employment 2 weeks notice and we packed up this big ugly truck and hit the road. We've been in Hemet for 4 months and we absolutely love it here. It was difficult to leave family and friends and East Tennessee, but this has been an amazing place to get started in Ministry. Truthfully, Hemet is a place that Kristi and I look forward to starting our family and a community that we look forward to being a part of for many years to come. Here's our church, Community Christian Church.

As 2007 closed, we got to meet our niece Aidan Grace Cybulski for the first time, and she's absolutely amazing. 2007 we said hello to a new member of our family and we said goodbye to an amazing woman, my grandmother Marjorie Tovatt, the matriarch of my family, the reason that any of us are walking with the Lord. I'm excited to see what sorts of adventures that 2008 has to offer.

Z

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! I hope you were blessed with a beautiful day. I'll leave you with a little JJ Peterson as Santa.

Relevant…

I've been thinking a lot lately about this new generation. I've been thinking about how out of touch they are. Sure they're more connected than any generation before them. At first I thought I was a part of this generation, but from my own experience and reflection, I've realized that people about my age (a year or two in either direction) were merely a transition point. We aren't necessarily Gen X and we aren't truly a part of the current generation of teens and young adults. I realize I'm not that old, 24, but my new position in Hemet has really caused me to delve deeply into the current generation of students.

    I realize, also, that it's probably the youth pastor in me that sees this generation and sees a group of people that's disconnected not only from their family and each other, but sadly from the church as well. Sure there's a hunger in a lot of them for the things of heaven, but there's an apathy that I've never seen before; apathy for Christ, apathy for the church. They show up and leave, they sit and text while someone tries to lead them to the throne of Christ, they talk and laugh. This goes on not only at church but in school. I think that it stems from apathy at home. Parents are having to work more and more, so they're burnt out when it comes time to dealing with their children and their needs. Because they're burnt out, most of the time kids get away with murder. It's something that can be seen in a number of places, the two most troubling being school and church.

    I just finished listening to a seminar from Youth Specialties by Mark Helsel, and he made a point that hit me. Everything we do needs to be authentic and excellent. Authenticity is something that this generation is longing for. They long for someone to be authentic with them. The other idea is the idea of excellence. To put it bluntly today's generation demands excellence. How many great shows have been canceled because of the demand for excellence? One season that's supposedly subpar can cancel an entire series. In a world of excellence, is the church attempting to be excellent, or is the church content being subpar? Is the church content with second, third or even fourth place? Yeah I'll go to church if I have nothing better to do? Francis Schaffer said that "The Christian Life itself should be the greatest work of Art." We need to create environments with authenticity and excellence so that people come in and let their guards down, to suspend their disbelief, to suspend their disbelief in Christianity for 2 hours, or however long, so that they see the gospel.

    Jesus understood that ideology. He painted the picture of His kingdom in such a way that people could understand what he was trying to communicate by helping them to suspend their disbelief. He used metaphor and allegory so that people could truly see who he was and the message he preached. If our goal is to be like Christ, then we have to break the mold. We have to be relevant. If we're not relevant, we're doomed.

Heroes pt. 1

"Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show."
-Charles Dickens, David Copperfield