At 6am yesterday morning, RyceGirl and I headed down to Monterey for the Spirit WestCoast Christian festival. The festival itself was held in Laguna Seca, a little town I've never heard of, but is the location of the racetracks. One of the first things you see once you get there is the number of trailers and RVs. Because this is a huge 3-day event, people flock from all over and camp out. I think it's wonderful that families make the trip; personally, even if I wanted to attend all three days of the festival, I'd make that extra drive into town and stay at one of the hotels. I'm just very particular when it comes to running water and flushable toilets. Lol!

As we drove towards Monterey, the weather was depressingly foggy and overcast...as if we never even left da city! But the closer we got to the Laguna Seca racetracks, the sun was peeking out of the clouds until it finally came out. The rest of the morning and afternoon was sunny and just plain HOT! Rycegirl and I were prepared- we had our sunscreen, our sunglasses, our water, but despite reapplying the sunblock, it still didn't stop my shoulders from getting a tad burned.

Because festival goers from the days prior staked their claim to the best spots on the lawn, Rycegirl and I settled for a spot on the dusty ground NEXT to the lawn area. We could've easily found a space in the back, but we wanted to be closer to the stage. Here's what the area around the Mainstage looked like from far away.


The entire festival was HUGE. Aside from the three performance stages, there were rows of booths where various vendors sold items ranging from Christian wear, art, music; booths that offered information and workshops for different ministries that included child sponsorship and mission field work; and even booths that offered massage and other health related things. There was a VeggieLand (yes, as in VeggieTales) for the smaller attendees that included a mini petting zoo. There was also a skate park, rock climbing, carvinal-esque games, and quite a few of those huge inflatable slides. And oh yes, let's not forget about the food!

Here's a list of the major highlights of the day:


OPERATION WORSHIP. The mission of this ministry is to provide Bibles to our soldiers. Festival attendees were encouraged to grab a Bible and inscribe the inside cover with a note of encouragement. The act is really simple, but as I wrote my note, I found myself getting a tad emotional. If these Bibles are meant to offer some light to the many brave men and women who are fighting for our freedom, then it is a privilege and my wish that my words offer that glint of hope in their dark and lonely moments. And if the particular Bible fell into someone's hands that already believe in God, then hopefully they at least feel the love, thanks, support, and appreciation that I pray my message conveys.


THE CROSS. This cross sits on a hill overlooking the entire festival site. It's not that far, but it does involve a mini-trek up some trails. Near the base of the cross, there was a bolt sticking out where people stuck their written prayers onto. If I had a pen and paper, I probably would've left one, too. Coincidentally, we also found a person asleep at the foot of the cross...gosh, I hope they were asleep and not passed out because of the heat...but he or she didn't seem to mind all these people venturing up there and praying at the cross. It was just one of those things that RyceGirl and I said that we HAD to do that day...and I'm glad we did.

THE MUSIC. Ultimately, the featured artists and their Christian messages are what brought me to Spirit West Coast in the first place. As I mentioned in another post, I've been in major need of some spiritual upliftment as of late. This sign is hilarious, isn't it? It's funny because people don't seem to understand that when I say "Christian music," it's not the regular music that one would expect to hear at church. In fact, there is such a huge stereotype that is widely misinterpreted by so many that Christians have to fit into this certain box, a particular category that sets them so obviously apart from others. How I wish people would open their eyes! Who says that Christians can't have tattoos, colored hair, and body piercings? I was surrounded by people just like that...and it was a wonderful thing! Going back to the music, most of what we heard would be considered Christian rock, Christian alternative...totally contemporary, energetic, and hip. If you don't even listen to the lyrics, you'd definitely be rockin' out; but if you DO, you'd find that you'd be rockin' out for Jesus.

GROUP 1 CREW. Not only did we get to see them perform up close, but we got to meet them and get an autograph! Even though they performed at one of the smaller stages, a lot of people gathered to watch them. Hailing from Florida, they have a Latin flavor in their music...it's a whole lotta dance, hip hop, reggae, and rap all in one. What was cool about their performance (and I have to say that this is 100% true for many of the other artists as well) is that they sound good LIVE. Plus, the message in their songs and their shared testimonies make the vibes of the performance that much deeper and more relatable. Group 1 Crew (Pablo, Blanca, and Manwell) were very cool to meet- totally down to earth individuals using their talents to praise and glorify God and to get the message of God's love and mercy out there for all to hear.

The other artists that we got to see included:
*Aaron Shust
*Group 1 Crew
*Sanctus Real
*TobyMac
*Switchfoot

Overall, I was so glad to have gone and even moreso, that it was with RyceGirl. There may not have been a specific moment and it could honestly be a sum of all parts, but being in the company of so many Christians, all there for the same reason and purpose, is truly a powerful thing. I found myself thinking about my journey thus far and all of the things that I've had to overcome to get to where I am today. I look around me and see the people in my life who love me and I look at the wonderful creations that give beauty to this world...and I think to myself, how can I NOT thank God for His goodness?

God does work in mysterious ways. He led me to attend this concert on THIS particular day...so that I may listen to these particular artists...so that I could hear their particular message and testimony. He knew that what they had to share would affect me in a certain way. Last week, someone told me that I had a "warped sense of God in my life" and I was truly offended. There were a couple of moments where I let those words sink in and it made me question if there was any truth to it. No one wants to believe that for themselves, myself included, but I am not perfect, nor have I ever claimed to be. But I stand firm in what I believe. While it hurt to hear those words spoken to me, I will take that as reason to dig deeper into my faith and to look even closer when I see myself in the mirror. Perhaps there are things that I do that are "warped" that I don't see and maybe it had to take that person's comments to open my eyes. I still believe that I met that person for a reason- to open their eyes to the possibility of a God that loves unconditionally and that having a relationship with Him is lifechanging.

Spirit West Coast was an AWESOME experience...and I can't wait to go again next year!


RyceGirlie, it was a blast to have gone with you! So many memorable moments...the shopping, the food, the icky-not-so-icky toilets, the drive, the heat, the cold, the fog, the weird smell on the opposite side where we sat, the dust, the rhythmless nation, "shoost," the "Counting Crows," meeting Group 1 Crew, and the free hugs...I should've gotten the t-shirt! I can't wait to do it again! I thank God for friends like you...much love homegirl!