A Pastor’s Wife on Pastor Appreciation Month

You should know I count my dear wife, Margi, as the greatest gift God ever gave me besides salvation. Brave, strong, kind, true, generous, never quitting, dedicated, hard-working, smart, fun, funny, and beautiful. She asked me to share this with you… Please use the share buttons below if you’d like to encourage the pastors and ministers in your life.

October is pastor appreciation month. I am a pastor’s wife. I grew up in church. I came to hear the sermon, which sometimes I loved, sometimes I criticized and sometimes I daydreamed through. I came selfishly to hear what I needed to hear to carry me through the week. I actually never once gave a thought about what the person delivering the sermon had faced that week, that month or that year. Until I married a pastor.

I now know that my husband has to deliver his sermon extolling God’s goodness and grace, His provision, His love and kindness – no matter what.

• When there is financial pressure and he wonders how he will ever retire, he still needs to preach that God will provide.
• When there is bad news from the doctor for him or those he loves, he still needs to speak of God’s great love.
• When illness hits and there seems to be no relief and no response to prayer, he still needs to teach God is the Great Healer, Jehovah Rapha.
• When his wife cries and wonders why God doesn’t seemingly answer prayers, and his heart breaks watching her struggle with this, he still needs to preach that God answers prayers.
• When he is sad, he must still declare the joy of the Lord.
• When his children are hurt or wounded, he continues to preach that God loves the little children, even though it would be easy to not find love.
• When unspeakable loss is suffered, he still proclaims that God will restore.
• When it seems that God is taking forever to answer a prayer and he becomes impatient, he must still utter words declaring patience and longsuffering.
• When he wants to be angry and bitter in spirit, he must reflect God’s kindness and caring.
• When he has been hurt so deeply by someone, especially someone close to him or someone in his congregation, he must set aside pettiness and preach that vengeance is God’s and forgiveness is needed.
• When his heart’s prayers for mercy seem to find no answer, he must still trumpet amazing grace.

Dear churchgoer, stop and take a moment to consider the person that feeds you from God’s Word. He is not a super human. He is human. He suffers the same losses, fears, sadness, uncertainties, questions that you face. He does not have a “you are godly” shield accorded to him so that the ills of life bounce off him or his family. He is not immune from the trials of life. Indeed, Satan would love nothing better than to see an effective leader stumble and fail.

In truth, I have learned that the man of God that stands before you week after week is a sensitive human being who silently faces the battles of life and bows his head and prostates himself on the mercies of God because sometimes he can no longer function under his own power. He is not immune from the battles of life that scar the soul and wrench the heart. He just needs to get up week after week and summon the Holy Spirit to speak through him to encourage, educate, challenge, mobilize, and yes, sometimes even amuse you.

This October please take a moment to thank your pastor for the incredible calling he/she answered. It is a calling that requires more than most of us would ever really give thought. It is an honor, and yet an incredible challenge. Pray for those men and women who serve God’s call. Show your love and care. Who knows? Maybe that person that has served you for years desperately needs to be encouraged and uplifted in prayer. Satan is a mighty adversary. Maybe that the man or woman that is called to meet your needs now needs your hand to lift him up and your shoulder to lean on.

And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. (1 Thessalonians 5:12, 13, NKJV).

~ by Margi Giovannetti, Facebook.com/Margaret.Giovannetti

October is Pastor’s Appreciation Month and the 2nd Sunday of each October is Pastor Appreciation Sunday. Encourage those who encourage you. Sharing is appreciated.

 

Happy Father’s Day

Again, I’m happy to present guest blogger Brenda Aman. I’m honored to work along side her at Neighborhood Church. She possesses rare combinations of wisdom, maturity, compassion, and no-nonsense work ethic. She shared this Father’s Day devotional with our staff, and with her permission, I share it with you. 

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I’m grateful to announce that Secrets to a Happy Life has just broken into the top 100 bestsellers on Amazon’s Inspirational list. It’s at #96, but that’s something! Thank you for your help in spreading the word!

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Father’s Day 2013

This weekend the world celebrates Father’s Day. In our busy lives, it is good that we are forced to take a moment and recognize our dads, grandfathers and spiritual dads. I have been blessed by four incredible men who have poured into my life. I had a wonderful father who unfortunately passed away a few years ago, and he taught me about unconditional love and nurturing that I carry with me.  My grandfather modeled and taught me work ethic. Mr. French, my Sunday school and spiritual teacher, taught me about Jesus. Dan Kruse, my spiritual mentor, taught me the wisdom to listen quickly and speak slowly. It has been their love and nurturing in my life that helped build the woman I am today.

First Mother

I’m happy to welcome guest blogger today, Brenda Aman. As Lead Director of Operations, Brenda shares the second-highest leadership role at Neighborhood Church with Todd Skinner. She is one of the best leaders I have ever met, with a passion for health in the church. She is also a wise mentor, and just a lot of fun to be around. Brenda shared this devotional with our staff on Thursday, and with her permission, I am excited to share it with you.

First Mother

“And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.” Genesis 3:20 

There are people all over the world, past and present, who have wanted to be the first at something; first to reach a mountain top or the first man in space. There are many “firsts,” but one first I do not think I would want was to be the first mother. I’m glad Eve had that first for all women.

The Virtue of Imbalance

One of my friends told us about his daughter’s basketball coach. The coach kept the girls busy morning and night, even over the holidays. The coach told the kids, “You have to balance sports, school, church, and sleep.”

He omitted family.

Even so, are sports, school, church, sleep, and family equals to be balanced? I’ve been told to balance life’s demands, balance work and family, balance my emotions, and balance my checkbook.

Today, I say… Forget about it. Balance is not your friend.  I hereby set you free from balancing life’s demands. You’ll be trapped.

What did Jesus mean when he said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33, NKJV)?

By his word FIRST, Jesus delivered us from the blandness of balance. Life is to be about IMBALANCE. We tilt toward God first, family second. Everything else comes down the line. Instead of thinking balance, think priorities — a predetermined imbalance.

1. A predetermined imbalance puts God in his rightful place. The idea of holding God in balance with any other person or priority is just plain silly. He is above all.

• Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. (Proverbs 3:9, 10, NKJV).
• For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. (1 Timothy 4:8, NKJV). Amen (especially the first part).

2. A predetermined imbalance gives you permission to say no, even to legitimate and pressing needs. Jesus said no when he turned his back on a clamoring crowd that he might spend time alone with God (Matt 1:35-37). It was a holy imbalance that made the Twelve summon the multitude and say, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.” (Acts 6:2, NKJV). Their NO grew out of a God-ordained imbalance toward the calling of God on their lives. Others might have resented it, but God was pleased.

We live in a culture in which people can’t take no for an answer without stomping off in a drama-queenly snit. So good luck with that. Trying to please everybody is the death of a thousand cuts.

No is a complete sentence. Practice saying it: No.

3. A predetermined imbalance helps you put first things first and keep them there. Hobbies, sports, entertainment, socializing, worship, service, Scripture, prayer, leisure, marriage, dating, parenting, caring for elderly family members, ministry involvement, keeping the home, car repairs, sleep, fitness, exercise, shopping, cooking, stewardship, education, training, margin… These things are not equals. Some are essential, some are luxuries, some are desires, some are optional. A mature person differentiates.

There is no way, holy or otherwise, to  balance the hordes of life’s demands. We shouldn’t try. Tilt toward the big stuff. Husbands love your wives, and wives respect your husbands. Do not provoke your children to wrath. But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8, NKJV). First things first. Squeeze in the rest.

Have you ever felt like a plate-spinner in a circus? Watch the video and see what balance feels like:

I hereby give you permission to let a few plates fall. It’s okay. Honest. Life will go on. Devote your energy to the important plates, and let the other ones go. God knows. He’s got plans you’re not aware of.

Priorities, not balance, is the message of Scripture.

Life is like filling a dishwasher: put the big things in first, and then squeeze in everything else.

Dear Jacob Lusk,

A few weeks ago, you got labelled, and I’m not gonna repeat the label. I could see the pain in your eyes when it happened. As a Dad, as a man, I was ticked. The producers of American Idol did what they always do: they treated you as an object not a person. If you had a Dad, he would have raised hell. Unfortunately, you lost yours when you were young, so no one came to your defense.

I’d like to put some labels on you: I hope you’re open to them.

I label you COURAGEOUS. Every week, you stand in front of millions of people and take a risk. I’m a preacher; I get that, at least a little. What if they don’t like you? What if you blow it? What if… a million doubts surface, but that day comes, you take the stage, and you do your job. I’m really proud of you. You overcame fatherlessness, and you’ve stepped forward toward your dream. Great job.

I label you HARD WORKING and PERSEVERANT. You have been working at your craft since you were a little kid. You have not quit, have not given up. You have not let your setbacks stop you. Week after week, you learn, grow, and come back again. Yes, you are GIFTED. But call you that takes something away from you. Your real secret is that you work hard, and for that you get a big pat on the back. Great job. Whoever taught you your work ethic gets a pat on the back too. Keep that up, and win or lose, you will lead a blessed life.

I label you MAN OF GOD. You are a gospel singer and minister of music. It is clear that you use your music to glorify God. I am so proud of you. I appreciate you. I see you as a man who follows hard after God. You are an inspiration, and I have no doubt that Jesus smiles every time you sing. He is your audience of one. Always serve him. Keep him in mind. Don’t let the critics get you down. Sing to please Jesus. Don’t let anyone pull you away from him.

I label you a MASTERPIECE IN PROGRESS. The Bible says you “are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, for good works” (Ephesians 2:10). Jacob, you’re young enough to be vulnerable. The music industry is brutal… it has messed with a lot of young men’s minds and hearts. Don’t let it define you. Don’t let other people label you. God calls you his valued son: believe him. God calls you his holy one: take that name for yourself. God calls you spiritual royalty: rise up to your full stature in Christ. Don’t let the world pull you away from your true Father in Heaven.

You are a strong young man, Jacob. Stay in God’s Word, walk by God’s Spirit, engage with God’s people, and you’ll do great. American Idol doesn’t own you. God does.

God put you on earth for a reason. Right now, music is part of it. I pray that you will be more than a star in the entertainment industry. I pray that you will be a celebrity in heaven… a man after God’s own heart and a man who lives a God-blessed life, true to God, and true to your deepest and best self.

Remember: friends don’t put pejorative labels on friends.

I’m proud of you.

Bill Giovannetti

Excellent Adventure, days 3-5

So the Great Wolf Lodge not only wears kids out by getting them wet, it also gets them RUNNING. Yes, running 10 miles, and loving it. No kidding.

They have this game called “MagicQuest.” It’s basically a scavenger hunt. Kids get an electronic “wand” encoded with their name. My son was Jengo Fett (from Star Wars). My daughter was Kitty. This game is confusing at first, and it took about an hour to get the hang of it.

Basically, you check in at a computer terminal. These are scattered throughout the humongous lobby/hallway space. Wave your wand, and you’re set.  A little booklet guides you to find five treasure chests, in sequence. They’re scattered in hallways, lobbies, and stair wells, throughout the main part of the building. The book offers clues to find the next treasure chest. Find it, wave your wand, and the top opens, and the treasure lights up. A computer voice tells you you’ve made it. Find all five, and you’re ready for your next journey… finding 5 plants (or whatever).

You have to find them in sequence. This is key to the 10 mile run.

Our kids were CRAZY about this game, and of course, we had to follow them around. I still gained a couple of pounds on the trip… don’t know how that happened!

The computer keeps track of progress. The goals speak their names, and tell them if they’ve followed the right sequence, and offer clues to the next goal. It’s very cool.  Except…

For the breakdown. The computers malfunctioned from 6pm Tues to 3pm Wed. This was the bulk of our trip!!!! Fortunately, they gave us a refund (it costs about $10 per kid to play). That’s okay, because our kids did enough to love it. The nice thing is that you didn’t have to scramble to keep the kids occupied… there was always something to do.

That included a massive video game room, where my son played Wii for a while.

We ate at Country Cousin’s restaurant. Ambiance: Great. Food: Pretty good.  We’d go back.

I got my blended coffee drink at Cuppa Joe’s, a little drive through that made the best sugar-free blended mocha’s I’d had in a long time.  Plus, they didn’t even blink when I said: sugar-free, blended, mocha, triple-shot, decaf, add one sweet and low.  No problem. Five stars for quality, price, and service.

Check out time was Thursday at 10:00 a.m. We had enough time two swim, and my son FINALLY went down the “red” slide. We were as proud of him, as he was of himself. We scrambled to get packed and get out, and began our trip to the most excellent Aloft hotel in Portland.

I hate big scary bridges, and Portland has plenty, so we stopped and switched drivers. “Honey,” I said. “If you love me, you’ll stay in the center and go slow.” Margi, who has the gift of mercy, laughed. We liked the hotel so much (it’s cheap, contemporary, and VERY COOL), we stayed an extra night, and then blasted home in 1 day….

In Portland, we did the Portland Zoo. Fun times. We’ve been to bigger, better zoos, but this one was nice. They had an excellent “Birds of Prey” show, and you haven’t lived till you’ve seen a massive eagle swoop over an audience for a piece of meat.

I gotta confess: we got horribly lost in Portland several times. Google maps (iPhone) led us to non-existent locations twice. And I just read the map wrong a couple of times. The upside is that it added $$$ to my Bite Me Bank.

We went to Ikea!!! Margi’s first time, my second. Wow! That’s all I can say.

We went for Pizza at one place, but the wait was 45 minutes, and that doesn’t work with kids. So we looked for another place, and ended up at a super-classy place, dressed like… uh… travelers.  It’s called Jake’s Grill.  Beautiful, old world ambiance. Dark, wood-paneled walls. Domed ceiling w/beautiful art. Expensive menu. Oops!  How did we end up here? We were hungry and desperate, so we stayed. Margi ordered filet mignon. I got penne pasta with sausage and chicken marinara. Kids got chicken strips (amazingly good, I know becuase I ate them) and pasta.

Fun part: a sleight-of-hand magician did some tableside magic, which we all loved.  How do they make that $5 bill float?  I mean, float away? Very cool.

After that: ice-skating at a mall. The kids were hooked on this. I had some so-so coffee at two different places. This was a bummer, because I thought Portland would offer awesome, strong, dark roast. I picked out two 5-star places on Yelp! and neither one offered dark roast!!!!!! Oh well.

Spent our final nite and the peaceful, clean, contemporary, cool, hip Aloft hotel. Loaded up the car.

Drove home, pausing in Medford at ScienceWorks Children’s museum. We enjoy the bubble room, where you can make soap bubbles as big as you are! The cool thing is that our Turtle Bay membership gets us in FREE!

Then the final push home.  Home is where the toilet seat fits just right.

An excellent trip, and we’ll do it again!

Excellent Adventure, days 3-4

Great Wolf Lodge sits alongside 1-5 in south-central Washington state. It’s part of a chain. It’s basically a GIGANTIC HOTEL wrapped around a GINORMOUS INDOOR WATER PARK.

But it’s so much more…

The lobby has a soaring ceiling with a rustic, lodge-type design. Massive wood beams, and a wood covered peaked ceiling. The first thing you notice is NOISE. Bedlam, actually. It never stops. Happy kids running around everywhere. Mine joined right in.

I get in the line to check in, Margi takes the kids on a tour. Yes, there is a check in line, where you wind around for a while for the privilege of forking over your hard earned money. I waited about 10 minutes, tops.

Checking in is cool.

Margi and I both got pink wrist bands. These were electronically coded to unlock our room (no need to carry plastic key cards) AND to pay for stuff (no need to carry a credit card). Our kids got white wrist bands that let them swim, etc. We also got a packet of confusing stuff, that only came clear after a while. I recommend purchasing the “Paws Pass” which gets your kid a lot of cool stuff, heavily discounted. We figured we’d buy most of the stuff on the list anyway, so let’s get it over with. An expensive trip. Not like Disney-expensive, but still pricey.

We went to our room… after waiting in line for the elevator. Yes, I’d estimate that a third of the time, you will wait for an elevator. The elevators are slow, and there are so many kids flying around (not to mention luggage carts).

The pink wrist band opens the door perfectly. My son is jealous and wants one… the first time ever he has requested pink!

We booked a room with an inside “kids’ cabin.” It was fantastic. A big room with a smaller room inside it… looked like a mini log-cabin. Bunk beds and a 3rd bed for kids, with a flat panel TV. The room itself is decent. Not fancy. Neither super clean nor super dirty… a kind of 3 star room meets a kids’ cabin, that I would have loved as a kid.

We drop off our stuff, and it’s time to swim.

The water park is awesome. I count four major pools PLUS a massive play structure. The four pools are….

1. WAVE POOL: incredibly strong. Waves for maybe six minutes, and rests for six.  Totally fun. They supply a whole bunch of inner tubes. The water is shallow, gradually reaching maybe 4 feet at the deep end. My kids LOVED this pool. They jumped the breakers, surfed on their inner tubes, and bounced up and down over the waves. Lifeguards seemed very focused whenever the wave machine kicked in. Water temp: cool.

2. KID POOL: Very shallow — 3 inches to maybe 16 inches tops. Fun sprinklers, slides, very safe, very nice lifeguards everywhere. My son liked this pool the best. He could sit on a little horse, and squirt water at other kids… he was the pool bully… not really.  He’s actually very kind hearted. This pool is perfect for non-swimmers and little kids, maybe 7 and under. You always risked getting squirted, or splashed, but it was worth every second to see our kids so happy. Water temp: warm.

NOTE: everything is bedlam… accept this, and you’ll have a great time.

3. WIPEOUT POOL: We didn’t know what to call this pool, so we made this name up ourselves. One part of the pool had basketball hoops, and volleyball, and stuff to climb on. The other part had a mini-obstacle game.  Wobbly lily pads float across the pool, like stepping stones. Each pad is about 2-3 feet in diameter and is tethered to the bottom so it won’t go anywhere. A rope stretches above the lily pads, across the pool, at head height.  Kids get to hang onto the rope, and cross the pool on lily pads. Once they fall, they have to immediately exist the pool for the next kid.  Our kids LOVED the wipeout game. They both made it across, gingerly, without falling, about half a dozen times. They waited in line… and loved every second.  Very focused lifeguards here, too.  One kid at a time… Water temp: warm.

Did I mention the bedlam?

4. TODDLERS OUTSIDE POOL… we stopped long enough to look. Fountains, sprinklers, too babyish for our kids. There is an outdoor spa pool here, which we didn’t use.

But the heart of the water park was the:

GIGANTIC PLAY STRUCTURE.  This thing was cool. Think of a huge play structure with water everywhere. Balanced precariously at the top was a massive bucket. It slowly filled with water, and every 5 minutes or so, it dumped ONE THOUSAND GALLONS onto happy, screaming children. My daughter loved this part. She eagerly waited in the spill zone for the bucket to dump. I did it once… it felt like getting hammered with padded fists, which is a perfect metaphor for parenthood.

Steps, mini-buckets to tip on unsuspecting climbers, hoses, ropes to pull that turned on hidden sprays, and two huge water slides (red or yellow, take your pick). My daughter loved the slides right away… she was very brave. Curvy, fast, splashy. My son warmed up to them on his last day… and love it. Water temp: cold.

There was one more ULTRA HUGE SLIDE, but my kids weren’t interested. That’s cool, because it gives us something to graduate to next time, and oh yes, there will be a next time.

Three hours in the water park, and the kids were WIPED OUT! But there was so much more at the Great Wolf Lodge, and I’ll save that for the next post!

Except to mention the buffet restuaurant… pricey. Busy. Does the job, though. Food quality like Hometown Buffet, or maybe a tad lower. Thankfully, there’s also a Starbucks in the lobby!  Yeah!

Bottom line.. fun place, tiring for adults, a blast for kids. Worth the trip. We’ll do it again.

What if the kids are tired of water? Oh.. how about a game that motivates them to RUN TEN MILES?  No kidding!  I’ll tell you all about it in the next post.

Here’s someone eise’s family video… we weren’t brave enough to bring a video camera into the spill zone…

Excellent Adventure, pt 2

Day 2: I awaken at my usual 4:30-5:00 time, and sneak out with my computer. Fam’s still sleeping peacefully. I need COFFEE! Coffee! Coffee! COFFEE!  I use a cool application called YELP! to help me find Espresso Roma (see the previous post).

So, I’m driving thru Eugene, OR, past the Northwest Christian College and a state University (not sure which one).  There’s a Starbucks… but I can get that back home, so skip it. Then, this worn-out looking place called Espresso Roma’s. In I go.  I ask for a dark roast, and they say yes.  Yes!!! I savor the most delicious cup of coffee in memory (except for my local fav, YAKS). So good, I bought 2 pounds of the stuff.

I sit, have computer-devotions, and work on a book… but, no Internet.  Oh well, no prob, the coffee makes up for it.  Margi calls at 7-ish to say the kids are up, and I go back w/a decaf Americano for her. Kids are wired. We pack up, go downstairs to the really good breakfast (included)… I’m still lo-carb… and off we go, northward-ly-ish.

Maybe 2 hours later, approaching Salem, we pull of I-5 at a cool place called Enchanted Forest. The kids are so excited their heads are about to blow. It’s tough to describe this place. It’s like a mini-Disneyland.

[Bummer: I just made French Press coffee w/my Eugene beans, and I over-filled the French Press… which means grounds in my coffee… Oh well, I’ll pretend I’m a cowboy!]

But think 1/1000th the size of Disney. It has interactive displays based nursery rhymes: Hansel and Gretel, Rip Van Winkel, Alice in Wonderland… and it offers a couple of rides, one of them a scary wee-roller coaster.  It’s VERY hilly, so hilly in fact, they post a disclaimer that they are not, and never can be, wheel-chair accessible. There are some “witchy” displays, and we choose to skip that stuff. Ditto for the Haunted House. My kids have bad memories of such an experience (that a certain dad forced them onto) at Disney World… never mind.

My son loved the remote-control boat pond, and my daughter loved the “Water Show”, which is a cave-like display, with dancing sprinkers/meets synthesized music/meets light show. Good stuff.

The kids ate up the Enchanted Forest, and want to go back soon. It’s a great way to break up a 4.5 hour car ride. So…  back into the car…

My son says, “How come our car smells like coffee?” I say, “It’s the beans, boy!”

We drive to Portland for lunch. There, we get lost looking for an Italian Beef place, and I have to put some money into the Bite Me bank.  Enough about that. When we find Michael’s Italian Beef, I savor a combo, dip it, no peppers, and Margi enjoys a beef, sweet and hot, dipped. Ahhhhhhhh. Kids get KFC and Burger King.  Hey, it’s a vacation!

Oh… who knew that Portland was loaded with big, scary bridges? Those things freak me out, and I’m sure there’s a force that’s going to suck my car over the side. I mean, cold sweat, stay in the middle lane, death grip on the steering wheel, make everyone be quiet, turn off the radio, don’t talk to me, gephyrophobia (I blogged on this phobia of mine, here, with particularly cruel commentary afterwards… Jonathan H, you’re prophetic!!!!). I made Margi drive. I also fed my Bite Me bank.

We crossed over into Vancouver, WA. I must admit, I never knew that WA had a Vancouver too. I thought Canada had a corner on the Vancouvers. That’s what I get for being a Midwesterner.

Up, up, I-5. Grown-ups sip coffee. Kids read/watch videos. And in the background, my new favorite program, courtesy the iPhone: Stuff You Should Know. Literally HOURS of fascinating stuff about everything and anything. Josh and Chuck really make the miles fly by. Thanks guys!

Finally, we approach Mecca. The end game. The goal of our quest.

After 2 days of driving and doing stuff, we arrive at the wonderful, marvelous, magnificent, superb, sublime, spectacular, lovely, fine, delightful, super, great, stunning, fantastic, terrific, tremendous, sensational, heavenly, divine, gorgeous, fabulous, fab, awesome, ace, killer, wondrous, beauteous and phat… GREAT WOLF LODGE!!!! The kids explode from the car, gasping at massive, Easter-island-like stone wolves. Families stream toward the entrance, luggage and little ones in tow. WE’RE HERE!!!!

This superlative place demands its own blog…

To be continued…

Bill & Family’s Excellent Adventure

Day 1: Cram the compact car (Scion “It’s Hip to Be Square” xB) with suitcases, and stuff to keep the kids occupied. Outfit car w/special hanging stuff holders for each kid. Electronics ready to go.

For all grown ups who think… “When I was a kid, we didn’t have dvd players and we had to make our own fun..” I would like to respectfully point out that when you were a kid, you didn’t wear seat belts.  You got to move around the back of the car, burn off energy, goof off in the back of the station wagon, lay down and sleep.  Kids today are locked into place for hours on end in the car. The NEED SOMETHING to keep them from going loony.  Let’s belt you into a seat for four hours and see how you do.

Day 1: continued… drive 2.5 hours to Medford, OR.  Eat at Kaleidoscope… great pizza! I had sausage and pepperoni (avoiding the crust to be lo-carb), kids had pepperoni, Margi had (and loved) the Roxy Ann Pizza (chicken, portabello mushroom, roasted garlic, artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella, and marinara… “Yummo!” she said).

Next, play at Rogue Family Fun Center… climbing structure, kid-sized go carts, arcade, bumper boats, and mini-golf. This worked great for us, as it broke the 4.5 hour drive into 2 manageable chunks, and let the kids burn off energy.  IT WAS HOT, triple digits. But we’re used to that…

I have to say I LOVE MY iPHONE!

• The maps feature is amazing.  I pre-programmed all our stops (bookmarked) into google maps.  Whenever we wanted to go somewhere, the GPS found our location, and plotted a map to our next destination.
• PLUS… I found an adaptor that made my iPhone work as an iPod with my car-radio. That meant I could play my own music and podcasts thru the car stereo.
  • Margi and I fell in love with the STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.  So entertaining, informative, funny… We probably listened to 50 podcasts on the journey… everything from Alien Hand Syndrome to Habeas Corpus. The kids had their own videos, books, workbooks, and Nintendo-DS’s to keep them going.
• I also came to love YELP (free)… it helps you find local restaurants and coffee shops, complete with ratings.
• AROUND ME, is another free app to quickly find places on your iPhone.

Day 1: continued… back into the car… Drive 2 hours north to Eugene, OR. We checked into the Holiday Inn Express. We both liked this hotel.  Clean and spacious rooms. Went swimming. Had dinner, but I forget where.  Margi reminded me… we tried Outback (my daughter’s fav), but couldn’t get in. We went to an okay steak place nearby, but forgot the name.  Then… off the the Lane Ice Skating Arena, where our kids strapped on skates for the first time.

THEY WERE AMAZING!  Our daughter was instantly hooked… The place was almost empty… maybe 8 people on the ice. A very nice kid named Alex (13 years old, and a FANTASTIC skater) helped them out, and gave our son a real hockey puck!!! By the end of the night, the only person on the big ice-arena was our daughter.  She wouldn’t quit (she got her mom’s stubbornness tenacity).

Margi was also amazing on the ice, but wouldn’t let me take pictures… Then off for GELATO, at a great place called Lago Blu Gelato.  One chocolate, one vanilla (kids), one dark chocolate hazelnut for Margi.  I was still, at this point, being lo-carb, so nothing for me.  The Gelato was wonderful… and back to the hotel where we put four very tired people to bed.

Next morning… I found some of the best coffee in my whole life at a little coffee shop near the university.  It’s called Espresso Roma.  Great, full, rich dark roast coffee. Yeah. Excellent, hip place.

More tomorrow…

R.I.P. Jesse

Jesse

1993 – July 22, 2009

“Good Dog”

Stuff about Jesse…

16 years old

Male, lab mix. I rescued him from a shelter in Rockford, IL.  He was a puppy, estimated 6-9 months old.

He went everywhere with me.  Church. People’s houses. Bible studies. Pastor’s meetings.  He would lay quietly, or gently greet people when they came in. I often had people say how peaceful Jesse’s presence made them feel. He was a gentle spirit.

Jesse, in his prime, could sit, stay, down, come, heel, bang, roll over, wait, and speak.  He was trained to bark when my hand was open, and keep barking till I closed my hand.  I would have the neighborhood kids give him a simple math problem… “Jesse! What’s 7-4?” He would bark 3 times and stop… and the kids never figured out the hand signal.

Jesse was my running partner in the woods.  When Margi and I ran together, he’d take off after deer, and be gone for 30-40 minutes, and come back to get us.  He also loved canoeing with us, and would squeeze next to Margi in the front of the canoe… hanging out over the prow.  “I’m the king of the world.”

He brought a rat into my house, and ate it on my bed.

He was skunked four times.

He could jump over the 4-foot tall chain-link fence between my house and my neighbor. He played with his girlfriend, April the Mutt, there.

He was very sweet, and gentle, and smart and beautiful. I already miss him. I am sad today.

Any nice Jesse stories?