Sunday Night Download

Just a few thoughts this evening:

• Grill Fest was really amazing this morning at Bagley Swamp Church. Our outdoor worship was moved inside due to the weather. Our team had to do a lot of improvising, and it turned out great. Huge crowd. Way to go Bagley Swamp!
• Met a pile of new folks this morning, made a lot of connections. Lots of folks searching.
• Despite 2 inches of rain overnight, we still had most of our activity outside. With around 300 folks there, we didn't have enough room inside anywhere to eat. The radar showed us getting rain at noon, but we never saw any. Thank you, Lord.
• Can't believe the Tarheels got spanked by Georgia Tech yesterday. Looks like we didn't really show up.
• The Redskins haven't looked too hot this year, so I wasn't real surprised that they lost to the Lions (their first win in 20 games). Disappointed, but not surprised.
• Soccer kicks into high gear this week at our house. A game each night, Monday-Thursday. I believe that is our schedule for the month of October.
• Looking forward to our Faith In Action projects coming up on October 11!
• Got some great news from one of my buddies about how God has provided relief from some medical bills!

Time to get some rest!

Early Morning Runs

I have switched my exercise routine some lately. I was going to the YMCA five mornings a week, but lately have I have been jogging a few mornings a week in our neighborhood and going to the Y on the other days.

On my jogging days, I enjoy the cool mornings, the bright stars, the sounds of nature waking and the gradual lightening of the skies. Somehow, this makes me feel closer to God.

When do you feel close to God?

Cash for My Clunker

We've got a 20 year old Nissan pick-up that our 16 year old drives. We've had it for about 10 years. Good truck, reliable, have really gotten our money out of it.

Several weeks ago, our son calls on his way home from work, saying that he has broken down. I go and pick him up, have the truck towed to a garage. The timing belt had broken and we had bent a valve. So we are looking at some $ to fix it.

About this time, the ol' Cash for Clunkers deal started. So, guess what we did!

Guess again.

We fixed it. We drove it home today.

Why? Several reasons. We didn't want or need a new vehicle. We were not going into debt to get a different vehicle. Plus, we don't like idea of another government bailout.

We were able to pay cash and get the truck fixed and have good, reliable transportation cheaper than we could buy a different vehicle.

So, for us, this was the best deal. We paid cash for our clunker (to get fixed). Laugh if you want, but we're still debt free.

Romans 13:8 "Owe no one anything . . . except to love one another"

This Stinks . . . Really!

This evening Amy and I hopped in the car and drove from the house to church (for VBS), about half a mile. I noticed an odor. Amy had driven the car to and from Chesapeake today, but said she hadn't noticed the odor.

Did you leave your breakfast in the car? No. Did you leave your gym bag in the car? No, went jogging this morning, showered at home. Hmmm.

We got to the church, and opened the trunk. There it was . . . a gallon of milk left in the trunk from Saturday. Exploded!

That really stinks.

From NY to Philly

Yesterday we finished up in NYC and today we head to Philadelphia. Looking forward to taking in a few of the sights and see the Phillies play tonight. Here are a few observations from yesterday:

• We went to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. While it is neat to say we've been there, and know that is where millions were 'welcomed' to the USA, it was a lot of trouble. Herded like cattle onto the ferry boats after waiting in line for over an hour didn't quite 'make' the experience for me.
• Took a bus tour of Brooklyn. It in a nice, air-conditioned bus, so that was nice. Saw lots of sights that we've seen on TV many times. Also saw the Brooklyn Tabernacle.
• The highlight of the say was walking in and out of the shops at Times Square. Surprisingly, the prices didn't seem any different from the prices at home. In fact, Kendall got a good deal on a pair of shoes.
• We ate at Dallas BBQ at Times Square. It was fantastic. Large portions for a little price.
• Believe it or not, we went into the Hersey's Store and the M&M's store and didn't buy anything. We didn't want to wait in line and thought the chocolate would melt by the time we got back to the hotel. I saw Reese's peanut butter cups make with dark chocolate for the first time.

Getting ready to check-out and travel to Philly. One of goals is to get a philly cheesesteak.

Family Road Trip

This week our family has ventured to New York City and later to Philly. We spent yesterday in NYC taking in the city through bus tours. Here are some of my observations:

• This place is huge - every building is huge, and it seems that there are people everywhere.
• However, seeing so many huge buildings, knowing that they are full of people, I can only imagine what it would look like if everyone came out into the streets at the same time!
• According to the tour guides, the cost of housing has skyrocketed in the last 10 years. A place that cost $50,000 15 years ago is now worth over a million. Wow!
• I was surprised that your typical fast food is just about the same price at home - a little more - but not outrageous.
• However, there are plenty of $$$$$ places to eat.
• We ride the bus from NJ into NYC each morning. The money we paid - $19.60 for our family - is worth every penny. I don't like waiting in line to catch the bus leaving the city, but it is well worth it.

Looking forward to more adventures today!

Road Trip

I'm on a road trip today to Atlanta to see the Braves and Dodgers play. There's a guy in our church that is crazy about the Dodgers, so he invited me to go along. Lots of time on the road over the next two days, but great times and memories.

My son Kaleb is going as well, so we ought to have a great time. We'll be sure to pull hard for the Braves!