Okay, so I know that it's only September 30th and post-season play for the 2008 baseball season hasn't even started. So what? The world is in turmoil and so we might as well start planning for the 2009 baseball season.
The Cardinal's season opener is just 6 months and 6 days away. Aaron has noted that they will be in Chicago on his birthday and is already lobbying for tickets as a birthday present. The Cards are in Kansas City for inter-league play on June 19-21. I foresee another 50 seat block from group sales for Hopedale Baptist Church for the evening of the 20th. I'd also like to take a group to St. Louis for the April 25 game against the Cubs. I don't know how many would be interested, though.
The season finale is on October 4th. That could pose a minor problem as it is Chris' birthday. I see a St. Louis weekend birthday present in her future.
Watching the post season without the Cardinals won't be quite as fun as if they were playing. However, there will still be some interesting games. The Cubs (swept in the first round last year) face the Dodgers. The Dodgers are 1-12 in their last four post season appearances. The White Sox are still battling for their post season spot with a 1 game playoff later today. It would really tick the Cub fans off if the Sox ended up in the Series without them!
Hey! I just had an idea that would endear all of the players and owners to a grateful nation. Why not have Major League Baseball sponsor the finance industry bailout?! Those guys make thousands of dollars per inning and the owners are raking in even more. A little help so that the rest of us can continue to enjoy the occasional $6 hotdog and $5 soda!
Baseball, hotdogs, apple pie and a financial bailout! What could be more American than that?
John
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
A Little Bit About Ted Drewe's
This is what Ted Drewe's Frozen Custard stand looks like on a typical summer night. I remember bringing a friend (we were at a magic convention) here at about 11:30 pm. The scene was pretty typical with a large crowd still visiting and feasting on the frozen delight.
He looked on with a bit of awe and said, "What is this place?" I think I just responded with a simple--"This is what you do in south St. Louis in the summertime."
Over on Mike's blog, Amanda asked the question, "What is frozen custard?" Wikipedia can explain it far better than I ever could so here is the Wiki-link for frozen custard. If you read down to the Notable Chains, you'll find Ted Drewe's as the third link or you can just click here for the Wiki-scoop on Ted Drewe's. There is usually one of St. Louis' finest around at night to make sure that the crowd doesn't stray too far into the street. I'm usually thinking that would be a great assignment for a beat cop! This location is on the Historic Route 66.
Chris and I have spent may nights visiting this location--both when we lived in St. Louis and now whenever we visit. We were here the night before Chris went to hospital to have labor induced for both of our kids and we have raised them up with the expectation of Ted Drewe's every time we're close to St. Louis. I'll be back at the end of the October.
John
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Happy Father's Day!
Yes, today I celebrated Father's Day. Our baseball outing was courtesy of Aaron by way of my Father's Day gift--tickets to a Cardinal baseball game. It was a beautiful day for a ball game and the Cardinals won big! And since I couldn't bear the thought of waiting a whole six months for another one of those grilled Kosher dogs with the grilled onions and 'kraut, I grabbed a second one in the seventh inning!
After the game, Aaron decided that it was best for him to get back to school instead of indulging in some frozen custard--something about a paper to write and some studying that he needed to do! So I was off to Ted Drewe's by myself to meet the curmudgeonly blogger Mike and his wife, Claudia.
It was really nice getting to meet a reader. I know that many of you have known me for some time. This is the first reader that I've met through blogging. I missed the opportunity to meet Bilbo last spring and would really enjoy traveling to meet Amanda.
Of course there are many others that I would enjoy traveling to see, part for the travel and part to get to meet the flesh and bones behind the creative writings that I've come to enjoy so much.
I brought a bit of the frozen custard home to Chris and Hannah. It was wrapped up with a chunk of dry ice and packed into a cooler that I brought along so that I could be a hero to my favorite girls. I skipped the half dozen White Castle double jalapeno cheeseburgers--but only because I had the second dog (and a second custard treat--small chocolate milkshake for the road) and because I know that I'll be back in St. Louis at the end of October and can indulge at the Castle then.
If good times are based on food, then this was an exceptional weekend. Lambert's Cafe with friends on Friday night, fish fry on Saturday night and ballpark fare with Ted Drewe's on Sunday! Wow!
I passed the time on the drive to St. Louis talking to my Mom and Dad. And on the way by talking with my younger sister and then a fellow magician that I always enjoy talking to and spending time with.
I hope that your weekend was as wonderful as mine!
John
After the game, Aaron decided that it was best for him to get back to school instead of indulging in some frozen custard--something about a paper to write and some studying that he needed to do! So I was off to Ted Drewe's by myself to meet the curmudgeonly blogger Mike and his wife, Claudia.
It was really nice getting to meet a reader. I know that many of you have known me for some time. This is the first reader that I've met through blogging. I missed the opportunity to meet Bilbo last spring and would really enjoy traveling to meet Amanda.
Of course there are many others that I would enjoy traveling to see, part for the travel and part to get to meet the flesh and bones behind the creative writings that I've come to enjoy so much.
I brought a bit of the frozen custard home to Chris and Hannah. It was wrapped up with a chunk of dry ice and packed into a cooler that I brought along so that I could be a hero to my favorite girls. I skipped the half dozen White Castle double jalapeno cheeseburgers--but only because I had the second dog (and a second custard treat--small chocolate milkshake for the road) and because I know that I'll be back in St. Louis at the end of October and can indulge at the Castle then.
If good times are based on food, then this was an exceptional weekend. Lambert's Cafe with friends on Friday night, fish fry on Saturday night and ballpark fare with Ted Drewe's on Sunday! Wow!
I passed the time on the drive to St. Louis talking to my Mom and Dad. And on the way by talking with my younger sister and then a fellow magician that I always enjoy talking to and spending time with.
I hope that your weekend was as wonderful as mine!
John
Man Stuff
Kudos to the men of the Ozark Prairie Baptist Association for the Men's and Boy's Fish Fry last night at the Main Street Baptist Church in Greenfield MO last night.
The food was great and I hope that everybody had the same great time that I did. I think that it is so important that men and boys have these types of get togethers. The Bible tells us that even as iron sharpens iron, so the countenance of one man sharpens another. We are better when we hold each other accountable.
While I'm on the subject of man stuff, here's something that I've been meaning to write about for a while now...man hugs. It use to be that a simple handshake was the customary greeting for men in the US. I know that different cultures greet each other differently and that a kiss on the cheek (or both cheeks) is normal in many cultures. But it's a little confusing when there are mixed acceptabilities in the same culture. Maybe I'm just not as friendly as I seem to be. I don't mind greeting a friend with a man hug and I certainly don't mind (I actually prefer) greeting a family member with a man hug. But too many acquaintances feel the need to hug when I think that a hand shake would do fine. I hate to think of myself as old fashioned or worse--curmudgeonly, but it would appear that I'm starting to fall into those catagories. Are men trying to be less confrontational and more sensative appearing by hugging? Have we quit being competitive in the manly way of nature? Is this something we do for ourselves or are we being softer for the women that are watching? Am I just over analyzing a change in generational greetings?
In the end, for close friends and family, hugs are good. For others, I'm always comfortable with the handshake and usually let the other guy initiate the man hug. It's not that they make me uncomfortable, I just never really know when it's appropriate.
Oh well. Today I'll greet Aaron with a hug...and that's definitely OK.
John
The food was great and I hope that everybody had the same great time that I did. I think that it is so important that men and boys have these types of get togethers. The Bible tells us that even as iron sharpens iron, so the countenance of one man sharpens another. We are better when we hold each other accountable.
While I'm on the subject of man stuff, here's something that I've been meaning to write about for a while now...man hugs. It use to be that a simple handshake was the customary greeting for men in the US. I know that different cultures greet each other differently and that a kiss on the cheek (or both cheeks) is normal in many cultures. But it's a little confusing when there are mixed acceptabilities in the same culture. Maybe I'm just not as friendly as I seem to be. I don't mind greeting a friend with a man hug and I certainly don't mind (I actually prefer) greeting a family member with a man hug. But too many acquaintances feel the need to hug when I think that a hand shake would do fine. I hate to think of myself as old fashioned or worse--curmudgeonly, but it would appear that I'm starting to fall into those catagories. Are men trying to be less confrontational and more sensative appearing by hugging? Have we quit being competitive in the manly way of nature? Is this something we do for ourselves or are we being softer for the women that are watching? Am I just over analyzing a change in generational greetings?
In the end, for close friends and family, hugs are good. For others, I'm always comfortable with the handshake and usually let the other guy initiate the man hug. It's not that they make me uncomfortable, I just never really know when it's appropriate.
Oh well. Today I'll greet Aaron with a hug...and that's definitely OK.
John
Friday, September 26, 2008
Writer's Block
It's not so much that I don't have plenty to say, it's more like I don't really feel like saying it. There just seems to be too much bad news to talk about. I don't know much about the economy or the mess that we've gotten into. I do know that I may have to work past the 3 years, 3months and 12 days when I'm eligible to retire now that the my retirement fund may be in the proverbial crapper.
My blogging friend at The FAA Follies puts the economic situation in terms that I can understand and relates to an industry very close to home--air traffic control.
So much for the depressing news.
On the bright side...
Tomorrow night I have my first magic show in some time. I'm looking forward to performing at a Men's and Boy's dinner at a nearby Association. On Sunday I'll meet Aaron in St. Louis for the Cardinals' season ender. I'll enjoy the grilled Kosher dog with grilled onions, 'kraut and mustard, and later meet Mike at Ted Drewe's for the world's finest frozen custard! I'll probably make a stop at White Castle on the way home. No worries about the economy for Sunday!
After mentioning hot dogs, frozen custard and White Castle's, it would seem like a poor time to introduce another one of my regular reads (along with FAA Follies)--Health Nut Wannabee Mom. Heidi always has some good info on what is good stuff to put into your body. Sorry about the junkfood intro, Heidi.
I've added both of these to my blogroll and encourage you to stop by or subscribe to them too.
John
My blogging friend at The FAA Follies puts the economic situation in terms that I can understand and relates to an industry very close to home--air traffic control.
So much for the depressing news.
On the bright side...
Tomorrow night I have my first magic show in some time. I'm looking forward to performing at a Men's and Boy's dinner at a nearby Association. On Sunday I'll meet Aaron in St. Louis for the Cardinals' season ender. I'll enjoy the grilled Kosher dog with grilled onions, 'kraut and mustard, and later meet Mike at Ted Drewe's for the world's finest frozen custard! I'll probably make a stop at White Castle on the way home. No worries about the economy for Sunday!
After mentioning hot dogs, frozen custard and White Castle's, it would seem like a poor time to introduce another one of my regular reads (along with FAA Follies)--Health Nut Wannabee Mom. Heidi always has some good info on what is good stuff to put into your body. Sorry about the junkfood intro, Heidi.
I've added both of these to my blogroll and encourage you to stop by or subscribe to them too.
John
Monday, September 22, 2008
Time Marches On
Today, September 22, 2008, the economy of the US is in a shambles and the government is using hundreds of billions of tax dollars (the only kind of dollars they have) to bail out the over extended financial institutions; gas prices continue to be high even though crude oil has dropped; hurricane victims in the south deal with where to live, how to live and what to do about everything that was lost; Bolivia is a country that is torn with civil unrest and violence; Haiti and Cuba are rebuilding from summer hurricanes; US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq are trying to help establish a more peaceful way of life in the Middle East; and slowly and quietly the Earth slips past the invisible plane that marks the Autumnal Equinox and in the Northern Hemisphere fall begins.
For many, the attitudes of fall began with the kids returning to school or with the first football game of the season. For some it won't feel like fall until baseball begins post-season play or the first leaves start turning to brilliant colors. No matter, time marches on.
Time pays little attention to the matters of the world. It just continues its endless cycle as the Earth spins on its axis and orbits around its Sun. It's true for many of us, too. The big picture is just too much for us to think about in our own day-to-day grind. We'll do pretty much the same thing this Monday that we did last Monday and next week we'll do the same thing again. We'll shake our heads at world events and go on about our business. We are in as predictable a pattern as the Summer Solstice followed by the Autumnal Equinox...and time marches on.
It's easy to convince ourselves that we can't make a difference in the whole world picture. While that may be true, we can make a difference in our little corner of the picture. What if everyone reading this (all 12 of you) decided that today--just today--we'll go out of our way to do something nice for somebody that we don't know. Twelve people would get an unexpected blessing! Maybe you'd want to share this with another person or maybe that blessed person would do something for somebody--we could start a revolution of kindness. If time is going to carry us along in its continuing march, we may as well march along with a smile on our face, a song on our lips and kindness in our hearts.
Have a great day. I have to find somebody to assault with kindness!
John
For many, the attitudes of fall began with the kids returning to school or with the first football game of the season. For some it won't feel like fall until baseball begins post-season play or the first leaves start turning to brilliant colors. No matter, time marches on.
Time pays little attention to the matters of the world. It just continues its endless cycle as the Earth spins on its axis and orbits around its Sun. It's true for many of us, too. The big picture is just too much for us to think about in our own day-to-day grind. We'll do pretty much the same thing this Monday that we did last Monday and next week we'll do the same thing again. We'll shake our heads at world events and go on about our business. We are in as predictable a pattern as the Summer Solstice followed by the Autumnal Equinox...and time marches on.
It's easy to convince ourselves that we can't make a difference in the whole world picture. While that may be true, we can make a difference in our little corner of the picture. What if everyone reading this (all 12 of you) decided that today--just today--we'll go out of our way to do something nice for somebody that we don't know. Twelve people would get an unexpected blessing! Maybe you'd want to share this with another person or maybe that blessed person would do something for somebody--we could start a revolution of kindness. If time is going to carry us along in its continuing march, we may as well march along with a smile on our face, a song on our lips and kindness in our hearts.
Have a great day. I have to find somebody to assault with kindness!
John
Saturday, September 20, 2008
CUBS Win!!!
Congratulations to the Chicago Cubs and all of the Cub fans.
For the first time in a hundred years the Cubs make it into back to back post-seasons. A World Championship has evaded the North-siders for the same 100 years. Wrigley Field has never seen a World Series Winner. My son's favorite question to ask after the 2006 season was (and still is):
What's the difference between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals?
The Cardinals have won a World Series in their new stadium!
We'll have to see if he's still asking that question at the end of October.
John
For the first time in a hundred years the Cubs make it into back to back post-seasons. A World Championship has evaded the North-siders for the same 100 years. Wrigley Field has never seen a World Series Winner. My son's favorite question to ask after the 2006 season was (and still is):
What's the difference between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals?
The Cardinals have won a World Series in their new stadium!
We'll have to see if he's still asking that question at the end of October.
John
Friday, September 19, 2008
Not so Gracious
I was disappointed when I went to an online dictionary with the word gracious. The thing that disappointed me was there wasn't a definition that said "full of grace." As a matter of fact, the word grace didn't appear anywhere in the definition of gracious. Not full of grace, not having grace, not even from grace. Apparently you don't need to have grace to be gracious.
So what is up with "grace?"
I just finished reading the book What's So Amazing About Grace by Philip Yancy. I have to say that sadly I agree with most of Yancy's commentary about the rampant ungrace among Christians today. If you are a Christian or a non-believer that has been treated badly or judged by me or one of my fellow believers, I can only ask for your grace and forgiveness--even though you may not have received that from us.
The book is a real eye opener to the value that God has given to us. In spite of the fact that we are so unworthy of His attention and love, He has chosen to love us anyway. Even though we are mean and self centered, He forgives us, loves us--and we still are self centered! We only think of the grace that has been given to us and rarely make the effort to bestow grace freely on others. Yancy reminds us that when we show grace to others, it demonstrates our love for God.
My favorite quote from the book is:
"There is nothing we can do to make God love us more.
There is nothing we can do to make God love us less."
God's love for us is completely unconditional. One might ask, "If I can't do anything to make God love me less, then why wouldn't I just do whatever I want? Right or wrong, God will love me the same. Right?"
The short answer is--That's right. The problem is that it's the wrong question. We don't do the right thing to change how God loves us; we do the right thing to show how we love God. If you don't love God, then I guess it doesn't matter if you try to obey Him. However, Jesus tells us, "If you love me, you will obey me."
Now the question is--Do we have a problem with obedience or is it a problem of love? Perhaps we have so undervalued the grace of God that we haven't taken the time to study His commands and so we don't know what we are to obey. I'd have to say that's a pretty weak excuse--and a love problem. For myself, I'm going to have to start being more gracious. Hopefully that will help me to demonstrate that I love my God and will help others to see that my God loves them.
John
By the way, if you feel like wasting away the better part of an hour, you can go here to hear my sermon from last Sunday.
So what is up with "grace?"
I just finished reading the book What's So Amazing About Grace by Philip Yancy. I have to say that sadly I agree with most of Yancy's commentary about the rampant ungrace among Christians today. If you are a Christian or a non-believer that has been treated badly or judged by me or one of my fellow believers, I can only ask for your grace and forgiveness--even though you may not have received that from us.
The book is a real eye opener to the value that God has given to us. In spite of the fact that we are so unworthy of His attention and love, He has chosen to love us anyway. Even though we are mean and self centered, He forgives us, loves us--and we still are self centered! We only think of the grace that has been given to us and rarely make the effort to bestow grace freely on others. Yancy reminds us that when we show grace to others, it demonstrates our love for God.
My favorite quote from the book is:
"There is nothing we can do to make God love us more.
There is nothing we can do to make God love us less."
God's love for us is completely unconditional. One might ask, "If I can't do anything to make God love me less, then why wouldn't I just do whatever I want? Right or wrong, God will love me the same. Right?"
The short answer is--That's right. The problem is that it's the wrong question. We don't do the right thing to change how God loves us; we do the right thing to show how we love God. If you don't love God, then I guess it doesn't matter if you try to obey Him. However, Jesus tells us, "If you love me, you will obey me."
Now the question is--Do we have a problem with obedience or is it a problem of love? Perhaps we have so undervalued the grace of God that we haven't taken the time to study His commands and so we don't know what we are to obey. I'd have to say that's a pretty weak excuse--and a love problem. For myself, I'm going to have to start being more gracious. Hopefully that will help me to demonstrate that I love my God and will help others to see that my God loves them.
John
By the way, if you feel like wasting away the better part of an hour, you can go here to hear my sermon from last Sunday.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Procrastinating Again (Still)
Well it doesn't seem like it's been a whole week since I've posted, but I was reminded at lunch today that it had been a while. Even when I'm not posting daily (which is most of the time), I am keeping up with my reading.
Last Saturday I went to a meeting of the Ozarks Chapter of the American Christian Writers. It is an organization of writers that are Christians. I was pleased to find members that have published books, members that have had magazine articles published and members that would like to be published. The group is organized to help writers achieve those goals. There are poets, fiction writers, and more that are willing to share their experiences and expertise with the novices like me. I hope to attend more of their meetings and perhaps get back to the idea of writing a book. In the future, I think that Hannah would enjoy the group and will invite her to come with me.
Sunday morning I taught a class at Hopedale during the Sunday School hour then made the 35 mile drive to Branson to preach at a friend's church--Cross Creek Community Church. They do podcast Pastor Chris' sermons so if they put Sunday morning's message up, I'll let you know.
I have several things that are on my mind to write about but I am too lazy (or at least unmotivated) to do the proper research to make a good post. I think I'll just procrastinate until I either do the research or I no longer feel like posting about those things.
Speaking of procrastination, I will invite you to check out the long awaited but still under construction site of the Fellowship of Missouri Baptist Evangelists. Kudos to Ron Howard for putting an end to our mutual bad habit of procrastinating and getting this project taken care of.
Later,
John
Last Saturday I went to a meeting of the Ozarks Chapter of the American Christian Writers. It is an organization of writers that are Christians. I was pleased to find members that have published books, members that have had magazine articles published and members that would like to be published. The group is organized to help writers achieve those goals. There are poets, fiction writers, and more that are willing to share their experiences and expertise with the novices like me. I hope to attend more of their meetings and perhaps get back to the idea of writing a book. In the future, I think that Hannah would enjoy the group and will invite her to come with me.
Sunday morning I taught a class at Hopedale during the Sunday School hour then made the 35 mile drive to Branson to preach at a friend's church--Cross Creek Community Church. They do podcast Pastor Chris' sermons so if they put Sunday morning's message up, I'll let you know.
I have several things that are on my mind to write about but I am too lazy (or at least unmotivated) to do the proper research to make a good post. I think I'll just procrastinate until I either do the research or I no longer feel like posting about those things.
Speaking of procrastination, I will invite you to check out the long awaited but still under construction site of the Fellowship of Missouri Baptist Evangelists. Kudos to Ron Howard for putting an end to our mutual bad habit of procrastinating and getting this project taken care of.
Later,
John
Thursday, September 11, 2008
A Refreshing Interview
Today I had the opportunity to talk to a young couple about their future wedding plans. The meeting provided an opportunity for us to get to know each other as it was our first meeting. They were looking for a minister to perform the ceremony and were referred to our church which referred them to me.
To date, I've only done one wedding ceremony. I don't know how much that will matter to them. After talking and having lunch, I would be honored to be a part of their wedding day. They are high school sweethearts that have waited until graduating from college to get married. They appear to be very community minded and seem to have priorities in order. They have already started some pre-marital counseling (which is great because I wouldn't be qualified to help them). The bride will continue with post-graduate work while the groom gets busy making a living and helping to keep his new wife in school. All-in-all, they seem like a great match.
I called the groom from the only ceremony that I've performed. I don't know if referrals or recommendations for weddings are appropriate or not, but I figured that it couldn't hurt. That was a fun wedding and Key West provided some interesting stories, as well (not to mention some great Key Lime pie, too--right, Chad?) Tom and Jill are still doing well and have two beautiful little boys. Unfortunately, they are raising them to be Atlanta Braves' fans. In spite of that, they are still one of my favorite couples! (I'm working for that good recommendation--can you tell?)
The young lady reminded me of Chris a little--the organizer, take charge person, strong personality, great smile, friendly and energetic, smart and on top of all of that--pretty, too. The young man will have his hands full...and ought to enjoy every moment of it (well almost every moment).
Some days you get to have those moments or incidents that really pick you up for the rest of the day. My hour with this young couple was one of those. Young love is a very beautiful thing. It reminds me that I need to be more attentive to my own marriage; that Chris would enjoy the attentions and spontaneous acts of love that young guys do for their girls. It's probably overstated that the wedding is just a moment and the marriage is a lifetime, but it is so true. It appears that this young couple is planning for both to be quite memorable.
I don't know if they will stop by and read this or not. In any case, I'm grateful for the wonderful day that they helped to make!
John
Sure beats blogging about politics!
To date, I've only done one wedding ceremony. I don't know how much that will matter to them. After talking and having lunch, I would be honored to be a part of their wedding day. They are high school sweethearts that have waited until graduating from college to get married. They appear to be very community minded and seem to have priorities in order. They have already started some pre-marital counseling (which is great because I wouldn't be qualified to help them). The bride will continue with post-graduate work while the groom gets busy making a living and helping to keep his new wife in school. All-in-all, they seem like a great match.
I called the groom from the only ceremony that I've performed. I don't know if referrals or recommendations for weddings are appropriate or not, but I figured that it couldn't hurt. That was a fun wedding and Key West provided some interesting stories, as well (not to mention some great Key Lime pie, too--right, Chad?) Tom and Jill are still doing well and have two beautiful little boys. Unfortunately, they are raising them to be Atlanta Braves' fans. In spite of that, they are still one of my favorite couples! (I'm working for that good recommendation--can you tell?)
The young lady reminded me of Chris a little--the organizer, take charge person, strong personality, great smile, friendly and energetic, smart and on top of all of that--pretty, too. The young man will have his hands full...and ought to enjoy every moment of it (well almost every moment).
Some days you get to have those moments or incidents that really pick you up for the rest of the day. My hour with this young couple was one of those. Young love is a very beautiful thing. It reminds me that I need to be more attentive to my own marriage; that Chris would enjoy the attentions and spontaneous acts of love that young guys do for their girls. It's probably overstated that the wedding is just a moment and the marriage is a lifetime, but it is so true. It appears that this young couple is planning for both to be quite memorable.
I don't know if they will stop by and read this or not. In any case, I'm grateful for the wonderful day that they helped to make!
John
Sure beats blogging about politics!
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