The gods have come down to us...

Is there any use for religion anymore?

As science continues to provide more and more sophisticated explanations for how the world works, there is less and less need to attribute the unexplainable to the gods. Whatever is unexplainable today will likely become an educated hypothesis deducted through rigorous tests using the scientific method. With the astounding knowledge we've gained through science about the earth and our universe, religion is left looking useless and archaic. When it comes to understanding our world better, is religion useful?

It's really interesting to note what the apostles Barnabas and Paul do when local villagers steeped in paganism shout praises to Zeus and Hermes. Somehow, someway, Paul had the ability to heal people. We don't know how he did it, but the stories pile up of his turning lame people into fully alive people. When Barnabas and Paul come to the steep region of Lystra, they heal a lame man who'd been begging at the city gates. Everyone in town knew this guy, and most of the respectable people in town saw the miracle. Their conclusion - their explanation for this unbelievable event? "The gods have come down to us!"

Barnabas and Paul forcefully deny that they are the ancient gods Zeus and Hermes. In fact, the apostles came to town to present good news: the gods of your religion are dead. All the gods of all religions are dead. They have no power, they have no influence, they have no ability. Your religions are dead. But there is one God who is alive, who is good, who cares about you, and he is announcing his new work in the world. In a sense, Barnabas and Paul have come to undermine religion. There is no need to resort to Zeus and Hermes anymore.

As Paul shouts over the mayhem - the local priest of Zeus was parading a bull down mainstreet for the festive sacrifice to honor the miracle - he insists that the God of Israel was the one responsible for all that is good in life. Here's what's interesting: Paul points out that YHWH has purposefully left himself unnoticed for generations and generations. YHWH is invisible, yet he has left some clues to his existence. What are the clues? Just the right amount of rain at the right time, a harvest that provides just enough for everyone through the lean times, a full belly, a happy heart. When you have those four precious things, those are clues of a God you've never met or seen or heard about.

Isn't that odd?

What kind of God is this that he's introducing? An invisible one who leaves scarce clues? Paul will go on to share with the pagans that through Jesus God has come to earth to introduce himself. A God has come down to us... and he's not like anything the old pagans would have come up with. The resurrection of Jesus was the linchpin - it was the one key event that linked Jesus with God, and it was the one event that captured everyone's attention: death was not the final word.

Jesus revealed a God who has chosen to forgive the sins of a world he loves - this is a radical departure from the pagan religions of the ancient world. Paul was introducing a new kind of God that no one had ever imagined - Paul was not introducing a new religion, but a new way of dealing with reality. Death and despair are part of our reality, but the resurrection of Jesus fuels hope for in the face of death and and everpresent despair.

Science is a powerful ally in discerning reality. But Jesus, more than faith in science, is a powerful ally in discerning how to live wisely in this world. Science can't reveal to us what is truth, what is good, what is right, what is noble, what is pure. It comes from somewhere else. In Jesus we get the announcement that God who is the creative force behind our existence wants our life to be marked by forgiveness of sins, works of reconciliation, generosity to the overlooked, diligence that produces beauty, community that lifts each other up. This stuff is beyond the realm of science. Science can explain, but it can't guide.

God has left a lot of his methods and actions unexplained. But he's promised to guide. Leave behind your Zeus and Hermes. Accept what is good in life as a gift, a gift from God to you. Seek better explanations for why the world operates as it does. Look to Jesus as a guide for how to love and serve and lead and heal.

Summer Reading 2010

Reading is good. Reading in the summer by the lake is really good. Reading good books is even better. Here's a list of some of the books I've read while relaxing at the lake - either I started them, or finished them, or started and finished them. Be sure to let me know what you've been reading, maybe I'll give your book a try.

Redemption, by Leon Uris
My mom really likes WW2 stories. So I've read my share of them, influenced by mom's interests. But I also grew interested in WW1 stories. WW1 was the reason we had a WW2. Uris sets up his massive novel about the struggle for Irish independence from British tyranny to also retell the Battle of Gallapoli - an infamous tragedy of that first world war. Oh how history messes with my preconceived notions about why the world is the way it is today. Life is just so much more complicated then we want it to be. Redemption is easy to read, the story flows smoothly, but watch out - your heart will break and your brain will ache.

Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2, by Steve Stockman
As a fan of U2, I was intrigued by this book. The spiritual nature of U2's lyrics is obvious, and they've been a source of inspiration and strength to me. The book delves into the stories and events thoughts behind the songs and spirituality of U2, of Bono, The Edge, Larry and Adam. If you have been influenced by U2, you'll be inspired by the stuff that Stockman writes about the band. If you are interested to learn more about how to be a Christian who impacts culture, read this book.

The Blind Side, by Michael Lewis
A fascinating exploration of how football evolved around the role of the quarterback and the need to protect his blindside. The story focuses on how a really rich Christian businesswoman finds a poor, abandoned boy who turns out to be a genius at left tackle. The sociological observations, the role of religion and sports and wealth and love in our culture, all makes for a thought-provoking book.

To Tame A Land, by Louis L'Amour
I've been a L'Amour fan since middle school. I've got a ton of his books, and I found one at my folks place I'd never read before. About a boy whose riding west with his pa, his ma had died out east. His pa dies, he's abandoned, and then a man takes him under his wing for awhile. The boy grows up, becomes a marshall in a town overrun by corruption. Come to find out, the man who'd mentored him all those years ago is the one instigating the corruption. Whoops, I gave away the climax of the story.

The Lessons of History, by Will and Ariel Durant
I read these chapters: History and the Earth, Biology and History, Race and History, Character and History, Morals and History, Religion and History, Economics and History. I suppose I got about half way through the book. Fascinating, fascinating points of view on how the world works, why things are today the way they are, and some thoughts on what to do next. Written about forty years ago, it's still a pertinent read for today.  The Durants patiently explain how the geology of the land predetermines so much about what can happen to that community or country. The racial issue, as contentious as ever, gets an evenhanded exploration - which is a cause for discomfort. The role of morals and religion - he comes across a bit jaded, but then he's a student of history and not an idealist. Economics is everything today, and what Durants have to say about capitalism and all the other alternatives should be put in the hands of everyday citizens.

Tolkien: Man and Myth, by Joseph Pearce
The Lord of the Rings was pretty much the only thing I read through middle school and high school. Of course I did read lots of other stuff, but every year I'd read through the Trilogy, sometimes twice a year. As familiar as I am with the story, I'm also intrigued by the author. I'm a few chapters into the biography, and it's been a rewarding experience. Tolkien was a strong Roman Catholic, I've learned more about how his theology shaped his story. He also was a gifted story teller who also understood the role of myth in communicating great truths to society. Which is why his trilogy is still so popular. His ideas on myth apply to the writings of Scripture also; Tolkien's contributions are challenging me in deep ways.

The Bible According to Mark Twain: Irreverent Writings on Eden, Heaven, and the Flood by America's Master Satirist, edited by Howard G. Baetzhold and Joseph B. McCullough
Not everything in this collection is easy to read, but what Twain pens about Eden in particular is both profound, hilarious, and disturbing. He has thought about the first stories of Genesis much more deeply and thoroughly than pretty much any Christian I know. Twain is not to be dismissed. There is much to be gleaned from his writings. He and I come at Jesus from different perspectives, but we both care about people and how He gets presented.

Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community, by Wendell Berry
If there was ever anyone who soaked up the Gospels and then explained how modern society got into our mess, Berry is the master teacher. Not only does he clearly show how the mess was made, he makes a compelling case for what a renewed society could look like. The diagnosis is severe, and the remedy is costly, but the alternatives are cancerous. Berry's observations make me angry and frustrated - he's able to put into words what I see around me, he makes sense to me. But am I courageous enough to make the changes I want to see in the world, changes that Berry charts out, changes I know I ought to do?

America, Freedom, Religion

Should New York City allow American Muslims to build a community center near the 9/11 site?

First: should Muslims be allowed to build a mosque anywhere in America?
Second: should Muslims be allowed to build a mosque just as freely as Christians are allowed to build churches?
Third: should Christians be concerned or scared that Muslims are building mosques in prominent sites in America?
Fourth: Should New York City allow American Muslims to build a mosque and community center anywhere in the city?

Is the resistance to a Islamic community center and mosque mostly about the location or is it about something else? Are all Muslims the same? The Muslims who hijacked the planes on 9/11 are of a particular brand of Islam. Are all Christians the same? The Christian priests who molested boys - do they represent what is true of all ministers of the gospel?

Here are some interesting links from the New York Times on the issue that I strongly urge you to read before you pass judgment on my post or my questions (remember, this is a blog about asking questions).

Mayor Michael Bloomberg's support.

President Barack Obama's support.

And some other links, about a mosque, about judging people wrongly, about identity.

As a Christian, I am not threatened by the Islamic religion. In America, where religion has been enveloped by competition - the stronger Islam gets, the stronger Christianity gets. As an American, I am not threatened by the Islamic religion. America is America because we are the land of the free - and one of the major pillars of that freedom is religious freedom. We are free to worship as we choose, with no government interference. That's a really, really, really big deal.

The government should not intervene to prop up Christianity, to protect it or give it extra advantages, and neither should it be used to prop up or put down any other favored religion. American Christians who do missionary work in the Arab nations are frustrated by the government suppression of non-Islamic religions. Should we respond in kind?

If Muslims in America become violent, they should be arrested and given due process of law. Same thing if any other religious citizen was violent due to the interpreted teachings or supposed requirements of the faith. As America continues to allow Muslim citizens to flourish, we will also require them to be non-violent. Freedom in religion does not include freedom to murder.

Christians are to avoid just as much violence as we require of Muslims. And if we want a new kind of Islam to blossom, letting it bloom in America may be a wise course of action. Islam will not go away if we suppress it in America. Islam has used violence in its past to increase its power. So has Christianity. If both faiths are willing to trade swords for plowshares, maybe the fields of America and the gardens of Ground Zero are the right place to do it.

Anne Rice & Rejecting Religion

If you've heard of Anne Rice, you've maybe heard that she has turned away from organized religion. She's not the first person to do this, nor will she be the last. For obvious reasons, though, her choice has capture the attention of many. If you go to her Facebook page you will find dozens and dozens of links that Anne Rice has posted - blog links, news-articles, TV interviews and other sources that comment on her decision to denounce her involvement with the Church.

I'm intrigued, as a pastor, by her choice. I've read several of her Vampire novels, and I read her Christ the Lord stories. Her provocative writing and subversive ideas fascinated and challenged me. It helped me understand where many people come from when they see the darkness of the world, a world void of God. I've never lived in that world, but she has, and she helped me empathize with those that have walked in that same valley of shadows.

When she announced twelve years ago her return to the Roman Catholic Church, of her embrace of the Lordship of Christ Jesus, of her renewed life with God, it was met with much rejoicing. A very interesting turn of events. But her encounters with the institution of the Roman Catholic Church, and her observations of the Christian denominations at work in the world caused her unbearable concern.

An intelligent woman who thoroughly researched the best and latest scholarship on the historicity of Jesus, as well as the theology of her childhood, she entered into the Faith aware. But the reality of the hierarchial Church and its pronouncements on social, political, cultural, scientific issues produced distress. She failed to make the connections between the teachings of Christ and the public announcements made by the Roman Catholic Church.

Many of the blogs and other articles have commented on her reasons for leaving, and have focused on the pros and cons of being in or out of a formal church community. I've read lots of articles, and I've not found many which focused on the actual issues that prompted her to walk away from religion. She's deeply loyal to Jesus Christ, but she can't in good conscience stay in the community. The point isn't really about whether she should or should not stay in the community. The more pertinent point is: how can the Church more wisely engage the world a public way about social, scientific, cultural, political, national, and global issues.

Anne Rice explained what the last straws were for her in rejecting religion while clinging to Christ - and it hinges on the failure of institutional Church leaders to wisely apply in her opinion the teachings of Jesus to the very modern and very complex dilemmas of our age. Anne Rice does not see the world the same way as the official Roman Catholic Church. She can't in good conscience support their conclusions about how the Church ought to respond to the AIDS epidemic, the role of women in religion, the rights of gays, the morality of birth control, etc. Anne Rice has articulated an informed response. Maybe she is very wrong. Maybe she is close to right.

What I like about Anne Rice's perspective is her insistence on the primacy of the teachings of Christ. It is her loyalty to Jesus that has instigated her rejection of organized Christianity. It is controversial. Let's face it, the Church and Science ought to improve their collaboration when it comes to health, the environment, technology, and explanations of how the world works. There is still a greater need for the Church and Society to enrich each other when it comes to morals, ethics, values, politics, art, the economy, community development, and war. Anne Rice is convinced that the Church can do better, and the path leads through the primacy of Christ's teachings itself. Not the primacy of the Pope. Nor the primacy of Protestant power-brokers.

The world is in darkness. Christ comes as the light. The Church - the institution and the vast number of individuals - needs men and women to critique it, to insist on less darkness, more Christ-light. As cultures continue to evolve, the Church must also labor relentlessly to minister in the age that it exists. The controversies will never end over the role of the Scriptures in shaping the decisions of the Church within society. Interpretation of the Scriptures is a vital task, and the conclusions we draw are never final. The more robust the discussion, the more vital the results. Maybe Anne Rice's public defection will further a wiser, more fruitful ministry of the Church in the world's third millennium since the resurrection of Christ.

Keep Leading Where You Are

Everybody has an opportunity to be a leader everyday. If you are in any kind of relationship, you are presented with multiple points where you need to influence the other person. To influence on purpose is to lead. Most people don't think of themselves as leaders. But if you become intentional with your life and continue to influence your family, friends, coworkers, neighbors for good, you are doing leadership stuff. So, the challenge: lead where you are.

Last Thursday and Friday I participated in The Global Leadership Summit. It's a gathering of top-notch leaders from across the nation and the world. Leaders who lead in the real world, who are intellectually challenging, are results-oriented, focused on the long haul. These are leaders who care and who are willing to work hard for the people in their life. 

Maybe you'd like to become better at leading where you are? Here's some of the notes I took from the two-day event - you'll likely find something here that is helpful. If it is, be sure to pass it on.

Jeff Mannion

The ancient Israelites found themselves in The Land Between, having left Egypt as they headed for the Promised Land. We find ourselves in The Land Between when we use the phrase, "For Now...".

The Land Between is fertile ground for complaints and emotional meltdown. We think we were better off before. We dare to think that maybe we were better off without God.

But God provides in The Land Between. 

Do you reject the Lord when you wail?

The Land Between is fertile ground for the Lord's discipline and for transformational growth.

Love includes timely and appropriate discipline for a redemptive purpose.

The Land Between is that place where people of slavery become the people of God, by trusting Him each step of the way for what we need, for hope, for life.

The Land Between is also the place where faith goes out to die.

Complaints resist eviction from the heart. Invite Trust in to replace Complaints.

That place in your life you resent and hate, it is the space where God grows and produces the greatest gifts we most desire and need.

Terri Kelly

The founder of the company cared very much about the kind of organization he was creating, he wanted people who would collaborate together.

Consider the power of small teams in problem-solving together.

* people do not feel like a number

* everyone wants everyone else to succeed

* decision-points flow to has the best knowledge about the situation

We don't tell people what to do, we influence them in a desired direction - but they must want to do it. 

Have clear core values:

Belief that the individual can make a big contribution

Power of small teams

All in the same boat

Take a long-term view.

If you have an idea, how passionate are you about it? Will you help others buy into it?

Leaders explain ideas and help others understand decisions.

As CEO, take core values and help them adapt to today's fast changing culture; keep developing leaders, keep direction focused on the big picture.

Daniel Pink

Human motivation has three basic drives:

Biological Drive for hunger, warmth, sex, shelter

Reward/Punishment Drive

What I'm Interested In Drive

It is not humane to rely on on the first two drives when seeking to motivate those you work with.

The Reward/Punishment Drive is effective when the tasks are manual labor, mechanically oriented. It is least effective when the tasks require cognitive problem-solving and mental work of creativity.

If you begin with the wrong assumptions, you'll draw the wrong conclusions. If you believe that people are machines, or if you believe that people are blobs, you'll fail to properly motivate them. What you believe about people shapes what you can motivate them to accomplish.

Three Enduring Motivators:

Autonomy

Mastery

Purpose

Management is a technology from the 1850's designed to get compliance from people. What we really want from our coworkers is engagement. Enforcement of compliance: time, teammembers, tasks, techniques does not bring out the best in people. Come to agreement on what needs to be accomplished, and then let your fantastic people figure out for themselves when, with who, how it will get done.

Making progress is the highest source of motivation. Give people a big challenge, but then also give them ways to make progress. Give feedback. Clarify next right steps.

Profit is certainly a motive, but it is not enough. The purpose motive is more enduring. 

Jack Welch

Authenticity: Be yourself. Don't misportray yourself. Be comfortable in your own shoes. Be someone who can be counted on. Avoid persona's.

Energy: energize people, bring them on board, get people onto the same page. Feel the vision. Accept that you don't always know what to expect. Raise the intelligence bar in the room by drawing out knowledge from those in the room. 

Candor: you need to get people to put on the table what they really think and feel.

Non-profit doesn't have to mean nonperformance.

Have the confidence to make the decision when you know you are right.

Don't ever, ever give up on a person.

T.D. Jakes

Passion drives the best work.

People don't come to follow you, they come to follow Jesus. But they get stuck with you.

Passion poured out comes from passion poured in.

You can't be clones when it comes to passion.

Make sure your passion doesn't get diluted or polluted.

You need to know and feel that what you are part of is bigger, more important that yourself.

Ask people to stretch for what is reach of them, when you overwhelm them, you lose them.

It is easier to see the gifts in others than to see it in yourself.

Help people deliver what you promised.

Passion is: intensity, will, desire, and inspiration.

There are two kinds of leaders: builders and bankers. 

Builders get something started, Bankers keep it going. Both kinds of leaders need each other.

Confidants are those people who are for you.

Constituents are those people who are for what you are for.

Comrades are those people who are against what you are against.

For a leader and the followers (confidants, constituents, comrades), the followers go in the flow of the leader - who the leader is becoming will shape them.

You work best with people that you can read, who share the same spirit, the same big heart.

Lead Where You Are - In the Afternoon

Everybody has an opportunity to be a leader everyday. If you are in any kind of relationship, you are presented with multiple points where you need to influence the other person. To influence on purpose is to lead. Most people don't think of themselves as leaders. But if you become intentional with your life and continue to influence your family, friends, coworkers, neighbors for good, you are doing leadership stuff. So, the challenge: lead where you are.

Last Thursday and Friday I participated in The Global Leadership Summit. It's a gathering of top-notch leaders from across the nation and the world. Leaders who lead in the real world, who are intellectually challenging, are results-oriented, focused on the long haul. These are leaders who care and who are willing to work hard for the people in their life. 

Maybe you'd like to become better at leading where you are? Here's some of the notes I took from the two-day event - you'll likely find something here that is helpful. If it is, be sure to pass it on.

Tony Dungy

The goal of a teacher: help your students get an A.

The goal of a coach: help your players get better.

The goal of a leader: help those you lead get better in what they do.

Stubbornness is a virtue if you are right.

Be efficient with your time, don't waste it. Do great work, and then go home. 

Don't mistake long hours for productivity.

To mentor is to show what you are doing.

First: be willing and available to mentor others.

Second: who do you admire? ask them questions. Read books by who you respect. 

Relationships are about trust, about being able to speak into the life of another.

Who can you mentor? Look around. Young people are always in need of someone to speak into their life, if you are willing to build the trust. 

Consider the power of fathers and mothers as mentors. 

Jesus it the master mentor, for those that can respect his ways.

Adam Hamilton

Ways to Resist Temptation

1: Remember who you are.

2: Recognize the consequences of your actions.

3: Rededicate yourself to God.

4: Reveal your struggle to a trusted friend.

5. Remove yourself from the situation.

Say no to the moment of the maybe.

In marriage, a husband and wife will continually fall in and out of love. You won't always feel in love. 

All of us are tempted as human beings.

* There are always consequences for sinning.

* There can be grace and restoration and renewal.

* No one is beyond redemption.

* Better to resist the temptation than to wreck what is good.

Andy Stanley

Myth: all problems can be solved, all tensions can be resolved.

Reality: leverage unsolvable problems, use unresolvable tension for progress.

In a marriage, the tension between time at work and time with family cannot be eliminated, only managed.

In a church, the problems between taking care of those already there and reaching out to those not yet there - the problems will not go away, they are to managed.

If two people hold valid opinions on two different sides of the issue, you have tension that will not go away, you have a problem that needs to be managed. 

Lead Where You Are - In the Morning

Everybody has an opportunity to be a leader everyday. If you are in any kind of relationship, you are presented with multiple points where you need to influence the other person. To influence on purpose is to lead. Most people don't think of themselves as leaders. But if you become intentional with your life and continue to influence your family, friends, coworkers, neighbors for good, you are doing leadership stuff. So, the challenge: lead where you are.

Last Thursday and Friday I participated in The Global Leadership Summit. It's a gathering of top-notch leaders from across the nation and the world. Leaders who lead in the real world, who are intellectually challenging, are results-oriented, focused on the long haul. These are leaders who care and who are willing to work hard for the people in their life. 

Maybe you'd like to become better at leading where you are? Here's some of the notes I took from the two-day event - you'll likely find something here that is helpful. If it is, be sure to pass it on.

Bill Hybels

Leaders move people from HERE to THERE.

An important key in moving people from HERE to THERE includes a clear vision of what THERE will look like. But even more important is a clear case for why we can't stay HERE any longer (this is the first task in influencing people in a particular direction).

As a leader who is a Christian in the Church: first discern what is breaking God's heart, then join Him in the that work.

You can't lead alone in the Church; seek to develop and attract fantastic people who will collaborate with you and others to get people from HERE to THERE.

When adding people to the team, look first for Character, then Competency, then Chemistry, then Culture.

When influencing people from HERE to THERE, be sure to celebrate key steps along the way, note the milemarkers - it's the middle of the journey that is the hardest, so sustain hope, lift up the vision, affirm the direction.

When influencing people from HERE to THERE, be sure to listen to whispers from God about what to do next. The journey is never in a straight line, life happens along the way, and there will always be moments when God speaks at just the right time. His prompts will save us from boredom, they will also save us from self-destruction.

The Spirit of God will prompt next steps, he will prompt ideas, he will prompt whole movements; he prompts often with short phrases, simple words. Don't blow off the whisper, listen, reduce the noise around you, trust him.

Jim Collins

Be of great use to do great work. 

Good is the enemy of the great.

Greatness is not a matter of circumstance, but a matter of conscience and discipline.

Great enterprises fall from great to good to mediocre to bad to irrelevant to gone.

Anyone can fall, many do, but not all.

Great leaders understand that it is not about them, and they never, ever give up on what is right. They do whatever it takes, they make the right decisions, are humble about it, yet intensely focused. They are ambitious for the success of the group.

Bad decisions done with good intentions and noble purposes are still bad decisions.

Optimists die of broken-hearts. Never confuse faith and facts.

Greatness is a cumulative process, never the result of one moment, one event, never a surprise.

Execute growth with competency and with fantastic people. Resist growth until the right people are available to do it.

Preserve the core AND Stimulate progress.

Be Ambitious AND Be Humble.

Have Faith AND Accept Facts.

Christine Caine

Lots of dark hopelessness in every neighborhood and in all nations.

This is our time, our generation: what are going to do about what is going on in our world on our watch?

Do we lead from a place of hope?

The truth will set you free - Jesus is still in the business of healing broken lives.

Think of the one, not the million.

People will let you down, and circumstances won't work out, but Jesus is always an Anchor for our life.

Hope compels us to go as a little bit of light into great darkness. All it takes is a little light. Go find some darkness.

Pray for change, and then work to answer your prayer.

Oh Toronto!

When we began planning the Canada 2010 trip, a highlight for me was going to be the Toronto Blue Jays game on Sunday June 27th. I was looking forward to taking my daughter and sons to their first MLB game! But then the G20 Summit came to town and the game got moved to Philadelphia. That was the bad news. The good news was that we got a full refund and then vouchers for a free game! This prompted some more planning, which resulted in a second trip to Canada the next week.

Wednesday morning of last week we headed out of town via Meijers. Tara came up with the ingenious plan of headphones for each kid so they could watch movies without having the parents ears go deaf. We needed one more pair for Eli. We headed through downtown Fort Wayne and promptly got lost on the east side of town trying to find 24. We ended up on 30.

Trying to cut across proved tricky. We began to get concerned about our ability to get across the border if we couldn't get out of our hometown. Eventually we found the old 24 which led us to the new 24, which took us to the old 24. We slowly made our way through the south side of Toledo and headed east for Cleveland. Once through the big Ohio industrial Lake Erie city, we headed towards Buffalo, the big New York industrial Lake Erie city. Next was the Rainbow Bridge and Niagara Falls!

We drove past the falls a couple of times, debating about whether to pay $20 to park. Next on our trip was the home of Jamie Mandigo and his wife Karen/Nate. We gave them a call and decided to just head over to their house for dinner and a swim. Good call! Karen's folks were there - it was her mum's birthday! We had fun meeting them, splashing in their wonderfully warm and oversize pool, and feasting  at the cookout.

It was well past sunset when we came inside to dry off and get ready for bed. It was fun to stay up late, the kids played and the grownups talked. Jamie and I reminisced when he stayed with us in Montgomery. On Canada Day he made a very pudgy Tim huff and puff (along with his squirrely brothers) around the village waving red and white leafy flags.

We smiled as we talked about the different sports regimens he put me through, the aerobic training, and the fun games. He was my inspiration to play sports and pursue athletic goals!

Tara and I said our goodbyes to Jamie that night, since he had to be out of the house by 8:30am, and it was doubtful whether anyone from our family would be up that early.

It was after 9am by the time we rolled into the kitchen for some breakfast. With 90 degree heat already in the morning, we swam some more. What a way to start a day!


After a light lunch on the shaded front porch, we got ready and headed over to the St. Catherines beach to ride the 5 cent carousel. It's a landmark in the region. Two rides around on it was fun stuff for the kids.

The beach had beautiful, scorching white sand. The water was cool and refreshing.  Lake Ontario was full of yachts and international cargo ships in the horizon. Quite the scene.

Karen mentioned that Jamie would be able to join us soon again if we stuck around. Which we did! Then our two families headed over to Niagara Falls to walk around and get a bit closer to the roar and mist.

Jamie found us $7 parking, much to our joy. We hoofed it across some parking lots and down Clifton Falls street. Tons of people were milling through the entertainment district - very commercialized. We didn't stick around to stare.

Once at the falls we oooed and ahhhed at the sight of the American Falls and the Horseshoe Falls. And then Eli said he had to go to the bathroom. Off we went to find something. Upon our return, everyone was getting overpriced ice-cream. It tasted good in the hot sun. And now the other two boys gotta go. Once we returned, the Mandigo family needed to head home.

We snapped some group shots and then said our farewells. We stuck around a bit longer, and then we started our long trek back to the van. The kids were dragging by this point. Emma whimpered and protested the last half of the trip up the hill. Poor girl.

Now it was time to head towards Toronto! We were staying at the Rennaisance, right there at Rogers Centre! It was an easy drive, the traffic wasn't too bad, all things considered.

We had about an hour to check in, park, unpack, change, get our tickets, find our seats. We made it just in time. Once the national anthems were finished, we made our way down the stairs to seats, the 17th row from the field! We were really close!

Great seats. About one inning into the game, our tummies began to growl. Soon we were munching on popcorn - we used the kids gloves to hold their share of the treat.


With a big Fred Lewis homerun, the kids waved their big fingers (one pink one, three blue ones) back and forth, cheering. Not long after that a camera showed up in front of Tara and the kids during an inning break. They were on the big screen! Pretty cool.

The Blue Jays defeated the Twins 8-1, hammering 5 homers! The game went quick, the kids had fun. But we were all getting pretty tired. We were glad that our hotel was so close! As we walked around the stadium we went by the CN Tower, all lit up in white and red. Very impressive.





Friday morning had big plans for walking along the harbor and seeing some sights. But it was raining. So the kids got to go swimming again. Probably their most favorite part of vacation! By the time we checked out of the hotel at noon, the rain had mostly stopped.

We decided to eat lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory and hope that by the time we finished feasting, the rain would be done. Our plan worked!

With full bellies we waddled off to the Queen's Quay and saw a gigantic cargo ship unloading sugar.

On we walked towards the boardwalk, seeing plane's land and gulls swoop down on garbage.



With just enough time to spare we got back to the van and drove up Yonge Street. What a long stretch of culture! Fascinating people and local businesses. And lots of Starbucks. We stopped at the seventeenth one to get some drinks for the 401.

It was an uneventful drive through southern Ontario. We zoomed through Kitchener, seeing some sights from the week before. In Windsor we dined at a Tim Horton's and got one last cup of coffee for the road through Detroit. We rolled into our garage around 12:30am.

A long day, but a good one. A short trip, but a great one! Thanks Jamie and Karen for hosting us - we had a wonderful time with your family! We shall return! And thanks Blue Jays for winning your game in dramatic fashion for my children. And thanks Toronto for an afternoon of rainless skies and long streets on which to stroll. And thanks to Tara for planning a wonderful vacation!

Oh Canada! Day Seven

Home! I'm feeling fat and sluggish and happy to be home. All that food we ate - ah, it tasted so good. But now I'm restricting myself to a diet of water. Maybe some vegetables and fruit. Possibly some cereal with skim milk. But I'm not sure what we'll do with the leftover Tim Horton donuts, the Coffee Crisp candybars, the homemade fudge and lemonbars, the Mr. Maple cookies, and the Ketchup chip crumbs? What to do, what to do...

Another late night led to sleeping in again this morning, which is appropriate for our last day on the road. We rushed to breakfast before it closed at 10am, just like the day before. However, now we only had an hour to pack up and checkout of our room. Fortunately Tara has a gift for that kind of stuff. And lucky for her, she has me to help! :) By 11:30am we had the van loaded up and we were ready to get a few more souvenirs in town. We said our goodbyes to Mum and Dad, Shirley and Faye in the hotel parking lot - they were heading back right away. Before the farewells, Dad presented the kids with a true Canadian gift: a soccer ball! It was orange with purple spots on it - Emma and Levi's favorite colors!

Jerm and Maria met us at the Mills Chocolate Factory (which was highly recommended by Jason Vanderklyen), where we purchased some tasty treats. This was after we had stopped by a shop to get my Port Elgin t-shirt, and after Tara took a picture of Emma posing by a streetsign with her name on it! We ate our chocolates at a picnic table next to the ice cream shop. We were waiting on Jerm's crew to get there so Levi and I could have one more scoop of that delicious Garbage Can ice cream. Once we had all cleaned up from our ice cream cones, we loaded up the vans once more, hit the McDonalds drive thru, and then headed out of town for the last time. Our last destination before we headed for the border was the Shiloh church in sparsely populated Bruce Township where Dad pastored. For a time, he had two churches he ministered to - North Bruce UB and Shiloh UB.

Jerm and I reminisced about the mimeograph machine in the basement, the big kitchen counter, and the infamous bathroom in the back of the church where I let out my famous cry during Dad's closing prayer: "I'm doooooooooooonnnnnnnnnne." Then it was off to Sarnia, via one last Tim Hortons! I could go for more coffee, but no more donuts for awhile... The trip to the bridge was uneventful, just a long, busy, slow highway through some beautiful towns and rolling farmland marked off by the imposing Lake Huron. After a long fifty minute wait on the bridge, the borderguard finally let us through with only a few questions. After a quick stop at the Michigan Welcome Center, Jerm led the way home. For dinner at a Michigan McDonalds we got out and stretched for a bit, then gassed up across the street. We said our goodbyes to Jerm and Maria, Eva and Lydia - they headed home ahead of us from there.

The last two hours went like the first six hours: the kids watched movies and Tara kept reading. Tara actually finished a book! And then she climbed to the back of the van, dug through the bottom of the luggage and dragged out another book to read - while I'm speeding down the highway. Crazy woman. But I love her - especially after she found my iPod. I had lost it on Tuesday; searching through luggage proved fruitless. Today I called the hotels in Kitchener where we had stayed, but they had not found it - but they would get back with me. Within a few minutes after I hung up with them, Tara found my iPod in a bag I hadn't searched yet! Whew! So while Tara read all the way home, I listened to some podcasts on that final leg of the trip through Michigan and Indiana. By 10pm we were rolling into the garage. Literally. I forgot we had the big storage container on top of the van, so when I drove up the driveway, I heard a huge crunch! It was then that Tara and I remembered.... So I backed out, and then backed the van up the driveway and stayed out of the garage. No damage to the storage container, but there are some nice gouges to the wood paneling of the garage entrance. Tara just smirked!

The van is unloaded, the kids are sleeping, some of the stuff is put away, but most of it is sitting in organized piles. We'll have lots of laundry tomorrow, and lots of junk food to store away for later. But now it is time to go to sleep and spend Saturday relaxing, watering flowers, mowing the grass, putting stuff away, and taking it easy. Thanks Dad and Mum for suggesting the Canada trip and taking care of the hotels! Thanks Shirley and Faye for souvenirs and ice cream money! The many pictures we have to sort through will remind us of the valuable moments we spent together remembering our family history. Thanks Dad and Shirley for reminding us where we came from.

Oh Canada! Day Six

I fully intended to run a few miles through town this morning. But me and the kids slept in until after 9am, and then Tara came back from the exercise room, and we all rolled out of bed and headed out for breakfast. Next thing I knew I was half-way through my syrup-soaked waffle and remembered I wanted to go for a long, leisurely jog. Oh well. Next time.

With plans for a cookout with Jamie Mandigo and his family at 1pm, me and the kids went swimming in the indoor pool while Tara and the Aunts went souvenir shopping. I wouldn't say that playing in the pool with the kids is relaxing, but it is always fun. They are using their goggles and masks alot, and they are swimming more without their life jackets. We had a good time waving to each other underwater. Levi and Emma let me launch them way up high into the air off of my shoulders. Eli showed us how to hang on to the railing leading down the stairs into the pool. And Isaac just wanted to make sure that whatever we did, his face didn't get splashed. He didn't have very good luck. :)

When they had finally wore me out, I headed over to the hot tub, which is right by the pool. They all four pleaded and begged me to let them in with me. They argued incessantly with me even after I let them dangle their feet and ankles in the tub. Eventually they all wandered away, except Levi. He was determined to get more of his body warmed up. After accidentally slipping in a few times, I made him leave. But then my time was up, so I got out. They then all swarmed the hot tub and accidentally dropped their watermasks in, even after I commanded them not to do it. The boys got in trouble and had to have a time out, so I let Emma get in and retrieve the masks. Eli was feeling ornery, so he jumped up from his timeout, plopped himself in the pool and started swimming quickly away from me. I'm sure my laughing undermined my stern instructions to him to return. I had to jump in the pool and drag him out. He wasn't too happy. And neither was I. But we got it all sorted out in the end. But by then I was ready for a nap!

Once we got all cleaned up, we headed over to Jamie and Karen's cottage for a Canada Day cookout with barbecue chicken, sausages, dogs and burgers, as well as special Dominion Day ice cream for dessert (and pie, and cookies!). There were baseballs flying around, a soccer ball bouncing back and forth, footballs getting flung, a frisbee flying this way and that, maybe even some Ninja Turtles getting chucked about. All this while some of the adults of grand-parent age sat around the edge of the property chatting and shielding their head. It was a good time to catch up some more with Jamie and Karen, as well as Shirley. Debbie Vanderklyen joined us again, hanging out and this time giving us some cool bouncy balls to add to the barrage of objects getting tossed about.

After a couple of hours of hobnobbing and feasting, we headed over to the beach. This time there was much less wind and a tad more warmth in the sunlight. Jerm and his girls got started right away on the poop castles by the shoreline. Tara and I headed back to the hotel real quick to get some different clothes for the sand and surf. Once at the beach, we had Jamie take a family photo of us - it was a bit breezy and we had to get a little squinty. We got changed, I stayed to chat with Ken and Linda Kelley while Tara took the kids to join Jerm on his poo castle project. Ken is a great story teller! He had fun telling us about his life as a van driver, which is a job of having fun telling stories while getting people to all sorts of destinations in the region. Come to find out he stops in Fort Wayne on his way home from Branson, which means he might be showing up in Anchor some Sunday. That would be fun!

By the time I made it down to the beach, Jerm's poo castle had reached grand proportions. Eli was engrossed by it all, he apprenticed himself to his uncle and learned the gentle touch of poo castling. Jerm was impressed with this careful side of his nephew, as were we! What is poo castles? The beautiful sand of Lake Huron, when wet, drips easily out of your finger tips and when it plops on the ground it forms a little blob, which when piled on top of each other, repeated hundreds of times, makes for a castle that looks like it's made from mounds of poo-pieces. Jerm is a master. We all had fun creating our own little castles, though they were all dwarfed by Jerm's great work of poo art. He had several of the kids working on his great castle - quite the scene of concentration and endurance.

Soon though, with all that hard work of poo castling, we had worked up an appetite for more Garbage Can ice cream. Levi had some, but everyone else finked out and got other inferior flavors. Still, it was fun to sit along the harbor in the evening sun, watching the sailboats and yachts bob in the still, deep waters. Amidst the enjoyableness of ice cream with friends is the paranoia of some kid licking their portion off the cone onto the ground. I'm not sure which is worse, the cries of the child or the melting treat on the sidewalk. Fortunately this time around there were no accidents. I should probably not care so much about it, eh?

We parted ways with Jamie and Karen, with plans to meet up at Gerry's in Southampton for the fireworks - today is Canada Day! On this sixth day of vacation, we had yet to partake of the region's most famous site for fries. Much to our delight, the delicacy lived up to the expectations - soaked with white vinegar, sprinkled with a little salt, and drizzled with ketchup! The kids froliced on the playground while we waited for our food to be prepped, and then after we ate we headed over to the beach to settle in for the fireworks show. I was a bit concerned with how I would fare as the night progressed, since Tara forgot to bring my sweatshirt. As we were leaving the room, she had it in her arms. And then when we get to the beach, no sweatshirt! Just me and my new black Canada shirt. Fortunately we had lots of beachtowels and a blanket, and four kids to keep warm with! We scoped out our spot, settled in, and then Jerm and I got the frisbee out for a bit. But the sun kept on sinking and the locals kept streaming in, so the frisbee got bagged. Soon Jamie and Karen and their kids showed up, which meant more chatting and laughing!

What a beautiful part of the world! Sunset along a long curved cove, a lighthouse on a southern island, a jutting peninsula to the distant north, kilometers of sandy white beaches and grass-strewn dunes. The orange-drenched horizon lingered and lingered, backdrop to a deep blue sky melting into the black eastern night and distant stars. Thousands of people came out to sit and talk and laugh and relax together, waving their little leafy flags and eating Gerry's fries! It got chilly waiting and watching, thankfully there was no snow. Everyone cleared out quickly after the brief but wonderful fireworks display. We hung out a bit, waiting for the crowds to clear and saying our goodbyes to the Mandigos. Once in the van we cranked up the heat! And then it was a long, long, long wait to get on the highway, a slow, slow drive out of Southampton, and very groggy kids we had to wash up, change and slip into their beds. Tomorrow we drive home, but tonight we'll sleep well.

Oh Canada! Day Five

Sleeping in on vacation is good. Having only breakfast and beach on the agenda is very good. Opening the curtains and seeing blue sky is very very good. Realizing that it is very windy and barely sixty degrees... well that's not so good. Though it's not like we were planning on soaking in the frigid waters of Lake Huron. We can still make sandcastles and play soccer without it being a heat-wave. Which is what we did.

Jeremy started digging a hole to China. He hit water while building a big wall. He called it a windbreak since it was so blustery there on the beach. The sand already had that special aroma that I had forgotten about, and the deeper he dug, the stronger the smell. He didn't seem to mind. While he and Eva and Lydia got busy with the cistern, me and my kiddos went for a little walk. We had gotten more than our feet wet when we went to the shore - big surging waves kept on splashing more than just their little toes. Before we joined Jerm in the sandwork, we headed towards the long breakwall and the harbor. Emma was walking just a little to close to the edge of the walkway, the harborwaters being about fifteen feet below. Eli wasn't happy about having to hold my hand. But they all got a thrill about the wicked waves smashing against the breakwall and rocks. They thought it was the coolest thing to get sprayed!

All the kids started helping Jerm dig deeper, finding water and stones was a fantastic discovery. I started on a second mound for the sandcastle. Lydia ended up sticking all the buckets and cups and shovels on it. She tried taking my shovel away from me to put on "her" sandcastle, but I coldheartedly turned her down so that I could start a third castle. Which Isaac ended up smashing. Tara, Shirley and Faye came back from a flea-market with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the boys and My Little Ponies for the girls. The new sandtoys were a great hit!

When Jamie Mandigo walked over with this two sons Ben and Nate, he must've smiled when he saw Mum, Shirley, Faye, Maria, and Tara all huddled under blankets, hoods up over their heads, crouching in their beach chairs, trying to stay warm from the gusting winds. Maybe his wife warned him - Karen and Lilly had stopped by earlier while coming back from a bike ride. While Jamie chatted with Jerm, Dad and I, his son Ben went and marked out in the sand a game field. He marked out goalie boxes, sidelines, a center field and circle, and even penalty boxes. It was kids against old people - me, Jerm and Jamie against Ben, Nate, Eva, Emma, Levi, Isaac and Eli. Evenutally Dad played goalie for the kids! Fun times!

Once we figured out where the Garbage Can ice cream was - thanks to Jamie's announcement - we all headed over there after the soccer match. The kids were jubilant in their victory! And I was pleased to see all four of my kids order and enjoy my favorite flavor in the world. What is it, you ask? Well, it's a mixture of all the left-over flavors all packed into one container. So in one scoop you get a little bit of chocolate, butter pecan, mint, cherry, strawberry, bubble-gum, walnut fudge, cookie dough and more! So delicious. It's been about thirteen years since I last tasted this dairy-wonder!

Debbie Vanderkleyn brought out a kite for Jerm to assemble. While some of us played more soccer, he got the kite launched and then let each of the kids take a turn flying it. He ended up sitting down with Eli on his lap - it took awhile to reel it back in! After saying goodbye to Jamie and his kiddos, we packed up the beachstuff and headed back to the hotel. Burger Trail was our supper destination, right  in front of the soccer fields where I used to play as a kid. After more fries and vinegar we headed out to North Bruce to Debbie's house. She was our next door neighbor while we lived there, and since someone we didn't know was in our old house, we parked at her place.

After so much time away, everything looks different, and yet the same. The front of the house was green, a recent residing project had been an improvement. Most of the trees were still there, objects for climbing as a kid, or for soccer posts. The cat house was still there - Dad's little workshop and storage barn where the kitties were born each spring. Me and the brothers would lay on our bellies outside that door (it had a little hole in the bottom) and we'd plead for the kitties to come out. Eventually they'd wander close enough for us to grab them and cuddle with them. The clubhouse where we played with our neighbors Jason, Jamie, and Elizabeth was gone, but not the memories. One of Dad's gardens was still there. The North Bruce Zion UB Church - right behind what used to be the parsonage - is now a beautiful home - lovingly and thoughtfully remodeled, and carefully landscaped.

Next stop was the Big Hill and Bare Bum Beach. I led us down the hill and then got us lost. Dad had to take us the rest of the way. Winding along the shoreroad, dotted with beautiful homes and rocky sand dunes, I was missing living here in undeveloped and tree-full Bruce County. We stopped for a moment at Bare Bum Beach where we used to camp out for the day and swim and eat and play. But the shoreline has changed so much that it's all gone. Sad. Oh well. Off we went back to Port Elgin via Jamie Mandigo's old house, a place of fun times and games. We ended the evening with another round of ice cream - Garbage Can for me and Isaac, Cotton Candy flavor for the other three, and Smarties for Tara. A final dip in the swimming pool until it closed at 10pm, and that wrapped up the day. A good day.