Change in Ohio

After a hellacious week in the cities, Aaron and I found our way to Ohio. It’s good to be back, although it seems like change hit hard while we were away this time. I’m supposed to say, ‘change is good.’ But right now I wanna scream, “stop, go back to your places, let’s take this from the end of August.” Chad is extra mature and recovering from his tonsil extraction, the sanctuary where my family and I worshiped for 20 years has been turned into a fellowship hall, Amber has a beautiful new house and a dog and Saturday we met my parents for a drink to celebrate Jack’s 5* birthday at our favorite Grove City pub that has finally ban smoking. Today Aaron and I are headed to the Easton Imax to see Harry Potter with Laurie and Chad, not only has the rating increased to PG-13 (yeah, Chad just turned 13! – no wait, my little brother is a teenager) but we get to see it in one of two Imax theaters in Columbus. AHH, stop the insanity! At least Thanksgiving promises to be filled with tradition and Katelynn is as hyper and Aaron-crazy as ever.

Kingo

Thanks to Thee, O Christ victorious!
Thanks to Thee, O Lord of life!
Death hath now no power o'er us,
Thou hast conquered in the strife;
Thanks because Thou didst arise,
And hast opened Paradise!
None can fully sing the glory
Of the resurrection story.

For my heart finds consolation,
And my fainting soul grows brave,
When I stand in contemplation
At Thy dark and dismal grace;
When I see where Thou didst sleep
In death’s dungeon dark and deep,
Yet didst break all bands asunder,
Must I not rejoice and wonder?

Satan’s arrows all lie broken,
Death and hell have met their doom;
Christ, Thy rising is the token:
Thou hast triumphed o’er the tomb:
Thou hast buried all my woe,
And my cup doth overflow;
By Thy resurrection glorious
I shall wave my palm victorious.

Rev. Thomas Kingo, 1689.
The first great Danish hymn writer.

Tire Shopping, My Family's Way

This is a public service announcement and '‘how to'’ of sorts. I have been giving tire buying advice, and would like to share the knowledge. Note: this will only work in a large metropolitan area.

1. Go out to your car and get the tire info off your tires
2. Spend up to 20 minutes calling all possible shops within a 15 miles radius to check prices
a. This step is ONLY for price checking
b. Generally, you want to avoid dealerships, they'’ll just rip you off
c. Mom and pop places are full of great deals, most of the time
d. If you have AAA call for a list of places they recommend
e. You can save up to $50 here, when was the last time you made $50 in 20 minutes (if you ever have, other than tire shopping, I don'’t want to know about it!)
3. Call back the place with the best value for what you want
4. Schedule an appointment and add 45 minutes to the time estimate (this has saved many headaches)
5. Enjoy your new tires: drive on rain, snow and sleet while being in full control (most of the time)

This public service announcementment was brought to you by...Chris, Jack and Jack

November Woes

What seemed like a blessing at 5:15 this afternoon turned into a night full of woes. My Hymnody professor has laryngitis and class got cancelled. This meant that Lori and I were able to have another girls night (Aaron’s in class). The following is a list of trials and tribulations we were cursed with this evening.

• Water chestnuts in Lori’s Chinese dinner
• Paying $10 to park in a garage after driving past an empty meter
• Going to Speedy Mart to get buttermilk and having to buy a quart instead of a ½ pint to make banana bread
• Failed 007: Trying to find Professor Mary Jane Haemig’s apartment (just for the hell of it) and realizing we passed the right street 4 times tonight after returning to our apartment
  
• Trying to get free wireless internet outside Burger King for 20 minutes to no avail (to check mapquest.com)– hey Big Brother (aka U.S. government), how about some nationwide free wi-fi
• Not being able to defrost the 6 black frost bitten bananas for the banana bread
• Opening Lori’s DVD case to realize her copy of Fargo is in Montana, Uffdah!

All Peoples

This past weekend Aaron, Melodi and I went to Milwaukee to wish Pastor Greg Van Dunk, founder and pastor until yesterday of All Peoples Church, farewell and Godspeed as he accepted a call to Atonement Lutheran Church. Melodi and I each spent a year working with Greg at All Peoples following college graduation. The weekend was filled with many memories and people we love dearly.

Worship at All Peoples is an experience like no other. The church is filled with people who are open in many various ways. The often silent realities of life are freely shared among the community. Aaron and I sat in Sunday School with, among others, two bi-racial committed homosexual couples and discussed the non-traditional view of God from 1 Samuel. During worship, gospel hungry sojourners surrounded us. In front of us was a woman who took in a family of five when their mother became addicted to drugs. Beside us was a young adult who lost her mother at a young age and is an abuse survivor caring for her 6 month old nephew. On our other side was a junior high student that lived in a homeless shelter when I met her and during the past week lost her home and everything in it to a devastating fire. Behind us were two elderly ladies who have been lived the neighborhood for over 50 years, are committed to the community, and are pillars of faith for All Peoples. Yesterday, the burdens of life were laid down as we celebrated the ministry of Greg and his family for the past 15 years.

On our way to the cities, Aaron and I began processing our weekend. I was glad to be able to share the experience of All Peoples with him. The experience from yesterday forward will be different than what anyone has known. This is good, and this is bad. There is never a good time to leave, someone is always in the middle of a crisis and someone else beginning the journey. All Peoples begins a new chapter today. I pray that it will continue to be real and relevant to all who walk through its doors.