Nearly Wordless Wednesday: Game 1 Tonight!

Let's Go Lightning!

#BecauseItsTheCup

4 Reasons This Lightning Fan Says "Go Blackhawks!"

Last night the Tampa Bay Lightning made history, winning game 7 on the road in Madison Square Garden and finishing off he New York Rangers 2-0 on a shutout by goalie Ben Bishop! The Bolts now have the rare opportunity to bring the greatest trophy in all of sports, the Stanley Cup, back to the Bay. Thier opponent will be determined tonight in yet another game 7 (hockey playoffs rule!) between the Anaheim Ducks and the Chicago Blackhawks. Personally, I hope it's the 'Hawks. Why? I'm so glad you asked...

4 Reasons I Hope Chicago Wins

1. The Lightning had a catchy slogan when they won the Cup back in 2004- Stanley Needs a Tan!  It's great, it's catchy and it was already on signs and t-shirts at the after game parties here in Tampa last night. But if the Ducks win, the slogan becomes confusing. Southern California is a great place for a tan as well. Either place, "Stanley" could hit the beach, go to a Disney park and generally do things not associated with hockey towns or Canada. You don't think of tans when you think of Chicago. And I want to be able to keep our cool slogan. 
2. Anaheim ditched the name Mighty Ducks and their original cool logo from the movies the team was based on. I loved those movies and loved the logo. Plus, Gordon Bombay isn't really their coach. So boo. BOOOOO!
3. If the Bolts play and beat Chicago, they will have won the Cup by beating 4 of the Original 6 NHL teams- Detroit, Montreal, the Rangers and Chicago. First of all, that would be very impressive. And secondly, it will make the snobbish fans of the Original 6 teams a little sick to their stomachs. A team from Florida? Really? Having the opportunity to gloat would be sweet. 
4. And most importantly, if Chicago wins then the finals will open here in Tampa and the Lightning will have home ice advantage for the series. We had the best home record in the NHL this season. Home is good!

So there are my thoughts on why Chicago would make a great finals opponent, but the truth is the entire Tampa Bay area is psyched to play whoever comes out of tonight's Western Conference game 7. I love playoff hockey. The Bolts have made this postseason simply electric. And now this city is ready to explode as the team seek to finish this quest. 4 more wins and Stanley comes back to town. Why do we care? Because it's the Cup, baby! Because it's THE Cup...

Be the Thunder!

There are few sporting events more exciting than playoff hockey. There are even fewer things more exciting than a game 7. And if a game 7 in a hockey playoff series happens to go into overtime then it becomes an instant, heart-stopping classic. And if the Tampa Bay Lightning are involved, so much the better!

Tonight, in Tampa, the Lightning take on the Detroit Red Wings in game 7. The city of Tampa is ready to do our part and Be the Thunder! Amelie Arena will be rockin' and the crowd will be at a fever pitch. Playoff hockey. It's just the best! Now LET'S GO BOLTS!!!

Farewell, Joe Maddon

We will miss the themed road trips, the tips on high quality wines, the way he reached out to the community, the witty quotes and the occasional penguin in the clubhouse. We will miss the way he shuffled his lineups and was often unconventional with his strategies. Tampa Bay Rays fans will miss so many things about Joe Maddon, who opted out of his contract yesterday. But let's be honest- mostly, we will miss winning. Not just any manager could have taken one of the lowest payroll teams in baseball and turned them into winners year after year and year. Before Joe, we were a laughing stock. With Joe, we won division titles and went to a World Series. So au revoir, Joe. I have no doubt you will manage again soon. And I will be a fan of that team as well.

And oh by the way...how 'bout them Royals!!!!

We're In!

David Price was gritty. Evan Longoria did his thing. Sam Fuld stole a run.  And...

Congratulations Tampa Bay Rays! Now bring on Cleveland!!!

The RNC Comes to Tampa

I generally try to steer clear of political commentary on this blog, but today it just felt necessary- because I am feeling very snarky!  Next week much of the country will focus its attention on my hometown of Tampa, Florida, as the Republican Party gathers to nominate the Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan ticket.  You will see televised speeches, a giant pep rally and probably a few protests from the comfort of your living rooms. Faux Fox News will be cheering, MSNBC will be jeering, and the very best part of the week is that The Daily Show correspondents (at left) will be here in Tampa to point out how ridiculous the entire thing is!  But today I would like to share a little about what it will be like to live here next week.  Those of us living in Tampa are, to quote the band Starship, "knee deep in the hoopla!"  This is a behind-the-scenes look from the perspective of someone who has very little use for politicians in general and almost no use for this particular group.  Donald Trump is a speaker? Check please!  So here are 7 Things that make me chuckle as we prepare for next week.  Please reserve your hatred until the end of the post. :)

*  The billboard you see above is one that actually greets travelers as they arrive in downtown Tampa while driving north on I-275.  I see it when taking my wife to work.  Among the dozens of "Welcome to Tampa, RNC" signs you see everywhere, it truly stands out. Irony cracks me up...

*  Speaking of my wife and her work, she is employed by a law firm with an office in a downtown high-rise just blocks from the Convention Center.  The traffic is expected to be so horrendous and the security so tight that many downtown offices are forcing employees to take vacation next week.  Marilyn is fortunate; she gets to work, she will simply have to arrive at her office at 7 am each morning to avoid the crush.  To quote Dana Carvey's Church Lady, "How conveeenient!"  
*  The whole issue of the traffic raises another question for me. I love Tampa. It is a beautiful city with lots to do, including a great aquarium, Busch Gardens and some great professional sports teams. It is close to beaches and Walt Disney World. There are many fine restaurants and wonderful places to spend an evening.  But the RNC chose Tampa to host this event knowing full well that the Tampa Bay area has massive traffic problems and virtually no public transportation, and that bringing an extra 50,000 folks on 300 buses into downtown Tampa for a week would be at BEST a nightmare.  So my question is, do we really want whoever made this decision making more important decisions?  I am just asking.  :)  And speaking of decision making, Tampa in August offers one other challenge.  As Jimmy Buffet once wrote, "There's no tryin' to reason with Hurricane season..."
*  So it seems Tropical Storm/Hurricane Issac may make a visit to the convention as well.  This raises some philosophical questions for one (far right) wing of the party. It seems that in the past they have made statements that God has used natural disasters to demonstrate his disapproval with certain lifestyles and segments of society.  If Issac were to really mess up this RNC shindig, how would they explain that?  Some questions just beg to be asked!

Which one is Rick?

*  Governor Rick Scott of Florida has been asked to say a few words at the convention.  I really hope the national audience likes him, because here in Florida he has often maintained the lowest approval rating of any governor in history.  Not any Florida governor- ANY governor!  Governor Jeb Bush will also be speaking. Pay no attention to the Jeb 2016 signs waving in the background, Mitt...
*  A local radio station reported the other day that in addition to delegates and other convention personnel, there would be a large influx of strippers from out of town coming in for the RNC.  Local strip clubs (for those who don't know, Tampa features one of the highest strip club to population ratios in the US) are expecting to do record business next week- even better than when Tampa hosts the Super Bowl.  Plus I heard yesterday morning on TV that the Hooters closest to downtown has hired 20 new Hooters Girls and will be staying open until 3 am.  The Grand Old Party indeed!  It's all just part of the $150 million expected to be pumped in to the local economy, despite the fact that many small downtown businesses (that are not restaurants) will be closed all week because it is just too much trouble to say open.

*  And finally, on a somewhat serious note...  The political convention is a relic leftover from the days when a party would gather to decide who their candidate was going to be and to build a platform of ideas for them to stand on.  This is no longer true.  Both parties will gather this year to hold giant pep rallies (and spend millions of dollars) for candidates who were long since decided upon.  To make it even more useless, we live in a time when Republicans would vote for the candidate from their party even if it was Darth Vader- and Democrats would do the exact same thing.  The time (at both conventions) will be spent in much the same way- not telling us how they will set about fixing what is wrong in our nation, but telling us how the other side broke it. I am sick of it.  So you see,  I am not just cynical about the RNC. I am cynical about "politics as usual."  The RNC just happens to be invading my hometown.  How would I fix this mess?  I would begin by throwing out everyone from both houses of Congress and starting over again with brand new people. People who are teachers, factory workers and cab drivers. Real Americans with real problems and real concerns who want to make things happen.  And then I would elect Brain as President and Pinky as VP.  Because they are independent, committed and persistent.  "What are we going to do tonight, Brain?"  "Same thing we do every night, Pinky. Try to fix this stinking economy..."

And that is all I have to say about that...   :)

Welcome to Tampa!

Marilyn and I flew in to Tampa from Chicago late one night in August of 2001 with very mixed feelings about the next day's interviews with Wesley Memorial UMC.  On one hand, we were excited about the possibilities of a new ministry, a new church home and being back in Florida.  On the other hand, we had very little idea what to expect from the church.  A phone interview had revealed some issues and some promise, but other than that we knew very little. The trip got off to a slow start when no one was at the airport to pick us up, but after a quick phone call that was taken care of.   Senior Pastor Jerry Sweat drove us to our hotel, a Doubletree overlooking beautiful Tampa Bay.  He would pick us up the next morning and take us to the church for a day of interviews and meeting people.  It was on.

Jerry was tied up the next morning, but he sent Robyn Smith to pick us up.  Robyn was a young woman who volunteered with the youth program (along with her husband Ed), and they would become very special to us over the coming years.  I didn't really know much about Tampa.  I knew it had a bay, had the Bucs and the Devil Rays, and was a fairly large city.  The area our hotel was in was beautiful and very modern- even a little touristy.  As we drove the very strange route to the church (Tampa roads, we would learn, were designed by a maze builder.  They did not want you to ever find your way!) we started down a road lined with run-down strip shopping centers, old buildings and apartment complexes.  Many of the names were Hispanic.  Robyn informed us we were arriving at the church, and as we pulled into the left turn lane my heart sank.  There sat WMUMC across a grass field- probably 100 yards from the road.  It was very unimpressive.  It looked old and a bit beat up.  It was much smaller than any church I had ever served.  I found myself looking at Marilyn and immediately judging this book by it's cover.  Expectations were quickly lowered.

We were warmly greeted as arrived inside the building.  While my initial judgement of the facility as a whole had been fair, the worship space was gorgeous.  And as we began the interview process and meeting people, I began to feel much more at ease.  Once the interview process began, I felt like they were testing my endurance as much as they were curious about my faith and my philosophies.  Group after group just kept arriving at the church to meet with me, in addition to the lunch "grilling" at Red Lobster.  I kept reminding myself how badly they had just been burned by a couple of past staff members and tried to cut them some slack.  But still- this was intense!

Right after school let out I met with a group of the students involved in the ministry.  They seemed hesitant to ask questions until one of the older youth, Kyle Bell, asked me a very unusual question: "How do you feel about dating?"  I was a bit confused, but managed a witty reply:  "I'm not sure.  After all, we just met!"  It turned out that the previous regime had spent a great deal of time discouraging the kids from hanging out with the opposite sex.  They even made them sit on opposite sides of the bus on trips.  I assured them that would not be my policy.  After that, the questions started flying.  I really liked the students I met and felt like we connected.

All in all I thought the day went well.  George Woods, the head of the personnel committee, was also the marketing director for the Bucs, and he gave us Bucs hats to wear home.  Marilyn and I had a lot to think and pray about.  There were issues, just as there are at every church.  Due to a snafu with keys, we had still not seen the inside of the house we would live in.  There were questions.  We returned to Chicago to see what God had to say to us, and discovered we that we felt called to Tampa.  We were moving back to Florida.  But not just yet...

Because of Jesus,

Farewell, Kado!

Sometime this morning this blog will pass the 30,000 hit mark in just over 10 months. I am stunned and honored.  Thank you, dear readers.

Kado (which means "corner" in Japanese according to my personal translator, Jennifer Minnigan Kuramochi)Japanese Steakhouse closed for good on September 1st.  I learned of this when Nina Mock, one of our former youth here in Tampa, sent Marilyn a Facebook message letting us know.  Nina and her family actually dined with the Dona family and the great people at Kado on their final night.  I have lots of great memories from Kado, and I wanted to take this opportunity to share a few of them.  Below you see Justin Overstreet, Travis Aiken and Cory Vetter from WMUMC enjoying a meal around the hibachi grill.  Many friends sat in those seats between 2003 and 2010.

The restaurant was hidden away in the corner of a strip shopping center on Hillsborough Ave. in Tampa, and for the first year or so we lived here we never knew it existed.  We learned of it from one of our Youth Counselors, Ashley Shapiro, who took a group there on what I believe was a Girl's Night Out event.  They raved about the food, and soon we went back for a SHO-Time.  I was hooked.  In the years that followed I ate there many times with my family and many times with the youth group.  I went there for lunch with my small group a couple of times.  When Josh Fry, Sarah Crudele, Adam Hill and Andrew Rogers would come over from Kissimmee to visit, we would go to Kado.  At one point we sold fund-raising Graceland discount cards that were good for 10% off, so our frequency of visits increased even more.  We loved the place- and they loved us.

The restaurant also hosted several special moments.  I will never forget the night Nina yelled at the chef for letting the rice on her plate touch the other stuff, and he in return harassed her to no end!  I remember Travis always getting the fried ice cream.  I will not forget the "onion volcanoes" they made to entertain Will when he was small, and the rest of us when we were not.  We ate there with many of the youth as a "farewell" dinner when my time at WMUMC came to an end.  We met many of our former Youth Ministry Team members there just before I left for Waycross.  When I came back to Tampa to load the truck and move my family to Waycross, Trinity UMC's associate pastor David White (UBD) drove the truck for us- and we took him to dinner at Kado after a long day of packing.  And just last October we met friends from the FUMC-K days there for a celebration of my 50th birthday (see picture).  It was a significant place for us, and it will be missed.

The last time my family visited Kado (a couple of months ago) we had a long visit with Maria, the owner who had been so kind to us over the years.  She told up that business was way down and that they were hurting financially.  It was only a few weeks back that Marilyn and I were talking about going, and I expressed fear that they might not still be there.  And now Kado is no more.  Our prayers go out to Maria and her family.  They have tremendous faith in God, and I know they will persevere.  I know that for me, that little "corner" of Tampa was a bright spot where I shared many laughs and a whole lot of wonderful food with some great people.  Here's to you, Kado!  You are gone but will not be forgotten...

Because of Jesus,

Top 12 Memories: Restaurants

Over the years my youth groups visited many fine restaurants- and a whole bunch of not so fine ones as well!  Each time you take a group of teenagers into a restaurant, you can see the fear on the faces of the employees and patrons.  They expect mayhem, wildness and no tips.  We always tried to surprise them and make our time there as much fun for them as it was for us.   Today I take a look back at 12 places that were favorites of various groups for a variety of reasons.  All of them share one thing in common; we were always invited back.  I had the best students anyone could ever ask for!  So here are 12 great memories:

12)  The Jade Dragon-  Located only a block from Union Church in Hinsdale, IL, this great little Chinese place was a regular stop for meetings, lunches with students and SHO-Time.  We had a great meal there one night with the gang from Spooky Tuesday and had my farewell dinner there as well.

11)  Sonic Drive-In-  In both Tampa and Waycross we used a Sonic for a summer program called Happy Hour.  I would go sit at the tables outside and spend several hours greeting students, playing cards and drinking Cherry Limeaids.  It was always a great time of relationship building, and I miss those very hot summer days!

10)  Captain John's Seafood-  I picked this fine Calabash restaurant (a favorite since my own youth group days) to represent all of the seafood restaurants we visited in the Myrtle Beach area over the years, including the all-you-can-eat places (pictured) we favored in the later years.  Special memories include Lisa Kraus destroying an entire army of crab legs and the night I discovered half of the Springfield group didn't like seafood.  Not included in this list is White's Point.

  9)  The Roadhouse Grill/Rio Bravo-  These two Kissimmee restaurants were favorite SHO-Time spots, and we ate at both on many occasions.  We loved the queso at Rio and the bread and throwing peanut shells on the floor at Roadhouse, and both places knew us well.  Later on a Roadhouse in Clearwater became a favorite of the Wesley Memorial group.  None of those three restaurants are still in business.  I blame myself...

  8)  Dick's Wings-  This wonderful wing house became the home of our 5th Quarter "after football" events in Waycross, which drew big crowds of students on Friday nights.  You had to beware of Dick's Special Sauce- it was lethal!

  7)  The Beaches & Cream Soda Shoppe-  Located at Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resort, this place serves great hamburgers and hot dogs- but no one cares!  They have some of the most amazing ice cream creations anywhere, and we visited often, as tourists from Springfield and as locals from Kissimmee and Tampa.  This was the home of the Kitchen Sink, and the much-missed Disney Dash Ice Cream Bash event. 

  6)  The Fireworks Factory-  Another out-of-business restaurant and the second in a trilogy of Disney eateries, we only had two meals there with youth groups.  The first already received its own post, and you can read it by clicking here.  The second was the night Marilyn and I informed everyone on the Springfield Alumni Trip in December of 1994 that she was pregnant.  A very special place.

  5)  The Cape May Cafe-  On long trips or just going over for the morning, there was no place quite like Cape May when it came to breakfast.  Both the Springfield and FUMC-K groups got to experience the wonder of this all-you-can-eat buffet that never ceases to amaze.  Plus you get to share the meal with Chip, Dale, Goofy and other Disney stars!  Located in Disney's Beach Club Resort, this one is still open for business- and I am going soon!

  4)  Lee Gardens-  Located near Wesley Memorial in Tampa, this Chinese buffet was host to us on so many occasions, and they never failed to show us a great time.  To this day when I walk in with just Marilyn they are stunned, and ask "Only 2?"  Best egg drop soup ever!

  3)  Carmine's-  This Manhattan establishment has the feel of something straight out of The Godfather.  It is a great place under any circumstance; to go there with a large group simply defies description (especially when I got to order everything in advance!).  The service, the sheer amount of food, and the desserts are all amazing.  We didn't find this place until Jill Painter's Aunt Gerry took us there in the late '90's; I didn't ever miss a chance to go there after that!

  2)  Kyotos-  Many of my former students will be stunned to see this come in at #2.  After all, no place spanned as many years of my ministry as did this Japanese steakhouse.  While at Springfield, we discovered one in Greensboro, NC, and began to plan regular group events there.  It became tradition for me to take youth there to celebrate their 16th birthdays.  When we moved to Kissimmee, we discovered one in Longwood (just north of Orlando; see picture) and began regular pilgrimages, often with huge groups of teens.  Later, we discovered one in Myrtle Beach and ate there with both the Wesley Memorial and FUMC-K groups.  So many stories, so many memories and so much food!  Also have to give a quick shout out to Kado Japanese in Tampa, which also hosted many a memorable meal!

  1)  Pizza Inn-  Although we ate at Kyotos many times over many years, for shear quantity nothing came close to Pizza Inn in High Point, NC.  It has so much meaning to so many people who were a part of the Springfield Friends Meeting youth ministry (see The Ministry of Pizza Inn), partly because at least a portion of us ate there every week- at least once a week!   No other restaurant ever had as much impact on my ministry, and we had a pretty major impact on them as well.  Congrats, Pizza Inn- you are still #1!!!

So there it is- I would love to hear your thoughts on oversights and omissions from this list.  Join me again tomorrow when the Hall of Fame makes a return trip to Springfield!

Because of Jesus,

CCM Countdown: 10

My countdown of the 50 Contemporary Christian Music projects that had the most impact on my life and ministry (through 2006) continues as we enter the Top 10.  Due to several ties, it's actually a Top 13, but hey, who's counting?  Beginning today, and continuing each Thursday, we will feature the albums one at a time and provide a bit more detail than before.  To see 15-11 and find links to go back to the beginning, click here.  Enjoy the first number 10!
 10)  THE ANATOMY OF THE TONGUE IN CHEEK-  Relient K-  2001

I owned a Relient K compact disc that I had never really listened to prior to seeing Matthew Thiessen and the boys live in late 2001 at a National Youth Workers Convention.  They simply blew me away, and before long my youth group at Wesley Memorial UMC was hooked on this album.  The music was pop/punk, the lyrics (written by Thiessen) were clever and spiritual, and every song was a gem.  Produced by former dc Talk guitarist Mark Lee Townsend for Gotee Records, Anatomy is an easy choice for my Top 10.

FEATURED SONGS

The opener Kick-Off rocks you you into the hit Pressing On, which reminds us to press on towards the prize that is life with Jesus.  The infectious Sadie Hawkins Dance (see video below) would often fill our van on youth trips, with its "OH-OH-OH" refrain. While not a spiritual song, Sadie really spoke to the teenage relationships I dealt with everyday.  Other classics include Down In Flames (which encourages Christians to stop beating up other Christians), Lion-O (a tribute to the classic 80's cartoon Thundercats) and Less Is More.  Perhaps the most powerful song is For The Moments I Feel Faint, better known by the first line of the chorus "Never underestimate my Jesus," which includes the great line "your telling me that there's no hope, I'm telling you you're wrong..."    I could always judge how popular a CD was with my students by how many wanted to borrow it. With this one, the borrowed it and I never got it back- over and over again! 
Download this:  For The Moments I Feel Faint

OTHER RECOMMENDED RELIENT K ALBUMS

Two Lefts Don't Make A Right, But Three Do-  2003

Deck the Hall, Bruise your Hand-  2003

Mhmm-  2004

The Myrtle Beach Pavilion

It's sometimes difficult to believe how many trips, retreats and conferences I took part in over my 28 years in youth ministry.  There is something special about getting away together that bonds a group in a way no "group building exercise" could ever do.  While the list of places we traveled to is quite long, there were only a few places we returned to over and over again; places that became iconic to the groups I served.  Quaker Lake Camp, New York City and Walt Disney World were among our favorites.  But no place received more visits from me, as a youth and as a youth pastor, than Myrtle Beach, SC.  We stayed in a variety of places over the years, mostly in North Myrtle Beach; Camp Pla-Mor, The Ponderosa Campground, the Betsy B, The Spinnaker and others.  We even took a "Mystery Trip" from Kissimmee to downtown Myrtle Beach one weekend, spending more time in the vans than we did at the beach!  No matter where or how long we stayed, there were always two constants about MB- the Atlantic Ocean and the Myrtle Beach Pavilion!

My relationship with the Pavilion goes back to my childhood, when my family would camp at Lake Arrowhead or The Ponderosa for a week or two each summer, and one of the highlights of the trip was traveling downtown one night to visit the Pavilion.  Actually, the term "Pavilion" came to mean much more to us than the actual building (with its' arcade games, food, and magic mirrors) and amusement park.  It meant everything in downtown Myrtle Beach.  The T-shirt shops, the arcades, Castle Dracula, the Gay Dolphin (for years billed as the "worlds' largest gift shop") and the miniature golf courses were all part of the Pavilion in our thought process.  And every year we could not wait to go!  I rode my first roller coaster at the amusement park; I played "Pong" for the first time at the arcade; I made stupid jokes with my friends about the Gay Dolphin; and I walked the boardwalk, looking at the moon and the stars and dreaming of romance and the future.  The passing of the years and my becoming a youth minister changed almost none of that.  The rides still seemed cheesy, the arcades fell a little behind the times and the Gay Dolphin lost its' luster, but still the Pavilion called to us all.  Each summer we were at the beach major planning went into which night we would go to The Pavilion.  Part of the allure of the place (most of it, in my case) was simply watching the people, wandering around the park, the stores and cruising on Ocean Blvd.  Our teens were usually quite normal, so if they were going to be in contact with that many other people their age, they wanted to look GOOD!  Wardrobes were planned, hair was done, showers were taken all in preparation for that one night.  In later years there was even a dance club for those 17 and under called The Magic Attic, and some would partake of that excitement.  I remember on one of the earliest youth trips with New Garden taking Kathryn Burris, Beth Edgerton and Terri Johnson to Castle Dracula, only to have the "monsters" try to pick them up!  I remember some of the guys from Springfield falling in love about every 5 minutes with some beauties they had spotted by the Swiss Bobs ("Do you wanna' go faster?  Do you all wanna' go faster?  SWISS BOB!").  I remember taking Jim Fry from Kissimmee to get a hot dog at the Corner Bar on the beach and getting him hooked on chili and slaw footlongs.  I remember students going into the t-shirt shops to buy shirts featuring their favs, just like I had done when buying Beach Boys and Chicago shirts years before. But mostly I remember walking around, seeing the students I loved with huge smiles on their faces as they ran from ride to ride or from game to game, knowing EXACTLY how they felt because I had felt the same things!

I was last at Myrtle Beach in July, 2004, with a group from Tampa, and we once again visited the Pavilion.  The summer of 2006 wound up being the final year of the place, as much of downtown Myrtle Beach was sold so developers could build high rise condos.  Marilyn and Will got to see it one more time before it was leveled; I am left with hundreds of great memories.  And as always, the memories have less to do with the place than with the people I shared them with.  I treasure both.  Rest assured, as we go through the Springfield, Kissimmee and Tampa years, there will be many more MB stories to tell here.

One final story- about 6 months ago I walked into our local Papa John's Pizza to pick up an order, and while waiting another customer entered.  She was wearing a bright yellow t-shirt that said Myrtle Beach Pavilion: The Final Summer 2006.  I asked her about it, and she said she had been there for a family reunion and had seen the beginning of the destruction.  She left, and as a thousand memories flooded my mind, I shed a tear or two for the old place right there in Papa John's.  I found myself praying, once again, that all of these stories and memories, from all of the times and places, have had the same kind of impact on the people I was in ministry to and with as they have had on me.  Thanks again, God, for the amazing lives you have allowed me to share in!

Because of Jesus,