Soon I will be a grandpa…honestly I’m not sure what to think about that just yet. I feel I’m too young to be a grandpa and yet I KNOW I’m old enough to be a grandpa. I have ALL of these feelings…I want to be there for my son…for my grandson. I want to offer the wisdom of my years…wisdom born from trial and error…born from failing, picking myself up and trying again. I don’t want him to have to experience the pain of failure…and yet he will…we all do. I want him to be a good...no, I want him to be a great father. I want him to be a better father than I.
A fathers ego is a fragile thing. We so desperately want to help our kids...to bestow our knowledge and wisdom in hopes that it will make their lives easier...but the real fear is that they will reject our wisdom or worse, regard it with disdain. Because in spite of all the bravado, chest thumping and growley voices we conjure, our success lies with how others...specifically our families value us.
I want my son to know that despite how he got to this point...I love him. I need him to know that while I wouldn't have chosen this path for him, that choice is over and to the best of my ability, I am here for him...always.
For Jaden,
This little child has a place in my heart that only a child can see,
where patience, love and tenderness rule and young hearts run free.
A place where understanding lives and kindness guides our way.
A helping hand with lots of smiles and laughter every day.
This little child will know the love of a Grandpa filled with pride
a gentle touch, a whiskery kiss; with tickles on his side.
A game to play, a song to sing, some time to fly a kite
a lesson in the love of God and learning wrong from right.
A tear to share, some days to dream, a hug that's really tight
a rainy day, a baseball game, a campfire late at night.
This little child will come to know that Grandpa's love is real
weathered to last the test of time, a love no one can steal.
My past and future are forever tied to this little boy,
My heart it sings! I praise my God; I jump and shout for joy!
For this little child will grow to know what God has given me
a special love; a Grandpa's love that only a child can see.
~ V
A Festival and Glass
This past Saturday Lisa and I went to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. It's been 24+ years since I've been to it and it was fun to go...with a few exceptions. When we pulled into the place, it was after 2:00 in the afternoon and well...it seems that the rest of the state decided to show up on Saturday as well, except they were already there...we ended up parking about a mile and a half away from the castle gates (I wish I were joking) and walked!
Yes, people brought their dogs...ALOT of people brought their dogs...which poses the question, why? And then I saw this dog...Yes, you too can purchase fairy wings for your pet. And why wouldn't you want to? They look just SO darned cute...
I've always been fascinated by artists who work in glass. If our local community college offered a course in glass work, I would definitely take it!
and blowing it into the initial shape...
Then using some additional molten glass...
And creating the base...
Re-heating the entire piece...
...every minute or so, he would re-heat the piece, keeping it at a certain temperature and pliable. And as he added and shaped more glass, he would transfer the piece to a different metal rod. The old rod always had some residual molten glass on it. He would place the old rod in a large metal bucket, glass end down. Within a minute, we would hear a loud POP! Which was followed by a small (contained) shower of glass. You see, when cooled too quickly, glass will shatter. When a glass artist finishes a piece, it can't just be set aside to cool...it has to cool VERY slowly over 24 or so hours in a kiln that gradually lowers the temp. This process can't be rushed...
Thinking about this process, I started wondering about God working in our lives. He draws us to Himself and through trials and testing He develops and builds our spiritual framework. The problem is, most of us are impatient...we want a shortcut...we want to avoid the difficult and often painful portion that trials frequently include. The fact of the matter is, the endurance and perseverance we show during these times, are the very things that develop, build and strengthen our spiritual framework. God knows that just as heating and cooling and re-heating and cooling increases the temper of glass, trials and blessings tempers us...increasing our spiritual resolve.
God is making a masterpiece in you. He who created the minds of Da Vinci, Renoir, Monet and Rembrandt...the Master of the masters, is slowly and purposefully, making a masterpiece in you. His timing is perfect...His artistry flawless.
~ V
Yes, people brought their dogs...ALOT of people brought their dogs...which poses the question, why? And then I saw this dog...Yes, you too can purchase fairy wings for your pet. And why wouldn't you want to? They look just SO darned cute...
I've always been fascinated by artists who work in glass. If our local community college offered a course in glass work, I would definitely take it!
and blowing it into the initial shape...
Then using some additional molten glass...
And creating the base...
Re-heating the entire piece...
...every minute or so, he would re-heat the piece, keeping it at a certain temperature and pliable. And as he added and shaped more glass, he would transfer the piece to a different metal rod. The old rod always had some residual molten glass on it. He would place the old rod in a large metal bucket, glass end down. Within a minute, we would hear a loud POP! Which was followed by a small (contained) shower of glass. You see, when cooled too quickly, glass will shatter. When a glass artist finishes a piece, it can't just be set aside to cool...it has to cool VERY slowly over 24 or so hours in a kiln that gradually lowers the temp. This process can't be rushed...
Thinking about this process, I started wondering about God working in our lives. He draws us to Himself and through trials and testing He develops and builds our spiritual framework. The problem is, most of us are impatient...we want a shortcut...we want to avoid the difficult and often painful portion that trials frequently include. The fact of the matter is, the endurance and perseverance we show during these times, are the very things that develop, build and strengthen our spiritual framework. God knows that just as heating and cooling and re-heating and cooling increases the temper of glass, trials and blessings tempers us...increasing our spiritual resolve.
God is making a masterpiece in you. He who created the minds of Da Vinci, Renoir, Monet and Rembrandt...the Master of the masters, is slowly and purposefully, making a masterpiece in you. His timing is perfect...His artistry flawless.
~ V
Don't you need One? I Certainly Do...
A few weeks ago on our way back from Lisa's sister's wedding, we were driving back from Des Moines Iowa when I heard the following song on a local Christian radio station. Give it a listen...
...here are the lyrics:
I'd Need A Savior ~ Among The Thirsty
How many names can I use to explain the love of my Jesus,
the life that he gave and so many times will I praise you today.
I lift up my life ‘cause you’re always the same
and my offering to you I bring
Your name is Jesus. Your name is Jesus.
You’re the Wonderful, Counselor, my Friend.
You’re what I hold on to; I know that you brought me through
all the days of loss, to the cross you knew
I’d need a Savior.
How many songs can I sing to proclaim,
your wondrous love and beauty so great?
What would I say if you brought down the rain and everyday
I walk through the pain my heart would still say…
Your name is Jesus. Your name is Jesus.
You’re the Wonderful, Counselor, my Friend.
You’re what I hold on to; I know that you brought me through
All the days of loss, to the cross you knew
I’d need a Savior.
I’d need a Savior…
You’re what I hold on to; I know that you brought me through
All the days of loss, to the cross you knew
I’d need a Savior,
I’d need a Savior,
I need you, Savior.
I can't get this song out of my mind...off from my heart. There is nothing...not one thing that is good inside me outside of my Jesus and what He's accomplished in my life. When I sit and think of the heart and character of Christ and compare that to the sin and selfishness that has comprised my life, I am ashamed...utterly undone. And yet, He's still there...the proof of His love showing in the nail scarred hand He extends to me...grace and mercy showing in His eyes.
It's so incredibly obvious that I'd be lost without Him...
~ V
...here are the lyrics:
I'd Need A Savior ~ Among The Thirsty
How many names can I use to explain the love of my Jesus,
the life that he gave and so many times will I praise you today.
I lift up my life ‘cause you’re always the same
and my offering to you I bring
Your name is Jesus. Your name is Jesus.
You’re the Wonderful, Counselor, my Friend.
You’re what I hold on to; I know that you brought me through
all the days of loss, to the cross you knew
I’d need a Savior.
How many songs can I sing to proclaim,
your wondrous love and beauty so great?
What would I say if you brought down the rain and everyday
I walk through the pain my heart would still say…
Your name is Jesus. Your name is Jesus.
You’re the Wonderful, Counselor, my Friend.
You’re what I hold on to; I know that you brought me through
All the days of loss, to the cross you knew
I’d need a Savior.
I’d need a Savior…
You’re what I hold on to; I know that you brought me through
All the days of loss, to the cross you knew
I’d need a Savior,
I’d need a Savior,
I need you, Savior.
I can't get this song out of my mind...off from my heart. There is nothing...not one thing that is good inside me outside of my Jesus and what He's accomplished in my life. When I sit and think of the heart and character of Christ and compare that to the sin and selfishness that has comprised my life, I am ashamed...utterly undone. And yet, He's still there...the proof of His love showing in the nail scarred hand He extends to me...grace and mercy showing in His eyes.
It's so incredibly obvious that I'd be lost without Him...
~ V
I baptize you in the name of...Starbucks?
I absolutely LOVE my wife! Her ability to laugh at me, herself (and anyone for that matter) in spite of stressful situations. Trust me...living with 5 kids and blending two families, you HAVE to be able to laugh at life...OFTEN...otherwise we'd go insane! Anyway, I digress...This past weekend, Lisa's sister got married...in Los Angeles. We flew into and out of LAX and let me just make this point...there is NO WAY that I would EVER want to live in or anywhere near LA! Traffic is insane and I would die of stress from driving in short order...sigh. Anyway, I'll let Lisa talk about the actual wedding in her own BLOG. When we got to the airport to return, we were already running late because we got separated from the other car (6 of us went, which meant we had to take multiple cars everywhere we went) and because the traffic, again, was crazy. So, by the time we checked our luggage, cleared security and made it to our gate, we had about a half hour before we were supposed to board. Some of us hadn't had the chance to eat anything yet that day, so it was a scramble to quickly find a place and get something that was already prepared because we didn't feel there was enough time to order a burger and fries. So, we bought subs, some drinks and found a seat to chow down and await our flight. I had just started in on my sub-standard and yet somehow filling sub, when I heard Lisa say..."Vince!...I NEED you...NOW!" Evidently, when she removed the plastic wrap from around the cap on her Starbucks Frappuccino, it also removed the actual cap...which she hadn't noticed...and she went to shake it up...REALLY hard! When I looked over, she had frappuccino running down her face, dripping off her nose and in her hair! Honestly, I wanted to laugh SO hard...but I didn't! I quickly grabbed the handful of napkins that I took when we bought our food and gently wiped Lisa's face and eyes...patted her hair and handed the rest to her. Once she was adequately dried off, she was able to laugh it off and joke about it. This may sound strange, but I really love that about her...she doesn't take herself more seriously than she should and she can see the humor in almost everything!
In this day and age when everyone and their dog is worried about self image and every little (actual or imagined) offense has people running for a lawyer, I find Lisa attitude both refreshing AND attractive...yeah...VERY attractive!
~ V
In this day and age when everyone and their dog is worried about self image and every little (actual or imagined) offense has people running for a lawyer, I find Lisa attitude both refreshing AND attractive...yeah...VERY attractive!
~ V
I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, toto...
My wife TOTALLY out did herself...not only did she out do herself, she also completely surprised me as well! This past Sunday night, we had a planned date. We were going to go to Rochester to one of our favorite Italian restaurants (Victoria's) and then to a movie. We were both looking forward to this as we rarely take (or have) the time to do a full fledged date night...but Lisa was down right giddy about it. When we got down to Rochester, Lisa couldn't stand it any longer and finally said...'Hon, we're NOT going to a movie...' I looked at her and just said, '...OK...what are we going to do?' She asked, 'You don't know do you...? You really don't know?' to which I answered, '...I have no idea what you're talking about...' After a few more minutes of barely contained giddiness, she finally let the cat out of the bag...'We're going to a concert! We're going to Kansas!' I was confused and needless to say, a little stunned.
Kansas has always been one of my favorite bands, but I had never seen them in concert...I actually had the opportunity quite awhile ago, but I had heard they were really bad in concert...so, not wanting to ruin the image of my favorite band, I never pursued seeing them in concert. I must admit that I thought back to what I had heard and was a little trepidatious about what I might hear. This was a concert in the park thingy, so it was outside and just so you know...THEY ROCKED! Kansas celebrated their 35th anniversary this year and I am here to say they haven't lost their edge. They did all of their songs in the original key and it sounded spot on! Yes, Kerry Livgren wasn't there, but the band sounded great!
Here's a little bit of Kansas history that I found quite amazing: After 3 albums in 2 years failed to provide them with a hit single, Kansas in 1974 was under pressure from CBS records to write a hit. Livgren and the band realized it was their last chance. Due to Steve Walsh experiencing writer's block, most of the writing duties fell to Livgren and he rose to the challenge to write or co-write all the songs for their fourth album, Leftoverture. On the last day of rehearsal for the new album, Livgren brought the band one last song which they performed once before heading to the studio...That song was, Carry On Wayward Son which became Kansas' first hit.
Thank you babe, for making a memory that will last forever...thank you!
I love you!
~ V
Kansas has always been one of my favorite bands, but I had never seen them in concert...I actually had the opportunity quite awhile ago, but I had heard they were really bad in concert...so, not wanting to ruin the image of my favorite band, I never pursued seeing them in concert. I must admit that I thought back to what I had heard and was a little trepidatious about what I might hear. This was a concert in the park thingy, so it was outside and just so you know...THEY ROCKED! Kansas celebrated their 35th anniversary this year and I am here to say they haven't lost their edge. They did all of their songs in the original key and it sounded spot on! Yes, Kerry Livgren wasn't there, but the band sounded great!
Here's a little bit of Kansas history that I found quite amazing: After 3 albums in 2 years failed to provide them with a hit single, Kansas in 1974 was under pressure from CBS records to write a hit. Livgren and the band realized it was their last chance. Due to Steve Walsh experiencing writer's block, most of the writing duties fell to Livgren and he rose to the challenge to write or co-write all the songs for their fourth album, Leftoverture. On the last day of rehearsal for the new album, Livgren brought the band one last song which they performed once before heading to the studio...That song was, Carry On Wayward Son which became Kansas' first hit.
Thank you babe, for making a memory that will last forever...thank you!
I love you!
~ V
A wedding...and memories
Today, after 27 years of single living, Lisa’s mother got married. It was a beautiful day and they got married in the park with flowers and a water fountain behind them. Lisa and I were honored to be their witnesses and the kids were there as well. We pray God’s blessing on their union and wish for them many, many years of happiness and love!
Tonight on the way to pick up Trevor from work, we drove past the lakes. As we drove past, I looked out over the darkened lake at the yellow and white lights reflecting off the water and it brought back a myriad of childhood memories. I remember family vacations that we spent in northern Minnesota or Wisconsin, staying in cabins that overlooked a lake and I loved sitting outside watching the lights across the lake at night. It was quiet and peaceful…sometimes you could hear laughter and talking from several cabins down…sometimes you could see someone light off fireworks across the lake.
I loved those times…times spent with my family away from the normal track of life. Times that were uninterupted by a phone or TV...Times that were spent playing games, fishing and just re-connecting as a family. It's times like those that I long to have with my kids and memories I hope they will have.
~ V
Tonight on the way to pick up Trevor from work, we drove past the lakes. As we drove past, I looked out over the darkened lake at the yellow and white lights reflecting off the water and it brought back a myriad of childhood memories. I remember family vacations that we spent in northern Minnesota or Wisconsin, staying in cabins that overlooked a lake and I loved sitting outside watching the lights across the lake at night. It was quiet and peaceful…sometimes you could hear laughter and talking from several cabins down…sometimes you could see someone light off fireworks across the lake.
I loved those times…times spent with my family away from the normal track of life. Times that were uninterupted by a phone or TV...Times that were spent playing games, fishing and just re-connecting as a family. It's times like those that I long to have with my kids and memories I hope they will have.
~ V
Rollin' Along
Our town is just a little spit of a town of around 650 people. When I moved here last year I knew Lisa and the lady who bought Lisa's old house (...what's her name again??) and that was just about it. Since then, I've met some of the parents of the kids our kids hang out with and coaching baseball introduced me to a whole new group of people that serve on the baseball board as well as more kids and their parents.
This weekend is Our Town Days, just a small town festival that includes softball and volleyball tournaments, Karaoke, fireworks, a street dance and a lot of other activities. So, last night we wandered down to city park with the kids and this is what I saw...I saw our neighbor, Mrs. D talking with Hope and standing in line to do karaoke. I saw Bev and her husband Paul working in the concession stand, serving people and talking with them. I saw Sally, Nadine and Jackie...three of the ladies that Lisa used to work with. Sally was brought up in this little town and honestly knows just about everyone. I saw Jaden, Issac, Cody and Gabe...some of the boys that I coached this year. I saw Bob and his little girl sing karaoke together...I saw my own little girl sing 'It's my party and I'll cry if I want to'. I saw Bridgette and her son Cody walk through and wave at us. I watched 4 little girls sing a song SO badly that I couldn't figure out what they were singing...and I heard the crowd applaud all the same. I saw families coming together and laughing...I saw the amazement reflected in the eyes of the children as showers of light flickered down from the fireworks. I saw friends...families, an entire community come together. And as I was sitting there...I realized that I knew a lot of these people and knowing that really made me feel part of the community. And I also realized that not only do I live here...this really is my home...
This is a peaceful little town and I love it.
~ V
This weekend is Our Town Days, just a small town festival that includes softball and volleyball tournaments, Karaoke, fireworks, a street dance and a lot of other activities. So, last night we wandered down to city park with the kids and this is what I saw...I saw our neighbor, Mrs. D talking with Hope and standing in line to do karaoke. I saw Bev and her husband Paul working in the concession stand, serving people and talking with them. I saw Sally, Nadine and Jackie...three of the ladies that Lisa used to work with. Sally was brought up in this little town and honestly knows just about everyone. I saw Jaden, Issac, Cody and Gabe...some of the boys that I coached this year. I saw Bob and his little girl sing karaoke together...I saw my own little girl sing 'It's my party and I'll cry if I want to'. I saw Bridgette and her son Cody walk through and wave at us. I watched 4 little girls sing a song SO badly that I couldn't figure out what they were singing...and I heard the crowd applaud all the same. I saw families coming together and laughing...I saw the amazement reflected in the eyes of the children as showers of light flickered down from the fireworks. I saw friends...families, an entire community come together. And as I was sitting there...I realized that I knew a lot of these people and knowing that really made me feel part of the community. And I also realized that not only do I live here...this really is my home...
This is a peaceful little town and I love it.
~ V
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