Favorite Vacation Poll Results

On Wednesday, I wrote a blog about my favorite type of vacation. I am a beach/ocean guy all the way. Typically, every January, Kim and I head to Fort Myers Beach, FL for at least a week….longer if we can make it happen. It’s an awesome time to go because it isn’t very crowded, the rates are pretty good and the weather is upper 70’s and sunny. We love it. We like to stay at a place called Pointe Estero, a high-rise condo resort. It isn’t an extravagant place but it’s nice, clean and comfortable. Think about Tommy Bahama building a hotel and the result would be this place.

Just for fun, I emailed some friends on Wednesday and asked them to help me out with a quick poll of their favorite type of vacation. I emailed 30 people. 28 of them responded and answered the poll question, “What Is Your Favorite Vacation.” Here are the findings.

Out of 28 responses, 19 people indicated that their favorite type of vacation was to a beach or ocean location. I even got a couple of emails with specific places that some of my friends like to go. Thanks for the input. Those just got added to my list of places to visit.

3 people indicated that Disney was their ideal vacation destination. Kim and I also love Disney. I wouldn’t say that it is a restful place to go, but you can certainly have a great time there while dropping some serious coin. We love Disney.

In a 3-way tie with 2 replies each were: Cruise, Cottage/Lake House & Other. Kim and I have never done a cruise together, though I hear that they are fabulous. We also haven’t had the chance to do a lake house vacation. I can imagine that this would be pretty awesome, especially with access to a boat. The thought of teaching Kim to water ski makes me roar with laughter. That would be absolutely epic.

Zero people indicated that a Snowy/Cold vacation would be ideal for them. I must admit that I don’t really get the whole cold vacation thing, probably because I’m not a snow skier. I also haven’t had the chance to do much traveling in colder climates. I guess if I was loaded and had the chance to do multiple vacations per year I would be up for giving this a shot.

I got a comment from Aaron who made a great case for taking a cruise. I definitely plan to do that sometime. 

I also got a comment, from Troy, saying that I like to, “…Vacation like a girl.” Here is a picture of Troy.  In a green women’s bonnet. Dude, I don’t know how to say this exactly, but, I’m pretty sure I am not the one with lady issues. Nice bow.

There you have it. It is admittedly not scientific, but according to 28 of my friends, these are good vacation options. At the very least this gave me some time to think and dream about the next trip we will be able to take. God willing, it will be to some place warm. Oh yeah, and I pray that it is soon…..very soon!

Happy Travels -

My Favorite Vacation

About this time every year I start to think about vacation. I’m a person who needs regular down time to get refreshed and it always seems that just before Thanksgiving, I tend to hit the wall. I am there right now and thinking about my next vacation.

When is my next vacation? Thanks for asking. I have no idea. But, I can tell you what my dreams would be for that vacation: Beach, Sunshine, Good Food, Golf and Kim….not in that order of course!

When I think of vacations I think of warmth and lying on a beach. That really does it for me. Some people ski. Some people cruise. Some people climb mountains. I lay on the beach while Kim walks on the beach. I don’t read, listen to music or throw a frisbee. I sit in the sun, sleep and hopefully get tan.

I would love to hear about your vacation ideas. Take a quick minute to fill out the following poll.

No Regrets – Fast Facts

I have been thinking today….writing a blog takes time and effort. There are some technical things you have to work at to write a blog; but, most importantly, you have to sit down and make it happen in terms of the writing. As I was thinking about this, it occurred to me….is it worth it? Is it worth the time? The spell checking? The organization?

Those questions led me to do some research. Here are my findings. Some of these stats overlap a bit so the numbers won’t wrap in a nice little bow, but these stats told me what I needed to know.

Blog Launch: Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Blogs Written: 47

Average Daily Readers: 56

Highest Day of Readers: 184

Lowest Day of Readers: 0

Comments Posted By Readers: 105

Clean Comments Posted: 101

Offensive Comments from Strangers Who Have Been Banned: 4

Blogs Written Dealing With Music & Worship: 20

Blogs Written Dealing With Food: 11

Blogs Written Dealing With General or Fun Stuff: 16

Blogs Written Dealing With Serious or Spiritual Matters: 19

Blogs Written Dealing With Sports or Pop Culture: 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those are the stats for the first 4 months of “No Regrets.” I will keep writing.

My Thoughts – 10.22.08

The church world is very interesting. The highs are extremely high. The lows….well, they are equally as low. It makes me think a lot about what we might be capable of if we were to ever get on the same page. I mean all of us, on the same page, working toward the same goals on behalf of The Kingdom. Can you imagine that? No arguments over worship style, music volume or choir robes. No time wasted on complaining or gossiping. No debates over doctrine. Just purely driven to build The Kingdom. Wow. Powerful.

What would that take besides a series of earth shattering miracles? A good place to start would have to be all of us taking our eyes off of ourselves and focusing on our mission. I’m saying that to myself as well. What is our mission? What are we to be about? How much time do we spend on non-essentials? 

I once heard a Sunday School teacher say, “Folks, when in doubt, trust the red letters.” This is, of course, referring to the passages in the Bible that are direct quotes of Jesus Christ. So, let’s go to the red letters to answer this question of mission. One day a religious teacher stood by listening to Jesus teach. He asked Jesus, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” (Mark 12:28 NLT). This is what Jesus said:

The most important commandment is this: Hear O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important…Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.  
(Mark 12: 29-31 NLT)

I love how straight forward that answer is. Jesus didn’t mess around being politically correct. He told us exactly what HIS priority list of ministry was. Trust the red letters.

A friend of mine brought me a Starbucks cup a few weeks ago. Ever since it has been sitting on my desk. On the cup is a poem by the Canadian author Desi Di Nardo. I know nothing about her and my experience is limited to this lone, thought provoking poem. I read it every day. It has caused me to think about this subject a lot and to even write this blog. I hope that you will take a few seconds to read it and think about it, especially in the context of mission. It charges us to set our preferences aside. I leave you today with, “The Way I See It,” by Desi Di Nardo:

The way I see it
isn’t necessarily
the way you see it
or the way it is
or ought to be
What’s more important
is that we’re all
looking for it
and a way to see it

Catching Up – 10.20.08

Admittedly, it’s been quite some time since I’ve written. It’s been a very busy couple of weeks for us with travel and visiting with family. Oh yeah, and then there are my jobs (Indy First Naz & Tabor Ministries) that also have kept me pretty active these past few weeks. Here’s a recap:

- We spent time in Evansville, IN with my parents and one of my best friends, Sam. We went to the Fall Festival, which absolutely rocked. Great food and an all around great time.

 - We bought a GPS…..the Garmin 260W, which was on sale at Best Buy

- Kim and I designed and sent out nearly 100 emails on behalf of Tabor Ministries to churches around the country. Scheduling or booking as we say in the bid-ness (that’s meant to get a laugh) is very hard work. It’s time consuming and I wish that more pastors would read & answer their email on a regular basis.

- We engaged in a customer/contractor “conversation” with the guy who stained our deck. This took several months actually. Very long story. Very bad contractor. What ever happened to, “The customer is always right?”

- We got an offer to travel with Sandi Patty to Manila, Philippines this coming February. This is an incredible opportunity and we are so blessed & grateful for the chance to go. I will be playing piano for her and Kim and I will both be singing with her. I’m still overwhelmed by this one!

- We drove to Oklahoma for a TM concert and to visit some friends of ours who moved to Oklahoma City this year. Not a bad drive….about 11 hours or so. It gave Kim and me some time to reconnect, which was great.

- While in Oklahoma, our Suburban was broken into and that new GPS was stolen, along with our iPod….NOT COOL. They threw a brick through our rear passenger window. Glass everywhere. Driving 11 hours with a garbage bag taped over a window is an experience that will test your patience, I can promise you.

- We bought a piano for our house. We’ve been married for 13 years and make our living in music but have never had a piano. We decided it was time. It’s an upright and we love it.

- We attended some Homecoming events at our alma mater, Anderson University.

- I got the chance to lead worship in many services and direct many rehearsals.

There you have it….the last couple of weeks in a nutshell. How have you been?

Excited About Fall

I really enjoy fall. I enjoy the crisp air, the food, the sports and the changing of the leaves. In Indiana this is a really beautiful time of year. 

We have a couple of fall traditions at our house. First, fall means Kim will be making pumpkin bread. It is awesome and I am really looking forward to her first batch.

Secondly, we will make a trip to pick a pumpkin. Maybe we have too much time on our hands but this is a really big deal at our place. The pumpkin has to be perfect. We take our time and hunt down the one that is perfect in size and shape. It’s a big deal and a great time for us to do this together.

Thirdly, it will mean a couple of trips. One of those is down to my hometown of Evansville, IN for the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival. This has been a tradition for my whole life. The Fall Festival is a street fair that takes place each October and embodies all that I love about fall. It’s a street fair that runs like 10 blocks long with food vendors, rides, games and tons of people. Some of this food is amazing! Everything from local church groups to professional vendors line the street. It is a feast for sure. Things like Homemade Apple Dumplings, Kuchens, Corn Fritters, Fudge and something called a Brain Sandwich (which I will never, ever try) are on the menu. They also have Pronto Pups, which are very similar to corn dogs. As I understand the difference a corn dog is dipped in a batter like corn meal and a pronto pup is basically wrapped in a pancake, which is really good. If you have any free time next week (it always begins on the first Monday of October) I would highly suggest making the drive to Evansville for some great food.

Brown County State Park

It also means a trip to Nashville, IN and Brown County State Park. This is a tradition that we absolutely love. Typically, we take the whole day, drive down and spend time together enjoying the beauty of the park and the laid back atmosphere of Nashville. It’s relaxing for us and a great time to connect with one another. We also enjoy a great meal at the Nashville House each year, which is a real highlight. We always have fried chicken, fried biscuits with apple butter and a pice of homemade pie.

I love the fall and I am looking forward to enjoying some great traditions!