A Rocky End to a Smooth Start

By dawn we were at the GA line, breakfast in Chatanooga, lunch in Nashville, and around 3pm we were in Illinois. All in all we fared well on our 10 hour drive, but were wiped out by the time we joined the Auten's for dinner. Arriving to our suite we found it filled with snacks and goodies; a reflection of things to come - Rock on!

The weekend was a blur. Saturday was spent being surveyed by three different groups in three hours - highlight was being on stage with K answering questions from the church body and sensing that the deacons were on the same page with an attitude of ownership that I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by! These things always have the potential of being rocky, but we both felt the Lord allowed a very smooth and "easy" Q and A time. Saturday night the gym was filled for the Valentine's banquet. Two hours later we left with faces hurting from smiling and laughing so hard (though we had already commented that our grinners had been hurting from all smiling we had done in the morning :). This church loves to laugh and had a ball with their slightly sacrilidgeous "church ladies" who MCed then roasted their "young" pastors (me included) in a not so newly wed game. I'm not throwing stones (small rocks), but these ladies didn't pull any punches! Girldles, worst habits, IQ comparisons, breath ratings . . . suddenly remembering now that the mid-west culture is very much say it how it is! Good times!

Sunday morning, I woke up exhausted! My introvert batteries were screaming - by noon, I must have shaken 1,000 hands (the church ran 450 + at the services). Conversations varied from background to the weather - one lady informed me that she had longjohns on (see above concerning mid-west culture :). I was completely innondated by names . . . there are 5 Kays in the choir alone. The vote was 99% in favor of calling us - going to need a rock for my collection. I chalked up the 4 "nos" to the church ladies. After a celebratory lunch we hunted for houses - came away thinking we will need to be patient. By Sunday evening I was depleted and a little nervous; this would be by far the largest crowd I have ever preached too (350+). I broke out the rocks which got a good response. K said that I was a little fuzzy in the middle of the message, but all in all I delivered! In other words, "You Rock!"

Monday we began the trek home - 45 minutes from a home a semi threw a small rock which zinged the corner of our windshield. I watched as the nick grew from a dimple into a 6 inch crack - meaning it would have to be replaced. Amazing how the little things in life have the greatest potential to drive you off your rocker!!

Benton "Babymoon"

We ditched the kids for a long weekend and headed for Lake Rend near the quiet town of Benton, IL. Benton is a small town of 7,000 an hour over the Southern Illinois state line. Our journey to Benton took us through Metropolis, an exit with a handful of gas stations. It was well worth the stop as it affirmed what K and I had always expected -that we were super-heroes.

Once in Benton we enjoyed the local couisine (at Seasons we had bread in a pot), saw a train that Judah would have loved, roamed the Walmart, and took in the stars.

Benton's town square was quaint with an interesting twist. Vehicles entering the square have the right of way?! It was surreal and remind me of It's a Mad Mad World! Just for fun I drove around the square on several different occasions the last time I made it around three times before my pregnant navigator told me she had had enough!