Vacation - Washington D.C.

As I look back on our vacation, one of the highlights and my son Noah's favorite part, was Washington DC. All the history, all the monuments and museums, all the teachable moments made our two and half days there wonderful. I took too many pictures but it seemed like everytime we turned a corner there was a photo op.
The three of us Iobsts loved seeing everything and talking about everything, even if our feet were burning at the end of each day. We stayed in a hotel in Maryland and rode the metro in each day. At the hotel, Noah met two guys his age in the pool two nights in a row. After being with adults for so long, he had major fun hanging out with his own kind at night. :0)

Here are some of the great and historic sights we saw in this part of our vacation. Incredibly memorable!

The Pentagon Memorial for the victims of 9/11 was striking and beautifully done.

The side of the Pentagon that was struck by the airplane now faces

the memorial.

For each of the victims there is one of these. They are in rows

of the years they were born. This one is the first, representing a 3

year old on the plane. If the victim was on the plane, their memorialfaces the Pentagon. If they were in the Pentagon, the memorial faces the other way. There is a little reflecting pool under each.

John and Noah right before our tour of the Capitol.

Inside the Capitol is absolutely beautiful - everywhere.

I've always been a Ronald Reagan fan.

When we came upon this plaque, I was quite moved.

It's a plague thanking and remembering the victims

of Flight 93 of 9/11. They crashed in a field in Pennsylvania

but the terrorist's intended target was the Capitol.

Inside the Library of Congress. I loved this place

but couldn't take pictures in the really cool parts.

Noah standing in the Capitol, in the exact center

spot of DC.

Lincoln Monument.

It's hot and crowded, but really inspiring.

The Vietnam Memorial

The men in yellow T-shirts are WW II vets.

I thanked several of them for their service. A couple

of them told me that the ones who didn't come back were the

big deal, not them. I teared up over and over.

Names of many of those who didn't come back

from Vietnam. The three of us can be seen in

the reflection.

Several Vietnam vets were there, too. This one

made a picture of the name of one of his

buddies that didn't come home.

My guys in front of part of the WW II memorial.

John at the WW II memorial.

John squashing the Washington Monument.

Whew! It's still standing.

The White House - notice those cars in front? We saw them

later in President Obama's motorcade.

Not the president, but one of the cars in his motorcade.

Secret Service

Noah arresting John in front of the FBI. :0)

John teaching Noah at the Navy Memorial which is across

the Achives building.

The Smithsonian American History Museum.

One of the exhibits was about transportation.

John couldn't believe a Dodge Caravan made it into the Smithsonian.

They had a whole section on Route 66 which we would

drive in a few days.

At the Smithsonian, Bob Schiffer of CBS news was singing

American folk songs with a band.

We went to the American Art Museum specifically for...

The Art of Video Games exhibit.

Noah loved it. It showed the history and you could

actually play games in the exhibit.

Whew!! The other place that really moved us was the Holocaust Museum. SO powerful. We couldn't

take any pictures inside and I forgot to take a picture outside.

So there you go! If you've never been, GO to Washington DC. The three of us will never forget it.

Vacation - Days 10-13 - Delaware and Family!

I grew up in Van Horn, Texas, population 2950 back then. As a senior in high school I couldn't wait to leave, but as an adult I always enjoyed going back and visiting when my parents were alive. To go back to Van Horn meant vacation in the literal sense of the word. I would vacate any notion of working or stressing or anything, for that matter. Give me a book, a couch, a walk around the block, great conversation and dinner at Chuys and my vacation was complete.

The same sensation filled me up as we visited Clayton, Delaware, the small town John's mom JoJo and his aunt Nan live.

JoJo and Nan live in a beautiful home with their two dogs Baggins and Phoenix. Of course, greeting them meant lots of hugs and of course, Noah being attacked with licks by the dogs.

That's Phoenix giving him a kiss.

Nan, Phoenix, Baggins, Noah and John

Baggins: "Yes, right there, Noah!"

Of course, part of relaxing in Delaware included movies and eating out.

And of course, JoJo and Nan spoil Noah with a shopping trip.

They bought him a bike! We will pick it up in Denver. 

Nan worked too hard for us and made us several

delicious meals including an incredible seafood platter!

We had a wonderful, relaxing time. Perfect to rest us up

for our next stop - Washington D.C.

Vacation Days 7-9 - New York City!

All the weather reports stated it would rain every day we were in NYC. It was sunny and lovely the entire time. Not too hot or humid. Perfect. To me, this is just one more act of kindness from our King. I don’t deserve it, but God is pouring out His kindness to me and my family on this incredible vacation. And in New York City, I felt His supernatural kindness almost constantly. You know that feeling when a friend gives you a card or a gift just because or your spouse makes you coffee before you asked? That moment where you just get BLESSED for no reason other than you are loved. That’s how I felt in NYC.

A few instances of blessedness: (Is that a word?)

OR

The Top10 Ways God showed His KINDNESS to us in New York City:

10)    Beautiful Weather (as stated before)

9)      Feet power – I walked longer than I’ve walked in a long, long time. In the city, you take the subway, but you also walk - a lot. We explored and my feet, although burning at the end of each day, held up wonderfully. The power of Dr. Soles? No. At the risk of being just a bit too clever and cheesy, it was the power of the Doctor of our Souls! :0)

8)      Getting Lost – We were trying to find the Empire State Building and walked toward the Chrysler building. About half way there, we discovered our mistake. Turning around, I asked in jest, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” (The old joke) Some guy walking past us yelled, “Practice!” :0)

7)      The Joy of Discovery – We were looking for Rockefeller Center and walked by a huge majestic church. To my delight, it was Saint Patrick’s Cathedral and it was open to look around. Wonderful surprise!

6)      A Brush with Greatness - During our NBC tour, Matt Lauer walked by us and I screamed, “MATT – WE LOVE YOU!” He turned to our group and locking eyes with mine, said “Thank you.” It may seem a fleeting moment to many, but to me, it was as if he and I bonded for life. :0) Made me think of a line my single lady friends used to use in jest…sort of: “Hi – it’s not just a greeting, it’s a commitment!” :0)

5)       Entertainment – After much discussion and budget crunching, we decided as a family to go see “The Blue Man Group.” It was wonderful and we laughed ‘til we cried. Noah’s a percussionist so he especially loved it. Afterward, we ate at a little diner that turned out to feel completely New York from the accents surrounded us to the deli style everything to the two Mafia bosses I thought sat near us. :0) I loved it!

4)      Irony - The noise of the city is LOUD and the honking is continual. So when we saw a sign that said “No Honking - $350 Fine” we laughed and took a picture! :0)

3)     Being old fashioned tourists – We went up to the Observatory deck in the Empire State Building, took a carriage ride in Central Park, saw the Statue of Liberty and walked up and down Wall Street and of course experienced a hair rising taxi ride – scary but fun!

2)      Remembering 911 and Learning from my Boy – We visited the World Trade Center area and the 911 Memorial. It was extremely surreal and interesting. But we all thought we would feel more during our visit. During our discussion of this afterward, Noah offered such a wonderful insight, “They talked more about what the memorial is going to look like after it’s all finished than what happened on 911.” It’s true. At the Flight 93 memorial, panels told the story as we walked up to the memorial. The one in New York assumed you knew what happened. And of course, who wouldn’t? But not revisiting the events lessened the emotional impact for us.

1)     MY FAVORITE MOMENT OF NEW YORK and the number one way God poured His Kindness on me: As I walked up the stairs of the subway the first time and came out on the 42nd street, I was overwhelmed. The buildings truly scraped the sky, the energy of people and taxis and tourists and overall stimuli dizzied me and the feeling of walking into Times Square for the first time caused me to laugh and squeal like a giddy little girl. I LOVED IT! And I was reminded of that verse in 1 Corinthians 13 that says “Now we see dimly as in a mirror but then we shall see face to face.” For so many years I’ve seen New York City dimly through TV and movies and books. At that moment I saw it for myself face to face and it was overwhelmingly joyful. How much more, HOW MUCH MORE, will I be knocked off my feet in dizzy laughter and joy-filled giddiness when I finally see my Lord face to face? What a KIND God we serve!!

VACATION, Day 5 - June 4th, Gettysburg and Flight 93 Memorial

Yesterday we visited the past on our vacation through two spots full of history. The Flight 93 Memorial and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

First, Gettysburg. Because this famous battle of the Civil War occurred so long ago, (in 1863 over 3 days in July) I didn’t experience any emotions. Many people died, around 51,000 in fact, but I saw this experience as a history lesson more than a time of remembrance.

Teaching Noah and discussing it all with John were the best parts of our visit. Discovering the actual scenes of the battle proved fascination. I thought Gettysburg was a simple field, but in truth, those three days were fought over all sorts of terrain including hills and forest. The area is quite monetized from everything to ghost tours to memorabilia to the towns businesses invoking the past. Example: The Gettysburg Orthodontist has a sign in front of it with an old civil war fence with bright teeth in it. :0)

Here are some pics:

We took a minute with Abe.

Driving through the battlefield.

This is Cemetary Hill. Place of the final battle - July 3, 1863

Driving out to the Flight 93 memorial was a completely different experience. It’s been 11 years since that horrible day in September, 2001, but the memorial is not finished. The crash site is 18 miles away from a main interstate so the drive through country hills and forest to get there built up the emotion for me. The memorial area now consists of a visitor place where you walk around outside to read panels of what happened. Then you walk down the edge of the field where the flight crashed. The walk was a quiet one, other tourists remembering with us, all of us silent or whispering. We pass the impact site, marked by a boulder and the forest, obviously missing a few trees. At the end of the path is a long white wall that represents the final flight path. The white wall consists of large marble stones. A name of each of the 40 passengers and crew who died is chiseled in each piece.

I loved that we took a moment and prayed for the families of those lost; I cannot imagine their pain. Grief is difficult enough, but to have it associated with something so public and so tragic…

I also listening to John teach Noah about courage. This memorial is a tribute to folks who stood up and did something to fight back. They will not be forgotten. I saw no monetizing whatsoever. No Flight 93 souvenirs at all. I liked that. But I wondered if it too will be the object of ghost tours and memorabilia in 150 years. Probably.

Here are some pics:

One of the panels at the beginning. The farmhouse that this picture

shows was directly behind us a mile.

Folks could leave a message on one wall. This one moved me.

The wall of granite beside the field.

This is the crash site.

A close up of a boulder that marks it.

At the end of the path is this long white wall with all of the

names of the deceased 40. The wall follows the flight path.

I love this moment. The panel reads "We're going to

do something." John took this as a teachable moment to talk

to Noah about what true courage is.

VACATION Day 3 - June 2, 2012 - They Ain't Heavy, They're my Siblings!

                  My syblings in birth order: Perry, Karen, Phil and me!

My oldest brother Perry used to tell a story of my birth:

It was a dark and stormy night in September. The five of us sat at our kitchen table when a knock at the back door startled us. Mom answered it. She found no one, but a box sat on our porch with a baby girl inside it. She brought the baby-in-box inside and we voted 3-2 to keep her, vowing never to tell who voted what.

49 years later, I am spending a couple days of our vacation in Ohio with my sister and brothers, celebrating my niece Sarah's high school graduation. As we sit and tell stories and laugh and then sit and tell stories and laugh some more, I am grateful.

Grateful for:

Karen's laughter and the way she envelopes anyone around her in acceptance. The grace she lives and models for me. And that moment, 19 years ago, when she embraced me after our mother's death and told me, "Rob, we're in this together and we have each other."

Phil's easy friendship and the way he greets everyone like he's their best friend. The perspective Phil offers me, always pointing me to Jesus. And that moment, 26 years ago, when he looked at me with anger and love and told me the truth. "Robbie, it's time for you to grow up."

Perry's humor and leadership that always cracks me up and guides me, sometimes at the same time. The wisdom he offers freely anytime I ask. And that moment, 5 years ago, when he gave me words of confidence that meant more than he knew. "Robbie, you can really write."

That dark and stormy night may have been a story made up by a teasing older brother, but today I am grateful for the vote 3-2. I got to join this family and grow up with three people I truly love and respect.
I am blessed!

Have a sybling? Give 'em a call. :0)

VACATION - DAY 1 - Don't let him steal your JOY!!

VACATION - Day 1 - May 31, Thursday

3:24 a.m.

We leftt in the middle of the night. I had the first shift driving because I possess good night vision and my best time of day energy-wise is early, early. John settled into an easy sleep as soon as he saw I was good. The 13-year-old, who stayed up late playing video games, growled his way from his bed to the back seat. Dead to the world.

When we got out of Denver, on a lonely stretch of I-70, the panic attacks started. Little ones that gripped
my insides. Earlier in the day, the enemy planted seeds of fear into my mind.

What if I fall asleep at the wheel?
What if we crash and die?

Instead of walking him to the door of my heat and kicking him out, I entertained the thoughts.

So as I drove in the wee hours of the morning, the thoughts came back, brining with them tiny suitcases of panic.

Added to this, was the fact that no traffic accompanied me, so all I could see was as far as my headlights shone. I relied on the white stripes in the middle of the road to guide me.

The battle was on. I payed and begged the Father to stop the seizures in my heat. Cruise control was set at 76 and my goal was to NOT let fear hit the brakes. I didn't want to slow and speed up at the command of panic.

God brought Jeremiah 29:11-14 to mind, verses often quoted in reference to God knowing the plans for our lives. The Spirit point out the phrase, "...plans for welfare and not for calamity."

Not calamity? I wrestled. God, sometimes calamity does happen!
He whispered, Not now. Let me lead.
I argued. "But what if it DOES happen?"
God: I will carry you through it, if it happens. But right now, trust. Let me lead.

I continued to fight the enemy using the Sword of the Spirt, quoting other verses included John 10:10. It occured to me that the enemy of our hearts wants to steal and kill and destroy our joy. Be it
for a day or work or a few weeks of vacation.

The battle ended.
The panics stopped.

The sun rose gloriously (see above) as if Christ wanted to give me a gift of refreshment after the struggle.

John woke up and smiled. "How you doing?"

I answered honestly, excited for our adventure, "I'm doing great."


Day 1 - Lunchtime

On vacation, you just can't do everything. As we drove through Kansas and Missouri, we passed the Dwight Eisenhower Museum and the Harry Truman house. We missed the Grey Hound Hall of Fame and the Custer House and Calvary Museum, among other points of interest.

But we did choose to take a tiny detour and stop:

The Wizard of Oz Museum in Wamego, Kansas!!

John's ministry is called "Tin Men Ministries." It's purpose is to

show men how to discover the heart God has given them.

Noah!

Me, with no make up! I looked scary like the Lion. :0)