Gunn Lake Community Church and the Diet Pepsi Woman

I apologize (to all three of you that read this regularly) for my lack of posting recently. I've been filling in for Andrea during her maternity leave, and between keeping up with her senior high work, my junior high work, the speaking stuff, and the baby, it's been a little hectic.

A week ago last Sunday I headed out to The Gunn Lake Community Church in Wayland, MI to do a little comedy for the congregation. They'd just finished some big rennovations on the youth portions of their church, and the night was set up as a celebration for the whole church.

I did about a half hour of comedy. The first fifteen minutes or so was all new jokes about the baby and it went over really well.

I listened to a great book on the way home called Deep Storm by Lincoln Child. Since I get to do so much driving, I try to listen to as many unabridged books on tape that I possibly can. I got hooked on Lincoln Child when I read a series of books he wrote with Douglas Preston about an FBI agent named Pendegrast.

Long story short, the book was about oil drillers who discover alien technology at the bottom of the ocean - so I found it pretty entertaining.

I've said it before on this blog, but I think it bears repeating - you see some strange folks at rest areas between 2am and 6am. It was a long weekend for me because my middle school crew had an overnighter on Friday where I only got an hour of sleep. Then on Sunday morning I hopped in the car and drove to Michigan, got out, performed, got back in the car and drove all night to get home.

So I'm well aware that when people see a disheveled thirty year old guy in rumpled clothes and a five o'clock shadow stumbling into the mens' room at three a.m. on the interstate - they may think I'm the strange one.

But I got out somewhere just across the Iowa border for a stretch and a soda, and when I got to the Pepsi machine, there was a lady in front of me who just kept putting the same quarters in over and over - and the machine just kept spitting them out.

She wasn't angry. She didn't even seem that confused or concerned. She would put them in, and the machine would spit them out. The machine was clearly full on quarters, but she kept trying. Over and over. I'm not exaggerating when I say I stood and watched her do this mabye twenty or so times. She would not give up. A man who was apparently her husband sat on a bench nearby and spoke back and forth to her in Spanish. I have no idea what they were saying, but I'm guessing it went something like this:

Man - Did it take them this time?

Woman - No, it didn't.

Man - How about this time? Did it work this time?

Woman - No, it still didn't work. I think I'll try again.

Man - Okay. Yes, I think you should just keep trying.

I waited patiently for her to realize her effort was futile so I could get my diet Pepsi. I thought about exchanging her quarters for my two dollar bills, but then I would not have had anything but quarters - which obviously didn't work. I thought she might eventually just sigh and step out of the way so I could have a chance. But she didn't. She just kept plugging away at it while chatting amiably with her husband. Finally I just turned around and bought a diet Coke which was not what I wanted - but I had to get on my way.

Sigh,

Jason

MVSC and The World Famous Harlem Globetrotters!

Well, the Morgan Valley Social Club hit the Prairie City Church of the Brethren this weekend. Unfortuanely, Kyle wasn't able to be there, so it was just myself reading poetry.

The men of the church were putting on a supper for the women where the guys did all the cooking and the serving. The meal was great, the crowd was great, and I got to see a lot people I hadn't seen for awhile since I grew up in the Prairie City CotB. Old high school and college friend Aaron McConeghey (Sp?) was there. As was Ann Bach, the wife of my childhood pastor Jeff Bach. We all laughed a lot.

I did about a forty minute show, and I realized pretty quickly that as much as the people seemed to be enjoying things, it sure does add a lot to the show to have Kyle along. When I do the Old Time Gospel Shows for John Finical, I usually do about a twenty minute stretch of poetry, which is just about right for that kind of performance I think. When I can add Kyle's guitar and country songs into the mix, it definitely can stretch a good show out, though, as we've easily gone an hour before. I think the music can help clear the palette a bit and get you ready for more poems and stories.

I also went to the Globetrotters in Des Moines this weekend with my jr high group. WHAT A BLAST. . . I had so much stinking fun, I can't believe it. I've always seen the commericials for the Globetrotters. I've seen them on that old Scooby Doo episode, and Gilligan's Island of course. But man were they fun live. The whole bucket full of water / confetti bit, the stealing a woman's purse out of the crowd joke, the pulling the other teams shorts down - they did it all - and I'm not ashamed to admit I was nearly in tears at times. They put on a GREAT show.

Now if I'd only thought twice before putting twenty bucks on the New York Nationals . . . they've never won a game, but I thought they were due!

I wish I was a Globetrotter. Here's my favorite player - the ringleader of the whole team - Matt "Showbiz" Jackson. He's been on the team for twenty years! Good grief, this guy was funny.
I think I'm going to ask for a jersey for my birthday.

Till next time,

Jason

Bradenton, Florida

Yeah, check this out. This is me giving the message last Sunday night on a beach on the opening night of Bradenton, Flordia SERVE. I was there with Troy and Dawn (they were leading music), and it was a fantastic week. Look at me! Just from the picture, I appear articulate, thin, and interesting. Either that, or I'm reinacting some of my favorite Karate Kid beach scenes.

Here's the whole crew that was there. They were all Canadian except for Troy, Dawn, and I. Even the Pastor of the Bradenton Church. But I won't hold that against them . . .

A pic of Troy leading music on the beach. He led while we all watched the sunset, which was pretty amazing. Then, after my talk, he led a last song - at the exact same moment, about 15 to 20 feet off the shore, dolphins began to spring up like crazy. Probably the best worship moment of my life.

We washed and waxed this airplane for Agape Flights. They fly missionaries and supplies to the Dominican Republic and Haiti. What's so funny, Dawn?We helped out here at the Good Samaritan Mission doing all sorts of painting, repair, and lifting. The mission serves immigrant workers in the area. We had a great host named Laura who sang and gave backrubs and served us THE BEST authentic Mexican meal I've ever had. It was great.


This was the Pastor who hosted us for the week - Pastor Jeff Klingenberg. (or PJ, or Colonel Klink, or Klinger, or Klinky-dink). What a great guy and a fun man of God. Don't let this picture fool you. He does have a silly side.

Highlights of the Week:

1. Nicknames: We had a student ride with us (Troy, Dawn, and I) in the car every day, and we took it upon ourselves to deem them with a new name. We had Magellan, Ups, Flo, and Peter Son of Tater Heir to the Throne of Bobcat. Don't ask. It was a long week.

2. Canadians: What a great group! I've totally changed my opinion on Canadians. I didn't tell our group this last week, but I've had a few not so great experiences with Canadians before. Well these two groups from Alberta totally changed my mind. They were some of the most humble, ministry minded, caring folks I've ever met.

3. Shark's Teeth: Yeah, I was one of the few that found one on the beach.

4. Canadians

5. Troy and Dawn: I got to spend A LOT of time with these two this week. Now, let me just give you a little insight into our relationship as a ministry team. The three of us, along with business guy Mark Elgersma, are the core of Happy the Dog Ministry. We get to travel together quite often.

Now, you'd think, being the world travelled, amazing musician, theater trained, theologian, Christians that we are - you would think that we'd have some pretty fantastic conversations about God, life, faith, and all those kinds of things. Well here's a typical conversation for us:

Troy, Dawn, and I head out for steaks on our last night before our flight home, and I go to use the restroom. As I'm unbuttoning my shorts, the button on the front of my new Old Navy shorts pops off and lands in the urinal. Now, I have a very simple rule about the bathroom - anything that lands in the toilet (under a certain value, of course) stays in the toilet. I quickly realize that buttons are worth mere pennies, and I did indeed have a spare attached to my inside pocket, so I let it be.

As we're waiting for our table, I tease Troy that I've left something for him in the bathroom that I wonder if he could fish out for me. Troy immediately goes to the bathroom and comes back with my button. You see, Troy has been serving as a temporary janitor at a high school for some weeks now, and he says that's he's fished all kinds of things out of toilets and gross places. He tries to give me the button back.

I decline.

He says I'm being silly. I should take and reuse the button. It's been thoroughly washed.

I say I don't care how well it's been washed. It was in the toilet. I'll use my spare.

Troy says I'm being silly. Dawn now chimes in and says I should just use it. I have a feeling she's just egging Troy on, because I'm pretty sure Dawn wouldn't use a pee button.

Troy tells me I'm a baby and that I need to chill out.

I tell Troy that I've had to do gross things in my life. I grew up on a pig farm afterall, and I worked there six months after college. I've done gross things. I just choose when I do them. I do not want the button back.

Was I crazy here? It fell in the urinal! The toilet! It got very wet! I've asked a few people since coming home and they have all agreed with me - once the button hit the water, it's gone!

What do you think? Feel free to chime in on the comments. I'd love to hear who you think is really right?

I'll update some more on Bradenton with more pics later!

Till next time,

Jason