Yesterday the conference started. So I took a cab from my hotel to the conference site. There is a fair amount of traffic this time of the morning...~7 am. The cab driver a seasoned man new all the back alley shortcuts and easily worked his way to where I needed to be. I enjoyed seeing the secondary roads and neighborhoods of Stuttgart.
At the meeting it was good to see my counterparts from other services, combatant commands, and other agencies. It really is a close knit group of folks even though we are spread out all over the world. I caught up with folks and of course talked about the latest round of issues on the table.
During lunch me and a friend from Centcom went over (he has a car) to Panzer (American Base)to take care of some minor business and grab lunch and walk around the exchange. We got lost on the way over even though it is only a short distance from the conference. Actually, we were trying a new "faster" way to the base. Ha!
Returned to the meeting and finished out the rest of the first day.
After the meeting I went with a friend and his wife to a favorite beergarten that we went to several times last year. It is a huge place with both indoor and outdoor seating. And it makes its own beer. We spent a couple hours there enjoying the good beer and great food.
After that I went back to the hotel and checked email and then shortly crashed.
Tuesday
Went to the meeting today and listened to briefs all day. During lunch me and the couple I ate with last night shot over to the Ritter Sport chocolate factory. There is a store there on the grounds of the factory. I bought a huge back of assorted chocolates. My lunch was milk chocolate with peanuts.
We returned to the meetings and hung in there until the last brief of the day. After the meeting we went to a local mom and pops restaurant that is tucked away in a neighborhood. The lady didn't speak any English and those of us there spoke little German. But we managed. The food was great and so was the beer. We hung around talking then headed for the hotel.
Just got back and checking email. It is 8:30 pm here. I will likely watch some TV or read then hit the rack. I miss my family!
--me
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Beautiful Sunday Morning
I slept like a rock last night which is an answered prayer. I hit the rack about 9 pm and woke up at 7 am this morning Stuttgart time. The shower was very refreshing and much needed. The shower itself has a large glass partition but only covers half the opening. The other half opens into the rest of the bathroom. Showers at hotels, even good hotels are hit or miss. The water pressure and water volume here is great! Again, its those small things in life that make it enjoyable.
After doing the morning routine I checked email and knocked that out. Mac called and asked if I was ready to venture down for breakfast. Breakfast was simply delicious. During breakfast I asked the waitress for a pitcher of water as both Mac and I consume large amounts of water throughout the day. The waitress brought a pitcher that held maybe 16 ozs of water....maybe. I thought about asking for a six pack of pitchers but decided against it. We plan to raid the commissary (grocery store) on base today and buy items like water, snacks, and whatever else. The cost on base is much cheaper than out in town.
After breakfast Mac and I walked out into the surrounding community just to see what is near the hotel. It is a beautiful sunny Sunday morning with a slight refreshing breeze. We walked maybe a hundred yards East of the hotel and came upon the Mercedes Benz Museum. It is an attractive building and was open. We went in and walked around the building enjoying the displays. To take the entire tour the cost is 8 Euro which is a little over $11 US. Neither of us are Mercedes enthusiast so we declined.
We then walked West toward the Porsche Arena and there was nothing really of interest. I returned to the room to catch up on email and get ready for the day. I am looking forward to getting some PT in later this afternoon. The gym is smallish but has quality equipment and will meet my needs just fine.
It is 6 am in Stafford I hope my Honey I sleeping well.
--Me
After doing the morning routine I checked email and knocked that out. Mac called and asked if I was ready to venture down for breakfast. Breakfast was simply delicious. During breakfast I asked the waitress for a pitcher of water as both Mac and I consume large amounts of water throughout the day. The waitress brought a pitcher that held maybe 16 ozs of water....maybe. I thought about asking for a six pack of pitchers but decided against it. We plan to raid the commissary (grocery store) on base today and buy items like water, snacks, and whatever else. The cost on base is much cheaper than out in town.
After breakfast Mac and I walked out into the surrounding community just to see what is near the hotel. It is a beautiful sunny Sunday morning with a slight refreshing breeze. We walked maybe a hundred yards East of the hotel and came upon the Mercedes Benz Museum. It is an attractive building and was open. We went in and walked around the building enjoying the displays. To take the entire tour the cost is 8 Euro which is a little over $11 US. Neither of us are Mercedes enthusiast so we declined.
We then walked West toward the Porsche Arena and there was nothing really of interest. I returned to the room to catch up on email and get ready for the day. I am looking forward to getting some PT in later this afternoon. The gym is smallish but has quality equipment and will meet my needs just fine.
It is 6 am in Stafford I hope my Honey I sleeping well.
--Me
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Where is Dr. Phil when you Need Him
I left Stafford yesterday (Friday) at 2 pm sharing a taxi with a coworker. We were traveling from Stafford to Dulles Airport. One thing I've noticed about Virginia cab drivers they all drive the speed limit. Drives me nuts. What would have taken me 65 mins to travel took the cabby 90 mins. And at a cost of $116! Virginia cab drivers could take lessons from their German counterparts. Zoom, zoom, zoom!
We flew out at 5:30 pm Friday from Dulles landing at Heathrow (London) at 5:30 am Saturday morning. The flight was uneventful with the exception that the airlines had double booked several seats so watching the drama unfold and the chess like maneuvering to make all parties happy was indeed entertaining.
For those that remember my blog from my last trip thru Heathrow you know that my appreciation for the airport is less than optimal. Suffice to say I spent a month here one day last June. My experience was no different this time. Me and another American were discussing which airport would win top honors in the worst category, Heathrow or O'Hare. Tough call.
I also revisited the "Whiskey of the World" store because last year I spotted a bottle of Bowman Scotch selling for over 5000 British pounds, yep one bottle for over 5000 pounds. The bottle was still there but now it was an even 6000 pounds. That is $9,586 American dollars!
Our flight from Heathrow to Stuttgart was delayed about an hour. The flight itself is only an hour and ten mins or so. This flight too was uneventful again with the exception of a British family sitting in the row behind me that took the opportunity to have a family therapy session. There was little brother, teen sister, and Mom and Dad. Teen sister had a lot on her mind and I guess this was the time at 27 thousand feet to share these thoughts with her family. Dads take was more philosophical as he waxed eloquent about the whole teen/parent relationship while Mom seemed exuberant the little brother could actually articulate well. Teen daughter seemed pleased with herself after unloading what was on her mind. I think if I called a family vote I think she would be booted off the island. I know if my plane peeps voted she would be packing her bags post haste. Crazy.
So, we made our way thru the passport folks grabbed our luggage and into a waiting taxi. The taxi delivered us to the Hilton Garden Inn in Neckarpark a part of Stuttgart. We reached our final destination arriving twelve hours after leaving Dulles. The hotel is located between the Benz Arena (as in Mercedes) and the Porsche arena. Two large venues for soccer games, concerts, and various other forms of entertainment.
Mac and I were exhausted so we find our rooms and hit the rack. But before hitting the rack I had to figure out how to turn the lights on in the room, any light. And more importantly how to flush the toilet. Come to find out there is a small black box on the wall just inside the door. You place your room card into the slot and waa-la the lights work. Once the lights were on I found the rather odd button to flush the toilet. It's the small things that make life livable you know.
I fell into bed and slept a little over two hours. My room is stylish in a hip Band-Aid to keep your glasses together kind of way. I will post photos tomorrow hopefully they will do it justice. There are floor to ceiling windows, a safe, fridge, microwave, and the perfunctory coffee pot and ironing board.
Mac and I walked around the hotel orienteering our way to the gym, beergarten, and place where we will likely eat breakfast and dinner. We sat in the beergarten and had a German beer (Dunkel) and Cuban cigar (legal here). Then we made our way to the restaurant where our dinners will be served (breakfast and dinners are included in the room rate). We had a nice meal of tomato cream soup and beef and roasted potatoes with rosemary.
It is 8:45 pm here now (2:45 pm in Virginia) and I am tired. I am going to try and sleep thru the night. Sorry for the quick recap but the bed is calling. I miss you Honey and hug Mom and the girls for me. Love
--Me
We flew out at 5:30 pm Friday from Dulles landing at Heathrow (London) at 5:30 am Saturday morning. The flight was uneventful with the exception that the airlines had double booked several seats so watching the drama unfold and the chess like maneuvering to make all parties happy was indeed entertaining.
For those that remember my blog from my last trip thru Heathrow you know that my appreciation for the airport is less than optimal. Suffice to say I spent a month here one day last June. My experience was no different this time. Me and another American were discussing which airport would win top honors in the worst category, Heathrow or O'Hare. Tough call.
I also revisited the "Whiskey of the World" store because last year I spotted a bottle of Bowman Scotch selling for over 5000 British pounds, yep one bottle for over 5000 pounds. The bottle was still there but now it was an even 6000 pounds. That is $9,586 American dollars!
Our flight from Heathrow to Stuttgart was delayed about an hour. The flight itself is only an hour and ten mins or so. This flight too was uneventful again with the exception of a British family sitting in the row behind me that took the opportunity to have a family therapy session. There was little brother, teen sister, and Mom and Dad. Teen sister had a lot on her mind and I guess this was the time at 27 thousand feet to share these thoughts with her family. Dads take was more philosophical as he waxed eloquent about the whole teen/parent relationship while Mom seemed exuberant the little brother could actually articulate well. Teen daughter seemed pleased with herself after unloading what was on her mind. I think if I called a family vote I think she would be booted off the island. I know if my plane peeps voted she would be packing her bags post haste. Crazy.
So, we made our way thru the passport folks grabbed our luggage and into a waiting taxi. The taxi delivered us to the Hilton Garden Inn in Neckarpark a part of Stuttgart. We reached our final destination arriving twelve hours after leaving Dulles. The hotel is located between the Benz Arena (as in Mercedes) and the Porsche arena. Two large venues for soccer games, concerts, and various other forms of entertainment.
Mac and I were exhausted so we find our rooms and hit the rack. But before hitting the rack I had to figure out how to turn the lights on in the room, any light. And more importantly how to flush the toilet. Come to find out there is a small black box on the wall just inside the door. You place your room card into the slot and waa-la the lights work. Once the lights were on I found the rather odd button to flush the toilet. It's the small things that make life livable you know.
I fell into bed and slept a little over two hours. My room is stylish in a hip Band-Aid to keep your glasses together kind of way. I will post photos tomorrow hopefully they will do it justice. There are floor to ceiling windows, a safe, fridge, microwave, and the perfunctory coffee pot and ironing board.
Mac and I walked around the hotel orienteering our way to the gym, beergarten, and place where we will likely eat breakfast and dinner. We sat in the beergarten and had a German beer (Dunkel) and Cuban cigar (legal here). Then we made our way to the restaurant where our dinners will be served (breakfast and dinners are included in the room rate). We had a nice meal of tomato cream soup and beef and roasted potatoes with rosemary.
It is 8:45 pm here now (2:45 pm in Virginia) and I am tired. I am going to try and sleep thru the night. Sorry for the quick recap but the bed is calling. I miss you Honey and hug Mom and the girls for me. Love
--Me
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Whate'er My God Ordains is Right
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
His holy will abideth;
I will be still whate’er He doth;
And follow where He guideth;
He is my God; though dark my road,
He holds me that I shall not fall:
Wherefore to Him I leave it all.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He never will deceive me;
He leads me by the proper path:
I know He will not leave me.
I take, content, what He hath sent;
His hand can turn my griefs away,
And patiently I wait His day.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
His loving thought attends me;
No poison can be in the cup
That my Physician sends me.
My God is true; each morn anew
I’ll trust His grace unending,
My life to Him commending.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He is my Friend and Father;
He suffers naught to do me harm,
Though many storms may gather,
Now I may know both joy and woe,
Some day I shall see clearly
That He hath loved me dearly.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Though now this cup, in drinking,
May bitter seem to my faint heart,
I take it, all unshrinking.
My God is true; each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart,
And pain and sorrow shall depart.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Here shall my stand be taken;
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet I am not forsaken.
My Father’s care is round me there;
He holds me that I shall not fall:
And so to Him I leave it all.
His holy will abideth;
I will be still whate’er He doth;
And follow where He guideth;
He is my God; though dark my road,
He holds me that I shall not fall:
Wherefore to Him I leave it all.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He never will deceive me;
He leads me by the proper path:
I know He will not leave me.
I take, content, what He hath sent;
His hand can turn my griefs away,
And patiently I wait His day.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
His loving thought attends me;
No poison can be in the cup
That my Physician sends me.
My God is true; each morn anew
I’ll trust His grace unending,
My life to Him commending.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He is my Friend and Father;
He suffers naught to do me harm,
Though many storms may gather,
Now I may know both joy and woe,
Some day I shall see clearly
That He hath loved me dearly.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Though now this cup, in drinking,
May bitter seem to my faint heart,
I take it, all unshrinking.
My God is true; each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart,
And pain and sorrow shall depart.
Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Here shall my stand be taken;
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet I am not forsaken.
My Father’s care is round me there;
He holds me that I shall not fall:
And so to Him I leave it all.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Happy Third Birthday, Ruthie!
Ruthie turned three yesterday. We celebrated with hot dogs, cake and ice cream...and a new sandbox =)
She asked for yellow cake with pink icing...yum.
Why use a spoon? Fingers will do!
The birthday candles had a crack...so I fixed it with extra frosting. Worked like a charm.
Happy Birthday to our youngest princess. We love you, Toot-toot!
She asked for yellow cake with pink icing...yum.
Why use a spoon? Fingers will do!
The birthday candles had a crack...so I fixed it with extra frosting. Worked like a charm.
Happy Birthday to our youngest princess. We love you, Toot-toot!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
by Arthur Hugh Clough
It fortifies my soul to know
That, though I perish, Truth is so:
That, howsoe'er I stray and range,
Whate'er I do, Thou dost not change.
I steadier step when I recall
That, if I slip, Thou dost not fall.
That, though I perish, Truth is so:
That, howsoe'er I stray and range,
Whate'er I do, Thou dost not change.
I steadier step when I recall
That, if I slip, Thou dost not fall.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Watching Joel Osteen
One of the blogs I enjoy is by Sean Michael Lucas (link at end of blog). Yesterday I read the entry entitled "Watching Joel Osteen." Osteen is a TV preacher with a congregation of over 40,000 every weekend. The blog states 15,000 but his data source was dated Lucas later said.
I am always saddened when flipping around the channels and I come across the Osteen show and the thousands and thousands of folks in the congregation. His teaching style has often been called "cotton candy theology" as it lacks Godly substance (truth) and is a spin-off of the prosperity and positive thinking movement.
I think of my former pastor, Dennis who has been in the trenches for over twenty-five years teaching the truth AND living a godly life in front of his sheep. I'm sure he would love to have forty thousand parishioners to share Christ and the truths of holy scripture with every weekend. I know Dennis is not about numbers but you have to shake your head when one has such an opportunity to share Christ -- to honestly share Christ with that many folks and instead you tickle their ears which leads them to emptiness and despair.
The Piper quote is penetrating......
--Dan
Anyway the blog…..
Posted July 23, 2008 @ 10:06 AM by Sean Lucas
Last night as I was flipping the channels during a second straight depressing late-inning loss by my Cardinals, I happened onto Joel Osteen's program. As someone professionally-trained as an American religious historian, it was striking to watch Osteen once again and note both the themes of his message and the manner of his method. In both respects, his popularity is not the result of originality, but his skillful repacking of positive thinking/self-esteem and Pentecostal/charismatic elements. [On this particular episode, his wife Victoria was presiding at the Lord's Table. While watching that gave me the shivers, it was also striking how much less skillful and how much more plastic she was compared to Joel.]
While there were a lot of things to critique, I couldn't help but ask the historian's analysis questions: why does this message appeal to so many (upwards of 15,000 attend services at Lakewood Church each weekend)? what are the verbal and facial cues that draw people in? why does it seem that Lakewood is amazingly interracial (a fact that is much more common in Pentecostal-oriented churches than Reformed); how do you account for that?
I think the driving reason that Osteen is hugely popular is that he sells hope. Books like Your Best Life Now and Become a Better You provide a message of hope that my life does not have to be the way it is right now; that God is powerful and able to change my life; that God is profoundly interested in my life and is near to me. And while that message of hope is packaged in the code language of the prosperity Gospel and positive psychology (like the phenomenally successful book by Tal Ben-Shahar, Happier), at the end of the day, people leave Lakewood feeling as though there is a greater meaning and purpose for their lives.
As I thought about all this, though, I couldn't help but think about John Piper's question from God is the Gospel (and other places): do you delight more in the fact that God makes much of you in the Gospel or that the Gospel frees you to make much of God? The fault in Osteen's message is that it overplays and wrongly prioritizes the fact that God makes much of us (and God does make much of us: as I read in my morning worship today, God cried out to a wayward Israel, "How can I give you up, O Ephraim?...My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender" Hosea 11:8).
The biblical priority is that God in the Gospel rescues, delivers, frees and sustains us to make much of God. He is the great good in the Good News--and it truly is amazing: that God would save his wayward children for the fame of his name; would shape worshippers who will find their deepest satisfaction in making much of God; and would gather together a worldwide body of worshippers who hallow his name!
And that is the great hope: not that our material position would be better or our relationships grow stronger. Rather, our great hope is that the steadfast, committed love of our God is transforming us into worshippers who find our hearts satisfied in God himself.
HTTP://SEANMICHAELLUCAS.BLOGSPOT.COM/
I am always saddened when flipping around the channels and I come across the Osteen show and the thousands and thousands of folks in the congregation. His teaching style has often been called "cotton candy theology" as it lacks Godly substance (truth) and is a spin-off of the prosperity and positive thinking movement.
I think of my former pastor, Dennis who has been in the trenches for over twenty-five years teaching the truth AND living a godly life in front of his sheep. I'm sure he would love to have forty thousand parishioners to share Christ and the truths of holy scripture with every weekend. I know Dennis is not about numbers but you have to shake your head when one has such an opportunity to share Christ -- to honestly share Christ with that many folks and instead you tickle their ears which leads them to emptiness and despair.
The Piper quote is penetrating......
--Dan
Anyway the blog…..
Posted July 23, 2008 @ 10:06 AM by Sean Lucas
Last night as I was flipping the channels during a second straight depressing late-inning loss by my Cardinals, I happened onto Joel Osteen's program. As someone professionally-trained as an American religious historian, it was striking to watch Osteen once again and note both the themes of his message and the manner of his method. In both respects, his popularity is not the result of originality, but his skillful repacking of positive thinking/self-esteem and Pentecostal/charismatic elements. [On this particular episode, his wife Victoria was presiding at the Lord's Table. While watching that gave me the shivers, it was also striking how much less skillful and how much more plastic she was compared to Joel.]
While there were a lot of things to critique, I couldn't help but ask the historian's analysis questions: why does this message appeal to so many (upwards of 15,000 attend services at Lakewood Church each weekend)? what are the verbal and facial cues that draw people in? why does it seem that Lakewood is amazingly interracial (a fact that is much more common in Pentecostal-oriented churches than Reformed); how do you account for that?
I think the driving reason that Osteen is hugely popular is that he sells hope. Books like Your Best Life Now and Become a Better You provide a message of hope that my life does not have to be the way it is right now; that God is powerful and able to change my life; that God is profoundly interested in my life and is near to me. And while that message of hope is packaged in the code language of the prosperity Gospel and positive psychology (like the phenomenally successful book by Tal Ben-Shahar, Happier), at the end of the day, people leave Lakewood feeling as though there is a greater meaning and purpose for their lives.
As I thought about all this, though, I couldn't help but think about John Piper's question from God is the Gospel (and other places): do you delight more in the fact that God makes much of you in the Gospel or that the Gospel frees you to make much of God? The fault in Osteen's message is that it overplays and wrongly prioritizes the fact that God makes much of us (and God does make much of us: as I read in my morning worship today, God cried out to a wayward Israel, "How can I give you up, O Ephraim?...My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender" Hosea 11:8).
The biblical priority is that God in the Gospel rescues, delivers, frees and sustains us to make much of God. He is the great good in the Good News--and it truly is amazing: that God would save his wayward children for the fame of his name; would shape worshippers who will find their deepest satisfaction in making much of God; and would gather together a worldwide body of worshippers who hallow his name!
And that is the great hope: not that our material position would be better or our relationships grow stronger. Rather, our great hope is that the steadfast, committed love of our God is transforming us into worshippers who find our hearts satisfied in God himself.
HTTP://SEANMICHAELLUCAS.BLOGSPOT.COM/
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