Tune Up

New air filter/spark plug and my old air filter/spark plug!

Last week several of us took our new Young Adult Pastor, Seth Watson, out for lunch at the Flying Weenie. It's a right of passage for all new interns and pastors!

Over the course of our lunch conversation the topic of lawn mowing came up. So I told Seth, "Watch this Seth, I'm going to get Tye really excited. He's going to come right out of his chair!"

People began to guess what I would say next. The set up was complete. So I announced, "I've had my lawn mower for 11 years and I've never sharpened the blade!"

Now you need to know something about Tye Male. He's passionate about his grass and lawn mowing. He double fertilizes his lawn, and mows on Mondays and Thursdays. He double cuts his grass and has immaculately straight lines. He has a spare blade so that he can keep a sharpened one on his mower at all times. His lawn is a thing of beauty, admired by the entire neighborhood!

I'm not sure if Tye was shocked or amused by my shameful admission. Perhaps he felt compassion for a "backslidden" brother. I really don't know. All I do know is that several days later Tye showed up in my garage, removed the dull blade off my mower and took it in to be sharpened.

And today, he returned the blade, bolted it back on my mower, changed the spark plug and installed a new air filter. Neither the spark plug or air filter had been changed in 11 years either!

I can't wait to try out my "new mower!" What started out as a funny story has turned into an act of service. Tye is using an area of his passion to serve me in an area that I just "get by." Thanks Tye for your friendship and servant heart!

Which brings me to the idea of the importance of and need for regular tune ups. Neglect and even abuse of a lawn mower is one thing. Ignoring or failing to maintain things that are valuable to us can have catastrophic consequences.

I've learned a lot about this the hard way. Take these examples.

• My marriage needs regular tune ups. Sharon and I are reading and discussing Love and War, a book on marriage. We've learned over the years that if we aren't intentionally moving toward one another, we are drafting apart. Ask Sharon to tell you the story about her engagement ring some time.
• My physical body needs regular tune ups. I go in for dental check-ups every six months. I just had an appointment this past Monday. I ignored doing this when we were first married which resulted in years of dental work to correct the problems it created. Sharon and I go in for regular chiropractic, physical and eye exams.
• Our finances need regular tune ups. I've balanced our check book monthly for our entire married life. But during the past five years we have worked harder at intentionally managing our finances with a spending plan that we monitor several times a week.
• My spiritual life needs regular tune ups. I set aside 45-60 minutes 4-5 times a week for Bible reading, prayer, and time along with God. Weekly times of corporate worship feed my soul. Our small group and times of prayer help me connect with God and others for healthy spiritual growth.

Regular tune ups are important. Neglect them at your own peril! We care for the things we value.

This week I have enjoyed celebrating the 60th birthday of a friend, coffee with one of my sons, dinner and conversation with a missionary friend, conversation with Sharon about our marriage, breakfast with two friends, and coffee with several other friends.

This week, take time out of your busy schedule to spend with the people and projects that you really care about. Don't let the urgent squeeze out the important. Have that long-needed conversation. Begin that neglected project. Hug a family member. Check in with an old friend. Even mow the lawn! It's time for that long over due tune up!

Office 2010: The Movie

I'm really enjoying Office 2010! Much faster. Improved user interface and menus.

Help Desk

As you know, I enjoy trying out new technology. I'm always looking for a new or better way of getting something done. I think I may have stumbled upon a new, cutting-edge device. I think it's destined to be a huge hit! Watch the video and let me know what you think!

A Tradition Unlike Any Other

One of our Christmas morning traditions is enjoying Sharon's world-famous cinnamon rolls! They are spectacular. And we get to enjoy them twice. First, we enjoy the wonderful aroma as they bake in the oven. And then we enjoy the warm bundle of goodness as we wash the first bite down with a cold glass of milk!

You can click on the photo above to see a short slide show of our cinnamon rolls. And if you're curious, you can probably coax the recipe out of Sharon by emailing her at KimPagel@mchsi.com.

I personally promise to expedite the recipe to you if you promise to share a cinnamon roll with me from your first pan! It's a tradition unlike any other!

A New Super Hero!

Click on the photo above to see a video of the new super hero in town! Get ready for a good laugh!

Hello, My Name Is Kimberley!

If you've know me for long, you know that I sometimes have to explain my first name to people who have never met me before.

I know there is a tele-marketer on the other end of the line when they ask for Kim Pagel and I answer, "Speaking," and then there is a long pause while the caller tries to collect their thoughts.

I try to bank at the same branch so that I don't get ID'd. But occasionally there is a new teller. I walk up to the window, give him or her my deposit slip and checks, and then watch them begin to get nervous. They might then say something like, "Mr. Pagel, you will need to sign these checks also." Or sometimes I try to bail them out by telling them that Kimberley really is my name. And then one of the veteran tellers will holler out, "He's OK. We know him!"

I've long known that Kimberley is an unusual name for a guy. But little did I know how unusual! I recently stumbled upon the Popular Baby Names website that is hosted by the Social Security Administration.

If you go to the site you will learn that for babies born in 2007 Jacob was the most popular boys name and Emily was the most popular girls name. Jacob and Emily are nice names, I like them.

But what really caught my attention is that the site allows you to search popular names by previous birth years. Cool!

So I went to 1951 and looked at popular boys and girls names. Right at the top of the list you see the usual suspects - names like James, Robert, John, Michael and David. I knew a ton a guys with those names growing up.

So I eagerly went down the list. I came to names like Melvin, Cecil, Claude, Oscar, Elmer, Ira, Homer, Rufus, Dewey, Bert, Amos, Murray, Orville, Harley, Norbert, Dudley, Gus, Ollie, Laverne, Carol, Wilmer.

Good grief, where is Kimberley? Finally, I found my name listed proudly at #709! It was just ahead of Burl and Cleo! And for girls, Kimberly was listed at #366. Just ahead of names like Fannie and Violet!

All things considered, it could have been worse. My mom could have named me Edsel! And just in case you're interested, in 1951 Edsel was the 1000th most popular baby name, narrowly beating out Donal!

Whew! I guess Kimberly isn't so bad after all.

I'll Always Be Your Little Boy!

We had a great time honoring Sharon today on Mother's Day. We enjoyed lunch at Chili's and Sharon reminisced regarding the early years of our marriage along with her thoughts and expectations about being a mother. Fun stuff!

But then the real fun began. Over the years our boys have taken to purchasing humorous cards for special occasions. And today did not disappoint. The picture above is Sharon holding her card from Jon.

In our quest for full disclosure, I will share the contents of the cards with my faithful blog readers - all ten of you!

The Wonderful Mom
See her stand like a glorious flower of kindness in the wide and windswept meadow that we call life. See her also pick up clothes, wash dishes, fill the fridge, tidy the house, drive the kids around, etc. etc. etc. - Ryan and Natalie

Mom
The more I've tried to live life on my own, the more I realize what a Great Mom you've been. (The card has a picture of a pot with burning food and a scorched iron mark on a shirt) - Jason

Everything I need to know about life, I learned from you, Mom! (Open card) ...except how to fart - THAT I learned from Dad! - Josh

Mom, no matter how old I get, I'll always be your little boy. (Open card) ...meaning, of course, that it's still perfectly acceptable for you to do my laundry. (I know it makes you happy.) - Jon

There is nothing Sharon would rather do than spend time with her boys. She's a great mom. We all agree! Happy Mother's Day Sharon!

The 12 Days of Christmas

It's time for some Christmas music. Sit back, relax and enjoy this version of The 12 Days of Christmas. Last year, Josh and a group of Linn-Mar guys performed a similar arrangement at the Get In The Spirit concert. These guys are good!

Winner Announced

And the winner of the Name That Book contest is ........ Tye Male! Tye was the first person to identify the quote as coming from the book of Zechariah by posting the correct answer on my blog. Retha Gordon emailed me the correct book and Chris Leonard answered correctly by posting on my Facebook page. You are all winners!

This evening, I presented Tye with his grand prize - a hand decorated, Christmas cookie. Thank you to all who played the game!

Animator vs Animation

You gotta see this! Click on the stick figure above and it will take you to the flash site of the animation. Click play, sit back and enjoy! This is raw creativity at its best!

Cy-ber Victory!

After five weeks, more than 8 million votes and thousands of e-mails and internet message board threads, Cy emerged victorious in the battle of the mascots! 64 college mascots vied to be the Most Dominant College Mascot on Earth, a contest sponsored by CBS sportsline.com.

In a contest that captured the hearts and minds of college sports fans across the nation for more than six weeks, Cy the Cyclone emerged as 2007's Most Dominant College Mascot on Earth. On its way to the top, the violent windstorm overcame several mythical creatures and inanimate objects before finally taking on and defeating the Spartans and Razorbacks.

Check out the YouTube video above that gives an overview of Cy's road to victory. Way to go Cy and the entire Cyclone nation! You dominate!

Sanibel Bean Coffee

In our bike ride yesterday we discovered Sanibel Bean Coffee. I had the Sanibel Island Blend Medium Roast. They use the insulated, self-serve pots so you could help yourself. The coffee was good but not outstanding. We enjoyed our coffees on the front porch, basking in the 80 degree weather! You can click on the picture above to see a slide show.

Finding this coffee shop got me to thinking. What would you get if Sanibel Bean Coffee merged with Mr. Bean? I think I know the answer! You'd get Mr. and Mrs. Bean! I think it's time to go!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

In case you haven't noticed, it's been snowing in upstate New York. New York's governor Eliot Spitzer declared Oswego County a disaster emergency, where five straight days of lake-effect squalls have dumped nearly 100 inches of snow, and even more snow is forecast through the weekend! Parts of the county were getting as much as 3 inches of snow an hour said Dave Sage, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

I always laugh when people in Iowa complain about the snow. Sharon and I lived in Syracuse, New York from 1977-1991 and we experienced real snowfall. Let me tell you, upstate New York knows snow. Consider these facts:

• Syracuse is the nation's snowiest metropolitan region, averaging 114.6 inches every winter!
• The biggest snow plow in the world is the 32-foot, 3-inch blade attached to a payloader at Hancock Airport in Syracuse. The 48-inch tall piece of steel can clear 8,500 cubic yards of snow in an hour.
• The Tug Hill Plateau just north of Syracuse is the snowiest place east of the Rocky Mountains. Some winters, more than 400 inches fall.
• The winter of 1977, the first year we were married, Syracuse recorded 161.2 inches of snowfall!

The heavy snow is due to the proximity to Lake Ontario. It is a light, fluffy, lake-effect type of snow. It's easier to shovel, but once you get over 100 inches, you are trying to throw it up and over banks that are over your head!

So Iowan's, don't you dare complain about the snow. Cedar Rapids averages only 34.4 inches of snow a year. And I can't even remember the last time we had a "white Christmas." Bring it on! Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

You Are Only As Old As You Think You Are

New research is coming out that indicates that the human brain can actually generate new brain cells. This is the kind of news I've been waiting for!

Dr. Paul Nussbaum, an Adjunct Associate Professor in Neurological Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, says that "new brain research indicates that the brain continues to develop in humans in their 20’s and that we continue to be able to help our brains well into later life. Other studies have shown a relationship between creativity and advanced age,” he said.

For those over 50, Dr. Nussbaum acknowledges that one’s ability to remember names, retrieve information and multi-task diminishes with age and is not necessarily a disease. He encourages learning throughout the lifespan to maintain mental acuity.

Dr. Nussbaum says that a healthy lifestyle characterized by socialization, physical activity, mental activity, spirituality, and nutrition leads to improved brain health. Individuals should reduce their caloric intake to 80% of what they intend to consume at each meal because overeating and obesity do not contribute to brain health.

Dr. Nussbaum discourages television viewing, encourages ambidexterity and challenges the traditional concept of “retirement”, indicating, instead, that older people should continue to be engaged and productive. People who isolate have a higher risk of dementia. He reports that chronic stress has been demonstrated to accelerate aging.

So there you have it. Do you want to stay mentally sharp? Then turn off the TV, take a walk with a friend, enjoy a good conversation, read a book in order to learn something new, pray and eat healthy. You are only as old as you think you are. Now, if I could only remember where I placed my glasses!

Step Up To The Plate

You knew that is was bound to happen, that it was only a matter of time. Sports talk radio and television was a buzz today regarding the news that the baseball writers slammed the Hall of Fame door into the face of Mark McGwire. He fell a whopping 281 votes shy of enshrinement! And the reason for the snub? It's the fault of the Baseball Writers Association of America. It's a version of "slay the messenger."

The most incredible thing I heard today is that McGwire's problems are due to "moralistic sports writers and journalists." Excuse me, did I hear that right? Moralistic sports writers and journalists? You have to be kidding me! The words moralistic and sports writers don't even belong in the same sentence.

You know, your friendly, neighborhood moralistic sports journalists. The ones who help little old ladies across the street; who call their mothers every Sunday evening; who attend mass, synagogue or their local church twice a week; who volunteer at the soup kitchen on the weekends.

I know, you thought you saw them hanging out at the local bar, cigar in hand, cussing up a storm while complaining about the officiating. But that wasn't really them. They were all attending a Peace Rally and Global Warming Conference at the local college campus!

So blame the moralistic sports writers. They're the ones who encouraged Mark to take performance-enhancing drugs. The moralistic sports writers are the ones who told Mark to "not talk about the past" when questioned about steroid use at the congressional hearing in 2005. This entire "misunderstanding" could have all been cleared up by Mark while under oath if he were to have said, "I never took a performance-enhancing drug." Instead he said nothing, refusing to "talk about the past."

So blame the sports writers if you must. But please don't suggest that Mark McGwire is only being kept out of the Hall of Fame for moralistic reasons. 409 hard-core journalists don't get "religion" overnight and vote in lock step with one another. People are much too intelligent for that.

During his playing days, Mark McGwire loved to come up to bat in the bottom of the 9th with the game on the line. He was a feared, clutch hitter. Someone needs to tell Mark that it's now time to be a man and to take personal responsibility. It's time to stop blaming others for personal indiscretion and poor judgement. Mark, it's time to step up to the plate.

Don't Mess With Pluto

Pluto is fighting back. You will recall that on August 24, 2006 the International Astronomical Union met in Prague and decided that Pluto no longer met the criteria for a planet. I wrote a blog titled, Who Speaks For Pluto, and apparently someone has stepped up to show Pluto some love.

The American Dialect Society has chosen the word "plutoed" as the 2006 word of the year. The society, at its annual meeting Friday decided to define "to pluto" as "to demote or devalue someone or something, as happened to the former planet Pluto when the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union decided Pluto no longer met its definition of a planet."

My favorite quote from the Press Release announcing the Word of the Year winner:
“It was good that the society focused on a genuine scientific concern,” Professor Glowka said. “Though I believe the nomination came in from outer space.”

You gotta love Pluto. Pluto may be small, but it's a true winner. Pluto has been kicked around, demoted, and devalued, only to rise from the ash heap to international prominence.

The moral of the story? Don't mess with Pluto!

Almost Too Good To Eat

What do you do on a Sunday evening for fun, entertainment, friendly competition and artistic expression? You bake and decorate Christmas cookies of course! Erin has distinguished herself as the Christmas Cookie Queen. Her artistic flair and creativity turn her cookies into "one of a kind" creations. They almost look too good to eat. Notice I said "almost!" You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of our cooking baking and decoration adventure.

So, what Christmas traditions do you and your family celebrate? Post your reply. Or better yet, drop by our home for a glass of cold milk and a Christmas cookie. Acquaintances get to look at the cookies free of charge. Friends get to hold a cookie. Close friends get to sample a cookie. And family and special guests get to eat a cookie. You know, these works of art almost look too good to eat!

A White Elephant Christmas

The Sojourners Adult Bible Fellowship celebrated their Christmas Party tonight at Rick and Susan Kruchers home. We enjoyed a great time of fellowship, a bingo icebreaker game, a wide variety of good food and a fun white elephant gift exchange. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of our evening.

It's great to have a group of friends to have fun with on a Friday evening. Laughter is good medicine for the soul! The UFO fiber optic lamp was the most popular gift, getting selected several times. It would be a great addition to any family room! Richard did a nice job of modeling it for us, only to have the lamp snatched from his possession. But Sharon Barrett-Kramer had the last pick and was able to recapture the treasured lamp.

Now it's true confession time. Sharon committed the cardinal sin of white elephant gift exchange. She left her gift at the Krucher's home when we left. It was an innocent oversight on her part, but an unpardonable offense just the same. Rick and Susan, I'm really sorry and apologize for Sharon's forgetfulness. We are guilty, please forgive us!

There is no snow on the ground yet this winter. But that didn't stop us this evening from celebrating a white elephant Christmas.

Good-bye ~ Hello

Today we said good-bye to a faithful member of our family. Sharon and I drove our Geo Prizm down to the Sunline salvage yard on the southwest side this morning. It was a sad moment as I handed the keys and title over, knowing that we would never see our good friend again. More than likely, our '93 Prizm will be crushed flatter than a pancake and sold for salvage metal.

We hoped it wouldn't end this way. It was all so sudden, so final. We brought the Prizm home to our family in 1998. For the past eight years Ryan, Jason, and now Josh and Jon have been driving it to school and around town. We grew to love the little guy. He became part of our family. You can see pictures of him posing with Josh and Jon on the first day of school over the years by clicking on the picture above.

It all began to go south on a Wednesday morning, four fateful weeks ago. Josh and Jon were driving back home after helping serve breakfast at the HD Youth Center. Just as they began to turn left on 74th Street off of C Avenue, another driver pulled out without seeing them and broadsided our car. It was an ugly scene. Paint was scratched, metal was twisted beyond recognition, and critical system functions were disabled. I arrived on the scene shortly before the officer arrived to assess the damage.

I'm happy to say that no one was injured! But our little red Prizm had taken a hard blow, one that it couldn't recover from. It's not that it's health hadn't begun to fail before the accident - the air conditioner didn't work, the heater was not the best, the body had rusted through in several places, and the interior roof upholstery was sagging. The boys nursed the car back home, where we looked over the damage.

Subsequent discussions with specialists confirmed our fears that the injuries were fatal - the car was totaled! It was still driveable, but just barely. The boys got quite a few comments and glances when they drove down the road with the limping Prizm. We knew what we had to do. We needed to find another used car for our family.

With a rather generous insurance adjustment, I began our quest for a new family member. Ryan and Natalie's wedding and Thanksgiving put our plans on hold for several weeks. Finally on Monday, we found our new little compact in Coralville, a 2001 Nissan Sentra. It's mileage is rather high, but everything else checked out great. Josh drove down with me on Wednesday to pick it up.

Which brings us to today. I felt a small twinge of sadness as we drove away from Sunline this morning. Our Prizm has served us well. But as we drove away in our new Sentra, enjoying the nice sound system, the good heater and great road handling, my regret quickly turned to relief. After all, we were only leaving a car at the salvage yard, not a member of our family! And God had provided a new car for us. One, that by His grace, will provide us with many years of service and wonderful memories.

Today was a good day. Today we said good-bye to our old Prizm and hello to our new Sentra.

Do You Offer Insurance With Your Chicken Nuggets?

I overheard the most awesome conversation today while waiting for my order at Wendy's. A young father and his two year old son came in the door and walked up to the counter right next to me. The little boy was noticeably sad.

The Wendy's employee asked the dad if he would like to place an order. And the dad said, "Do you offer insurance with your chicken nuggets?" The employee at the counter responded, "Pardon me?" And the dad repeated his question the second time. The employee then said, "Could you please explain what you mean?" The dad then responded with the following story:

"We were on our way out to the car and our chicken nuggets jumped out of their box and ran away. Do you offer insurance?" The employee then said, "We sure do. We can fix you right up." At this the dad looked down to his son and said, "I told you that they wouldn't let a little boy go hungry!"

What an awesome response! What awesome customer service. That Wendy's employee saved the day for that little boy and created a memory that may last a lifetime. Good customer service rarely costs more money but it does require a little more time. It's placing yourself in the other persons shoes and asking yourself, "what's the right thing to do?"

Good customer service is always prepared to answer the most difficult of questions or problems - even "Do you offer insurance with your chicken nuggets?"

Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:9-12