Renewal

Sharon and I have been enjoying Sanibel Island, Florida for the past week. I can't believe how fast the time has gone! You can click on the picture above to see a slide show. We are staying with my dad on the island. He has cooked our evening dinners for us, it's almost like having our personal chef!

We are within walking/biking distance of the ocean and beach! The weather has been in the 70's so we have spent a lot of time outside. This past week I walked 21 miles and biked 37 miles! Sharon and I started each day with an early morning beach walk of 4 miles. What a great way to start your day!

I have been mostly unplugged this past week, making it very relaxing. We went to two spring training baseball games. There's nothing like watching baseball in February when it's 70 degrees in Florida and 10 degrees in Iowa! Sharon and I are working our way through the TrueFaced Experience guide, and we've had good conversations each afternoon in a local park or coffee shop over the topics of trust and grace.

We've also enjoyed evening walks on the beach at sunset, bike riding, extend times in the Word and times praying together. I read two books and have had fun capturing some photos of our week. It's been a great vacation. But better yet, it has been a wonderful time of recreation, refreshment and renewal.

Our Times Are In His Hands

Jason, Josh, Jon and I just got back from a quick two-day trip to Minneapolis. We'd been planning to go to a Twins game this week before the I35W bridge collapsed. We spent Monday afternoon before the game walking along the bank of the Mississippi River.

We walked over the river on the Stone Arch Bridge that was built in 1883 and got a view of what is left of the I35W bridge. You can see part of the bridge jutting up into the air to the left of Josh's shoulder. It was quite an erie feeling looking at the rubble and remains, realizing that just days earlier at that very spot an eight-lane bridge spanned the Mississippi.

We enjoyed exploring downtown Minneapolis and along with coffee at Carabou Coffee. The Twins game was somewhat of a disappointment, getting shut-out by Paul Byrd and the Indians 4-0. We enjoyed talking to our Ramada Inn van driver. He had delivered someone to the northside of Minneapolis last Thursday afternoon. He was on his way back downtown at 5:45 PM on I35W and decided to take another route because the traffic was backed up. His spur-of-the-moment decision may have saved his life!

And of course, no trip would be complete without a game of miniature golf. We found a nice course in Bloomington. You can click on the picture above to see a slide-show of our trip.

I enjoyed getting an update from Sharon on our trip back to Cedar Rapids. She is in good spirits after completing what she says, was "the most difficult thing I have ever done in my entire life." Way to go Sharon! We are proud of you!

Smile Because It Happened

We're in the Ft. Myers airport waiting for our flight to Detroit. We were supposed to fly to Memphis at 12:15 but fog and inclement weather delayed all their flights, making it impossible to catch our connecting flight to Moline. So we are flying through Detroit instead.

We've had an incredibly relaxing time this past week. The change of pace along with beautiful Sanibel Island refreshed our soul. Sharon and I enjoyed the extended time alone with God, one another and my dad. Thanks dad for being such a fantastic host!

But it's now time to rejoin life in Cedar Rapids. It will take a day or two to come back up to speed. Just putting shoes and socks on my feet this morning felt unusual!

I saw a quote this week that I really like. It's from the famous philosopher and writer, Dr. Seuss. "Don't cry because its over, smile because it happened."

So today Sharon and I are smiling. We are smiling because of all the wonderful experiences and memories that we made this week. We are smiling because it happened.

Filled With Delight

I'm posting a few more photos from the past two days. Everywhere you look in Sanibel is a photo op. You're only limited by your creativity and time. Click on the picture above to see some palm tree photos that I took while Sharon and I were on a bike ride this afternoon. We stopped at a small little shelter to spend some time praying together and these palm trees caught my attention.

You can click here to see photos from our bike ride to the pier last evening. The setting sun was so beautiful as it shimmered over the water. This has been an incredible week. The weather has been wonderful, and we have thoroughly enjoyed walking the beach, bike riding, watching the setting sun, and laughing at the crazy pelicans.

I love the passage from Proverbs 8:30-31 that I read this morning. It speaks of Jesus Christ and his delight in his creation.

Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.

The Beach Experience

One of the attractions to Sanibel Island is the fabulous beaches. And what can you do on the beach you ask? Almost anything you can think of!

Here are some of the things I have seen people doing on the beach - walking the dog, flying a kite, sun bathing, reading, sleeping, talking on a cell phone, talking with friends, shelling, swimming, snorkeling, throwing a football, playing whiffle ball, tossing a ball with lacrosse sticks, fishing, building a sand castle, eating, teaching a child how to swim, tossing a frisbee, jogging, boogie boarding and listening to music. And of course, there are a few weird people who like to take photographs at the beach!

You can click on the picture above to see a slide show from a mid-afternoon walk and an early morning walk on the beach this week. The sights, sounds, smells and textures of the beach are captivating. But best of all, the beach allows you to experience it in your own way, at your own pace. The beach is a place you truly have to experience to believe.

Win, Lose or Draw!

Have you ever heard of a tie in baseball? We saw one today! The final score was the Boston Red Sox 3 and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 3. Most teams don't play extra innings in spring training for fear of injury or over taxing their pitching staff.

The stars were on display. We got to see Manny Rameriz, David Ortiz, Carl Crawford, and Jorge Cantu all play and get hits. Jonathan Papelbon came into the game and worked a perfect 9th inning to get the tie! Does that sound funny or what!

But the hitting stars for Boston were Alex Ochoa who hit a home run in the 8th inning and Argenis Diaz who hit the tied the game up with one out in the 9th with a homer of his own! Alex and Argenis, not exactly your household names.

It was a great afternoon at the City of Palms Park in Ft. Myers. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show with some action shots of the game. Warning! There are a lot of photos and it may take a while to load on your computer.

And just in case you haven't been paying any attention, Opening Day is on Sunday! Play ball!

Make My Day

Sharon and I went to the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Devil Ray game today. More on that later. This blog post is about what happened before the game.

Traditionally, professional baseball has never been exceptionally "fan friendly." Over the past few years Major League Baseball has been trying to warm up it's image and reach out to younger fans.

For instance, you are now allowed to bring food and beverages in closed plastic containers into major league parks. That's a move in the right direction. Discounted tickets on family days at the park are also popular with young families.

The other thing baseball has been doing is having players sign autographs before and after games. Today Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling spent over 30 minutes signing baseballs, shirts, caps, programs, pictures and anything else that a Sharpie can write on. Kudos to Josh and Curt. There were a lot of happy young children at the park today - and maybe even an adult or two. And no, I didn't even try to get an autograph. I was too busy taking pictures. That's way more fun!

For those blog readers who are baseball fans, you can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the autograph signing. Warning! The non-baseball fan may not fully appreciate all the photos of two people. Enter the slide show at your own risk!

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!

Pelican, Porpoise and Painted Sunset

Today was a beautiful day. We took a bike ride, walked on the beach, completed session two of the Good $ense DVD, and watched the sunset at the pier. While we were at the pier we watched a pelican show off, dive bombing for fish! I got some awesome photos. You can click here to see the pelican in action.

While we were at the pier we saw two porpoise. The porpoise are a little harder to photograph! I think it's because they're more humble, unlike the pelican! You can click here to see pictures of the porpoise.

We also saw several birds catching fish in shallow water. I'm not sure what kind of birds they are. The one looks like a red heron. Help me out Weir! What are these? You can click here to check out the two birds.

The sunset this evening was awesome! Oranges and golds lavishly painted on the sky and water! What a creative God. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the sunset this evening.

And if you get tired of seeing birds and other animals, you can click here to see a couple pictures of the lighthouse and of Sharon and me. And speaking of tired, I've got to get to bed. We've got another full day planned tomorrow - more walking on the beach, bike riding and a Red Sox game!

It's Going To Be A Great Week

We flew out of Moline today to visit my dad at Sanibell Island. We arrived early enough to have dinner and get to the beach. There's nothing like the sound and smell of the ocean! It's going to be a great week!

We flew to Detroit to get a flight to Ft. Myers. Detroit has the most awesome tunnel that links two of the terminals. And best of all, they have Caribou Coffee shops! You can click on the picture above to see a short slide show.

Periwinkle Park where my dads lives, has wireless internet. Right now I'm sitting in dad's Florida room enjoying a cool evening breeze and a cup of Starbucks Casi Cielo coffee, writing this blog post. We have a full day planned for tomorrow - early breakfast, time in the Word, walking the beach, bike riding, time with my dad, exploring, and more! Whew! I better get a good nights sleep. It's going to be a great week!

Perspective

We spent two days in Chicago earlier this month. It was just about the only time we could fit in this summer between baseball, summer youth group trips and work schedules. What a fun and refreshing time we had.

We took in the Navy Pier, the Brookfield Zoo, the Hancock Observatory, lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, and a White Sox game. Although the Sox played poorly and lost, they went on a hot streak after the game we went to, winning six out of the next seven games! And of course, no Pagel family vacation is complete without a competitive game of miniature golf. (I won!) If you are in the Chicago area, I highly recommend Lost Mountain in Woodridge. You can click on the picture above to see a short slideshow of our time in Chicago.

It's good to get away occasional in order to spend time together as family. It's easy to get busy and to take one another for granted. Times like this remind me how blessed I am - I have a fantastic wife and four great sons! I've got wonderful friends and a supportive church family. It's good to take a step back for some much needed rest, refreshment, relaxation and perspective.

A Bear Tale

Beware of Bear

There are bear everywhere in the Smokies! If you don't watch your step you can find yourself face to face with one of these ferocious creatures. Which is exactly what happened the first day we were in our cabin.

Jason exclaimed that he saw a bear in front of our living room window. We all thought he was joking. That is, until we turned around and looked out the window! There in front of us was a mama bear with her two cubs. I found my camera and opened the door in time to snap off a quick picture as they disappeared into the woods. Fortunately, I escaped with my life and lived to tell this harrowing story of danger and adventure. Click on the picture above to see some of the bears we encountered while in Tennessee. The last picture is of our visiting bear family.

Who Touches the Mountains, and They Smoke

The Smoky Mountains

May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works - he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke. I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. Psalm 104:31-33

The Smokies are as beautiful as people say. Photos don't do them justice. We had a very relaxing family vacation that exceeded our expectations! How often does that happen? Highlights for me included hiking in the Smokies, hanging out as a family in the cabin at night, sleeping in, discussing Knowing What You Believe each evening, taking pictures, reading and time to relax! Click on the picture above to see a slideshow of our vacation. And yes, I did see bear! I narrowly escaped with my life. I'll tell you the rest of the story, complete with pictures, at another time.

Pastor Attacked By Bear, Unable To Blog For A Week

Smokey Mountains

We leave for our family vacation to the Smokey Mountains on Saturday morning! We hope to hit the road at 6:00 AM and drive to Louisville. We will then drive from Louisville to Townsend, Tennessee on Sunday, where we have rented a cabin for the week. I hope to find a wireless connection somewhere during our trip so I can post some pictures.

If you don't hear from me on this blog during the next week you will know that one of the following happened to me:

• I was attacked by a bear and hospitalized
• I was busy taking pictures on the hiking trail, got lost and my family left me in the forest
• I loved Dollywood so much that Sharon couldn't get me out of the park
• I bought a guitar, began singing country and western music and began my own act
• I was having such a good time on vacation that I completely forgot about blogging!

I'm really looking forward to this time together as family. Jason is able to join us as he has the week off of work. We are going to read and discuss the book, Know What You Believe while we're away. It's not a vacation unless I use my "learner" strength!

The next time I post will be with some pictures of the Smokeys. While I'm gone, leave a comment about your family's summer vacation. I would love to hear from you. Have a great week!

Chicago Skyline

Sharon, Kim, Jon and Josh

We enjoyed having Jason home for the weekend. We drove him back to Chicago on Sunday and took in a baseball game and some other sightseeing. Click on the picture above to see a slideshow of our trip. As you can see, we had a great time.