Feelin' the groove!

We went to the Mo'town Museum in Detroit this past Tuesday. What a cool place! This is where some of the biggest recording artists and top songs of all times came out of! Artists like Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, and of course Michael Jackson!

Berry Gordy Jr. started Mo'town with a $800 loan from his family and recently sold it for $61 million!

This is a picture of the famous glove Michael Jackson wore when he did the moonwalk for the first time when he was singing "Billy Jean" back in the 80's. It was in a glass case with the hat he was wearing too. The tour guide told us that someone stole the hat and glove. M.C. Hammer offered $50 k to anyone who returned it to the museum safely. The stupid person who stole the hat and glove not only tried to return them for the cash, but had also signed the guest book the day he stole them. So, they were easily able to identify him. Apparently they did not press charges against him though.

This is the actual recording studio where these great hits were recorded. It was amazing to stand in this place. What struck me was how basic it was - the walls were made from ceiling tiles to help the acoustics.

Below are pictures of Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross recording in this very studio.

It was interesting to learn how much this Mo'town music impacted our history - especially the history of the relationships between black and white people in America. This music did a lot to bring unity.

The museum and tour were far better than I was anticipating. If you ever make it to Detroit, I would highly recommend that you visit the Mo'town Museum!

Not So Much Roaring....

I had the opportunity to take in my first NFL game this past Sunday. The Lions against the 49ers...Very cool!


Ford Field was an incredible place...it was huge and done up very nice. The Lions fans were not as "into" the game as I was anticipating. My hypothesis is that it is a result of playing a terrible football game and having a 2-7 record. I would not cheer much either.

One of the most impressive things was the huge screen they had. It must have been High Definition because the picture was amazing.

Even though the Lions played horrible, it was a great experience to take in the game...spending an afternoon watching a live NFL game and drinking a couple brews (even though it was watered down American beer) is tough to beat.

Edmonton Oilers, I love you so much, and yet you treat me so badly!

The big night came. I have been looking forward to seeing my Oilers at the Joe since the night I found out I was moving to Windsor. I was so happy.


My happiness dissipated shortly after this moment, when the ref dropped the puck to start the game. I could go on and on here about how the Oilers let me down, but I will allow the stats to speak for themselves: score - 3-0/shots - 45-16. I will finish by saying that it really didn't seem like the Oilers were putting much effort into the game. I find my relationship with the Oilers to be one-sided at times...I put so much effort into making it work and it sometimes is not reciprocated. It hurts.

However, we still had a great time and enjoyed the game. The Red Wings fans were quite knowledgable about hockey. I was surprised at how many other Oiler fans were in attendance along with us. I am hoping that the Oilers will redeem themselves this evening in Columbus.

Does anyone else have to take a schwiz?

So after our relaxing time at Niagara-On-Lake we ended up at the Falls. It is really awe inspiring to see this part of the earth, but I find the Tim Horton's coffee catches up to me quickly.



We couldn't resist going up on this wheel to get a birds-eye view of the area. The Falls looked absolutely beautiful, but unfortunatley the only picture that turned out even half decent was this one of the tacky part of Niagara Falls.


We stayed at the Mt. Carmel Spiritual Center for the conference. It was a great facility; the rooms were nice and the food was tasty. It also had beautiful grounds for walking and refelecting in.

The main chapel is where we held our daily worship services. The stained glass was incredible (unfortunatley my close-up pictures did not turn out well). The acoustics were amazing...the chanting and hymns seemed to reverberate forever. It was simply heavenly.

I learned a lot and met many pastors and deacons from the East District. The discussion and simply observing the process of a district conference was very helpful for me. Dr. Charles Arand (from St. Louis) was the guest speaker; he spoke on the "two kinds of righteousness," which helped to clarify the matter of justification and sanctification for me.

The LCC also has a church in Niagara Falls. I also would be very pleased to serve here, but my bribe would be a little less than the one I would offer for Niagara-On-The-Lake.

Serenity Now...

Natalie and I had the opportunity to visit Niagara-On-The-Lake on our way to the East District Pastors & Deacons Conference at Niagara Falls. I simply love this place. The stores and restaurants are incredible.

The views of Lake Ontario are amazing. This is a picture of Historic Fort George. There is a lot of history in this town.

This gazebo was part of a scene from the Steven King movie "The Dead Zone" starring Christopher Walken. That was a disturbing movie.

Before Natalie and I left for the Falls, we stopped for dinner at the "Olde Angel Inn". It is the oldest Pub/Inn in Upper Canada. The food and beverage are superb. The ceiling is really low and the beams are all hand-hewn.

We noticed on the way into town that there is a LCC congregation in Niagara-On-The-Lake. I would be very pleased to serve here and would be willing to bribe those who could make it happen.