Great Song

A Facebook friend posted this today and brought back this wonderful song into my life.  May this song speak to you as it has to me many times through the years. 

 He’s All You Need – Steve Camp

Source: http://www.youtube.com

“The music ministry of Steve Camp has blessed countless numbers of Christians for the last 30 years, and continues to encourage and bless people today. I hope you enjoy this video, and that your hearts are warmed by the message.”

Fletcher Place Picnic

I am about a month late in writing this post, but I still want to express myself some more about living in Fletcher Place because I love living here.   The annual Fletcher Place neighborhood picnic was held on Saturday, September 19th.  There was a great turnout, great food, great conversation, a great time.

Is there a friendlier neighborhood around?  I don’t think so.  Thank you to everyone (especially Julie) who helped make the picnic such a great experience.

Uhoh!

I have included the top 25 of the list of 100.  Not proud of this.

100 Fast Food-Addicted Cities

 

For more on how Men’s Health ranked and graded these 100 cities, click here. 

The City	Their Grade
1. Arlington, Tex.	F
2. Anchorage, Alaska	F
3. Charlotte, N. C.	F
4. Sioux Falls, S. D.	F
5. Raleigh, N. C.	F
6. Indianapolis, Ind.	F
7. Fremont, Calif.	F
8. Jacksonville, Fla.	F
9. Lexington, Ky.	F
10. Wichita, Kan.	F
11. Aurora, Colo.	F
12. Boise, Idaho	F
13. Colorado Springs, Colo.	F
14. Bakersfield, Calif.	F
15. San Jose, Calif.	D –
16. San Antonio, Tex.	D –
17. Fort Worth, Tex.	D –
18. Phoenix, Ariz.	D –
19. Columbus, Ohio	D –
20. Durham, N. C.	D –
21. Anaheim, Calif.	D –
22. Houston, Tex.	D –
23. Greensboro, N. C.	D
24. Montgomery, Ala.	D
25. Lincoln, Neb.	D

Downtown Indianapolis Walk

One of the best times to be in downtown Indianapolis is Friday at noon.  I took a long walk in the downtown area today between 12:20-1:30 pm.  The city was alive.  The sidewalks were full of people:  workers out for lunch, tourists, conventioneers, outside diners EVERYWHERE, panhandlers, shoppers.  There was live music outside at City Market and a vibrancy in the air wherever I went.  And, the skies were beautifully blue.  I concluded my walk at the downtown library.  Truly, this building is a masterpiece. 

Proud to be a part of this city.

There and Back

We got back on Tuesday evening (7/14) from Idaho and Eastern Washington.  We went to see my mom in Nampa, Idaho (near Boise) and to a Sporleder family reunion in Walla Walla, Washington.  My mom was a Sporleder.  She is the youngest of ten children.  She and two older brothers are still living. 

There were about 90 people at the reunion on a very hot Saturday afternoon at Fort Walla Walla park.  Included in this group were my wife and son, my mom, my sister and her husband, my brother and 19 first cousins.  All of my Sporleder first cousins were not able to be there.  I saw some of my cousins for the first time in 30-35 years.

My son, Jeffrey, flew into Chicago on Sunday, July 5th, after being out of the country for 11 months.  It is so good to have him home.  So, it was even better to have him be able to make the trip west with us.

Southern Idaho and Eastern Washington have different scenery than Northern Idaho and Western Washington.  I took some pictures of an area south of Nampa 20-25 miles or so.  Here they are.  (The body of water is the Snake River.)

He’s Coming Home

After a year away, with most of that time spent out of the country, our son is arriving in Chicago at 6:25 this evening.  Judy and I are so very excited and anxious to see him.  We will pick him up at O’Hare.  Can’t wait!

The Big Party in Fletcher Place

For me, June 26, 2009 will be unforgettable.  After months of planning, praying and preparation, An Evening in Fletcher Place happened!  And, what an evening it was.  This event to benefit Calvin Fletcher’s Coffee Company exceeded my expectations and my expectations had been big.

The weather was beautiful.  It had been hot that day, but there was a perfect breeze blowing that night.  The music was absolutely awesome.  Terry Hayes, the band, and Liz Hayes, singer, provided the best music you could have found anywhere in Indianapolis.  The dessert buffet was what was promised.  It was lavish.  The presentation was beautiful and the many, many different types of desserts would be difficult to adequately describe.  The guests were generous, encouraging, loving and so kind. 

I know that I am gushing.  I just can’t help it.  The evening was nearly perfect.  (We did have some electrical problems  that affected getting the coffee going shortly before the event started, but those were solved.)  I cannot thank everyone enough for the support given for An Evening in Fletcher Place.  So many people helped put everything together and some of those people worked almost every minute during the evening.  

There was joy in the air that was contagious.  It was the joy of people coming together.  It was the joy of God.  It was the joy of knowing what Calvin Fletcher’s Coffee Company was going to mean to individuals and to the neighborhood.  Something very good happened on June 26, 2009.

I am estimating about 225 in attendance.  $10,500 was raised through ticket sales, the silent auction and extra donations.  Is this not amazing?!  I am grateful to God, and to the many people that helped in any way, to those who were present that evening, and to all who prayed faithfully.

An Evening in Fletcher Place

From 6-11 tonight, the event that we and many others have been praying and planning for since April 3, 2009 will take place at Calvin Fletcher’s Coffee Company, 615 Virginia Avenue in downtown Indianapolis.

The coffee shop space is beautiful, the desserts are spectacular, and a lot of people are planning to attend the An Evening in Fletcher Place fundraiser that will enable us to complete the purchasing of equipment for the not-for-profit Calvin Fletcher’s.  Ten percent of all proceeds from the event will be given to Dat House and Second Helpings.  (I have written about both of these wonderful organizations in previous blogs.)  Also, all profit from regular business after we open will be given to these and other fine groups.

To say that I am excited would be an understatement!  You are invited.

Thank You

I have written a few previous posts about Calvin Fletcher’s Coffee Company, the new not-for-profit coffee shop opening in Fletcher Place.  We are getting ready for a major fundraiser event this Friday, June 26th.  So, there has been a great amount of work to do.  A great amount of work.  But, this work has not been done alone. 

There have been many volunteers.  By volunteers, I mean, people who have stepped forward and offered their help.  This project could not be done without their assistance.  A HUGE thank you to all.

For more information on the Friday evening event, please visit www.cfcoffeecompany.com.

Sometimes, Things Have To Get Worse Before They Can Get Better

I broke a bone in my left hand a little over three weeks ago.  I wish I could tell you that this happened while I was rock climbing (which I have never done) or even riding my 18 speed bike, but I have to confess that I tripped over something and fell on the sidewalk.  To my disappointment, I found out last week that I would need surgery yesterday.  The fracture had shifted (or something like that.)

So, I now have a new splint, and some pins in my hand that will eventually come out.  I understand that the pins are visible on the outside of my hand although I haven’t seen them yet because of the well wrapped splint. 

This new splint cannot come off  like the one I wore before the surgery.  There is more pain following the surgery.  I am a little more limited in what I can do.  This is to be expected, I guess.  Sometimes, things have to get worse before they can get better. 

I know that my hand will get better as so many other experiences in my life have taught me.  Hopefully, there is some encouragement for you in my experience and in these words today.