Ya, Hey Der!!

Well, I just returned from a quick trip up to Duluth, Minnesota to see my family and you know what? I really have nothing bad to say about the weekend.

Sure, there were a few bumps and the weather was a little on the cold/rainy side... but it was a chance to see some people and get away from the rest of life for a little while.

Everything started on a high note when I decided to email a friend (if he is ok with me calling him that) to see if there was any chance he could meet me for coffee on my way through the Twin Cities. This individual has been someone that I've respected greatly in the music industry and have been trying to get to know better over the past several years.

Much to my surprise, we were actually able to get together (he even drove an hour round-trip to make the meeting).

I'll be honest and say that it was very refreshing to sit and talk with this individual. Not only did he have a lot of positive things to share about how he and I relate to the music industry, but more importantly we were able to discuss quite a few spiritual things.

I think one of the most impressive thing was that as we ended the meeting (his daughters were having a High School Musical 2 party, so he had to get home), he asked what he could do to help me out. I have no reason to doubt his sincerity, so I have to tell you that it says a great deal about this individual's character.

Not to mention that it was my first visit to a Caribou Coffee shop... and they have awesome white chocolate hot chocolate!

Great way to start the weekend!

We got to Duluth after dinner that night and spent some time hanging out with family. Any concerns we had about things being "tense" (we hadn't been together as a family for over 3 years) quickly dissipated.

It was just a matter of minutes before we entered into the same routines as last time we visited. Jokes were made, card games were played, food was consumed.

My oldest brother-in-law Todd even challenged the majority of us to fußball. After several attempts at taking him down, I must humbly admit that he is indeed the champion.

I have to give a big hand to my wife... she was a huge example of servanthood throughout the weekend. She watched kids (9 cousins total!) while me, my brother and my two sisters goofed off, she put up with sharing a cramped single bed with my daughter for the three nights we were there and most importantly, she took some time to sit down and discuss some pretty deep and significant spiritual issues with one of my siblings.

This of course all came after taking the kids and walking around a scary mall while me and my friend met for coffee on the first day.

What can I say, I married an awesome lady.

So... now I'm back at my desk, facing what could be a busy and stressful week... but I am very thankful for this past weekend and the various parts of life that were touched by it.

So there you have it... I could go on and on... but I'll maybe save some of it for future posts!

In Him,
Jim