Here

This is John and his new action set, the Elephant from the HALO video game series.  It is made up of 1273 separate pieces. The kid is awesome.  He has a Facebook page setup here.  You should check it out.

Up by 5:30 am and went out this morning for a pretty dark 2-miler.  This was my 6th run in my Vibrams, my legs are feeling pretty good.

Back home, threw some clothes in the wash, finished packing and loaded the van up for the drive to Naperville.  It was sad and emotional.  I’ll be back to Iowa in a few weeks to trade vehicles.  Left home around 7:15, stopped at Starbucks for a coffee on the way out of town.  A few stops and I made it to Naperville at 11:30.  Unloaded the van, lunch with Neil, Jon, Marco and Clark at 5 Guys.  Went back to church for some time spent in my new office and some chat time with Neil.  Over to Marco’s house (where I’m staying for the next few months); read Hunger Games, then had dinner.  A few guys that work for Marco are in town on their way to a job, so we spent some time chatting over dinner.  Marco’s a neat guy with an amazing testimony about how God has worked in his life.  Between Marco (and his wife Diane), Neil, Jon and the guys here, there is a lot of ministry happening and I am encouraged to be here.

Spoke with Katie for a few minutes today; she leaves for Mexico City for her “week of e” with Lincoln Christian University tomorrow.  She will be back next Friday evening, and she’ll spend Easter weekend here in Chicago and then I’ll take her back to LCU on Easter.

I think I get to sleep in tomorrow, up for a run, and then off to set up a bank account and then to meet with Neil early-afternoon.  Until then.

And a wake-up…

4 miles with Nate, met with realtor and finalized details, lunch with Ben Halsch, some time at the office, loaded van, coffee with a parent, hang out with youth sponsors before MS youth group, last MS youth group, going away party, gifts, laughs, tears.

I am going to miss Eastview. Kids. Leaders, Parents. Youth Ministry.

Tomorrow. 8am.

We begin again.

One

Unbelievable.  1 day left.

Ran a few miles.  House stuff in the morning, coffee with Bill, ran into a student an parent at Starbucks.  Cleaned and packed the office.  Hang time with John and Nate.  Ran audio for a funeral at church.  Dinner with Nate.  Some more housework.  Time with Anne.  Chilling at home.

This is crazy.

Two

4 mile run with Nate, up the hill at Thomas Park has left me beat for the day, lots of work around the house this morning…mulch…landscaping…all sorts of fun…lunch with one of Eastview’s amazing youth sponsors…office cleaning…cup of coffee…more stuff around the house….dinner…LIFE Group…chilling out.

The best news?

NO SCHOOL WORK!

Three

Final Sunday school teaching…exit interview during the service with Bill….going away lunch…conversations with people…brief nap in afternoon…Starbucks…final sr high youth group…Orange Leaf…Thomas Park…hike…home.

Four

7.5 miles, Nate and John helped me pack my office-80% packed, lunch with the boys, supply run to Menards for stuff for the house, chilled out most of the afternoon, worked on the bathroom, sprayed the yard for weeds, run to Ace Hardware for some supplies to finish the bathroom, watched the Buckeyes beat Orange, planned children’s sermon for tomorrow, downloaded two kindle books.

Waiting.

5 to go…

ran 4 miles with Nate…cleaned the house…met with realtor and got list of things that need to be done around the house…spent the afternoon painting….introduced John to Paul Simon’s “Graceland”went on a date…ate at Genghis Grill…saw The Hunger Games…typing this and listening to John listen to “Graceland” (yep…at 11:43pm).