Monday, August 12th
I got both TV shows done for Kiss TV this morning and completed the bulletin for the Sunday we will be gone (I was amazed I couldn’t find a picture of Chris Cain on the internet). I know it will be a great service on Sunday the 18th. I’m sure Mike will do a great job of teaching on Wednesday nights. Several of our adults miss his Adult Sunday School Class.
We basically spent the entire day driving. We got away about 1:00 PM, had dinner a Culver’s in St. Louis, and arrived at Stephen’s apartment around 10:00 PM. After talking with Phillip and Stephen about technology until about 2:00 AM, we went to bed. I actually slept quite well.
Tuesday, August 13th
I got up this morning and decided to just blog about each day of our vacation and post it on our website when I get home. Susan and I are in Springfield, Missouri vacationing with our sons, Phillip and Stephen, for two weeks. This is an actual vacation. We are here to do stuff, sightsee, and visit with our family.
I hoped to fill this post with pictures of our times in the Ozarks and Branson, but we ran off without our camera. I am thinking about picking up one at a pawn shop or Goodwill just to get some better photos than my iPhone will do. We’ll see. I got caught up on my Bible reading this morning. I had to go to McDonald’s for orange juice and coffee. Neither of my sons, nor Susan, drink coffee. I was on my own.
We all had a light lunch at Burger King on the way to Branson, Missouri. We arrived in time to get our tickets for the scenic railroad trip. It took about two hours. I didn’t realize that it only goes out for about an hour, then backs up all the way to the station. There are two many trees along the way to enjoy much scenery. Just be warned about this if you are in Branson.
We shopped among the many stores in downtown Branson along the riverside Pavilion. Wonderful people and amazing shops. Each year we get a family photo done of the four of us, usually around Easter. However with Stephen living in Springfield, it’s been hard to do. So we took the opportunity to have a photo session done at Buster's, an old western style photo studio. I’ve included two of the 20 or so shots we had done there. We had two mounted and framed as gifts — one for Phillip and one for Stephen.
We ate at Lambert’s on the way back to Springfield. It is always an amazing place to eat. The “throwed roll” server was determined for Stephen to catch one with his mouth, and he did, after the fourth attempt. Everyone was quite tired when we got home, so after a little conversation, we went to bed.
The Jenkins Gang Discovers the Culprit
Wednesday, August 14th
Today is a day off for everyone. Phillip has to leave for a convention in Indianapolis. We’ll spend a little time together this morning and see him off around noon.
After lunch I took a look at Stephen’s car and discovered a few issues that I could fix. I went and bought a window motor for his passenger side door. While we were out, Susan and I visited the local Salvation Army and DAV stores and bought a few things, naturally.
While working on the window motor I discovered Stephen’s brake lines on his car were corroded and leaking. I bought some brake fluid, refilled his reservoir, then they leaked all over the place. It was too late to do anything about it, so we went out to dinner together and rented a movie.
Thursday, August 15th
This morning we took Stephen’s car to a service center and dropped it off. We ate breakfast at McDonald’s and spent the morning at the Bass Pro Shop. This is not only one of their stores, it is their national headquarters. In this shop are many wonderful outdoor displays and it is the home of the National Rifle Association’s historic gun museum.
Afterward we spent the afternoon at Stephen’s apartment talking until it was time to pick up the car.
When we got the car, Stephen returned to the apartment while Susan and I did a little sightseeing and walking around the Battlefield Mall. We picked up Stephen for dinner and went to the movies at The Palace, a local dollar show that reruns recent movies for a few more weeks after their premier.
Tomorrow will be our final day to visit with our son, Stephen, before Susan and I are off to spend the second week of our vacation in Branson.
Friday, August 16th
Susan and I have reserved five days in Branson at the Windmill Inn on Hwy. 76. Stephen will be returning to work on Saturday and Susan and I will be leaving for Branson today after lunch with Stephen at the Hibachi Grill (his treat). It was great to have the whole family together again. We hadn’t been together since last August when Stephen came to Indiana and joined us for our vacation to the East Coast to see Susan’s family.
When we arrived at Branson, we checked into the Windmill Inn and toured the strip by auto for awhile. We went up to the tower at Inspiration Point, but they charged money to go up in it, so we went to the visitor center at the Table Rock Lake Dam instead. It was interesting and peaceful.
The Missouri State Park system maintains a campground, picnic area, and marina on the lake, so we spent the afternoon hiking the trails around the park area.
On our return trip we took the long way around south of the lake and returned to the Branson shops for a while. We were tired when we finally got back, so we lounged in the motel room for a while before retiring.
Saturday, August 17th
We slept late, so we just ate the free breakfast at the Inn. The owner was quite talkative. He shared how he had lost weight, while he encouraged me to eat more donuts. Afterward we browsed all the stores behind the Windmill Inn. Then we got in the car and toured the Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow routes through all the attractions and theaters — some new places, some old, some up for sale.
We ate a late lunch at Bob Evans, stopped a couple more places and returned to the motel. After a break we went walking down the main drag (Hwy. 76) and looked at all the theaters and shops. There seems to be an economic struggle to keep several places open, while others seem to be rolling in the dough. Branson seems to be suffering from an awkward rate of growth and an unusual downturn at the same time.
There was a great place to get ice cream waffle cones (Cakes-n-Cream), so we did, and strolled back to the motel via Hwy. 76. We looked up the local Assemblies of God churches and picked one to attend on Sunday. That’s about it for the day, other than adding what we did to this blog.
Sunday, August 18th
This morning we went to the First Assembly of God in Downtown Branson. It was a small church building, but it had several good people. The worship was blended, ending in contemporary songs Susan and I both knew. Pastor Stan Miller has been at the church only about a year. However, you can see evidence of transition, but there was still the old Pentecostal fire in his message as he preached on the church’s work of delivering the Gospel and healing the sick. He was clear and precise, used a lot of Scriptures, and didn’t tell a lot of stories. God used him not necessarily for the content, but to help me with my preaching style.
Pastor Stan and his wife are doing many of the things we are doing at Calvary. He added a sound booth, a projection system, and is working on publishing a website. One unusual thing I noticed, he had replaced all the old narrow doors with three foot wide new ones for easier access for people with walkers and wheel chairs. You could tell he was preaching and reaching outside the walls of the church.
Afterward Susan and I had a breakfast plate at The Farmhouse Restaurant on the famous old town strip in Branson. It was packed, but well worth the wait for some of the homestyle cooking they served up.
Church and eating out always requires a nap. So we went back to the motel and rested. Then we got up and went to the Pavilion to browse the shops and walk along the edge of the lake as evening set in. You could get a sense that Branson was emptying out. Traffic was lighter. People were talking of their return trips home. Others were packing up their cars and checking out of their hotels. The weekend was over.
For dinner we decided on Italian at the Florentine Ristoranté Italiano. It was not that expensive, but the food was amazing. Back at the motel, I got caught up on this blog, studied and prepared for my message at the Lighthouse Sunday night, then we went to bed. We didn’t even set the alarm for the next morning!
Monday, August 19th
Today the activity was much lighter around Branson. We saw many people packing up to head home. I’m sure many left last night. Susan and I, personally, slept late and enjoyed a day with no schedule. The college of the Ozarks was recommend by our innkeeper for lunch. This is a college that allows qualifying students to earn their degree tuition free by hard work on the campus. Their culinary sciences department runs a complete restaurant at the college. Susan and I were amazed at the quality of the food and service, not to mention the wonderful dining facility the college has just completed in their new lodge. The lodge is where their hotel management students study and work.
We spent the afternoon touring the campus. They have many fully operating businesses on the grounds. We toured the operating waterwheel mill, sampled their fruit cakes, and visited their agricultural department. We discovered much of the food we ate for lunch, including the beef, was raised right at the college. We were also amazed at the spiritual content of the College of the Ozarks. They have an impressive chapel, which looks more like a cathedral from England.
After lunch at the college we decided to take an extended driving tour of the greater Branson area. We went west several miles and took in more sites along Table Rock Lake. It’s easy to figure out what the area is about with all the condos, lodges, cabins, and fishing, hunting and boating sites. Boating is quite a sport in the Ozarks. We walked along the lake looking at many of the boat launching facilities and we fed fish off of the docks around a floating restaurant where you could drive your boat up to it for dinner.
Evenings in Branson are kind of dead, if you are not into the shows. Sometimes I felt there were more motels and hotels than anything else. Many have shut their doors for the winter. Susan did spot a Victorian dress shop, so we looked at all the unique handmade outfits they had displayed before eating dinner and returning to the Windmill Inn.
Tuesday, August 20th
This will be our last full day in Branson before driving back up to Springfield on Wednesday to see and have dinner with Stephen before traveling back to Indiana. We decided it was time to hit the local thrift stores and check out the antique malls. I’ve heard that’s what old people do, so we thought we’d try to fit in.
The main strip has a very large antique and craft mall, but after spending a few hours in it, we found it to be more crafts than anything else. As many of you know, you can waste a day quickly by shopping. Also, we had eaten so much this week that neither of us wanted to do anything but snack. We actually stopped by Walmart and picked up crackers and cheese and just ate them in our room while we watched some local TV. I felt we probably had all of Branson we wanted by now.
We discovered many of the things that attract people hold no value to us. Visiting family and talking to people are much more fulfilling to Susan and I. However, we enjoyed the rest and relaxation.
Wednesday, August 21st
Still not being hungry, Susan and I checked out of the inn and decided just to eat lunch back in Springfield. It takes a little over a half hour to drive from Branson to Springfield, so we arrived there about lunch time. One of our favorite places is Captain D’s, so that’s where we had lunch. We checked out the Battlefield Mall. Actually, Susan did because my hip was hurting so bad I couldn’t endure anymore walking. We also looked for parks around the area, but nothing seemed to have any trees. It’s not my idea of fun walking in the sun.
In the afternoon we arrived at Stephen’s apartment. He took us to dinner at a place called Five Guys Hamburgers. It sounds simple, but it has excellent food. After spending some time talking with Stephen, we packed up, said our goodbyes with hugs and kisses, and began our trip back to Indiana.
Conclusion
I know that this blog contains very little in the way of spiritual insights, but there is one overarching truth I can convey. You need time away. I admire those who can keep on keeping on. Before, on our vacations, we exclusively went to visit family or to get something done — like a minister’s conference. However, the key theme behind this vacation was rest. Although it doesn’t seem like we did a lot, it was intentional. Yet, there is one thing Susan and I did do quite a lot of, we walked and we talked — about us, our family, our church, and the Lord. These are the things that the matter most to us. These are the subjects and topics that hold our interest constantly. We settled in our minds we are where God wants us to be — in life and in ministry.
So many come home from vacation completely wore out. Susan and I feel refreshed. We’ve learned the spiritual discipline of rest. There was even a little apprehension of returning and falling into a daily grind again, but we have resolved before God that weekly rest is necessary and spiritual. It’s a lot like prayer and Bible study. If you will put them first, everything else in your day will fit. Also, if we will remember the Lord’s weekly day of Sabbath, everything else will have its proper place in our lives as well.