Tag: Michigan

  • Brave things

    brave heartToday we booked everything for our upcoming trip to San Diego. That’s right, I said “we.” The whole family is making the trip out to check out houses and get excited about the move. We leave in less than two weeks and will be gone for 8 days. After that it’ll be less than 2 weeks until we fly out to move “for good.”

    Megan (7) has started to feel what is happening. She told mommy today, “This is a brave things we are doing together.” I think that that may have come from a conversation she and I had on Saturday. I told her, as we worked together, that this was probably the last time we’d be trimming these bushes. She shot back at me, “Yeah, we’re moving and we’ll never come back here again!”

    The word “never” lead to a discussion about God’s sense of humor and how God was laughing at our move to California. Just a couple of months ago we joked that “We’d never live in California again, we just don’t like it. It’s not for us!” Who is laughing now? I think God is. He has a funny way of rewarding my “never” with a “Oh yeah?”

    I believe God calls us to recklessly follow Him. I don’t mean we are called as Christians to be fools. But I think we are called to have “stupid faith.” God wants us to put faith in Him beyond logical fact.

    And the McLane family is learning exactly how that works. We’re taking a major step of faith. We’re leaving the security of people we love. We’ve walked away from a job we loved. We’re leaving the perfect house on the perfect street. And why? Well… because daddy (me) is pretty sure God has called us to leave.

    That’s why we can look at these tough few weeks ahead with a smile through the tears. You better believe there will be tears as we pack the truck and watch it head down Bailey Street. We’ll hug one another as this chapter of our life departs for the next one.

    I know that the kids are sad. I know Kristen is sad. And I know that life will never quite be the same for all of us… because daddy is pretty sure God has called us to leave Romeo.

    Where do you go when you’re entering times like this? I run to the classics. I think of Moses. I think of Joshua. I think I don’t want to be Jonah. I want to look into God’s eyes (figuratively, of course) and say… “It’s a crazy plan, but I will wrecklessly follow You.”

    Everyone in our house is more brave than I am. Let’s be blunt about that. For me, there is little fearGun Show because I’m not stretching myself as much as they are. I know what San Diego is like and I know where I will work. I don’t have to start at a brand new school. I don’t have to find all new friends. I don’t have to find a job. But Kristen and the kids do. Heck, even Stoney and Lovely (our dog and cat) are more brave than I am. You don’t see me getting in the cargo area of a plane.

    We’re brave together. I like that about what Megan said. To be honest, it’s a good thing to be brave together. I want to take big, bold, crazy steps of faith together as a family. God has proven Himself to me over and over… I know I can trust in Him. And I love teaching that to my kids.

  • Romeo Photos, June 28th

    Megan and I took a walk today around the block. Here are some photos I snapped. 

    (more…)

  • Tim Hortons Arrives in Romeo


    When they first started building on the corner of M-53 & 32 Mile Road I hoped that they would either open a Starbucks or Tim Hortons at that location. The latter was realized this week. 

    For those outside of the upper Midwest or eastern Canada, Tim Hortons is a donut and coffee chain co-founded by Toronto Maple Leaf hockey legend, Tim Horton. Tim died in a car accident in 1973, but the donut chain bearing his name lives on. 

    Let’s be honest. It’s a local thing. They don’t serve the best donuts in the world and their coffee isn’t the best. I personally prefer their sandwiches and soups more than the donuts. Nonetheless, Tim Hortons is a phenomenon as a franchise. Owned by the Wendy’s Corporation, it is slowly fanning out from Eastern Ontario and now into a bunch of places in the United States. 

    It’s a big deal to have them here in Romeo. I hope they do quite well. (So far, mediocre opening.) The Village has long been cold to franchise restaurants and I hope Tim Hortons opens the door to many other chains that would make the 32 MIle area a stopping point for visitors. Romeo is a very unique village which is struggling, like most of the area, is struggling financially. Yet if the village can figure out how to maintain the village feel while gaining some flagship retailers, it will secure Romeo’s place as a “cool city” once and for all.

  • New sidewalk

    This isn’t the greatest picture, but it does show something very cool here at la casa de McLane. Our front walkway was a bit of a hazard. The concrete had shifted and was more of a hill than a nice entry point. 

    Well, some friends from church came over and hooked us up. I got to be the “unskilled labor” and mix concrete while they expertly poured us a new sidewalk. It looks 1000 times better now. Looks better and is safer… I only wish we’d done it before. 

    Last night I took Stoney (our 4 year old yellow lab) for a walk. Since I had our walkway on my mind I started noticing that we were one of the few houses in our neighborhood making improvements. It could be that people just haven’t started yet… but it could also be that people just aren’t going to be making many improvements in 2008. 

    Speaking of the house. Here’s our listing. 

  • How are you doing?

    The most basic of questions now has a new meaning. At least where I live. You ask a shop keeper it and he asks you. Same with neighbors, teachers, folks at church, bank tellers, waitresses, and pretty much everyone I come into contact around town.

    “How are you doing?” It’s a basic, friendly question with a new double meaning. Meat and potatoes midwest meets Wall Street. 

    People are really asking if you are making it. “How are you doing?” means, is your business doing OK? Is your restaurant or corner store going to survive the economic down turn? Will you keep your house? Will your kids get to go to college? Will you get laid off? Have you found work? Will your marriage survive? Do you have anything to do with the auto industry?

    Some people call this a recession. I think that’s a polite thing to say as a depressed Michigan looks for a new industry. The future is bright for our state as soon as we forget about the past and look toward the future. I truly believe that out of this terrible time will come the next great innovation the planet needs. Michigan will not be known as an automotive state in 50 years… and that new fame is being decided upon right now! These are excitingly scary times. The smart will thrive while those holding to the past will go bankrupt. 

    The most basic of questions is an upper midwestern nice way of asking, “Are you going to make it?” I’ve heard people answer that question with, “Oh no… we’re fine. Things at work are going really well, a little slow but really well.” Recently I overheard a small business owner get asked, “How are you doing?” He told the customer… we’re down about $40,000 on sales this year. I wondered, was that what the question the customer really was asking? 

    Friends and neighbors and shop keepers and waitresses and everyone else, how are you doing? To quote our old pastor, Ray Pritchard. “We don’t know about tomorrow but we know who holds tomorrow. That makes today a good day to run to the cross.” In Christ, everything is going to be OK. How are you doing?

  • Leaving Romeo: Jimmy

    Last week I talked about leaving Romeo and my relationship with our senior pastor, Bob. Next, I want to talk about our music dude Jimmy. Jimmy, like Jason before him, has been an awesome friend to me. There is something about being in that “associate” role at a church that I’ve always found kinship with. 

    Jimmy joined us in November 2007. Like the rest of the staff Jimmy came from “big church land.” Jimmy and Ashley have an amazing personal story. Not only do they have an amazing story, they love talking about it as they realize their pain… ultimately… can and should be used for glorifying God. If you don’t know their story, take them out for a steak dinner and have them tell you!

    It goes without saying that Jimmy is talented. Even if you don’t care for his style of music you have to recognize the gifts God has given him. (Of course, his dad is a musician and music is part of what it means to be in his family.) But in the last 6 months I’ve learned that there is so much more to “The Savage” than just musical talent. 

    In my post about Bob I pointed to two qualities I’ve always looked for in a staff member at the church. Does this person passionately love Jesus? Is he wild eyed enough to follow God and not man? If you’ve ever talked to Jimmy for more than 5 minutes you’ll know the answer to those questions. It’s a scary combination when a man is both talented and passionate about Jesus. As I told his mom a couple weeks ago… that a combination she must be proud of. 

    Jimmy is game for silliness. At his very first staff meeting he jumped on board with the Elf videos we used. I knew right there we’d get along!  There’s nothing worse than a guy who is super talented and “too cool” for silliness. Not the case with Jimmy. (I really was worried about that.) Jimmy is a gamer.

    Jimmy is game for leading Romeo’s worship to the finish line. As I think back on the music at our church over the last 5 years I can think of a single description: Liquid. I liked the music when we first arrived… super vibrant and fun. Then we went through some dark times musically, the people were fine, it was just an issue of preference. From there we went through a steady embrace and transition to where we are now. Music is a big part of what Romeo is now all about as we try to reach Romeo for Christ. The goal is worship excellence. (High quality musically, high quality worship experience) I look forward to coming back to Romeo often and telling him, “the music is solid.”

    Leaving now stinks. After years of toil, snares, and bumps… things are just getting good! And Jimmy is a big part of that. He adds an element to the staff that was missing. 

    Beyond work, Jimmy and Ashley are awesome people. Kristen and I are looking for opportunities to be in Romeo so we can hang out with our new friends. Their daughter cracks me up as she is a synthesis of both of them. She is a little bit wild like Jimmy yet sweet like her mommy. The bad thing is that she has one of those smiles that’s going to cost mom and dad a lot of money! She’s going to get whatever she wants. 

  • 10 random Monday thoughts

    It’s a holiday. And a holiday for me means that I tend to get strikingly little done. I may have some big plans for my day… but if I get 1-2 things actually done I’ll be satisfied. Here’s just a data dump of things on my mind.

    1. I’m definitely taking a bike ride today.
    2. It was supposed to rain today, but looking at the satellite I don’t think that’s likely.
    3. I stayed up until 2 AM playing Madden 08 for the Wii. It’s just OK.
    4. This morning I added a ton of people to my friends list on Facebook. Many of them I don’t know personally but are “fans” of YMX on Facebook.
    5. It was fun to head out to Metemora State Park last night to hang with the Fisher’s and Brinker’s. Each time we come home Kristen and I vow to take our kids camping. I don’t really know if that will happen or not. But I hope it will
    6. Everyone is asking us when our house will go on the market. Probably in a few weeks. We have some things we need to do first. We are oddly at peace about the process. We know it’s a good house and are hopeful it will sell at a good price. 
    7. Jimmy was clutch yesterday. I was very pleased with the services over all. I especially liked that he “de-cheesed” the Lee Greenwood song, “God Bless the U.S.A.” 
    8. It was a little weird being my “last day” at Romeo. At the same time, we’re back next week. It’s not like we’re moving right now. The most common question yesterday was, “When do you start your new job?” I start next week and my next trip out west in in a couple weeks. 
    9. I’m shopping for a digital SLR as my wife has broken both our cameras. How do you decide between Nikon and Canon?
    10. Mellen’s Market (the corner store across the street from us) is closing its doors and going out of business later this week. That’s a total bummer.
    11. Bonus random thought: Kristen and I are planning to sell our car and buy a new one when we get to San Diego. We are definitely looking for a small/tiny car that gets great mileage. (I may even get a scooter!) High on our list of cars to look into are the Prius and Civic Hybrid. (American cars) We are also considering some Korean made cars and Mexican cars made by Ford and GM. I just had to get that dig in since Romeo people still think that there is a delineation between “American cars” and “Foreign cars.” No one outside of Michigan has used terms like that since the 1980s… but you still hear and see it here on bumper stickers. Let’s translate that… by “foreign car” they really mean “non-union made car.”

  • What $4.05 gas means to Romeo

    gas goes up againNothing. If it doesn’t change how you use your car, $4.05 gas means nothing to you.

    I had this thought as I picked up a cup of coffee this morning at a local gas station and watched people belly up to the pump to offload some cash. I actually hope it hits $5 or $7 per gallon soon. Why? We need to change, that’s why. 

    Yesterday I decided to ride my bike to the library. Its only a couple of miles and its perfectly flat getting over there. I had the time and it was a nice morning so I figured, why not? Our town has a great trail system and even the main road, Van Dyke, has a bike lane to use.

    But a funny thing happened as I was riding. I got flicked off a lot. People slowed down to yell out the window at me. One man even intentionally drove up behind me as I rode down the bike lane and honked at me… angrily telling me I don’t have a right to the road. (Newsflash, it’s legal) It was sad. Because at the same time I was observing something fundamentally wrong with our town: A bunch of fat, angry people yacking on their phones as they drive around… alone. Almost every car had a single passenger… even monster SUVs and minivans. All empty.

    Gas is only going to get more expensive. It crossed $130/barrel this week and it will only be a few days until those prices are reflected at the pump. 

    So what should you do? It’s pretty simple. You should drive less. You should ask your boss if you can alter your job hours to carpool with a coworker. Next time you move, move somewhere close to your work. You should inflate your bike tires and ride around town instead of driving everywhere. You should walk a little more. Maybe you have two cars and you could get by with only one? Maybe your kids need to carpool to soccer? Maybe you should just tell their coach to move practice to your neighborhood instead of a county away? In short. Stop the insanity! 

    We are the reason gas is $4.05 and not $1.79 or less, stop whining and change. I think the government should tax gas more and oil companies should get richer until angry, fat, cell phone happy Americans change their behavior.

    What do you think? How could you change your driving behavior? What’s it going to take before you actually change your gas guzzling behavior?

  • Figure Skating vs. Ice Hockey

    figure skating under attackIn nearby Plymouth, Michigan the local government is discriminating against figure skating. That is, according to some angry moms. The story is that the local government has decided that since hockey pays 300% what figure skating pays for ice time, they are creating more time for ice hockey. [news story]

    A couple of thoughts. (Feel free to add your own in the comments)

    1. It’s not discrimination, it’s economics. I’ve not heard the ice skating parents say a thing about “we’ll pay what hockey pays to keep the program alive.”
    2. This is hockey town, not figure skating town. The only figure skating legacy Detroit has is Nancy Kerrigan vs. Tonya Harding. (video reminder)
    3. Why is this even a news story? Clearly the Detroit media must have something more important to cover? I can’t believe that this story is still on the news… who are these parents?
    4. Let’s state the most obvious solution. Battle it out. Hockey players vs. Figure skating moms. That would be a cool fight.
    5. Isn’t this really teaching what we all already know? The remote decision makers in the family switch past figure skating as quickly as possible before their wives notice. All of these young figure skaters should just play hockey… thus creating a highly attractive core of women out of Plymouth, Michigan who truly know what men want: Hockey.

    I’d love to have your thoughts!

  • My prayer for Romeo

    God of this cityI thought it would be good to let everyone know my prayer for Romeo. I know this isn’t a new song or a new twist or even a new video for anyone in the Romeo family. But I’ve been listening to this song and watching this video a lot lately. Will you join me in praying for our community? Greater things are yet to come here in our city. I believe it, do you?