We went to church this weekend, as we typically try to do. Oh, sure, from time to time, we make excuses that we're too tired, have worked too hard, etc., etc. But the truth is, we always enjoy going, and always feel better after we've been. This Sunday was no different.
Pastor Dennis gave a wonderful, highly energized lesson on a very simple verse in Thessalonians, Chapter 5, verse 17. It says "Pray without ceasing." That's all. "Pray without ceasing". As is usually the case, Dennis' message made me think about my life, my journey, and where I have been, as well as where I am going.
I often pray. But, until Sunday, it was something that I did, then stopped doing. It was like a 30-second conversation with God, usually asking him for something for myself or my loved ones. Dennis reminded us that prayer is a dialogue, not a monologue, and that makes all the difference in the world. I not only have to speak to God, I have to wait to hear his response, regardless of how long that response takes.
I often worry about many things. My business, my family members, my associates, our financial ability to continue day in and day out, and what will happen tomorrow. Sometimes these worries make the enjoyment of every moment harder to appreciate.
But, I think I think I know, that if you're in constant prayer with God, the worries ease off. Faith should allow me to let God handle some of my worries--I don't have to shoulder them all by myself. It allows me to free myself from some of the angers I have felt, the pressures I have felt, and just relax a little bit more.
I can actually enjoy my life so much better right now, which is a true amazement. Business is still such a "hit and miss" thing, mostly "miss" this time of year. I always feel I try to have us prepared for the worst, and then I am shown how little I know. I should be more tense, more angry than usual, but instead, I feel a peace that is all around me. I still get a little upset, but I am working very hard to eliminate anger from my life.
I don't know if I got Dennis' message right at all, but I know it touched me, and made me try even harder to stay in constant contact with God. I hope this finds you miles ahead of my "evolution" and that you are in true peace. I am finding that I can more easily find the good in people, as long as I continue to look for it. I still am a work in progress, and know I will have potholes along the way. But if I stay in touch with God, He'll help me through those as well.
The Gardens Restaurant
The Main Dining Room
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
This one might make you cry!!
I know I always come across like I'm the Chamber of Commerce for Branson. I've always thought this place had something magic about it--it makes people want to be better than they are, just to keep up. And the things that have happened at The Gardens have been amazing as well, but today's events may just take the cake.
Long story short, our pastor Dennis and wife Marcia sent us the most wonderful employee, Jonathon, who has been a joy to us every day he has come in to work for us. He has a tremendous spirit, and always wants to help everyone, and be the best he can be. A great, great employee.
Anyway, Jonathon and Jamie have been trying to get engaged for months, and have had one roadblock after another. Finally, Jonathon got the blessing from Jamie's family to proceed, and everything looked terrific at last. He had even come up with a wonderful ring to give Jamie--and then, another roadblock came. Jamie wears a size 7 ring, and this one was a size 5, and couldn't be adjusted to fit Jamie's finger.
Now, the amazing part kicks in. Rachel (Pastor Dennis and Marcia's daughter), came to the restaurant today with a friend, Vanessa, who had never been in before. Since Jonathon helps teach a Sunday school class at the church, he went over to say hello to Rachel. She must have asked him about his engagement, because he told her about the problem with the ring.
Then, God stepped in, in the person of Vanessa. She told Jonathon that she had been married for over 2 1/2 years, and had a wedding ring that she never wore. Instead, she has always worn an heirloom ring from her grandmother. She and her husband had prayed about what to do with this ring for the entire time, and had no clue what the answer was.
When she heard Jonathon's story about his ring, she immediately gave Jonathon hers. It is a beautiful ring, size 7. Perfect! A total stranger making such a gift--amazing. I went out to talk to her, thank for for Jonathon and Jamie and ask her if she was sure she wanted to do this. She said she was just following God's voice and doing what she was supposed to do, what she had been praying about for over two years.
Maybe this is a common occurence in your life, but it certainly affected our lives today!! Thank you Vanessa, thank you Rachel, thank you Dennis and Marcia, and thank you God, for giving Vanessa such a powerful message!!
Long story short, our pastor Dennis and wife Marcia sent us the most wonderful employee, Jonathon, who has been a joy to us every day he has come in to work for us. He has a tremendous spirit, and always wants to help everyone, and be the best he can be. A great, great employee.
Anyway, Jonathon and Jamie have been trying to get engaged for months, and have had one roadblock after another. Finally, Jonathon got the blessing from Jamie's family to proceed, and everything looked terrific at last. He had even come up with a wonderful ring to give Jamie--and then, another roadblock came. Jamie wears a size 7 ring, and this one was a size 5, and couldn't be adjusted to fit Jamie's finger.
Now, the amazing part kicks in. Rachel (Pastor Dennis and Marcia's daughter), came to the restaurant today with a friend, Vanessa, who had never been in before. Since Jonathon helps teach a Sunday school class at the church, he went over to say hello to Rachel. She must have asked him about his engagement, because he told her about the problem with the ring.
Then, God stepped in, in the person of Vanessa. She told Jonathon that she had been married for over 2 1/2 years, and had a wedding ring that she never wore. Instead, she has always worn an heirloom ring from her grandmother. She and her husband had prayed about what to do with this ring for the entire time, and had no clue what the answer was.
When she heard Jonathon's story about his ring, she immediately gave Jonathon hers. It is a beautiful ring, size 7. Perfect! A total stranger making such a gift--amazing. I went out to talk to her, thank for for Jonathon and Jamie and ask her if she was sure she wanted to do this. She said she was just following God's voice and doing what she was supposed to do, what she had been praying about for over two years.
Maybe this is a common occurence in your life, but it certainly affected our lives today!! Thank you Vanessa, thank you Rachel, thank you Dennis and Marcia, and thank you God, for giving Vanessa such a powerful message!!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Home for the Holidays
What a great weekend we had! Janet and I drove to Iowa, to spend the Christmas holidays with our families. I got to spend 3 or 4 wonderful days with my kids--nothing can make the holidays better than that! At the same time, Janet got to spend time with her family as well, including spending a couple of days with her grandson, Tyler. We stayed at her daughter's house and had a great, great time! Thanks, Dana!
My daughter Emily had just returned from New Zealand, where she is determined to return as soon as possible. I enjoyed hearing some of her stories, and loved the pictures. Mostly, though, I enjoyed hugging my daughter again!!
With my oldest son at work for the early part of each day, I got to spend some extra time with my youngest, Zach. He's the one of my children I have spent the least amount of time with in his life. Since he is now a sophomore at the University of Iowa, my time with him, as with my other children, gets shorter and shorter as he ages and goes about his life.
Finally, I got to spend some quality time with my oldest, Josh. I've spent the most time with him, since he used to live with us and work with me in the summers and over holidays. Now that he's a "grown up" and has a real job, the time with him is too short, as it is with all of my amazing children.
I watched them, and was so proud of their growth and maturity. They are truly loving, caring children, and I couldn't be prouded of them! Their mother has done a very nice job with them, in my absence as I have traveled around the country searching for the "dream". I'm a very lucky man.
Finally, Janet and I got to spend time together, and time away from each other, as well. Working together at the restaurant, and spending 24 hours a day with each other, has got to explain why she is developing that twitch. I have the most amazing wife, and sometimes forget to tell her how much I love her.
There are many, many much more successful people in the world than I will ever be. With the blessings that are my wife and children, I wouldn't change places with any of them!
My daughter Emily had just returned from New Zealand, where she is determined to return as soon as possible. I enjoyed hearing some of her stories, and loved the pictures. Mostly, though, I enjoyed hugging my daughter again!!
With my oldest son at work for the early part of each day, I got to spend some extra time with my youngest, Zach. He's the one of my children I have spent the least amount of time with in his life. Since he is now a sophomore at the University of Iowa, my time with him, as with my other children, gets shorter and shorter as he ages and goes about his life.
Finally, I got to spend some quality time with my oldest, Josh. I've spent the most time with him, since he used to live with us and work with me in the summers and over holidays. Now that he's a "grown up" and has a real job, the time with him is too short, as it is with all of my amazing children.
I watched them, and was so proud of their growth and maturity. They are truly loving, caring children, and I couldn't be prouded of them! Their mother has done a very nice job with them, in my absence as I have traveled around the country searching for the "dream". I'm a very lucky man.
Finally, Janet and I got to spend time together, and time away from each other, as well. Working together at the restaurant, and spending 24 hours a day with each other, has got to explain why she is developing that twitch. I have the most amazing wife, and sometimes forget to tell her how much I love her.
There are many, many much more successful people in the world than I will ever be. With the blessings that are my wife and children, I wouldn't change places with any of them!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Now this is weird, even for Branson!
I realize that I am one of only a few people in this universe that actually even sees this blog, so I mostly write it for myself. And even I occasionally get tired of another "and here's what else happened in Branson" stories. But this one is just too good to keep entirely to myself. So, if you are one of the 3 or 4 people who actually reads this blog, here's another one of those stories.
Tonight, with Dave and Cheryl off, Janet and I had a very busy day. Busy early, busy late. I was hoping to get everything cleaned up and get out of there as quickly as possible, when the weird magic of The Gardens jumped up once again and bit me.
I was walking out to the dining room with our musician's food, and noticed he had stopped playing and was speaking to the only two guests we had left in the restaurant. I didn't pay too much attention to them, but did ask them how they enjoyed their food while I walked past them. They said that everything was good, and I continued on my way, trying to get back to the kitchen to get everything cleaned up so we could leave.
Then I heard Wayne ask them where they were from. "Indianapolis", they said. That stopped me in my tracks, and I returned to them and dug a little deeper, to find out what part of Indy they lived in. As it turned out, they lived a few miles from where we lived, but now--"the rest of the story".
I told them we had lived all over Indiana, in Ft. Wayne, and before that Indy, as well as Columbus, Indiana. They replied they, too, had lived in Columbus, Indiana. But wait for it, it's about to get even weirder. Then, I told them I had gone to Hanover College. They immediately wanted to know when. When I told them I had been there from 72 to 76 they told me the husband had been a professor at Hanover during that time. And. lo and behold, I discovered that he had been my Faculty advisor, my Business professor for about 4 of my courses, and absolutely my favorite professor at Hanover.
He said he remembered a Joe Duncan, but that that Joe Duncan was somewhat thinner than I am. I told him that that Professor Waldo had less gray hair than the man in front of me. We got to share a few minutes of reminiscing, and he told me he hadn't been to Branson for years and years. They had just stumbled upon our restaurant after reading about us in Trip Advisor.
I don't know much about odds, but I figure the odds of seeing them after all these years is pretty slim. Had I not walked out when I did, had they come another night, or had I not overheard them say they were from Indy, I never would have stumbled upon them. I'm telling you, the power of The Gardens amazes us all! Have a great week!
Tonight, with Dave and Cheryl off, Janet and I had a very busy day. Busy early, busy late. I was hoping to get everything cleaned up and get out of there as quickly as possible, when the weird magic of The Gardens jumped up once again and bit me.
I was walking out to the dining room with our musician's food, and noticed he had stopped playing and was speaking to the only two guests we had left in the restaurant. I didn't pay too much attention to them, but did ask them how they enjoyed their food while I walked past them. They said that everything was good, and I continued on my way, trying to get back to the kitchen to get everything cleaned up so we could leave.
Then I heard Wayne ask them where they were from. "Indianapolis", they said. That stopped me in my tracks, and I returned to them and dug a little deeper, to find out what part of Indy they lived in. As it turned out, they lived a few miles from where we lived, but now--"the rest of the story".
I told them we had lived all over Indiana, in Ft. Wayne, and before that Indy, as well as Columbus, Indiana. They replied they, too, had lived in Columbus, Indiana. But wait for it, it's about to get even weirder. Then, I told them I had gone to Hanover College. They immediately wanted to know when. When I told them I had been there from 72 to 76 they told me the husband had been a professor at Hanover during that time. And. lo and behold, I discovered that he had been my Faculty advisor, my Business professor for about 4 of my courses, and absolutely my favorite professor at Hanover.
He said he remembered a Joe Duncan, but that that Joe Duncan was somewhat thinner than I am. I told him that that Professor Waldo had less gray hair than the man in front of me. We got to share a few minutes of reminiscing, and he told me he hadn't been to Branson for years and years. They had just stumbled upon our restaurant after reading about us in Trip Advisor.
I don't know much about odds, but I figure the odds of seeing them after all these years is pretty slim. Had I not walked out when I did, had they come another night, or had I not overheard them say they were from Indy, I never would have stumbled upon them. I'm telling you, the power of The Gardens amazes us all! Have a great week!
Monday, September 27, 2010
More uniqueness at The Gardens
We have often felt that the restaurant had a unique "feel". We have been complimented so many times by so many people about the way the restaurant is so comfortable to our guests; that it's almost like being at home.
This past weekend, more evidence of that appeared. We have a customer who comes in every week or so to be one of the first people to eat Dave's wonderful Prime Rib, either on Friday or Saturday evening. I have spoken to him a few times, and though I don't even know his name, I always feel comfortable talking to him. He has a larger than life laugh that is contagious, and we love to have him in the house!
Anyway, we had a bus that evening, so we were seating our guests in the "tea room". (We hate that term, but still call it that for some reason). I had a chance to say "hello" to him, and asked him how his prime rib was, and he said it was great as usual. There were two other groups in the tea room, and one of them was excited about their upcoming meal, also prime rib.
Later, I walked back in, and the couple that also tried the prime rib was saying it was the best they had ever had. The other group had gotten the salmon, and they reported the same with their meals. That in itself isn't that unusual--we do hear that from time to time, which greatly pleases us, obviously.
What struck me, though, was that the next time I went back to check on them, the three tables had almost become a "community" of their own. The gentleman who always comes in alone had pulled up a chair and was sitting between the other two tables of strangers. I've been in a lot of restaurants in the last couple of years, and I have never seen that. There was just a comfort that is hard to explain, and a desire to share "The Gardens Restaurant experience" with each other. I can't explain it, but it's just a Gardens thing.
It reminded me of our parents. They used to go on vacations to time shares all around the world, and they always seemed to come back with new friends that they had met in their travels. I like to think they would have loved the restaurant. It is a tribute to them, in so many ways. They taught us so much, and we miss them every day. I think they would have done the same thing as our prime rib gentleman did--pull up some seats and make some friends. Maybe the restaurant is a Mom and Bob thing!
This past weekend, more evidence of that appeared. We have a customer who comes in every week or so to be one of the first people to eat Dave's wonderful Prime Rib, either on Friday or Saturday evening. I have spoken to him a few times, and though I don't even know his name, I always feel comfortable talking to him. He has a larger than life laugh that is contagious, and we love to have him in the house!
Anyway, we had a bus that evening, so we were seating our guests in the "tea room". (We hate that term, but still call it that for some reason). I had a chance to say "hello" to him, and asked him how his prime rib was, and he said it was great as usual. There were two other groups in the tea room, and one of them was excited about their upcoming meal, also prime rib.
Later, I walked back in, and the couple that also tried the prime rib was saying it was the best they had ever had. The other group had gotten the salmon, and they reported the same with their meals. That in itself isn't that unusual--we do hear that from time to time, which greatly pleases us, obviously.
What struck me, though, was that the next time I went back to check on them, the three tables had almost become a "community" of their own. The gentleman who always comes in alone had pulled up a chair and was sitting between the other two tables of strangers. I've been in a lot of restaurants in the last couple of years, and I have never seen that. There was just a comfort that is hard to explain, and a desire to share "The Gardens Restaurant experience" with each other. I can't explain it, but it's just a Gardens thing.
It reminded me of our parents. They used to go on vacations to time shares all around the world, and they always seemed to come back with new friends that they had met in their travels. I like to think they would have loved the restaurant. It is a tribute to them, in so many ways. They taught us so much, and we miss them every day. I think they would have done the same thing as our prime rib gentleman did--pull up some seats and make some friends. Maybe the restaurant is a Mom and Bob thing!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Life still amazes me!
It's been a while since I last "posted" a blog (is that even what you do? I'm still so confused with all of this blog stuff!). Today was just a day that needs to be shared, so I thought I should do so.
First, it's been a busy week in the restaurant, which we really enjoy! It makes the hours go by so much quicker than when we're "dead". On Tuesday nights, Janet and I (OK, Janet) are (is) taking a cake decorating class at Michael's. We make (OK, Janet makes) wonderful cakes that we sell each day in the restaurant. Sister-in-law Cheryl makes some as well, and the restaurant is well known for these desserts.
But, we don't do "fancy" cakes. We've allowed people to bring in special cakes for their occasions, which a). gives us problems with the Health Dept., b). doesn't give us much needed income, and c). just seems wrong in principal to me. (I know I'm in the minority, but when I go to the movies, I buy their popcorn--I don't smuggle in some from home--it's just who I am).
Anyway, by taking this course, we are hoping that we can start making some of those cakes and have them available for people to purchase from us, instead of others. And I've got to tell you, I'm having the time of my life in these classes. I'm the only man in the class (officially making me the only male "eye candy".) But spending the time with Janet away from the restaurant doing something she enjoys is priceless to me. The fact that she gets the icings and food colorings all over herself just has me rolling off the chair in laughter. And I've discovered that laughter is a good thing lately.
Beyond this enjoyment, son Josh was here since my last "post", along with Janet's daughter Dana and grandson Tyler. We had such a wonderful time while they were here, and miss them greatly already. Finally, today we had a wonderful visit from our St. Louis friend and great love, Sharon Vaughn, who was one of my employees 6 or 7 years ago. She came with family and spent a while with us at the restaurant on their way through town. We had a great time catching up a little, and it was so good to see her.
All for now. Hope everyone's life is heading in the direction they enjoy. Janet and I have discovered church again here in Branson, and it makes such a difference in our lives. Come to Branson and join us for a meal and a church service!
First, it's been a busy week in the restaurant, which we really enjoy! It makes the hours go by so much quicker than when we're "dead". On Tuesday nights, Janet and I (OK, Janet) are (is) taking a cake decorating class at Michael's. We make (OK, Janet makes) wonderful cakes that we sell each day in the restaurant. Sister-in-law Cheryl makes some as well, and the restaurant is well known for these desserts.
But, we don't do "fancy" cakes. We've allowed people to bring in special cakes for their occasions, which a). gives us problems with the Health Dept., b). doesn't give us much needed income, and c). just seems wrong in principal to me. (I know I'm in the minority, but when I go to the movies, I buy their popcorn--I don't smuggle in some from home--it's just who I am).
Anyway, by taking this course, we are hoping that we can start making some of those cakes and have them available for people to purchase from us, instead of others. And I've got to tell you, I'm having the time of my life in these classes. I'm the only man in the class (officially making me the only male "eye candy".) But spending the time with Janet away from the restaurant doing something she enjoys is priceless to me. The fact that she gets the icings and food colorings all over herself just has me rolling off the chair in laughter. And I've discovered that laughter is a good thing lately.
Beyond this enjoyment, son Josh was here since my last "post", along with Janet's daughter Dana and grandson Tyler. We had such a wonderful time while they were here, and miss them greatly already. Finally, today we had a wonderful visit from our St. Louis friend and great love, Sharon Vaughn, who was one of my employees 6 or 7 years ago. She came with family and spent a while with us at the restaurant on their way through town. We had a great time catching up a little, and it was so good to see her.
All for now. Hope everyone's life is heading in the direction they enjoy. Janet and I have discovered church again here in Branson, and it makes such a difference in our lives. Come to Branson and join us for a meal and a church service!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Breathing before the next season begins!
Branson is in a little bit of a lull this week and next. With kids back in school, the town has kind of "closed down" for a little while. Many of the shows are either on a short hiatus, or just coming back from one. It's kind of nice being able to drive the "strip" in less than 45 minutes, but it's kind of sad at the same time.
If you're a business owner in town, the sadness is more acute. If you rely on the tourists (as 99% of the town does), it's a maddening time. The bills continue, and you just wait for the next wave of visitors. Fortunately, the buses are on their way!
Starting in September, coaches start arriving. In October, even more show up. Then, starting November 1st, when the Christmas shows start, the floodgates really open up. For the next several weeks, the town is as busy as it is at any time of the year, it seems.
If you've never been to Branson during this time, I highly recommend it. If there is a town more into the Christmas season than Branson, I'm dying to see it. The Veterans come during this time as well, and nobody treats our cherished Veterans better than Branson does. We have the largest Veterans Day parade in the world here in our little town of 6,050 people.
If you're reading this, and trying to decide where to go on a little trip, I encourage you to check out Branson. And while you're here, if you should happen to get hungry, I know a beautiful little restaurant that's sure to please!
If you're a business owner in town, the sadness is more acute. If you rely on the tourists (as 99% of the town does), it's a maddening time. The bills continue, and you just wait for the next wave of visitors. Fortunately, the buses are on their way!
Starting in September, coaches start arriving. In October, even more show up. Then, starting November 1st, when the Christmas shows start, the floodgates really open up. For the next several weeks, the town is as busy as it is at any time of the year, it seems.
If you've never been to Branson during this time, I highly recommend it. If there is a town more into the Christmas season than Branson, I'm dying to see it. The Veterans come during this time as well, and nobody treats our cherished Veterans better than Branson does. We have the largest Veterans Day parade in the world here in our little town of 6,050 people.
If you're reading this, and trying to decide where to go on a little trip, I encourage you to check out Branson. And while you're here, if you should happen to get hungry, I know a beautiful little restaurant that's sure to please!
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