Tag: Fun

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My Mom is the Coolest

My earliest memories of my mom are faint at best. Most early memories come from photographs and slides. Though my parents were young and didn’t have a lot of extra income, early photos show mom always had me dressed to the nines with not a hair out of place. I was the first child, first grandchild, and slides show, especially at Christmas, I got everything a child could imagine.

As I’ve reflected on writing this blog about mom’s celebration of 80 years, my first memories involve a backyard whiffle ball game in our Green Valley neighborhood. I think I was six or seven. A handful of guys had gathered and mom joined the game. She was competitive, made us laugh, and for a 26 or 27 old girl, she was a good player. What sticks out about that moment was what happened the next morning when getting on the school bus. The guys were all saying, “you have the coolest mom.”

That stuck with me. In fact, it’s a moment that has become an anchoring part of my life.  I’ve pretty much lived most of my life feeling I had the coolest mom. Though mom and dad weren’t rich, mom made sure we lived a fun filled life and had what we needed. We would go to garage sales, bargain shop, and spend days at Papaw and Mamaw’s.

We rode bikes, did crafts, and played games, especially the newest rage at the time, Atari. I would often come home from school and she would say, “go look at the screen.” While I was at school, she had played one of my latest games and broke my record. She has always been incredibly competitive. She was more than just my mom; she was my friend. Her rules were few. Tell her where I was going. Come home when I was hungry. Dinner was at 5. It’s funny, but as I look back at Mary and I’s parenting, much of what mom gave me I’ve put in our family.

One of the attributes mom put in our life was a love for music. Our home was always filled with it. Albums and 8-tracks playing the Rambo’s, Goodman’s and the Calvary Four and Brass still echo in my mind. Mom taught herself how to play the piano. She tells the story of how the church they attended needed a piano player and she set on a piano bench and prayed she could play. Within weeks she did. No lessons, just her, a piano, and a miracle. Dad bought her a grand piano and an organ and that meant even more music filled our home. Mom played for many churches, services, choirs, and even taught piano professionally.

It’s odd but mishaps are a part of my memories of mom. I recollect a day when I was around 10 years old and we were riding bikes. She had Julie, my sister who was 2, in a bike seat, and we were “racing” around the block. As I passed her, I clipped her front tire and flipped her bike. I’ll never forget watching Julie flying through the air, landing in the grass, and then seeing mom holding her arm and crying. The fall had broken her arm.

Coming off the injury, it was just a year or so later she took us sledding at our local park, Forest Park in Noblesville. Sledding, along with ice skating, was something she loved to do. On this day though, she was going fast, hit a bump, landed wrong, and broke her tailbone. It was a long winter, but we had a cool story about our mom. Whose mom breaks their tailbone sledding? My mom.

Perhaps the fondest mishap was the best. Mom has an avid love for swimming and suntanning. At some point in her early thirties, she decided she wanted a pool in the back yard. Dad, who didn’t like to swim, had a myriad of reasons of why she couldn’t have a pool. Though their finances had improved, he used that as an excuse, along with, “we have a well and I can’t find the pump.” Assured they could afford it, mom had one objection to overcome, find the pump to the well.

Shovel in hand, me as her trusty sidekick and advocate for a pool, the exploration began. She sent me under the house. My mission as a 12-year-old. Find any pipe that looked like a water pipe and give her an approximate location. I found one and the digging began. We soon found the pipe and seemed to be getting close when she asked me to put my head down in the hole to see if I could see anything. Head in the hole, the last words I heard was, “let me give it one more shovel.” Down went the shovel and up came the water, as in an Old Faithful explosion. Water and mud went everywhere and then a straight water geyser shooting 10’ in the sky. Dad wasn’t home and it seemed to take forever before a neighbor could get over to shut off the main water source. We didn’t have water for a few days, but six months later we had a pool.

That pool would provide most of my teenage memories. We were in the pool nearly every day. We played Yahtzee and cards in the pool. We ate lunch in the pool. Neighborhood friends would join us in hours of diving, playing Marco Polo, and water basketball ensued. My mom was once again the coolest mom, providing snacks and crazy pool stunts to try.

When I graduated from high school, I was 18 and mom was 37. During college days and after work golf became my way of passing time. Not to be left out, mom wanted to learn to play. It wasn’t long before she had her own clubs, knew all the rules, and was golfing regularly with friends.

It was also during my college days that I became quite successful as an electronics salesman at JC Penney. I did so well that I could afford to buy the car of my dreams, a manual shift, smoke black, Mazda RX-7. Within a few days she wanted to learn to drive it and about a year later she had her own brown RX-7. Whose mom drove a rad sports car? My mom.

Mom wasn’t only a successful mom but also an incredibly gifted realtor. She had an eye for style, a way to connect with people, and a great business sense. Her competitive nature took her to the top of her profession. She was often one of the top realtors at the FC Tucker company, one of the largest in the state of Indiana. This income bonus gave her and dad the ability to travel, another one of her favorite things to do. They traveled the world, though I think if it was up to her, she would have taken every vacation on a beach on a tropical island.

Once Mary came into my life and we added kids, mom kept her coolness. No one had a better grandma (Nonna) than Gentry and Risa. Rules were similar for them, basically updated and improved from what I had as a kid. Spoil them and send them home. Give them all the junk food they wanted. Have unlimited fun. And, what happens / happened at Nona’s stayed at Nonna’s. Needless to say, there were many days that our kids cried not wanting to leave. Not only was she a cool mom, she was a cool Nonna.

I imagine that many reading this have elderly moms who like clothes, books, or maybe something for their kitchen for a birthday or Christmas gift. Not my mom. In her sixties she wanted the latest computer, flash drives, and the best photo editing software. In her seventies she wanted Wi-Fi cameras, Bluetooth headphones, and any of the latest gadgets. As she turns 80, I suspect she has something she’s seen that I haven’t on her list. She may be old but she is still up on the trends.

Finally, mom has been such a support of our dreams. As we began the journey as pastors at Life Connections we had no bigger fan. She became affectionately known as the unofficial “Assistant Pastor.” She took care of historical recordings, kept attendance records, and helping anyone who asked or didn’t. She made every event. She ran the E-Group senior ministry, was heavily involved in prayer, and was a part of every community event. She invested in us and believed in our calling,

Most people met mom and knew everything about the church before I had even had an opportunity to shake their hand. I don’t know how many times I heard, “we met your mom, she’s something else.” I didn’t always know if that was a good thing or bad. I decided to take it in the same way I way I took what the kids on the bus said when I was six, “your mom is really cool.” It was safer that way, allowed me to have peace of mind, and sleep at night.

Today, as she turns 80, she still loves gadgets, playing games (and cheating…she’s known for that) and still has a zeal for life. Her life is changing though. She survived a heart attack, though she would argue and say she didn’t have one. She doesn’t ride her bike any more. She fell off her bike when she was 75. She spends more time in doctor offices than on the beach. The grands, both Julie and Sam’s and ours, are very grateful she doesn’t do photos edits any more. Life is slower and she is a tad more reflective. That said, there’s one thing all her family would say that hasn’t changed, she is still the coolest mom, Nonna, and great-Nonna ever. Happy 80th mom. May there be many more.

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Life Connections Farewell: Celebrating its Spirit and Impact

Every chapter has an opening and a closing, so it is with Life Connections, the church that started out of our home in 2002 and the one we stepped away from in 2022. Acts 13:36 says, “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay;” Life Connections served its purpose, for its generation, and will leave an indelible mark on eternity. As Pastors Phil and Annie Daigle closes its chapter today, September 22, 2024, we look back on the incredible impact Life Connections had on families, its community, central Indiana, and the world.

Its vision, its values, and its impact was like none other. It was a New Testament church, one that mirrored the early church that started in the book of Acts. At the same it modeled how to be relevant and connect with current culture. It had a unique niche. It served the community of Fishers, Hamilton County, and families from across central Indiana. It was known for at least two important dynamics. Its community impact and its prayerful commitment to being a Spirit filled and led community. In its early years it was a regular part of the Freedom Festival and parades. As it grew it became known as the place where families could bring their kids for a myriad of events. More importantly, it became a place where people felt safe to bring their families to learn about Jesus and experience His presence. It was a place that wasn’t about religion and rules. It was not another copycat of the latest fad religion, but a place where they and their families could experience the Spirit and grow in God in a likeminded community of others that were on the same journey.

Life Connections was about service. That DNA would show itself yearly as people came out of hibernation after a cold and snowy winter. Life Connections would welcome hundreds of kids and families at its annual Bagels and Bunnies Easter Egg hunt, a free breakfast and a photo with the Easter bunny. 

Summer would bring X-treme Camp, a VBS, that was like no other. The camps were highly interactive, with lots of zany variation, and the famous, X-treme Camp Obstacle course. Whether it was the Amazing Race, Space Jam, or Wipe Out, over 1000 kids participated in Life Connections X-treme Camps.

Winter would bring Breakfast with Santa, donuts, cookies, coffee, and of course, a free picture with Santa. Through the years Life Connections gave away thousands of free pictures with Santa. We can’t count the number of tears we’ve seen, the “thank you’s” we’ve heard, and the lives that were impacted by these events.

In addition to those major events Life Connections became the place to be each June when we were privileged to host the Fishers Strawberry Festival. There were tons of bounce houses, mascots like Boomer, Rowdy, and even the Chick-fil-a cow showed up, along with crowds of people from all over central Indiana. Nothing said summer was here like a biscuit topped with ice cream, strawberries, and a big dab of whipped cream. The festivals revenue never went to Life Connections, instead monies went to missionaries, helped churches who been impacted by extreme weather events, and other areas where we saw need.

Life was about serving those less fortunate. So many were grateful for Bagels and Bunnies and Breakfast with Santa, but Life Connections went further. Life Connections gave away hundreds of Thanksgiving meals through the years, provided Christmas gifts and meals to families yearly, and partnered with the city of Fishers to provide bags of food weekly to needy families. Life Connections served its community… it served its generation.

Life Connections was a place where you could expect to experience the presence of God. It was a unique church. It was Spirit led without being eccentric. It was progressive yet valued its past. It knew while it was imperative to relate to its world, it had to be a place where people could experience what the apostles and the churches of the New Testament experienced. It shunned the legalism that stymied so many Spirit-filled churches yet valued the power and the liberty of the Spirit.

It was first and foremost, a place of prayer. It valued very strongly the words of Jesus, “my house shall be called a house of prayer.” It was a place where God’s presence dwelled, and His Spirit was welcomed. Done decently and in order as the apostle Paul commended, people came to Life with wonder, “what will God do today?” Miracles took place, lives were transformed, and families strengthened. Life Connections strived to model the “house of prayer” principle individually, as families, and as a church corporately.

Life Connections was multicultural, a place for all people. For some time, Sunday worship included the 10 a.m. worship service, an Indonesian service at 1 p.m. and a Hispanic church at 6 p.m. In addition, to serving the nearly one dozen different ethnic groups that attended, we had translation equipment that allowed us to serve the Indian and other cultures along with an interpreter for the deaf community.

Life Connections knew how to laugh and have fun. Whether serving at one of the many community events or engaging at one of the many church “family” events, few churches knew how to have fun like Life Connections. There were more memories and friendships built at events like Life’s Annual Chili Cook-off than one could ever imagine. Lifetime friendships were made around a campfire, on a hayride or during a trash talking corn hole tournament. Whether it was the Christmas Gathering at the Hudson home, a bible study, a party that someone hosted with good food, or even if it was before, during or after a service, there was always the sound of laughter at Life.

Life Connections was a place that valued God’s Word. Life Connections taught about, lifted up, and pointed people to Jesus. It was a place that was careful to preach and teach the Bible in right context. While the Sunday services were inspirational and inspiring, bible studies and the series taught were dedicated to building a strong relationship with God and having fellowship with others. Whether it was a book of the Bible, a practical perspective on a social or current issue, or a series on a book by Jentezen Franklin, Kyle Idleman, or Greg Groschel, people grew in their knowledge of God’s word, and in their relationship with Jesus.

Life Connections was a place that valued the Spirit-filled experience that took place in the book Acts and what was the only experience and dynamic of the New Testament church. We tried to emulate that dynamic. It was a Spirit filled and Spirit led place. It was not a religious institution, not a doctrine, but a place where you could safely experience the Spirit. It was early on that we discarded the label of a denomination and took on the atmosphere as a place of healing. If you wanted to find a discarded label you could find it at Life Connections. There were those who were Catholic, Jew, Baptist, Methodist, and Pentecostal, the list could go on, but once you came to Life you became a person. A person who knew that everyone was broken, everyone needed the blood of Jesus, and everyone was growing, some more quickly than others, but everyone’s progress was celebrated. It was a place where you could be real, fail, heal, and grow without judgement. It had a unique vibe and was a distinctive place for many.

Life Connections was a spiritual hospital, not a nursing home. In a hospital there are a lot of sick people trying to get better, a lot of people serving, doing their best to help people get better, but still human and understanding that nearly every situation needed a touch from God. Life Connections never exploded in numeric growth but literally thousands of people passed through its doors through the years, at its height in early 2020, nearly 400 people called Life their home. Generally, we only saw about 70 percent of those though, unless there was a crisis, it was Easter or Christmas. For a while it bothered us, but we will never forget a moment in a prayer service as we were struggling with the issue that God spoke to our heart and said, “I’ve called Life Connections to be different, it is a hospital. I trust you to let Me heal people and you to let them go.” So, it has been, many, thousands who came through its doors over the past 20 years. Unfortunately, some died spiritually, others decided to move into a spiritual nursing home, but were excited that most were healed and moved on to greater ministries or became an integral part of the church community and helped others heal, grow, and impact the world.

In closing I go to Life Connections beginning. Our mission statement was simple; “Connecting people to faith, family, and friends.” As with the passing of an individual, we say farewell to Life’s physical presence. We know its influence, impact, and spirit will live on for generations. People will forever remember its love for the Spirit and its high values of passion, excellence, and integrity. There will be families who will pass down the Word that was taught, values instilled, and experience of the Spirit for years to come. There are friendships that were made that will last a lifetime. Though it is no more, it will forever be. Mary and I count it the highest of honors to have served the Kingdom of God in Fishers, Hamilton County, and central Indiana at Life Connections. We will forever be indebted to an unnumberable host of people who ran along side with us, brought vision and ideas, creativity, gave, worked and served, cried and prayed… who believed in Life Connections. If you were ever a part of Life Connections in any way, thank you.

How do we say farewell to Life Connections? I guess the best way is the way I would close each Sunday service. If you’ve been there you know it well. So, for one last time…

     The Lord bless you, and keep you;

     The Lord make His face shine on you,

     And be gracious to you;

     The Lord lift up His countenance on you,

      And give you peace.’

                                  –  Numbers 6:24-26

Preach Always, If Necessary Use Words,
Jon & Mary Hudson

 

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PIckleball Problems!

Who knew!  One of my new favorite sports, pickleball, is making news, and it seems some have a vendetta against it. If you are not aware, pickleball is a hybrid between ping pong, badminton, and tennis. The court is larger than a ping pong table but smaller than a tennis court, and you use wood, plastic, or fiberglass paddles with what is basically a wiffle ball. Our family has been hooked for a couple of years, bought the equipment, and we love to get out on nice Indiana evenings and play a few games. The sport, which until recently had been a niche, began to gain momentum around 2020 with an estimated four million players. It has exploded with new estimates suggesting that over 23 million people are playing pickleball, a 150% increase in three years. If you’re a player, this explains why it’s become so difficult to find a court! But some of the news of late is not good, there are those who are right down irate about pickleball.

First, I was reading a report on noise pollution and how it is increasing in major cities and suburbs. Reading the list of noise complaints, I wasn’t surprised by the obvious factors, noises such as loud neighbors, barking dogs, and car alarms. It also listed the volume of traffic and accidents, but then came this, the number of outdoor pickleball courts and players. I was shocked! Pickleball, a noise pollution issue? It is a problem, and some people are seriously annoyed. The internet is filled with articles with people fuming and groups with disdain for pickleball. Communities are writing ordinances, neighborhood HOA’s are setting policies, and there are loads of websites suggesting how to curb the noise created by pickle ballers. They want noiseless pickleballs, carbon fiber or padded paddles, sound panels around the courts, and restricted pickleball hours. These people are serious, and they are radically charged about stopping pickleball noise.

The second issue, and one that is a bit disturbing if you are a pickleball player, has to do with the healthcare industry. It seems that pickleball injuries are creating an extraordinary amount of financial drain on insurance companies. One company, United Health, recently reported a higher-than-expected frequency of hip replacements, knee surgeries, and other procedures and believes many injuries are due to pickleball. One company is projecting that pickleball injuries are going to cost healthcare companies between 250 and 500 million dollars in 2023 alone. I am afraid they won’t let this continue. Can you see it coming? Name, address, email, do you smoke, do you drink, and do you play pickleball? Oh, you play pickleball, there will be a 25% fee added to your policy.

I say enjoy the sport. Exercise is good, good for the body and good for the mind. Being with friends and family, having fun and laughing, is as good as the exercise. If you don’t play, pick up some paddles, a couple of pickleballs, and get to a court. Do so wisely and considerately. Warm up, stretch before you play and if you play in an area where there is housing, be thoughtful. Finally, be watchful of trash talkers, most often they’re all bluff with no stuff, and watch out for ambidextrous players, they change the way you play the game.

 

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Pranksters

For some reason for most of my life I have been on the receiving end of pranks. Here are just a few, and believe me, this is just a sampling of some of the stunts that have been pulled on me.

In seminary, I was the student body vice president, and while setting a vision casting message in chapel, I suddenly began to hear voices, gathering my wits and trying to figure out where they were coming from, I stepped back from the podium to see a walkie talkie on the stand. In the audience was my “best friend” with the other walkie talkie, critiquing me and cracking jokes as I spoke. 

One day during our pastorate I hopped into my car to the foulest smell. It was summer and the stench was somewhere between that of limburger cheese and spoiled garbage. I search for days for the source, with no success. On one particular Sunday when I had to pick up a guest speaker the smell was so bad that I went through a car wash and asked for extra scent to mask the smell. I picked up my guest, made it to church, but when we came out after service, I realized I was in trouble. I borrowed a car, made it through the afternoon, and the next day once again began the search for the source. It was a few days later, after leaving a hospital call, that I found the problem. My brother-in-law had taken one of his daughters’ dirty diapers and stuffed it up under my seat. 

On another occasion, not to be outdone by her uncle, my daughter Risa, who’s foot odor could be used as a weapon of mass destruction, once stuffed her dirty socks inside my pillowcase. The first night I must have been too tired to care but by the second night I was once again on the prowl for the source of the stink. The smell was nauseating and the more I sniffed for the source the worse it got. When I found her socks in the pillowcase, not only did I have to wash the pillowcase, but the pillow too. The latest stunt is still an ongoing mystery. One of my favorite things about our current home is that it backs up to a golf course. After a long day, I love to walk through the woods and gather lost golf balls. Last week I was excited to get out after Memorial Day when the weekend golfers had played. As I was retrieving golf balls, I noticed that I had found several of them that looked the same, seemed odd, but I didn’t have my glasses on, so I wasn’t able to discern the logo. The next day our kids came over for the evening and were looking at my haul. I should have known that something was up because rarely are they interested in my discoveries, but as they surveyed my treasures, Gentry remarked, “hey dad, look at this one.” The golf balls that had looked curiously similar were golf balls with my face on them, and not only my face, but personalized with my name too. I still don’t know who the prankster is, I have my list of suspects, but I did surmise my kids were in on the prank. I have questions. First, who’s mind is this demented? Second, who chose the horrific picture? Third, who has time to think of this kind of prank. Fourth, who came out and shanked golf balls in the woods and when? And finally, did they hit more than the six golf balls I found?

As usual there is a life lesson in all this. Like the pranksters in my life, you will always have adversaries and situations in your life. Their goal? To get you out of rhythm, to continually attempt to distract you from your purpose, and to create chaos in your life. While you can’t stop these attacks and distractions, you do have a choice in how you respond. You can become angry. You can give up. You can become bitter. Or learn to take them head on. Laugh them off, learn from them, and move on. Perspective is important in life, and when it comes to pranks, I view them as a sign that someone loves me, the pranksters know I can take their shenanigans and they know that I will laugh it off.  I also love that I can be the object that causes someone to laugh, that I can make someone else’s day a little lighter. Plus, they’ve made for some incredible illustrations and gave me some great stories to tell.Just for kids, vote for your favorite prank pulled on me and share a favorite pulled on you!

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Celebrate Life

Evidently God likes to celebrate. We don’t get too far into the Bible before God gives Moses his Law. While much attention is put on the negative elements of the Law, there was also some good aspects. That includes the Feast, or celebrations, that God called for each year. The major purpose of these Feast was to remember and give thanks to God for all He had done, and to bring people together. The Passover Feast was to remember and celebrate God bringing people out of bondage, and the Feast of Pentecost was to remind them to celebrate God’s holiness and power. But it’s the third Feast, the Feast of Booths, that I draw your attention to. This celebration took place in the fall and was a time of giving thanks for a good harvest, recognizing God as their provider, and celebrating the goodness of life. People basically camped out, ate good food, listened to music, and partied for seven days. It was open, not only to the people of Israel, but to all people who trusted in God. It was a festival where God wanted people to enjoy His blessings. I love that! Too often we lose focus on the goodness of God and great blessings of life. We allow social media and doomsday broadcasters to control our emotions and thoughts. We forget to look around at all the good, the good people God has put in our lives, and the blessings that we do enjoy. Today, our Chili Cook-Off is our Feast of Booths. It’s a moment to celebrate life, to celebrate the friendships we have, and to make new memories. It’s a time to reminisce, laugh and make new friends. So today, eat more chili than you should, trash talk more than you can live up to and make your circle bigger than normal. Celebrate life with your Life Community and remember, the best is yet to come!