Get thee behind me, Satan

www.TheSamba.com is the definitive site for all things classic VW. It has members and posts from all over the world. I go there daily in my quest to learn more about eventually getting a Bug. The technical section contains articles on just about every aspect of restoration. The classified section has helped me get a handle on what is available and what typical prices are.

This showed up this afternoon. It's an original '61. Has a just-rebuilt 1641cc dual port engine with dual carbs, but everything else is untouched. That roof rack is original! The paint is original. The chrome is clean, the seats need new upholstery but the rest of the interior is spotless. And most surprisingly, there's NO rust anywhere, not even the battery tray. (There are more pics on the listing page.)
Know why? It's an Arizona car! In fact, it's in Glendale, about 5 miles from our house. The asking price is very reasonable, and I assume his list price is higher than what he'll actually take.
You have no idea how much I want to call this guy up and go look at it. But looking at it would only increase my desire to own it. And buying a car at this point would not qualify as a wise decision.
But it is SO tempting....

Isn't this an evocative picture? I'm assuming it was taken during the Depression.

This one is just fun. I had a good time this morning. Our attendance was down significantly, but that's OK. We had three families with other commitments. And we had a new family visit. (With two kids under 4 years old!) I think I did OK with my sermon, at least from the technical, homiletical standpoint. The Holy Spirit is in charge of the rest.
Our Foundations hour tackled a complex topic that involved a very careful and detailed analysis of a key passage (1 Cor. 13:8-12) and they did a great job of focusing and processing. But that's typical of this group. A teacher could not want better.

After church we all met up at BK for lunch - our normal Sunday afternoon rendezvous. Michelle is back in MI visiting her family, but she's a sweetheart and gave me a call this morning to wish me a happy Father's Day.
We're not big on ceremony, any of us. BK works just fine for this dad. It's not about the outside, the environment. It's the strength and depth of the relationships that makes this and every day valuable.
So here's the deal - if you don't mind me getting personal for a minute.
Father's Day is supposed to honor dads for their service and sacrifice on behalf of their kids. I feel that toward my dad; I couldn't have wanted for better. But going the other direction - my being a dad to my sons - it's the opposite. I loved being a dad and always felt it was an honor to have been entrusted by God with those two lives. I look back on the years I spent as a parent and realize how much fun it was (even though I don't think I acted like that at the time). I was FAR from the ideal dad. If I had it to do over again I'd do a lot of things differently. The Bible says that love covers a multitude of sins, and I think God knew how much I loved my sons and graciously covered the most egregious of my failures as a dad.
So for me, Father's Day shouldn't be about "honoring" me. The function of Father's Day is to remind me of the best, most enjoyable thing I've ever done. The privilege was mine!
I really love being a dad...to all my kids!!
Thanks, guys.