I recently was given the privilege to go and explore the inside of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Des Moines, IA.  It is one of the oldest standing churches in Des Moines.  It was constructed in 1885.  Many of the stained glass windows are original.  The ones on the south side of the church however are not.  In the 60’s located across from the church was a government office building that was the site of a terrorist bombing in protest to the Vietnam War.  The blast destroyed the original windows on that side of the building.

In 1952 South side of the building underwent construction.  The Street on this side of the church was being lowered down several feet.  During this time the church opted to excavate the lower base of the church and add on with a wing.  In this lower level they added a tomb and a small prayer room.

The church currently runs with a congregation of about three hundred.  The church has a long list of about six hundred.

They recently up graded their organ.  The pipe jetting out from under the rose window are part of that up grade.  They are planning the feature this new organ this summer in a festival.  I have been invited back to take more pictures this spring when the courts are open.

Only In Iowa

Only in Iowa will one find the following….

On Saturday February 5, 2011 I took a group of kids to a Bible Quizzing Tournament in Waterloo Iowa.  Along the way we made a pit stop in the small town of Iowa Falls.  Once inside the town of Iowa Falls we discovered a small station with a very peculiar looking logo.  Peculiar yet some how familiar.  The station in question was not a Phillips station but bare the name 67 ½.  We were amused.

The next thing was really bizarre.  We appeared to be the only people in the town operating what one may consider conventional transportation.  While we gassed up a large group of snowmobiles  Converged on us.  In fact surrounded us at the pumps.  It seems in small town Iowa it is customary to drive your snowmobile to the local 67 ½ to gas up.  All of the machines were very sharp looking and I wished I could have joined them.  It was way cool.

 

Quizzer’s did well.  Our girls senior team one first place.  My daughter Brittany took second place all Tournament team.  I was so happy for her.  The boys tried very hard but came up short.  Dillon if you read this remember “The Great One”  Wayne Gretzky once said, “You Miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”  Dillon tried to answer ten questions but missed a couple by a word or two.  If you have never Quizzed before try to memorize three entire books of the Bible and then have to answer fifteen questions about that from memory.  Dillon to miss by a couple of words is not a failure bro.  You made us all proud.