John,
It is good that you respect the router, but it is just like any other power tool, if you want to keep your fingers, the tools deserve respect. But "Fear" may be more than the router deserves!
The PC Router you have should be doing a good job for you, it is a quality tool. Some people almost worship a router as the finest tool in the shop and gravitate towards it for a lot more than I would ever use it for, but that is their choice!
Router bits need to be sharp or you will almost have to take a hammer and drive them across the edge of wood. If you can locate a router bit with the design you want that has a ball bearing guide on it that makes work easier too.
Each wood has it's own characteristics and require a different feed rate for best results. Some woods require progressive multiple passes to obtain the desired final result.
In my opinion, tools like the table saw and jointer don't demand a lot of skill, you turn them and they cut the wood. A router requires a lot of practice to become proficient using it. So, just practice up on some scrap wood before you get into an important cut.
I wear a full face shield when using a router so I can clearly see what the cut is doing.
Don Dando