January 14 – “Celebrations”

I have been invited to officiate at the wedding of a dear friend’s daughter sometime in August.  They live somewhere in the Northeast, New Jersey I think.  It was quite a surprise when the bride sent me a massage on FaceBook.  Quite an honor for me, too.  We have known the family since the 80’s when we met at church in Arlington.  I think Mark and Melissa (bride’s Mom and Dad) had just gotten married.  Their oldest son Allen and Nathan were the same age and have been best friends literally since birth.  When we moved to Denver, it wasn’t long before Mark was transferred there as well.  We didn’t follow him to Rhode Island, but the boys kept in contact.  Nathan spent Spring Break with them and Allen came to our house in the summer.  That continued until they both graduated.   Now the bride is Allen’s sister Ashley.  I was just copying a video from Denver days and noticed a little girl who I think was Ashley crawling into Chris’ lap.  We are really looking forward to this wedding, to this trip.  Now we have to figure out some kind of arrangements for Mom while we are gone.  We have a friend, a retired nurse recuperating from some very serious surgery on her ankle, who Chris would trust in a heartbeat to care for Mom while we are gone.  Chris says she is going to inform Jennifer that she has until we leave for that wedding to get back on her feet.  She also says we may be gone for a month, so plan to move in for a while, girl.

We went to Cailyn’s fourth birthday party the other day.  It was at a place called “The Little Gym” in Friendswood.  It was … a little gym.  They had miniature gymnastics apparatuses all over the room, and padding – thick padding – abounded.  The kids could run and dive and hang from bars and rings.  They seemed to really enjoy it.  To dispel any doubt about the fun, one tiny little girl ran into the lobby, located her Dad, and loudly exclaimed, “Daddy, Daddy, Dad … I’m having fun in there.”  Very cute.  Micah enjoyed the game of running at full speed at a mat propped up by one of the workers, leaping at it feet first, and kicking it to the ground.   Jachin was happy with all of the opportunities, as long as he could be the first and best at everything.  Josiah was convinced he was big enough to attempt anything the other kids were doing.  I got a kick out of watching the kids eat cupcakes.  I know, sounds weird, right?  Until you realize that the icing had some kind of black food coloring in it that transferred easily onto the kids’ faces.  They looked like graduates from clown school with big grins painted on their faces.  Interesting lipstick. 

Caleb’s birthday party is this Saturday in San Antonio.  Nathan will be out of town, as will Kel and Christina.  April is in school.  Jennifer is in a wheelchair.  So far it does not bode well for our appearance at that one.  We’ll see.

Psalms 56:10-11 says, “In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise —  in God I trust; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?”

Father, walk with Cailyn and Caleb for one another year of discovery and fun.  Amen.