September 2 – “Labor Day”

Holiday Sundays at Seaside Church have always been a mystery to me.  There is no way to predict how many people will be there.  It might be like a typical traditional church where a lot of folks leave town for the holidays to visit family or take mini-vacations.  That has happened.  On the other hand we are a resort community, so it could be that all those people who have taken their mini-vacations have come to Galveston and decide to stop in at Seaside for worship.  So on any given holiday we might have a handful of folks or we might be bursting at the seams.

We had a real blowout of a crowd at church yesterday.  Lots of visitors in for the holiday decided to give Seaside a try this weekend.  A new UTMB student and her husband.  Another couple who moved to Jamaica Beach in April.  Several Sea Isle families.  Not to mention the families of Seaside folks who were here for the weekend as well.  Best I could tell we were hovering right around 68 people, and that many people goes a long way toward filling up our space.  Rita has organized some kids’ programming for the services and she plans to kick off a children’s Sunday School in a few weeks.  That one will be an interesting experiment.  She has found some curriculum that allows the volunteers teacher to learn right along with the kids.  In her words, “The only preparation you need is to prepare your heart.”  Exciting things are afoot in West Galveston Island. 

And speaking of holidays, I woke this morning to an interesting breakfast smell.  Actually it’s not for breakfast.  And I’m glad, because the smell just wasn’t quite right at 5 a.m.  Chris put in a brisket last night for our Labor Day lunch, and the aroma has swept through the house already.  Now once I had some fruit and a cup of coffee I was finally able to truly appreciate the upcoming delicacy that odor foretells.  Kel and Christina are at Lake Conroe with her family (at least they are near some water).  Josh and Christi are wrapping things up in San Antonio.  But I think Nathan and Cailyn are coming to share it with us.  He said April had to work today.  That surprised me.  I figured most surgeons would schedule operations apart from holidays so they could spend time on their boats or do the vacation to Cabo or whatever it is surgeons do with their time off.  But I guess there is always the possibility of emergency surgeries being needed.  And April is in the enviable position of being the last to be hired.  Ah, well.  If any family understands working when everyone else is off, it’s this one.  Three pastors, two nurses, a firefighter.  I know.  We also have two teachers thrown into the mix, but Christi and Christina have been around long enough to know the drill.  We will miss you, April.

Psalms 108:2 says, “Awake, harp and lyre!  I will awaken the dawn.”

Father, it’s good to hear someone else is a morning person.  Good morning.  Amen.