March 19 – “Satisfying to exhilarating to priceless”

Working for hours in the backyard clearing out flowerbeds with my wife and my dogs at my side … exhausting and painful, but satisfying.

Yep.  Three more flowerbeds done.  Just one to go.  Well, I guess you could say four more done, if you count the batch of sunflowers that have sprung up right in the middle of the lawn that Chris won’t let me mow over.  They’re there for the grandkids, right?  That’s where I spent a good amount of time, pulling weeds out by hand so as not to disturb the fledgling flowers.  And while I was down there I managed to discover that we have a wide selection of weed choices, including one in particular that stings.  Chris experienced the joy of the stingweed through her gardening gloves on a small patch on her hand.  I had a similar problem, but over a larger section of my anatomy.  See, I was wearing shorts.  Not only did my hand burn, but so did both legs and one foot.  I thought sure I had been sitting in an ant bed.  And the burning didn’t go away easily. Not a fun experience.

Watching the University of Texas basketball game until the wee hours of the morning and seeing the impossible half-court shot that sent them to defeat .. exciting and exhilarating.

I’m not particularly a Texas fan, but I was hoping for another Texas team to advance.  A&M and even Stephen F. Austin had done their part earlier.  It was a game of streaks and runs.  Texas tied the game with two seconds left and it sure looked like overtime was in the books.  Northern Iowa threw the ball inbounds up to near half court, and the guy launched a prayer shot from about five feet behind the half court line.  It seemed to stay in the air forever, as those types of shots are inclined to do.  And finally it smashed hard into the backboard … and into the net.  Amazing shot.  Sorry about that, Texas. 

Walking down the block hand in hand with my granddaughter, looking at the Easter decorations in the only yard in the neighborhood that is decorated and discovering a nickel, a penny, an old metal emery board, and a Pizza Hut coupon designed like a credit card … Absolutely priceless.

Revelation 5:13 says, “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!’”

Father, thank you for special times that Cailyn will probably never remember.  But they sure will be embedded in my memory.  Amen.