October 31 – “Call back in the morning”

Yesterday held yet another dive into the dangerous.  We once again entered the realm of potential pain and agony.  We … did yard work.  That’s right.  Amidst mosquitoes (We live on a tropical island paradise.  We always have mosquitoes) and still –growing grass (Again – tropical weather.  Long growing season.  Lots of rain this rainy season) we broke out the lawn mower and weedeater and leaf blower.  Well, I broke out those.  Chris got the wild-growing vine clippers and the broom.  She attacked the wisteria and bougainvillea.  I did the mowing and edging and a little clippings blowing.  Then the GFCI switch started doing the blowing.  I had to walk back and forth from the reset switch four times before it held so I could finish.   To finish things off, we both returned to that evil bougainvillea.  I had to stretch as high as I could get to snip off some of the offending branches, and I came away scratched and bleeding, but we finished that project to Chris’s approval.  Even did some pruning of the “MeeMaw Tree” and the bush beneath it. 

So.  Now the yard looks nice for the Halloween event coming up tonight.  I for one didn’t sleep all that well last night.  The old knee was pretty cranky after the long morning in the yard, and my back aches even made a reappearance, but a few Tylenol came to my aid, and I managed to get some rest.  Chris woke up this morning with a stuffy head, but she seemed raring to go.  She is babysitting in LaMarque while Jachin does an allergy challenge to see if he can overcome his nut allergy.  I don’t get all the details on that one.  We’ll see how it comes out. 

As for me, I’ll be working on the sermon and taking a little time out to make one particular phone call.  We got our Discover bill from our vacation and discovered that we were double charged for a room by one of the hotels we stayed at.  I talked to the credit card company.  They said I had to talk to the hotel first.  Then if they don’t issue a refund, I call them back and they will take it from there.  So I called the hotel.  The guy answered quickly enough, but when I identified what I needed he said he was “with a customer” and said I would “have to call back in the morning.”  This particular hotel was the one place we stayed that we were glad to get out of.  It was the one where the AC didn’t work and instead of immediately switching our room, he came and took the unit apart to make sure we weren’t lying to him.  If he doesn’t refund the double charge I plan to notify the parent company.  And the credit card company, of course.  Here we go …

Psalms 109:26-27 says, “Help me, O Lord my God; save me in accordance with your love.  Let them know that it is your hand, that you, O Lord, have done it.”

Father, help me to represent you in the phone call.  We can’t afford to just let that great of a charge go.  A little divine assistance would be greatly appreciated.  Amen.

October 30 – “Closer to you …”

Our oldest grandson Jachin had a baseball game last night.  That meant a trip into Texas to Houston’s Memorial Park.  And by the way, we were apparently just on its edge, but that is one big park.  I’ve never seen aerial photos of it like the ones you see on TV all the time of Central Park in New York, but I wonder if it is comparable?  It is certainly used as a jogging trail by lots of aspiring athletes of all shapes and sizes. 

The game was kind of a tough one for Jachin and his boys.  They are a homeschool JV team, and their opponent turned out to be a varsity team.  Three of the opposing players have already signed for scholarships to division one colleges.  Needless to say, the score was a bit lopsided.  18 to 1 I think was the final.  Jachin had one putout on a good stretch in his stint as the first baseman.  He drew a walk and struck out in his times at bat.  He said the pitcher threw “pretty fast.”  I told him to think like Kyle Tucker of the Astros.  He is a youngster in their farm system who hit so well that he got called up to the big league club.  And all he did was work hard at hitting and keep swinging.  Jachin reminded me that he didn’t do so well when he got to the major leagues.  Beside the point.  Listen to what you said … “when he got to the major leagues.”  He got there.  And he will continue to get better.  So can you.  I know.  Easy for me to say.  I’m not the one standing there when the ball is coming at me ninety miles an hour.  But, hey.  Seeing those things is the job of the coach.  Or an old fan …

Psalms 108:5 says, “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth.”

Father, be with Jachin as he grows and learns.  Always draw him and his teammates closer to you than to baseball … or anything else for that matter.  Amen.

October 29 – “Sad, sad state of affairs”

I wanted to share a few more anecdotes that I gleaned from the Fall Festival on Saturday.  As I said earlier, because of the awesome work of the Seasider volunteers, I was able to spend all my time being available to talk to folks who came by. 

One family was raving about how much they enjoyed living in Jamaica Beach.  They recounted a whole list of things like events at the park and a community swimming pool and meeting people at the beach.  And right in the middle of their list was one, seemingly tiny and insignificant item.  It’s the one that sounded like an explosion to me, though.  “… and this little church is always doing things for the community.”  I guess there are worse things to be remembered for as a church.  Sure made me proud of our folks.

Another time I was talking to a sweet lady who comes to Seaside when she can.  The topic somehow turned to the (in her words) “Sad, sad state of affairs” in our country.  Here’s how that conversation went.

Her: “With all this fake news, it’s hard to know the truth anymore.”

Me (after a brief hesitation.  I couldn’t believe she had set me up like that): “Well … I know the Truth.  His name is Jesus.”

Her (with a chuckle): “That’s right.  That’s right.  But we’re sure not gonna hear THAT in the news.”

Nope.  I don’t reckon we will.

Psalms 108:2-5 says, “Awake, harp and lyre!  I will awaken the dawn.  I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.  For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.  Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth.”

Father thank you for the chance to listen to people and share with them in their joys and frustrations.  Amen.

October 28 – “An incredible day of cooperation”

We witnessed an incredible day of cooperation yesterday.  The big event scheduled at Seaside was our Fall Festival, a fun day of games and a bounce house for the neighborhood kids, and chili and hotdogs and caramel apples and candy (sensing a theme here?) for everyone.  Totally free, but it has kind of become a tradition that people bring along a canned good or two to be given to families in need.  Lauren was once again in charge, so preparations had been made well in advance.  More than twenty Seasiders were out in a volunteer force to make the event happen.  Others made chili or dropped off candy for games prizes. 

Now here’s the thing.  There was a group in the retreat center here for a Lutheran confirmation class retreat.  Those kids helped us bring chairs downstairs.  We were hosting early voting in the worship center, so we had to dedicate half of our small parking lot to voter parking – no small feat since we generally fill up the whole thing with festival stuff.  The voting judges were more than understanding when we had to walk behind them to get to the office or a closet or even to the bathroom.  We invited them to join us for the lunch we ordered from Mario’s for the people helping set up, and they did rotate out so each one could get some pizza.  I noticed that they also grabbed a bowl of chili later in the day.  Seasiders in blue shorts were flitting about everywhere setting up and running games and serving chili and chatting with our neighbors.  Jim and Corey and Doug figured out a way to get electricity to the band and the bounce house, and then regaled us with some great live music.

And then when it came time to break it all down, a team of Seasiders and neighbors joined in to help.  We were getting it down, albeit slowly, when all of a sudden a rush of further volunteers exploded forth from the worship center.  The AA group that meets in our building every Saturday night had been arriving, and when they realized what we were doing, they jumped up to help out.  The pace quickened to such an extent that we were finished in a fraction of the time.  I gotta say, I was greatly impressed by the teamwork and pleasant spirit of cooperation.  The Seaside home group.  A group here for a retreat.  Four election judges.  An AA group here for a meeting.  And some wonderful Jamaica Beach neighbors.  That makes five different entities working together toward a common goal.  Impressive, isn’t it?

In the meantime, I was able to connect with several people.  A paramedic who wanted to talk about my role as fire chaplain.  A young family who just moved to Jamaica Beach.  A young man who volunteers with the Jamaica Beach fire department.  A couple with a boxer puppy (Introduced them to April who had their new boxer pup with her).  Our new Christian and just-baptized Jeff and his family.  Cory and Sarah, our cop family.  All four of the election judges.  The adult sponsors of the Lutheran group.  I guess the list could go on and on. 

It was a truly good day.  I am proud of our Seaside team (especially their fearless leader, Lauren).  God was glorified. 

Psalms 108:1 says, “My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul.”

Father, may you continue to be glorified in everything we do.  Amen.

October 27 – “The big day now looms frighteningly ahead …”

The big day now looms frighteningly ahead. 

Yep.  I had my orthopedic doctor appointment yesterday.  No further options for this old guy.  Full knee replacement surgery is scheduled for November 26^th at UTMB.  That would be the Monday after Thanksgiving.  The resident originally suggested the Monday before that, but Chris almost jumped from her chair to say, “No way.  That’s the week of Thanksgiving and you have ten turkeys to fry and we have company coming in and AnnaGrace’s birthday party is that Friday.”  She never even got around to mentioning the Turkey Bowl.  The poor resident got the message.  “Uh … how about the following Monday?”  And Chris’ demeanor rapidly returned to her usual sweet and wonderful self.  She turned to me and said, “It’s your knee and your decision, but I vote for the second one.”  See how she did that?  My decision.  I love that woman. 

My ortho doc soon entered the room and absolutely agreed that a new knee was the way to go for me.  She made sure the resident had adequately explained the procedure (He did a really good job) and sat down to see if we had any questions.  She ordered some pre-surgery labs done and a new set of X-rays before we left.  And her final words were, “Next time I see you will be in the operating room.”  Ominous sounding, huh?

So now I have to admit I am vacillating somewhere between excitement and a little apprehension.  The prospect of less pain when I walk is certainly enticing.  I know recovery will be a battle, but I’m pretty sure I’m up for that challenge.  The one thing I’m hoping for after all this?  I kind of want to set off the metal detectors at the airport.  Sounds kind of fun to me …

Psalms 107:31-32 says, “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.  Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.”

Father, thank you for the kindness and patience of my doc and the resident.  Oh, and that med student.  Be with her through her final year of school and into residency.  Amen.

October 26 – “How tall are speed humps?”

We had “Take Cailyn to school” duty yesterday.  Made for a very early morning.  She had to be there by 7 a.m. for choir practice.  That in itself was not a problem.  The issue came when we turned off of Jones Road to head to her house.  The street was flooded.  Covered completely and creeping up into residences on both sides.  There were two school buses stopped in the middle of the street with lights flashing.  We couldn’t tell if they were reacting to the water or just waiting for some riders to arrive.  So Chris backed up and turned around.  We tried the next street over, but it looked even worse, so we returned to our original choice, the street we always use, since we knew what to expect. 

The school buses were gone now, so that was a positive sign.  And a pickup truck sloshed its way through from the other direction.  So Chris did the whole “creep slowly through the water in the middle of the street” approach. The first speed hump we came to was peeking out from the waters, so that meant the depth was no more than maybe six inches.  I don’t know.  How tall are speed humps?  The second one was not visible, however, so we were a bit more careful there.  We finally reached our destination – the other side of the lake, so to speak.  Cailyn was almost ready, and she moved even quicker when she realized the time.  She must really like choir.  Adventure part two was not quite as scary.  Once you have conquered an Everest, the second time is always easier.  I think she might have been a minute or two late, but we assured her that the teacher would understand.  We live on an Island.  And we had five inches of rain in an hour or so … at high tide.  There’s just nowhere for the excess water to go. 

Word is we are getting a dry-out over the weekend.  That’s a good thing, too.  We have Fall Festival at the church on Saturday, and we have to use the grassy areas to set up games.  Maybe the cool weather will keep the mosquitoes away …

Psalms 107:15-16 says, “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.”

Father, thank you for Cailyn.  Give her a positive experience with her choir class.  Amen.

October 25 – “THEY …”

I have said many times before that one of my strangest quirks is that I really enjoy going to WalMart.  There’s just something about the way people there think they have entered a bold new world that allows them to do or say things they wouldn’t dream of elsewhere.  Well, that may not be true.  They may be perfectly comfortable acting as they do anywhere, but it’s just that WalMart provides such a wonderful scenario for silliness.

Kind of like the three young men we heard/saw yesterday.  One of them was in military garb, so that gives you an idea of their approximate age.  As we made our way down the aisle that passes near the toys/sporting goods section, we heard a horrendous sound.  Reminded me of something right away.  It was a raspy sort of honking, like a very sick or very old goose that just had his tail stepped on.  As we rounded the corner we saw the offenders.  Our three fine, upstanding young men were at the bicycle accessories station doing some product testing on bicycle horns.  That’s why it sounded so familiar.  I have one on my bicycle …

Now, as part of our journey yesterday, we also managed to experience the joys of some WalMart good news/bad news.  Back in the electronics department they have done some pretty extensive renovations.  Taking a cue from nearby Office Depot, they decided to build some nice glass cases that lock for their more expensive items.  Understood.  However, one of the products that now resides behind glass walls is printer toner.  Again … not a problem.  That’s expensive stuff.  We located the number of the kind we needed – 61 XL.  We headed over to the checkout counter in electronics to get someone with a key.  The first pass I made, the guy was down on his hands and knees looking for something, so I walked on by.  The next time he was off the floor, but I heard what he was seeking.  He was trying to assist a customer in removing one of those little security tags from the clothing she wanted to buy.  Yep.  Clothing in the electronics department.  She had no electronics, by the way.  The sales guy was getting more frustrated by the second.  When he realized we were standing there, he queried, “What do you need?”  A bit abrupt, but under the circumstances, understandable.  We explained that we needed someone with a key to open the toner case.  He let out a rather exasperated sigh and replied, “I’ll get over there as soon as I can.  They only have one of us working here.” 

Now we decided to just leave it at that and get the toner another day.  But it hit me as we walked away, and again as I wrote this post, that I wasn’t at all upset with that guy.  And he wasn’t at all frustrated with us.  So who was the culprit in all this?  Ah … THEY.  THEY changed the procedure.  THEY installed the new cabinets.  THEY took away his security tag release tool.  THEY only scheduled one person to cover an entire department.  Hmm.  One would suspect that THEY need some lessons in retail management.  But then, that might affect the quaint, quirky appeal that is WalMart’s and WalMart’s alone.  I say, leave it alone … but then THEY would never listen to me anyway.

Psalms 107:8-9 says, “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”

Father, be with that sales guy at WalMart.  Give him a day full of encouragement on his next shift and at home.  Amen.

October 24 – “An Update Trio”

Knee update.  I made the two mile mark again in our walk.  Chris went four or five.  She is awesome.  My knee was really barking at me, though.  Maybe it’s the cold weather.  That’s sure not helping.  I mean, sixty-one degrees?  That is unheard of cold here on our Island paradise.  And today it’s raining to boot.  Not a very appealing track scenario.

Here’s the latest medication saga update.  I sent in the request to Randall’s.  They did not receive a reply from the doctor, so I went online to the little My Chart site they have set up.  I ordered the meds through that.  Then I called the doctor’s office and explained the situation to the front desk person who answered the phone.  She assured me a nurse would call me back when they sent the prescription to Randall’s.  And I waited.  But this time I actually did get a nurse call back.  Gotta love those nurses.  She understood my dilemma and assured me that she would send the request in to the pharmacy right away.  And I waited.  Never did hear from the Randall’s computer, so Chris and I went over there about 7:30 or so.  And sure enough … there it was.  I now have a three month’s supply of two of the meds ($75), and a supply of the other one waiting in the wings (That one is the high-dollar one.  To take a three-month supply of that one would have been over $400.  Not happening all at once).  I’m not quite out of that one anyway, so I’ll hold off for a while. 

While we are on updates, Chris got her notice from the Social Security Administration that they saw she applied online to receive social security.  That’s all it said.  “We saw that you applied online.”  Guess that’s a good thing …

And the final update of the day comes from the Heidi front.  She had her recheck appointment with the surgeon.  Every tech and front desk worker recognized her when we walked in.  That’s a clue that we’ve been then too much lately.  Aside from pooping in my lap (Well, she was wrapped in a towel, so it wasn’t directly in my lap.  Still too close for comfort in more ways than one), the doc gave her a clean bill of health.  All the stitches are out and the wound appears to be healed.  She does have a wart on what’s left of her tail, though.  No big deal.  Just thought he’d tell us.  He rushed us out the door after his pronouncement.  No charge, just hurry out the door before something else goes wrong.  His words, not mine …

Psalms 107:2-3 says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so — those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.”

Father, thank you for the positive updates in our life.  We needed a few.  Amen.

October 23 – “Permitted”

I lit into my Monday work … day.  My Monday work day, not work OUT.  Oh, we did go for our walk.  I made it two miles, too.  But this was Monday, after all.  Work is the word of the day.  Chris got into the spirit as well.  She spent the morning focused on a quilt she is building.  No permit required.

I did get out of the house in the afternoon.  I went into town to pick up our fence-building permit.  I turned in the application last week to replace the fence on one side of our house.  They said to come back yesterday.  It was ready to go at the front desk.  I am officially permitted.  I texted Nathan to let him know I had it.  He replied, “Now we’ll have to actually build it.”  Oh, yeah.  There is that …

I stopped by Randall’s to get some fruit and see if by some freak chance they had received notice back from the doctor about the medications I need for neuropathy in my feet.  I’m out.  Completely.  And … nope.  Not there yet.  I have already missed a few doses because of the inherent incompetency of the mail order Medicare pharmacy.  When I attempted to set it up – with great fear and trembling, I might add – they assured me it would be delivered by Saturday.  It was not.  I called Sunday afternoon to see where it was.  It hadn’t been shipped yet.  They said they had been calling to get an approval and never could get through.  I finally asked who they needed approval from.  Me.  They needed approval from me.  Me.  The one who called to set the whole thing up in the first place.  They then told me I could order from my local pharmacy instead (and pay the required fee).  I assured them that I would be happy to take that route as soon as they recorded my official complaint.  So now I wait until the doctor responds to the local pharmacy request.  My hope is that the doc won’t balk at having already approved the mail order.  Phew.  I’m tired. 

Psalms 107:4 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

Father, would you help the docs and pharmacists get all this paperwork straight?  Amen.

October 22 – “Exactly all right”

It is always a tremendous day at church when we end the service by walking down to the beach for a baptism.  No different yesterday as a young man named Jeff went under the water.  His girlfriend with the great name (Kelly.  Spells it a little wrong but great name, nonetheless), already a believer, joined the Seaside family as well.  And one couple, who were among those who began the original Seaside mission back in 1990, returned home to join up with the current Seaside family as well. 

The day was a blustery and kind of chilly one.  I think the temperature was in the 60’s or low 70’s.  Lots of strong winds as we gathered at the seaside, but a huge contingent of the 60-plus folks who had attended worship joined us at the beach.  After a circle of prayer Jeff and the two guys who had agreed to assist me with the baptism joined me in the water.  The water temp was not too bad yet, so we managed to make our way rather quickly to a good spot.  The rip currents were treacherous.  I was never so glad to have two strong guys with me.  With my bad knee I’m not sure I could have held myself up, much less the guy getting baptized.  All went well, though, and when he came up out of the water, Jeff threw his arms into the air in a gesture of sheer exuberance.  The man was more than excited.  The crowd on the beach cheered him as we exited the water and gathered to sing “Family of God.”

My favorite part of this particular baptism?  As we walked to the beach Jeff never stopped talking.  He asked if it was OK to be a little nervous as well as excited.  But then he said, “I have been telling everybody I know that I did this.  Is that all right?”  That, my friend, is exactly all right.” 

Psalms 106:48 says, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.  Let all the people say, ‘Amen!’  Praise the Lord.”

Father, thank you for Jeff and his excitement about having a relationship with you.  Walk with him now as he begins to discover the amazing wonders of your promises.  Amen.

October 21 – “A Flood Report”

So we went to Waco yesterday. 

After a few close calls with wide load vehicles, Chris established herself as a road force to be reckoned with in her own right.  Needless to say, we made it to our Bucees stop in record time.  After our quick lunch there, we started looking for evidence of the Great Central Texas flooding that we have been hearing about for the last several weeks.  We don’t cross many actual rivers on the route we generally take, but the one we do cross, the Navasota River, was well out of its banks.  Virtually all of the ponds and streams we cross that are usually nearly empty were full to the brim.  And once in Waco, the Brazos River was obviously swollen. 

Once we arrived in Waco, the flood watch continued. The kids informed us that it had been raining there for at least two weeks.  That’s an eternity for children who want to go outside and play.  It’s even longer for stay-at-home, homeschooling Moms, right, Christi?  I went with Josh to pick up Zak and Caleb from their homeschool Co-op classes.  On the way we passed over a bridge, and Josh showed me what it looks like when Lake Waco is 100% full.  The point where Josh and the boys usually go fishing was completely covered, as was the nearby playground and picnic tables.  We even saw some confused deer that had been forced from their wooded hideout to an area near the highway.  Closer to the school we passed a stream bed where Josh said the “Usual” was enough water that anyone could wade across easily.  It was a raging river.  On the way home he showed me another part of Lake Waco.  The marina where the boat they sometimes borrow to go fishing was at least halfway under water. 

Cary and Kay Lynn came to the birthday party, and then they were going to Lake Whitney to check on some property they have there.  He showed us pictures of the boat ramp and pier that they use.  We had to take his word for it.  All we saw in the photo was water lapping onto the bank.    He said the powers that be were releasing water from the lake at a seemingly astronomical rate, and it was still rising. 

All in all, it appeared to us that the reports of flooding are pretty accurate this time.  Oh, and did I mention that it started raining while we were there … again?

Psalms 106:4-5 says, “Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people, come to my aid when you save them, that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may share in the joy of your nation and join your inheritance in giving praise.”

Father, would you protect the folks there in Central Texas?  I’m sure they are ready for the rain to end.  Amen.

October 20 – “A Star Wars Man”

Our already-once-rescheduled trip to Glen Rose to see the Promise (Outdoor musical about the life of Jesus) and ride a riverboat on Lake Buchanan officially was cancelled for this weekend.  A little situation of 100% chance of rain (Remnants of a Pacific typhoon) in Glen Rose and Lake Buchanan being closed because of massively high water levels and dangerous flooding all around the Lake.  Absolutely crazy conditions all over Central Texas right now. 

So what do we do?  Why, we packed up anyway and used the opportunity to go to an event we had thought we had to miss – nothing less than the Star Wars party of the decade.  Luke’s fifth birthday party.  This whole fifth birthday is more than just a cake and ice cream event around their house.  When they turn five years old they are finally allowed to watch (and hence more fully appreciate) the Star Wars movies.  Oh, the party will still happen (Star Wars themed all the way), but we were able to be on hand for the rite of passage family viewing night.  And it was well worth the trip, too.  One single instant really caught my attention.  When the movie began and the words “Star Wars” flashed on the screen, Luke was almost beside himself.  He raised two fists just to the side of his head and his whole body trembled.  And when Luke Skywalker first came on screen he was speechless with excitement.  Now he didn’t really last through all the boring middles parts.  After all, a five-year-old HAS to shoot a few baskets and run a few laps every hour or so.  But I would say the passage is complete and Luke is now officially a Star Wars man.

Psalms 106:2 says, “Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord or fully declare his praise?”

Father, thank you for Luke and his family and for fun traditions.  Amen.

October 19 – “Step on a crack …”

Yes, I know about the Astros.  Brennan was even over here for the first few innings to cheer them on before he had to get to bed.  He did have school today.  We had an abbreviated Bible Study so we could spend the evening celebrating Lauren’s birthday and keeping an eye on the TV screen.  It was indeed an evening of mixed emotions.  The bright elation of honoring the life (up to this point, with more to come) of a good friend.  The disheartening sadness of seeing a season of injury and hope come to an end.  So, yes, I am still an Astros fan.  It’s hard to give up on a team you have followed since you were nine years old.  Let’s see … nine years old … that would be … borrow the one, drop down the five … that would make me a Houston Astros/Colt .45’s fan for some 56 years now.  Nope.  Not giving up on my boys yet. 

I mentioned a few days ago in passing something about a bit of a crisis involving Chris and a piece of sidewalk.  I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t explain just a bit.  As you may recall, when we walk, I usually peel off after three miles and head home so as to give me plenty of time to whine a bit and nurse my sore knee before Chris gets back from her usual five miles and I can revert to my usual male bravado.  That was again the case this fateful day, so all seemed well.  That is, until she came upon a gathering group of workers preparing to do some road construction (Not on our street, though.  In spite of the fact that our street has the worst pre-pothole / sinkhole collection in the neighborhood).  Ever the consummately courteous young woman, Chris left her track in the street and found a sidewalk she upon which she could pass safely and not disturb the workers.  But the … for some unknown and inexplicable reason …. The sidewalk suddenly became uneven.  It rose up to greet her.  That “Step on a crack, you break your mother’s back” crack decided it was time to get its revenge. 

That’s right.  Her foot became entangled with the renegade pathway.  She came crashing to the ground, bearing the brunt of the fall with a knee and elbows and one thumb (Don’t ask me.  That’s what was affected as she scoped out the aftermath).  Those construction workers she went to so much effort to avoid disturbing were at her side in an instant, asking after her health, offering to call someone or get her what she needed.  She assured them that she would be OK, that the worst injury was to her pride.  And then she really threw them for a loop.  She looked up at the nearest guy and with all the mock frustration she could muster, demanded to know, “Who moved that sidewalk?”

Amidst the workers’ obvious confusion and inability to provide an answer to that one, she made her way to her feet, thanked the, for their help, and continued on her walk, leaving them scratching their heads and formulating stories of their own about that interesting little lady and her encounter with the moving sidewalk. 

Psalms 106:1 says, “Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord or fully declare his praise?”

Father, thank you for protecting Chris from any worse injury than the scrapes and bruises she came home with.  And bless those construction workers for their desire to help.  Amen.

October 18 – “Brennan’s Bewailment”

Just a quick note today …

I had a visitor the other night.  Chris and I were watching the Astros game when the front door flew open and I was met with cries of, “Did you see that?”  My little buddy Brennan from across the street had been watching the game as well.  Seems his Dad had patiently explained the nuances of why a run had scored on the walk and another on the hit by pitch.  But Brennan’s response was spontaneous and actually quite similar to my own when the Astros closer gave up a grand slam home run.  I guess I should describe it as his Dad did … something akin to a biblical funeral mourner’s wail.  That crisis my pal understood perfectly. 

I’m sure Brennan was asleep last night and didn’t get to see all of the next game.  He missed the bum fan interference call on what should have been a home run by Altuve.  He missed a remarkable back and forth battle.  And he missed an excruciating bottom of the ninth when the Astros loaded the bases with Bregman coming to the plate.  The excitement was intense.  The crowd at the stadium was going wild.  Bregman hit a shot of a line drive to left field that would have at least tied the game.  But the left fielder made an outstanding diving catch to end the game.  Gotta hand it to him.  So Verlander pitches tonight, then on to Boston WHEN he wins.  As I have said before, I think these games between the Red Sox and the Astros are the actual World Series this year.  It’s a shame the two best teams in baseball are in the same league. 

Psalms 106:1 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

Father, help Brennan get the sleep he needs to tune up his cheering voice rather than his wail.  Amen.

October 17 – “Riding the wild … what?”

We drove into Texas yesterday to hang out with the LaMarque cousins while Mom and Dad went to an early movie (Venom, as I understand it.  Apparently the Kel review was mixed.  They changed the character’s back story and presented the movie Spiderman style – funny).  After the kiddos finished schoolwork and I stopped for a break on my own computer work, we all went out in the front yard.  And that’s when things got … creative.

It started with a few bicycle races.  Not that unusual, I know.  Jachin would give his brothers a massive head start, then see how fast he could catch up to them.  That one got old fairly quickly.  Too easy for the teenager.

Then they began to formulate some “ideas.”  Now I have to say up front that I warned them that they shouldn’t do anything too crazy unless there was a parent (or an Uncle) present.  Didn’t work.  Uncle Ideas soon became the order of the day. 

First, Noa sat down on one of those weird toddler riding toys with no pedals – the kind you just push with both feet on the ground.  The boys called it their “Trash Vehicle.”  Micah backed up to her on his bike.  Josiah came out of the garage with a tow rope.  Yep.  You guessed it.  They attached the rope to both vehicles and Micah took off.  He stayed on the sidewalk, but he still got going a lot faster than was comfortable for Nana.  But Noa did fine.  She was still wearing the helmet she insisted on putting on when she was showing me her roller blades.  And that was a good thing.  Micah got going faster and faster.  Noa was squealing in delight.  Right up until she crashed into a grassy area.  Face first into the grass.  She popped right up, though.  Her brothers had already warned her that if anything happened, she was not allowed to cry.  She insisted she was all good.  Took a while for Nana’s heartbeat to get back to normal, though.

Then came the “other game.”  Jachin called it the Olympic training run for the luge.  The rope was disconnected from the bike, but left on the toy.  Jachin would take one end of the rope while one of the little one would sat on the toy and held on for dear life.  Jachin then started running as fast as he could.  Then he whipped them around and suddenly they were on their own, careening down the sidewalk.  I may or may not have acted as videographer for the event.  But I did see one video each for Micah and Josiah.  Oh, and then there was the one where Jachin was on the toy, knees scrunched up next to his ears, while Micah tugged him as hard as he could for a ride.  He didn’t get very far.  One of the best parts of the whole affair, however, was Noa’s starting whistle.  From near the estimated finish line she would put her fingers up to her mouth – like someone would do who knew how to whistle (which I don’t) – the, she would emit a high-pitched scream that sounded, well, just like a whistle.  Quite effective.

Now I started to end this tale here, but sadly, I cannot.  See, before long Mom and Dad got home.  And of course that meant showing off their training skills.  Josiah helmeted up.  Jachin took off running.  The luge-toy raced past our vantage point.  But alas, the steering mechanism was “faulty” at best.  The craft veered only slightly to the right … just enough for one of the wheels to leave the concrete surface and in a flurry of grass and soil, embed itself into the grass nearby.  The luge stopped in an instant, throwing its rider forward, face first – onto the sidewalk.  Elbows scraped along the ground, helping to grind the flying body to a halt.  Knees were spared, since they were extended in the air like Superman taking off on a particularly windy day.  Our biggest concern, of course, was Josiah’s face and head and the precious cargo carried within.  But all was well there.  Instinctively, he had turned his head to the side, so that aggravating helmet that your parents always make you wear was able to do its job and absorb the brunt of the contact.  The adults rushed to his side, Mom of course arriving first.  And who else is there that always want at your side when you are a youngster and have just taken a tumble?  Gotta be Mom.  Jachin grabbed Ezra and carried him away from the “action.”  Noa curiously lingered at the edge of the circle.  Micah hovered around, still on his bike.  All were waiting for the official Mom announcement that inevitably had to come.  Christina asked all the “Where does it hurt?” questions.  Kel rotated his arms a time or two to check for winces and groans.  Then Christina asked if he was ready to come on inside.  Josiah leapt to his feet and proclaimed, “No.  Jachin, come on.  That one didn’t count.”  But … Mom said absolutely not.  She insisted that he come on in and clean up all the blood and settle down for a while.  Somewhat defeated, but not exactly all that disappointed, Josiah trudged inside, got his wounds cleaned and bandaged, and plopped down on the couch with ice packs to his head and both elbows. 

When it came time for us to leave, Nana went over to do a little encouraging.  The two of them were comparing bruises and scrapes.  Josiah’s were on his elbows, but Nana had scrapes on her knee, both arms and even one thumb (Another story.  Another time).  That seemed to garner a little bit of interest.  So I added, “Yes, but you got your wounds flying through the air like Superman.  Nana got hers trying to walk.”  Oops.  True, but maybe not the most encouraging thing to say about my wife.  I got a quick, “Hey, now.”  But Josiah certainly enjoyed it.  His eyes lit up and we even heard one of his patented gut-giggles.  I think all will be well.

Psalms 105:5 says, “Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.”

Father, would you be with Josiah in particular today.  Heal up those scrapes and ease up that headache.  Amen.

October 16 – “In Social Security Time Out”

We made attempt number one to begin the process of Chris receiving her social security retirement benefits.  Well, not Medicare yet.  She has to wait a little while longer for that “blessing.”  We went to the “.gov” website and made it to the screens where they ask random questions about credit accounts you may or may not have had back 30 or 40 years ago.  Well, OK, so maybe it was 10 or 20 years ago.  Either way, we apparently gave the wrong answer to one of the questions.  A screen appeared informing us that we were summarily locked out of the system for 24 hours.  Yep.  We have been put in Social Security Time Out for a whole day.  Well, I certainly feel admonished. 

The screen indicated that we could next call the social security hotline and talk to an agent about the situation.  Aaand … that would be after first waiting on hold for 58 minutes (we timed it).  Chris continued washing clothes and cleaning the kitchen.  I dove back into work on the computer.  When the guy finally answered I called out for Chris to hurry in so she could talk to the guy.  First he said, “It sounds like I am on speaker phone where you are.  Do I have permission to speak about these things so that others can hear?”  Interesting request.  Never heard that one before.  Chris assured his it would be fine.  It was “just her husband.”  He got all her pertinent information, and then asked what she was trying to do.  Chris gave him the short version, and he asked specifically about what error the screen had flashed at us.  Fortunately I still had it up on the computer, so we could read it to him.  “Ah, that’s what I was afraid of.”  Not what we wanted to hear.  Seems with that code there was nothing he could do to help us.  The account was completely locked down.  We were truly in Time Out.  Worse, even.  We were suspended.  We were grounded.  He told Chris that her only other option was to go to the local social security office and they could unlock everything and give her the code she needed to set up her “Mysocialsecurity” account.  Wonderful.  The office is in League City.  And when I had to go there (Yep, I had one of those dreaded codes as well), it involved a wait of at least an hour (Enough that Chris had exhausted all the shopping options in the area).  Sigh.  Guess we can wait until this afternoon and try again on line.  Or be forced to drive into Texas.  Aaaarrrgh.

Psalms 105:4 says, “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.”

Father, help us have the patience to get through this process … again.  Amen.

October 15 – “Meager efforts?”

The numbers are in … and in … and in …

As I described yesterday, we did a fundraiser on Saturday, providing food concessions for the community craft fair.  Proceeds were to go to missions causes.  We had a tremendous turnout of Seasiders to help, and the turnout at the market seemed to be a good one as well.  I didn’t know what our total was, however.  I have that number now.

Let me say up front that I was hoping for around a thousand dollars.  Saturday afternoon’s count placed us at needing just $33 to reach … $1500.  Not so bad, right?

After the event we piled up the leftover cookies and baked goods on the table at church, too tired to deal with them any further.  When we came back to church the next morning, there were a few cookies gone, and $17 was on the table.  Hmm.  Just $16 away from $1500 now.  I planned to announce that during church, both to celebrate and to see if anyone would rise to the challenge to make up the difference.  But before we could get started I noticed a few folks had already added to the box.  Sure enough, we were $2 over.  $1502.

We did celebrate the victory during church, and God apparently spoke to some more folks, because after church, somehow the total came to $1550.  Pretty amazing.

A few of us went to lunch together, and after lunch Cathy approached me in the parking lot with some more news.  $315 more dollars had come in.  And before we got home the figure had risen to $2000.  Umm … God thing?  I would say so.

Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Father, thank you for honoring our meager efforts to glorify you through missions.  Amen.

October 14 – “Burgers n dogs n missions”

Seaside was once again invited to provide food concessions for the Jamaica Beach Craft market.  Always great to be respected enough to be asked to be involved in a community event.  We served hamburgers and hot dogs.  Oh, and bacon.  Lots of bacon.  I even saw more than a few bacon-laden hotdogs.  One lady refused a bun.  She just piled the bacon on top of her hot dog, added a few squirts of mustard and some relish, and she was good to go.  Ray’s tricked-out barbecue trailer was quite impressive, as was his crew who turned out the burgers and dogs.  Thanks, Ray and Bob and Carlton.

Seasiders came out bedecked in our blue (teal?) Seaside shirts to work in the kitchen and on that portable pit.  Others brought condiments and baked goods.  A few were even vendors in the market.  It was quite an impressive team.  I was really impressed with that kitchen crew.  They stood in the hot kitchen and joyfully served food all day long.  I remember seeing Chris (of course) and Lauren and Cathy and Amber (on her birthday, no less) and Kathy and Dianne and Sharon and Jim and Corey and Janell and Brennan and Suzann and Sam.  I probably missed a few, but thanks to you all.  Ray and Mary Ann got especially creative.  They raffled off two Houston Astros flags.  One of the vendors even got into the act.  He donated one of his carved pelicans to be auctioned off later.  We didn’t charge specific amounts; just accepted donations for missions.  And money-wise we did really well.  Final counts should come in today. 

A lot of other folks stropped me to talk.  Two gentlemen among that batch caught my eye and approached.  They looked really familiar, but I couldn’t come up with a name.  As he shook my hand, one of them simply remarked, “We just wanted to thank you again for baptizing us.  We will never forget it.”  Later, another guy I didn’t know, clad in all things Astro, walked by, so I had to remark on his gear, calling him “my man,” a fellow Astros supporter.  He responded by putting a hand on my shoulder and declaring, “Well, Pastor Kelley is MY man for Easter sunrise services.”  Gotta say, I was speechless.  Didn’t expect that one.

Meanwhile, Chris and I had to leave for a while to go pick up Heidi the Rottschund/dachsweiler from the vet.  After the crazy ridiculous setback she had yesterday, the vet who did the surgeries called and told us she did very well through the night and was in fact “eating like a pig.”  That’s our Heidi.  She seems pleased to be back at home, and as soon as the surgery site heals I for one will be happy to get that silly cone off her head.  I know Chris is breathing a little easier this morning.  OK.  A lot easier …

Psalms 105:3 says, “Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.”

Father, thank you for the folks who volunteered to help at the park yesterday.  bless then for their contributions of time and energy and … bacon.  Amen.