May 31 – “A Sense of …”

We came to a major Sense of Realization yesterday.  Because of one conflict after another over the next weeks, we won’t be having home group here until sometime time August.  We’re looking at things like family visiting from out of town, a meeting in Arlington concerning our trip to Alaska, Kid’s Camp in Glen Rose, The Fourth of July, of course our actual trip to Alaska, and Cousins’ Camp.  It is a crazy busy summer already, and we haven’t even reached June yet. 

On a Sense of Accomplishment note, we got the yard mowed yesterday (but didn’t get to weedeat the back yet).  But the big thing was the hedges in the front of the house.  Chris has been wanting them trimmed way back so they won’t be so high.  The hope for the future is that they will instead grow fuller at a lower level and maybe even do some blooming, which they have never done in all the years they have been there, which would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 11 or so (just after Hurricane Ike).  It looks pretty bleak now, but those things have been pretty prolific, so I’m hoping they take off and get filled in pretty quickly. 

A Sense of Realization and a Sense of Accomplishment and a Sense of Hope for the Future.  That’s a full day right there …

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Father, thank you for being right in the middle of our realizations, our accomplishments, and especially our hope for the future.  Amen.

May 30 – “Tick tock …”

As June approaches the tension can be cut with a … well, maybe a butter knife.  It’s not that thick.  Yet.  Chris is poring over her last minute detail list for our Alaska trip.  There are just a few things left that we need to arrange for.  Yesterday she located on Amazon a pouch to hold our passports and ID and credit card and the like.  Apparently inside the pouch they are mysteriously protected from illicit copying by shady scammers who are walking around cruise terminals with technological wonders, stealing people’s identities and credit card numbers.  She wants hers strapped to her wrist.  I prefer the kind that either hangs around my neck or straps around my waist like a fanny pack, hidden from prying eyes.  Although … I can sport a fanny pack.  Especially one with an image of Mickey Mouse on it.  Did it for many years at youth camp. 

Once we order these pouches we can move on to those wonderful mega-pouches called suitcases.  Size doesn’t matter for the ones we check on the plane.  It’s the carry-on pieces that are apparently strictly regulated by the airline.  And we have to have a week’s worth of clothing in them.  Suitcases are generally sold in sets of three different sizes.  We have to find a set that has the proper approved dimensions, then get a second carry-on size.  And they all have to match up to Chris’ rigid preliminary investigation.  No simple feat, believe me. 

We do still have one more meeting with the travel agent before the trip.  That’s where I’m fully expecting to hear of some other item that we just have to have.  Oh, well.

Tick tock, Chris.  Tick tock.

John 14:1 says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You believe in God; believe also in me.”

Father, we are getting excited about the trip.  Help us to stay healthy and get everything done.  Amen.

May 29 – “Saving the day”

Yesterday turned into a medical day for some reason.  It started with my knee doctor appointment.  I guess that should read “surgeon,” to be more accurate.  That was at 8:20.  I love those early appointments.  Never very many people on hand.  Things go much quicker.  Doctor seems fresher.  And speaking of the doc, all seems good with the knee.  She still assures me that the occasional stiffness and soreness should pass … in about a year.  Sigh.

When I left the appointment I went by the hospital next door to see Hutch, the guy who just had brain surgery. Both he and his wife were sound asleep, so I was careful not to wake them.  I did leave a message and my church business card. 

On my way home I stopped by station two.  Nothing medical about it, just a visit to check in.  I stayed and chatted with the guys for a half hour or so.  Always a lot of fun to hear their stories.

After lunch we headed into Texas to make yet another hospital visit.  Jennifer was hospitalized with a surprise diagnosis of congestive heart failure.  It was a surprise because they went in thinking she had broken her ankle again.  That was just a sprain.  The heart failure part was caught early on, though, so if she does what the docs say she should be OK for the long haul. 

We stopped at Hobby Lobby while we were right there to pick up some more pieces for the scrapbook Chris has been putting together.  Pretty soon we’ll be able to remember our Disney vacation from a few years ago.  While there we wondered aloud if Cailyn ever found a costume for her school project on the Greek goddess Artemis.  There was a Party Store across the parking lot, so Chris texted Nathan to see about the status of the costume.  Seems one had been ordered, and was due to be delivered “By 8 p.m.”  Not so helpful when the presentation was due to occur at 5:30.  We ran over to the store and sure enough found an actual Greek goddess costume … in her size.  We got it to her in plenty of time.  Just your normal everyday superhero grandparents saving the day.  WooHoo.  As it turned out, the one they ordered arrived literally as they were walking out the door on their way to the school.  She was already dressed, though, so all worked out well.  Not to mention that her project was great.  Good research.  Good costume.  Gorgeous little Greek goddess …

Philippians 2:13 says, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

Father, please be with Hutch and Jennifer as they recovering and begin the new healing process.  Amen.

May 28 – “The Drudgery of Dragging”

I had two out of three of my little girls go with me for donuts yesterday morning.  Some day, AnnaGrace.  Some day.  The place was not nearly as busy as it was Sunday when the line was out the door, but it still looked to be a promising day for the business.

An early-morning volleyball game began after donut consumption.  They did reconfigure the court to keep the sun out of each other’s eyes.  Sadly, I was hard at work on the computer and managed to miss these new rounds.  Nana filled in for me admirably, however.  I understand Jachin defeated current champ Micah in a preliminary round game.  Cailyn was announcing and doing some videography.  It must have gotten too hot for them, though.  By 9:15 they were all back inside playing video games at Josiah’s request. 

The highlight of the afternoon was totally unexpected.  We have been watching the growth of a palm tree in our back yard with bated breath.  For one thing, it has grown so high that it was threatening the high wires that stretch behind our house.  I have been uncomfortable with that for the past two hurricane seasons.  Secondly, it has started looking kind of sick.  Those two combinations make for a dangerous June through October, that’s for sure.  Anyway, Chris agreed that we need to bring the tree down. 

Enter our youngest son.  Nathan was here for the Memorial Day brisket.  At first he said that he would see if he could return today with a buddy and get it done.  Then, before we knew it, he was off to his house to get his chain saws and straps and ropes and ladder.  “Why not do it now while we have all these cousins running around to haul it to the street?” was his rationale.  Hard to argue with impeccable logic such as that. 

He climbed the ladder and trimmed off as many branches as he could reach.  Then he switched to the big chainsaw.  First he strapped off the top of the tree and tied it off to the deck.  Then he began the arduous task of cutting through the palm tree’s trunk.  Not an easy job at all.  But with his patience and the tugging on the strapping by Kel and Jachin and Micah and Josiah and even Noa, the top of the tree toppled off and over.  Nana was a little disappointed that she missed getting the big moment on video, but she was ready to go when the main trunk of the tree came down not too long after. 

So much for the fun part.  Then came the drudgery of dragging all the loose branches to the street while Uncle Nathan cut the trunk into more manageable chunks.  Ezra even got into the act when he picked up the rake and scraped together a few errant chips and branches.  We hauled the trunk chunks to the street using a dolly (After Nathan dragged the first one out with a rope.  Nope.  Too much effort).  Now we just have to hope the city crews will pick it all up.  Oh, and then there’s the wait for the remaining stump to deteriorate.  Unless we can find an idea to speed up that process …

I gotta admit that was not the holiday I was expecting, but hey … the tree is down.  The Astros won.  The family hung out together in a “unique” way.

John 15:5 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Father, thank you for all the little workers that helped with the tree felling yesterday.  And would you give Nathan come relief from his aches and pains as a result of his hard work?  Amen.

May 27 – “The Blockhead Trophy”

It was another great day at church yesterday.  We decided to give some money to the young man who lost everything he owned in the fire on Saturday.  Those of us who have been through a hurricane and lost everything understood his predicament right away.  He’s in that period where you don’t even know what you need until one day you reach for it and it is gone.  We prayed for him to be able to prioritize effectively.  By the way, he was in church, and was very appreciative.  What a great way to show this new Christian what the church is really like.

Kel and his family were at our house when we got home from church.  Chris had a roast in the crockpot, and Christina was making the rice.  The kids ended up staying the night with us … even Ezra.  And Cailyn came over, too.  It was almost a full cousins’ sleepover.  We sure missed the Waco bunch, though.  We grilled some burgers and hot dogs for supper.  Chris is very excited that we figured out how to fix the gas grill outside.  Simple cable switch-out did the trick.  But now she has great plans for summer cookout … for me.  I “get to” do the outdoor cooking, you understand?

The highlight of the evening was the “one-on-one volleyball with a beachball over the kiddie slide net with constantly changing rules double elimination” tournament.  After some difficult games accompanied by our rousing television announcers from some foreign country, and numerous aborted attempts by Noa to award trophies, Micah defeated me in the final round.  He was awarded the coveted Double Bells Award, while I took home the less-than-rewarding “Blockhead Trophy.”  Hey, I was proud of my block of wood.  Too proud in fact to defend my non-title in the second tournament.  Actually, pride had nothing to do with it.  I was simply … tired.

Psalms 77:11-12 says, “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.  I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

Father, thank you for all the little ones around here.  Help them sleep a little longer … Amen.

May 26 – “got ‘em hitched”

We had one of those loooong days yesterday.  Started for me around 5 when my alarm went off.  I headed to the hospital to visit with a gentleman who was going in for brain surgery for a bleed.  He came through the surgery well, but has a long road of recovery ahead of him.

From there I met Chris and Cailyn up at the church for the P, B, and J Breakfast – Pancake, Bacon, and Jesus.  Seasiders came up with lots and lots of bacon and sausage to go along with the unending pile of pancakes.  And Jim, Corey, and Dale provided some great Jesus music to accompany the whole thing.  We even had a crew of fire fighters show up for breakfast.  There was a great community response.  We made over $900 for our trip to Kids’ Camp.  Looks like we kids won’t have to spend another dime for their journey to GlenRose in June. 

While we are at the church a fire call came over the app on my phone.  Not that unusual, but the Jamaica Beach volunteers were called out as well.  That meant Lauren jumped into high gear and headed to the scene.  Come to find out the owner was trapped on a broken down boat out on a fishing expedition.  The young man who lives there as well is a Seasider – the one who first came because we let him bring his dogs.  He lost pretty much everything.  His dog was fine, but the owner’s pups were not so lucky.  They were the reason Lauren was called to the scene.  She is the go-to person for any animal-related situation.  The dogs were alive but unconscious when she arrived.  They were give oxygen using the special animal oxygen masks, and transported to the vet.  They were undergoing x-ray and other tests to check them out, but preliminary results looked like they will be OK.  Guess that means we have a bit of a hero-celebrity in our midst.  Way to go, Lauren.  Way to go all you fire fighters who responded and took care of the fire. 

We went to WalMart in the afternoon.  Had to get some food for our little weekend gathering of family.  Kel and his family - and maybe Nathan and his - are coming over after church today for some roast and rice.  The kids are going to spend the night with us, then the Moms and Dads will return tomorrow for some brisket and watermelon (if there is any left.  Chris already dove into it.  She has absolutely no will power when it comes to the first watermelon of the year).

Last night we went to a wedding.  I performed the ceremony for one of the fire fighters and his bride.  Beautiful venue, but they had some trouble with the sound system.  I never knew when to project loudly or back off and speak normally.  We got ‘em hitched, though.  And by the time we got home around ten, I for one was exhausted.  But I slept some last night, and today starts a new day … let do it.

Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy Spirit is understanding.”

Father, be with John and Alyssa as they get started on their marriage now that the wedding is behind them.  The hard part begins … Amen.

May 25 – “Two problems”

I made an attempt to pull some more fence down in the back yard yesterday.  “Attempt” is the operative word there.  This time I faced two separate problems.

Problem one was the preponderance of wisteria vines and especially roots that were growing in the way.  I chopped and chopped and had a pile of them before I could get anywhere near the fence post.  And that was just the beginning.

Problem two was much bigger.  This time it was that ornery strip of concrete that somebody poured the length of the bottom of the fence.  We still haven’t figured out the “why” on that one.  I had to clear away at least a part of it to get to that elusive next post.  And this particular section was super thick.  Of course.  In fact it was so thick that I had to get out my hand sledge and wail on it over and over again to get it to crack enough to get the shovel to pull it up even a little bit.  Let me just say here that I make a terrible hard labor convict.  Me and breaking rocks just don’t go well together.  After what seemed like hours of hammering, I finally got the crack I needed to give the shovel leverage, and I managed to pull a huge piece of concrete out of the ground.  I still hadn’t even touched the fence, but I was totally whipped.  I barely dragged the hunk over to our trash concrete pile.  I covered the hole as best as I could.  Chris had already taken the pile of branches to the trash, so it was time to stop. 

I managed a brief nap before I had to fight the traffic going into Texas.  I had a wedding rehearsal off the Island.  It’s at a beautiful venue on the border between Dickinson and League City.  The wedding is tonight.

Now we’re headed to the church for the pancake and bacon breakfast.  I also need to check on someone in the hospital before heading to do the actual wedding.  Here we go …

Psalms 139:5-6 says, “You hem me in — behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.”

Father, be with the folks out on the roads this crazy holiday weekend.  Amen.

May 24 – “Missing out?”

We had an interesting walk the other day.  Our first encounter was with the dog lady.  We chatted with her when she called us over with what appeared to be a sense of great urgency.  Wondering what could possibly be so important to her that she would be needing to tell us about it when we don’t even know her name, we hustled across the street to her side.  Her message?  Well, she just had to apologize to us.  Again, what could she possibly have to apologize to us for when we don’t even know her?  Well, it seems she had bought some tickets to a Boy Scouts banquet of some kind.  She couldn’t attend because of visiting family, so she just tore up the tickets.  OK.  I followed her so far, and so far I still saw no connection to us.  But then it came.  “I’m so sorry.  I should have given them to you.  You could have found someone that could have used them, couldn’t you?”  Well, probably, but it was certainly nothing to beat yourself up about.  Gotta love that sweet ol’ dog lady.

Speaking of dogs, the second encounter that lengthened our walk time was with Kenny, the retired fire fighter.  He was out walking his dogs.  Yep, three of them.  Sounds incredibly manly, doesn’t it?  Well … none of them were much taller than his ankles.  We talked cruising.  He and his wife do nothing but cruise for their vacations.  He’s another one who likes the chance to sit back and do nothing.  We told him about our upcoming trip to Alaska with the cruise to end the whole thing.  He was jealous.  That’s one on his bucket list.  He was also interested in our cruise to the Panama Canal in January.  Of course he was most excited about their next one.  They are headed to Italy for a Mediterranean cruise.  We decided that we would have to meet up again and compare notes when we all get back. 

So there are the latest things we are missing out on.  Boy Scout banquets and cruises in Italy.  You know what?  I’m good.  Bring on the opportunities that are open to me, and I won’t have time to pine over the ones that aren’t.

Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.”

Father, thank you for the opportunities you give us to do all sorts of wild and wacky things.  Amen.

May 23 – “The Window of 40%”

We went to Home Depot the other day to check out blinds.  Window, not duck.  Chris wants something to cover the windows in our back den/dining area.  Not that she doesn’t want windows there.  She’s thinking in terms of blocking some of the summer heat and helping with summer electric bills, which in Galveston can get pretty steep.  Lots of options, from traditional ones that operate with strings and pulleys, to Roman shades that you just push up and pull down, to remote control operated, to my favorite – ones that open from the top or bottom.  So … no purchase.  Chris is still thinking about it.  We did come home with six plots of grass sod.  And in case you missed it … it has been really hot outside the last few days.

We also went to Palais Royal’s Huge 40% Off Everything Sale.  Everything in the store was 40% off.  Well, at least until you checked out.  That’s when you find out that, actually, everything was either 40% or 20% off … of the things that were actually on sale, which some things were not.  I was confused.  Forgive me for being a literalist in such matters.  I did get some shorts and Chris got a bathing suit.  That should set us up for kids camp.  Oh, and everything we bought was 40% off.  Just lucky, I guess …

Maybe our luck will hold during our trip into Texas either today or tomorrow.  We need to make a Sam’s and Lifeway run for the church before the big P, B, & J Breakfast fundraiser on Saturday (That’s Pancakes, Bacon, and Jesus).  The first two are self- explanatory.  The last will take some music by Mr. Jim and some Seaside hospitality by … Seasiders.  Come eat with us Saturday morning, 8-11.  It’ll be too crowded to go into town anyway.

2 Corinthians 4:16 says, “Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”

Father, thank you for the window of 40%-ness we stumbled upon.  Every little bit helps.  Amen.

May 22 – “Oh, but don’t worry”

Bed bug update.  I received an email response from whomever it is who reads those online surveys.  It was not the general manager who promised to call.  They were very apologetic, and of course blamed the presence of the bedbugs on the person who stayed in the room before me.    We have been issued 12,000 points on our Choice Privilege account which, according to the email “should enable you to book a free night at a similar Choice property.”  It will take 3 to 4 business days for the points to appear, and if we don’t see the points in that period of time, we should reach out to them.  Great.  Something else to keep track of.  So we still have to pay for the bedbug room, but we may get a free room in the future.  Sigh. 

Back to our day yesterday.  Started early since we had to get Cailyn to school.  Then Chris immediately left town to do some babysitting in LaMarque.  Left to my own devices, I started out by picking up my new glasses.  They don’t look all that different from my old ones, and the prescription isn’t that different, either.  But now I actually have a spare pair. 

Next I stopped by station one to check in with the fire chief.  Well, really to check in with the administrative assistant Trish.  She is training her replacement.  Trish is retiring in a few months.  I got to meet Jenna.  Seems pretty nice.  She has some big shoes to fill (Not that Trish has big feet, you understand).  I found out that the new station will be opening by the end of July and the dedication will be in August.  That’s good.  We’ll be back from Alaska then.

From there I headed out to the church.  Sunday we realized that our phones had no dial tone.  I called Comcast Business, and after some over-the-phone-lines finagling, they realized that a technician would have to come out to properly address the issue.  Of course he will.  “Oh, but don’t worry,” I was told.  “He could be there within 30 minutes.  (Long pause)  Or it could be up to four hours.”  There it was.  And yep.  They really said that.  I stayed around the church doing some work there before I headed home for lunch.  The voice on the phone had assured me that the tech would call about 30 minutes before he arrived.  Right.  He called all right.  From the church parking lot.  Just as my corn dog was coming out of the oven.  I told him I would be there in about 15 minutes, grabbed my dog and jumped back in the car.  After his initial inspection and before “this one final test” he said our problem would no doubt require either restringing every phone line on the property (something they don’t do.  Not sure who does) or replacing the actual phones.  The final test would reveal which.  It was a tense situation.  First his tester battery died.  Once that was replaced he hooked it up to our phone line, called the number and … voila … it rang.  That meant the issue was with our phones.  They were causing the modem to somehow short out.  Now all I have to do is stop by WalMart and pick up a new phone.  We’ll see …

John 3:18 says, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only son.”

Father, thanks for that tech I met yesterday.  Give him an easy shift today, and draw him to yourself in the process.  Amen.

May 21 – “The psyche of a goofball”

Quick update on the bedbug front.  Still no phone call from the general manager.  But I did get one of those survey emails from corporate headquarters.  Oh, yeah.  Believe me … I filled that one out.  It even gave me the option to be transferred to Tripadvisor.com when I finished.  So I went there as well.  I doubt anything else will come of it, but at least I was able to tell somebody we were less than satisfied …

We did get our three-miler in yesterday.  Lots of stops, though.  The little old dog lady was back out again.  She always likes to stop and talk.  But the big event was the fire truck on the next street over from us – right in our very back yard.  Turns out they were assisting on an EMS call.  They fire fighters were needed to help lift the patient.  Further turns out we knew the truck driver quite well.  Yep.  It was Nathan.  Glad to have the guys of GFD on the job.

After I caught up on my massive Monday work (Hmm.  Say that fast four times), we started back to work outside in the back yard.  I am still trying to get the chain link fence torn down while doing as little damage to the wisteria as possible.  It’s a dirty, tiring job, but somebody’s gotta do it.  I got one more complete section done and one post with all its concrete pulled from the ground.  Concrete all broken up and piled, ready to make its way into the trash cans at appropriate intervals.  Speaking of which, I need to add some before the truck arrives this morning. 

Meanwhile Chris was busy doing all kinds of yard maintenance the likes of which I can only marvel at, mostly involving water.  I was spared what should have been the inevitable spraying with the hose.  Well, “inevitable” if I had been the one holding the hose, anyway.  I have many such silly dreams while doing manual labor.  Fine-tuning such a fantasy world makes it much easier to carry out goofiness in the real world when opportunities arise that are just too good to pass up.  Wow.  A glimpse into the psyche of a goofball.   No extra charge …

Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Father, thank you for the presence of fire fighters in our neighborhood.  Very encouraging just to know they are around.  And be with our neighbor who had a trip to the hospital.  Amen.

May 20 – “That’s a Nope”

So … Back in College Station … We did indeed wake up to a bedbug crawling around big as day on the bed.  On Chris’ side of the bed.  Needless to say, she had a fit.  Chris, not the bug.  She also squished him mercilessly.

And then began the aftermath.  We registered our complaint with the front desk.  Young Elijah was horrified, and immediately called his general manager, all the while assuring us that the GM would be just as horrified and would no doubt comp us the room.  He walked into the back room to make the call, and when he returned he assured us that the GM would call us at least by 10:30.  It was around 8 at the time, so that sounded reasonable.  We bagged up everything per suggestions Chris found on the internet. Good ol’ Eliljah was very helpful when Chris requested a few large garbage bags for the purpose.  Finally we finished our breakfast, checked out, and headed for the George Bush Presidential Library. 

Aaaannnnd … 8:30 rolled around.  No call.  The library was pretty interesting.  It was our first ever presidential library.  Couldn’t find any books, though.  What’s a library without books?  Oh, wait, there were a lot of children’s books in one room showing how Mrs. Bush was into childhood literacy.  I guess that counts.  The history stuff was really interesting.  Replicas of random things related to his presidency were everywhere.  Probably the most impressive were all the gifts he received from foreign dignitaries.  Many were made from gold and precious jewels.  One odd thing kept popping up all over the library, though.  There were these boxes, I think designed to get you to donate to the library.  And sitting on top of every box was a dog.  Same dog, or at least it looked like the same one.  Stuffed, to be sure, but it was everywhere.  Well, at the end of the tour I had had enough.  I couldn’t save everyone, but I did manage to redeem the life of a tiny little version of that same dog.  It came with a name tag.  George.  But Chris told me it was a girl dog.  Something about the dog the Bush’s had while in office.  A girl named George.  Huh.  Oh, well. It worked for me. The gardens out back were nice as well.  Not as impressive as the ones at the Rose Emporium, but nice. 

But I digress.  9:30 – no call. 

10:30 – no call.  Apparently the GM wasn’t as horrified as was poor Elijah.

11:30 – still no call.  We finished our presidential library tour and stopped back by the hotel. Elijah tried to call the GM again.  This time he couldn’t raise him.  He assured me the GM “takes care of people.”  Not sure what people or what the definition of “takes care of” is. 

12:30 - nope

1:30 – nope

We stopped at Bucees for lunch as usual.  Back in our traveling routine.  On the way there I got a phone call from the groom of the evening beach wedding I was on my way back to Galveston to officiate. Could I make it a few hours earlier than planned?  Fortunately we were already well on the way so that wasn’t a problem. They were trying to beat the forecasted weather. 

2:30 – nope

3:30 – nope

We were home by the next “nope,” and I got ready for the wedding while Chris prepared to go to Cailyn’s softball game. 

So the wedding was held on East Beach.  Far East Beach.  Like, we could have touched the cruise ship as it sailed away from the Island East Beach.  After trying the first entrance and running into nothing but a wave of people, I finally located the wedding party.  Amidst some high beach winds (and no rain) we managed to get the ceremony performed and the couple officially hitched.  I even got back in time to see some of Cailyn’s game. 

And still … nope on the phone call.

It is now Monday morning.  Still a nope on the GM call.  This is where I call the number on my Gold status card and take the complaint to the next level.  We’ll see how that goes …

James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Father, be with the couple just starting out on their marriage journey.  Amen.

May 19 - “Dead Bug”

Following our little out-of-the-way excursion, we made our way into College Station and located our hotel.  It was brand-new, and way better than the air B-and-B that Nathan and April ended up staying in.  Seems they located a place just outside of Navasota.  Quaint little cottage in the woods.  Looked really cute, with lots of windows and very few neighbors.  Isolated.  And as it turned out, perhaps haunted.  At the very least it felt ... watched.  All the windows that were so attractive in the daylight became windows to their very soul in the dark.  Ever seen the movie Deliverance?  They lived it.  Shadows in the trees outside.  Windows becoming mysteriously unlocked.  Hey, give me a Choice Hotel any day.

Speaking of which, at. Check-in, when our hotel found out I was a gold member of the Choice Hotel family (Not sure how that happened, myself, but I didn’t argue), They started treating me like royalty.  I got my pick of floors to stay on.  They offered me coffee.  And best of all, informed me that my gold card status had earned me a free gift.  What was my illustrious gift?  A bottle of water and a tiny package of chocolate chip cookies.  You know, those snack packs from Sam’s.  How do I know they were from Sam’s?  Because the delivery guy was still there, unloading his big box of them marked ... “Sam’s.”  Can’t slip anything past this clever dude.

We quickly unloaded our stuff in the room and headed out for some lunch.  That had to happen in a hurry because Chris was starving.  So much so that I had to watch my back so she wouldn’t take a bite out of my shoulder.  Thankfully there was a Cotton Patch Restaurant right around the corner.  I drove so she could concentrate on holding back her culinary urges.  

Hunger pains relieved, the rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing and watching college softball until it was finally time to head for the wedding venue.  There was no easy way to get to the site.  We took some back roads just for fun (I was still driving), and as luck would have it, for one stretch of several miles our path became a dirt road.  Google Siri continued to reassure us that we were on the correct road, though, so I persevered.  And sure enough, there it was.  An old gin with two little baby silos that was kind of a Waco Magnolia Silos Junior.  Chairs were set up near those silos, and the old gin buildings were where the reception dinner would be held.  It made for a long walk for the bridal party, but the live orchestra they had playing made up for that with music.  

The ceremony went without any discernible hitches.  In fact it went really well.  It was the officiant’s first wedding to perform, and he did a great job.  He took charge of the situation and walked the bride and groom through with no real hiccups.  I don’t count the groom crying when he saw his bride for the first time as a hiccup.  In fact that was kind of cool.  She walked the very long walk behind the wall of bodyguards that escorted her over from the gin, so by the time they moved out of the way and Will saw Chelsea for the first time, the anticipation was simply more than he could bear.  They both made it through the vows they had written for themselves with just a few sniffles.  But before they knew it the rookie officiant was pronouncing them husband and wife and encouraging their first kiss as a married couple. OK, now I’ll fill in the final blank ... that rookie officiant was none other than Nathan.  Nice job, son.

The reception meal was great.  Prepared and served by a crew of fire fighters, so I would expect nothing less.  Lasagna and fresh green beans and a salad.  There was something else too, but I couldn’t identify it.  It had rice and mushrooms and I some kind of chicken.  My lasagna was delicious.  Compliments too the chef and all of his crew.  It was the meal that provided the only glitch in the evening’s proceedings.  It was prepared at a nearby church, but father the ceremony when the guys went to pick it up, all the doors were locked, and there was no key to be found.  They ended up having to somehow pick the lock to get in.  One of the guys asked me how much trouble he was in with God for breaking into a church.  I think under the circumstances, and because the only thing broken was one of his credit cards, he will be OK.  

The rest of our journey was relatively uneventful.  Well, except for the bug Chris found in the bed the next morning.  Not sure if it was a bedbug or not since I have never seen one, but neither of us got bitten.  We did report it, however.  Oh, and Chris squished it.  Bed Bug? Dead Bug.

Ephesians 6:23 says, “Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Father, please be with Will and Chelsea as they begin their life together.  Amen.

May 18 - Another shortcut discovery”

It was hard to keep the car on the road as it was.  Not because of weather or traffic conditions, however.  It just seemed to want to drift toward ... it just assumed we would be stopping at ... Bucees. To its credit, we were headed in the same direction we usually go when we head to Waco.  But not this time.  Not this trip.  This time would be different.  No Bucees.  And then it really wanted to pull hard toward the highway 6 exit off of 290.  Again, the road to Waco. I’m pretty sure it was very difficult for Chris not to give in to the temptation of seeing more grandkids.  But together we persevered.  This trip was ... not that.  Our ultimate goal was a wedding in Navasota, but first ... Ah, first ... we had our sights set on seeing something we had never seen before.

I must confess, this particular destination I had heard mentioned at church in someone else’s conversations.  Can’t even remember whose.  But we ended up just outside the own of Independence, Texas, several miles outside of Brenham, at the Antique Rose Emporium.  It kind of reminded us of the Wildseed Farms place near Fredericksburg, only this one boasted just about every kind of flower you can imagine, especially roses.  Hence the name.  And all of them were in bloom.  It was quite the array of lilies and roses and other bushes that I couldn’t begin to remember the names for.  They were all displayed in creative settings, too.  One of my favorites was the flower bed.  I know.  Doesn’t sound creative at all, does it?  However, it was a literal bed frame filled with flowers.  Then there was the cemetery, the place where all cracked pots went to die.  Carefully arranged to resemble gravesites, piles of broken pottery were flanked by broken shovel heads that became gravestones with epitaphs like “Cracked up” and “Rest in Pieces.”  Of course there were also pots and pots and more pots full of the plants that were for sale.  “Sadly,” we were headed to a hotel, so Chris couldn’t buy anything.  But I found the actual gift shop, and to my great surprise, there sat Sylvester.  He immediately took to me, so there was no way I could leave him behind.  Oh, he is a mischievous little scamp - a real squirrel - but he’ll be a welcome addition to our menagerie.

When we left the flower paradise we headed north toward College Station where our hotel awaited.  But suddenly Chris slammed on the breaks.  “Take a picture of that sign,” she commanded, so I dutifully obeyed.  Something about the site of Baylor University.  But wait.  How could that be?  She turned down the side road.  That’s my girl.  She’s getting the hang of the whole random shortcut thing.  Sure enough, we found the site and took a short hike around the ruins of the first men’s dorm of Waco University, the school chartered when Texas was an independent nation.  The guy the school was named after used to be buried there, but when the school moved to Waco they moved his remains to ... nope.  Not Waco.  They now reside somewhere near the University of Mary Hardin Baylor.  Ain’t history grand?  Oh, and speaking of history, as we drove through the town of Independence we discovered that the little town appeared to be a bastion of Baptist-ness.  Historical churches, museums, and general Baptist-related “stuff’ dotted the landscape.  We may have to turn that accidental discovery into a destination on one of our future Waco trips.

Well, we couldn’t stay too long hiking and looking at oak trees with monuments to long-dead Baylor professors underneath.  A wedding awaited us in Navasota, and that entailed finding our hotel and finally having some lunch.  Onward ...

Ephesians 6:10 says, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”

Father, thank you for the beauty of your creation.  Those flowers were amazing.  Amen.

May 17 – “A Tale of Two Visits”

We started our day with a walk again.  That’s my third for the week.  Chris’ fourth.  I missed the day I had a haircut appointment.  We’ll both be off for the weekend, though.  Driving to Navasota for a wedding today.  Returning tomorrow so I can officiate at a wedding on the beach.  Just another crazy busy weekend for the Vaughan’s.

And now I bring you … a tale of two visits.  The first was pleasant enough.  quite enjoyable, actually.  Sam was the only one who was able to make it to home group last night.  Well, Corey and Brennan did stop by after Brennan’s baseball game.  They won, by the way.  WooHoo.  We talked for a long time with Sam, getting all caught up on her exploits.  We have known her ever since we first started at Seaside.  That would put it at almost 24 years.  Special lady.

The second visitor was not so pleasant.  1:00 a.m.  Yep.  Freddy once again announced the visitor’s presence by barking incessantly right outside our bedroom window.  Again.  I dutifully got up, grabbed a flashlight, and trudged outside with the little yipper to let her show me her new-found discovery.  I had a hard time this time.  Couldn’t find it anywhere.  Even with Freddy, our weird pointer/terrier/chihuahua dutifully pointing toward the tree in the neighbor’s yard.  I finally pointed the flashlight in that direction and slowly edged the beam upward.  Wait.  What was that?  A long, pointed, slithery thing hanging from one of the branches.  Could that possibly be a snake?  If so it was a big one.  I followed the skinny protrudance upward even more.  At some point I realized that the “thing” in question no longer appeared slimy and slithery and snake-y.  Now it just looked ugly and … and … hairy.  Uh oh.  That could only mean one thing.  After about two feet of such tracking – yep, it really was that long – I finally found him.  Right where Freddy had been pointing.  Much bigger this time.  Much.  This was Grandpa O, the big boy of Opossum-ville. 

I bade him good night and good hunting for roaches and fleas and whatever other critters he could find.  I encouraged Freddy on her find and convinced her to return to her bed for the rest of the evening.  Ah, well.  I have a hunch I might be getting a little make-up sleeping done in the car today anyway. 

Proverbs 3:7 says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.”

Father, thank you for Sam and her friendship all these years.  And thanks for old Grandpa O.  May he find plenty of delicacies during his stay near our backyard.  Amen.

May 16 – “I called the fire department …”

I got a haircut yesterday, so there’s that.  Feels great in all this warm weather we have been having.  It’s supposed to get up to 80 today.  Of course it is.  I’m scheduled to do some more fence-tearing down in the back yard.  Oh, my haircut lady – never know whether I’m supposed to call her a barber or stylist or what – was learning all the ins and outs of their new computer system.  It’s the same one that Randall’s Pharmacy and UTMB use.  How do I know?  By the time I got back to my car I got a text from the business that my appointment was confirmed.  The one I just had.  Good to hear.  Good to hear.  I wouldn’t want to step on someone else’s appointment time. 

Oh, wait.  I almost forgot the real excitement.  The fire department was called to Nathan and April’s house.  No, not a fire.  It was for a rescue.  No, not for Cailyn.  Not for April, either.  And Nathan was at work at one of his second job, so it wasn’t him.  It was a dog rescue.  All of their three dogs.  Two boxers and a Boston bull terrier.

Seems they were in their usual spot in the laundry room while April got ready for her rousing, junior-high-school-reminiscent trip to a concert to see … New Kids on the Block.  She was also getting some last-minute laundry done.  She decided she had better let the dogs outside for a while to get their business done.  And that’s when she discovered it.  The washing machine had become imbalanced (Gotta watch out for those imbalanced things, you know).  It slowly worked itself up just enough that it was blocking the path for the door to open.  The dogs were trapped inside.  Nathan was an hour and a half away in the midst of a safety operation. 

April called us to see if we could take Cailyn to an orthodontist appointment, but April had already made the decision to call in the big guns … “I called the fire department.” 

By the time we arrived, a fire department vehicle was parked out front.  Not a whole crew.  Just one guy.  I stuck around and Chris took Cailyn on to the dentist.  It took a while – assorted tools like small flathead screwdrivers and big hammers and levels, and numerous stops and starts and grunts and groans.  But with the use of one of those long levels, Stewart on the ground and me pushing the door at the top, it suddenly slipped.  Release!  The dogs were free.  April didn’t have to get out the new chain saw and cut the door in half after all (Apparently one of the options she pitched to Nathan on the phone before the cavalry arrived).  Here’s a big thank-you to Galveston Fire Department once again coming to the rescue.  It’s great to be part of that awesome family. 

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Start children off in the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”

Father, thank you for good old-fashioned fire department ingenuity.  Amen.