November 30 – “Blessings Both”

Well, I finally did it.  I managed to convince Chris to go to WalMart on Black Friday to "check out the sales" (Read here, "People watch."  Zak was with us and he did see a man in a skirt this year.  Just saying ...).   We even looked at a new TV.  Problem there was, all the sale TV’s were gone the night before.  You know, the pre-Black Friday Black Friday sale that is actually on Thursday night at 6.  And Chris didn’t really last very long anyway.  While I was off scoping out the electronics, she and Zak ambled around the corner, only to find … a lady crying out for help.  And what did she need?  Something along the lines of “My kid just threw up in the aisle just ahead.”  Ah, well, there is always Cyber Monday …

The afternoon was pretty calm.  Uncle Josh took all the kids to the park to play basketball and hang around (literally) on the playground.  Chris and I stayed at the house and hung around with just Nathan and April.  It was really nice to just sit and talk with them.  It has been a while …

And then the thundering hordes returned.  For supper Chris made a turkey enchilada pie.  April brought over a dirty rice concoction as well as some kind of heavenly cinnamon tortilla something or other.  If you come over and there is any left … wait … you probably wouldn’t like it … and there probably won’t be any left anyway …

Cousins’ sleepover was just as wild and crazy as usual.  The kids played outside for a long time.  We watched through the windows as they turned a broom into what we could only imagine was everything from a shepherd’s staff to a witch’s mode of transportation to a double-sided light sabre.  The bedtime movie with popcorn was a bit easier this time.  Nathan got us a fire stick that made it possible to try out the new Disney Plus channel.  We watched an episode of a Little Mermaid serial for the little guys.  Then they adjourned to iPad watching of some other kind of cartoon.  Meanwhile the big guys settled in for the few opening episodes of Mandalorian.  I couldn’t hear a lot of what was happening - apparently there are no subtitles available – but it definitely had the Star Wars universe feel to it.  Tough bounty hunter falls for his prey (Sort of.  Don’t want to be a spoiler here).  It helped everyone calm down a little.  And then came the attempts to actually sleep.  That went pretty well.  Well, except maybe for the four remaining older ones (Jachin disappeared into the bedroom to claim an actual bed for the night).  It was the newly-crowned teenagers (Zak and Micah) and the rapidly-rising pre-teens (Caleb and Cailyn) who were just not ready to give in.  Nani eventually plopped herself down on the floor in their midst, and after a shower, I pulled up a chair and relaxed on the outskirts.  They gave in before we did.  But once our heads hit the pillow … zzzzzzz …

And for today?  Turkey Bowl 55.  High Noon.  Jones Park (Unless it’s too wet.  Then we’ll play in the street in front of the house).  Time to give this new knee a real test …

Romans 12:21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Father, thank you for the moments of calm amidst the wonderful chaos of the Thanksgiving holiday this year.  Blessings Both … for sure.  Amen.

November 29 – “A Thanksgiving Morning”

I made a long ride down the beach front yesterday.  Both directions.  It was my annual Thanksgiving Day Turkey Delivery to all the fire stations.  One of the reasons we fry so many turkeys every year is so we can deliver some of that fried tasty succulence to the fire fighters who are working on the holiday.  Many have to be away from family, so a little extra flavor never hurt anyone.  The guys shared a little about the Thanksgiving – and Friendsgiving – holidays they had either already been a part of or were waiting to celebrate in the day or two to come when they got off shift.  They were also happy to be celebrating with their comrades in the fire service.  I also tried to add a little prayer to the mix before I left.  The guys always seem to appreciate it. 

My first stops on the turkey tour were the stations located farthest west, in Sea Isle, then Pirate’s Beach.  Then I made my way back all the way east to the station near UTMB.  From there I went to the main station downtown, followed by station five on Broadway and finally station four at the airport. 

Among the most unexpected things I saw in my journey came at station one.  The fire crew was out on a call, so I went on in to put the turkey in the fridge.  I had forgotten, however, that an EMS crew was also in that station.  And to my surprise, it was the medics who were working in the kitchen instead of the usual fire crew.  They even made a crack about their interloping presence.  But they were creating Food Channel worthy platter presentations of fruit and meats and cheeses.  I couldn’t even pronounce the names of some of the meats that they were meticulously rolling up.  And one of them offered me a homemade candy-ish cookie.  Delicious.  I got another taste of homemade cookie delight at station four.  That’s where I got to watch the turkey they were preparing for their evening meal being injected.  The sous chef handled that injector like he was starting an IV.  Well, like he was trying to start an IV and was having an extremely difficult time finding a vein.  Bad in the first responder world, perfect in the fire department kitchen.

Several of the fire fighters, also asked about Nathan and how he was doing at his new job.  One guy said, “You know how some guys leave and you are pretty much glad they are gone?”  I understand that emotion, but wondered where this was going.  He continued, “Well that’s just not Nate.  He is missed.”  Thanks for that encouragement, my friends.

So on to the beach front.  The replenished beach behind the seawall was well in evidence as the tides were some of the lowest of the season.  And it was pretty early in the morning, so there were very few people out just yet.  I saw the usual beachcombers here and there.  And I saw the expected joggers taking advantage of the cool morning.  A few families were shell hunting.  But there were two things that caught my eye. 

First was a cluster of six or eight people gathered together on the sand … doing yoga.  Great poses and stretches.  I could almost feel my bones crackling and my muscles straining.  More power to you guys.  And just down the beach from that group was another.  These four or five people all had something in common.  Very large dogs.  I mean large as in mastiff-looking.  Couldn’t tell for sure because I was so far away, but either those were some of the biggest dogs I have ever seen, or some of the shortest people.  They seemed to be engaged in a doggie training class.  Lots of luck with that one, guys.

And finally I returned home.  Cailyn was there, and Sam from church soon arrived.  The four of us had a quiet and Thanksgiving meal together.  And after an afternoon of football (Ouch, Cowboys), Josh and his crew arrived for Thanksgiving meal number two.  Today we add Kel’s bunch to the mix.  Let the more active part of the holidays begin …

John 3:17 says, “For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Father, watch over the first responders as they return to their families today.  Draw those families close to each other and to you.  Amen.

November 28 – “Simple … timely”

Well, Happy Thanksgiving to you.  Something happened to us yesterday that is an absolute first for me in all the years I have been in the ministry.  Let’s see … that would be 48 years or so.  I’m not sure if it was an indictment on a half-century of behavior or just a quaint expression from a long-past era.

How was that for a build-up?  So actually what happened?  We received a card.  Yep.  An actual Hallmark greeting card.  OK, so receiving a card is not so unusual in and of itself.  But the purpose and thought behind this one kind of caught us off-guard. 

We recognized the name on the return address.  Strangely enough we had just been talking about them.  The card was from a couple who had visited Seaside for the first time last Sunday.  Quite an unexpected development to receive a card just three days from their visit.  What could possibly have impacted them enough to feel the need to write us about it?  I honestly had no idea what to expect.  This was, after all, Seaside we are talking about.  Many unusual things happen here all the time, which makes, I suppose, the unusual … the usual. 

Chris opened it up and then handed it to me for my perusal.  It was indeed a simple Hallmark card.  The front print said, “Some people have a special gift for making others feel welcome.”  The inside print read, “Thank you for your hospitality.”  Now, I pride myself on being aware of the many types of card on the market, since I send out a stack of birthday and anniversary cards every week.  I have to say this one was a first. 

And then I read the extra message from the senders.  It went like this: “Pastor Kelley and Chris, We so enjoyed the service yesterday.  Everyone was so nice.  We hope to be back in the near future.  Happy Thanksgiving.” 

Now we have received thank you notes before.  But this one was just so timely and absolutely refreshing.  How many times have you heard of someone writing a message of encouragement to the church they just visited?  First for me.  Of course my pastor-pride swelled a bit to hear that our Seasiders were being the church.  I do look forward to seeing how God will “fit in” this new family into our Seaside family.

1 Chronicles 16:34 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

Father, thank you for families like this one who love you and care about their extended family – your Church.  Amen.

November 27 – “Pt ambulates independently”

Big day for the old man yesterday.  It was my one year (almost to the day, as I recall) checkup for my new knee.  Although I guess it’s not really new anymore, is it?  So my implanted knee, then. 

The appointment was at 8 a.m.  I didn’t know the clinics were actually open and operating that early.  As it turned out, I was very happy with the time.  I get up early anyway, but apparently not many other people do.  There was one guy sitting in the waiting room, working on his laptop when I arrived.  I had to wait for someone to come to the front desk, but when they did, things really took off.  I checked in and paid my co-pay, then went and sat down to wait.  After about a two count (Yes, I mean “one, two”), the clerk called me back to the window and directed me to go the radiology department for an x-ray.  That was totally expected.  In fact it has been the routine since I have been going to this place.  I knew my way there.

The x-ray check-in went just as quickly.  There were no patients there.  I checked in and within seconds (more than two, but still quickly) I was called to the back.  The x-ray tech and I discussed the Astros.  Both long-time fans.  Me since they were created in 1972.  Him since … well since his whole life.  He could only claim 38 years, so I had him beat.  The chat took longer than the actual procedure, and I returned to Dr. S’s office. 

I handed in my ID papers and sat down.  Another two count (still no one else but Laptop Guy in the waiting room) and I was called back.  One quick stop at the weight machine and we entered the room.  The nurse started her entering into the computer with me peering over her shoulder.  Usual stuff.  Any changes?  Have you fallen?  I did notice one thing she wrote in her notes, though.  “Pt ambulates independently.”  I love being the victim of medical gobbledygook.  She saw me chuckling and asked what was wrong.  I told her, “I just so appreciate your keen ability to choose words so carefully to describe my condition.”  She looked at me quizzically.  I continued, “It was masterful.  The way you said ‘The old guy can get around all by himself” was amazing.”  Again she looked at me with questioning eyes.  I finally made the connection for her, “Patient ambulates independently.  Nice vocabulary usage.”  She finally saw where I was coming from and joined in my chuckle-dom.  She offered, “That was just so they know that you don’t use a cane or a walker.”  Yep.  They wouldn’t be able to tell that when they walk in and see me, right?  But I get it.  Hey, proper use of medical terminology is a dying art.  Kudos for doing your part to keep it alive.

The doc did come in with one of her baby docs tagging along.  She started as she always does, with a comment about the x-rays.  This time it was, “X-rays show everything is right where we put it last year.”  Well, then.  That’s good to hear.  I haven’t had any attempted escapes that I know of.  She asked all the expected questions, then asked how far I could bend it.  I pulled it up like I was doing a cannonball into the pool.  “Whoa,” she replied.  I was a little worried.  “Was I not supposed to do that?” I asked.  “Oh, no,” she replied, “It’s just that not everybody can.”  Next came the straightening out test.  She reached to help, but I got it done with no assistance.  Again she was impressed.  She looked to her student and said, “Did you see that?”  Kind of felt like I was in the freak show out back at a circus.  She also asked if I could kneel.  Seems that is the one thing most people say they can’t do.  I assured her that I could indeed kneel, it just feels weird.  She finally formally decreed that I was a free man.  She said I could come back every three years or so just to make sure it was still doing what it was supposed to do.  I told her she could call me if she just needed to talk.  That one kind of took her aback.  The student just laughed nervously. 

As we walked outside the room, the doc pointed at her current resident and said, “Show him.”  The guy immediately jumped up and ran over to us.  Not sure what I was supposed to show him, I danced a little jig.  Dr. S shook her head and said, “No.  The knee thing.  Bend your knee.”  Oh, sure.  Of course.  I obeyed.  The resident was impressed.  Dr. S. then stopped in her tracks, looked off into space, and pondered for a moment, “Hmm.  I’m gonna have to check and see what resident it was that helped me with this one.  He gets an A.”  Glad I could help with the grades, young man.  And as for me ... "Pt ambulates independently."

Psalms 100:4 says, “Enter his gates with Thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”

Father, thank you for the good news on the knee front.  Amen.

November 26 – “It’s FTD”

Yesterday was FTD.  No, not that flower deliver service (I don’t know what that stands for anyway).  Nope.  Around here it means Fry Turkeys Day.  Every year, a day or two before Thanksgiving, we break out our two propane-operated fryers, fill ‘em up with grease, and begin the process of knocking out a few turkeys.  And by “a few” I mean more than a few.  This year our total came to eleven.  They each take about an hour of fry time, so figuring up the math, and adding to that carving them all up and getting them into the fridge … it is truly an all-day affair. 

This year we were assisted by the presence of some of our illustrious grandchildren.  The boys were particularly interested in the Lifetime movies marathon that was playing on the TV.  We usually find time to watch a few of them together every year.  It’s always great fun to guess the plot and anticipate the appearance of Winter Storm Meghan.  As far as the work goes, Jachin in particular really stepped up to keep his youngest brother out of harm’s way (That grease gets really hot!) and to help me with hot pot lids and opening doors and the like.  Thanks for the big assist, Jachin. 

When the big brothers had to leave (Jachin had a class at the community college and I think the other two brothers had an appointment of some kind), little sister stuck around.  Noa and Nana had some big plans to do some cookie baking if DadDad ever finished in the kitchen.  Fortunately that completion finally arrived and I handed over the space to our two bakers of the day.  Not much you can say about a huge batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies.  Primarily because Mama taught you not to talk with your mouth full, right?  They were some kinda good. 

I have to say I retired for the evening one tired old dude.  It hit me sometime after I finished my hot dog for supper that I never even tasted one of the turkeys.  Of course Chris handled that department for me.  She managed one little bite from each one.  Quality control purposes only, of course.  Of course …

2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

Father, thank you for the help we had around here yesterday.  Bless those youngsters.  Amen.

November 25 – “A bit of excitement”

We had a bit of excitement in Jamaica Beach yesterday.  It happened in the middle of the sermon, so I couldn’t do anything to be involved.  I knew something was up when Lauren jumped up from the worship computer and grabbed her replacement to take over.  That generally means a volunteer fire department call has dropped.  It took a few minutes after she left before we began to hear the sirens.  Not fire engines, though.  These were clearly ambulance noises. 

The people in church were obviously distracted by the sirens, but we worked our way through it all, uttering a silent prayer for whatever crisis was occurring.  Sometimes I stop and pray out loud right then, but for whatever reason I didn’t feel led to do that this time.  Lauren returned toward the end of the service and when we finished she let us know what had happened.  It was not a fire call after all, but a medical one.  Someone needed a trip to the emergency room, so Lauren and the chief and his wife (the paramedic) got her down the stairs and into the ambulance.  Lord, take care of that lady, and help the docs figure out what is going on with her. 

It has been a while, but several of us went out for lunch after church.  Pit Stop Barbeque not far from our house.  Cathy had just returned home from a “business trip” to Orlando, Florida.  She was anxious to tell us all about the rigors of her oh-so difficult work schedule.  She was most excited about the field trip several of them took to … The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  So sorry you had to work so hard, Cathy.  Tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it, right?

Well, it’s almost 7 a.m. and I have a busy morning planned.  It’s turkey frying day.  Time to drag out the fryers and the oil and the firefighter glove.  Time to hook up the propane (Nathan brought the refills by yesterday) and start some fires.  Here we go …

Proverbs 13:20 says, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for the companion of fools suffers harm.”

Father, please touch that lady involved in the fire call yesterday.  Help the docs discover what is going on with her.  Amen.

November 24 – “DRT Day”

We had our very own DRT Day yesterday.  NO, not Dallas Rapid Transit.  It was Dry Rub Turkeys Day.  Now granted, that is totally Chris’ department.  She created the rub the day before – three gallon-sized bags of it.  Special secret recipe she has honed over the years.  And whatever is in there, mixed with the love and sweetness from her hands to the turkeys, creates some of the best-tasting stuff you ever had.

We did have one crisis, however.  After the rubbing was complete, she was cleaning out the fridge.  One of the turkeys developed a leak in his packaging, so the juice was all over the bottom of the fridge.  She pulled out the bottom shelf to get underneath it, and the shelf slipped out of her hands.  Who knew the glass plate on top was just sitting there, not attached in any way.  Needless to say, it shattered all over the floor.  Now that was something I could assist with.  I grabbed the broom and dustpan and started gathering it all together in a pile for removal to the trash can.  Chris ingeniously figured out a way to stack the remaining turkeys on top of each other so they could remain refrigerated and pasting until we actually start frying, come Monday morning.  I then got online and miraculously found a parts site that had the replacement glass in stock.  That has been ordered and should arrive in a few days. 

We also made our yearly jaunt over to Moody Methodist Church to check out their craft fair.  We really enjoyed the choir’s caroling they had going on.  It was good to see a Seasider or two, both current and from years past.  It’s always good to reconnect with Laura.  She was our financial secretary for many years, and is now a goat farmer in Santa Fe.  She makes soaps and lotions from the goat milk.  Ah, creativity.  Any kind of creativity.  It is truly inspiring …

1 John 3:16 says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

Father, every time I experience the creativity of a human – whether it be the refrigerator-worthy drawing of a two-year-old or the development of a turkey rub or the reworking of goat’s milk – I am awed at the massive creativity you show us all around.  Amen.

November 23 – “Danger, Will Robinson …”

We had to turn on the air conditioning again yesterday.  It was downright hot and muggy outside.  Well, actually, it was rainy for a lot of the day.  We tried to wait it out, but a look at the radar, which Chris has on speed dial on her phone, showed line after line of showers coming up from the Gulf.  I thought the next weather change would be from the north, and so cool us down a bit.  Turns out it actually did cool down … eventually.  The rain and mugginess were just the preliminaries. The high today might reach the low 60’s.  Long sleeve shirts and jeans again …

So what were we holding out for?  Well, it was time to make our Thanksgiving run to the grocery store.  Chris needed some more ingredients for the turkey rub secret recipe she makes.  We were out of milk and fruit.  And she does plan to make a pie or two for the feast.  All in all, it was quite the haul of groceries.  Now all we need is the propane tanks refilled so we can get those turkeys fried up come Monday. 

I received one of those scary messages on the computer yesterday.  It’s still there today.  You know the kind … “Danger, Will Robinson.  Unless you upgrade your Office software by October of 2020, your computer will explode in your face.”  Well, it’s actually not that serious yet.  They are just going to stop supporting the version we have the next time October rolls around.  So either my computer promises to never glitch again, or I guess I’ll have to start researching “Office 365 or other current versions of Office.”  What fun …

I’m not sure what all Chris has on our plate for today.  She is making me a fried egg special for breakfast, though.  I know the big craft fair at Moody Methodist Church is today, so I’m suspecting that a trip their might be in the works.  Gotta see what ideas we can usurp for our Bethlehem Street Market coming up on December 14^th …

Matthew 6:19 says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”

Father, please draw some folks to the craft show today so those vendors can make some money.  It might mean a better Christmas season for them.  Amen.

November 22 – “Dreaded of all Dreadedness”

Well, I just got that dreaded of all dreadedness message on my computer.  “Support for Office 2010 ending Oct 13, 2020.”  Oh, no.  The world is coming to an end yet again.  But wait!  You, too, can … “Stay supported by moving to Office 365 or other current versions of Office.”  Phew.  Thank goodness for that.  Oh, and of course that message was followed by the handy dandy little box that you can click in to “Tell me more.”  Haven’t done the clicking yet, though.  I haven’t squeezed all of the effectiveness out of what I have, so I’m just not ready to let go …

I stopped by the bank yesterday to make a deposit.  Along with placing the bulk of the contents in our savings account, I also tried to put some in one of our accounts that we only deal with once or twice a year.  Nope.  Not having it.  See, if you don’t do anything with the accounts, even though they have money in them and you are still alive and kicking, the accounts magically become dormant like a hibernating bear of something.  To wake them up you have to show your ID and sign one of their forms in person.  Crazy.  Well, I did that.  But for some reason they showed – or rather didn’t show – that there was no signature card on file, which, by the way is kind of impossible, because filling out a signature is a key part of the process of opening an account.  I signed one of the forms, and the bank manager is trying to track down what happened, but we may have to go in and redo a signature card.  Weird stuff.  Good thing I was putting in money and not trying to take some out …

I also did something yesterday that I haven’t done in … I have no idea how long it has been.  I shot a gun.  I think the last one I shot was an air soft pistol.  This one, however, was an actual practice rifle at the Ball High School JROTC shooting range.  They were having an ingenious fund raiser to cover their travel costs and other expenses.  Five dollars bought you three shots on the range.  The best score of every thirty minute time slot won a frozen turkey from Arlan’s.  That’s just a great idea in every respect.  One of the guys at Seaside bought four tickets from her and then realized he wasn’t going to be in town, so he slipped them in my pocket.  Good thing Chris saw it, because I sure had no idea they were there.  Anyway, I was met at the door by Seaside’s own JROTC rep, Elizabeth.  She escorted me to the range and loaded the weapon for me.  Did everything for me, I might add.  Well, except shoot.  So how did I do?  Well, I don’t think I even hit the target the first shot.  Good thing I had three other tries to come up with a decent score.  As it turned out I didn’t win a turkey.  I did have a pretty good score for a non-gun-shooting guy.  28 out of 30.  Sadly, however, the guy in front of me scored 29.  Let me clarify … the POLICE OFFICER in front of me …

3 John 1:2 says, “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”

Father, please help those high school kids earn what they need to get to their competitions.  Draw them and those they impact daily into a closer relationship with you.  Amen. 

November 21 – “Next Thursday … whoa”

I managed to get a little bit of weekly work done yesterday morning while waiting for everyone to wake up.  After the rest of the crew began stirring, Chris and I then hung out with Christi and talked.  We finally had to say our goodbyes and head for home.  Not that bad, though, because we realized they will be here in Galveston next week.  Yep.  Next Thursday is Thanksgiving.  Whoa.  Slow down …

We stopped for gas before leaving town, and on a whim decided to go into Target and get some steps in.  In the process we got some Christmas shopping done.  We downloaded their app and managed to score 25% off of one of our purchases.  Hurrah for small accomplishments …

Next was our usual stop at Cracker Barrel for lunch.  Wanting to branch out, I tried something new.  Fried farm-raised catfish.  It tasted like … well, catfish.  Imagine that.  Guess I won’t make that mistake again.  Chris tried their new recipe chicken fried chicken.  Now they bread it onsite instead of shipping it in already breaded and ready for the deep-fat fryer.  It also now comes with two big hunks.  Chris really liked it.  I guess I’ll get to taste it around lunch time, since we brought home one of them.  A quick stop at Buc-ees for a bathroom break, and we made it the rest of the way unscathed …

Once we got the car unloaded I changed into my fire department chaplain outfit and headed for the hospital.  Back in Waco I had a phone call from one of our guys.  Seems the union’s website received a request from a fire fighter in Nevada.  His Dad was in the hospital here in Galveston and he wanted to know if a chaplain could possibly check in with the family.  I talked with the fire fighter on the phone, and actually met his sister in the room.  Captain Nick had taken his Mom home to get some sleep.  I’ll be checking in on them some more as the week progresses.

1 John 4:15 says, “If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.”

Father, please guide Captain Nick and his family as they face some serious decisions this week.  Amen.

November 20 – “Eyes of a Coach”

Well, the conference has finally, officially ended.  The announcements have been made about the dates and place for next year – approximately same Bat time (November 15-17, 2020), same Bat channel (or place, if you will - Waco Convention Center). 

About the only thing that occurred that was even remotely controversial happened at the last business session.  And Josh was involved.  He was on the committee on resolutions.  They are the ones who come up with all those “whereas’es” and “therefore’s” and “be it resolved’s.”  None of the resolutions that came up were controversial at all.  Just thanking the venue people and the staff who put the convention together.  The fun part came when the chairman introduced the reader of the final resolution – Pastor Josh Vaughan from the Columbus Avenue Baptist Church in Waco.  Great introduction.  Except Josh wasn’t the one who was supposed to read it.  The poor guy who actually had the resolution (and who had volunteered to do the reading) had already taken a step toward the podium.  He stopped dead in his tracks, looked around confusedly (is that a word?), and then stepped back and handed the paper to Josh.  Not missing a beat, Josh made his way to … no, not the podium … to the committee chairman.  He whispered the correct guy’s name, then returned the paper to him.  The chairman corrected the mistake and all went as originally planned.  Josh texted me later, “I worked hard to get out of that.  I wasn’t going to let him make a gametime decision on me!”  See, Josh had already been notified that when he agreed to serve on that committee, it was a two year term.  And by the way … he was also the vice-chairman, meaning that next year he will slide right into the chairmanship role.  No one mentioned that little fact when he was asked to serve.  Gotta love convention politics.

After the business session we located a place to eat lunch.  Ever been to “In and Out Burger”?  Interesting place.  There were only three things on the menu.  Hamburger, cheeseburger, and French fries.  Oh, and a drink.  That’s it.  The burgers weren’t bad, either.  Way better than the local Whataburger we had the night before.  They got our order wrong twice.  And then the burgers were actually cold.  Like out of the refrigerator cold.  So In and Out won the battle of the burgers this time.

Next we decided to head over to the local mall.  Yep.  On purpose.  We wanted to do some walking – gotta get some steps in – and maybe some Christmas shopping to boot.  That was a good plan … until we realized that we were just two blocks away from The Magnolia Market Silos.  Chip and Joanna heaven.  Why not?  As if I could have stopped Chris.  She was driving, after all.  We roamed round the new complex for a while, ruing the fact that we could have eaten at one of the food trucks on the grounds and lolled around the lawn.  We even poked our heads into the bakery.  We didn’t order anything, though.  Both of us were just too stuffed with burgers.  Maybe next time.  The mall stop wasn’t all that productive shopping wise either.  We did discover a Hallmark shop though.  Haven’t been into one of them since they closed down the one in Galveston years ago.  At least the walking part was successful.  What with dodging the vendors set up in the center of the mall, hawking their wares, we brought our total up to about two miles. 

Last night I volunteered to pick up Zak from basketball practice.  That may not have been my best choice.  It has been several years now since I last coached basketball.  How many?  Well, let’s see … Nathan graduated from high school (I was his coach), went to fire academy, got married, and now has a gorgeous ten-year-old daughter (at least I think she’s ten.  Maybe it’s fifteen …).  So it has been that long.  But even after that long I found myself watching the practice with The Eyes of a Coach.  It all came flooding back …

“Your man, the ball, and the center of the court.”

“Every Body Has Eleven Fingers” (acronym for effective shooting: Eyes on the ball, Balance, Hands position on the ball, Elbow in, Follow-through).

“Set up triangle passing lanes.”

“Be consistent in running the offense.”

“Be patient.  Make the defense commit.”

“Make the pass”

“Don’t force the shot.”

“Move without the ball on offense.”

“Run.  Run.  Run. Fourth quarters last a lot longer when you are out of shape, but they are a lot of fun when you are the one not breathing hard.”

Okay.  That’s enough.  Take a deep breath, EX-coach.  Fortunately none of that sort of thing actually came out of my mouth above a mutter (at least I don’t think it did).

James 1:13 says, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’  For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.”

Father, please be with the young men on Zak’s basketball team.  Help them to have fun, and learn some life skills in the process.  Amen.

November 19 - “Conferencing on into G-parenting”

We made it to Waco ... again.  This time we are attending the Texas Baptists Convention.  This is one of the groups that really helped us out back during Hurricane Ike.  We also host one of their subgroups at the retreat center for training.  It is a loosely connected group of churches across Texas who believe the same key doctrines about a Jesus and scripture and the like.  Some enjoy a very high-church kind of worship, while others are more laid-back like ours.  The point is, we all cooperate together to better get things done ... like missions.

Like all conventions, I suppose, it is also a time to reconnect with people you have seen since the last convention, and maybe to meet some new folks.  In one sense it is pure networking.  In another, simpler sense, it is simply saying hello to old friends.  We saw Bobby Smith at one booth.  He used to  be pastor of First Baptist Church in Galveston.  He is now Director of Chaplaincy Ministries at this state office.  Found out he is having both knees replaced in January.  He solicited my advice as well as prayers.  I just encouraged him to do the work ahead of time.  Makes all the difference in the world after the surgery.  At that same booth we met a guy who is a member of Josh’s church in Waco.  He assured us that the church loves our son and that he is a great preacher and pastor.  Prideful parent moment, of course.  We saw both the old and present director of missions for the Galveston Baptist Association, as well as a very fun guy named Ernest who is a regional director for the state group in our region.  Lots of levels of bureaucracy?  Maybe, but I’m pretty sure it is actually an attempt to better connect with churches across the state.  Oh, and we also saw a guy w haven’t seen since we left Texas to move to Colorado.  That was back when there was a “19” in front of the year.  Mark was the band Director who taught Kel to play the bassoon.  Great guy.
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Jim ... we heard a few new songs for us to learn at Seaside. Here are the titles:
The Lion and the Lamb, by Big Daddy Weave (how can you go wrong with a band name like that?).
Living Hope, not sure who originally recorded this one.
We were assured you could find both of them on YouTube.

Last night we snuck in a little time being grandparents.  We went to Luke's first basketball practice of the season.  He was very patient with his coach.  Most of the other kids were trying to figure out how to dribble.  Meanwhile Luke was dribbling with his off hand and hitting shots from all over the court.  pretty impressive.  We also got to see Caleb and Zak play a little scrimmage at their Fellowship of Christian Athletes skills training.  Caleb actually did a really good ball fake and follow-up shot against a much taller opponent.  Very nice job.  Zak was one of the older kids there, so he was all over the court, driving and shooting and playing defense.  He even had to guard the coach a time or two.  And speaking of Zak, we ended the evening with a trip to one of his junior high basketball games.  His team totally outmatched the other guys, and won by a pretty lopsided score.  Zak scored seven of their points, but I thought one of his best plays was a drive toward the basket, pull up and dish a perfect pass to a teammate, who scored.  Great assist, Zak.  OK.  Yes.  More proud grandparent moments.

Galatians 1:10 says, "Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God?  Or am I trying to please people?  If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."

Father, it was good to reconnect with some folks yesterday.  Help them to be successful in their respective ministries.  And be with Bobby as he prepares for that knee surgery.  Amen.

November 18 - “The Bobby Chronicles”

The big fund raiser for Officer Kristin went extremely well.  A huge turnout of folks who wanted to express support and encouragement.  With the motorcycle convoy and silent auction and live auction and barbecue dinner sales and soft drink sales. (I heard Pepsi’s were a big hit) and just straight donations, money came in from all over the county and state.  Not all the money has come in yet, but proceeds look to be well above ten thousand dollars to help Kristin and her family meet medical expenses and day to day living costs.  Nice job, Jamaica Beach community.

Our occasional Seaside visitor and country western singer/truck driver Bobby was at church again yesterday after spending the night on the beach so he could watch the meteor shower.  He joined in with the praise team and gave it yet another completely different look.  Corey wasn’t there, but we had Jim on guitar, Dale on banjo, Bobby on ukulele, and Doug on drums.  Great sound, guys.  

Bobby greeted us with a story.  He said after spending the night on the beach he was pretty thirsty.  He was also pondering whether to go to church or just continue on his way.  He stopped at a convenience store in Sea Isle and grabbed one of those new bottles of coke.  He paid for it and headed back to his car, still pondering his next move.  As he twisted the cap on the bottle he noticed something.  You know those new coke bottles have random names of people on them. This one said “Kelley.”  He came on to church.  The funniest thing about his telling of the story was the way he peppered it with comments like, “I promise you this didn’t really happen,” and “I am absolutely making this up.”  Pretty funny stuff.

He did have a true story to tell, though.  He did stop at a convenience store for gas.  As he was paying for it, the clerk commented in his most chipper of voices, “isn’t it a fine day today?  Where are you headed?”  Bobby responded, “I’m going to church.”  The clerk asked again, as if to verify the previous statement, “you are going to church?”  Bobby assured him that was the case.  So the clerk reached in his wallet, handed him two five dollar bills, and said, “well, then, will you put this in the offering of your church?”  “So,” Bobby asked me, pulling the money from his own wallet, “where does the offering go?”

1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

Father, please watch over Bobby in his travels across the country.  Amen.

November 17 – “Preponderance of Pink”

We made it to our three ultimate destinations yesterday.  We spent the night in a rather dumpy Rodeway Inn in some little town north of Waco.  Not one of the destinations, by the way.  Just a milestone in the attempt.  It was one of the sites of a free stay we have on our records with that family of hotels.  We don’t generally stay in the budget versions, but much of the Waco area was blanketed with visitors from the fair state to our north known as Oklahoma.  Seems a little football game was scheduled against Baylor (which the northern intruders subsequently won in a comeback thriller), and those fans needed places to stay.  The hotel was old and very simple.  The “Continental Breakfast Serving Area” would better be described as a tiny nook, and the breakfast itself was a piece of toast or a packaged honey bun from Sam’s.  We ate at the nearby Cracker Barrel.  But the room was clean and the bed was comfortable.  Oh, and the TV worked.

So stop one after that was at Josh and Christi’s.  Well, actually at AnnaGrace’s Princess birthday party.  We couldn’t stay long because of our next stop, but we were there long enough to experience the preponderance of pink.  The myriad of tiny little three year old girls in princess dresses did things like decorate the back of a hand-held mirror with rhinestones.  That was the warm-up activity to the tea party.  A table was all set up with a large silver teapot in the center (AnnaGrace remarked at one point to her big brother Luke, “I see myself in there”).  After the traditional blowing out of the candles, the little guys were each served a more manageable cupcake, some yogurt, maybe a few veggies and pieces of fruit.  A veritable balanced meal.  Christi’s parents were there.  We also got to see surrogate grandparents Cary and KayLynn.  They informed us officially that they are going to experience the real thing soon.  Their son Corbin and his wife are expecting their first.  I think Cary and KayLynn have had sufficient practice with our youngsters.  They will do just fine as grandparents.

From there we hurried to College Station for the funeral of my cousin’s wife.  We managed a brief encounter with Joe and his brothers before the service started.  We reminisced briefly about Turkey Bowls past.  The service was a finely crafted affair that Evelyn had actually put together herself before she died.  Lots of music that she had actually written or arranged.  The highlight for me was my cousin’s tribute to his wife.  Nice job, Joe. 

We finished off the day by hurrying back to the Island in time to make an appearance at the fund-raiser for Jamaica Beach police officer Kristin Ornelas.  Attendance had been really good, and all indications were that a lot of money was raised to help Officer Kristin and her family.  Thanks to all who were involved in pulling off such an event. 

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Father, thank you for the healing taking place in Officer Kristin already.  Please keep that coming.  Amen.

November 16 - ”An attack?”

We are back on the road again.  This time we are headed to the funeral of my cousin’s wife.  Does that make her a cousin-in-law?  I have never understood all those family relationship things.

Anyway, the funeral had to precedence over the event in the park at Jamaica Beach for us, at least.  Family is family.  For those of you still on the Island, however, remember the fundraiser for Officer Kristen, the Jamaica Beach police officer injured in a high speed chase with a suspect.  The event is at the park in Jamaica Beach.  Seasider Lauren has taken over much of the planning and execution of the event, so you can count on it being another great one.  The Volunteer Fire Department is providing brisket, and Lauren told me last night that it tastes amazing.  There will be a silent and a live auction of several goodies, and Seaside’s own Salty Sounds will be providing the music.  Proceeds will all go to Officer Kristin and her family to help with expenses asa she recovers from injuries incurred in the crash.

So where are we?  I guess that’s the question.  I’m not completely sure right now.  Well, I know it’s a Rodeway Inn.  I know there is major construction going on of the road right in front of us.  Just not sure what town we are in.  Yesterday we made our way through the town of Independence, Texas, though.  Nice scenic drive to get there.  We saw a buck and a doe just strolling down some farmer’s long driveway, without a care in the world.  They did speed up their gait a bit when Chris slowed down so we could gawk at them more effectively.  The buck had a pretty good rack on him.  Oh, and we also saw two big ol’ Brahma bulls butting heads with each other for no apparent reason.  One was much smear than the other, so maybe it was a training session for a possible career in the NFL.

Once we arrived in Independence we went right to the Baptist history museum.  No one was home.  A nice little sign on the door assured us they would be back soon.  Rather than just wait around (which, by the way would have been fruitless.  We checked back several times and the curator never made it back).  Apparently “Soon” has a different meaning in Independence, Texas.  We did see the ruins of the girls’ part of the original Baylor University.  Can’t have girls and boys in the same buildings, of course.  And we saw what was affectionately called The Adobe House.  Problem was, they discovered on closer examination that it was not made from adobe at all.  Too late.  The name stuck.  There were several other old buildings in the ton as well as the site of the old town square.  We didn’t visit the general store, but the Adobe House curator assured us that they had everything we could possibly need for living in Independence.

We also stopped in a place called Calvert to look at an antiques store.  Actually it was mostly crafts instead.  They even had a homemade sled - rather ruggedly homemade - that caught Chris’ eye.  Problem with that store?  They were way too proud of their merchandise.  Much, much too expensive.

Oh, and another highlight was the train.  We were stopped by a fairly long train out in the middle of nowhere.  Guess what said train was hauling?  Military gear.  As in trucks and humvees and ... tanks. Yep.  Real tanks.  A few of the tanks were even marked its a big Red Cross.  Can’t say I’ve ever seen a Red Cross tank before.  It felt like we were in a scene of Red Dawn or something.  Did Texas decide to secede and attack the U.S. and we missed the announcement?

And that brought us to the hotel we are staying in.  It is definitely the low end of the spectrum.  It is old and run down.  About the only hope for it was if the room was clean.  And I really have to give them that.  At least it was clean.  Now to see what their continental breakfast is like, since the room it is in is not much bigger than a bathroom.  At least I can get a cup of coffee, right?

1 Peter 3:13 says, “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?”

Father, please be with Joe and Anna and Peter today as they walk through their own valley of the shadow of death.  Amen.