March 31 – “Easter in August?”

Well, I had my big powwow with worship leader Jim yesterday.  By text, of course.  Social distancing and all.  We made the final decision to forego the Easter sunrise service on the beach this year.  Well, the decision was kind of made for us.  City government has shut down all access to the beaches.  So we’ll be continuing the wildly popular Seaside Online extravaganza experience.  Now remember, though.  Two things.  Every Sunday is a celebration of Easter.  And two, as far as a service on the beach is concerned … keep these words in the back of your mind … Easter in August.  Has a nice ring to it.

Here’s yet another Corona-trend that we got involved in.  We pulled out a jigsaw puzzle.  We hauled inside the table from the back porch to put it on.  It’s a weird and wonderful conglomeration of Galveston sights (The puzzle, not the table).  I learned that Chris is much better at this than I am.  I also learned that we both approach puzzles of this sort the same way.  See, there are two ways to piece these things together.  One is by the shape of the individual puzzle piece.  Search the corners and little indentations until you find one that matches.  Nope.  Not for me.  Not surprisingly, for those who know me, I am a picture guy all the way.  Find a unique shape or color (However, that doesn’t help me too much.  Lots of alleged colors all look the same to me) on the piece, and look for something similar on the board.  Oh, and the other wild card is whether or not to use the picture on the box as a guide.  Some consider that to be cheating.  Not us.  Our problem has been being able to see it.  But we have that one solved.  Can you say “magnifying glass”?  I knew those things would come in handy some day for something other than burning leaves.  Don’t tell me you didn’t try that when you were a kid.  Nothing like the rush of adrenaline that comes when all your patience has been exhausted and your hand is growing stiff and sore from holding that tiny beam of light steady in one spot, and suddenly a stream of smoke begins to rise.  And I may or may not have been involved in chasing down ants with said beam.  Barbequed fire ant.  Yumm.  Now I can’t even see the ants.  But anyway … we aren’t finished with the puzzle yet. 

Psalms 84:12 says, “Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.”

Father, thank you for the decision made years ago for Sunday to be the Easter celebration every week.  Amen.

March 30 – “Corona-trends in the Neighborhood”

I worked in the yard again in the afternoon the other day since it was cloudy.  Wow.  That’s a very unusual sentence.  I’m not sure what kind of grade I would receive from my junior high English teacher for that creation.  As far as I can tell it is a valid sentence, though.  I just don’t want any part of diagramming it this morning. 

But back to the thought, I was in the front yard ripping up weeds again.  I glanced up from my rather uncomfortable position (for which I am still sore today) and saw someone approaching on the sidewalk.  It was apparently a neighbor I had never seen came by.  The young man was an obvious burn victim.  He also walked with a prosthesis for one leg, and was using a cane to assist with his balance. 

Through his broken English I pieced together that he was just learning to use his new leg, and was practicing walking.  I expressed concern about him being in the sun because of his burns.  He agreed, and said he was headed home.  I also encouraged him in his walking workout.  He beamed with a large grin at the reinforcement.  I finally realized that my pile of weeds might be hindering the continuation of his walk, so I jumped up (well, that might be a bit of an overstatement.  I made my way up from the ground) and cleared the path for him.  He continued on his way.  Oh, and yes, we stayed six feet apart. 

I saw a few other neighbors out walking as well.  There was a Mom with a few kids in tow.  Three or four random bicyclers.  You know, I didn’t realize how much I missed people.  I also didn’t know there is a new newest thing.  It’s riding around in your vehicle with your dog’s head hanging out the window.  There must have been five or six of those pass by.  It’s hard to keep up with these Corona-trends.

Speaking of trends, we got a notice on our neighborhood Facebook page that a youngster a few streets over was having a sixth birthday and couldn’t have a party.  So his Mom was wondering if anyone who could, would drive by their house and honk and wave to the little guy.  We were all over that request.  So were the Geran’s.  About 5:30, the designated time when the young man would be outside, we drove off in a mini-caravan to wave a Happy Birthday greeting.  He seemed happy as could be, and waved back with a big smile.  Never met the kiddo before still haven’t, technically.  But we can say we went to his Corona-birthday party. 

Psalms 68:19 says, “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.”

Father, be with that little man we waved to the other day.  Thank you for the smile we saw on his face.  It really lit up my day.  Amen.

March 29 – “Invasion”

Gotta start out today with a shout-out to the Galveston and Jamaica Beach Fire Department crews who worked a huge grass fire last night out in the East End.  The call came in around 8:30 or so.  Crews from Dickinson, Texas City and Santa Fe were called in to assist.  Every brush truck in the area was in service for the night.  It was kind of an unusual situation.  The area is home to coyotes and lots of snakes, so the guys had to be wary of that situation.  It is also a boggy area, so there was the danger of trucks getting stuck as they maneuvered for the best spots to fight from.  The fire was finally out around 4:45 this morning.  Pray for those guys who fought the fire.  They will be pretty tired today.  Well done, guys.  Well done. 

Oh, and speaking of praying, two more Galveston Fire Fighters were diagnosed with the coronavirus yesterday.  Pray for them and their families as they negotiate these new, weird waters. 

Now a word about our adventures yesterday.  We split up to start the day.  Chris worked on flowerbeds in the back yard.  I attacked lawn weeds in the front.  I thought it would be a simple task, dulling the senses worn to a nub by thoughts and concerns of the pandemic.  Little did know that my fears were just beginning.  For hidden beneath the forests of evil demon devil weeds I desperately sought to eliminate was … a small, pod-like object.  It was round-ish.  And it was covered with what appeared to be a living net, a mesh wrapped tightly around the pod as if to protect it from … what?

Now, I’m not saying I believe it … yet.  But could this be an early attempt by some alien race from outer space to insert themselves into our lives in a totally nondescript, dare I say clandestine precursor to a future invasion force?  You didn’t hear it from me, of course.  After all if word of this gets out, people may panic.  They might even start hoarding things like – oh, I don’t know … maybe toilet paper.  Things could be horrible, just horrible.  Keep a close eye on your lawns, my friends.  I’m just saying …

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Father, grant those guys who were involved in fighting that fire last night some restful sleep.  Help them to restore their energy, both physically and emotionally.  Amen.

March 28 – “CVSDS”

We are looking for bears in the window in our neighborhood now.  We really didn’t see too many on our first walk, though.  There were a few monkeys, but the star was certainly the Chewbacca across the street. 

Yesterday started out in the yard again.  There’s an article in today’s paper about how yardwork and running are good outlets for CVSDS (Corona Virus Social Distancing Stress).  Running is not going to happen anymore from this old boy, but Chris is outside every chance she gets anyway, so why not join her?  I was hard at work pulling weeds from the front lawn again when I was rescued by a FaceTime call from Waco.  It was Luke.  He had some pretty big time news.  The youngster has a loose tooth.  Right in front.  We shared some ideas for helping him pull it.  Simple things like tying it to a rock and throwing the rock off the deck.  He wasn’t too impressed with my suggestions.  Seems they were altogether too close to the suggestions his Dad had already come up with.  We did hear a bit from the other younger people up there.  AnnaGrace has a mermaid doll that was attempting to swim all over Luke’s Caribbean shirt.  Hmm.  Wonder where he got that thing?  Caleb was honing his photo bomb skills.  Zak was finishing up a zoom class of some kind before heading outside to shoot baskets.  Hey, anything to get out of more schoolwork, right?  Even talking to Nani and DadDad.

We took another walk last night.  Doing our part to combat that evil CVSDS.  At one point Chris reached out and took my hand to get me out of the way of a car backing out of a driveway.  I don’t usually wear my hearing aids when we walk, so she was just making sure I heard the engine come on.  I didn’t let go.  Around on the next street, a neighbor couple was riding bikes.  He shouted out (from a respectable distance, of course), “Hey.  You’re holding hands.  That’s not six feet.”  Tightening my grip, I replied, “Hey.  We gave up on that a long time ago.”  Then as we approached our house, another neighbor called out from her porch, “Aw.  You two are so sweet.  Holding hands.”  What could I say to that one?  I simply agreed, “Yep.  We are pretty sweet, aren’t we?” 

John 10:10 says, “I am the Good Shepherd.  The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Father, thank you for walks hand in hand.  And thanks for neighbors who care enough to notice.  Amen.

March 27 – “Triple threat”

We ventured out of the house again.  Most of the time was spent in the car, though.  We went out to Jamaica Beach to the church.  I had to drop off some tithe checks that people have brought here to the house.  Thank you folks, for being faithful in the midst of the mess.  While we were out there we checked on the mail, too.  Not much there.  A few bills.  An ad magazine.  Not very many people anywhere to be seen, other than a few folks out walking on the beach or jogging on the seawall.  And a few fishermen as well.

We got gas in the car while we were out.  $1.61 a gallon.  It’s been a long time since it was that cheap.  Of course I’m old enough to remember gas wars where the price got closer to 16.1 cents a gallon.  Oh, don’t worry.  Chris brought along a WalMart bag and made me use it so I wouldn’t come in contact with the pump handle or touch pad.

We drove over to Nathan and April’s house.  He smoked some brisket and made homemade black-eyed peas, and Cailyn set aside a goody bag for us.  On the way over we saw a guy standing alone on a street corner holding two 24-packs of toilet paper.  I’m not sure, but I suspect he may have been wanting to buy some illegal drugs.  That toilet paper is some expensive currency nowadays …

Amid work on the FaceBook Live teaching for Sunday, I also spent some time with the yard work.  So did Chris.  I spread some three-in-one stuff on the backyard lawn.  Is it still called a lawn if it’s in the back yard?  Anyway, the grassy area.  This stuff is supposed to kill ants, kill weeds, and fertilize grass.  Triple threat.  We’ll see.  After that task, I went out front to pull some more weeds and do some raking while Chris watered in the grass gook in the back. 

Sigh … another exciting day in the life of our National Quarantine Experience.

Psalms 67:12 says, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us – so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.”

Father, watch over our fire fighters as they struggle to be available and do their jobs amid the worry and weirdness around them.  Amen.

March 26 – “And God said …”

Our neighborhood Facebook page had a post the other day about doing some sidewalk art so people out walking could have some extra entertainment on their strolls.  I thought it was a great idea for all the little kiddos to try their hand at what certainly could be considered an “official” homeschool art project. 

Of course I already knew one particular “little kid” who would jump at the chance to do some driveway art.  In a concerted effort to be of assistance, I located our grandkid stash of chalk and took it outside.  Unfortunately our neighbor Brennan didn’t happen to be outside at the time.  Rather than break social distancing protocol by knocking on his door, and since it would have been boring and foolish to waste valuable time just sitting out there on the chance that he might appear, I had no choice but to go ahead and do a “test screening” of the chalk … just to make sure they all worked, you understand.

Amazingly enough, I just happened to have brought outside with me a copy of one the Visual Verses I do at church on Sundays.  What a coincidence.  The picture was there.  The chalk was there.  Why not go for it?  So I duplicated the VV drawing.  And the amazing thing was, by the time I finished, Brennan was outside.  I delivered the box of chalk, and in an instant he was working on one of his own. 

Now my drawing was rather cut and dried, obviously a portrayal of a verse of scripture.  Brennan’s, however, was a work of abstract art.  He had circles connected by lines.  He had on circle about the size of a small area rug with some random shapes inside it, surrounded by four of what could only be described as jellyfish.  At that point I couldn’t help myself.  I began giving my interpretation of what I saw.  The circle was obviously a small boat floating in the water above the four jellyfish.  Brennan wasn’t quite convinced until something happened that validated my whole description.  Their little shih tzu dog was outside.  He walked right over to the “boat,” made sure he was completely on board, and proceeded to lie down.  The perfect spot for a nap.  Thanks, Max.

Later on that evening Chris and I took a walk to look for other creations.  There were a few scattered about.  Maybe there will be more next time.  There were three obvious categories, though. 

Children’s abstract – always my favorite, of course.  These were obviously done by our little budding Rembrandts. 

Religious – Visual verses fell into this category.  We also saw crosses and other Bible references and words of encouragement. 

Coronavirus – These were the funniest of all.  One was a chalk outline of a fallen figure with the caption, “Died of Boredom.”  Then there was the “Days locked up” count.  Another drew a ruler with the admonition to “Stay 6 feet apart.”  My favorite in this category was a take on scripture that read, “And God said. ‘Wash Your Hands’ – Covid:19.”

I hope those who participated had a good time.  I sure did.  Thanks, Katie Assad for posting the idea. 

Matthew 5:9 says, “Blessed are the peacemaker, for they will be called children of God.”

Father, thank you fun and creative ideas that help people get through this quarantine.  Amen.

March 25 – “Senior citizen corona-humor”

We made our way to the senior citizens hour over at WalMart yesterday.  Six in the morning.  Well, a little after.  Chris actually got up and was ready to go just a little after.  I was quite proud of her.  And, man, there are a lot of us old coots here on the island.

When we arrived we were handed a special treat at the door.  Surgical gloves.  Didn’t expect that.  I’m not sure, but I think the greeter was also supposed to screen out the youngsters who might try to sneak in.  We didn’t get carded, though.  Guess we looked the part.  I did see one of the older fire fighters.  Great guy.  I gave him a hug.  He looked like he really needed it.  Besides … he’s family.

Out of curiosity more than anything we went back to the toilet paper aisle first.  We weren’t in a TP crisis yet.  Good thing.  The aisle was already empty.  They said more would be delivered around noon.  Here’s a funny TP story for you.  As we scanned the nearly bare canned goods shelves, we heard an old gent (about our age) say to his wife, “You better keep your hand on that cart.  Someone might try to steal that toilet paper.  In a playful mood, Chris acted like she was nabbing the package.  We all laughed.  Senior citizen corona-humor.  As we walked away from them, the guy whispered, “You can find some over in the RV camping section.”  Intrigued, I told Chris I would go check it out while she continued shopping.  I made the long trek to the other side of the store.  It took me a while, but I finally found the new location of the RV stuff.  And sure enough, there was a secret stash of the special, quick-dissolving toilet paper.  Not a whole lot of it, but it was there nonetheless.  I went ahead and grabbed a package in case someone we know runs short, or in case this quarantine lasts longer or gets more severe.  Guess that officially makes us hoarders of one package of RV toilet paper. 

Now on my way to said secret stash, I just happened to walk past the movie section of the store.  Totally by coincidence, I assure you.  And totally beyond my control, not one, but two different movies leapt from the shelf and embedded themselves into my left hand.  Not I have arthritis in that thumb, so it was extremely difficult for me to fend them off.  After great struggle, I finally gave in and allowed them to join me in the TP search.  And when our search was successful, I completely forgot they were still locked in that arthritic grip.  When I returned to our basket and dropped in the toilet paper, the movies miraculously released themselves from my hand and joined the rest of the goods.  And as every child who has ever gone shopping with Mom knows, whatever ends up in the basket at the checkout counter has a better than average chance of joining you on the trip home.  In this case I think quarantine got the better of Chris’ usual judgment.  We made it home with both movies.  Yes.

Psalms 94:19 says, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”

Father, thank you for our little excursion.  And be with my fire department friend.  Amen.

March 24 – “SCSH”

Our county finally issued its version of a shelter-in-place order.  They called it a “Stay At Home” order.  Cute turn of the phrase, don’t you think?  I guess the idea is to keep people calm in the midst of the crisis.  I read it.  Sounds to me like there is no real change to what we’re supposed to be doing anyway.

We went for a walk yesterday.  We didn’t see too many people, but it is fascinating how talkative people can be.  We even saw one lady who rarely even acknowledges our presence.  She just sits on her porch doing nothing.  Not yesterday.  I waved at her like I usually do.  Chris said “Good morning” like she usually does.  And the lady’s face lit up like a Christmas tree.  She called back a greeting and then actually started a conversation with us.  I guess it’s because all of a sudden we all have something in common to talk about.

When we got home I went out and pulled some weeds in the front yard.  Core and Brennan rode by on their bikes.  After their ride the two of them came over and Chris came outside as well.  We had a little neighborly chat.  Kept our six-foot distance, though, so don’t report us to the quarantine police.

Someone else dropped by a tithe check to Seaside yesterday.  I need to get it down to the church so Cathy can pick it up and get it deposited along with the others I have.  Thanks to you folks for continuing to stay faithful even if we’re not meeting at the building. 

Posting early this morning.  I’m heading over to the SCSH - Senior Citizen’s Shopping Hour at WalMart.  6-7 a.m.  Not sure if Chris is coming.  She might still be in bed.

2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Father, thanks for those faithful folks who are going out of their way to give – to the church and to each other.  Amen.

March 23 – “The Maiden Voyage”

Well, yesterday was the maiden voyage of Seaside Online.  We joined thousands of other churches across the country in providing some kind of experience through the internet. 

Ours was pretty simple stuff.  Everyone was encouraged to discover their own music on YouTube or elsewhere.  We weren’t sure how the FaceBook copyright police looked at stuff looked like that.  And we did get some good recommendations. 

I did a Visual Verse (bowing to the demands of the thousands … well, maybe the five or six who actually let me know what they wanted to see).  It meant having to break the picture down into bite-sized chunks so they could be seen on the powerpoint as it was somehow miraculously thrown onto the TV by the technology of the computer talking to the TV monitor.  Extra work on the front end, but I think it was a needed extra step.  I also decide to stick with our regular teaching series on the Book of 1 Peter.  I prayed a lot about doing one of those crisis-type sermons, but I just couldn’t get away from doing this one.  Guess the Lord wanted somebody to hear it. 

I was really proud of my producer for the event.  Chris got the camera (AKA my phone) all set up and zeroed in.  She pushed the start button, too.  Even pointed at me and said, “Action.”  While I was teaching she occasionally jumped up and checked on the screen.  I found out later she was seeing all sorts of activity.  Apparently whenever there was a comment posted, it scrolled itself through the screen.  And she also said little hearts kept floating by.  Must have been fascinating.  Glad I couldn’t see them at the time, though.  It was nerve-wracking enough to try to focus on … no people.  Well, other than Chris and our dog Freddy (who, by the way, slept quietly the whole time.  Made me feel like I was back in the pulpit at church). 

I’ve had some feedback from the experience.  Thank you for that.  And keep it coming.  Looks like we may have to keep doing this a time or two or … more.  According to the FaceBook Live programmers who are apparently tasked with keeping track of such things, the post had numerous shares.  I was amazed to see the couple of hundred viewers.  And that number turned into over 700 by this morning.  My favorite statistic, though, is this: We had viewers from the Seasider Passons Family in Costa Rica to our Seasider missionaries, the Humphries Family in Alaska.  Quite the geographical spread for you Seasiders out there.  Is everybody ready to go again next Sunday?

Psalms 84:1-2 says, “How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty!  My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”

Father, thank you for the chance to connect with those dear folks at Seaside.  It was hard doing worship without everybody together.  Help them – us – to remember each other and be the Church for each other.  Amen.

March 22 – “Makin’ the most of it …”

How’s the quarantine … oops, excuse me … “social distancing” (Gotta be politically correct) coming for everybody?  It started raining yesterday here, and Chris kind of lost her mind a bit.  It felt good to have another crazy person here in the house with me since I haven’t been able to go to WalMart in a long time.  What did she do?  Well, she started walking stir crazy laps around the inside of the house.  Of course I quickly joined her.  Freddy came with on one lap, then realized just how crazy we two-leggeds were.  She stopped and went over to the couch and took a nap. 

We did touch base with Josh and his crew via FaceTime.  Great invention.  Thank you very much Star Trek, or whichever science fiction show it was that inspired it.  We need a grandkids fix every so often. 

Oh, and speaking of said fixes, Nathan and Cailyn stopped by.  They had been to … WalMart (I am so jealous).  They brought us a loaf of bread and some grapes and a pineapple.  Oh, and some hugs.  Sure enjoyed my Cailyn hugs.

We did get out of the house for a while.  We drove over to Koops Barbeque on 23^rd street (Next to the old YMCA).  Great food.  We called in our order and picked it up at the window, of course. 

How about this cool idea our neighborhood is hawking.  On March 24 (next Tuesday … Chalk your Walk.  Draw inspiring art or write an encouraging message on your driveway or sidewalk with chalk.  Then take a walk and see what is there.  Any ideas for artwork?  We have the chalk.

I also taped a bunch of Hallmark Christmas movies.  They had a marathon this weekend.  Of course the sad thing is, I’m pretty sure we have seen most of them.  Like, maybe … within the last three months?  Sigh …

Zechariah 14:9 says, “The Lord will be king over the whole earth.  On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.”

Father, thank you for granddaughter hugs and good barbeque and sidewalk chalk.  Amen.

March 21 – “I’m pretty sure …”

Here’s a quick word from Alaska if you haven’t seen Lauren’s posts.  Baby Seth is in quarantine.  He got pretty sick and they have ruled out all the usual culprits, so now they are waiting for the Covid-19 test results to come back.  Quarantine for the whole family.  I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t mind a few more prayers …

We got a call from our good friends in Arlington.  One third of the group that went together to Alaska so many moons ago.  She’s a teacher and the school district is off for several weeks, so she actually had a few extra moments to touch base before returning to her new tasks of working from home.  She has to call every student in her home room class to do a welfare check on them.  That is in addition to preparing at-home computer studies that kick in next week.  Remote teachers and parents new to homeschooling.  I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t mind a few more prayers …

The other day was bath day for our little pup Freddy.  Problem was, it was also time to put her flea treatment on.  But we didn’t have any.  Uh oh.  Trip to the vet.  Is that on the approved list of travel destinations?  Chris drove and dropped me off at the door.  Well, near the door.  Well, she pulled into the farthest available space from the door.  I ran inside to get the meds.  And the lady who waited on me didn’t seem at all pleased that I just walked in.  Seems I was supposed to call ahead with what I wanted and they would meet me at the door.  She wasn’t kidding, either.  I watched as one lady came in with her dogs, was met at the door by a technician and escorted immediately to a room.  Well, OK.  Vets and clinics and hospitals and all work therein.  I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t mind a few more prayers …

There is a small restaurant in Jamaica Beach that got in their food truck order in.  They ordered some extra fresh fruit and vegetables and offered them to the neighborhood along with their “new usual” to-go orders.  Wow.  Small business owners trying to survive and be there for their community as well.  I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t mind a few more prayers …

Along with my usual computer work time, a lot of our day was spent answering the call of the wild.  Wild weed growth, that is.  Chris attacked some of the flower beds.  I pulled some weeds out of our front yard, and then mowed the back yard that actually has some real grass growing.  Gotta love Spring.  So, yard work.  Social distancers trying to exist – to do normal things in a “new normal” way.  I’m pretty sure they – “WE” - wouldn’t mind a few more prayers …

Jeremiah 17:10 says, “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

Father, this is quite a list for today, and I didn’t even mention the first responders and families and truckers and grocery stores and … well, you get the idea, right?  Amen.

March 20 – “Social distancing strangeness”

Here’s a little social distancing strangeness:

1.  We realized that without noticing it, we were staggering our noonish neighborhood walk times with the Geran's.  Can’t be out at the same time, I guess.  Actually they usually do the noon thing because of how they have to work from home.  We generally get outside much earlier in the morning.

2.  We received a few really important pieces of mail.  One was a survey from the National Cremation Service.  Are they trying to tell us something?  The other was a notification that it was time to go online and complete our 2020 census information under penalty of having them next mail it to us by snail mail, at which point if we do not send that in, they will be forced to send someone to our house to collect the information in person.  Horror of all horrors.  We can’t have that.  I took care of it right away.  But you know, what better timing?  Who has anything better to do than spend ten minutes telling the government stuff they already know?

Speaking of mail, I went by to check the mail for Seaside.  There was one envelope in the box (along with one piece of junk mail).  The envelope contained just one thing.  A random donation check.  I went upstairs to the retreat center to let the bug guy in, and found a check the last church to use the place left us.  And later that afternoon a Seasider stopped by the house to drop off a tithe.  So we are not meeting Sunday, and our offering is already almost a thousand dollars.  Wow.

I have received lots of encouragement to do a live stream of some kind for a Bible study Sunday morning.  Thing is, most of the votes included one condition … that I somehow include a visual verse.  So, being the incredibly technologically incompetent oaf that I am, I have been working on a way to screen cast to our TV so I can do a visual verse.  I’m not even sure I completely understand how to do FaceBook live.  But the effort will be there.  I’ll try to be doing something around ten on Sunday morning.  You’ll have to YouTube your own favorite worship songs, though.  And I haven’t figured out yet how to connect it to the Seaside FaceBook page.  In the meantime, I guess you’ll just have to friend me to see it.  I do appreciate Pam bringing me a tripod to attach my phone to.  Otherwise it was a selfie stick duct taped to a chair …

Psalms 51:10 says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Father, with all this virus stuff going on, we all could use some cleaning up down here.  What better place to start than with our hearts?  Amen.

March 19 – “Doing their jobs …”

Allow me to digress from coronavirus-ical matters today.  Please. 

The other day – I’m not sure which day.  They all seem to run together lately – Chris was working out in the yard.  I was once again at my desk working on the computer, no doubt doing something virus-ical related.  All of a sudden Chris was at my side asking rather excitedly, “Did you hear that?”  Of course I had not, and I’m pretty sure she didn’t expect anything more from my ears.  She hurried on to explain that she was convinced she had heard a car wreck somewhere. 

Always concerned for our neighbors, I jumped up and the two of us ventured outside to see if it was anywhere close.  She checked over by the Zion Retreat Center.  Nothing.  I went to Jones Road to check the nearest intersection over by Parker School (It’s always hard for me to call it that.  I went there.  It was Island School at the time and Miss Parker was our principal.  But I digress).  Sure enough, there was a large box truck stopped in the intersection with its hood popped up.  I waited for Chris to join me, and we ventured closer.

On the other side of the truck was the SUV that had attempted an altercation of some kind with the truck.  The truck … won.  The car was in pretty bad shape.  Airbags were deployed and the driver appeared to be kind of out of it.  Chris and another nurse passer-by stayed with her.  I went over by the truck to help with traffic control until the police and fire crews could arrive.  Cars were driving around the accident, but in doing so they were crushing through lots of glass.  I started detouring them through a nearby parking lot.  It wasn’t long before the call went out and engine four and police units and paramedics arrived on scene.  With the situation now well in hand, we eased away back to our self-imposed exile. 

And here’s the thing.  Before the afternoon was out, the crew of fire station four had already responded to two more calls, one in our neighborhood (Somebody was burning something) and another wreck at that same intersection.  Appreciate our first responders, folks.  They are doing their jobs in the midst of the crisis at hand.  I for one am truly proud of what they are doing.  Way to go, guys.

Proverbs 21:21 says, “Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.”

Father, I pray it often but would you ride with these first responders and protect them as they push through whatever situations arise?  Amen.

March 18 – “The next step”

It was fully my intention to stay away from Coronavirus news this morning.  Look how that worked out …  Just a quick update.  Galveston County officially had our first case of Covid-19 community spread.  As I understand it, that just means he doesn’t know where he got it.  It was inevitable, I suppose.  As a result, the mayor of Galveston, in a still-unprecedented move, ordered all our local entertainment venues to shut down and our restaurants and bars to close off seating and only offer to-go service.  That means things like Moody Gardens and the Pleasure Pier are closed.  Period.  The idea was to prevent Houstonians who don’t have anything to do there from coming down here.  Yep.  I actually read that in the paper this morning.  Grocery stores are still open. 

With this announcement and the CDC changing its recommendations to avoid groups of ten or more, it is with a heavy heart that I announce we will be canceling our home group Bible study for the next few weeks.  Dianne is planning to attempt a broadcast of some kind for the Friday ladies’ Bible study.  Double-check with her for more details.  And check with Bob about plans for the men’s group on Wednesdays. 

                                                            

And here’s the part that weighs on my heart even more.  As far as Sunday church is concerned, we will not be holding services for the next two weeks.  I am signed up to be a part of a webcast at eleven this morning to learn about the possibility of doing some kind of on-line teaching on Sunday.  I will update later about how that goes.  At the end of the two weeks Jim and I will revisit the situation and hopefully resume worshipping together.

In the meantime …

Keep on keeping up with each other.  We still need each other.  We still need the intimacy of the Body, especially when we are not together physically.  Make some phone calls – FaceTime, even.  Rev up that old email account.  Text each other.  Share TV shows you discover. 

Use what seems to be time alone to acknowledge that you are not alone.  Spend some time with God.  Pray for each other.  Pray for me.  I know I need it. 

Here’s an idea.  Do a Jesus Bomb.  Read through each of the Gospels.  They all tell the same story, each from a different perspective.  Here’s a good order and a bit of what to expect:

Mark: This is the shortest one.  It was written to the Romans who didn’t have time for a lot of detail.  Expect a lot of phrases like “at once,” as he jumps from one action scene to the next. 

Matthew: On the other hand, this book was written to the Jews.  It will have mentions of things that are specific to Jewish culture, like their holy days and practices.

Luke: This one was written to the Greeks, or pagans.  Luke was the real historian of the bunch, so he did a lot of research.  For example, from that research he includes stories from the perspective of Jesus’ mother.  He also continues his writing in the book of Acts, a history of the early church after Jesus ascends to heaven.

John: Here’s the tough one.  John wrote to confound a group of heretics called the Gnostics.  They taught that Jesus wasn’t actually real, and they used mystical, strange language.  John turns their language back on them and presents Jesus as really God and really human.  Remember, too, that John describes himself as “the apostle whom Jesus loved.”  He loves to talk about love.  He also wrote some other books in the New Testament.  They are clustered toward the back.  His three letters are simple, yet profound love treatises.  He’s also the guy who wrote the last book of the Bible.  That one takes some explanation, though.

Keep on giving.  I’m not just talking about money to the church.  You can do that, too.  Mail it in or drop it off with Cathy or Lauren or me.  We’ll get it deposited.  But I mean give of yourself.  Now, don’t go putting yourself or others in harm’s way.  If you are sick or in one of the at-risk populations, stay home (My son informed Chris and me yesterday that in spite of what we might think, we are in that at-risk population group.  Chris replied, “So, are you calling us old?”  Well, for the purposes of this particular weird situation, I guess we are).  With that said, understand that we will have some Seasiders who will be living under quarantine, whether they want to or not.  See if they need groceries.  Or a prescription pick-up.  Do a surprise drive-by drop-off of goodies – cookies or crossword puzzle books or fresh fruit.  Be creative. 

And finally, keep your head up.  Stay positive.  We’ll get through this.  I know I keep returning to this verse of scripture, but it’s the one God keeps pushing me to …

Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Father, please keep walking with us through this craziness.  We trust you.  Amen.

March 17 – “Herein Lies The Struggle”

I did something yesterday that I don’t usually do.  I listened to the presidential news conference regarding the latest recommendations on dealing with the coronavirus.  I have to confess, I have been struggling with what to do, with how to approach the situation as it affects my family, sure, but mainly how it affects my leadership of the church here. 

My nature is to lead from a highly optimistic outlook on life.  I trust people until they prove to me they can’t be trusted.  I have a pretty high view of the nature of God, of just who God is, so I believe he can do anything and he is ultimately in control of everything.  From that perspective I have an especially hard time understanding things like panic buying and hoarding. 

And I also really, really like people.  In many case I might just have to say I love them.  I have an inner button that urges me to reach out and help when I can.  That’s probably why Chris and I walked around the corner when we heard the tell-tale crunch of a traffic accident.  She checked on one of the victims while I helped direct traffic until the police and fire department crews arrived.  From that perspective I wouldn’t want to ever lead in placing anyone in harm’s way. 

So, herein lies The Struggle.

It is Economic: At this time we have zero cases of community spread of the disease in Galveston county, so it makes sense to me to continue to support local businesses (like restaurants) that need to pay hourly workers.  On the other hand, there exists the potential of endangering two key portions of the population – elderly and those with other underlying medical conditions.  Some younger people may get the disease, but display little or even no symptoms.  Without intending to, they may inadvertently spread it to those in the at-risk populations.

It is Emotional: Grocery stores are beyond crowded with panic hoarding, which seems a bit silly with the call to avoid crowds.  I’m sure some people are buying out of a sense of entitlement, but I’m pretty sure the underlying issue is one of great fear.  On the other hand, there are still those who are calmly purchasing what they need, when they need it – if it is available. 

It is Social: I have never before heard such a call for this thing called social distancing.  I think that is the current politically correct code word for “quarantine in one form or another.” “Don’t meet in groups of more than ten.”  “Stay six feet away from anyone you see on the street.”  “Don’t shake hands.  Instead fist bump or elbow knock or the ever-popular air hug.”  But then there is always our innate need for physical touch.  Like at church on Sunday when I heard more than once … “I just need my hug.”

It is Biblical: There is a clear admonition in scripture to submit to the governing authorities (Rom. 13:1-7; Heb. 13:17).  On the other hand, there is another charge that is just as clear to not forsake assembling together (Heb. 10:25) and to not live in fear (1 John 4:18). 

Herein lies The Struggle.

Best I can tell, you can summarize all these points with one of these two approaches:

“Jesus can protect us from everything, so flaunt business as usual.”  Yeah, that sounds kind of arrogant to me, too. 

OR … Live your life as normally as you can … but don’t be stupid.

Those of you who know me (or who have gone to camp with me) know that I obviously fall into the latter category.  The only problem now, though, is how to determine what is “stupid,” and then how to live with it when someone else’s “stupid” clashes with mine.

So here are my decisions:

Do we cancel our home Bible studies and prayer groups?

Do we cancel worship services on Sunday?  Or maybe have an adjusted version outside?

Do we cancel the upcoming Easter sunrise service?  Or somehow pare it down?

Right now, as I see it, there is no right or wrong choice here.  The word from our authorities is still in the form of a recommendation.  Should it change to the level of a command, then we need to adjust accordingly.  And we certainly have no reason to make decisions based on fear.  Until something changes further, we will continue on as I posted yesterday.  Want a hug?  Open your arms.  Prefer a fist bump?  Lead with one.  No one will judge you.  In an at-risk population or not feeling well?  Stay at home.  And of course ... wash your hands.  I will be posting updates on the church FaceBook page and I’ll send out emails as needed.

Oh, and if you need anything we have folks who have already volunteered to pick it up for you, whether it be medicine or groceries or a seashell from the beach!

Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Father, keep us in tune with your Holy Spirit.  I figure you have the best handle on this virus thing.  Forgive us of our fear.  Help us choose to trust you … moment by moment.  Amen.