June 30 – “Chris’ Big Day”

I know.  The title sounds like a children’s book about a cute little girl who is going on a trip to the zoo or something.  Not this time.  Yesterday was Chris’ day to have the shot in the back for pain.  Oh, and our printer chose the day to die in celebration of the event.  Woohoo.

We got to the hospital just on time.  We had to drive into Texas to the Victory Lakes branch of UTMB, although they don’t call it that anymore.  League City Branch or something like that.  We dutifully donned our masks and checked in through the emergency room as instructed, answering all the Corona Questions.  We had to walk through the entire hospital to get to the Day Surgery wing.  Not even close to the ordeal that such a walk would have been at the Galveston branch. 

We had no sooner checked in there and found a seat in the waiting room that they came out to get her.  I was disappointed that I didn’t even get a chance to pray with her.  But for the next few minutes I did get lots of assurances through my blog and on FaceBook that others were praying for her. 

Before I could get settled into “Wait Mode,” a nurse came out and instructed me to follow her.  Well, all righty then.  She led me to where Chris was all gowned up and waiting for her turn.  I didn’t waste any time that time.  We prayed together and I got my pre-surgery kiss.  This particular wait seemed long, but it was actually only fifteen minutes or so, and during that time the nurse and anesthesiologist came through to ask their own series of questions.  They finally arrived to wheel her away, and I was directed back to the waiting room.

I did my family text to update everyone, and before I even sent it I was receiving a text from the operating room (in Spanish and English) to let me know the surgery had begun.  I received two other update texts from them, which I forwarded to the family text stream.  Practice your Spanish, guys. 

Then, before I had read even one chapter of the book I brought, a text came through to indicate the surgery was over and I was to go to the entrance to the recovery room where someone would retrieve me.  She had been in surgery maybe ten minutes total.  Amazing. 

All came out well, surgery-wise.  Her right foot and left big toe were tingling and a little numb, but we were assured by at least three different people that such a result was normal and would soon pass.  The doctor stopped by in person to double check her status, and kicked her loose.  She was a little woozy getting dressed, but they wheeled her to the car and we whisked away. 

After a quick stop at Five Guys for a hamburger lupper (Not a typo.  Combination lunch and supper), we were home by 3:15.  Chris went straight to bed.  She didn’t break her 14 hour nap record, though.  Just two this time. 

So what about the pain?  I understand she should be able to tell a difference in a day or two, after the surgical soreness wears off.  We shall see …

Hebrews 12:2 says, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.  For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Father, thank you for the successful completion of the surgery.  Please let it work.  Amen.

June 29 – “A strange feeling”

It was a strange feeling yesterday to stay at home from church and watch online.  I got word from quite a few sources that Kel did a really good job again, so my biased opinion was confirmed.  It is great to be able to know the situation is in good hands when I am not around.  Thanks to Kel and Jim and the Praise Team and Lauren and her trusty camera. 

We were supposed to be out of town originally, but it turned out that we had to stay in quarantine to keep Chris’ Corona test current up until her “surgical procedure” today.  Also a strange feeling.  Chris is the one instead of me getting one of those shots in the back to try to give her some relief from the pretty severe pain she has been having.  So this is most assuredly a prayer request.  For the procedure and the doctors, of course.  For our drive up into Texas to the Victory Lakes UTMB facility and back.  But also for Chris to last until the 11:30 start time without food or drink since midnight.  I’m having my bowl of fruit now while she is still in bed, so I won’t be eating in front of her.  I guess she’ll just have to suffer through me drinking coffee, though.

On the not-so-strange feeling side … we did have a visitor for the day.  Cailyn called in time for us to go pick her up so she could watch the service with us.  Mom and Dad were both at work, so she just stuck around for the rest of the day as well.  That always bodes well for the sweet tooth.  This time she made us some very tasty coffee cake.  I sure hope she never loses that culinary bent.  Makes me and her Daddy very happy.

1 Corinthians 6:14 says, “By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.”

Father, please guide the hands of the doctor putting that needle in Chris’ back today.  Empower that medication to do its job and hit the right spot to give her some relief.  Amen.

June 28 – “Hee-yah”

We were invited to an unusual event yesterday.  The invitation actually came from Josiah several months ago.  He and Micah and Noa were graduating to their next level belt in their karate class.  That generally means a big deal performance by a special group trained for just that, followed by each student showing his skills and being checked off by an instructor.  Kind of like a final exam.  And for the final, final test they have to break a board.  Then their belt of a new color is tied around their waist by someone close to them like an instructor or a parent.

Because of the Corona mess this particular graduation was to be done as much of this year’s classes have been accomplished – by Zoom.  So we gathered in their living room, clustered around the TV, and waited for the instructors to come on the screen.  The kids were all decked out in karate garb.  We were asked to sign the boards they each would be breaking in their final rite of passage.  Three-year-old Ezra was crawling and jumping and weaving in and out between his older siblings, intent on showing me his newest books on fire fighters, his latest passion. 

The program began with a welcome and prayer from the instructors.  One of them even noticed the grandparents in the room and welcomed us as well.  Then two youngsters at the studio did a routine as sort of an interpretive dance while the Star Spangled Banner played.  We all rose and stood at attention.  And then the kids began doing their own personal routines as instructed by the teachers on the screen.  Apparently those teachers were all watching different students on the zoom screen.  We heard comments occasionally as they called out, “Way to go, Micah,” or “Good job, Josiah,” or “You can do it, Noa.”  At one point they were supposed to get a partner from those around them and do a drill where they tried to touch each other’s shoulders.  Micah couldn’t get Josiah to partner up, so I jumped up and did a little sparring with him.  I have no idea if I was doing the right thing, but it was kind of fun.  At least up until the guy said, “One more minute.”  I was already tired.  But I lasted out the minute before crashing in my seat. 

About that time Jachin had to be taken to work.  Trials of a large family.  I volunteered for that task.  Otherwise I would have had to figure out how to tie one of those belts, and it has to be done a very specific way.  Jachin just got his very first job.  Fry cook at Chic-Fil-A.  He had been to orientation and one shift, so it was all still very new to him.  He talked the whole way to work, telling me all about it.  It was very different hearing him excited about something other than baseball. 

The graduation was over by the time I got back to the house.  I guess the fact that I stopped and picked up some pizzas had a little to do with that.  But Chris told me they finished the final presentations with ease.  Each managed to do the ceremonial board breaking.  Well, Micah apparently had a little help with his.  He was going to let Ezra have a punch at the board before he broke it.  And guess what happened?  Yep.  Ezra broke the board.  So I guess we’ll have to get him a colored belt of some kind. 

Josiah and Micah have brown belts now.  Noa’s is orange.  She is a few classes behind her big brothers, but she can “hee-yah” with the best of them.  Nana and DadDad are proud of our three young karate masters (and their first job big brother).

1 Corinthians 4:2 says, “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”

Father, thank you for the work those youngsters have put in to learn all those karate moves.  And please be with Jachin as he enters the world of work.  Amen. 

June 27 – “Corona or Gorilla?”

It has arrived.  That ominous, yellow cloud of eeriness that floats across oceans and continents, seeking unsuspecting victims to engulf with the creepy claws of its respiratory nightmares.  None other than the traveling Gorilla Sandstorm of the Sahara Desert has made its official appearance, not only into the confines of North America, but right into our back yard here on the Island.  It hangs, just hangs over our heads, obscuring views of the Bay and of the tops of Galveston’s rather short skyscrapers.  Well, actually we only have one of those.  But you certainly couldn’t see the top of the American National Insurance Company building.  And as you drove around town, you could even hear the tiny specks of sand crashing into the windshield.  It is indeed a veritable nightmare for sufferers of respiratory issues from severe COPD to minor allergies.  But perhaps the worst part of it all … now people have to ponder the answer to that fateful question every time they hear a sneeze.  “Is it Corona or Gorilla?”

Speaking of Corona, Chris went to UTMB to have her required Corona test yesterday.  Come to find out, it is now required protocol for anyone having a surgical-type procedure to also have the testing.  It was a fast-track test, so we got the results back within a few hours.  Drumroll here … She is negative.   All is good for her shot in the back procedure on Monday.  But here’s the other issue.  Since she had the test yesterday, she has to essentially quarantine all the way up until the procedure to make sure she doesn’t catch it.  There goes our planned mini-trip this weekend.  Kel is preaching for me tomorrow already, so our quarantine will even include church.  Oh well.  It’s not like we haven’t been quarantining already … for four months.

1 Corinthians 3:19 says, “For the wisdom of the world is foolishness in God’s sight.  As it is written, ‘He catches the wise in their craftiness.’”

Father, thank you for the good result on Chris’ test.  We now pray for some good results on the procedure Monday. Amen.

June 26 – “Favorites”

A second round of Father’s Day occurred yesterday.  Round one was pretty good in itself.  On Sunday I got phone calls from my boys, watched Cailyn play a softball game, and we were hosted for a shrimp gumbo dinner by Kel and his family. 

So yesterday was a bit of a surprise when Father’s Day gifts from two of my sons arrived.  I got a text from Josh apologizing that his arrived late, but “I’m sure it was worth the wait.”  Since nothing had arrived yet, I assured him I would grant my impression as to its value upon its arrival.  Almost immediately he apologized again for the confusion.  Seems Alexa had notified him that his package had been delivered, so he assumed it was the one to me.  Actually the notification was for something else Christi had ordered.  Oops. 

Later on, however, the package from Amazon did arrive.  And it’s a good thing Josh had told me it was coming.  There was no return address anywhere.  No indication of who it was from.  That becomes important in a minute.  I opened it up to discover a coffee mug with just the right wording on it: “My Favorite Child Gave Me This Mug.”  It gets better.  Seems his middle child Caleb, in a total coincidence, gave him that very same mug for Father’s Day.  Nice.  Us forgotten middle children have to stick together.

Just as I finished opening the package and admiring the mug, Chris announced that Nathan and April and Cailyn had just pulled up.  Actually they had an extra one as well.  Noa was spending the night with them.  As they entered the front door, I held my new mug up to my face, caressing it so that the “Favorite Child” message was clearly visible to our new guests.  Nathan saw it and immediately claimed ownership - of the message, if not the mug.  The card they gave me was pretty much a classic as well.  A little hamster-rat sitting in an easy chair on the cover with the message: “It’s Father’s Day, DadDad (actually “Grandpa” had been scratched out and the proper title inserted), Spend your time doing what you like to do best …”  I then opened the card to reveal the rest of the message: “And when you’re done bragging about me … move on to something else you enjoy.”  And written inside, in Nathan’s distinctive hand, was an extra little quip.  Something about the “favorite son.”  Hmm.  Competitive much?  Gotta love my boys.

1 Corinthians 1:18 says, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

Father, thank you for all three of my “favorite” boys.  Amen.

June 25 – “MTDG Day”

We had a MYDG - “meet the delivery guy” – Day at church yesterday.  We bought a new refrigerator and stove for the worship center kitchen two weeks ago, and the delivery date finally arrived.  “Sometime between 10:30 and 2:30” was the only directive we received, so we got there around 9:30 or so to make sure the path from the door to the kitchen was clear.

The first obstacle was the Holy Yoga class going on.  They were in the building until 10 for their class.  We stayed in the office and chatted with our awesome secretary Cathy.  Well, actually, I did peek every now and then to see some of the contortions.  And I may or may not have tried a few of them.  They do some difficult maneuvers in there.  I was invited to join the class.  Something to consider …

Once they left we started the grueling task of cleaning out the delivery track.  In a nutshell, the delivery happened.  It didn’t bode well, though, when the fellow told me that after they removed the old appliances they would “give you a while to clean under there.”  I’m afraid he understands my wife all too well.  Maybe all wives.  So of course that developed into using the “opportunity” to just clean out and restructure the whole kitchen.  Just one anecdote from that delightful morning activity.  As we prepared to move around some cases of sodas on the floor, we noticed a small soiled spot.  I was the one with the mop in hand, so I reached down to push things aside.  Sticky.  And not just the floor.  The entire bottom case of 35 Sprites felt sticky.  We moved away the other cases and reached for the offending Sprite collection.  It wouldn’t budge.  I finally tore open the case and started to hand individual cans to Chris.  But as I pulled the cans out one by one, they seemed lighter than I expected.  And the further along I got, the lighter they got, until it became frightfully apparent that the cans were empty.  And the ones that weren’t completely empty had developed tiny, microscopic leaks in them.  When I picked up the cans, they would spew at me through pinpoint sized holes.  It was frightening.  Chris was going to rinse off in the sink some of the full ones, but as she put them down, she somehow released the spewage.  We finally had to throw away the entire case.  And then do some heavy-duty mopping.  All in all though, the kitchen looks great now.  Three huge bags of trash, a broken storage cart, and a big box stuffed full of more trash.  But the appliances are in and the kitchen is ready to go for whenever we can get back into the building. 

Romans 16:19 says, “Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.”

Father, I want to be in that “wise” category.  Help me to be obedient so I can get there.  Amen.

June 24 – “100%”

What a beautiful day.  Rain.  Lots and lots of rain.  You know … one of those days when the weather app on the phone reads “100%” on the “Chance for Rain” category.  And it looks like the rain will continue off and on until  … well, Monday.  Of course that usually changes from day to day.  Or moment to moment.  But for now it is raining.

Why is the rain a deal today?  We have a big delivery coming to Seaside.  The new refrigerator and stove for the kitchen in the worship center are arriving sometime within the magic window of “10:30 to 2:30.”  Chris and I will meet them, so that means we have to be there early enough to clear out the space in the kitchen and empty out the fridge.  Looking forward to a great morning of fun and frolic, that’s for sure.

Yesterday Chris had a babysitting gig in LaMarque.  Christina took two of her kids to the dentist.  Kel and Jachin meanwhile made their way back to that little town near Waco for another double-header of baseball games.  At least I think it was a double-header.  I didn’t hear about a third game.  Jachin got to start in a varsity game.  Pretty cool stuff.  He was in left field, and even got to pitch to a few batters.  Over the course of the two games he walked three times and struck out twice.  I know he made at least one catch in the outfield as well.  Nice day’s work, Jachin.

Back on the home front, I attempted a walk while Chris was gone.  Sadly the pulled muscle in my side started barking rather loudly.  I cut it short.  The walk, not the muscle.  I hear those side muscles are the hardest to rehabilitate.  Guess I’ll break out the back exercises again and see if they work for the side as well. 

Speaking of medical issues, Chris managed to score a very quick doctor’s appointment when they found out her blood pressure has been getting kind of high.  They read her the riot act about diet and exercise, of course.  They also prescribed some medications, but told her not to start it until Friday or Saturday.  Something about making you have to go to the bathroom a lot. Hey, I guess the next governmental order will be to give some to all of us at-risk folks to make sure we stay away from crowds and near a bathroom, huh? 

Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Father, help Chris as she learns to adjust to her new low-salt diet.  Sounds like a pain in the neck to learn.  Amen.

June 23 – “Did … Fido?”

Started our day yesterday with a little family ministry.  Kel had to take his car into the shop and needed a ride to work afterwards.  He had an oil leak, and the people he took it to to get it changed refused to do the work.  So brought it down to Galveston to our mechanic Dennis.  As it turned out there was a serious problem with the drain plug.  It was completely stripped out.  It took some doing, but Dennis got the leak stopped with a bigger sized plug.  We picked up the finished vehicle and took it over to Kel when he got off work.  

Had an interesting spell-check experience that I still don’t understand at all.  I typed in the word “did.”  Sounds simple enough, right?  The all-knowing and all-powerful spell-check program changed it.  I’m sure the intent was just to be of assistance.  Any guesses what that simple word “did” became?  “Fido.”  What?

Galveston had another round of those hard-driving thunderstorms like those that came through on Sunday.  Really hard, wind-driven rain that fell in buckets.  At one point I looked out the front door and was greeted with a round, frightening collection of very sharp-looking teeth.  Disturbing.  I opened the door carefully to see what kind of creature the storm had driven upon our porch.  Cautiously I approached.  Then, with the quickness and skill of a ninja, I grabbed the beast with both hands.  Struggling to control it, I managed to get it inside the front door where it settled down rather quickly.  And what was this unexpected interloper?  Someone’s errant beach ball with a picture of a shark’s open mouth on it.  The wind had picked it up from somewhere and decided that our house was as good a new home as any.  Maybe I can post a picture of it on FaceBook, but Freddy kind of likes it, so I’m not sure she’ll let it go …

Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Father, thank you for fun surprises that arrive with scary storms.  Amen.

Started our day yesterday with a little family ministry.  Kel had to take his car into the shop and needed a ride to work afterwards.  He had an oil leak, and the people he took it to to get it changed refused to do the work.  So brought it down to Galveston to our mechanic Dennis.  As it turned out there was a serious problem with the drain plug.  It was completely stripped out.  It took some doing, but Dennis got the leak stopped with a bigger sized plug.  We picked up the finished vehicle and took it over to Kel when he got off work. 

Had an interesting spell-check experience that I still don’t understand at all.  I typed in the word “did.”  Sounds simple enough, right?  The all-knowing and all-powerful spell-check program changed it.  I’m sure the intent was just to be of assistance.  Any guesses what that simple word “did” became?  “Fido.”  What?

Galveston had another round of those hard-driving thunderstorms like those that came through on Sunday.  Really hard, wind-driven rain that fell in buckets.  At one point I looked out the front door and was greeted with a round, frightening collection of very sharp-looking teeth.  Disturbing.  I opened the door carefully to see what kind of creature the storm had driven upon our porch.  Cautiously I approached.  Then, with the quickness and skill of a ninja, I grabbed the beast with both hands.  Struggling to control it, I managed to get it inside the front door where it settled down rather quickly.  And what was this unexpected interloper?  Someone’s errant beach ball with a picture of a shark’s open mouth on it.  The wind had picked it up from somewhere and decided that our house was as good a new home as any.  Maybe I can post a picture of it on FaceBook, but Freddy kind of likes it, so I’m not sure she’ll let it go …

Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Father, thank you for fun surprises that arrive with scary storms.  Amen.

June 22 – “Damp excitement”

The Lord brought us a little excitement yesterday at church.  We were set up as usual under the retreat center building, enjoying the shade.  Forty or so folks were just settling in to worship when all of a sudden a brisk westerly breeze kicked up, a rather strange occurrence on our island with a prevailing southeasterly wind.  A few raindrops began to fall, prompting those on the edges of the building’s protection to ease a little closer in.  And then … the bottom fell out of the sky.  Rain began falling in buckets.  And to make matters worse, just as I began the teaching, that westerly wind picked up even more, blowing the rain righto the backs of the praise team equipment.  And me.  Seasiders jumped into action.  Some moved tables.  Some moved chairs.  Others helped praise team members push equipment further under the building.  It was semi-controlled chaos.  Through it all I tried my best to keep going with the teaching. Oh, I acknowledged what was happening.  Even tried to give a play-by-play account in between sermon points for those folks watching online.  Eventually everybody got far enough from the building edges to be safe from the tempest.  And by the time we said the final “Amens” and “Love ya family’s” the rain had stopped.  I think the only casualty was Dale’s ve-8 acoustic singer harmonizer.  Whatever that means.    

After church I got to talk to the newlyweds from Indiana who were in town for their honeymoon.  They had emailed through the church website earlier in the week, and I wasn’t sure they got my response.  But it worked, Jennifer (Jennifer is our top-notch website administrator).  Oh, and a handful of us stuck around for a little picnic on the grounds.  Whew.  What a day. 

But my day wasn’t over yet.  Chris had left the house at 6:15 to take Cailyn to her softball tournament.  Nathan picked me up on his way to work and gave me a ride to Santa Fe so I could join them for their last game.  Cailyn did really well again.  Several dazzling plays in the field.  She did get a solid hit on the ball, but because of a really good play by the shortstop she was out at first.  They lost the game, but their coach was very pleased with their progress.  Looking to the future …

After the game we went by the LaMarque cousins’ house.  Christina had fixed some gumbo for Father’s Day, so we got to enjoy some good food.  They also gave me a game.  It was one I fell in love with the last time they were at our house.  Called Telestrations.  I described it once before in a blog.  We played one rousing game to break it in.  Great fun.  I recommend it highly. 

John 14:21 says, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.  The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

Father, thanks for your protection yesterday in several ways – from the rain hitting electrical equipment, from the elements at the softball tournament, from issues we never even saw that you took care of.  Amen.

June 21 – “Showin’ off for Father’s Day”

Our day started out early.  We had Cailyn while Mom and Dad both worked.  And sh had a softball tournament.  In Santa Fe.  First game at 10:20, so we left to pick her up at 8:00.  Just as we pulled up to their front yard, we got a text from Nathan and April.  The game has been postponed due to rain for two hours.  Well, OK.  We drove back home and took a nap.  At least I did. 

We arrived at their house again around ten.  They had lots of stuff ready for us to load into the car.  Ice chest, two battery operated fans, one for the dugout and one for us if we wanted it.  Cailyn’s backpack, our lawn chairs.  It filled up the car.  Fortunately there was still a little room for Cailyn in the back seat.  We got on the road and were less than a mile from their house when we got yet another text.  The game was postponed another two hours.  She asked if she could just come over to our house and hang out.  Done.

And just as we were standing up to leave again … another text.  Postponed until 8 p.m.  Actually they just canceled one of the games.  So we settled in at the house for a Hallmark movie.  Cailyn spent the afternoon finishing up a Cross stitch creation she started a long time ago.  It’s her name.  Very cute.  She plans to hang it in her bedroom.  Nathan stopped by on his way to work.  Cailyn also suggested a dish for supper.  Tater Tot Casserole.  Can’t beat a good. Crisp tater tot. 

We finally got on the road again around 6:30.  No text this time.  We got to the field in plenty of time.  Plenty … of … time.  They were running an hour behind.  Gametime was now 9:15.  We finally did get going, only about twelve hours late.  But it was well worth the wait.  Cailyn’s team played an amazing game.  Flawless in the field.  A bit weak at the plate though.  Fortunately Cailyn was on her best “show off for DadDad for Father’s Day” game.  She got a hit and a walk and scored two of the team’s three runs.  She also made a diving stab of a soft line drive while playing second base.  Good guys won three to nothing.

We were finally home and in bed by 11:30.  Hope she fell asleep quickly.  She has another game at 8 this morning.  And Mom and Dad are both working again.  Chris is taking her while I go to church.  She didn’t want to preach.  She has another game scheduled at 1:20.  Then if they win those, the championship game is at 4 p.m.  Gotta love tournament play.

Exodus 20:12 says, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”

Father, once again, will you watch over those youngsters today.  And would you join us at church?  We could sure use your presence there as well.  Amen.

June 20 – “What’s the schedule …”

We made a huge run for groceries over at WalMart yesterday.  We made sure to have our masks at the ready as well.  Slapped them on as we entered the front door, peeled them off when we exited.  The big news in the paper today is all about how the governor might let local governments fine businesses who don’t require masks.  He already said they can’t fine individuals, though.  Not sure how that would work. 

After WalMart we slipped into Randall’s for their special app-only deal.  Blue Bell ice cream for $2.99 each.  Only two per app allowed.  I went in while Chris drove around the parking lot.  As it turned out, the app server apparently went down.  Even the people in the store couldn’t get it to work.  I had to pay full price, then go to customer service for a refund of the sale amount.  No problem.  Six bucks saved on Blue Bell?  Worth it.

I have no further time to wax philosophical or even Coroniacal today.  We have to go wake up Cailyn and get her ready for a big softball tournament in Santa Fe today.  Santa Fe, Texas.  Not New Mexico.  We get to see two games today.  Chris has charge tomorrow for a morning game while I go to church.  That means we need a new camera person for Seaside Online.  I’m waiting for the volunteer line to form.  We have picnic on the grounds after church, and then I’ll try to make it for the 1:20 game.  Whew.  We haven’t had to keep up with a schedule like this since I was a basketball coach.  We’re off.

Psalms 19:1-2 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.”

Father, please keep these young ladies safe today as they spend a lot of time in the sun.  I guess I should extend that request to the old timers as well.  Amen.

June 19 – “Thanks for the sips …”

The inevitable has happened.  No, I don’t mean one or both of us has tested Coronatively positive.  I mean for the first time since back in January or February … drumroll here … we drove into Texas to make a Sam’s run.  And boy, has Sam’s ever  changed things around.  It’s actually set up kind of like a WalMart on steroids now.  Long rows.  Clearly marked aisles.  Very nice frozen and cold food section.  And even a separate dairy section in the back.  The stock seemed to be up to date as well.  We were able to get toilet paper for us as well as the church.  They also had plenty of paper towels.  As far as masking goes, I would say most people were wearing one.  Not everyone.  And the ones that did have them on were actually covering both nose and mouth, so that’s a step above WalMart, at least. 

Speaking of WalMart, we have to head over there for some groceries this morning.  In fact we need to leave pretty quickly.  Apparently the city is expecting another influx of crazies coming to the Island for the weekend.  And it’s possible the car enthusiasts will be back.  That would be the ones who just drive around and block traffic to look at each other’s cars.  They don’t go to the beach or spend money at hotels or restaurants.  Just block traffic and sometimes get into “legal difficulties.”  So, here we go.  Off to grocery with the rest of the white hairs …

Revelation 21:6 says, “He said to me: ‘It is done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.  To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.’”

Father, thank you for that promise of life water.  And thanks for the sips you have already allowed us to have.  Amen.

June 18 – “Two out of three”

Yesterday was one of those odd little “deal with small issues that could become large issues” kind of work days.  Great fun.  Requires creativity, ingenuity, patience, and many, many texts and phone calls.

First I had to work with FaceBook to figure out how to change the church’s page to allow someone else to be an administrator of the page.  Apparently that’s the only way for someone to start a FaceBook Live broadcast from the page.  Why is that needed?  There are hypothetical situations where Chris and I are not in town and a substitute preacher is on tap.  Someone needs to be able to keep the broadcast going in our absence.  It took me quite a while to track down the right command prompts.  The details in the Google search were slightly different in real life.  But it is done and now Lauren can use her own phone to do the broadcast.  Check.

Next, we are trying to figure out how to set up a calendar both online and among the key personnel for tracking retreat center usage.  I think the one between the individuals will be fairly simple (for someone who knows what he is doing).  Adding it to the website may be another thing altogether.  I tried to update the calendar that is on the website now.  It looked like it was working fine, but suddenly it notified me that a critical error had occurred.  No idea what that error might be.  It affected the month of June.  July looks fine so far.  Guess I’ll take another stab at that one after a while.  Or better yet, I already notified our web master Jennifer.  Maybe she can figure out what havoc I wreaked.

Next I received some texts from Cathy.  She was at the church with Mark, our plumber.  He was there to install a water shutoff valve so we can get the ice maker hooked up when the new refrigerator is delivered next week.  Problem was, he couldn’t get the water to the building shut off.  Apparently the valve at the building was broken.  I directed them to where I though the shut-off was for the whole building, but that wasn’t working, either.  I started texting around to see if anyone I could find knew what to do.  Robert verified that we were looking in the right place.  Doug came out and helped in the search.  Finally, after the search had lasted from 9:30 to around 1, Cathy called her son-in-law, our esteemed Handyman Ed, for his ideas.  He came out and within thirty seconds had the water shut off.  I guess they just weren’t turning the valve at the street far enough.  Or maybe they weren’t holding their tongues in the right position.  Whatever the reason, the job is done.  And Mark even offered to come back another time and replace the valves he found that were broken.  Check.

Ephesians 4:2 says, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”

Father, thank you for gifting Seaside with people so willing to step in and help.  Bless Lauren and Ed and Cathy and Mark and Doug and Bob and Robert and Jennifer and Shawn and anybody else who had a hand in the team effort yesterday.  Amen.

June 17 – “Neighborhood excitement”

We had a little neighborhood excitement at the house next door yesterday.  Police action.  No guns drawn or anything like that, though.  They were here because the car had its windshield and driver’s side window bashed in with a baseball bat.  No, it’s not something the rest of the neighborhood needs to be especially wary of.  We didn’t see what happened, although we did hear it.  Lots of yelling and screaming, which in itself is not that unusual.  And when we went out front to put the trash can out for pickup, the police were watching as one person walked away from the house.  I later went out with a broom and dustpan to clean up the glass in the street.  About that time the residents drove up and assured me that they were going to clean it up right away.  They indeed did.  Pretty ingenious approach, too.  One guy brought out a leaf rake and piled the larger pieces on it.  Another finally came out with the more conventional broom and dustpan.  Things have been eerily quiet over there since then …

With things calmed down, we ventured out to WalMart.  The primary targets were Tylenol and Benadryl, but there were a few detours along the way.  Chris made her way into the garden center, of course.  Well, made “our” way I suppose would be more accurate.  She needed a bigger pot to transplant a plant that has gotten unwieldy.  And some more dirt, too.  She found a pretty big one that apparently checked all the boxes she was seeking.  We also looked at the white porch rocking chairs we are planning to get to replace the ones we have now.  Those are a little scary to sit in.  Kind of shaky at the joints.  We decided to wait until I could go back with the truck.  Next we strolled around the store and just happened to come across the movie section.  Sadly, none were loose enough to accidentally fall into the cart this time.  I’ll have to check back later when I have more time to peruse the wares.  As it turned out we forgot air conditioner filters anyway, so I will have another opportunity.  We concluded our run in the bananas section.  Can’t run too low on that daily treat. 

Now I have to figure out how to create another email address for the church retreat center.  I thought about doing it through our website, but I think keeping it simple and letting Yahoo do all the work will be a better way to go.  If I can just remember how to do that …

Psalms 28:7 says, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.  My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.”

Father, please bring peace to the family next door.  You know what they need.  Amen.

June 16 – “Expensive hay?”

OK all you dream mongers.  Here’s the latest.  We were on a cruise.  Unmistakably a cruise, but no idea where we were going.  I was approached by someone in ship’s uniform and was “informed” (more than “requested”) that I would be going into town to pick up some bales of hay.  I performed the task, and when I returned I drove through a maze of those kinds of trees that, instead of leaves, have those appendages that fall apart into tiny little grainy particles that get all over everything.  Making my way to the ship captain, I gave him his change, which amounted to a one hundred dollar bill and two ones.  I also reported, “You do know that you had me go to the most expensive places possible to buy this hay, don’t you?”  Sorry.  He didn’t reply, and I woke up.  Figure that one out.

I helped Chris out a little bit yesterday after my usual Monday workday.  She was doing a Spring Cleaning-esque job on our bedroom.  Herculean effort, I might add.  She organized the bedside tables and moved stuff out to other sites and most significantly … dusted and swept the entire room.  She even found some dust bunnies stuffed under the dresser that had grown into full-blown March hares, so big that they couldn’t get out to attend the Mock Turtle’s tea party.  That was an attempt at a literary allusion, for those who appreciate that sort of thing.  As a result, I didn’t sneeze a thousand times when we went to bed last night.  Didn’t sneeze at all in fact.  I kind of missed it …

Last night we went to Cailyn’s softball game.  She only batted once.  Walked on four pitches that weren’t even close.  Stole second and third and scored on a wild pitch.  Her team won handily.  Jachin plays baseball today.  Three games, in fact.  But the game is about an hour from Waco.  Guess we’ll miss these.

Psalms 91:1-2 says, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’”

Father, please watch over Jachin and the guys on his team.  It’s gonna be a hot one.  Amen.

June 15 – “Update: Strawberry the Wonder Turtle”

Let me start today with a nod to the only comment I had from the article yesterday about Strawberry the Wonder Turtle.  We were talking to our son Josh on the phone, pre-publication.  When I got to the part of the story where Strawberry took off as I reached down to grant him assistance, I commented about the animal’s unexpected burst of speed.  It was fast.  And Josh, after a brief pause, replied, “I don’t mean to be offensive, but that’s not saying much.  It WAS a turtle.”  Thanks for that vote of confidence, son.  Speaking of Strawberry, we got word from Brennan’s Mom that Strawberry the Wonder Turtle has been returned to the wild.  He was last seen swimming away (rapidly, I might add, Josh) into a very large pond near the batting cages.  Now Brennan can visit every time he takes batting practice.  Nice.

We had an interesting snafu or two at church yesterday.  The FaceBook Live feed turned itself sideways.  No idea how that happened.  Chris went over to our tech consultant Shawn to get some help.  After a brief consultation period, we did what every self-respecting computer operator would do in a similar situation.  We turned it off and started it over again.  I don’t think it was too much of an inconvenience for our online viewers. 

The other one involved our new mic that I wear on my head like a pair of glasses.  We finally figured out how to keep it from turning itself off, but yesterday we hit a different snag.  The wind.  Our pleasant Galveston Beach breeze picked up a little steam, and before we knew it all we could hear was the blowing into the microphone.  Sounded like a hurricane was blasting its way on shore.  Jim did every adjustment he could to settle it down, but to no avail.  We ended up switching to the backup floor mic again.  Guess I’m doomed to be glued to the stool until we can move back inside. 

In spite of the issues, it was still a good day.  Beautiful weather.  That wind made the shade under the building feel great.  A recently retired couple from New York State joined us as part of their cross-country trek.  Their next stop is the Grand Canyon.  How about that?  Galveston ranked right up there with the Grand Canyon as a top spot to visit.  The praise team did their usual great job, and it looks like they might have a new member next week.  Stay tuned.  We were able to respond in real time to a request for prayer that came in through the comments section of the broadcast.  Thanks to those who are monitoring and responding to the comments.  In fact, thanks to those who are still with us watching on line.  We‘re trying. 

2 Thessalonians 3:3 says, “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.”

Father, thank you for the patience and love everyone showed while we dealt with those tech issues yesterday.  Amen.