October 24 – “On restaurant rules and zombie details”

We made another quick trip yesterday.  The exciting appeal of this one?  We drove right into a cold front.  Lots of rain, and when we came out on the other side we were in for a real surprise.  Two of them actually.  First, we suddenly faced what looked exactly like mountains.  It was eerie.  I thought maybe Chris had made a wrong turn while I was asleep and we had ended up in Colorado.  But no.  It was another bank of clouds hanging just barely above the horizon.  Weird.  The second surprise was even weirder.  See, when we left home the temperature was a balmy island 83 degrees.  The closer we got to our destination the colder it got.  Those Colorado possibilities were looming greater and greater.  By the time we arrived the temperature outside was 55 degrees.  It was cold.  Oh, I guess I didn’t mention where we were.  That frozen northern wasteland called … Waco. 

 

We were there for a birthday party.  Luke is turning seven years old (today, actually).  The plan for the party was to have an American Ninja Warrior obstacle course set up in the back yard.  Cold front.  Rain.  Mud.  Nope.  Plan B.  Fortunately, their church has a gym.  We were able to set up there, and the kids played basketball and flag football.  Josh did string up a section of the obstacle course between two basketball goals as well.  all in all the youngsters seemed to have a good time.  Oh, and they only had to wear their masks from the building entrance to the gym itself.  Kind of like restaurant rules.

 

After cupcakes and presents the kids and two Dads (not this one) played a game of flag football.  Both Dads were on the same team against a team of seven-year-olds.  And one Dad (not Josh) was ultra-competitive.  He was a big guy.  Ex-football player.  Completely took out two of the youngsters in the course of the game.  Fortunately (or not so fortunately for them) they were his own kids. 

 

After the party we went back to the house for pizza.  For dessert I shared some special Halloween Skittles with the boys.  How was I to know that a few in each individually wrapped packet tasted like rotten zombie vomit?  I thought the package was kidding.  And I did get the candy from sweet little Brennan across the street.  I’m sure he was just being kind when he gave the package to us and suggested we share them with the cousins.  Yep.  Thanks, Brennan.  The deed is done.  (Insert high five here).

 

Romans 8:27 says, “And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”

 

Father, thank you for the incredible expression of your awesomeness we saw in that cold front yesterday.  Just … wow.  Amen.