February 14 – “A super evening”

We were back at Seaside for worship again.  The place was really full, too.  Great to see how the Lord keeps on blessing there in the attendance realm.  Music was great, as usual, and the song selections went perfectly with the sermon.  That’s also something God has been doing for a long time.  Same Holy Spirit directing two hearts toward a common goal – communicating the good news about Jesus.  Way to go, God.  You, too, Kel and Jim.  Keep on listening to Him.

 

The afternoon we spent getting everything ready for last night’s Super Bowl Commercial Party.  Decorations were hung.  Brisket was inserted into the crock pot.  Bingo games and trivia challenge sheets were laid out.  Tea was made and duly labeled (sweet and unsweet).  Television channel switched over to the pre-game coverage.  And finally, even Chris sat down for a few minutes to collect herself before the anticipated onslaught of … well, we had no idea how many would be here. 

 

As it turned out, we had at least twelve or fifteen people stuffed in and about the room.  Some were actually watching the game with Bingo cards in hand.  Others sat at the table and chatted.  Lauren firmly planted herself at the jigsaw puzzle table and got to work.  A few came and went and came back again.  Ed even arrived at about halftime, after splitting the difference with a party at his neighbor’s house.  The food table was rapidly filled with an array of excellent edibles.  Dips of all kinds (I know Lauren brought at least three different kinds).  Corey’s homemade fried cheesesticks.  Brisket from Koop’s.  A plate full of those round, swirly things with cream cheese or something like it inside (sorry, Sandy.  I don’t know what they are called, but they were sure good).  Sam brought her famous key lime pie.  Cathy had a pan full of baked beans.  Susan brought chips and dips and even ordered a bunch of pizzas.  I probably forgot a lot, but I did my best to be a good host and try a little of everything.  That’s what a good host does, right? 

 

The good guys almost pulled out a victory in the game (By good guys I mean the underdogs.  It was already a win that Tom Brady wasn’t quarterbacking one of the teams).  There were no clear-cut winners in the Bingo or trivia games, but everybody was treated to a parting gift before they left.  They got to pull from a grab bag of samples from some of the TV ads.  Coke, Pepsi, Snickers, and even cars (well, matchbox sized replicas of cars).  Everybody seemed to enjoy a super evening (“super” – see what I did there?).

 

1 Corinthians 13:4 says, “Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”

 

Father, thank you for friends who can enjoy hanging out together with food and fun TV commercials (and football, too, I guess).   Amen.