November 30 - “Creative Quiver”

Some of our guests decided to brave the potentially massive crowds. They were up and out the door by around 7:30 for some Black Friday shopping. By “some” I mean Josh and Christi and Zak and Lindsay. They drove all the way from Waco just to shop at our beloved Walmart and Academy. We stayed back and hung out with AnnaGrace and Luke. 

The LaMarque cousins arrived with a bang close to noon, so all the leftovers made another appearance. While the spread was being prepared, the cousins played a little football out in the street. It was still plenty cold, though. 

This time I managed to score a piece of the cherry tart that Cailyn made. Excellent job, girl! I’m proud of you. 

After lunch we all made our way up to Cailyn’s house. The order of the day was a rousing game or seven or eight of air soft battlefield. The younger girls bypassed the fight in favor of a dip in the heated pool. Josh figured out the TV just in time to take a nap while the Chiefs played the Raiders. We were hoping for an upset, but the hapless Raiders fell just short. 

Back home we had some dinner (turkey and/or pizza). The older kids fell into a game with each other - on their phones. The rest of us settled into a few Christmas movies. The older guys, although they might hesitate to admit it, ended up just as enthralled, especially with the remake of the Grinch feature-length cartoon. That one was odd. It featured some rap songs. Reaching a new generation and all, I guess. We all pretty much agreed that Jim Carrey was the definitive Grinch. 

Oh, and during the movie we set up the Christmas tree. Just the tree. Decorating will commence later this morning. Special thanks to Lindsay, though. She spent a good deal of time “fluffing” the branches. And, thanks to Zak, the tree also has a rather quirky bend right at the top. 

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭37‬-‭39‬ says, He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Father, thanks for the quiver of creative kids you blessed us with. Amen. 

November 29 - “A Thanksgiving Day”

Around 8 I headed for the fire stations. One of my chaplain traditions has been to visit them all on Thanksgiving morning and take a bag of the fried turkey. 

One thing I get a kick out of seeing when I arrive is the answer to the burning question: What will each crew be watching on TV? Here’s this year’s summary:

At one station the TV was not on. 

Two of the stations were watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. 

One station was watching the Houston parade. 

And finally, one was watching a movie. 

When I arrived at Central, the crew from station five was also around, preparing to share their meal together, so I got to see them all at once. 

From there I headed to station four, my last one. But as I pulled onto the street leading up to the station, the engine came barreling toward me with lights flashing and siren blaring. I pulled over and checked my phone app. They were headed to a call in my neighborhood, so I decided to meet them there. It was a medical call, so they passed it on to EMS when they arrived. I chatted with the crew briefly, then left their bag of turkey with them. 

Back home I helped Chris with the last of the food preparations. Soon thereafter, Nathan and April and Cailyn arrived. We had a grand Thanksgiving meal with them. After they went home, we settled in to wait for the next wave. That meant catching a movie. Beauty and the Beast (the one starring Hermoine Granger, or whatever her other name is). Bet I surprised you on that one. Not a Hallmark. 

Josh and Christi and their kiddos (and one extra - Zak’s girlfriend, Lindsay) made their way from Crosby, where Christi’s parents live. And later today Kel and Christina will arrive with the rest of the cousins. 

‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭16‬:‭34‬ says, Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.

Father, please watch over the fire fighters, especially during the holidays. Thank you for all they do. Protect their families when they have to be apart. Amen. 

November 28 - “Dirtiest, messiest, nastiest of them all”

Chris was off early. She had a doctor appointment with her PCP. Just checking everything out. She had to get that out of the way before we tackled all the last-minute stuff before the guests start arriving tomorrow. 

OK. I’ll get this out of the way now. Yes, I am pretty sore from my fall. Arm, leg, back, and neck. I was even awakened last night by two bouts with hamstring cramps. Nothing quite like feeling, especially at 3 in the morning. But honestly, I’ve had worse days. I’ll just take it as a win (for God, not me!), and move on. 

So … what was on Chris’ list? Pick up a prescription at Randall’s. Check. Then on to Walmart. Buttons, sweet potatoes, green beans, distilled water, and a loaf of bread. Check. Actually, only the buttons and beans were on her list. Can’t get outa there without a little extra, though. 

Back home Chris got to work on making cornbread for the dressing and finishing up a sewing project. I got a text from Academy that the shoes she ordered were in, so I headed over there to pick them up. Our final pre-Thanksgiving task (not counting cooking or watching college basketball games or delivering turkey to the fire stations) was the dirtiest, messiest, nastiest of them all. We had to empty those fry pots and clean them up. It was a good hour or so of hard, back breaking work. Just what I needed after that fall (NOT). 

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭says, Above all, maintain an intense love for each other, since love covers a multitude of sins.

Father, be with us today as we celebrate you in thanksgiving. Amen. 

November 27 - “The Fall”

It’s baaack. It’s cold again. 55 degrees when we woke up yesterday. Of course it was. It was Turkey Fry Tuesday. That meant we had to be outside a lot. Great. 

I started around 8, pulling out the fryer stands and pots. Nathan brought over the propane and a third fryer and pot. The turkeys were ready. They had been sitting in the seasoning rub since Sunday. In spite of the cold … it was time. 

As it turned out, Nathan brought his two lovely ladies with him. Kel and Christina came with all their bunch except Micah. For the rest of the afternoon, we all pitched in. Nathan was instrumental in getting the turkeys fried and cut up. The boys helped get them from the fridge to the counter. Cailyn and Noa  worked together with Nana to pies put together and get them baked. And April spearheaded the massive cleanup efforts. We left the hot oil covered in the pots in the back yard. It needed to cool for a day or two before returning to the jugs from whence it came and making its way to the trash can. That’s on tap for sometime today. 

I guess the big excitement of the day came as the final three turkeys were crackling away in their baths of scalding oil. From those pots, I headed toward the back door with one of the cooking thermometers in hand, ready to get a start on dishwashing. And just as I entered the house, as my sneaker hit the tile (unbeknownst to me, said sneakers had accumulated a pocket of grease on their bottom), my foot slipped out from beneath me, sending my crashing to the floor. 

I took the brunt of the impact on my elbow. Same elbow of the arm containing the hand in which the sharp-pointed thermometer temporarily resided. Fortunately, no stabbing resulted. I was tended to in an instant by Chris and Nathan. Both “calmly” inquired as to my wellbeing, insisting that I stay seated for at least a minute or two. Nathan held out his hand to help me up, but I had visions of his shoulder being ripped from its socket again. I took my time easing myself up and to my feet. Oh, that was after I reassured my smart watch that even though I had fallen, I was OK and it didn’t need to call 911. I also reassured the humans. 

I figured I would probably be fine for at least 24 hours, or until I had a chance to completely relax. Then the pain would no doubt show up. I was pretty correct. Didn’t take 24 hours though. The soreness crept in before I ever made it to bed last night. It’s still around today, but not as bad as I anticipated. 

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬ says, Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

Father, thanks for for keeping me relatively unscathed in that fall. Amen. 

November 26 - “it just didn’t …”

We got in a quick two mile walk again. Gotta stay up on that as much as possible, especially with these eating holidays coming up. We also managed to wrangle Freddy enough to give her a bath. Well, read here, “Chris” rather than “we”.  I just had the post-bath task of hanging on to her (Freddy, not Chris) while her ears were cleaned. 

After some lunch we had some errands to run. Downtown to pay one of the bills for Sam’s house. Then to the post office to mail another. Next was a quick stop at CVS to get a particular vitamin Chris takes. Finally, we went to …yeah, THAT place. I needed bananas. Chris needed the last minute Thanksgiving supplies. Where else would we go?  

We had a bit of a crisis last night. We’re kinda getting good at those.  Chris was washing clothes. Suddenly … the machine … well, it … it just didn’t … stop. Just kept running and running and running. Fortunately there was no water involved. Just a never-ending attempt to … do something. 

We had just about given up and were thinking about doing that dreaded deed - calling the repairman. But then … in Chris’ absence, I may or may not have slapped the machine. Twice. Then I casually pushed the start button. And the thing lit up like a Christmas tree. I ran and got Chris. Cautiously, she placed another pile of clothes within. Even more cautiously she pushed the start button. And … it started. Well, of course it did. I fixed it. 

Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭ says, Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement allow you to live in harmony with one another, according to the command of Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with a united mind and voice.

Father, thank you for that jump start on the washing machine. Amen. 

November 25 - “Nerf Wars”

Yesterday was Hanging of the Greens day at church. That means decorating the sanctuary for Christmas. We got most of the lights and greenery and trees up. Problem was … brand new strands of lights had major sections of lights out. Not sure what the next steps will be. We did enjoy sharing pizza together, though. 

Last night I went to the youth group rec night. Nerf gun wars. There weren’t very many kids there, but let’s just say … they were pretty good shots. I didn’t know there were that many different ways to stalk each other.  And these weren’t all the long and skinny bullets, either. The newest thing in Nerf bullets is round ones, kinda like the old musket balls. They shoot faster and farther and with considerably more accuracy. Oh, and I may or may not have gotten enough shots off to say I nailed everyone. And I never got hit. There are advantages to being PK. No one is quite sure whether or not it is OK to shoot me. It’s great being invulnerable. Or would that be invisible?

John‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬ says, The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Father, thank you for the chance to have fun with the kiddos. Amen. 

November 24 - “Big Events”

Cailyn had a big event happen in her life. No, not talking about being inducted into the National Honor Society, although that did happen. This one was certainly memorable, though most assuredly less welcome. She had all four of her wisdom teeth removed. Just … ouch. 

We decided to make a stop at her house and take her a little treat on our way to our other big event of the day (seeing Cailyn and her family being our first): the HCU football game. Flowers and a stuffed penguin. Guess which one I picked. Actually, Chris selected the floral genre. She went with my choice of particular flowers. No idea what kind. They were just pretty. You know. Like Cailyn. And Cailyn seemed to like the penguin and the flowers. 

The football game was a real barn  burner. Took over three hours to play. Why? Too many touchdowns, for one thing. Final score was 62-24. That’s 86 total points (if my math is right). It was enough that a freshman offensive lineman was put into the game for the last minute or so. The fans loved it. He was cheered continually the whole time he was on the field. 

And the other reason? Must have been 10 or 12 major penalties. Big ones. Personal fouls. The kind that accompany fights. In fact one guy on the opposing team was ejected from the game and had to leave the field entirely. All that action just took time. Oh! HCU was on the winning side. Jachin served as senior student trainer for his final football game. We are proud of you, Jachin. 

On the way home we stopped back by Nathan’s. They had two more turkeys for us to fry on Tuesday. Chris has to apply the rub today, so they can soak in it a day or two. Tuesday is also baking day. Lots of pies and cookies are coming as well. Can’t wait. 

Proverbs‬ ‭18‬:‭10‬ says, The name of Yahweh is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are protected.

Father, thanks for keeping the boys on the field safe, for the most part. And thank you that Cailyn is not having much pain. Heal her quickly. Amen. 

November 23 - “Expertly camouflaged”

I had a surprise for Chris when she got up this morning. I turned on the heater for the first time this season. It was down real close to 50 again. Ridiculously cold, if you ask me. 

And the worst part of it all? I was determined to mow the grass. We have way too much to do in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. Gotta get this little chore behind us. 

As it turned out, by the time we finished the yardwork (Chris handled the sweeping part, of course), it was actually getting hot outside. I mean, the thermometer read 64, but that sun sure was beating down. I guess that added portion of the task where we moved a bunch of bricks around might or might not have contributed to the heating quotient. We got it all done, though. 

Chris even managed to water some plants. Well, in between running away from deadly snakes that were expertly camouflaged to look eerily like lizards and frogs.  But no need for worry. She is safe. 

Today we’re heading up to Texas to see a football game. Good ol’ Alma Mater, HBU. Er … I mean HCU now. Should be fun. 

Deuteronomy‬ ‭6‬:‭5‬ ‭ says, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Father, please ride with us to Houston. And keep those boys safe on the field. Amen. 

November 22 - “Indoors”

It was freezing cold yesterday. Well, maybe not freezing. But cold. Really cold. Like 54 degrees cold. In Galveston that might as well be below freezing. Miserably cold. 

Sadly, the cold weather meant a certain outdoor activity had to be postponed. I know it sounds funny to you Northern Wastelanders, but our grass needs to be mowed. Never stops growing around here. Just slows down a little.

Our day, then, was spent for the most part indoors. It was a Thursday, so we had to do the weekly home group cleaning. I did the vacuuming, as usual. Chris cleaned the bathrooms and swept. 

Then we eased into the home group experience. That included baking the cookies. Mini-chocolate chippers. Always a crowd favorite. Chris met with Sandy before we started. They are finishing up last-minute details for the Bethlehem Street Market craft fair in a few weeks. Sandy has taken over the reins from Chris since we are planning to be out of town quite a bit more often than in the past. 

Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭ says, Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land.

Father, please work out all the details of the market. And bless Sandy and her team for taking it over. Chris has certainly earned the reprieve. Amen. 

November 21 - “My neighbor screamed …”

I had an “interesting” encounter yesterday with … well, maybe it’s best that I just share the story. Here’s how it happened …

As Chris concentrated on her latest sewing project, and I watched some mindless TV, there came a knock at the door. It was clearly a lady in distress (in the person of our next door neighbor).  Seems she had a flat tire in her driveway and needed a jack. Another neighbor had offered his,  but couldn’t get it to fit. I pulled ours from the car. Note here that it had never before been released from the shackles that had bound it since the car was first purchased so many years and so many miles ago. 

I made my way over there, and did my best to find some portion of their car frame that would allow my notched-for-a-Chevy-Equinox-only jack to lift the car enough to pull off the blown tire. So far, so good. 

The tire came off, but the obvious next task was to get the tire replaced. The neighbor with the too-tall jack offered to drive the tire to the shop. He didn’t have room in his seat for a passenger, though. We assumed she would wait for his return. But no. Before we knew it, she was crawling into a car with … an Uber driver. 

Before she left, though, I explained more than once that the jack was not made for their car and could slip at any time, so they needed to make sure no one came anywhere near the car while they took the tire to be replaced. All was assured. And off they went, tire in hand. 

Not long after, the knock came at the door that the tire was back, albeit with a slightly bent rim and a ponderously glued new tire upon it. I was needed because the now-inflated tire wouldn’t fit on the rim yet. Needed to be a little higher. 

And so I resumed my cranking, which, by the way, involved me lying alternatively on my back or my side with both arms and part of my head craned under the car. The more I cranked, the more difficult it became. As it was, I could only go about a quarter of a turn at a time. But I kept at it. 

Until … 

Just as I reached the end of a particularly demanding crank, BAM!! The jack slipped out of its increasingly precarious perch. And the result? Yep. The full weight of the car came crashing down. Somehow - in the grand scheme and divine plan of a gloriously forgiving God - it missed. Well, not entirely. I did get a scratch on my arm. And a tiny scrape on a knuckle. My neighbor screamed (surprised you didn’t hear it), “Oh, my precious Lord Jesus!”  Just between you and me, that’s probably the closest she’s come to praying since we’ve known her. 

I retrieved my jack from under the car, and apologized that it did exactly what I warned them it might do. She refused to accept that apology, however. Instead she profusely apologized to me, saying, “I’m just so glad you weren’t under there.” I assured her that apparently God was not done with me quite yet.  She replied, “Oh, no, Mister Kelley. No, he’s not!”  

No, Dear Neighbor. And he’s not done with you, either. 

Isaiah‬ ‭9‬:‭2‬ ‭ says, The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness.

Father, what else can I say? Thank you that I am still alive. Amen. 

November 20 - “Gettin’ the fixin’s”

Back to the old grind again. Two Mike walk. Chris even kept up the torture by walking up and down our deck stairs. Did I mention that she’s my hero?

Right after lunch we hit the ground hard. No. Nobody fell. I mean we got going on Thanksgiving preparations. And of course that meant … Walmart. We got the fixins for pies and cookies and turkey fryin and whatever else we could think of on the spur of the moment. Sure filled up that basket, though. But speaking of “fillin’”, a little of that stuff was designed to get a start on fillin’ that new fridge. Woohoo!

John‬ ‭15‬:‭12‬ ‭ says, This is My command: Love one another as I have loved you.

Father, thank you for all the things we have to say “thank you” for. Amen. 

November 19 - “And … even further…”

We left Waco a little early yesterday. A little after 8, I think. We wanted to get ahead of the oncoming rain. 

I got to see Josh as he departed for his early morning breakfast appointment. And we saw Christi as we were loading up the car. All of the kiddos were sound asleep, though. And we wanted no part in disturbing sound slumber. 

We stopped for a quick breakfast on our way out of town. McDonald’s. Hey. They do have decent breakfasts. Speaking of quick stops, we did our usual Buc-ees bathroom and gas stop further down the road. 

And … even further down the road, we stopped at an AAA office (Hmm … a or an in that usage situation?). We picked up some road maps for our upcoming Spring Training journey in March. 

And … even further down the road, we stopped at the outlet malls. Chris is looking for a very specific pair of tennis shoes. Made by Sketchers. Size 6.5. Not white or pink or purple. Preferably the dark colors - gray, black, etc. not an easy find. They didn’t have them either. Still searching. 

And … even further down the road,  we stopped yet again. This time it Randall’s. They had frying oil on sale (for the Thanksgiving turkeys!). And since we ended up spending more than $75 (a few other things made their way into the basket), we got another turkey free. Plan is to fry nine of them next week. Whew! 

We finally got back home a little after three. Corey brought Freddy over and even helped us with the unloading. Thanks, neighbor!  

Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭9‬ ‭ says, The peacemakers are blessed, for they will be called sons of God.

Father, thanks for our safe trip home. Good to be here. Amen.