April 15 - “Into the trees”

Well, that was one busy/exhausting day. We started out walking our two miles again. Gotta get the juices flowing. 

Next we trimmed up the oleander tree on the side of the house. Easy peasy. Then we turned our attention back to the oleander tree in the front yard. We still had three or four thick branches to cut through to get the fungus-infested older stuff removed. So glad somebody created the sawzall. The pile of branches was growing. 

Once that task was complete, we turned our attention to the sycamore tree. OK. To be more accurate, I turned my attention to the sycamore tree. Chris was bound and determined to stop me from attacking that really big errant branch that has been broken and hanging up there since Hurricane Beryl. I came up with numerous creative approaches to solving the dilemma. Using a ladder and telescoping pole saw. Putting the ladder on the neighbor’s porch and reaching precariously closer to the site. Backing the truck under the tree, setting up the ladder in the bed, and climbing onto said ladder with the pole saw. Or that Old Faithful, climbing up into the tree with the pole saw. 

For some reason Chris nixed every one of those. Something about me breaking my neck. In fact she called Nathan to come over and help. She told him it was payback for the times I called them when she was having heart issues. Not exactly the same though. 

Nathan did come. And wouldn’t you know it? He ended up climbing the tree and using his electric pole saw to free the errant branch. Two branches, in fact. That pile of limbs grew five sizes that day. Success!

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23‬:‭37‬ says, Jerusalem, Jerusalem! She who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, yet you were not willing!

Father, thanks for you for Nathan and his willingness to come right over and help us out. Bless him and April and Cailyn. Amen. 

April 14 - “Faithful love and shouts of joy”

We did our usual Sunday morning Sam’s mail check. Not a single piece of mail. Woohoo! Sure hope that means the post office finally got the forwarding message correct. 

Kel’s sermon was from Psalms 118. That one has two of my favorite passages in it. One was Kel’s focus: “His faithful love endures forever.” The other is longer: “There are shouts of joy and victory in the tents of the righteous: The Lord’s right hand performs valiantly! The Lord’s right hand is raised. The Lord’s right hand performs valiantly!”

That last one makes a great song. All in all, it was a good Palm Sunday. Can’t wait for the Easter Sunrise Service on the beach next week. 6:30. Come on out. Free breakfast after the service, too. 

After some lunch, the rest of our afternoon was given over to Astros baseball. Go, good guys! Astros win 7-3. 

After the game I joined Chris outside for a bit. She was planting those new flowers she bought. I just chilled on the swing until she joined me. We watched Freddy roam around and bask in the sunshine for a while. Then Chris started getting cold. No, it wasn’t actually cold out there. 76 degrees. But we adjourned to the inside to grab some supper anyway. 

Matthew‬ ‭21‬:‭5‬ says, Tell Daughter Zion, “Look, your King is coming to you, gentle, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.”

Father, thanks for the cool afternoon weather-wise. It was nice. Amen. 

April 13 - “workworkworkworwow…”

Yesterday morning we cleaned up the front porch. Swept it real good and redistributed some floral wealth. (ie moved around some plants). 

Chris went to a luncheon. A group of ladies from the church were having their monthly get-together. Thus one was at a Mexican restaurant near the church. I stayed home and watched a movie. I had planned for an Astros game, but found out it didn’t start at one like I thought. Six. Hey. Only five hours difference. Oh, I also started up the truck. Had to make sure the battery was still charged up after three weeks of inactivity. All was good. 

When she got home, we hopped in the car together and headed out again. This time we just went over to Home Depot. Chris had her eye on a few little flowers, but that’s wasn’t her main focus. All that time she’s spent in flower beds caused her to crave four or five huge bags of mulch. Done. I wanted to pick up a few bags of fill dirt for a hole that has developed in the side yard where a tree used to be. So … somewhere in our near future is yard workworkworkworwow …

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬ says, For you were called to be free, brothers; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.

Father, thank you that Chris got to hang out with those Seaside ladies. Amen. 

April 12 - “Once again”

Chris once again tore into a flower bed. This time she attacked one in the front yard. She clipped and lopped and dug and tossed. And the bed really looks good. Of course now she feels like there is a major empty spot just crying for a new floral occupant …

Meanwhile, I went back to work in a different way. My “once again” was all about tracking down some more issues with Sam’s estate. It will be really good to have this all completed. 

Once I got done what I could do in town (still had to make a trip to Texas City that may or may not prove fruitful), I had a lunch meeting with one of the young fire marshals. He contacted me right before we left for Florida, so this was the time we put it off to. It was a great lunch and an even better time of sharing. He wanted to hear just about every story in my life journey. And I guess I didn’t finish. He wants to get together another time for some coffee. Guess he’s a glutton for punishment, listening to me talk so much. 

Later in the afternoon we headed back out again. One quick Walmart run. Yes … bananas were prominent on the list. We did grab a few other things as well, though. 

Next it was into the wilds of Texas. We are looking for a particular death certificate, so that required a visit with the Galveston County Health District Office in Texas City. And that was a bust. You have to be a relative to get a death certificate less than 25 years old. Unless the financial institution sends a letter requesting it. Next …

Since we were already in Texas we decided to try out a new dining establishment. Place called Beyond Burgers in Texas City. Now that one I would go back to. I had the cheddar bacon burger. Half pound of meat. Add your own fixin’s. No, I didn’t finish it. Another meal for later, for sure. Chris had the turkey burger. That was only a third pounder. She didn’t finish either. And the fries were wedges … and crispy. Yep. I’d go back. 

After supper we headed over to watch some people wail on each other. That would translate into karate sparring night. Micah, Kel, Noa, and Ezra were all set for battle. And all were on different teams.  And of course, they all did an amazing job in their fights. 

Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ says, I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Father, please guide Daniel in his decisions. Amen. 

April 11 - “Just a quiz”

We got started amidst our post-yardwork aches and pains. In fact, we again trekked out on a two-mile walk. Gotta loosen up those muscles. 

And back at home we got back into the groove of cleaning house for our Home Group meeting. I did the vacuuming. Chris did bathroom and sweeping. It really wasn’t dirty, so it didn’t take all that long. After all, no one has been here for a few weeks. 

So, last night we once again hosted home group. It has been a while. As always, it was great to see everyone again. I pulled a fast one on them though. Gave them a test. Well, actually a little Bible quiz. It was fun. Well, for me, at least. And I did let them work together. Go team!

Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭37‬-‭38‬ ‭says, Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

Father, thank you for the friends in our home group. Bless them. Amen. 

April 10 - “I need to be a lady”

Back to walking again. Well, amid trying to pull together more estate paperwork. And to top it all off, I got a bonus. Suzann had an opening to cut my hair. Woohoo! Chris stayed behind to begin clearing out a flowerbed. 

On my way home I stopped at the bank. Just had to make a quick deposit. No big deal, right? I waited a long time until my turn, but it had been so long that a lady had arrived after me. When they called for next, I offered to let her go first, but she replied, “Oh, no. I need to be a lady and let you go.”  Weird philosophy, right? She insisted. She shouldn’t have. Seems when you want to deposit a cashier’s check, they have to call the issuing institution and verify that it is real. Yep. That took way longer than just a simple deposit. The lady behind me didn’t want to wait. She made her way over to the nearest officer (the only one in the building), talked for a minute or two, then left. Hope she got done what she needed done when she first walked in. 

And since my newly-shorn head was somewhat cooler, I joined Chris in doing her absolute favorite pastime … yardwork. She continued in the flowerbed, but I was feeling a little fired up. It was a pretty day, after all. So I got the loppers and sawzall and attacked the overgrown oleander. It had been attacked before I got to it, though, but not by human hands. It had some kind of fungus that was eating away at the thicker branches. I sawed and lopped and lopped and sawed. So much so that we had a pretty sizable pile of branches growing. Corey came over to chat and offer assistance. Another of our neighbors, who just happens to be a Master Gardener, also stopped to chat, and before we knew it, he was back out there with us, spraying the tree and trimming up the neighbors’ trees. Just couldn’t help himself, I guess. Thanks for the help, John. 

That was about all the yardwork my back could handle. We stacked and chopped the last vestiges of oleander branches. I think we might be cutting lots more if this spray doesn’t work its miracle. 

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ says, Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary and that the Spirit of God lives in you?

Father, bless John for his help and Corey for his heart. Amen. 

April 9 - “Back to work”

After spending about a decade on the phone delving back into the world of executorship, we figured it was time to get back out and walk again. After all, we did do our fair share of it on this trip. So right back to two miles again. Wasn’t really that hard once we got going. The weather was perfect. A little cool with the wind, but a balmy 66 and sunny. Welcome home to Galveston. 

Speaking of executorship, we continued in that vein after some lunch. We jumped back in the car and ventured all the way to Missouri City … again. That’s the site of an account we tried to transfer back before we left for our trip. They needed further documentation. We hoped we had all they needed this time. 

Nope. We had copy of something they needed an original of. Here we go again. 

On the way back to Galveston we stopped to say to Cailyn. As it turned out, we arrived at the most opportune time. Cailyn was indeed there, but she was getting ready to head to soccer practice. April got home from work shortly after, and Nathan arrived soon after that. So we got hugs from the whole family. Oh, and include in the hug scenario Marlee, Launie, and Tillie. Can’t forget two boxers and a fat little Australian Shepherd. 

From there we continued the Sam Saga. We drove out to her house to check on it and grab whatever mail might have accrued while we were gone. 

Isaiah‬ ‭54‬:‭17‬ ‭says, “No weapon formed against you will succeed, and you will refute any accusation raised against you in court. This is the heritage of the Lord’s servants, and their righteousness is from Me.” This is the Lord’s declaration.

Father, thanks for the chance to see April, Nathan and Cailyn - all three. It’s been a while. Amen. 

April 8 - “Of course it will”

You know that cold weather we thought we were leaving behind? It followed us. We woke up yesterday to 49 degrees and a wind chill of 37. Too cold. Way too cold. 

Oh, and we were greeted with one other tidbit upon our arrival home. The TV service was out. Further investigation revealed the internet service to be out as well. Which meant our house phone was down. Great. I made the required call to the AT&T computer, which was no help, of course. So I called back and finally was connected to a human being. Yep. “My computer reads that your service is down.” Uh-huh. So does mine. That’s why I called. “It will require a technician visit.” Of course it will. “The soonest available appointment will be the next morning.” Of course it will. 

Well, surprisingly, the guy arrived around 8:30. Lots earlier than I expected. He checked out the receiver box, and ended up just putting in a whole new one. He told us he was supposed to run completely new cable, but in our case that would mean moving a fridge and a freezer. Nope. He said it will work just fine with the old one. So far he was right. All is working as it should. Oh, and as a bonus he gave us the last replacement remote he had in his truck. Ours has been on the blink for a while now. Just old and tired. 

Acts‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ says, There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people, and we must be saved by it.

Father, thank you for Lima beans and sausage and home. Amen. 

April 7 - “Shrimp n Sin”

It was cold in Waco. 45 with a wind chill of 32. That’s too cold. 

In spite of the chill, we decided to stick around for early church in Waco. It was a good service. Heard a new song I want to introduce to Gregg. I don’t know the name of it, but the key line of the chorus is: “How good, how good, how good of God.”

Speaking of songs, they sang “Family of God.”  Chris and I reflexively held hands. She then grabbed Lindsay’s, who grabbed Zak’s. Not sure how far down it went, but it felt a little like home. Right after that song, Josh leaned back and said, “You can’t get up and leave just because we sang that song.” But … but …. 

The sermon was on getting rid of sin by relying on the Spirit. Josh did a little payback in there. He used an example from his early fishing days (like 7 years old-ish). 

Seems that sin is like live shrimp in a bait bucket. Not only do they have a sharp horn, they also pop away when you try to grab one.  

That’s what sin does when you try to get rid of it on your own. Stabs you and pops away.

But he recalled watching his dad get a shrimp from the bucket. He watched Dad stir up the shrimp until they stopped kicking, then grabbed what floated to the surface. Easy peasy. 

The point was … following the example of the Father is the only way to be successful in getting rid of sin. 

After the service Chris added a thought. That sermon further explained why Josh doesn’t like to eat shrimp. Shrimp is sin. Of course one of the other pastors heard that and declared, “Maybe, but when you bread them real good and fry them up, it kills out all the sin.” I’m with you on that one, Pastor Zach!

We made it back to Galveston sometime around three. After a quick stop at the house to unload, though, we got back in the car and headed over to the grocery store to replenish some staples like milk and eggs. We also picked up one of the over-the-counter meds I was out of. 

Good to be home. Now where are going next?

Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭says, My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.

Father, thanks for the whole concept of home. Gets us in the mood for Home with you, I guess. Amen. 

April 6 - “Fairly normal”

Yesterday we transitioned into a fairly normal kind of day. Well, normal for some folks. The whole family went on a shopping trip. 

Our first search took us to Dick’s and then Academy. We were looking gorgeous a pair of those iconic island staples … Tevas sandals. Those would be for me. The pair I have are at least five or six years old, are a size too big, and are finally coming apart at the seams. No luck at Duck’s, but Academy up here had a pair (Note: the one in Galveston did not have any). 

Since we were in a mall after the first failure, Christi and AnnaGrace (soon to be followed by Nani) disappeared into the nothingness to sniff stinky candles and search for stuffies. AnnaGrace ended up with two cute outfits. 

From the mall we did the quick Academy run, then headed to Target. The younger kids had some money burning a hole in their pockets. Luke ended up with a notebook. For AnnaGrace? Candy wins. Chris looked for sweater. Hey, it’s cold up here. But no go. 

We finished the eclectic shopping extravaganza at H.E.B.  Christi needed to pick up some goodies for our March Madness semi-final supper n snacks evening. 

And boy, did that food get put to use. Chicken sliders never tasted so good. Especially after Houston’s amazing come from behind victory against Duke. They now play in the final game on Monday. Oh, but the best part of the game was watching Josh and Caleb leaping and frolicking in the last three seconds of play. Wish you guys could have gotten into the game a little bit there. 

Exodus‬ ‭33‬:‭14‬ says, Then He replied, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Father, thanks for our “normal” shopping trip. It was fun. Amen. 

April 5 - “Texas”

After a breakfast of waffles shaped like the state of Texas, we tried to get an early start yesterday. Josh texted us at breakfast that at 1:00 AnnaGrace was singing in a concert at her homeschool Co-op. That was about 3 and a half hours away. We did the math and opted to give it our best shot. On to Waco. 

The drive was not as long as the day before, but it was occasionally rainy or misty. Just enough to wash that evil yellow pollen off. On the way we saw lots of bluebonnets (welcome back to Texas!). I thought I saw some random wild chickens, but there is a strong possibility they were turkey vultures instead. Gorgeous critters. Just like the one gracing our back seat with his presence. 

We made it in plenty of time for the concert. In fact we saw the kids at their lunchtime before the concert started. We also found out from Christi that Caleb’s baseball game was canceled. Sad. I can’t understand why they didn’t just close the roof. Oh, wait. High school baseball. No roof. My bad.

But the mini-concert was amazing, of course. They sang three songs. My favorite was “Deep in the Heart of Texas”. Made me think of the seventh inning of an Astros game. Way to go, AnnaGrace. 

Last night we had pizza and a movie night with the family. Lots warmer than the baseball game would have been. 

Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ says, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Father, thanks for getting us back into Texas and among family. Amen. 

April 4 - “Fourth time’s the charm”

We left Chattanooga around 8:30. And after about an hour and a half of driving, we realized that it was just 8:45. And we had already driven through a corner of Georgia and on into Alabama. Gotta love that Central Time Zone.  

We stopped for gas near Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Added a quick lunch at Wendy’s while we were at it. That’s when we made the determination to stay the course and drive until we hit Texas. That decision would put us rolling into Marshall around 6:30. We had accumulated enough points with Choice Hotels that we had a free night’s stay. So I locked it down. 

Next stop for gas was at Clinton, Mississippi. That’s where Josh almost went to college. Mississippi College. Creative name. I for one (and Chris for two) are plenty glad he ended up at HBU. After all, Christi was waiting for him there, and eventually … grandkids for us. 

We added one of those extra, “oh, yeah” stops. We realized that our path was going to take us right through Vicksburg. Now, we have been to Vicksburg. Three times. But never has the museum dedicated to the USS Cairo been open. And - you guessed it - there is a special stamp only available inside the museum. So we had to check it out, just in case. And … success. Saw the artifacts in the museum and got that elusive stamp. Fourth time’s the charm. 

After a success like that, we were rejuvenated. All we had to do was drive across Louisiana. It took a few hours, and I took over driving about the time it started raining a little and getting dark, but we made it into Marshall almost 12 hours to the minute after we left Chattanooga. Yep. We’re a little bit crazy. But we are in Texas …

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭31‬ says, Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory.

Father, thanks for watching over our long drive. Amen.