May 31 - “The Event”

We got an early start on yardwork. Had to. Rain was on its way. I did the mowing and edging. Chris watered some plants, then came behind me to sweep. 

While I was in the backyard finishing up, Janell came over and struck up a conversation with Chris out front. I had just finished securing the lawn mower when I heard knocking at the back door. From inside. Not exactly what one expects in one’s own house. It was Janell. Chris was having a pretty serious spell, and she sent Janell in for an energy bar and some water. 

I grabbed the snack and high-tailed it to the front to check on her. She had made it to the front porch chair, but she didn’t look so good. Really pale. And she said she didn’t feel so good either. As is my custom, I offered to call 9-1-1 or Nathan or April. She refused, pretty confident that the spell was passing. 

I stayed next to her while she munched her peanut butter crackers. Corey and Janell finished up the sweeping for us. Great to have awesome neighbors. Thanks, guys. 

She finally felt up to moving to the swing in the back while I finished sweeping back there. I finished not a moment too soon. The thunder began in earnest, and the first round of storms blew through. Chris did add “The Event” to her list of reports/questions for her “plumber” cardiologist. And she felt good enough later in the afternoon to take a walk - around Walmart. Gotta love that gal. 

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭7‬ says, Each person should do as he has decided in his heart — not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Father, please watch over Chris when she has spells like that one. Amen. 

May 30 - “Warmed up”

We hit our two miles again yesterday. And by the time we finished up, it was hot. Low 80’s with a wind chill of 86. Hot. 

Since we were already “warmed up,” we jumped right into house cleaning. Well, Chris walked up and down some stairs first. She’s amazing, that one. I got the vacuuming done and moved on to getting stuff ready for the home group teaching. Little different this time. I introduced them to all sorts of sermon/Bible Study prep materials. They actually seemed to get into it. 

But first, in the afternoon, I watched an old movie we had seen before called Arrival. Sci-fi thing about aliens with seven legs and seeing the future. You know … typical stuff. But hey … the Astros game didn’t start until seven. And that was one not worth watching. After the Astros fought hard to come back to tie at 3-3, the bad guys exploded to win 13-3. Ouch. 

Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.

Father, thanks for all those helps in understanding your word. Amen. 

May 29 - “Ka-boom!”

Well, the thunderstorms returned. With a vengeance. I was so glad the power company came and fixed that connection the other day. I think we would have faced an outage for sure. Freddy was definitely uncomfortable with the whole thunder situation. And since we couldn’t do an outdoor walk, Chris was doing some steps on our indoor circle track. 

The Astros had an afternoon game, so I could have been content to settle in. However, we needed to make a quick errand run. We had a package pickup at Target and a prescription pickup at Randall’s. The rain let up quite a bit, so we chose to get the errands done. Meanwhile, the Astros came from behind to take the win. Woohoo!

Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭says, And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, so that you can approve the things that are superior and can be pure and blameless in the day of Christ

Father, thank you for the rain again. The grass sure loves it. Amen. 

May 28 - “A rude awakening”

Well that was a rude awakening. We had yet another round of thunderstorms come through the other night. That didn’t really bother me though. It did mean I had to deal with Freddy’s incessant pacing and panting in the bed. I was finally able to tune that out and had just begun to doze back off when it happened. No, it wasn’t a huge clap of thunder, although that has happened in the past. Nope. This time, as I entered that blissful realm between sleep and reality ,   Freddy stepped on my head. Yep. Right smack on my head. Earned her a human-assisted, rather rapid return trip to her usual spot at the foot of the bed. 

All that action began at 3:38. I looked at the clock. I managed to catch a few winks afterwards, but I finally got up about 5:30. May as well start the day strong. 

The Waco crew got on the road around 9 a.m. Caleb had football practice. Luke had basketball practice. Josh had basketball practice (he’s the varsity coach this year). Zak had to work. I’m sure AnnaGrace had something on her mind, too. Ah, the life of a young family …

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ says, But have nothing to do with irreverent and silly myths. Rather, train yourself in godliness, for the training of the body has a limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

Father, thanks for keeping those Waco guys safely home. Amen. 

May 27 - “Even weirder”

OK weird dream time again. Josh and Christi were in it. Just as bystanders, though. Probably because they are here for a visit. 

For some insane reason we owned some kind of mixture between a cabin cruiser (yes, that’s a boat) and one of those big RV’s that you have to drive rather than tow. Weird again, because I have always said I would never have either. 

In the dream, we watched as the roof slowly caved in because it was being eaten away by termites.  And if that wasn’t enough, someone had tried to break into our car - with a crowbar - in about six different places - but no windows were damaged. 

So. Bad day in dreamville. Weird. Want to know what’s even weirder? When I got up I looked out the front window to see if the car was damaged. But what about hidden meanings? Best I can come up with: we should stay away from luxury boats and big RV’s. 

Around 9:30 or so we went to the beach. Hey. When you have Inlanders here on an island for a holiday, where else are you going to go? The boys played a rousing game of football  (they are trying to convince Luke to give it a try when he gets old enough. He’s OK with the idea. Well, unless he falls in love with cross country. That’s his latest sport). Then they switched to wiffle ball. That didn’t work out so well. The wind was blowing like crazy again, so the ball … took flight … a time or two. Actually the MVP of the wiffle ball game was AnnaGrace. She was the first one to hit the ball. Good job, Girl! Luke smacked a few long ones as well, so the Young Ones had a good showing. They got brave after a while and invited old DadDad to take some licks. He popped a few left handed, but right handed he was a sure fire out. Thanks for including me, guys. 

The kids finished out Beach Day as it should be … playing in the water. On the way home we stopped for some pizzas. What better food for a passle of young’uns?

Speaking of a passle of young’uns, Cailyn and Gavin stopped by to say hi, then later in the afternoon all the LaMarque cousins arrived. And for dinner we did the grilling burgers and dogs holiday thing. Several games popped up. Galveston-opoly, Nuts, Grounded for Life, and even one the adults joined in on where we tried to guess the meanings of some long and strange words. Great family time during some wild and crazy thunderstorms. 

Galatians‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ says, So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Father, thanks for family, in all its many expressions. Amen. 

May 26 - “A Walmart Team?”

I got up early - well, kind of at my usual time- to work some more in my sermon. Kel asked me to fill in, since he has been helping Christina as she grieves and walks through the probate and executorship of her Dad’s estate. As always, it was fun to get back to sitting on my stool and doing some teaching. There was quite a big crowd there, too. More than 70 people. Great holiday weekend crowd. 

We had to brave the tourists in the afternoon. Had some more shopping we needed to get done. Surprisingly, there weren’t nearly as many tourists running around inside as I expected. And our team of checker/sacker (yep. That was a first. Team? When did they start having teams?) was quite pleasant. Nice job, Walmart. Give ‘em a raise. 

Certainly a highlight of our day came in the evening when the Waco Vaughan’s pulled up. They are here just for today, though. They are heading right back tomorrow. Looks like maybe some fishing or beach playing may be in our immediate future. 

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭40‬ ‭says, And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’

Father, thanks for you for the chance to do some teaching. And thanks for the safe trip for the Waco bunch. Amen. 

May 25 - “Shorty PJ’s?”

We made our pre-company run to Walmart.  The tentative plan right now is to grill some burgers on Monday. Chris also agreed to make me some homemade French onion dip. That right there made it worth seeing that one young girl in her shorty pajamas. Definitely a Walmart exclusive (the dip, of course. I barely noticed the girl). 

After lunch we headed west. Seaside was asked once again to provide sno cones for a city event at the park. This time it was the Memorial Day ceremony and celebration of Jamaica Beach’s 50th anniversary. Kel prayed the invocation to get things started. Some vets presented the colors. A Boy Scout held the trumpet as it played taps. A resident sang the  national anthem. The rest of the time we pretty consistently gave away sno cones until we eventually ran out of ice. We also saw several folks who came to Seaside years ago. Good day. 

Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭35‬-‭36‬ says, For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you took care of Me; I was in prison and you visited Me.

Father, please be with the families of those who gave their lives for the country. Amen. 

May 24 - “Yard day … again”

We were back to yard day again. I had to mow both yards, then finish up the weed n feed job. That meant the whole backyard. Gotta say, it was way easier to spread yesterday. There was little to no wind. When I did the front we had a sustained breeze with gusts coming at just the wrong time for the stuff to fall where it needed to fall. Of course the stillness made it that much hotter. 

Chris did the grass-watering. Front and back. In the back, though, I had to spread out the hose that we just bought, because it kept getting kinked. Once that was done my job changed for the better. I sat on the swing and drank water. 

After lunch we got Ezra and Noa’s stuff ready. Jachin came by to pick it up after he got off work. Always good to see him. 

Last night we crashed out in front of the TV to watch the Astros game. I think we were both beat. Haven’t been parents to a twelve-year-old and an eight-year-old for a long time. Not to mention the yardwork. And did I mention it was hot? It was hot. 

Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭34‬ says, Then the King will say to those on His right, “Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

Father, be with Christina and her siblings now as they figure out wills and bills. Amen. 

May 23 - “Next phase”

Slow morning. Kids watched Dude Perfect. Noa worked on some creative writing. After lunch Ezra played some video game baseball, while Noa worked on some sewing. Chris walked in circles. Our “indoor track” is a loop from the kitchen through the office and hall and back to the kitchen. 

I took Ezra with me to run a few errands. Bank first, then pick up some of Chris’ med refills. While we were out, we got word that Christina’s Dad had died. Sad time, but I’m sure there was some relief mixed in as well. Keep praying for the family. They still have a lot of hurdles to jump. 

Last night Chris made a big pot of shrimp gumbo. We took it up to LaMarque to do a big feed for all five kids again. We went there because Noa and Ezra both had karate classes anyway. 

Little did they know that Mom and Dad were already on their way back from Corpus Christi. The older three didn’t seem to know, either, so we assumed it was to be a surprise and treated it as such. Of course, that meant leaving the kids’ suitcases, but we figured if nothing else, Jachin could stop by and take it another time. 

Kel and Christina did arrive while we were at their house. It was great to see the long hugs all around from the kids so glad to see Mom and Dad. 

Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭31‬-‭32‬ says, When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

‭‭

Father, please continue walking with Art’s family as they negotiate this next phase of life. Amen. 

May 22 - “Close out with a chuckle”

I had the early morning responsibilities yesterday. I was in the Firestone parking lot around 6:46. Nothing was wrong with the car. Well, unless you count having to get that required emissions inspection. Thanks, Houston. Just another of the “benefits” of living within 50 miles of a big city. 

I had to wait a bit, even though I was literally the first one through the door. The guy who does inspections had to drop his kids off at school. Once he arrived, the test only took about ten minutes or so. Check that one off the list. 

Since it was almost eight by that time, I decided to get another thing checked off the list. I went on downtown and picked up the registration sticker. There, I was the ONLY one on line. Check number two. 

Chris had another heart appointment. This one was with Dr. Electro (AKA Electrocardiologist). Micah and Josiah and Jachin came over to hang out with their younger siblings while we were at the doc’s. Chris fed them (the kids, not the docs). And the Astros were on TV. Great bribes.

The doc basically gave Chris as clean a bill of health as he felt he could. He recommended removing the loop recorder and just keeping a close eye on symptoms as they might occur in the future. 

Last night while Noa did her physical therapy exercises, Ezra and I tossed the baseball around in the backyard. He’s got quite an arm on him for a little guy. After he wore me out, he took on Nana. She did surprisingly well … up until she took one off her foot. Then another. By the third one, Ezra was laughing so hard he could barely stand up. I took over for her for the last few minutes, and lo and behold … Ezra took one off of his foot. And the hilarity became uncontrollable. We adjourned to the inside for showers and getting ready for bed. Great to close out a day with laughter. 

Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭38‬-‭39‬ says, For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!

Father, thank you for the unrestrained laughter of a child. Amen. 

May 21 - “No big deal”

Night before last we were presented with quite the unexpected excitement. Toward the end of the Astros victory, we heard a loud pop outside. Glancing out the back window, we also saw some sparks flying from the power pole. 

Now, the wind had been blowing like crazy all day, so when it occurred to us that every time the air conditioner kicked on the kitchen lights flickered, we considered it no big deal. Must be the power cables blowing in the wind and smacking against a salt buildup somewhere. No big deal. 

After family worship, the kids went on to bed. Chris and I sat down on the couch to chat. First time we had that chance all day. And just as we settled in (I did see another flash of sparks from the transformer area), my phone rang. It was charging, so I went to the other room to check it out. Strangely, it was from Centerpoint, the service provider arm of our power company. Something about the outage we had reported being dealt with. But the power had never completely gone out … and we had never called. Weird. 

Sure enough, before long a Centerpoint truck pulled up. I couldn’t help it. I went out to check on them. I told him we hadn’t called. He asked if our lights had been flickering. Now how did he know that?  Seems that with their new-fangled computer system, the computer picked up on our lights flickering and initiated a call. Scary stuff. 

In a nutshell, the power was turned off for about 20 minutes. The kids stayed in bed, but giggled and talked the whole time.   Hey. It’s what you do when there is an adventure afoot. 

Chris and I watched the entire repair through the back window. Their lights made it clear as day. The lineman shimmied up the pole and replaced a connector of some kind. And in no time, all was good. The linemen told us that it should be fine, at least until they drove away (only half-joking). He said with Galveston’s salt and humidity, that’s about the best guarantee they can offer. 

Mark‬ ‭12‬:‭10‬ says, Haven’t you read this Scripture: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

Father, thanks for you for guys like those linemen who risk their lives dealing with electricity every day. Amen. 

May 20 - “They were not happy”

Two miles to start the day. It was starting to achieve really hot status. Fortunately the wind was blowing some cooling gusts, so that helped a lot. 

Back at the house we waited for the youngsters to arrive in two different ways. Chris reported another plant. I worked on the jigsaw puzzle. They got here around 11:30. All of the kids, even the two new graduates. Amazing how their arrival just happened to coincide with lunchtime. We were ready. Chris pulled out some pizza from the freezer. 

The big guys hung around for a while and chatted or played video games. They did a great job encouraging Ezra. They finally pulled out a little after two. 

And a little after three, we pulled out as well. Christina sent us all some VIP wristbands to Palm Beach over at Moody Gardens. I think she got them through their karate school, or maybe the homeschool co-op. Noa quickly found a friend and was off. Ezra hung around the lazy river with me for a long time, first riding it, then manning the underwater explosion buttons. That was fun. 

Chris and I then switched out. I stayed with the towels and drivers licenses and water bottles. She followed Ezra to the wave pool and water slide. He finally found a few buddies to stick with. Meanwhile … Noa was surrounded by no less than six adoring young suitors. Being the caring grandfather that I am, I notified her three older brothers. They were not happy.  

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭100‬:‭4‬ says, Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name.

Father, please continue watching over Christina’s family. Amen. 

May 19 - “Reception”

We had a guest preacher at church. Pretty good crowd to hear him. I enjoyed the textual and societal connections he made. Chris was a fan of the clearly outlined application. 

We didn’t stick around for dinner on the grounds. The LaMarque Vaughan’s were having a come and go graduation reception for Micah and Jachin. We hustled up there with the food we had accumulated to add to the mix. 

Before people started arriving, we watched the Astros game on TV. It was a chance to even up the series with the Rangers. And the good guys didn’t disappoint. Paredes hit a homer that put the Astros ahead to stay. Go, good guys. 

There was a great turnout for the reception. Several of Jachin’s college buddies were there. Numerous karate friends were there as well. All in all it was a pretty successful event. Congrats, guys. 

As soon as everyone left, Kel and Christina made the decision to drive to Corpus Christi to see about her Dad. He was there for a meeting concerning some of his rodeo activities. Kel and Christina got word earlier this morning that her Dad had a serious “cardiac event” and was currently on life support. We’ll be hosting the younger kiddos for as long as we need to. Their big brother will bring them here sometime today. We are praying. 

Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭14‬ ‭says, But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher?

Father, please be with Christina, Kel, Jeni, Mike and Tracy as they deal with this crisis. And of course we place Art into your hands. Amen.