September 30 - “Picking up the pace”

Well, that was different. I slept until 6:15 yesterday. I can’t remember the last timed I slept in that long. Guess I was exhausted or something. 

But it gave me some energy for our morning walk. Back to 3.2 miles again. Chris is really picking up the pace out there, too. We finished in a tad under an hour. That’s pretty good for us. Not so impressive to Mr. Cross Country Luke, but we’ll take it. 

Chris has her strength training class, so I spent a few hours working on the next two Bible studies for home group. Pays to stay ahead of that crowd. I also addressed birthday cards to be sent out. 

After lunch Chris did some sewing. I worked some more on the jigsaw puzzle. It’s a big one. But as long as I get one piece a day, I am happy. 

Today I have to go back to court … again. Still trying to finish out all the final details from Sam’s estate. This one should be the last time. Here’s praying for that end. 

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ says, For there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, Himself human, who gave Himself — a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time.

Father, please go before us and work out the situation so the will stuff can be completed today. Amen. 

September 29 - “After ‘inside church’ …”

Great day at Seaside yesterday. We concluded the service out at the beach with a baptism. Always an exciting time. But wait! That’s not all. I thought I had seen pretty much all that could happen with baptisms through the last 27 years. But God never ceases to amaze me! 

After “inside church” dismissed, Chris and I resumed a conversation we had begun before church with a young couple from the Fort Worth area. They were “almost engaged” I guess you could say. No ring yet, but talking freely about marriage. They were excited to join us for the baptism. 

After Kel got back in from the baptism, the girl walked away from us and her boyfriend. She approached Kel and asked to be baptized as well. 

Now that was not the unusual part. Same thing has happened many times over the years.  What happened next was different. She wanted to go right then. Wearing the cute dress she had come to church in. Never seen a baptism in a Sunday dress before. 

All went well, of course. We got her an extra towel and a Seaside t-shirt. I texted them the photo I took. They said they would be back every chance they got. Very proud of you, Trinity (great name, huh?). 

Ezekiel‬ ‭36‬:‭26‬ says, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Father, thank you for Trinity’s courage to step out for you amidst strangers.  But then, we ARE all family, aren’t we?  Amen. 

September 28 - “Men’s Bacon … er … Breakfast Day”

I started my day at the men’s breakfast out at Seaside. Ten or so of our men gathered for a time of just getting to know each other over some great food. Cheesy eggs, sausage and sausage gravy with biscuits, pancakes, and, of course, thick sliced bacon. Gotta have the bacon. My table greatly enjoyed sharing stories about coyotes and fishing and rattlesnakes. Pastor Kel shared about some new service project opportunities and led us in a prayer time. Great guys. 

From there we headed into Texas for Ezra’s karate graduation. This one was at the junior high school in Dickinson. Josiah performed with the demo team as part of the festivities, and Josiah and Noa both filled instructor roles for the grads.  Way to go Vaughan kids!

We had a double treat while in Texas. Not only did we see the kids perform, but we also stopped at Spring Creek Barbecue for some lunch. We kind of hoped that would allow some of the tourists traffic headed onto the Island to clear out a bit. And it actually did. There was still a steady stream coming down, but not as bad as when we were headed north. 

And … we were met with some inconvenient news when we got home. Our cable and internet were out. I followed all the proper procedures (aka hoops you have to jump through) before you finally get the computer to realize that it can’t fix whatever it’s wrong. It (the ATT computer) finally contacted serviced guy to come out and see what was wrong. 

I peeked before he arrived. My take was that the guys working on the house siding inadvertently pulled something loose. His diagnosis? Well, they did do something. A wire wasn’t pulled loose, but it was bent, which broke it inside the wall. He had to replace that wire and rerun it to the internet box. That meant moving everything off of the freezer and spare fridge. Then moving the two appliances out so he could run the wire behind it. Then, of course, putting it all back. 

It took awhile, and I had to help him move things, but he got it done, and everything worked fine. Oh! And the best part. There was no charge. Seems the wire he replaced is no longer used because … it has a tendency to break. Because it was a materials issue on their part, he waived the service fee. $150. Phew!

Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬ says, Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people.

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Father, thank you for the amount of work the siding guys got done. And thanks for that internet guy being around as well. Amen. 

September 27 - “Jesus-y”

We snuck in our 3.2 mile walk (a little over 5K). We weren’t sure whether or not the workers were coming back to finish the house. Not that we could tell. We did leave the gate unlocked for them, though, but we found out later that had an emergency call to repair someone’s floor. I’d call that an emergency for sure. 

We got word just after lunch that a friend from our pastor days has been admitted to the hospital. We decided to run out there and say hi and pray with her. However, when we got there she was not in her room. That sometimes happens. We left a note, assuring her of our prayers. 

On the way home we went to Randall’s. I had a prescription ready for pickup. I guess that was importantly. But the “secondary” reason for going was … Blue Bell Ice Cream was on sale. $5 instead of $9:49. Sadly, though, you could only buy two cartons. 

The rest of the day we tried to just relax and enjoy a movie or two. Hallmark style, of course. I say “Hallmark Style” because the main one we watched was on the  Great American Family Channel. Same type of movies, only more “Jesus-y.”

Daniel‬ ‭12‬:‭3‬ says, Those who are wise will shine like the bright expanse of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

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Father, be with Joanna in the hospital. And help her doctors and nurses as they care for her. Amen. 

September 26 - “A special guest?”

And the rains came. Right about seven the rains blew through. Pretty heavy and accompanied by lots of thunder. And that pairing meant two things right away. First, Freddy was bothered by all the Thunder-Bonkers. She stayed under my chair or in my lap the whole time.

The other reason-related issue? The house workers were not here by eight. We gave them until nine to get here and get started. Nope. Not here. 

So I vacuumed while Chris did her

rounds of dusting and bathroom cleaning. It really didn’t take us that long, so we had time to do a little jigsaw puzzling and reviewing potential cruises. 

We did have to make a quick Walmart run. Bananas. Oranges. Chocolate chip cookies (hey, it can’t all be healthy). Oh! The guy in front of us in line had a special guest with him. A pig. Welcome to Walmart, Pig. 

John‬ ‭14‬:‭6‬ says, Jesus told himfm, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes a the Father except through Me.”

Father, thank you for all of your critters. Even little pigs in Walmart. Amen. 

September 25 - “Two out of three”

So, no early morning walk for us yesterday. We had to hang around for the workers to get started on the house. Chris said we should have gone at 6.30 and been back at the house around 7:40. But then she added, “But that would have meant I had to actually get up at that time.”  Yep. 

The guys arrived right at 8, as expected, and got right to work. Chris alternated between walking circles in the house and working on her latest quilt. I put in my three or four puzzle pieces, took a nap, and checked out the latest standings for MLB. Things look bleak for the Astros. Guess all the injuries this year finally caught up with them. 

Speaking of the workers, after a pause to let a thunderstorm pass, they got back to work until they left around 4:30 or so. They finished two of the three sides and were under the impression that that was all they had to do. I explained they were supposed to finish the other side as well. They said they would be back this morning, so hopefully the job will be all done today. 

Oh! And as a bonus, they fixed the way our gate was hanging. It has been scraping the concrete. Not any more. Thanks, guys!

James‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬ says, Who is wise and has understanding among you? He should show his works by good conduct with wisdom’s gentleness.

Father, bless those guys working on the house. Thanks for the blessing they gave us fixing the gate. Amen. 

September 24 - “A not quite day”

We woke up to a bit of wet weather yesterday. Rain fell pretty hard right about the time we usually take our walk. But don’t despair! When it stopped, we hit the street and managed our 5K in between squalls. 

Yesterday was trash day. Sadly, whoever was driving had one of those “not quite” days. When I went out to pull out cans back to the house, I noticed that our neighbor’s cans were flipped over. Bad enough. But even worse … some of the garbage that should have made it into the truck … well, didn’t.  It wasn’t really that much, though, so Chris and I got our trusty flat head shovel and scooped it back in. Hey. At least you guys have a head start on filling it up for next week.

The construction workers came by in the afternoon to measure for materials to get started on our house repairs. Sadly, but not unexpectedly, prices have gone up since we first started this process almost a a year ago. We are happy to be getting it completed, though. 

Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭18‬ says, For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Father, thanks for the rain yesterday. Be with the workers today. Keep them dry. Amen. 

September 23 - “Into the Bastion of Retailism”

Chris was up and out the door pretty early. She had a physical therapy appointment. I think it was for her plantar fasciitis. She also was supposed to have bloodwork drawn. Problems arose on the bloodwork front, though. They didn’t have any orders from her doctor. Fortunately, the doctor’s office was in the same building - a short walk away. So she headed over there to get it straightened out. 

Meanwhile, I started up the truck and drove it around the block just to keep the battery from dying again. I was going to clean out the AC pump, but it is hard-wired into the electric source. Not touching that. I did manage to get the Bible Study planned for home group on Thursday night. 

I left another message with my occupational therapist. Still trying to get a thumb brace for my right hand. Beyond that, I added a few more puzzle pieces to the old jigsaw currently on the table. Guess I should have done a walk, but it’s just not the same when my partner is not there. 

Once Chris got home we grabbed some lunch. Then it was time for a foray into Texas. I needed some more birthday cards. Chris also wanted to make a few laps around that bastion of retailism … Hobby Lobby. What could I say? It is located right next door, after all. 

On the way home, on a bit of a whim, we decided to drive by Sam’s old house in League City. We were only about five minutes away. There were workmen doing some much-needed painting inside. It had a a new front door, some new windows, and a pretty extensive patch job on the roof. The huge dumpster in the driveway was full to the gills with construction debris. It made us feel good that the house was getting its long-awaited upgrades. 

Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭23‬ says, Then Jesus said to him, “ ‘If You can ’? Everything is possible to the one who believes.”

Father, thank you for the help in putting together the Bible study. It’s a tough one. Amen. 

September 22 - “Forgiveness”

We had another great day at church.  Around 60 good folks gathered together to hear from God’s word and do some praising. And then we stuck around for our Third Sunday Dinner on the Grounds. 

We got back home in time to watch some of the Texans game as well as a large portion of the Charlie Kirk Memorial Service. Looked like a lot of people accepted Jesus as Savior before all the speeches got started. And I was moved along with everyone else when Charlie Kirk’s wife forgave the guy who killed here husband. Pretty powerful stuff. 

Last night I watched the Astros lose again. Chris watched what has become at least four and probably five of those tiny winged critters called hummingbirds. I joined her for a brief time, but they all soon disappeared for the night. 

‭‭Luke‬ ‭16‬:‭10‬ says, Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much.

Father, thank you for all those folks who turned to you at the memorial service. Draw them closer and closer to you day by day.  Amen. 

September 21 - “Bacon”

Chris fixed us a great breakfast yesterday. Bacon (I guess I could stop there and it would be a great breakfast. Ezra would certainly agree), eggs, and pancakes. Chris warned me that this might be my last meal with bacon depending on what that angiogram shows. So I may or may not have done the perfectly reasonable thing. It’s possible that I grabbed another slice or two. Hey. A guy’s gotta get in the bacon while he can. 

After a good meal like that I was inspired to call good ol’ AT&T and complain about their most recent exorbitant rate hike. They worked it around where they knocked some off the hike. Still too much, if you ask me. But nobody asked me. 

Finally we settled in to watch some college football. Less strain on my sore thumbs than the game of catch we played the night before. 

And while we watched we were treated to a FaceTime call from Micah out in Virginia. Always great to hear from him. And Jachin joined us for supper when he came to pick up his little brother. Nana is always beyond excited to see those grandkids’ faces. OK. OK. Me too. 

Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬ says, Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus

Father, watch over Micah. And be with us at church today. Amen. 

September 20 - “An extra body”

We cut our walk short yesterday. Only went two miles, because we heard a rumor that the workmen would be back to start on the next phase of work on the house. We did speed our time up, though. Actually broke the 18 minute mile barrier. 17:42 for the second mile. Woo hoo! 

But back to house repairs part two. This stage involves tearing off a bottom skirt of sorts that is beginning to rot away and replacing it with a better quality material. And … the rumor proved false. The workers never showed up here. Oh, well. 

We accumulated an extra body at our house. Real live wire. Ezra came over and spent the night with us while the rest of the family went to a conference. 

And so began the exciting saga of Ezra at Nana and DadDad’s. So what did we do?

Watched some college women’s field hockey (Liberty University), college women’s volleyball (Texas Tech), and even some you tube videos. That was before we went to Walmart. No particular reason. Just walked around, got some stuff for supper, checked out the toy aisles. We were all set for the highlight of the evening - Astros baseball. Which turned out to be not so much of a highlight reel. Bad guys won that one. But we were entertained by Ezra’s antics as a super fan. 

Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ says, Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Father, thanks for Ezra. I really like that kid. Amen. 

September 19 - “Wall install”

We were heading out for our walk yesterday when we were stopped in our tracks. I received a text that caused is to instantly change out plans. 

No. I know what you’re thinking. But nothing bad happened. It was just a text from our contractor (who, by the way, is supposed to be vacationing in Costa Rica - fishing). He was informing us that if we were home, he was sending over a few of his workers to get some of the repair work done on our house. You’re on vacation, John!  Go catch a fish. 

Yikes. That meant a mass scramble to move stuff away from the house and to get one particular bush trimmed back significantly. So, no walk. Different kinds of workout instead. 

The guys showed up while we were putting the finishing touches on clearing out the flower bed underneath where they would be working. They were great guys. We kind of knew them. They have worked on our house before. Oh, and one of them wanted to buy my truck. Nope. Not yet. 

There were a couple of places that were difficult for them to access, but they worked  it out. Now it just needs paint. Well, the whole house needs paint. That’s in the works. 

Galatians‬ ‭3‬:‭28‬ says, There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Father, thank you for the skill of the guys who worked on the house. Bless them and their families. Amen. 

September 18 - “Ogling the tiny beasts”

I had a full day yesterday. Not that I started out with a walk. Chris did that. Instead I made some fire department visits. All the way from Station 2 in the East End to Station 8 in Sea Isle on the West End. With stations 1, 5, 4, and 7 (and a quick stop at home for lunch) in between. With all our traveling lately, I haven’t been able to get by like I would like to. I really enjoy talking with the fire fighters and seeing what’s going on in their lives. And most of the time they seem interested in how my life and travels are going as well. 

Back home we had some dinner and watched a Hallmark movie and chatted about what our dream trip to the Northern Lights would look like.  Well, at least we did that until I noticed a hummingbird outside the window. Chris disappeared pretty quickly. She spent the next hour or so ogling the tiny beasts from the porch swing. They are fun to watch, especially when they are protecting their territory. OK. OK. I may or may not have snuck a peek here and there. 

Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬ says, Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

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Father, be with the fire fighters on shift and with their families. Bless them and keep them safe.  Amen.