February 7 – “Agency Field Report”

Super bowl Sunday.  It began quietly enough.  Phone call at 7:18 a.m.  The cruise ship is in port.  Passenger disembarkation to occur around 8:05.  Arrived at the terminal at 8:08, just as our operatives were exiting.  They hurriedly made their way to the vehicle, and within moments we were on our way.  Back at home base they transferred luggage and equipment to two separate vehicles and departed again for parts north.    As they departed local operatives arrived to relocate junior field agent C.V.  She has been assigned 12 hour mentorship duty at home base, and had joined the senior agents on a field assignment to mentor the youngest agent currently on active agency status.    Following a grand general gathering of foreign operatives remembering their common original home and honoring their physically absent leader, the three aforementioned agents spent the afternoon preparing for their next assignment in several ways.  One studied techniques of infiltration and execution through visual media code named "Red."  Another disappeared for several hours, presumably "resting," though her absence would neither be confirmed nor denied.  The final agent was obviously on active duty preparing the operation site for the arrival of numerous foreign dignitaries and suspected operatives.   The purpose of the evening gathering?  The cover story was to study detailed film of two opposing agencies engaged in simultaneous covert and not-so-covert activities.  The stated plan was to predict, observe, and comment on behavior of the groups as they acted.  The underlying, and certainly more important operation involved the evaluation of subliminal recruitment techniques being test marketed by world class powers.  Who is now most to be feared?  Indeed.   OK.  I picked up our friends at the cruise terminal this morning, and they left right away to return to their homes in Arkansas and Kansas.  When they left Nathan and April got here to pick up Cailyn.  She met us over at Kel and Christina's last night where we were babysitting Josiah, and she spent the night with us.  After church I watched the movie "Red," Mom took a nap, and Chris cooked the taco soup for our SOUPer bowl commercial party tonight.  Now really.  Didn't it sound way more exciting the other way?   Psalms 139:17-18 says, "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!  How vast is the sum of them!  Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.  When I awake, I am still with you."   Father, I don't know if I could hold one of your thoughts on my own.  Way too vast.  Amen.

February 6 – “Quilts and crochet”

I actually ran one of our two miles yesterday.  Well, I made it three fourths of a mile and then had to walk about a block before I could pick up the other quarter.  I did OK breathing-wise.  My right knee started barking at me on that last leg, so I waited and walked the rest of the way with Chris.    I got a lesson on quilting at lunch.  Chris is working on her next project, and she asked me to do some algebra for her.  She was transitioning it from the single bed pattern she had to where it would fit a queen sized bed.  "If it takes 30 pieces to make 24 squares, how many pieces will it take to make 30 squares?"  Or something like that.  She had about six different scenarios to figure out.  She was going to ask April since she was taking Algebra in school, but I was nearby.  Hope I got all those ratios right. Great fun.    After the algebra she explained all about quilting machines with long arms and computerized screens and people who charge $200 to finish your quilt for you.  Meanwhile Mom announced she was almost finished with the big old afghan she has been working on.   I did get the checkbook balanced.  And I didn't have to add or subtract a mystery amount like last month.  Victory.   I got a new wireless mouse when we went to WalMart for groceries.  Sure didn't realize how much I had gotten used to it.   Last night we went to Kel & Christina's to take care of Josiah while the rest of the family went to a monster truck rally in Houston.  Cailyn met us over there because her Mom and Dad went to a birthday party at Yamamamamoto's.  There might be too many mama's in there, but I can never keep that straight.  It's kind of like bananananas.  And I still think it's weird for someone else to bring you a steak and then cut it up into tiny pieces in front of you and dunk it in that nasty oriental sauce.  I want to cut my own steak.  And if I want to dunk it, bring me some ketchup.    Psalms 139:13-14 says, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."   Father, I am amazed by the creation of things like afghans and quilts.  I can't begin to comprehend your something-out-of-nothing creation.  Amen.

February 5 –“The Terminator”

Uncle Jerry came back yesterday and ended up sticking around for several hours.  The power didn't come back on at his house until late in the afternoon, so he did some work on our computer.  It was still really cold – never got much above freezing if at all – so we stayed inside.  Chris worked on some quilting stuff.  Mom did a lot of crocheting.  I worked some, but ended up actually watching some movies.  I haven't done that in a long time.  I found a station that was showing The Terminator.  Loved the clothes they were wearing.  In fact I have a leisure suit just like one of the guys was wearing.  I think Josh borrowed it for some costume show or something.  That's how it escaped the wrath of Ike.  The hairdos on the girls were a riot.  I couldn't believe all the really big hair.  Terminator 2 was on next, but I decided to tape that one and watch some of the shows we already had recorded to catch up.     I missed being the first one in line at the grand opening of the new Dollar General store over at the old Gerland's around the corner from our house.  The first fifty in line get a free ten dollar gift card.  Oh, well, I still have my coupon for five dollars off on a purchase of twenty dollars or more.  Wonder if I can find twenty dollars worth of stuff?     Trying to develop some plans for this fine Saturday beyond my usual last-minute sermonizing work.  I hope we get a chance to walk today.  Not sure if Chris will go for it in the cold.  I never made it to the post office, so that may be on tap.  I still have to mail in the income tax stuff I put together.  And I never realized how used to that wireless mouse I had become.  It still takes awhile to remember how to use the touch pad on this laptop.  WalMart or Office Depot can cure that.    Days like today sure make me reminisce about those days of yore when I used to be able to head down to the beach and toss a line in the water for a few hours.  Speckled trout, redfish, flounder, mackerel.  I'm drooling just thinking about it.  I keep a brand new little box of treble hooks on my desk.  I refuse to put them in my tackle box until the first time I go fishing.  They have been there for a long time.   Psalms 36:5 says, "Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies."   Father, thank you for the warm-up after the days of cold.  It helps me remember that you do that in the spiritual realm as well.  Amen.

February 4 – “One simple point of connection”

Yesterday and today were major income tax preparation days for me.  I went through all our files and papers and gathered them together so I could send them in to our tax guy.  What fun.    We were hoping for some snow today, but still haven't seen any.  Our car and plants and anything else outside were covered with a thin film of ice, though.  And our Weatherbug kept saying we might get some.  Then around 11:00 it changed and said we might get rain.  The humidity around here is already 100% officially, so why not throw in a few snow flurries?  The kids would be ecstatic.  Oh, well.  Not up to me.    The wireless mouse I use in my laptop developed some problems this morning.  Everything works fine except the left click button.  Now nothing happens. Amazing the effect one simple point of connection can have on electronic stuff.  Kind of like how one simple touch with Jesus can change your whole outlook on life.  At least I can still use the laptop pad.  Guess I'll have to make a WalMart run and get another one.    I have had a statement saved to the bottom of this file for several weeks now.  It says, "February is too cold to be playing baseball.  It's a summer game."  I wrote it back when Jachin was playing Fall baseball.  Christina and Kel told us that the next season begins in February.  I remember playing baseball in February, and I didn't like it.  Way too cold.  Now I'll have to come up with another random thought to ponder at the bottom of the page every day.    My Uncle Jerry came over today.  He was here yesterday, too, but I saw on FaceBook that he was without power at his house in Spanish Grant, so I invited him to come over and get warm.  First thing he did was scan through our cable TV stations to see if we get Fox News.  I don't think he ever found it, but he finally settled in for a cup of coffee.    Stay warm, everybody!   Psalms 35:9 says, "My soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in his salvation."   Father, thank you for our connection, our touch.  It means everything to me.  Amen.

February 3 – “Winter weather bulletin”

Winter weather alert in Tropical Island Paradise, Galveston, Texas.  Two nights in a row below freezing.  Much of the day below freezing.    Chris texted each of our children yesterday to see how they were faring in this cold wave that has gripped the area (and the country, too, according to the news media).  Josh called back from his car.  No, he wasn't on his way to work or doing some kind of creative ministry to the homeless of San Antonio.  He and Christi and Zak and Caleb had a picnic in their car for breakfast.  Doesn't that sound sweet?  Cute little family making precious memories with their preschoolers.  Actually the reason they were in the car was because they had no electricity in their house.  Hence – no heat.  She tried to get them to come over here, but they decided to spend the day at their church instead.   Nathan was at work on the open cab fire truck Tuesday night.  Yes, that means when they made a call – and they did have some calls – they had to ride with their hair blowing in the wind so to speak.  He was off Wednesday, though.  April said she and Cailyn were snug under the covers, but Nathan had just come home from work and he looked pretty frozen.  April had a roast in the crockpot, so they brought it over for lunch, and Chris made a bucketful of rice to go with it.  She has to make two or three cups when Nathan is going to be around.  He love sthe stuff.   Kel and Christina's pipes froze.  At least the one that supplies water to the house did.  He grabbed Christina's hair dryer and shot it for awhile, and the water finally came back on inside.  They thought all was well, but when they went to take a shower there was no water coming out there.  Every other spigot in the house worked except that one – even the sink in the same bathroom worked.  Christina and the boys came over for the afternoon for the boys to play and so she could get a shower.  Kel was afraid to leave the ornery shower by itself.  I went over to check on him.  When I pulled into their driveway I heard the sound of water rushing, and I knew it wasn't some melodious natural waterfall nearby.  My first thought was a leak in the truck, but that proved not to be.  Then I assumed it was coming from somewhere under the house.  Their house is built on pier and beams, so all the pipes run under the house, but above ground – dangerously exposed to the elements.  Thankfully I saw nothing of concern there either.  Finally I followed the sound to the neighbor's house.  Sure enough, their front faucet was spewing water at full blast.  The neighbors weren't at home, but there was an air conditioning/heating company truck outside.  I couldn't see how that would have anything to do with the spewing spigot, though.  Kel finally went over and turned it down to a trickle.  At least the water would still be flowing and fighting against the freezing conditions.  Kel finally came over to our house for a shower himself after we wrapped his front pipe.   Seaside Christian Academy as well as most of the schools in Galveston have already been called off for Friday.  It's supposed to be icy all Thursday night and then snow on Friday.  We'll see about the snow, but I sure don't want to mess with ice.    Job 37:5-6 says, "God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.  He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,' and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.'"   Father, thank you for the cold weather.  If nothing else it makes me so appreciate the warmth we usually have here in Galveston – and the warmth we always have in your arms.  Amen.

February 2 – “Happy Groundhog Day”

I hope I have the right day.  I think this is the day Punxsutawney Phil comes out of his hole somewhere up there in New England.  If he sees his shadow he gets scared and runs back into his hole, a sure indication that we will have six more weeks of winter.  Or is it the other way around?  I have never been able to keep that straight.  Especially since we moved to Galveston.  Winter here lasts a month, maybe.  And by winter we usually mean the rainy season.  It's not exactly a tropical island paradise, but it just doesn't stay cold long here.     Yesterday was pretty cold, but today was most assuredly the exception to the rule.  When I woke up this morning it was 24 degrees at Moody Gardens according to Weather Bug.  We did the winter weather preparations yesterday that we practiced for last week but didn't really need.  We carried Chris's pots full of dirt (oh, yeah, they also had plants in them) from the front porch to the garage.  Then we did that little something extra that only happens when we are pretty certain there will be a freeze (that sounds weird, doesn't it?  Either you are certain or you are not.  How can you be "pretty" certain?).  Chris went to the closet and dragged out a stack of sheets.  We had to cover up some of the bushes that were planted in the ground.  Plumbagos and a little Satsuma tree we planted last spring and three hibiscus bushes got the sheet cover.  Another hibiscus in the front got covered by turning over a big old empty flower pot we had and dropping it over the bush.  We did that trick over some Easter lilies as well.  She didn't cover up the poinsettia, though.  It is growing in the ground in the back yard, and its leaves have turned red.  Looks like it must be Christmas.  How many shopping days are left, anyway?     About 5:30 I got a call from Josh.  He wanted to know what people used to do to protect from freezes back in the dark ages before plastic faucet covers and pipe insulation.  He left all his anti-freeze devices way up north in Arlington, because he didn't think it got that cold in San Antonio.  He had been driving around San Antonio and everybody was sold out of the new-fangled gadgets.  He figured since we were so old we might know some antique tricks.  I asked him first if he had access to newspapers.  One of our pipes is exposed in an unusual way, and that's how I covered it.  His answer?  "What's a newspaper?"  I forgot.  Any news he gets he reads news online or occasionally sees on television.  New generation.  We needed a plan B.  About that time Chris hollered out that he could use towels, so I asked if he had any of those.  That wouldn't be a problem, so I told him to wrap the pipes with a towel and hold it on with duct tape.  I asked, "You do have duct tape, don't you?"  That one he did have.  Everybody should have duct tape.  Great stuff.  To top off the recommendation list, I said he could also leave a faucet dripping to keep the water moving.  Moving water is less likely to freeze than water at rest.  He had two more queries.  "Inside or outside faucet?"  How could it be an outside one if you have wrapped them?  "All the faucets inside or just one?"  Just one, Josh.  Just one.   1 Corinthians 9:24 says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."   Father, help me to give everything I have to this race you have called me to be in.  Amen.

February 1 – “Lawn mower technician”

Yesterday brought us an interesting problem.  The clover and other weeds in our yard have gotten so high that our dachshund Heidi gets lost when she walks through it.  Not that she goes near the high part anyway.  I think she's afraid she will get lost.  I don't remember the clover in particular being this hearty during the winter last year.  One fog bank had already rolled through and burned off.  Another was hovering off the coast, waiting for its opportunity to pounce. But I decided to take a chance and drag out the lawn mower.    It's actually Josh's lawn mower.  He gave it to us several years ago when he decided to hire someone to take care of his yard in Arlington.  Of course that led to no end of grief for him from his two brothers.  It was bad enough that he hired it out, but they found out that the guy doing it had only one arm.  (Understand up front that the guy did an amazing job.  The yard always looked great).  But they teased him a lot about it anyway.  So I pulled Josh's lawn mower out.  Now the last few times I used it, it had been sputtering and complaining, whirring strongly, then fading to almost nothing.  It took longer than usual and required more gas, but I was able to finish out the mowing season without any maintenance.  I figured I would have to change the sparkplug or air filter or something in there, but I decided to wait until next season.  I just didn't expect next season to get here in January.     The problem was that I only had a brief window to accomplish the task if it was going to get done at all.  The massive blizzard of 2011 was speeding through the northern wastelands, and was expected to hit the island within a day, bringing bitter cold, harsh rain, and even the remote possibility of snow.  The snow thing would be unusual since we had some a few years ago, and snow usually occurs only once every fifteen years here.  But rain seemed a good bet, and anything under fifty degrees is definitely winter here, so I figured it had to be done.     It started easily enough, on the third or fourth pull.  And the sputtering and hesitation began as well.  I managed to get both the front and back yards done before it gave out completely.  I checked the gas level, and there was still some in there, so on a whim I decided to check out the blades, not that I expected to find anything I could do something out.  I don't even know what I expected to find at all.  But I tilted the mower over carefully and peered at the blades.  All looked fine at first, but then my gaze fell on the post that the blades spin around.  I suspect it has a name, but I don't know what it is.  And wrapped around the post was … something.  I thought it might be part of a palm branch or maybe a piece of rope.  I grabbed it and pulled, but it didn't come right off.  It was knotted up.  So I propped the machine up a little better so I could get both hands free to work on it.  I hadn't had a challenge like this since the last time I had a backlash in my fishing reel.  It took awhile, but I finally freed the knot and unwound the offending culprit.  It was a strip of pantyhose.  Not the whole thing, thank goodness.  Just about a twelve inch strip of nylon or whatever they are made out of.  That couldn't have been good for the free spinning of the blades.  I shoved it in my pocket to show Chris later, and out of curiosity started up the mower again.  It jumped to life, spewing smoke everywhere.  The engine sounded totally different, though.  It was running great.  No problem.  The smoke soon cleared, and the old mower had a new lease on life.  And I had the opportunity to tell Chris I fixed it.  I'm quite the handyman, you know.   Psalms 27:1 says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid?"   Father, thank you for reminding me that you are all I need.  Amen.