July 7 – “Overcoming the groggies”

I received a text at 2:49 … A.M. … the other night.  That is rarely a good sign around the house of a pastor.  I shook off the groggies and managed to locate my phone to check it out.  There on the text was … a picture of what appeared to be what was left of someone’s fried fish dinner.  No, really.  It was a picture of a fish on a plate. I hastened to see if there was a caption that could possibly explain this unusual intrusion into my slumber.  And there it was,  The text was from Josh, who is currently in Denia, Spain with a mission trip group.  And Denia is approximately seven hours ahead of where are time-wise.  That placed the time there at around ten in the morning.  Josh was simply blessing me and Nathan, who was included in the text as well, with the fruit of his mealtime fare.  Here is the interchange:

Josh: “They serve mullet for dinner!”

Me: “Hey, you can eat anything if it’s fried right.  We’ll be thinking of you when we sit down to our speckled trout fish fry on Friday.”

Josh: “I told them that the fish I eat, eat the fish that they served!”

Me: “Lol.  Nothing but the best for us.  Everything’s bigger in Texas.  And a certain small republic off the coast of Texas!”

Josh: “That’s right!”

Never had any input from Nathan.  I suppose he was comfortably enjoying his sleep, totally oblivious to the earth-shattering seafood news from the Mediterranean. 

We talked to Josh later that morning when he Facetimed his family.  He explained further that the mullet with the heads still on were his favorite.  I told him it was all those brain juices mingling into the batter that gave it extra flavor.  Not sure he bought that one.  Also not sure fried mullet with heads on would be something he would order at Gaido’s, either.  For me, I think I’ll stick with speckled trout at our fish fry tomorrow.

Romans 12:20-21 says, “On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Father, please continue watching over the group from Waco as they minister in Denia.  Amen.

July 6 – “The Transition”

Our big news for yesterday is our acquisition of four house guests for a day or two.  We had to drive to just past Kemah to pick them up.  We met at a place called Tookie’s Seafood.  No, really.  That’s an actual place.  It is huge.  And it must be pretty good, too, because the place was really hopping.  And we had to borrow Nathan and April’s car to fit them all in.  Our car was one seat short if both of us went along.  And come on now … which one of us was gonna pass on the opportunity?  Not happening.

So we loaded up ourselves and headed to Tookie’s to pick up none other than … Christi and Zak and Caleb and Luke.  They had been in Crosby with her folks for a few days and it was time to switch out and head for the beach.  While we were doing the transfer the boys were really excited.  Zak helped unload the luggage.  Luke was just happy to be in Nani and DadDad’s car which was actually Cailyn’s car.  He couldn’t quite figure that one out.  Caleb never stopped talking.  At one point he called out to me, “Hey, BobBob.”  That’s his name for his other grandfather, so I turned around and pointed him out.  Caleb handled the faux pas with style, though.  He said, “Oh, DadDad, you know how it is when you have to transition between grandparents.”  Wait a minute, Caleb.  You’re supposed to be seven years old, not 27. 

Looks like we might do a little grandkids fishing trip this morning.  Just over to the fishing park in Jamaica Beach.  I know Cailyn and Nathan plan to join us.  Kel might bring his crew as well.  Not sure about that.  Guess I’ll need to load up all the fishing poles.  Hope the shops have plenty of bait today.

Romans 12:19 says, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

Father, thank you for the safe arrival of our special guests.  Help them to have a great time.  And watch over their Dad while he is in Spain.  Amen.

July 5 – “Takin’ it easy”

So what to do on the Fourth of July?  We had Cailyn with us, so she had to be prominent in our thinking.  And interestingly enough, she doesn’t always particularly want to do the elaborate choice.  Gotta love that.

We started out the morning (before Cailyn’s arrival) by mowing the grass.  Never an easy task in the 88 degree, heat index of 113 degrees, weather.  But Chris and I are a well-oiled machine when it comes to yard work.  I mow while she operates the weedeater.  Then when the weedeater runs out of line (which it inevitably does) she either takes over with the mower or sweeps grass clippings while I reload.  By the way, do you have one of those weedeaters with a double line coming out?  Nathan does (and we share lawn instruments).  Those things are not easy to reload when you use up all the line.  Oh, the concept is simple enough, but the actual operation is a pain in the neck.

Cailyn arrived just as we were sweeping up the last of the debris in the back yard.  And she arrived hungry for some lunch.  We briefly considered grilling, but settled for a quick trip to sonic for some chicken strips all around.  Why chicken?  Because Chris makes a mean cream gravy that needs something to be dipped into it.  Chicken is a good choice.  So are tater tots.  Good stuff. 

We watched the Astros game after lunch.  Well, I was accused of sleeping through much of the game.  I don’t see how that could be.  I saw every run being scored.  Of course the score was only 2-1, and I can’t really account for the position of my eyelids during the rest of the game. 

Last night we culminated our relaxing day by actually grilling a few burgers, then watching the fireworks from our deck.  Yep.  We could see the city’s fireworks show without leaving the comfort of our own home.  No traffic to fight.  Of course Cailyn was disappointed that we couldn’t really hear the explosions.  But some neighbors obliged her by setting off a few really loud ones somewhere nearby.  And the explosions did continue far into the night.  They didn’t keep her awake, though.  Once the grand finale finally went off, she was ready for bed.  I will take a Fourth of July like that one any time. 

Romans 12:18 says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

Father, thank you for this country.  There is no doubt that it is broken, but you have always been one make amazing use of broken things.  Amen.

July 4 – “Indian cuisine”

Our Fourth of July weekend has been pretty eventful so far.  In a good way.  If you don’t count the fire at our dentist’s office.  Or Kel getting notice that he has been laid off from his church.  Or Kel’s house getting broken into.  Or the Astros losing a series to the White Sox.  Good weekend so far.

The Jamaica Beach Volunteer Fire Department Fourth of July weekend barbecue fund raiser and dance was Saturday evening.  We saw lots of folks there.  Some fire fighters.  Some Seasiders.  Some cops.  Some residents.  Here’s hoping they raised some good money for the fire department.

We had 83 people at church yesterday.  That’s a pretty good weekend in itself.  A lot of the group that has been staying in the retreat center decided to join us for worship, and we had quite a few holiday weekenders.  Made for a great tome of worship.  Perfect for Wes’ last Sunday with us as worship leader.  Loud singing and even louder drumming and strumming (and even some whirling around in circles) by the children on their instruments.  It was just incredible on every count, especially seeing as the teaching ended with Saul blind and not eating or drinking for three days.  Could have been depressing.

We took a chance and took Nathan and his family out to eat at Salsa’s for his birthday.  By “taking a chance” I mean with the proliferation of tourists on the Island for the holiday weekend.  As it turned out, most of them were on the beach, because we had no problem getting a table right away.  Happy birthday, Nathan.

Last night we went back up to the church to spend some time with the group in the retreat center.  They invited Chris and me to come sample some of their authentic Indian cuisine.  They are from the southern region of Indian and speak the Telugu language.  They are members of churches all over the Houston area, and they come together every third Saturday for a time of worship together.  One of the men even asked for my card so he could invite me to speak at one of these gatherings.  They also meet in individual home groups on Friday evenings.  Now these are some great folks.  They were so anxious to serve us and have us try every sort of food that they had made for the weekend.  I was worried about how spicy it might be, but it wasn’t bad at all.  Two different kinds of chicken and lots of rice.  Oh, and some sort of chili.  Now, that was spicy.  They wanted to hear all about Seaside and how we got started there.  All this was accomplished as they were cleaning up and packing to return home.  They gifted us with a few dozen eggs and their leftover watermelon.  Oh, and some spicy Indian trail mix.  Supposed to be good with tea or coffee.  Or sprinkled on top of your salad.  I think I want to keep that stuff off of my salad.  It might infringe upon the taste of the Thousand Island dressing.  The folks really want to return, and tried at least three different times with me to reserve a spot.  I think our scheduler will be receiving a call very soon. 

Romans 12:17 says, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.”

Father, thank you for the chance to meet and spend time with the folks from India.  Bless them.  Amen.

July 3 – “Our dentist office is burning down”

Yesterday we were headed into Texas to celebrate Micah’s birthday at his house in LaMarque when an alert went off on my phone.  I took a quick peek.  It was a fire call, and I noted that the address seemed vaguely familiar.  We were already across the causeway, though, so I put the phone down and returned to my prior focus, preparing myself for a ten-year-old’s birthday party.  That address kept nagging at me, though.  In fact, more calls came in for the same fire, and it was becoming evident that this was one I wish I could have been on site for.  As I pondered the location, a different alert sounded on my phone.  This one was a text from Nathan, so I opened it quickly and read, “Our dentist office is burning down.”  That was it.  That was the reason the address seemed so familiar.  It’s because I have to look it up every single time I go there.  The building was built back in the 1800’s, and had been renovated inside to house the offices.  The exterior was fixed up to match the period, so it was one of Galveston’s architectural treasures in that sense.  It is also located right next door to the Elks Lodge.  In fact in that district all the buildings are pretty close together, so the danger of it spreading was pretty high.

Nathan sent me a picture that one of the guys sent him.  Lots of smoke, intense heat inside, and extremely hot conditions outside (not to mention the gases they use in the practice), turned this one into a call for every active fire fighter to be on the scene.  The thing is, each guy can only actively fight the fire for so long in all his bunker gear before he has to have a break to rest and rehydrate and cool down some.  With a fire that intense, more crews were needed.  Jamaica Beach Volunteer Department stepped up and covered calls from 61^st Street to the West End of the Island, and incredibly huge area of responsibility.  Nice job, JBVFD.  Fortunately, they only had one call during that time.  Engines from some of our partners on the Mainland came over as well to help with coverage.  Once again Galveston Fire Department took care of business professionally and expertly.  I saw a picture of the structure after the fire, and the exterior didn’t look nearly as bad as I would have expected.  Perhaps they will be able to rehabilitate after all, rather than just tear it down.

Back to the initial call … when I told Chris about what was happening (she was driving, of course), her only comment was, “But I have an appointment on Monday.”  I was conflicted.  Do I mourn the passing of her appointment or rejoice at her good favor? 

Romans 12:16 says, “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”

Father, thank you that no one was in that building when the fire started.  Thank you as well for protecting the fire fighters that were called to fight it and to watch over the rest of the city.  Amen.

July 2 – “Finally … fish”

Well, it finally happened.  I actually had a really successful fishing trip.  By successful, I mean, of course, that speckled trout were involved.  Chris and I were returning from Home Depot yesterday (she needed a pot and some special dirt to repot her orchid plant).  As we drove down 61^st Street I noticed that every single bait shop had their white flags flapping in the breeze.  Live shrimp were now available.  That was clue number one that I should really be at the beach fishing.  So I checked the beach cams on the Galveston.com website.  Calm, clear, green seas.  That was number two.  The only strike against going right then was the fact that it was 3:00 in the afternoon and specs usually prefer early morning or late afternoon.  Oh, and it was hot.  Really hot.  Hovering around 90 degrees.  But I have handled heat before.  And I do carry sunscreen in my tackle box.  Chris agreed to swing by the seawall on our way home so I could have a look for myself, and it was gorgeous. 

So when we got home I loaded up the truck and went for some of that advertised live bait.  I was kind of hesitant at first.  Oh, the bait was live all right, but the shrimp were really big – eatin’ kind of big.  Had I been planning to go anywhere but the beach I would have balked, but, hey.  It’s the Gulf of Mexico.  Anything can happen, right? 

Once at the beach I waded out and established my spot beyond the tourists and made my first cast.  Lost that bait on a really good bite, so I used one of the smaller shrimp to see what was out there.  Caught a whiting, so I decided, where there’s small ones, there should be big brothers and uncles, so I went back to the big shrimp.  And then it began.  Speckled trout showed up to do a little feeding, and they were especially fond of my live shrimp.  And because they were so big, the youngsters pretty much left them alone.  I started catching some of those Big Daddies.  In fact on one cast something hit the line and took off, zinging my drag like it wasn’t even on.  I was at his mercy until he calmed down enough for me to reel him in closer.  I thought maybe it was a Jack Crevalle, the way it was fighting.  I never expected what slipped into the dip net, though.  It was certainly the biggest spec I have ever caught.  Similar to the ones that get their picture in the paper.  I was in this day for the long haul. 

And it turned out to be quite a day.  Seven big specs, so I didn’t limit out, but a family fish fry is certainly imminent.  One keeper red.  I actually caught and released a total of six rat reds.  I kept two whiting.  I also released two black drum, just because I didn’t want to deal with cleaning them.  They weren’t very big either.  I did have to deal with three or four catfish.  One of them even managed to stab my finger, so I had to deal with that ache for a while. Only had one of those “ones that got away.”  Reeled him in pretty close, but he broke the line before I could get a good look at him.  When I ran out of bait  I decided to make a few casts with a lure I found in my tackle box.  First cast yet another big speck decided to join my team.  That was the last one, though. 

As I dragged my catch onto shore, a young family approached me and asked, “May we record your catch?”  An unusual request, but I said “Sure.”  They both whipped out cell phones and literally recorded my stringer.  Odd.  Then when I finally got up to the truck, another guy came over and asked all about the fish.  He was fascinated by the red fish color.  “It’s like a mix between red and gold.”  He was also surprised to hear that the others were trout.  He asked, “Are those the same as they have up in Colorado.”  I assured him it was the same name, but there were two key differences.  1.  These were salt water fish.  And 2.  You don’t have to catch and release these … you can eat them.  He agreed that they would “sure be gracing his supper table tonight.” 

Romans 12:15 says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”

Father, thank you for gracing our supper table every night.  Amen.

July 1 – “Burgled”

Okay.  Okay.  We give.  All these emergency calls are about to drive us more crazy than we already are.  Yesterday we received a FaceTime request from Josiah, Kel and Christina’s youngest boy (well, their youngest boy so far.  Still don’t know about the one cooking).  That, of course, was not unusual.  We get those calls and thoroughly enjoy talking with those youngsters.  But when he led with, “Our house got broken into,” we weren’t sure if he was kidding or not.  And then in the background we heard Micah confirming the diagnosis.  Sure enough, someone had violated their dwelling.

Seems Christina and the kids (as well as a young baby she was caring for at the time) left the house around noon to make a quick WalMart run.  They weren’t gone very long, but when they returned, she noticed doors that were closed that should be opened, and then the one door opened that should be closed – the back door to the house.  She immediately gathered up the little ones and sent them back to the car.  Then she called the police to come check out the house before she would allow them back inside.  (Perfect move, by the way,  Just as she should have done).  After the police officers made a walk-through of the house and determined it was indeed empty, Christina began a search of her own to see what had just happened.  The double-paned window to the back door had been broken to allow access.  She said one of her bags had been emptied and was gone.  The thieves apparently forgot to bring something to carry their loot.  They had some cash that was missing as well – some money they had been saving to get some attic stairs for their garage, the money they had set aside for the boys’ allowances, and some of the boys’ savings.   That’s what Josiah was calling to tell us.  “Someone stole my wallet.”  They also took some of Christina’s jewelry. 

Nathan and I went up later that afternoon in the truck so we could pick up the new back door Kel found at Lowe’s.  He actually only needed the window, but to order just that unit would have cost $200 and taken three weeks to deliver.  The salesman found a door in stock with some very minor dents that he was able to sell as damaged for … $200.  So for the price of a window, they got an entire door.  He chose to remove the new window and put it in the old door, saving the new door for future installation as needed.  Micah was the junior handyman as usual.  He really helped in unscrewing the old window structure and especially in the cleanup.  His personal tool kit was invaluable as well. 

We got the installation all complete in plenty of time for me to make it back to Galveston for home group.  Kel’s church gave them a little bit of emergency money – just enough to cover the cost of the door.  Garage stairs are on hold again.  And it’s back to the drawing board for the young guys and their savings.  But thankfully no one was at home at the time.  All the kids fell asleep last night with no residual effects of fear (Not sure about Kel and Christina, though).  With the way the rest of their week had gone, I think that family has had just about enough trauma.

James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Father, would you ease the trials and tribulations a bit for Kel and Christina so they can enjoy baby preparations?  Amen.