June 11 – “Up, up, and away”

On their way home our friends from Arlington texted us with an unusual request.  They wanted to get a picture of a sign just on the Texas side of the border heading north from Galveston.  They were impressed by the irony of the whole thing.  Yep.  They saw Dimitri's and the Ocean Cabaret with their signs advertising naked girls right under the billboard for Church of the Living God that recommended checking out the Naked Truth of the gospel.  Welcome to Galveston.   We headed out to San Antonio yesterday for Zakary's fifth birthday party.  It'll be a very quick trip.  Down yesterday and back this afternoon.  Last night we went to a new Mexican food restaurant.  Where else would you eat out in San Antonio?  It wasn't actually a new restaurant.  Josh and Christi just discovered it, though.  I had beef quesadillas and couldn't even finish them.  Good food.  Zak and Caleb were only interested in getting out to the playground they had.  Good concept.  Outdoor patio dining option overlooking nice playground equipment and a stage for live musical entertainment.  We missed the band, though.  They were just unloading their equipment as we were leaving.  We did get a solo performance by Caleb.  Dance and song.  Not sure what the words were, but then I can't remember the last time I fully understood all the words at a live concert.  Must be a hangover result of my hippie days.   After supper we went into WalMart so Christi could finish gathering supplies for the party.  Christi went one way and all us boys went the other.  Mom sat in McDonalds and waited for us.  Chris made a Happy Birthday phone call to her sister.  The boys had one assignment.  Twine for hanging the piñata.  Of course Christi finished her entire list before we ever got half way through the toy department.  Yes.  It was a necessary detour.  While there we heard a mom and dad telling their three young boys that if they got the super soaker in the basket, then they wouldn't be able to ask for anything else for Christmas.  Just as the mom said it, we made eye contact.  I couldn't help myself.  I started laughing.  Then I had to explain that I was responding from the perspective of the grandparent.  Of course they would get something else for Christmas, asked for or not.  That's what grandparents are for, right?    Well, the super hero themed birthday party begins in a little while and we are responsible for getting the birthday boy and his little brother to the park.  Zak just asked me if we had our super hero costumes with us to wear to the party.  Really?  He expects this old man to dress up like a comic book superman and go out in public?  Really?  It's time to shed my secret identity, don my cape and uniform, and get on the road.  Up, up, and away.  Yes.  Really.   Proverbs 12:25 Says, "An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up."   Father, thank you for the words of friends that are so encouraging.  Amen.

June 10 – “The Look”

Yesterday was actually kind of a relaxing day.  Good thing.  I was beat.  The Winkle Family decided not to try for one last fishing trip before heading home.  Instead we all just sat around the breakfast table and reminisced about such Vaughan marvels as Nathan roller blading off the roof of the house.  We also teased Mom about keeping us up so late the night before.  We ended up staying up until after midnight, and she was right there along with us.  We were watching the powerpoint presentation about Hurricane Ike and the damage it did to our house and just talked about that storm and its aftermath.  It was just really nice to have them here even if it was for only the two days.  That's some quality people.   After they left the rest of the day was kind of a fog.  Chris cleaned up in preparation for home group.  I worked on the sermon and the Bible Study for last night.  Mom took her usual naps, but one of them occurred in the rocking chair.  It didn't look very comfortable, but I'm sure not saying anything.  I have slept in more awkward positions than that.   Today we head out for San Antonio for Zakary's birthday party tomorrow.  We'll just be there for the overnight action. We'll be leaving right after the party on Saturday.  Can't wait for that party.  Zak has chosen a superheroes theme, and everyone is supposed to dress up like his favorite superhero.  I've been trying to think up something for Mom to dress as.  I figured her power would be giving "The Look" when someone has thoroughly disgusted her.  It sure has wilted me more than once over the years.  And she unveiled it a time or two the last two days.  The arched eyebrows.  Or worse – just one eyebrow.  The tilt of the head.  The tightening of the lips.  I know you have seen it, too.  Maybe not from my Mom, but the technique seems to be an inherited female trait.  Very powerful stuff.   Proverbs 11:25 says, "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."   Father, continue to refresh those who have shown such incredible generosity to us and to Seaside.  Amen.

June 9 – “Fish fry”

The fishing trip yesterday was inordinately successful.  We caught a two buckets full of whiting, and Cary even landed a pretty big speckled trout.  And that's not to mention the ones that got away, of course.  Those were so big that … never mind.  The fun part of fishing in the Gulf with someone who has never done it before is watching them when they actually do catch something.  The guy next to us had a distinctive whistle that he let out when he caught something.  I guess he wanted us to know, since no one else was close enough to hear him.  And he caught at least two big ones.  Cameron usually let out a very loud "Fish on" declaration.  Corbin stayed quiet with his catches, though.  I think that was because he didn't want anyone to see him slowly easing his way over to where I was.  Once near enough it was easy to say, "I think I need some help with this one."  Perfectly polite person, that boy.  I was the only one with a pair of needle nose pliers, though, so I dutifully pulled out the hook and helped him get the catch into the fish well.  It really didn't bother me, though.  All I could see was supper.   The waves were extremely rough.  Definitely not the ideal environment for a relaxing day of fishing.  We had to get out far enough to avoid the really strong crashing whitecaps.  But that meant being in water deep enough that the swells and still there but less often whitecaps that did come were over the head of this short guy.  That meant I had to jump and dodge and spit out salt water constantly.  Made for quite the workout.  It was most definitely worth it, though.  Can you say "Fish Fry"?    There's just something special about eating what you have just caught yourself.  Maybe it's a guy thing.  You know, provider for the family and all that.  We didn't even fry up all we caught, but we had more than enough to feed the four of their family (which included two big old college age boys) and the three of us.  We had some leftovers.  Not twelve baskets full, but a few fish sandwiches full for sure.    Acts 14:15-17 says, "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."   Father, thank you for providing our supper last night in abundance.  And thanks for our friendship with the Winkle family.  Watch over them.  Amen.

June 8 – “Fishing excursion, Part One”

Rain.  Wetness from the sky.  One hundred percent humidity.  It's been a long time.  And of course yesterday would be the day for us to get some.  The day finally set aside for fishing.  The day our friends from Arlington who have never been wade fishing will finally get to experience that treat.  Thunder and lightning abounded, so we postponed our trip to the beach and replaced it with a trip to Uncle Jerry's back yard so we could fish in the canal and stay relatively safe from the rigors of harsh weather.  As it turned out, there wasn't all that much actual rain that fell.  It was by no means a downpour.  And it didn't last all that long, either.   We didn't catch anything there, either.  Corbin alleged that he got a bite, and his brother Cameron held his pole and vouched for him, but we saw no out of the water evidence.  Certainly not enough to warrant staying long after the rain stopped completely.    So we headed out to Jamaica Beach to fish off the bank near the boat docks.  Things looked much better almost immediately.  I caught a little bitty flounder on my first cast.  About the size of my hand.  The boys were pretty excited, though.  They had heard of flounder, but had never seen one.  After a thorough inspection Cameron got down on his belly and gently released the critter.  Much more carefully than I admit I would have.  This site proved a bit more fruitful.  Corbin wowed us with his landing of a crab about the size of the palm of his hand.  He wouldn't touch it, though.  Ah, how much fun it is to go fishing with novices.  His Dad finally grabbed it by the legs so they could do another inspection.  By the time Chris called to ask us about lunch, we had pulled in a few croakers and a catfish.    Lunch was sandwiches at the house – though the girls, to their utmost credit, offered to bring some to us so as not to interrupt our excursion.  And after the meal we felt refreshed and rejuvenated.  At least enough to make a run at that wade fishing trip.   We were in the water for two or three hours, and I had the opportunity to impart a bunch of salt water fishing teaching tips.  And I helped restore a few backlashes.  There were plenty of fish in the ocean, though.  I  caught a little black tip shark and had my line cut by what I suspect was another somewhat larger one.  Corbin was by far the star of the show, with catches of two keeper whiting.  He also got the only spec of the day, but the little guy was only four or five inches long.    The later it got, the rougher the water got, but we were able to use up all the bait we had.  The boys were determined to give it another go, though, so we went back to the house, got cleaned up, prepared the cut bait, and waited for … today.  Chris is fixing some pancakes now, and they are already pacing.  Guess it's time to check the beach cam and see where we'll end up.    John 21:11-12 says, "Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord."   Father, it is so cool that you did miracles even with something like fishing.  I know it was their job and it's only my hobby, but thanks for invading life at both of those points.  It shows how much you really care.  Amen.

June 7 – “36 contacts … and more”

Well, yesterday was a lot of fun.  I thoroughly enjoyed watching Chris' face every time the phone rang – which was no less than 36 times, and maybe a few more than that.  The first call came in around 8 a.m. and the last one came in sometime after nine.  She was blown away more than once by the voices from the past that somehow found out that it was our anniversary and decided out of the blue to call and wish her well.  Calls came in from Denver and Arlington and Arkansas and Nashville and South Carolina and maybe other places, too.  And Chris was so suspicious.  She kept insisting that I had something to do with it all.  Thank you so much to everyone who called and sent texts and posted on FaceBook.    We didn't do anything special except spend the day together.  I heard her say to one of the callers, "We've been together 36 years.  We don't have to prove it any more."  Besides, we couldn't really go anywhere.  Chris kept getting phone calls.  We managed to sneak up to WalMart and Randall's, but she had her cell phone to her ear the whole time.  We had a quiet supper of heated up pizza and watched a movie.  Well, Mom and I watched a movie.  Chris was on the phone.    Our friends from Arlington got here late.  They came down to go fishing.  Well, the guys came for fishing.  I think KayLynn plans to sit around the house and rest up.  She's an elementary school teacher, and she just finished taking down her room for the summer.  She's ready for some rest, so Chris will hang out with her for a few days.  I volunteered for the really huge sacrifice.  I agreed to take her husband and boys fishing.  I know.  It's a tough break, but somebody had to do it.  That's my cue.  Wade fishing or pier or canal?  Hmmm.   John 21:6 says, "He said, 'Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.'  When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish."   Father, thank you for the expressions of love I got to listen to yesterday.  Amen.

June 6 – “Happy Anniversary, Chris”

Happy Anniversary to the greatest friend I have ever had.  Today marks the 36th anniversary of the day Chris and I got married.  I'll save all the really schmaltzy stuff for just her ears, but how can I not proclaim my love on the streets of the internet?    She has stuck by me through neck surgeries and knee surgery, from Houston to Fort Worth and back to inner-city Houston.  Then back to Fort Worth to Mansfield to Denver and down to Galveston.  She has seen me through being a part-time youth pastor making $25 a week (I got a raise to a whopping $35 a week when we got married.  How did we do that?) to being a full-time seminary student.  Then we went through minister of education, seminary again, minister of education again, then back to youth pastor, and now to senior pastor.    We had three great sons, so she got to be the proverbial soccer mom and basketball widow when I started coaching.  She played some coed softball when it wasn't exactly her favorite pastime, but she knew I loved it.    She retired from her nursing career to nurse my Dad in his Alzheimer's days, and now she patiently cares for my Mom, taking her to doctor's appointments and gently convincing her that she really does need to go to water therapy.    She is an amazing cook, and does her best to get me to eat healthy (which I don't mind, as long as healthy includes meat and potatoes somewhere in there).    She opens our home every week to our Bible Study group, and has opened our home to several folks who needed a place to stay.  I remember the family who moved in when we were in Houston.  Our first dog Gideon nipped their toddler when he took a playful swing at me.  There was the high school girl who was taking care of her brother and sister sometimes for days at a time while her parent was gone.  We had all three of them.  We had our niece for awhile.  She was our foray into Lassie League softball, but she just didn't do sports like our boys did.  And of course there was Nathan's best friend who spent his senior year in high school homeschooling with us.  Not to mention the wide assortment of short-term guests we have had over the years.  And through them all Chris was the consummate hostess.    She will eventually read this, so to her I say: Chirs, you have been my best friend for at least 39 years (I think that's the number of years we figured we have known each other) – since you were a freshman at Houston Baptist College (now University).  You have made some unbelievable sacrifices as a pastor's wife, and I appreciate you for it.  You have felt like it has been difficult for you to have a lot of friends in your position, but I want you to know you deserve to have so many friends you couldn't even get around to talking to them all in one day.  And once again … you are my truest friend.  I love you.   Song of Solomon 4:9-10 says, "You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace.  How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride!  How much more pleasing is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume than any spice!"   Father, I am overwhelmed by your incredible gifts to me, none more amazing than my wife.  Than you.  Amen.

June 5 – “Not really necessary”

I started in the garage working on another Ike survivor recovery project yesterday.  This one was an old high chair that we used when I was a kid.  Our boys used it for a long time, too.  A bottom section is hinged to fold over and form a floor level desk as well.  Pretty ingenious contraption.  I don't know how this one will turn out, though.  It's in pretty rough shape.    When I started sanding it the slats started falling apart.  They were just glued together in the first place, but that was an unexpected development.  The old glue had dissolved in the flood waters.  An easy fix, right?  Just slap some glue back in there and we're good to go, right?  Did I mention flood waters?  There was just enough of a warp in the wood to make the grooves not quite fit in a few places.  I got it to go back together, but there are some tiny gaps that are filled in with glue.  It seems to be holding structurally.    The sanding process was easy at least.  The old stain was peeling off already.  Now the dried glue was another story.  I guess I didn't let it dry long enough or something, because it is very difficult to remove with sandpaper.  And using my dremel didn't really help.  That just heated it up and made it gooey again.  I'll try again later and see if it gets any easier before I start staining.  I did try to save the original stenciled pattern.  It's a baby duck.  I'm hoping the new stain will just seal it back in and not obliterate it.    The thing I like about restoring this old furniture is its simplicity.  Not too many extraneous parts to confuse you as to their purpose.  We did decide that there is a part missing.  It locks the bottom and top together when it is in the upright position.  I have no idea what it originally looked like, and it's not really necessary.  That's probably why it's gone.   Not really necessary.  Now there's a concept.  Who gets to decide what's not really necessary?  The designer?  The carpenter?  The consumer who buys the chair?  The government?  What about with body parts?  Who needs a spleen?  Or an appendix?  Or tonsils?  Why were they put there in the first place?  And who gets to decide?  The doctor?  The scientist-researcher?  The person with the body part in question?  I guess the ethical debate could rage on and on.  There ultimately comes a point in every ethical debate where you have to take a step of trust and say, "I trust."  I trust that the designer knew what he was doing.  The carpenter knew what was practically needed.  God knew what I needed to be made of.  Not really necessary?  Hmm.  I choose to trust.   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 trust you to decide what is necessary.  Best I can tell, Jesus is all I really need, but there sure are some powerful distractions. Amen.