June 10 – “Once in a lifetime”

We just found out that we have a championship baseball game to attend tonight.  Jachin’s team managed to pull off a victory in their bracket last night to extend their season one more game.  Tonight they play in the championship game against the tournament’s undefeated team.  I have a wedding rehearsal tonight at 6 p.m.  the game starts at 7:45 in Hitchcock.  We should be able to make it with little trouble, since my rehearsals don’t usually last more than fifteen to thirty minutes.  Guess I’ll have to be a little more directive than usual tonight.  As Jachin said when he called last night with the good news, “Wedding rehearsals can be canceled.  Championship games are once in a lifetime.” 

I met the fire alarm people at the church yesterday for our annual inspection of the system.  Well, it’s supposed to be an annual inspection.  I honestly have no idea when it was inspected last.  Neither did the inspectors.  But apparently we were all good.  At least they didn’t tell me any drastic measures that needed to be taken.  Next on the list is the checking of the fire suppression system.  That’s the high class way of saying making sure the sprinkler system works.  I think that will be a little more involved process than just checking lights and smoke alarms.  As I understand it, they will have to do a pressure check on the water supply to the whole system.  Makes sense.  Time for another phone call …

Romans 8:35-37 says, “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”  But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

Father, take care of the youngsters as they play baseball tonight.  Help them – and their parents and coaches - learn the right things from this experience.  Amen.

June 9 – “Unexpected”

There was an unexpected knock on our front door yesterday.  It was obviously a delivery guy of some kind, and there was a U-Haul truck parked in the street.  Unusual.  But as it turned out, he was here to announce the arrival of our replacement grass.  You remember that incident, don’t you?  We had that hazardous chemical spill after the transformer exploded in our backyard.  It turned out not to be so hazardous after all, but they were apparently required to scrape away two or three inches of the affected soil.  They replaced it with new topsoil, and then yesterday they laid sod.  Best grass we have had in that area since we have lived in this house. 

We also took care of a few other loose ends.  I called and renewed our year-round resident pass for parking on the seawall.  We just did it for the truck, though.  Last year I think we used it for the car maybe twice, so that’s not very cost effective.  We also verified that it was good for the pocket parks and Stewart Beach, but it was not good for parking on the Strand or downtown.  They sure ought to get together on that, at least for residents.  Next I set up a fire alarm inspection appointment for this morning and spent the rest of the day off and on preparing for a wedding I’m doing this weekend. 

Last night, after Cailyn’s softball practice, we went up to Hitchcock to watch more baseball.  Micah’s team won their tournament to advance to the next round.  We didn’t get there in time to see anything but the post-game celebration.  They haven’t won many games this year.  Jachin’s team was playing against their arch-rival, and that game was a thriller.  It went into extra innings.  The opposition finally put in their ace pitcher at the end of the game, but Jachin’s team somehow managed to get to him.  Jachin added to the cause with a line drive shot to the wall in right center field.  It was officially scored as a triple, but he scored on the play as the third baseman missed then throw from the relay man.  Pretty exciting stuff.  Pretty proud grandparents.  Oh, and the Astros finally beat the Rangers.  WooHoo.

Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”

Father, thank you for baseball and softball and grandkids that enjoy them.  Gives me an excuse.  Amen.

June 8 – “A New Vaughan Whippersnapper, a GFD Padawan, and a little baseball”

Day two of our 41^st anniversary year was  almost as full as the actual day, and we still didn’t get around to the anniversary meal Chris had planned to prepare for us.  Chris spent the morning (and a little into the afternoon) up in Texas, babysitting the LaMarque cousin bunch while Mommy went for a doctor’s appointment.  They came out with a photo of a cute little whippersnapper who has taken up residence in the womb.  Kel insisted that he could see evidence of another boy, but the technician assured him that it was just too soon to tell one way or the other. 

Since Chris was off in Texas, I went to water exercise first, then worked on the sermon for a while.  Next I decided to make a few rounds at fire stations.  Well, after I got my hair cut.  And tried to get the new prescription filled from the doc (hadn’t been called in yet).  And tried to get some more hearing aid batteries (they were closed for the day).  I finally made my way to station two to check in on the new recruit who got his picture in the paper.  Front page, no less.  Pictures of a few of the other guys were also in the article, but they didn’t show up until the “continued on page six” section.  Now fire department tradition says if you get your picture in the paper, and it is recognizable, then you have to buy ice cream for everybody on your shift.  Well, it sounded like these guys were doing their part to tweak that tradition just a bit.  They were trying to convince the lad that front page meant steaks for everyone.  Page three meant ice cream.  Page six, of course, had no particular meaning at all.  Somehow I don’t think he was buying it.  I did get his picture holding the newspaper, though.  Special moment.  Oh, and they made sure he bought an extra one and sent it to his parents.  Hey, I’m proud of you, too, young Padawan Temple.  Welcome to the department.

After a quick power nap, I spent the rest of my afternoon working on the sermon for Sunday.  Then last night we went to some more baseball games.  Jachin and Micah are in the end of season tournament, so they play a lot this week.  Micah’s team played first, and the highlight for me was some pretty good instinctive moves by the little left-handed catcher.  He moved to just the right spot to block bad pitches, and he made a move to block the plate and tag out a runner that was as by the book as you can get.  Very impressive.  Oh, the catcher’s name was Micah.  Micah Vaughan.  Good kid.  Great heritage.  Sadly, they lost the game, but I was still really proud of him.

Jachin’s team played next, and their opponent was a new team that had lost several players over the course of the year.  In fact Micah had been playing with them for the last several games.  Brother versus brother.  Classic match-up.  And interestingly enough, Jachin was the left-handed catcher for his team as well.  Jachin’s coach saw an opportunity to rest his pitchers for future games, so he gave five of the younger players on the team their big chance to pitch in a real game.  There were a lot of walks and a few good hits, but when all was said and done and the dust had settled, Jachin’s team won 15-10.  Both boys play again tonight.

And that put us getting home after ten again.  And again, we heard the final inning of the Astros game on the radio.  One of those almost but not quite enough ninth inning rallies.  One more loss to the Rangers.  At least we’re keeping the losses inside the state.  Just you wait, though …

Romans 8:31 says, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?”

Father, keep that little one healthy as he (or she) develops.  And please watch over the one doing the same up in Waco.  Amen.

June 7 – “A memorable 41st”

Well, now.  That was a memorable 41^st wedding anniversary if I have ever had one.  Wait.  It was the first one I’ve ever been through, so I guess I have nothing to compare it with.  It was “memorable” nonetheless.

Began around 2 a.m.  That’s when the cats started howling outside our bedroom window.  I hope they were excited at discovering and decimating a trove of mice, but at that hour it sounded more like they were on a mission for Satan or something.  I got up to turn some lights on them to encourage them to carry on elsewhere.  Got disoriented in our hallway, though.  I finally made it to the front door and turned on the porch light.  Guess it worked.  The harbingers of Satan spoke no more to our dreams.

I had the secret anniversary gift all bagged up and ready when Chris woke up.  She was surprised and seemed pleased.  Here’s how that all came about.  Several months ago when we were in Waco we finally managed to get time to go to their hottest new tourist attraction.  Of course I mean Magnolia Market at the Silos.  That’s Chip and Joanna Gaines’ place – the people from an HGTV home improvement show, in case you are among the 10% of people who don’t watch the show.  While we walked around, Chris saw and really liked a sign carved into steel by one of their vendors.  I played it rather nonchalantly, and merely commented, “Wow, it’s kind of expensive.”  We continued our browsing tour.  Later I drifted away from Chris to go to the bathroom and used the opportunity to take a picture of that plaque with my phone.  I said no more about it.  When we got home, though, I texted Christi the photo and asked her if she ever found herself back by those silos, could she pick it up for me.  I sent her the money later that week.  She seemed excited to be a co-conspirator, and actually did her work well.  They brought the item with them when they came to visit a few weeks later, and I hid it in the garage.  And what did the sign say, you may ask?  “Grow old along with me; the best is yet to be.”  Yup.

A few minutes after the gifting Cailyn arrived.  Her Daddy was receiving some shots in his back, so Mom went along to get him back home safely.  She and Chris went shopping (I know.  Scary, right?) while I did some church work.  They came back with a gift in hand for me.  One of those Island shirts that I like to wear when I’m teaching at church.  Chris and I returned it later after Cailyn went home.  It was a “Young Man” special cut.  Shoulda known. 

After my gifting the two girls took me to Shrimp n Stuff for lunch.  Pretty hard to beat.  Good food.  Two gorgeous ladies. 

When we got back to the house Chris had to leave for a doctor’s appointment.  Her leg is still giving her a lot of pain and stiffness that they can’t seem to get a handle on.  Cailyn stayed at the house to play and wait for Mom and Dad to get home.  Except Chris didn’t get shown back to a room for a long time.  And I had a doctor’s appointment rapidly approaching.  Same clinic.  Finally Cailyn and I decided to walk over.  It’s not really that far.  Just seemed kind of odd to be walking to an appointment about back pain and leg numbness and weakness.  However, just as we walked out the door for our adventure, who should drive up but Mommy.  Cailyn was pretty sad that she couldn’t do our walk, but I assured her we would take one another day.  And since she was gone I decided to drive over in the truck instead of walking. 

I got in right away.  It took forever, though, for the actual doctor to see me.  In fact I started texting Chris, knowing she was still somewhere in the building.  She finally finished her appointment, and I opened my door so she could find me.  Come on, how much more romantic can a day get?  Separated in a doctor’s office, but desperately reaching out to connect.  Finally making contact.  And then the ultimate ending … she found me, pining longingly, yet daringly, for her from the “you need to keep this door closed” open door.  Sigh.

After a quick trip to Randalls Pharmacy, where we verified that the doc had given me the wrong prescription, we spent our 41^st anniversary evening in memory of my Mom and Dad … at a baseball game.  They used to come to my Little League games all the time, so I guess it’s my turn.  Oh, and when we got there I was asked to be the official scorekeeper for Jachin’s game.  Then Chris found out that Micah had been recruited to play for one of the other teams at the same time.  Different field.  So she high-tailed it over there so one of us could see each game.  Again, pretty romantic.  Separated once again.  She had little Josiah at her side.  I had a covey of young Astros fans around me.  Not that I was keeping track of the Astros game on my phone app while being the official scorekeeper or anything.  Chris made it back for the last few minute of Jachin’s game.  Sadly, both boys’ teams lost.  Reunited once again, we listened to the last inning of the Astros game in the car.  They lost, too.  But not us.  Undeterred, we committed to stay the course.  In fact, how’s this for a battle cry?  “Sure we’re sore, but 41 more.”

Roman 8:28 says, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

Father, once again I find myself thanking you for my wife.  You sure did an incredible thing when you put us together.  Amen.

June 6 – “Happy Anniversary, Chris!”

Since she is not out of bed yet, I can’t speak to the gift I selected for her this year or the process I went through (or the accomplices involved) to get it delivered.  She often checks her phone for key news events and sometimes includes my blog as one of those.  So I’ll save that story for tomorrow’s blog (if I remember).  Today I just keep it simple.  I love my wife.  Have for the 41 years we have been married and for the I-don’t-remember-how-many years we dated before that.  I fell in love with her the first time I saw her in the lunch line at college.  That’s when I told the guy behind me, “See that blonde right there?  I’m gonna marry her.”  And I did.  Absolutely the second best thing (after salvation) that has ever happened to me.  Yup.  I love my wife.

Proverbs 31:10 says, “A wife of noble character who can find?  She is worth far more than rubies.”

Father, thank you for the most incredible gift I have ever received from you outside of salvation … my wife.  Bless her.  Surround her with your love and protection.  Give her strength and energy.  And most of all grant her your peace that passes all understanding.  Amen.

June 5 – “Med-check”

I have been really trying to concentrate on the positive lately, since there has been so much of that going on around here.  I guess I need to come to terms with the not-so-positive for a few minutes here.

Let me establish first that I have been having pain in my lower back for quite some time now.  It hasn’t been such that I couldn’t get by with an occasional extra dose of Tylenol or maybe one of my pain pills from rheumatoid arthritis stash on particularly bad days. Now, I made a big deal about taking one of those canes that folds into a seat with us to Disneyworld.  It was a huge help in getting us through security at the airport as well as getting us closer to the front of some lines.  But it was really a life saver as well.  I have to admit that I had a few days where the pain in my lower back was excruciating.  It was especially tough the day we got there, I think because of sitting for two hours on the airplane and then having to walk through the Orlando airport.  The day we walked about six and a half miles (Josh showed me how to track in using my iPhone health app) was pretty difficult as well. 

There came one point, however, where the really terrible, localized pain actually stopped.  It was weird.  Problem was, though, at that same point my right leg began developing those tell-tale symptoms of bulging disks: numbness, tingling, weakness.  That has not gone away, and in fact has become more than annoying.  The latest thing is a feeling between my big toe and the next one like I’m wearing flip flops.  You know, the kind with the strap that goes in between those toes?  Except I don’t wear flip flops.  I don’t like that feeling.  I’m a Tevas guy all the way.  Oh, there are still moments when I can really feel the tug and subsequent pain in my back as well.  I’m curious to see how everything feels when I go to water exercise on Tuesday. 

Chris has just about convinced me to bite the bullet and call the doc tomorrow.  That in itself promises to be a major ordeal.  With the advent of Obamacare we had to switch our insurance.  Now neither my neurologist nor my rheumatologist are covered.  That means I have to go back through the primary care physician and establish with new ones who are in the system.  That is never easy.  The wait is usually months.  But that is making something a problem before it becomes a problem.  I haven’t even called them yet. 

So, here’s to a doctor’s office phone call and an Astros extra-inning victory last night.  Gotta keep mixing the good with the bad.  Helps me keep proper perspective.

Romans 8:26 says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”

Father, thank you for so many overpowering “goods” in the midst of this latest “bad.”  Amen.

June 4 – “A Series of Super Highlights”

News flash from Disneyworld … My chaplain’s cap has been found.  It came in the mail yesterday.  it was kind of dirty, but none the worse for wear, I suppose, seeing it had been trapped in that haunted hotel for a week.  Thank you, Mickey and crew.

On to the other highlights of life yesterday.  Super highlight number two: We went to an Astros baseball game.  Cailyn even went with us.  Her first Astros game, and she was really excited.  She even talked her Daddy into getting her a new shirt to wear.  Carlos Correa replica jersey.  Who would buy their kid a shirt just to wear to a baseball game?  Er … uh … OK, I confess.  It wasn’t me.  But I kind sorta also bought a shirt to wear to the game.  Not a jersey replica, though.  Mine was a very nice polo shirt … with an Astros emblem on the front pocket.  Hey, I can wear it when I’m preaching on Sunday mornings.  So you are not going to find me harassing a certain male parent for doing a little spoiling of his daughter, especially when it comes to the Astros … and clothes shopping. 

Super highlight number three: Our seats were interesting.  Top row.  No, I mean really … top top row.  As far away from the field as they make seats.  We were down the right field line, so we couldn’t actually see the big scoreboard.  On the plus side, though, we had our choice of seats up there.  Oh, and the seats were free.  Thank you, Hitchcock Little League.  Kel and Christina got us the tickets and we were able to sit in the same region as them and their kiddos. 

Super highlight number four: I took my picture.  Not with one of the players, although that would have been fun.  I took my picture with … Mickey Mouse in an Astros uniform.  Him in the uniform, not me.  Oh, and he was a statue.  But he was Mickey Mouse.  Who would have figured?  That critter gets around.

Super highlight number five: Cailyn lost a tooth.  Right in the middle of a big bite of nachos - cheese only, no chili, no jalepenos.  Just lost a tooth right there at the Astros game.  Memorable.

Super highlight number six: we watched the fireworks show after the game.  They do one after every Friday night home game.  The fun thing this time?  Chris discovered that we could also see the show as a reflection on the windows of a nearby office building.  Beautiful. 

Not-so-super highlight number one: We got back home sometime around midnight.  Those blowout games are a lot of fun, but they take a long time.  Oh, the Astros won 12 – 2.  Cailyn went right to sleep.  Actually she slept most of the way home in the car.  But guess what happened around 3:30 a.m.?  Yup.  More thunderstorms rolled in.  Loud ones.  Really hard rain.  Lost power briefly.  I even got up and made the rounds to check on water levels at the doors, downed tree limbs and such.  I finally managed to doze back off by 5:30 or so.  And right at 8 a.m. … Cailyn woke up.  She jumped in bed and said, “There you are.  I was like, where’s DadDad?  He’s supposed to be in the office already.”  It sometimes happens to the best of us …

Romans 8:11 says, “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.”

Father, thank you for the excursion to the game last night with the rest of our grandkids.  It put a kind of exclamation point on our all-too brief vacation.  Amen.