July 14 – “The Battle Training Arena”

We are one of those families that simply doesn’t use our garage as a garage.  I can’t remember the last time we have ever parked a car in a garage at any house we have lived in, in fact.  There are just too many other things that need to go on in there.  Storage, of course.  I think that’s why most garages exist anyway, isn’t it?  That has certainly been the case for us.  Workshop.  Now that’s for sure.  The house we are in now finally has a workbench that I am proud of (Not to mention the fact that I built it, with assistance from my lovely wife Chris and my handyman grandson Micah).  Great place for carving things, repairing things, or in general piddling around (as Chris describes it when I am out there).  Recreation.  Well, we had a garage in Denver that had a pool table in it.  Now it was a one-car garage, mind you.  We had some little half-sized pool cues that we used so we wouldn’t be constantly poking holes in the wall.  Hiding place.  I can’t count the number of times I have used garage hiding places for birthday or anniversary gifts.  It is great to have a place where Chris just doesn’t go very often. 

Well, that was a bit of a ramble.  All that to say, our present garage is no different.  It is a one-car job with my workbench and tool box and storage shelves on both walls and fishing poles hanging from the ceiling and bicycles and generator and plywood sheets for covering windows during hurricanes and miscellaneous yard tools and an extra table or two and beach toys and … so where would we put a car in there, anyway?  Our car sits nestled comfortable beneath the ever-growing limbs of the sycamore tree that we planted after Hurricane Ike to regain some shade from the treacherous evening sun.  And therein lies the difficulty we have currently encountered.  Somewhere in the far away reaches of the sycamore tree, also nestled in a comfortable, safe spot, lies a mockingbird nest.  Don’t get me wrong.  We love bird watching.  Do it all the time.  And Galveston has some amazing species to see.  And we are especially appreciative of the antics of the mockingbird.  My personal favorite bird-watching pastime, in fact, is watching mockingbirds dive bomb cats.  When we realize there is a nest involved, we do our best to stay out of their way until the little sprites are out on their own. 

And finally, speaking of little sprites.  We have somewhat of an issue with the latest mockingbird nest in the sycamore tree.  Well, not with the nest.  It stays put.  It’s those youngsters from the nest.  They have decided to use our car as their own private practice perch and bathroom.  I have to admit it is kind of entertaining to watch.  They flop down from the tree onto the top of the car.  And from the time they land, they are in a constant battle for territory with … their own reflection.  They squawk and fuss and peck in quite the tizzy.  This really get dicey, though, when they realize the reflection continues all the way down the windshield and onto the hood.  I have yet to meet a bird that can adequately grip a glass windshield.  So, sure enough, the minute their little talons hit that glass, they slip like a Schlitterbahn water ride all the way down to the hood.  Once they recover from the fall, they peck around there for a while before remembering that other reflection-enemy up top.  So it’s spread their untried wings and make the leap back up top to start the process over again.  As I said, the whole thing is very entertaining to watch.  They aren’t very well potty trained, though.  At least not from our perspective.  I guess from theirs they are keeping it out of the nest.  So who needs a garage for their car when it can be a prime battle training arena / bathroom? Sigh. 

Romans 14:17-18 says, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.”

Father, thank you for your fun creatures called birds.  And thank you for the incredible variety we have to look at here on the Island.  Amen.

July 13 – “Mr. Robert”

So I am still fighting a stomach bug that just won’t go away.  It seems to have lessened in severity, but as far as I’m concerned the fact that it still “rears” its ugly head at all is enough.  It was kind of a fitting malady yesterday, though.  How, you may ask?  Well, Chris and I went up to the church to deliver the load of supplies we picked up at Sam’s the day before.  We got everything hauled up the stairs, and Chris immediately started into cleaning mode.  She stocked the needed paper goods and began replacing the torn shower curtains and broken shower rod that were recently reported to us.  And my task?  I ended up replacing the innards of not one but two toilets.  Both needed new flappers, and one had a handle that was completely broken off.  Two trips to the hardware store later, and we were in business once again.  Oh, and these renovations were all in one of the boys’ bathrooms.  Imagine that.  Chris asked at one point, “Why is all this repair work in the boys’ rooms?”  Silly question.  She didn’t expect an answer.  She raised three of those creatures.  Well, four if you count me. 

Just last night I heard Chris on the phone telling a Noa story to Josh.  I had forgotten about it, but it is too cute to pass up.  The Sunday after their house was broken into, the family went to church as usual.  But as they approached one of their friends, Noa grew more agitated.  Finally she declared, “I don’t like Mr. Robert.  I gonna go kick him.”  Confused at this aberrant behavior, Christina made an attempt to gently correct her attitude and said something maternal along the lines of “We don’t kick our friends.”  Noa bristled up once again and this time said, “Why did Mr. Robert take our stuff? I don’t like him.”  And the light bulb finally clicked on in Mom’s mind.  Noa had been hearing much more than they could have imagined about the break-in.  But in her three-year-old mind, the only “Robber” she had reference for was “good ol’ Mr. Robert” up at the church.  Of course they immediately began to backtrack with her and reassure her that it was a burglar, a crook, a criminal, the bad guy – any other word they could think of than “robber.”  But it was not Mr. Robert.  He was off the hook.  Honestly, I don’t think she was completely convinced.  Sorry Mr. Robert. 

Romans 14:8 says, “If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”

Father, thank you for the heads up on just how amazing are your creations called children. Please grant Noa freedom from fear of – and anger toward – the mysterious “Mr. Robbers” in her life.  Amen.

July 12 – “Can they catch a break??”

My oldest son Kel and his family have been walking through some really stressful times of late.  Some of the stress has been exciting – good even.  They found out they are pregnant with their fifth child, due in December.  And anyone who has been through the birth of even one child understand the pressures involved there.  They finally managed to find a house they liked and moved into it not long ago.  Again, a good thing, except for the circumstances surrounding it.

Then back right before the Fourth of July their house was broken into.  Not that they have any secret hidden treasures that thieves are lining up to take a shot at.  It was just an annoying extra expense to buy a new back door and get it replaced.  Oh, and then there were the sleepless nights that inevitably followed, wondering if it would happen again, worrying about what effect it might have on the kids’ sense of security. 

We got a call from Kel Sunday afternoon asking of we knew a good wrecker service.  They stopped in at McDonalds on the way home from VBS so their two youngest could go to the bathroom.  When they left, they backed out of the parking space, but when they shifted out of reverse, nothing happened.  The lever moved just fine, but the gear didn’t shift.  They managed to shove it back into a spot and get a ride home.  Yesterday they borrowed a friend’s trailer and hauled it into the shop.  The fix wasn’t too bad.  $150 this time.  But now they are in the market for a vehicle that can carry a seven person family with two forward-facing and one rear facing car seats.

Back to the circumstances regarding their move.  The church where he was pastor experienced some serious difficulties which caused their denomination’s governing body to step in to offer help.  That help resulted in a merger between Kel’s church and another in League City.  Part of the agreement was that the new church would receive the proceeds from the sale of the old church’s property and Kel would serve as associate pastor.  After a predetermined amount of time the agreement concerning Kel’s service would be reevaluated.

Well, that predetermined time arrived rather suddenly when Kel was informed that because the church was not receiving enough money from week to week, and as a result they were having to dip into the savings account from the sale of the old church, then his services as associate pastor were no longer needed.  That, and his gifts were no longer a match for where the church wanted to go.  They explained the severance package and announced it to the church the next Sunday. 

Now with that background in, I would like to encourage you to read what Kel had to say to the church on his last Sunday with them.  Here is the link to his blog:

https://kelvaughan.wordpress.com/2016/07/11/another-goodbye

I have to say, that was well spoken.  It showed great spiritual maturity.  It also made me proud to be that man’s Dad.  So spread the word, those of you who can, if you know of a church that needs a pastor with this kind of heart.

Romans 13:14 says, “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”

Father, thank you for my oldest boy.  He’s turned into quite the man.  Amen.

July 11 –“Spa services”

As often is his way, God gifted me with some extra energy yesterday, and I managed to make it through church and a lunch afterwards before I crashed in my chair with more of the sinus headache woes as well as some stomach issues.  I did wake up in time to see the Astros pull out the bottom of the tenth inning win in their last game before the All Star break.  Watch out.  They are on the rise … as I predicted.

We once again had a pretty good crowd at worship service.  A group of ladies in town for a 41^st wedding anniversary celebration joined Jim at the mikes leading worship in rousing fashion.  And the kiddos once again were impressive, on the drums in particular, during their opportunity to become part of the praise team.  I met a couple who moved in just a few blocks from the church.  They are from Lake Jackson and have been driving back there most Sundays.  A friend told them about Seaside, so they decided to try us out.  And some of the group staying in our retreat center came to worship with us a swell.  Summers are always exciting at Seaside. 

Cailyn came over after spending the night and most of the day with a friend.  She was pretty tired.  She called her Dad to check in with him at work and immediately told him all about how she went swimming not once but five times, and not just at their house, but also at the Country Club.  Interestingly, when she called her Mom, her lead story was not at all about swimming.  For Mom her day had been spent getting a variety of spa services from Mrs. Haley, her friend’s Mom. 

And speaking of spa services, just before family worship and bedtime, Cailyn showed us what she had experienced.  Well, minus the lavender oil, which is really what made it such a great thing at Mrs. Haley’s.  I told her we could probably squeeze out some fish oil , but she refused that offer.  So, the oil-less treatment continued.  Chris and I  had our hands and fingers massaged.  We had our toes massaged.  We had our neck and head massaged.  We even had the ultimate experience of a face massage.  My favorite, though was and probably always will be, the simple hair massage.  Relaxes me every time.  It’s why I love to go for a haircut (which, by the way it is again time to do).  All in all our spa evening was pretty great.  Just not nearly long enough.  But Nani insisted that it was bedtime, so we packed it in.  Thank you, Mrs. Haley, for teaching Cailyn your expertise in spa quality massage techniques. 

Romans 13:12 says, “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.”

Father, thank you for those great, granddaughter massages last night.  It was … nice.  Amen.

July 10 – “you and Old Blue … to the rescue”

Not much happens when your head hurts, your stomach is queasy, and you get dizzy every time you stand up.  Well, I guess lots of stuff is going on, but yesterday I didn’t really care about much except when was the next time I could take some Tylenol.  I more listened to than saw the Astros game, and they lost.  Pretty close comeback attempt in the bottom of the ninth fell just short. 

I did try a page out of my own counseling book, though, when I got a text from a friend who was in a bind.  Always good to think about someone other than yourself.  And when you are feeling depressed, one of the best things you can do is go do something for someone else.  Not in hopes that you will get paid back.  Just to be doing it.  So, throbbing head and all, I jumped in the truck and headed out to WalMart.  Seems he had purchased one of those molded swimming pools for his kids and couldn’t get it to stay attached to the top of his car.  No matter what combination of strapping he tried, it still slipped easily around, so he was afraid to chance it.  He requested the services of Old Blue.  It didn’t take long.  We plopped it in the bed and slipped it right out when we got to his house.  We did spend a few minutes talking, though.  I hadn’t seen him in a while, so we had a little bit of catching up to do.  But it was really hot outside, and the longer we talked the more I could feel myself slipping away. 

I made it back home with no incident and that’s about the time the Astros game started, so I crashed exhausted into my chair.  I went to bed before ten and woke up this morning around five.  Now we’ll see how things go at church this morning.  And we have Cailyn for the rest of the day and tonight, so I will be further encouraged to continue a miraculous comeback recovery. 

Romans 13:10 says, “Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Father, thank you for our friendship with Chris and Heather.  Watch over them in their upcoming travels.  Amen.

July 9 – “Coming home”

Last night wasn’t such a good night for me.  Well, aside from the Astros pulling it out in the bottom of the ninth on a walk-off home run that is.  My ears started hurting while I watched the game and by the time I went to bed I was shivering and aching all over.  Didn’t take long and my head was killing me as well.  I think I finally managed to fall asleep around 12:30 or 1, but the headache was still there this morning.  The aching feels kind of like when you get dehydrated, and the headache is one of those migraines you get when you go camping.  So I have been drinking tea since I woke up.  Finally got out of bed around 10:30. 

We managed to get Christi and her boys all packed up and delivered back to her Mom and Dad.  They are heading into intercontinental airport today to pick up Josh from his return flight from Spain.  I think the boys were pretty excited to see good old Dad and to get back to their own house.  We got word first thing this morning that the flight had landed safely in Paris, and just a minute ago Chris told me she had checked on his flight, and it was on time.  Should land around 2:30 this afternoon. 

Romans 13:8 says, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.”

Father, please keep the airplane and its passengers safely in your hands.  And be with Christi and the boys as they navigate the airport.  Amen.

July 8 – “It’s difficult for me to know …”

We took the traditional cousins’ fishing trip the other day.  That meant setting up one of those tent-shade things (Nathan had one) for some shade at a little canal fishing area in Jamaica Beach.  It also meant having snacks and plenty of water.  It must have been 160 degrees out there. 

All in all the trip would have to be considered a successful one.  Every one of the grandkids caught a fish of some kind (if you count Luke’s shrimp that he realized was on the end of his line and the piggie that Noa lifted out of the bait bucket with the dip net).  All eight of them seemed quite happy with their individual results, and all are looking forward to the fish fry at lunch today. 

When the fishing part of the day ended and everyone headed home, Nathan and Josiah and I stuck around to use up the last of the bait and load up the truck.  Josiah made a pretty good catch – a nice sized croaker – but he had something philosophical to say about the whole fishing experience. Ready for this one?

“It’s difficult for me to know that something has to die for me to eat.”

Wow.  Now that is a deep thought for a six year old.  It’s a pretty profound way of saying it as well.  That wasn’t the only expression of concern.  Every time he reeled in his line and it still had the bait on it, he loudly proclaimed, “We have a survivor.”  Now how do you cast a survivor back out to eventual certain death?  We don’t want survivor shrimp, Josiah.  We want willing sacrifice shrimp that result in keeper fish. 

We were all tired after the trip and the extended time in the heat.  The two girls and occasionally Luke crawled into Uncle Nathan’s lap and watched videos of people opening tiny toys.  For hours.  And I think good ol’ Uncle Nathan even watched for two or three.  Minutes.

Romans 13:7 says, “Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”

Father, thank you for fun times and for tiny little creatures that help us catch bigger ones so that we can eat.  Amen.