July 16 – “Define ‘free’”

Started the day at water exercise class again.  Different teacher this time.  Way better.  Well, except she almost killed us with a pretty intense arms workout.  Definitely got my heart rate up.  I’m kind of surprised I’m not sorer today than I am. 

 

Back to the work side of things, I spent a long time doing some reading and study on pastoral transition.  Kel gave me a book on it that he really liked, so I want to see what “page” he’s on regarding the whole thing.  It’ll help when we start actually working together, assuming the church does affirm the call recommendation on Sunday. 

 

I also spent a good deal of time trying to get more pictures straightened out.  Several thing going on there.  For one, I finally got all the children’s camp photos downloaded off of Chris’ phone.  That meant I could make the flash drive copies of them all for the kids who went to camp with us.  Gotta see to it that they have good memories instead of just Covid-ized ones.  I am also trying to complete the download of the rest of the pictures she has.  Problem there is the file extension has been changed, thanks to the people at iPhone.  And of course the new extension is not recognized by Windows conversion engine.  Which means downloading a new app that can translate.  Problem there is the free apps.  Define “free.”  See, all the so-called “free” apps only give you ten or fifty free photos before you have to buy the upgrade.  I finally found one that appears to grant ten photos a day.  But Chris has well over a thousand pictures on her phone.  Great fun.  This could take forever.

 

Last night after home group Bible study we gathered around the table and did some work toward the anniversary.  We put together the giveaways and spent a long time going through the photos.  We had to pick out around twelve from each era of the church history for Lauren to frame and put on tables as centerpieces.  That was quite the ordeal.  I think Sam’s pile had almost a hundred in it.  We’ll get them all culled down and the rest of the photos put in albums before that Sunday.

 

2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

 

Father, thank you for the home group’s willingness to pitch in and help last night.  Bless them for that.  Amen.

July 15 – “Wake up call. 4:30 a.m.”

Wake up call.  4:30 a.m.  No, it wasn’t intentional.  No, it wasn’t some grand gesture that grabbed our attention philosophically or some sudden, deep insight that changed our lives spiritually.  It was Chris’ new play toy that has been strapped to her chest.  The monitor caused the burner phone to buzz and flash lights.  And what was the issue?  Error code.  It said the monitor wasn’t attached to the skin tightly enough.  we couldn’t get the code to go away, so Chris finally called the 24-hour hotline number that came with the machine.  She got a very nice lady in North Dakota, of all places. 

 

As it happens, that particular code is not all that uncommon.  It happens whenever the strip of tape that makes skin connection get wrinkled in any way … like when you roll over in your sleep, or in Chris’ case, when she sleeps on her side.  It still records data constantly, but the error will also keep showing up.  So how do we deal with it?  Ready for this answer?  Hit the “Do not disturb” button, turn the phone over to hide the lights, roll over and go back to sleep.  No, really.  That’s what she said.  Data is still recorded and everything else resets in the morning.  Ah, the joys of learning new technology. 

 

Speaking of new technology, I finally used the picture storage monster flash drive I got Chris for all her photos.  It wasn’t as simple as just plugging it in.  First I had to try to read the instruction booklet.  Well, OK, that wasn’t first.  First I tried to do it on my own.  Mistake.  Then I pulled out the instruction booklet.  It was made in Korea.  I’m pretty sur ethe words were in English, but they were so small, I couldn’t see them.  They must have great eyesight in Korea.  I finally figured out that I had to download an app to her phone first.  Then I had to create a folder on the flash drive.  At last I was in a position to actually find the photos.  And it told me it could load only 1,000 at a time.  Wow.  How many photos does she have on that thing, anyway?  Guess we’ll see.

 

John 15:7 says, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

 

Father, thank you for the kind spirit of the lady who helped us out.  Bless her for that.  Amen.

July 14 – “New technology or wireless mind control?”

Back to water aerobics.  And of course the first teacher we get is the one who thinks she is some kind of world class hoohoo dancing instructor and we are her remedial class.  She just dances away up on the shore and tries to get us to do things that are impossible to do under the water.  We had to be creative to figure out things we could do that somewhat matched her instructions.  But we were still exercising.  There was that …

 

In the afternoon we drove into Texas to pick up the holter monitor that Chris has to wear for a month to track her heart rate and determine if she needs a pacemaker.  It was not at all what I expected.  When Kel was a kid he had to wear one for a few days.  It was encased in a back pack he had to carry around with him.  Not at all conducive to measuring a typical day’s activity.  But this one is stuck to her chest with some of that super-glue-type tape.  Wireless technology shoots a signal to a phone they issued her, which in turn sends the information to a central receiving office, manned 24 hours a day to watch for anomalies.  I asked if it was an illegal burner that they would actually use to signal a secret government device that would take over her mind and give her instructions on what her next mission will be.  They looked at me like I was a little bit crazy.  Sorry.  You have to remember that I have been infused with Captain America juice.  Anyway, this one can go with her wherever she wants to go, even swimming.  As long as the water is no deeper that three feet.  That was just fine with Chris.  Now to see if it actually does anything. 

 

We stopped by Nathan’s on the way home.  April was at work and Cailyn was staying with a friend.  We had a really nice chat.  Also met their newest baby.  A tiny little miniature Australian shepherd puppy.  The plan is to train it to herd the chickens and goats.  Can’t wait to see how that works out.  In the meantime, she is having a blast playing with her boxer sister Tilly and driving her other boxer sister, the much-older Abby, completely bonkers. 

 

From there we went to Gringos for a bite to eat.  That’s Chris’ favorite Mexican food spot, and we haven’t been in a long time.  It was … loud.  They had competing music going on.  One station was blaring in the bar area and a different one was playing in the rest of the restaurant.  Both Mexican music, too.  Add to that all the talking (it was a busy place), and I didn’t hear much.  Enjoyed my quesadillas, though. 

 

Psalms 59:16 says, “But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.”

 

Father, please help the docs use this tool to figure out next steps with Chris’s heart.  Amen.

July 13 – “Come … eat cake”

Well, it was back in the Monday saddle for sure for me yesterday.  Got started on the sermon preparations.  Also attacked the usual Monday agenda items – birthday cards, Bible study prep, worship prep.  Not to mention the ever-growing tasks related to the anniversary celebration.  Throw in the usual phone call or two, and you have a pretty good picture of our Mondays.

 

Now there was one brief respite from the computer screen.  We had to make a WalMart run.  Several reasons for this one.  We were getting low on groceries – totally out of bananas, and that just can’t happen.  And my toothbrush died.  I mean my electric one, so it literally died.  Chris wanted me to get a new one anyway.  Can’t take the chance that it is Covid-infected, you know.  Hate to go down that road again.  She would hate for me to go there again, too.  Different reasons.  I also had to pick up a couple of final things to close the books on this year’s children’s camp.  We always give the kiddos a set of all the pictures we took throughout the week.  Had to have something to store them on.  Now I just need to compile them all, load ‘em up, and ship ‘em out.  Oh, and we also picked up one of those foam bed toppers.  That’s been on my list for a long time now.  Got to test it out last night for the first time.  I thought it was really nice.  Chris couldn’t really tell a difference. 

 

Cathy came by and told us about her family vacation trip to Branson.  She seemed to have a great time.  She also brought over a check to pay for the brisket catering for the anniversary.  That’s gonna be some good stuff.  Koop’s barbeque is providing the meat.  Everybody else is responsible for sides.  Well, except for cake.  We have a special anniversary cake coming that is supposed to serve 200.  Come … eat cake.

 

Psalms 139:23-24 says, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

 

Father, thank you for busy days.  Makes me appreciate the slow ones that much more when they do come.  Amen.

 

July 12 – “Exciting times three”

We had a pretty exciting meeting after church yesterday.  The staff search team interviewed our candidate and his wife in what was the final connection before he is presented to the church next Sunday.  Everything seemed to go very well.  Both “sides” were excited about all the possibilities before us, so all is a go for the presentation on Sunday.  Thank you so much to the team for all their work up to this point.  Great job, guys.

 

Chris and I had quite the exciting surprise at church.  Some friends from our seminary days showed up for a visit.  Brought their whole family, too.  All ten or twelve of them.  And that’s just the ones who have already arrived.  They are getting together in Galveston for a week for some R&R.  Judy used to babysit Kel when I was in class.  I remember he called their girls Shannonamber.  Didn’t matter which one he was talking about.  They both were Shannonamber.  Great reminiscing with the Featherstone Family.  Have a fun week, guys.

 

The rest of the afternoon we spent hanging out with Kel and Christina and their kiddos.  Actually the older guys watched the Astros game, and I have to confess, there may or may not have been some home run dancing going on at the end of the game.  The Astros came into the bottom of the ninth behind 7-2.   After a couple of doubles and a single or two, Jose Altuve hit a walk-off three-run home run to defeat the Yankees.  Of course any walk-off is exciting, but against the Yankees … priceless.

 

1 Corinthians 13:1 says, “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”

 

Father, thank you for the work of the staff search team.  Please give them and the church a clear indication of your will in the decision on Sunday.  Amen.

July 11 – “1100-ish”

We began work on a new puzzle the other day.  It is a map of the United States with the National Parks identified and information strewn all about the picture.  Lots of information.  In other words, lots of words.  Sometimes that is a good thing.  Makes it easier to match up.  I’m still not sure about how easy the overabundance of verbiage made this one.  It has been fun to run across places we have already been.  At least then I know about where they are on the map. 

 

Lauren came by yesterday.  She brought over some more photos.  They were the last ones I was waiting on before I made the print order.  And what an order that was.  I did it in four parts, one for each era of the church.  I think the total was somewhere around 1100 prints.  I found a really good deal online, though.  In fact, I ordered them in the morning, and they were ready by 2:00 yesterday afternoon.  Now we just need to pick up the albums to put them in.

 

I’ve started getting a few more RSVP’s to the anniversary celebration.  Even got one yesterday from some friends in Arlington.  There are a few others I am really hoping can make it.  Haven’t seen them in some years.  Lanny would be great to see again.  He lives in Waco now.  And Andy would be a lot of fun.  He’s over in South Carolina, I think.  I told him he should come and bring his bagpipes.  That would be a real treat.  I’m also hoping some folks will just surprise us and show up.  I like surprises …

 

Mark 9:23 says, “’If you can?’ said Jesus.  ‘Everything is possible for one who believes.’”

 

Father, thanks for all the pieces of this anniversary puzzle that seem to be coming together.  Please use that celebration to honor your name.  Amen.

July 10 – “It was truly a DRD”

It was truly a DRD - dreary, rainy day.  From the time we woke up until well into the afternoon, the threat, and often the carrying out of that threat, of rain hung over the world.  Well, our world anyway.  But, no.  I’m not speaking metaphorically.  We’re doing pretty good, actually.  I mean it was actually a dreary, rainy day. 

 

So what do you do on a dreary, rainy day?  Hopping into puddles and sailing toy boats in the gutters certainly sounded like exciting and wonderful possibilities, especially since just the day before we had to fish the neighbor’s trash bag out from under the truck, where it had floated during a particularly strong downpour.  Have you ever done that?  Not the garbage bag fishing.  I mean the floating toy boats thing.  Don’t have a plastic sailing vessel handy?  As I recall, you can create seaworthy ships from a folded piece of paper or a stray tree branch.  You can build your own dam, not to generate hydro-electricity (although that would be an admirable feat), but to see what manner of stray objects find their way into your makeshift lake.  And then comes the really fun part … breaking the dam and watching your tiny little boat careen down the gutter into the now raging rapids, until finally it disappears into the black abyss that is … the storm drain at the end of the street.  Great fun.  Great fun.

 

Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship.”

 

Father, thank you for random memories of a simpler, and much less stressful time.  Amen.