October 31 – “Halloween is Back”

Halloween is back in Gulf Village.  Now, we weren't here, but it looked like a whole boatload of kids returned this year for the post-Ike return of Halloween.  Chris, Mom and I were at a wedding on the beach that started at 5:00.  But Nathan and April and Cailyn came over and acted as hosts for our house.  After the wedding we drove by on our way to the reception to see how things were going.  There were cars everywhere letting kids out.  Nathan and April said they hadn't seen many yet.  It was still light outside, though, and the little guys were just starting to move.  When we finally got home from the reception the lights were out and all the candy appeared to be gone.  It looked like a successful evening.   The wedding was a nice one.  The guy who plays violin in our praise team got married.  They incorporated several different cultural traditions in their ceremony, so it was fun to put together.  They did the traditional rings and vows.  But they also did the Mexican lazzo, or lasso.  An older relative couple placed a beautiful beaded loop around each of their necks.  It had a cross in the center to show Christ was the center of their relationship.  They also did a sand ceremony, where the moms poured different colored sand into an empty jar to symbolize the two families.  Then the bride and groom poured different colored sand yet into the same jar to show the union of their lives into something different and unique – something that can never be duplicated.  Then I put some sand from the beach into the jar to show the "God Housekeeping Seal of Approval."  Finally, everyone was given a small sand dollar when they arrived.  That sand dollar represented a prayer or good wish for the couple.  Each person was asked to think of one special prayer or wish, then throw the sand dollar into the water as if they were throwing the wish before the awesome and almighty God.  That was a new one to me, and it went over very well.   At the reception they put bowls of candy at each table and the children there were allowed to go from table to table trick or treating.  There was lots of dancing, and I heard they were going to break a piñata, but we had to leave before that happened.  Quite a Halloween comeback after last year's dark October following the storm.   1 Kings 8:22-23 says, "Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven 23 and said: 'O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below — you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.'"   Father,  there is none like you who would keep on putting up with us even when we don't continue wholeheartedly in your way.  Thank you.  Amen.

October 30 – “Smecca Street”

It's 9:30 and I finally think I can stop and take a breath.  Chris is rocking Cailyn back to sleep and she is doing some serious flirting with her DadDad.  Of course I am ignoring her completely.  Well, maybe not completely.  Well, maybe not at all.  Hey, I haven't been here to play with her.  I have to make up for lost time.  Besides, who ever heard of going to bed on time at Nana and DadDad's house?   We had to hit the ground running to get the church cleaned after school today.  I had a wedding rehearsal this afternoon.  The wedding is to be held on the beach, but since it was cold today, I invited them to have the rehearsal inside.  They jumped at the chance after we walked down to the beach to check out the wedding site.    I went over the ceremony a few times, and asked if anyone had any questions.  Everybody seemed ready to go, so we finished up and started milling around, waiting for someone to be the first one to actually leave.  The ring bearer came up to me (I think he's about six years old) and said, "I took notes."  He held up one of our visitor cards with writing on it.  "I know where to go now."  Sure enough, scrawled in his own handwriting was this message, "Go stand by the guys."  At least one of us will know where to go tomorrow.    I heard the groom ask the best man if he knew where the dinner was.  "Sure," was the reply, "It's at Mario's on Smecca Street.  I snickered.  The restaurant was Mario's, but it was on Seawall Boulevard.  So where did he get Smecca?  That's the name of the guy who owns the place.  The meal was great.  The family was a lot of fun, too.  The wedding should be fun tomorrow.    The ride home was interesting as well.  There were motorcycles everywhere.  This weekend is the big Biker Rally in Galveston.  I got behind one lone guy who decided he was going to drive between 25 and 30 down the seawall.  I couldn't pass him, so I settled in for the duration.  One stop light I noticed the back of his jacket.  It said Cho Unltd.  I have no idea what that means, but I wasn't about to make him mad, lest an unlimited number of Chos jump out and beat me to a pulp.  Not long after he moved over and I continued on, I had to slow down again.  There was a horde of bikers at the Spot watching each other spin around in circles on their machines.  As if that wasn't distracting enough, all of a sudden a guy who appeared to be drunk darted out of the crowd right in front of me.  I saw him in plenty of time to stop, but the car coming in the other direction slammed on his brakes, almost hitting the guy.  I was really happy to get home.   1 Timothy 6:6 says, "But godliness with contentment is great gain."   Father, I want to be content.  Help me to be godly.  Amen.

October 29 – “Waiting”

I checked Weather Bug this morning.  Several times.  It assured me that the rain would be coming down in buckets today.  Fifty percent chance in the morning.  Seventy percent chance by afternoon.  We kept sneaking peaks out the windows expecting to see some precipitation.  It sure sounded like it on numerous occasions.  My bionic ears were tested to the max, especially when I went outside.  It was loud.  I could hear the waves.  For the first time I understood why they call it the "crashing" of the waves.  By four thirty there was still not a drop.  It got really foggy, though.  Doesn't that count as precipitation?  Anyway, we're still waiting.   The high school students gathered in the study circle after lunch today to work on their autobiographies.  I thought they were going to read them out loud.  I told Mick about it and he came to listen in for a peek into the students' lives.  I misunderstood.  They met in the circle all right, but they just exchanged papers and put edit marks on them as they discovered mistakes.  It was pretty interesting to watch the dynamics between them as they defended their papers to each other.   The electricians were working hard at the new building all day.  It seems to me that they pit the outside connection point pretty close to the ground. If we get another hurricane, or even a tropical storm, the water is bound to get up over it.  I hope they know what they are doing.  I sure don't.   Home group is tonight.  I'll be glad when I can work on the Bible study to prepare on the afternoon of the study without worrying about where we need a teacher or how I can fill in at PE time or what's going on in the lives of the kids that is making the behave live they do.   Chris teased Mom a bit today.  Chris was mopping and Mom walked to the door of the room.  Chris told her she better choose whether she wanted to come in and sit on the couch or stay out.  Mom insisted she could walk over the wet floors.  Chris insisted she couldn't.  Chris was afraid Mom might slip and fall.  But Mom didn't take the teasing too well.  She stormed into my study and sat in my chair.  That lasted a few minutes and all was forgotten.   1 Timothy 4:8 says, "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."   Father, I'll watch, but I'm easily fooled.  I don't intend to give up..  Amen.

October 28 – “She has plans”

The soon-to-be headmaster Mick came by today.  I went over everything I could think of, including the most recent crises.  First, the math teacher has to decide on which job offer he will take out in the "real world" right away.  He basically gave his two weeks' notice.  Second, I told him about the PE teacher and what I am doing to fill in that blank right now.  His answer was, "Don't worry about it.  We'll figure something out.  God has somebody out there for us.  And I can teach math until we get someone else."  Great answer.  I was a little encouraged.   Jen made a 100 on an algebra quiz.  She hasn't been doing too well, so she was very excited.   The students have a Big English deal tomorrow in the study circle.  They are going to edit each other's autobiography.  Right after lunch in what has become everyone's study period on Tuesday and Thursday, all of the high school students are going to gather around and hear each other present the story of their life.  Then they will critique them so they can be rewritten.  The kids have been using the computers all week to type their papers for English.  I can't wait to hear what they have come up with.   We have two more students starting Monday.  It's a brother-sister combo.  The girl is in sixth and the guy is in seventh.  The guy's name is Kelly.  Great name.  The middle school teacher seems excited to have some more students.   Chris has plans now for her shelf.  It's more than lines on paper.  Now the lines have numbers next to them showing lengths and widths.  It's still not a 3 Dimensional drawing, though.  So it's still not really real.  Maybe I won't have to help build it if it stays just the plans.  On the other hand, it's a really good idea for that space.  We need a place to put toys and crafts and sewing stuff.   1 Timothy 4:7-8 says, "Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."   Father, help me to see training for godliness as just as much fun as old wives tales.  Amen.

October 27 – “I’m sick of it”

We had a pretty exciting event occur today at Seaside.  The power company came out to hook us up with electricity to the new building.  It was supposed to be about a four hour job.  I noticed them this morning, and they were still there when students started leaving this afternoon, so I went over to see what was happening.  They were going to mount the new transformers on one of the existing poles at the street in front of the school building.  While they were in process, though, the pole broke in half.  They ended up using a brand new one they happened to have dropped off right across the street for use at another project further down the road.  That short job took all day, but it looks done from their front.  Now the electricians can come back and make the final connections they need to make for us to crank it up.    We also are going to be getting a new student.  He is a six-year-old kindergartener from Florida.  His family is going to be here for a few months, then move back.  They were very pleased to hear that we use Abeka curriculum.  So does their school in Florida.  We're just not as "strict" as they are.  No uniforms.   Speaking of kindergarteners, one of ours had everybody in stitches this afternoon.  His grandma came to pick him up and asked how school went today.  Now he had had an especially good day today.  He has had many that weren't so good over the last week or so.  But today he didn't even get his name on the board one time.  But he sure had a response.             "How was school today?"             "I'm sick of it.  Just sick of it."             "Sick of what?  School?"             "No.  I'm just sick and tired of all this.  I'm sick of Ms. Teacher."             "Why are you sick of her?"             "I'm just going to have to put her in time out, right now."             Turning to the teacher, he said, "Look at me.  Turn your head."  And taking her face in his hands, and wagging his index figure at her, he pulled her close and said. "Look at me.  Make your eyes look at me right now.  I'm gonna put you in time out right now."             Watch what you say at home, Mommy and Daddy.    Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."   Father, help the Moms and Dads.  They have a huge responsibility.  Amen.

October 26 – “Mick”

Our new headmaster, Mick, came by today to fill out all his paperwork for the secretary.  He won't start until November ninth, but he plans to come by a few times between now and then so I can show him the computer files and give him an idea about how we have done things up to now.   I introduced the "fill-in" curriculum for our PE class today.  I'm going to teach the "How to Watch a Movie with a Christian World View" class that I did a few years ago at Seaside.  The kids were pretty wound up today, so I have no idea how it's going to go.  We will watch Bruce Almighty first..  The idea is to watch some of it, then stop it and discuss how it relates to a world view that assumes there is a God.  Next I will make them watch the old John Denver and George Burns movie, "Oh, God!"  I can't wait to see how they compare the two.   It started pouring down rain this morning and hasn't stopped for very long since.  That ordinarily wouldn't be such a bad thing, but with my new bionic ears, I could hear every drop that hit the roof.  And the window.  And the cars as they drove past.  I could hear the feet of the students as they shuffled past my door.  I could hear the creaking of the chairs as they groaned under the weight of students rocking back in them.  Okay.  I understand that I am supposed to get acclimated to these things before I get access to the volume control, but it's a loud world out there.  There were several times today when I longed for my world of peace and quiet.  But I kept them in.  Except the one time when I let one of the girls hold it up to her ear and listen.  She was astounded.  And the kids actually quieted down after I explained how loud everything sounded to me.   I waded to WalMart to pick up some coffee filters and small cups for church.  I also had a key made for Mick.  Of course I had to walk right past the cheap movie section, too.  I found a collection of old Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton silent movies.  I had to get that because one of the assignments in the speech self-paced class is to watch a silent movie.  The other two I got were not so noble, but I'll think of some reason to explain their purchase before Chris gets back from Bay City.  Mom wants to go back to WalMart again to get some thread, so I guess I'll be wading again soon.   John 8:7 says, "When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, 'If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her..'"   Father, give me your heart when I get frustrated at school and church and …well, when I get frustrated.  Amen.

October 25 – “A Parable”

Today's teaching turned out to be more of a parable.  It was still about Mephibosheth.  I write it all out ahead of time.  That story had some phenomenal parallels to the story of salvation.  And as far as everyone who heard it was concerned, I'm certain they liked the fact that it only lasted about fifteen minutes.  I did get a lot of positive comments..    We had lots of visitors today.  Seems like they all snuck in while we were praying at the beginning of the service.  A new couple who came are new homeowners in Pirate's Cove.  And we had our usual batch of timeshare folks.   We had an official new member today as well.  Charles has been coming for several weeks now, and he has done a lot of stuff to help out around the church already.  Now if the seven others who have said they want baptism will follow through, we'll see some real excitement around here!   I tried to make a copy of our old web site from some files on my computer so I could send it to our new web design guy.  He said if I could get it to him, he could reconstruct it.  But I couldn't figure out how to do it.  I did finally get it to copy to a cd, so I'll give him that when I see him again.   Chris went to Bay City again this afternoon.  Her Mom has another chemo treatment tomorrow morning.  She should be back tomorrow night if everything goes okay.   This whole losing a PE teacher and having to come up with some kind of plan for one whole period of school has me stumped.  I talked to the old teacher today and she said she was getting together some of her stuff and would get it to me as soon as she could..  In the meantime I have to come up with something for nine high school students to do for 45 minutes right at the end of their day.  All ideas will be greatly appreciated!   John 7:46 says, "'No one ever spoke the way this man does,' the guards declared."                       Father, keep on speaking.  Sorry I take so long to start hearing.  Amen.

October 24 – “Owners”

This morning what I thought would be about an hour interview with a headmaster candidate turned into two and a half hours.  He indicated that he is impressed with the Seaside way of doing church and school.  The interview team was impressed with his candor and qualifications.  It looks like he will be a part of Seaside Christian Academy in the next few weeks.  That means I need to get everything together and into a user friendly format for the transition.  He is going to come in several times before he begins to go over stuff with me and get the lay of the land.  I almost can't remember what it was like to concentrate on being a pastor.   This afternoon we went to the birthday party of two brothers who go to Seaside..  They had one of those bounce houses going.  The hamburgers were great.  I don't know what seasonings they used, but it was really good.  Chris got to meet several medical people.  I figured they were talking about UTMB or something.  She told me one lady wanted to know if we were the "Owners" of Seaside Church.  She was interested in the school, but she was also really interested in the church.  She had never been to a church that accepted people as they were, even to the point of not having to dress up on Sundays.  She said she would try to come.   We cleaned the church after the party.  After we got home Chris and I cut some boards to make a shelf to put over the television.  Kel and Christina and the boys came over and we heated up some pizza.  We ate it, too.    Today's events have been quite a test for my new hearing aids.  We were inside IHOP for the interview.  That was by far the most difficult part of the day for my ears.  Very loud.  We were outside at the birthday party.  That wasn't so bad.  It was kind of hard to tell if the people I was hearing were talking to me, though.  Cleaning the church was quiet.  I had sweeping and mopping duty.  I took the hearing aids out when we cut the boards.  I knew I wouldn't be able to stand that level of noise.  I put them back in when the boys came over, though, and it really did seem to make a difference in how well I could understand Jachin and Micah.  I'm told I'll get used to it … hearing again.    John 7:37-38 says, "On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.'"   Father, let some of those streams flow tomorrow.  Draw some people to yourself.  Save someone and let us see it.  Amen.

October 23 – “Just plain old”

Today was hearing aid day.  We headed for Houston this morning to pick up Mom's repaired hearing aid and my TWO brand new ones.  That's right.  I am officially "just plain old" rather than "getting pretty old."  I have devices crammed into each ear, and they are supposed to remove all excuses from my marriage communication portfolio.  They are also supposed to guarantee a quieter setting on the television.  We stopped by Luby's (They still have one in Houston) on the way home.  It was loud in there.  Everything sounded like it was amplified by a microphone in a room full of nothing but tile.  Oh, wait.  It was.  Even after we got home I was still amazed at how loud everything was..  We also have a lot of tile..  I do remember something in school about sound bouncing around off of hard stuff.  It does.    I called the air card people to reinstall the software so I can use the air card again.  We uninstalled it yesterday when we were trying to "fix" it.  Then it wouldn't reinstall.  The tech was very nice.  She went through the whole rigamorole of trying this and checking that.  Finally she said, "I guess the only thing we can do now is have you go somewhere and download the software off of the internet."  That's all I wanted to do it the first place.  The air card works fine now.  Now I need to figure out why the wireless connection won't work.  I have an idea on that one, but I don't know if it will work.  I'm going to load the software that came with the router on the desktop and see if it will pick up the laptop as the "extra."  Who knows.   A really good friend of ours who moved to Washington State came by this afternoon.  We haven't seen Kathy in a long time.  She was down to take care of some business and see her mom.    Chris wants to build a shelf in the room where our freezer is.  Right now we have one of those metal shelves that really should be in the garage.  It's full of toys.  Except for the hand sanitizer and wasp killer on the top.  She said she had it all up in her head and it was up to me to help her get it out and build it.  I told her to draw me a picture.  She handed me a piece of paper with three or four lines scribbled on it.  I handed that back and asked for at least three dimensions.  The next version is still in production.   John 6:35 says, "Then Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.'"   Father, help me think about you when I get hungry or thirsty.  We'll spend a lot more time together that way.  Amen.

October 22 – “Name on the board”

I finally got a call from the PE teacher today.  She is not going to be able to teach regularly any more, if at all.  Several changes have occurred at her workplace that makes her presence more required than it was before.  Now I need to come up with some kind of weekly format for PE.  Today I led a fun time of youth fellowship games organized around school topics.  We had vocabulary word games and grammar (mad libs) and trivia and even a little math mixed with spelling.  They seemed to have a good time, and the period went by really fast.   After school I sat in on a parent – teacher conference for a kindergartener.  He is one of the sweetest kids around – very lovable.  His parents just wanted to make sure he was getting positive reinforcement along with the proverbial "name on the board and checks after it" record.  I think they came to a good resolution.  Now we need to watch it and see how everything goes.   I got an email from the school board member in charge of setting up interviews with prospective headmaster candidates.  We have an interview on Saturday morning at IHOP with the guy who came by the school the other day.  I can't wait to see what the rest of the team thinks of him.  Our math teacher had a good interview with a company in Houston, so he may be leaving soon.  Along with this headmaster candidate, we do have a few who have mentioned math as an area of interest this time.  I think we'll be OK.    Home group is beginning to heat up.  Tonight we had a discussion about death and death customs that we have experienced.  We found out who wants to be cremated and who is creeped out at the thought, who wants to donate their body to science and who wants to be buried where something else can grow as a result of their decay.  It was all based on the passage in Philippians where Paul says to him to die would be gain.   Tomorrow morning we head up to Houston to pick up my new hearing aids (plural!) and Mom's repaired one.  One of the students today found out where I was going and said, "You mean, you're going to be able to hear us now?"  Hmm.  Maybe not such a good thing after all.   Philippians 1:21 says, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."   Father, I get the "to die is gain" part.  I'm not sure I feel good about the "to live is Christ" part.  I need some help there.  Amen.

October 21 – “A Real Pirate Ship”

I took today off from school to spend the day with Josh and Christi and Zak and Caleb.  They were only going to be here today.  This morning we headed over to see the Elissa.  We almost didn't.  Josh checked the internet site and saw that the ship had sailed to Corpus Christi.  I remembered the regatta was last week, so it sounded reasonable to me.  But when he double-checked it, we found out that he was reading an article from 2007.  We got into the gift shop to buy our tickets about five minutes before the first wave of rain hit.  It actually went by fairly quickly, though, so we boarded ship during a light sprinkle.  Zakary was great.  He couldn't believe we were getting on a real live pirate ship.  He is planning to dress like a pirate on Halloween, so this was quite a treat for him.   We had to choose somewhere other than Luby's for lunch, so we went to the Spot.  Even Zakary commented on how loud the music was.  He and I did have fun pretending after we ate.  The dining room became our … you guessed it! … our pirate ship.  He would go to each window and check the waves.  The air conditioning condenser unit became the ship's engine.  His favorite place was the window facing the beach.  That made it seem really real.    After a rest time, all the cousins descended on the house.  For the rest of the afternoon chaos prevailed at the Vaughan house.  The boys were running constantly around and around and squealing and laughing.  Cailyn wouldn't go far from her Mom.  She couldn't figure those boys out.  I fried a batch of fish for supper, and the wildness finally settled down around 8 or so.    Josh had his laptop with him, so I tried to make it easier for him to connect to the internet by changing something in the way the wireless works on my dsl.  Bad decision.  To make a long story short, now we don't have internet service at all, and the software that operates our air card is not there anymore.  Computers can do strange things.  I called tech support and the best they could do was tell me we needed to switch to a slower bandwith because we must be too far away from the nearest signal.  Doesn't make much sense to me.  OK, Geek squad, help me.   Psalms 36:7-9 says, "How priceless is your unfailing love!  Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.  8 They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.   9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light."   Father, cover me with your light so that is all I can see.  I'm tired of the dark.  Amen.

October 20 – “Be Quiet”

We had an interesting evening..  I worked on the sermon last night until around eleven.  As I was closing up the house and getting ready for bed, I noticed out the front window an unusual flickering of light.  I opened the door and saw that a car's headlights were pointed in our direction and were not moving.  And that flickering light appeared to be a person with a flashlight walking around in our neighbor's yard (The condemned house).  As I leaned around the corner I heard a lady's voice, "Can I help you?"  I responded rather quickly, "I was just coming outside to ask you the same question."  She entered into the light where I could see her.  She was a police officer.  She said our neighbor's front door was open and she had just gone inside to check it out.  I told her the house was abandoned and if anyone was inside, they were probably dead by now.  She immediately radioed that whoever was coming to back her up could forget it.  As she left she told me, "You're being a good neighbor, watching out for their house like that."  I told her she was doing a great job as well.  Nice way to head for bed, all safe and cozy.   I had a first today at school..  A four-year-old was brought to the principal's office for time out.  He crawled up in one of the chairs in my office and as soon as the teacher left he started talking.  He didn't stop for twenty minutes.  He told me in a progressively louder and louder voice that what he had said that got him in trouble was, "Be quiet.  Be quiet!  BE QUIET!"  By that last one he was screaming.  It was all I could do to keep from laughing.  He agreed that he was not the one to say "Be quiet."  He promised to tell his teacher he was sorry and to say "Yes, Ma'am," when she asked him to do something.   On my way to school I prayed the prayer I have been praying for weeks now, "Lord, please send us a headmaster."  Not long after the four-year-old incident, the high schoolers came and told me there was a man out on the porch.  I went outside and greeted him.  He said he was working as an assistant pastor at one of the local churches, and lived in one of the subdivisions near Seaside.  He had seen the ad in the paper and wanted to stop by and see if this might be a place God might want him to work.  We talked for awhile, and he revealed his interest.  He moved here from Colorado where he had been … headmaster at a Christian school.  Not only that, he also taught math.  The two things we need.  Imagine that.  He came in and we talked for a long time.  I introduced him around, and gave him a quick tour.  He took an application and said he would return it tomorrow.  Could this be an answer to prayer?  Maybe.    Josh and Christi and Zakary and Caleb came in tonight.  They will just be here tomorrow, but it will be good to see them for however long they can be here.  Christina brought her boys over, and Nathan and April and Cailyn came, too.  It was "Cousin Heaven" here for a few hours.    2 Peter 3:13 says, "But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness."   Father, if your new heaven is anything like the joy I saw on the faces of the cousins tonight, I sure am looking forward to it.  Amen.

October 19 – “Cookies”

My hands and left elbow are still pretty sore today.  I sure hope this wave goes away soon.  It has gone beyond annoying again.  Now the pain has begun to consume my thoughts and make it hard to concentrate.  My appointment with the rheumatologist is November 2nd.  I guess I'll have to make it.   I had another frustration at school today.  The kids were really great.  They are getting better and better.  But one of the teachers didn't show up today and didn't call.  It was one of the volunteers, so there's nothing I can do about it.  But now I have to develop a contingency plan in case she does it again or doesn't want to come back at all.  During that class today the kids played Monopoly.  That worked pretty well for most of them.  I really don't know what to do.       We have been receiving calls about the teaching positions.  Several today were interested in elementary.  We have two or three possibilities for headmaster, but so far only one resume has been returned.  I'm praying several of the others will get their application back in so we can have a choice.  The guy who sent his resume used to work with my uncle.  I asked about him, and my uncle said he was a really hard worker.  I know that doesn't help much.  I guess we'll have to wait for an interview.    I talked to Chris.  We were texting back and forth and I kept getting ahead of her.  She decided it would be easier to talk.  That was great by me.  Her Mom had chemo today, and her Dad has an appointment tomorrow, so I won't get to see her until tomorrow night.  She told me to ask Mom if she ate anything today.  I asked.  Ensure and some cookies.  We went to McAlisters Deli.  We both had a good meal.  And of course, a chocolate chip cookie for dessert.    Luke 24:36-39 says, "While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you.' 37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, 'Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.'"   Father, I admit I am troubled.  Let me see you.  Amen.

October 18 – “A Bad Hand Day”

Today was a bad hand day for me.  They started springing up every couple of days or so since about August.  Some days I dread shaking hands with people.  Today was close to that bad.  Every joint in my hand aches.  My knuckles swell up.  I have been afraid to wear my wedding ring because of that one.  My wrists hurt, too, so I unconsciously try to protect them by putting my hands in my pockets or by holding them up against my body.  I didn't know I was doing that until Chris told me.    Speaking of Chris, she left this afternoon for another round of Bay City doctor appointments.  Her Mom's is in the morning.  Her Dad's was supposed to be in the afternoon, but they switched it to Tuesday.  Chris is pretty upset about that, because this is supposed to be his surgery followup visit.  He's already been to the emergency room since his surgery, and his surgeon still hasn't seen him.  Chris is supposed to come home Tuesday afternoon in time for Jachin's soccer game.   Church this morning went pretty well.  We started late, but everybody seemed to be following the teaching and not falling asleep.  One single man who has been visiting for awhile said he wanted to join up.  He actually already has as far as participation is concerned.  He brought some ribs for dinner on the grounds, and he helped set up and clean up.   Matthew 11:28-30 says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."   Father, once again, I just needed to hear that today.  Rest.  Gentle.  Easy.  Light.  Amen.