October 5 – "Decorating a cake"   This morning I spent writing letters to churches and friends who helped us after the storm.  We wanted to give them an idea of where we were and what we still had to do.  Maybe some of them will want to come back and help us finish the job.  I also applied for a grant that I found out about from the Baptist General Convention of Texas.  I found out that they are changing their name to Texas Baptists.  Simplify.    A couple came to the church to ask if they could let some horses eat the grass at our Galveston property.  They would take care of everything.  They plan to set up a temporary electric fence so they can move them around the area and make sure they eat the grass down evenly.  They even plan to pick up the horse poop.  That's what she said.  Apparently landscapers are paying a premium price for horse poop right now.  Their ultimate plan is to have a horse riding place where you can take more than a slow stroll down the beach for two blocks.  They want to have bay ride to watch the sunset, and longer rides.  Sounded great to me.  I'll run it by the elders and get their feel for it.    Tonight was kind of fun.  Nathan and April and Cailyn came over.  April wanted a lesson on cake decorating for the master.  Chris used to work in a bakery, so she is great at this.  In fact she decorated our wedding cake (with a little help from her grandmother).  And it was beautiful.  Of course not as beautiful as she was … and is.    Anyway, April did really well.  All of us were standing over her watching and "helping" with suggestions.  Some made sense (whenever Chris said anything).  Others were just goofy (anytime Nathan or I spoke).  But she kept on going and created a sunflower bedecked bed of chocolate icing over a plump and moist chocolate cake.  Nathan and I were begging them to leave it here.  They were on their way to a friend's house for supper and – obviously – dessert.  Today was the girl's birthday.  She'll love it.   Colossians 1:17 says, "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."   Father, thank you for holding me together when I get stressed out.  Amen.