November 25 – “Thanksgiving Day”

I stopped for a minute this morning and realized that there were a lot of final preparations going on around here today.   For Thanksgiving – Chris had me help her move the tables around so they made one really long one.  It's fun to have everybody sit at the same table.  But she did mention getting Kel to bring their little table for the little guys.  Chris has spent the morning sweeping and vacuuming and mopping the floors.  I heard her tell Christina on the phone earlier that she at least wants to start the day out with clean floors.  We have also been helping Mom get ready for my brother to pick her up for her afternoon and evening in Houston.    For Sunday – I think I finished the lesson plan for Experiencing God on Sunday afternoon.  Haven't heard how many will be there.  I still want to preview the video and see if I want to use it.  I am also still searching for a copy of the movie Antz to use Sunday morning in the sermon.  I still can't find one, so I can't check it off my list yet.    For our next evacuation – That sounds weird, but I didn't know what other category to put this one in.  I need to print out some pictures Chris wants replaced of Josh and Christi's wedding.  We lost several of them in the storm.    For the month's end – Pay the bills.  Can't forget that one.   For Christmas shopping – Chris spent a long time "shopping" in the newspapers this morning.  I am FaceBook friends with  the editor of the Galveston Daily News, and he posted that today's paper would be the biggest one of the year – so big they would start delivering it last night.  I'm not sure when ours got here, but it beat the Chronicle.  That one didn't arrive until almost 8.  Anyway, the paper was pretty thick with ads, and Chris went through them all.  She said when she finished, "Well, I saw some things that would be nice, but nothing that makes me feel like I have to be there at 4 a.m."  Thank you. Thank you.  Thank you.   For pastoring – Some time today I need to find out what time Hutch's surgery is in the morning, so I can try to be there to pray with them as well as put the word out on our prayer chain.   For waiting – Stan will be here to get Mom around 11:30.  Josh and Christi will be here around 4:30.  Don't even know when Nathan and April and Cailyn will be here.  Josiah is still running fever, so we probably won't get to see him or his Mom at all.  The rest of their family should be here sometime this afternoon, I guess.  Maybe after naptime.    For fretting – Just being honest here.  I think I finished Christmas shopping for Chris.  I still have to carve something for her, though.  I started it, but working with the knife and twisting the Dremel around does a number on my finger and wrist joints.  Hope I can get it done.    Final preparations.  Sounds so foreboding.  I guess there's really only one truly "final" preparation.  Jesus.  I know I have that one covered.  Everything else is just gravy.   Galatians 5:6 says, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."   Father, thank you for the gravy.  Amen.