November 30 – “Washateria”

I had one of those late-night phone calls last night.  That's not so uncommon in the life of a pastor.  This one wasn't a church call, though.  It was one of the parents of a student at Seaside Christian Academy.  She had some concerns and wanted to be sure someone heard them.  It was basically school board business, so I just listened and will let them know what she said.   I heard on the radio this morning that today is the official end of hurricane season in Galveston.  We had something like 12 named storms this year.  None of them visited us, though.  That's a serious answer to prayer.  I know there's never a good time to get hit by a storm.  But even though it's been two years since Ike, people are just not recovered yet.   This morning I took the truck over to Home Depot to help Kel pick up a washing machine.  Theirs went caput a few days ago, and I guess Christina was tired of coming over to our Vaughan Family Washateria.   They had some problems with Bank of America, but we got enough of the mixup settled that we could pick up the machine.  It looked like a nice one, too.  Maytag.  Best part of the whole experience for me was not having to help lift it into the truck.  We wheeled it out and a guy who works there just happened to be walking by, and he asked if we needed any help.  For a second or two I was afraid that Kel would tell him we were fine, but he didn't.  He graciously accepted the offer.  Installing it was fairly easy even if we didn't check the directions before we started.  Happy for them, but sad that the kids won't be here as much. Cailyn hung out with us for awhile today.  April has 3 tests and a project due this week.  That meant we had to decide what's for lunch – always a feat for us around here.  The options were Golden Corral vs. chili (not Chili's – Chris' homemade chili).  Chris's chili won.  Why?  Because it was cold outside (50 degrees – winter in Galveston), because Chris doesn't really like Golden Corral, and finally, because Chris wanted chili.  Whatever makes Momma Chris happy makes me happy.         Rom 8:31-32 says, "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"   Father, I'm very tired right now and it's not even three o'clock.  I sure didn't get ten hours of sleep last night.  Can I look for you at work when I wake up?  Amen.