June 5 – “that stuff”

We had a really good day at church yesterday.  In spite of all the rain we had over forty people attending.  A lady approached me during the praise time to say she wanted to join us as a Seaside member.  She was already a believer, so we took care of welcoming her after the service.  Once folks started leaving, I was blessed with a haircut from our resident hair stylist.  She cuts hair after church, and whatever you would pay at the salon, you donate to the church.  Love her creative ministry.  I’ll probably say that after every haircut.  And finally, after the cut, Linda, the brand new Seasider, invited a group of us to join her at Nate’s, the West End’s local restaurant.  It was a great way to spend time with friends and get to know each other a little better.  We did decide that a round table would have been more effective at encouraging conversation, though. 

After Nate’s we stopped by WalMart to pick up a small gift for Noa and Josiah.  They were finally having their birthday party.  About a month after the fact.  On two different occasions one or the other of them came up sick the day of the scheduled event.  Both made it just fine this time.  The weather had been really bad all morning, so what was intended to be a nature-themed park party became an inside the house, circle games kind of event.  I don’t think any of the kids minded, though.  They all seemed to have fun.  And cupcakes.  And ice cream.  There was that, too.  The older boys joined me and one of the other Dads in watching the Astros game on TV (No sound, of course.  Didn’t want to interrupt the partying).  Everything went pretty well, until someone checked the local radar.  A massive thunderstorm was moving towards us, threatening to dump boatload of the wet stuff any second.  With two outs in the bottom of the ninth.  The exodus was immediate, and we joined in.  Being caught once in that stuff (a while back at a baseball game) was more than enough for Chris. 

And “that stuff” was really ominous.  We worried that a tornado was struggling to escape from within the dark, jumbled mass of rolling black clouds.  I took a few pictures.  I was going to go up on our deck when we got home and take another one, but though better of it, since the rain was already falling when we arrived.  Hard to get photographic evidence of something you are in the middle of.  The rain continued off and on all night, and it greeted me again when I woke up this morning.  Sigh.  I really hoped hurricane season would hold off yet another year.  But we are watching a spot that formed in the Gulf.  Welcome to our Tropical Island Paradise. 

Hebrews 12:14 says, “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.”

Father, we do ask for protection again this year from the worst of the stormy weather.  Amen.