July 27 – “Bucket list addendum”

Ah, ‘twas a sad, sad day in the neighborhood.  Truck after truck had already infiltrated the unsoiled landscape (well, unsoiled except for the stickerburs … lots of stickerburs) with load after load of dirt.  Piles and piles of the fresh topsoil stood waiting, just waiting.  And then … More about that in a moment.

But first, I saw something new on my way to staff meeting at the church.  Not just one but two very pale gray hawks.  Almost white.  Beautiful birds.  Oh, and I saw a dead snake in the road, too.  Not dead at the talon of the raptor, however.  This guy looked like he got run over, plain and simple.  I didn’t stop or anything, but from my quick glimpse, it seemed to be a diamondback. 

We got some really good news about ordering chairs for the church.  The website Kel used to get chairs when he was pastor at Faith Bible Church in LaMarque is still in operation and still offering great deals on really good chairs.  Looks like we can get 100 chairs for under $4,000.  Way less than we were expecting. 

After staff meeting Chris and I went to Houston to look at the possible playground equipment in person.  We missed our exit off of the beltway, so we had to go the long way around.  Not necessarily a bad thing.  In fact as we roamed through a few neighborhoods in Northwest Houston, we came upon two things that I already want to go back and see again.  One was a restaurant inside a train car.  They serve barbeque and seafood, but that is kind of irrelevant.  I just think it would be fun to eat in a train.  The other was a photo op that I can’t believe I didn’t insist we stop at right then and there.  If it hadn’t been so close to rush hour already, I’m pretty sure I would have demanded it.  It was a monstrous hamburger.  Had all the fixin’s, too.  Huge thing just hanging on a big old pole on the side of the road.  I really want my picture next to that thing.  Bucket list.

OK, so back to the sadness.  When we arrived back home 40 Steps, the vacant lot next door, was destroyed.  The two huge trees, bigger than our house, that provided shade from the heat of the afternoon sun were uprooted completely and tossed to the side.  The other tree back there was sheared in half.  Looked pretty silly, if you ask me.  and the piles of dirt were all bulldozed flat.  Not pretty flat, mind you.  Just flat.  Stay tuned for further 40 Steps updates as they occur.

1 Peter 1:13 says, “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

Father, thank you for our safe trip to Houston and back.  And thanks for the beautiful birds.  Amen.