May 31 – “Where’s the power?”

Well, we have run into another snag in the church remodel process.  The new air conditioner condenser (I think that’s the right name.  It’s the big box thing that fits outside) finally came in to replace the other one that was blown.  It was under warranty so we had to wait two rather warm weeks for it.  The installers got it “all welded in” (Their words.  I didn’t know there was welding involved as well.  I learn something new just about every day).  That’s when they ran into their problem.  There was no power coming to the box where they hook it up.  They found power at the breaker box, and again at the inside blower.  Just nothing when it came to the outside unit.  They were there from around 3 until after 5 when they finally left.  The guy assured me that he was “going to sleep on it” and see if anything else came to him to try. 

My afternoon wasn’t a total loss, though.  I did get to meet the new interim executive director of the Galveston Baptist Association.  Guy named Dennis who used to be a missionary in South Africa.  Seemed nice enough.  He reminded me a lot of one of the pastors here on the Island.  As he shared his story with me I found out the reason.  They are both from Louisiana.  OK, I know.  That’s not a good reason, but wouldn’t that be circumstantial evidence?  How about topographical evidence? 

I also changed the outdoor sign.  Our new sign guy at church did an amazing job fixing it up.  Now we can post much longer sayings for people to ponder as they travel past in their cars on the way to work or to the beach.  This one went something like: “Laugh a lot so your wrinkles will grow in all the right places.”  Think about that one for a while …

I did get to touch base at Cailyn’s softball practice on the way home.  Chris took her because Nathan had to lead some honor guard training in Santa Fe.  One word for that practice … hot.  Really hot.  I think it might have been 90+ with 80% humidity.  The girls were really dragging.  Thankfully the coach recognized it and made sure they took water breaks.  They have a big tournament in Beaumont this weekend and maybe one more before they close up shop for the summer.  Hang in there, girls … and parents.

Psalms 66:20 says, “Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!”

Father, would you please help the AC guy find power to the unit today?  And protect those girls as they practice this evening in the heat.  Amen.

May 30 – “The first …”

We have discovered a crisis of near-epic proportions.  Greater than dirt on the interior carpet.  Greater than donut crumbs on the seats.  Greater even than dried water droplets from the first rain.  What horror could possibly have invaded our normally serene lifestyle?  What unspeakable catastrophe has barreled its way into our lives, making our very existence one long groan of agony?  What caused that ear-splitting cry of “Aaaaarrrrgh!”?  Yep.  You guessed it.  Bird poop.  For the very first time a bird pooped on our brand new car.  Right there in the safety of our very own driveway.  Oh, the devastation of it all.  What could be worse than this?  (Don’t you dare say the first scratch or the first fender bender.  Chris might have a heart attack).  I suppose I shall have to play my usual role of Knight in Shining Armor, eh?  Put on my over-hauls and big ol’ boots and my fishing hat to ward off the sunshine and warsh that stain right outa the car.  Maybe I can get around to that this weekend …

Psalms 66:10-12 says, “For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver.  You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.  You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.”

Father, thank you for those little birds you created.  We do like seeing them flit about.  Thank you that our burdens are much less than prison and being trampled by horses.  And thank you for the abundance you have blessed us with.  Amen.  

May 29 – “Fun Family Facts”

I got a highly unexpected treat late last night.  As I was closing down the computer in my preparation for bed routine, I decided on a whim to check my email.  I usually do that first thing in the morning and sometimes whenever I think about it during the day.  This time, though, I had an email from my older brother, the family genealogist.

I opened it and saw that he had completed a brief biography of my namesake (or am I his namesake?  How does that work, anyway?), Lafayette Kelley.  He was our grandfather, our mom’s father.  I didn’t know him well.  He died when I was around four years old, so it was kind of fun to read about him.  He served in the army during World War I, so getting the biography on Memorial Day was a special treat. 

I learned more than a few things about the guy we affectionately called Grandaddy.  He was one of fifteen children.  His grandparents came to Texas from Georgia in covered wagons over the Natchez Trace.  Kind of gives new meaning to the trek Chris and I took when we drove down that same road.  He was raised a Baptist.  That fits with the stories I was always told about him reading the Bible all the time.  And my grandmother (Nani) always told me that he said I was bound to be a preacher when I grew up because I talked so much.  There you go.  Called to the ministry when I was four years old.  Don’t remember that too well.  Nani was Lutheran, but they bought a house (For just over $2,000.  Paid $25 a month for five years and it was theirs) across the street from an Episcopal church, so convenience won.

One fun story was about when his grandparents were on the way to Texas.  As I said, they made the trek in covered wagons with their parents, each coming from a different part of Georgia.  They apparently met on the wagon train and got married when they finally arrived in Texas.  How’s that for a romantic story?  Furtive glances from the back of a wagon.  Stolen smiles, and perhaps a kiss, just far enough away from the evening firelight to go undetected.  And the best part of all … getting married in God’s Country.  Doesn’t get much better than that.  Well, hey.  It was 1837.  Simpler time.

It’s a pretty impressive little document, Jay.  You did a good job on it.  Thanks.

Psalms 66:8-9 says, “Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.”

Father, thank you for things like blanks filled in and fun family facts.  Amen.

May 28 – “Zzzz-snghll-huh?”

It was one of those wild and crazy, Memorial Day weekend days at church.  Around 70 people were there (I lost count in the mid-60’s).  There were six in the King’s Kids group with Chris.  Seven or eight teenagers.  Lots of out of towners.  All this in spite of traffic being typically bad all over the island.

We made our way home after church, had some spaghetti for lunch, and settled in.  Read here, I turned the Astros game on.  Later in the afternoon I woke up from a brief nap (Of course it was a brief nap.  I would never miss the Astros game just for sleep, would I?) to find Chris and Cailyn missing.  I roused up and called their names.  Nothing.  I shuffled around the house.  Nope.  I checked the back yard.  Not there either.  I thought maybe they went for a walk, so I went to the front door.  And there they were.  Returning from a walk?  Oh, no.  They were out in the new car playing with the new bells and whistles.  In fact, when they realized I was awake, they called me using the car’s ability to connect with Chris’ phone.  Check.  And then I called them back.  They answered through the car’s system.  Check.  I guess all systems checked out. 

Later we went to WalMart to get some groceries to cook today.  It was packed to the gills, as my Dad used to say.  And it is always a real treat to go to WalMart in Galveston on a holiday weekend.  So many people watching opportunities.  Like the lady loading her groceries into her car wearing the lacy, nightgown-looking thing that turned out to be a non-covering covering for her bathing suit.  Interesting?  I asked Chris if she wanted me to get her one of those.  She said no.  Didn’t even think about it.  Imagine that.

And after that excursion I played some Egyptian RatKiller with Cailyn and Chris.  I smoked ‘em.  Then we adjourned to the back yard where I played some serious hide and seek in the back yard with Cailyn and Chris.  I smoked ‘em.  Great day.  Great day.

Psalms 66:5 says, “Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf!”

Father, thank you for a relaxing Sunday afternoon with a couple of really special girls.  Amen.

May 27 – “It. Is. Done”

It.  Is.  Done. 

Yep.  We have gone and done it.  It has been ten years since we last did something so … so … earth-shattering.  Well, OK, it’s not really earth-shattering, but it does rock our world more than a little bit.  We bought a new car.  Not a used car.  A brand new Chevy Equinox.  29 miles on it.  And that’s including the eight we put on it in the test drive.  Well, that would be me that did the test drive.  Chris wouldn’t drive it until it was ours, but the moment we signed the papers, she pushed me out of the way and established her spot behind the wheel for the training session on all the new features.  She might let me drive it every now and then, but I get the distinct impression that this will be her car. 

Let’s see … June 6^th.  Well, I’m about a week or two early, but … Happy Anniversary, Chris.  I love you.

Psalms 66:3-4 says, “Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds!  So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.  All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name.’”

Father, thank you for transportation.  Especially the comfortable kind.  And thank you even more for my wife.  May she enjoy it for ten more years.  Amen.

May 26 – “Cherry Concrete”

We took a business jaunt into Texas yesterday.  We were out of several things at Seaside (Like communion crackers.  We had a crisis accident last Sunday and our stash ended up on the floor).  That one necessitated a trip to Lifeway to replenish the stock. We also went by Sam’s to restock the usual paper towels and toilet paper kind of stuff.  It is getting to be summer, after all.  Around here that means lots more people using the retreat center as well as visiting the church.  Oh, and we stopped at JoAnn’s as well.  That’s a fabric/craft store right by Lifeway.  They were having a big half-price sale on scrapbooking materials, and Chris is working on a scrapbook to commemorate our trip to DisneyWorld a few years ago. 

I have to say here that the highlight of the trip (aside from the rainstorm we had to drive through) came on our way back home.  We passed one of those huge private dump trucks.  On the rear of the truck was what appeared to be a company sticker.  As we got closer I read it … “Cherry Concrete.”  Interesting.  I have never tasted cherry concrete before.  Never even tried regular flavored concrete, in fact.  Hmm.  Maybe we can get them to repair the street we live on.  I wouldn’t mind a red street, just so it didn’t have so many potholes.  Cherry Concrete.  I’m still pondering that one.

We are back in parent mode again.  Had to take Cailyn to softball practice.  When we got there she was one of only two girls on hand.  More came later, but I felt bad leaving the one coach out there by himself, so I jumped in to help all I could.  Started out behind the plate returning missed pitches to the mound.  As more and more girls arrived, I switched to the field to help shag balls.  Here is my official pronouncement for the day: It is not a good idea to shag balls with no glove and a bad knee.  I was pretty sore last night, and even woke up to it throbbing this morning.  But I got in a lot of steps …

Psalms 66:1-2 says, “Shout with joy to God, all the earth!  Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!”

Father, thank you for interesting signs … and flavors.  Makes life interesting.  And fun.  Amen.

May 25 – “Prayer hurts?”

Not much to report today.  No further action on the car front, although it sure doesn’t like switching into second gear.  Chris is still doing some hard and heavy research on what price we should be willing to pay.  I’m just ready to grab one and get it over with … get on the road again.  Hey, that would make a good song, wouldn’t it?  Somebody ought to mention it to a country singer/songwriter. 

I did start an exercise regimen for my knee.  I’m seeing if getting the muscles around it stronger will help the knee problem itself, or is it too far gone?  I found the exercises I had to do after the same knee was operated on many, many years ago (back when I was still a semi-athlete).  And Chris has already been onto me to do stuff to strengthen my quads.  Maybe I’ll come out of this with monster muscles … on my legs, anyway. 

Check out this thought from my quiet time this morning (Experiencing God Day-By-Day):

We are a generation that avoids pain at all costs.  This is why there are so few intercessors.  Most Christians operate on the shallowest levels of prayer, but God wants to take us into the deep levels of intercessory prayer that only a few ever experience.  Deep, prolonged intercession in painful.  It involves staying before God when everyone else has gone away or sleeps (Luke 22:45).  It involves experiencing brokenness with the Father over those who continually rebel against Him.  How many of us will experience this kind of fervent intercession?

Luke 22:44 says, “And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

Father, that look at prayer is kind of a scary one.  I sure feel like I have all the pain I can handle.  Call your people … as deep as we can stand it.  Amen.

May 24 – “Missed it by that much …”

Well, the Bug Guy was supposed to be here yesterday between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. to attack the major ant colony in our kitchen.  Nope.  We waited until 9:30 for them to arrive or maybe to call, but nothing happened, so I called them.  Seems they had written down the wrong address.  They came to 7006 Sycamore, saw nothing but dogs in the window, and went on to their next call.  They offered big apologies, and promised to be here this morning around 8 a.m.  I think I’ll stand at the front door and watch for them …

About the only other point of significance from yesterday would be the calls we made to see about financing this car we have to buy.  I got the info from my retirement account on drawing or borrowing from there.  Chris looked up the latest offering from Chevrolet’s financing department.  Oh, and we checked back on cars.com and located another equinox there (which is actually on site at the Chevy dealership in Galveston) for that same $3,000 less than what the dealer offers.  I sent in the email as instructed and now we are waiting to hear back from them.  I guess by tomorrow we may have to just go to the dealer and present our offer to him. 

Big weekend for us coming up.  Not just because it’s Memorial Day and the crowd will be horrendous on the Island.  Nathan and April are heading out on a weekend trip for their tenth anniversary.  Cailyn is staying with us from this afternoon up until they return on Monday.  Oh, and along with her typical suitcase and probably her softball gear, she will be bringing two other additions as well.  Her dogs.  Boston Bull Terrier Scooter and Boxer Abby.  They are always an interesting mix with our three little mutts.  Never a dull moment around here this weekend.

Psalms 65:9 says, “You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly.

The streams of God are filled with water.”

Father, be with Nathan and April on their journey this weekend.  Keep them safe on the roads and help them draw closer to each other as they reboot for another ten years.  Amen.

May 23 – “The Search begins”

Sigh.  The saga of searching for a new car has finally begun.  We put it off for as long as we could.  We were, in fact hoping to reach 200,000 miles with the one we have.  But sadly, that goal will not be achieved with this particular vehicle.  It has served us well, though.  133,000+ is a good legacy.  And with the many miles have come many memories of great shortcuts and grandkids in the back seat and spontaneous vacations to new and wonderful oddball places. 

We took the car to Mechanic Dennis yet again yesterday.  The check engine light was, indeed, indicating a faulty valve – the one that was replaced twice and is still brand new.  Most likely scenario?  Computer malfunction.  The transmission slipping was a bigger issue, though.  He said there are no obvious signs that it is leaking, and the only way to check it is to … insert here several mechanic-y words, which would cost about $200.  Then if the transmission is bad the cost skyrockets from there.  Nope and nope.  We left the shop and drove straight to the dealership (Well, not exactly straight.  We dropped off the truck at the house and then stopped by Home Depot first.  Chris needed a pot and some dirt). 

Now we have done some research in anticipation of such a somber event.  In fact we had already narrowed down our search to two candidates.  The Chevrolet Equinox (Yep, that’s just a newer version of what we have), and the Honda CRV.  Best we could tell, either of those will fit our need.  The local car dealership (the only one on the Island) had both of those on site, so we pulled in to check them out.  The Chevy was first on the docket.  It had all the amenities we were looking for, including the capacity to install three carseats.  It also had air conditioning in the back seat and a backup camera (I’m fascinated by those things) and the capacity to interact with your cell phone (Thus making Google Siri a more intimate part of the driving experience.  Not sure how Chris will feel about that.  Those two have never learned to play nicely together).  On the test drive the guy said I could go anywhere I wanted since I was a local and knew the area.  Didn’t think he’d agree to a quick road trip to Waco, so we settled for a jaunt over the causeway, through Tiki Island, and back.  Very nice ride.  I was impressed.  But we still wanted to try the Honda, and honestly we were hoping the Honda would win. 

The Honda had a nicer interior.  Chris liked the upholstery, but the gadgetry was not as impressive as the Chevy.  Kind of confusing.  Except for the backup mirror.  That was cool.  It had a top down function so you could see exactly how close you were to any objects behind you from a bird’s eye view.  It could only handle two carseats, though.  Almost an immediate deal breaker.  It did have a nifty little extra hidden mirror that you could pop open and keep your eye on the munchkins in the back seat.  Chris liked that feature.  We took the same drive route, and that’s where the real deal breaker happened.  I couldn’t hear the guy sitting in the seat next to me.  The noise level was way too high for an old guy with hearing aids that amplified the already loud road roar.  Nope.  The Chevy won out easily on that count.

Once back at the dealership, the guy gave us prices on the Chevy we drove and another that they had been using as a loaner (It had 1,000 miles on it already).  We took those prices home and checked back online with cars.com.  Seems that loaner was listed online – same vin number and everything – for $3,000 less than his offer.  Hmm.  Negotiating point, you think?  Now we just have to figure out how we’re going to pay for the silly thing. 

Psalms 65:8 says, “Those living far away fear your wonders; where morning dawns and evening fades you call forth songs of joy.”

Father, please give us wisdom as we go through this frustrating process again.  Amen.

May 22 – “The Chant”

We arrived at the baseball fields last night in the throes of a dilemma.  Josiah’s team was playing in the World Series of League City Little League, seven and eight year old division.  His team, the Hooks, named after the Astros farm team in Corpus Christi, won the American League championship.  They were playing the National League champs for the World championship.  Exciting stuff.  Jachin’s Pony League team, the Braves, on the other hand, was embroiled in a tough, single elimination, end of the season tournament at the same time.  His team was in a semi-final match-up to determine who would play in the tournament championship.  Equally as exciting.

The dilemma?  Well, the games were both scheduled to start at 6:00.  Both fields are in the same complex, but on opposite ends, as far apart as they could get.  Kel was helping with Josiah’s game, feeding the pitching machine.  Christina was torn between the two.  She really wanted to see the championship game, but was worried that Jachin’s might be his last game of the year.  Chris and I hesitated just a moment or two.  Finally I volunteered to hold down the cheering section over at Jachin’s game while Chris rooted for Josiah.  We would give each other text alerts on game progress.

Jachin was happy to see a familiar face.  Even happier when his youth pastor showed up to watch.  Before long the game ground into a pitching duel with the score 3-2 in favor of the good guys.  Meanwhile, over at the World Series, things were not looking so good for the Hooks.  Apparently they were the victims of big game pressure.  They couldn’t score in their first few at bats, while the other team was piling up the numbers.  Before they knew it the score was 10-0.  But that’s when the change came.  They started battling back.  The texts came more often.  Finally an especially happy one.  “Josiah hits!  Ends up on 3^rd with all the overthrows.  2 runs score on his hit!!” (She was excited).  I replied with an “Attaboy.”  To which she replied, “And he scores!”  Shortly after this last one, I received a text from Christina.  She was feeling really torn between the two games.  So I asked if she wanted to switch bleacher seats.  Didn’t take long for that affirmative reply to come through.  So I trekked back over to Josiah’s game. 

Josiah’s little guys did really well.  They did have a rain delay, but the team all gathered around Kel’s phone and kept up with the progress of Jachin’s game.  They chanted encouragement to the “big guys” on the other side of the complex.  “The count’s 3 and 2, whatcha gonna do?  Walk, baby, walk.”  I think someone had an older sister who played Lassie League and taught him some of those classic softball chants.  After the rain delay, they ultimately lost the game 16-10, so they did mount quite a comeback.  The Braves played right through the rain.  And right during the worst of it, the opposing pitcher completely lost command of his pitches.  He walked five or six batters in a row.  The final score there was 8-2.  The Braves are now in the championship game on Wednesday evening.  And it looks like Jachin may be the starting pitcher.  Uh-oh.  A little parental pressure there, Kel and Christina.

My favorite part of the evening, however came when the championship trophies were presented.  The Hooks received their individual trophies as American League champs.  Once everyone had one, they started cheering and horsing around.  Finally they broke into the chant, “We’re number one.”  That went on for several seconds, and apparently someone reminded them that they had just lost the championship game.  Not to be deterred they hesitated for but a brief moment, then continued, “We’re number two!  We’re number two!”  Just as happy.  Just as much fun.  I love this game.

Psalms 64:10 says – “Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him!”

Father help us adults learn a lesson from our “We’re number two” kids.  Help us to find joy and even exuberance in the living of life, whatever it looks like.  Amen.

May 21 – “BOB, FOG, DOG”

We went to see BOB amid the FOG before DOG.  How’s that for an interesting Sunday morning?  Who is Bob?  Is it Mr. Bob of “Jesus loves you and I love you and there ain’t a thing you can do about it” fame?  It wasn’t foggy yesterday, was it?  I mean, it did rain a bit, but that stopped before 10:00.  And we do have a few dogs who attend church every week, but what do they have to do with Bob and Fog?  Well, thanks to our Worship Pastor Jim we have an answer, and a simple one at that.  See, yesterday as part of our Seaside worship experience, we went to see a Baptism on the Beach (BOB), after which we gathered together as the Church and same to celebrate being the Family of God (FOG), followed by a rousing Dinner on the Grounds (DOG) back at the church building.  BOB, FOG, DOG.  Makes perfect sense.  At least to Jim …

After a somewhat sober start to the service with several serious prayer times, including one for the Santa Fe community, it was indeed exciting to be a part of Wendy’s baptism.  I especially appreciated her husband Dan joining her in the waters and literally standing behind her to help her up out of the water.  Very meaningful occasion for them, I’m sure.  Back at the church while waiting for dinner to start, I had a conversation with another lady who has been contemplating baptism as well.  She has been a believer for some time but has never been immersed after she committed to the Lord as an adult.  After seeing Wendy’s baptism, she seems committed to following through with her own.  She planned to talk with her husband about it this week.  Great to see baptism doing what it’s supposed to do … witness to the world about a relationship with Jesus. 

Psalms 63:6-8 says, “On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.  Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.  My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.”

Father, thank you again for Wendy and for her life before you.  Continue to use her to touch people’s lives.  Amen.

May 20 – “Overflow”

We started early yesterday.  We had a big all-church workday scheduled, so we gathered up Cailyn and made our way out to Seaside.  By the time we arrived a group was already pulling down the bulky moveable wall that has been in place since before we came twenty-plus years ago.  It should give us a little more flexibility with seating, but it also gives us easier access to the storage closet back there.  We were discussing what size door to buy for the closet when who should walk up but a guy who has been replacing doors all his life.  In fact, he was at the workday to begin replacing the frozen locks on the entry doors.  He sized up the situation and announced, “I’ll take care of the door.” 

As a few more folks came to work, I took them to the office area to show them some items that needed to be taken upstairs to the “Black Hole” storage area.  One particularly unusually-shaped object caught the attention of one of the new Seasiders who had come to work.  “What is that?” he asked.  I explained that it was the materials to repair our marquee sign.  We have had them for almost a year, but we just never could figure out how to put it all together.  Our new Seasider’s reply?  “I make signs for a living.  I’ll take that one.”  And by the end of the day, the sign innards had been restored to a brand new look.  And as he was finishing up, our door guy mentioned that he had someone bringing him some tools, so he would just have the guy bring some paint that he had around the house as well.  He would take care of touching up the sign and the big cross next to it as well.  And by the end of the day?  Well, just check out the beautiful sign and cross when you come to church today.

Meanwhile, people were scattered throughout both buildings, cleaning windows and blinds and toys in the nursery, rearranging and organizing closets (even the “Black Hole” got a makeover), marking our tables with Seaside’s name, painting the wall that has been hidden for years behind that moveable wall contraption, cleaning the kitchen, and sweeping and arranging the room for church today.

Our A/C guy was there to unhook an old air handler so we could remove it from a closet and build some shelves.  We got to talking about our problem with the air conditioner last Sunday.  Earlier in the week he told me he tracked it backwards to the breaker box, and discovered it was most likely an electrical problem.  I told him yesterday that I had called an electrician, but they wouldn’t be able to get there until next week some time.  At that another bystander’s ears perked up.  “I am a retired electrician.  I worked as an electrician for 40 years.  Let me take a look at what may be going on.”  He and the A/C guy dove in and worked together to track down the issue.  And while that was going on, I told someone else about the miracle of the retired electrician.  And off to the side another voice spoke up.  I’m an electrician, too, if they need some help.  And before the end of the day who should drive up in the parking lot but the electrician I had called earlier in the week who wasn’t supposed to be available until sometime next week.  Seems he was in the neighborhood on another call and thought he would check in on this one in case we really needed an electrician.  Wow.  Talk about God pouring out his blessings in overflow mode.

The A/C – electrician team finally traced the problem.  It ended up being in the A/C compressor.   A massive short-out.  That meant calling the company that installed the units.  They came out a few hours later, and guess what?  The unit is completely under warranty.  We will be getting a brand new compressor as soon as their order comes in. 

Oh, and as we waiting for the pizza to arrive, another Seasider came in.  She and her husband wanted to do something to help with the workday, so they offered to pay for and arrange to have the floors redone with diamond polished or stained concrete finish.  Sure sounded like a good alternative for a floor that could very well see some influx of water from time to time.  We’ll see how that plays out as arrangements are made in the future.  And back to the overflow theme, another guy said if we instead choose to purchase installed flooring, he will have one of his teams come in and do all the labor for us. 

I can’t say it any better than this …

Luke 6:38 – “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

So here is my closing prayer for the day … “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”  (Ephesians 3:20-21)

May 19 – “Santa Fe”

Chris and I were at an estate sale.  All the items were quilting related.  Notions and material and kits of all kinds.  Even one of those computerized sewing machines ($800.  A real steal, I guess).  Chris didn’t see anything that she couldn’t live without, but she did get a little ruler.  Quilters have a tool for everything.  Gotta respect that.

Now we had heard briefly that there was a possible shooting at the high school in Santa Fe, and best I could determine, Galveston’s engine five had already been dispatched to cover calls for their fire department.  We decided to stop by and check on the fire department’s true boss, Trish.  She lives in Santa Fe, and her son is the current chief of their volunteer department.  Her husband is the past chief.  They have some real ties to the community.  Trish had the TV on, keeping up with what was happening.  She told us two of our chiefs had responded immediately on hearing the call.  We had a prayer with her and left for home. 

Before we were even half-way there I received a call from the assistant chief who was on site of the shootings.  The Galveston County Fire Fighters’ Association Chaplain was asking if he could contact me about helping out.  We exchanged contact info and I made the call. He was gathering as many chaplains as he could find to be available for the first responders.  He gave me the meeting time and location, so I changed into my uniform and headed out. 

As I drove the truck away from the house I noticed that the gas gauge read less than half a tank.  That concerned me a bit because the old truck is quite the gas guzzler.  I knew this was a God-mission, though, so I pressed on, figuring I could fill up later in the day.  To make a long story short … by the time I arrived at the meeting site the gauge read three quarters of a tank.  And after all the running around I ended up doing, when I pulled up at the house that gauge still read higher than it did when I left.  Thank for that, Lord.

The chaplains meeting was to decide who would deploy where.  Some were needed on site to simply be a presence, walking around and connecting with the first responders and SWAT teams just to let them know we were there for them.  And to pray.  A second group was to go to the secondary site that had been established as the Reunification Center.  This was where students had been taken and parents were told to go connect with them.  The issue, however, was that the student was not always at the center.  That did not necessarily mean that their student was among the victims.  Many students ran into the woods or escaped to nearby businesses or went home with friends.  Many had left their cell phone behind, so they had no way of contacting parents.  The subsequent confusion left many parents in a state of shock and dread and downright horror as they feared the worst.  Chaplains were requested to be on hand to offer support for those situations.  One chaplain had already received word that she was needed at a home where five students had gathered and were pretty distraught.  The situation sounded as chaotic as it apparently looked from the outside. 

As a quick aside, as the guy who needed to meet with the chaplains was driving to the site, trying to figure out where we could meet – under a tree?  On a picnic table?  He passed a little Methodist Church, and on a whim decided to stop in and ask if we could have our meeting there.  They were quite gracious, and assured him we could meet in their fellowship building.  By the time we finished our meeting, they had activated their missions team.  The room began filling up with water and snacks and volunteers.  We were told that it was all for us, to use as we saw fit.  We were stunned to say the least, and thanked them profusely.  That added a whole new perspective to our talks, as we now could also offer physical assistance to first responders and victims.  In fact, before I got home I saw where the FBI had set up shop in that church as well, turning it into a full blown victims assistance center. 

I was assigned to go to the site, itself.  It was not easy to get there, either.  The roads all around the school had been shut down, of course.  We had to pass through several road blocks, and if my cohort had not been in a department vehicle with lights flashing, I would never have gotten through.  Once through the  road block we had to weave our way through literally hundreds of police vehicles stopped all over the road as the officers responded to the initial call, got as close as they could, then jumped out to run the rest of the way.  We parked and made our way to the command vehicle of my partner’s fire station.  They were in the process of trying to get food distributed to the hundreds of first responders, so he let them use his vehicle and we started our individual rounds.  I located the Santa Fe Volunteer fire department crew.  They had been on site all day, but as I approached and several of them recognized me, they offered me food and water, encouraging me as I was arriving to encourage them.  From there I walked over to the SWAT truck.  It was more like a tank.  No, bigger than a tank.  And there were SWAT guys everywhere.  And that doesn’t include the three SWAT teams of at least fifty each that were apparently engaged in debriefings.  Police detectives and crime scene investigators were already beginning their work inside the building.  The medical personnel and LifeFlight helicopters were gone, having delivered the victims to their appropriate places.  The community had already responded with loads of water and pizza and hot meals.  Last night a prayer vigil was held at a local bank building.  At least three Critical Incident Stress Management teams have been notified and put on alert for meetings in the days to come. 

As I was making my way around the area, primarily praying about the sheer massiveness of it all, when my phone rang.  It was another of our assistant chiefs asking if I was aware of the situation.  He told me about our two chiefs who responded and suggested that I check on them.  One lives in Santa Fe, so he was going to stay as close to the scene as he could for the duration.  I’ll try to touch base with him later.  The other has a son who attends the school, so I was particularly concerned for him.  I touched base with my partner, called in to the chaplain who first gathered us together, and left for Galveston. 

The scene was just as eerie as I weaved my way out.  The one that I remember most vividly for some reason was the lady television reporter who was standing next to all the equipment, holding her microphone at her waist, and staring blankly in the direction of the school.  No frantic activity that I knew would come when she was called on to go on camera.  No movement at all, in fact.  Just a quiet, helpless, stoic stare.  I think I’ll remember that one.

The chief was doing fine.  He was processing what he had gone through and was pretty much ready to dive back into the fray as he was needed.  I prayed with him and his wife as well.  I guess that’s what the community needs the most of right now … prayer.  The shooter is in custody.  Feelings will be raw for a long time.  Sadness, anger, guilt, frustration, helplessness will all be exhibited in the days and weeks to come.  Pray for healing.  Pray for comfort.  Pray for peace. 

Psalms 63:2-4 says, “I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.  Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.  I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.”

Father, would you watch over the first responders who will be involved in the community for a long time.  Bring physical healing to the ones who were wounded.  Give wisdom and compassion to their doctors and medical caregivers.  Walk with the families of the victims through the gut-wrenching days ahead.  Touch the students who will be involved in graduation ceremonies next week, as well as those who will be attending the school again next year.  And touch the heart of the young man who was the shooter.  Walk with him and his family as well as he faces the consequences for his choices.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

May 18 – “ocular repairo?”

We left Nacogdoches in the rear view mirror.  Well, after Chris made a daring dash across three lanes of traffic to get to the U-turn lane.  What made it daring?  Mainly because we don’t know yet "what condition the transmission is in."  Hey, does that sound like a song title to anyone else? 

We took the loop around Lufkin (about ten minutes away) and arrived in Diboll in plenty of time for the funeral.  That’s passing through four towns in less than 30 minutes.  We did find out that Angelina College has a huge statue of a road runner that rivals only the one in Fort Stockton.  But … Fort Stockton’s wins.  It takes up half a city block.

We left Diboll right after the funeral, around 10:45, and headed for the coast.  Next stop, though was Lunch in Livingston.  No particular reason why there, other than really good alliteration.  We went to Sonic.  Soso food.  Pretty good service though.  At least our carhop’s name was awesome … Titi.

I confess.  I slept a lot of the way home from there.  Tried to read some Harry Potter but it was no use, even with a cherry limeade slush at my side. 

Once we got home, we quickly unloaded the car and raced down to the eyeglasses shop.  But … no luck.  They had to order a new frame.  Three days to arrive.  I am Harry Potter for three days, folks.  Anyone know the “ocular repairo” charm?  Hermoine, where are you when I need you?  Actually, I think I will try out that new study that says not as many people really need glasses as originally supposed.  All they have to do is train their brain to compensate.  Not sure how good a brain trainer I am, though.  Oh well, here goes.

Psalms 63:1 says, “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”

Father, thank you for the safe trip home.  Now please help us with all of our decisions regarding glasses and a new car and sore knee.  Amen.

May 17 – “Harry Potter-ed”

In the midst of all the craziness yesterday I forgot to mention that we have a new addition to the family.  A genuine stuffed alligator.  Miniature.  Very rare, I’m told.  Not to be confused with his cousin the crocodile, which I might add, I am constantly prone to do.  I do thank Andrea for the name suggestion.  Calvin the Crocodile would be an awesome name.  This guy, however, will be henceforth and forever (or until I forget) be known as Argyle Archimedes Alligator … Vaughan, of course, but we didn’t want him to forget his roots.  Argyle is a town somewhere north of Fort Worth.  Maybe we’ll go there someday.  I just like how it sounds.  Archimedes was arguably one of the world’s greatest scientists.  And it’s always great fun when great scientists argue with one another. 

We started our full day of sightseeing in Nacogdoches with a hike.  Well, we wanted it to be a hike.  We were promised waterfalls and a giant sculpture.  We followed the instructions, however, and ended up at a very nice little family park with a large Doggie Park sectioned off and a bus full of school children playing on the playground.  Oh there was a trail, and we walked it.  Took about 10 minutes.  We were passed four or five times by an ex-Marine who was jogging back and forth.  Back to the car for a re-check and we found an “alternate sight.”  There it was.  Complete with a waterfall of at least a foot, maybe a foot and a half.  But the absolute highlight of the trip was Ab’s Chair.  It was a gigantic sculpture of … a lawn chair.  I crawled up into it for a picture of course.  I can go home now …

But we didn’t.  We went to downtown and the visitor’s center.  There we got directions to the Fire Museum in the NFD administration building.  I was recognized by Fire Chief Kiplinger.  He spoke at a pinning ceremony in Galveston and we met then.  Great memory, Keith.  He introduced us to their version of Trish, and she showed us the museum. 

Next we walked down to City Hall.  Larissa, a young lady who was a mere babe when we knew her parents back at South Oaks Baptist Church in the 80’s and early 90’s, is now a bigwig in city government. So we stopped by to say hi.  Her parents now live in Galveston.  She gave us a good recommendation for lunch.

Next we went to the house where Sam Houston was baptized and where Davey Crockett spent the night a few times.  It was named after the two owners – the Sterne-Hoya (pronounced Hoo-yah) House.

Then we did some driving. 

Zion Baptist Church.  Beautiful old building with a pattern of triple trinity symbols all over the architecture. 

Oak Grove Cenetery.  Couldn’t get in there.  They were working on the entrance gate.

Old University of Nacogdoches building.

Then we stopped at the second oldest house in town.  The oldest was that Sterne-Hooyah place. 

Then it was The Old Stone Fort on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University.  We parked in a restricted area, but school was out, so apparently no one cared.  That was just a replica, but the museum inside was pretty impressive.  I gotta say, though, that the two docents were pretty creepy.  Both young men were college students.  They just followed us around, lurking in case we had questions. 

Then we went back downtown to do some shopping.  We went to a few antique stores.  One old guy had his shop set up just like they do on TV.  Ever watched the TV show Hoarders?  He should be on it.  Stuff piled everywhere.  We would have stayed longer, but it was just unbearably hot inside. 

Out of all those shops not even one stuffed animal needed to come back home with us.  It was sad.  Chris did find something she has been looking everywhere for.  A wooden rolling pin.  Should I be happy about that?

We finally headed back to the hotel.  Even took a short cut, and it worked (of course).  We crashed for a while, then went for a bowl of soup at Chili’s.  We thought that cleared us for the evening.  Nope.

I turned on ESPN to watch some baseball highlights and realized my glasses were all smeared.  I pulled out the special cloth for cleaning, and the glasses proceeded to … break right in half.  Yep.  Right in between the lenses.  I don’t have a spare pair of glasses, either.  We got back in the car and drove to the local WalMart optometrist.  They might have had a frame that would fit, but the lenses wouldn’t cooperate in coming out of the old frame.  The lady refused to force them because that would make her liable.  Of course it would.  So I did what any self-respecting young wizard trapped in a Muggle world without magic would do.  I bought some adhesive tape and Harry Potter-ed them together.  Here’s hoping they last until we get home and I can get to our frame guys.  That’s enough, OK?  On to Diboll for the funeral tomorrow.

Psalms 62:11-12 says, “One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving.”

Father, keep us safe for the rest of this very strange adventure.  Thanks.  Amen.