February 29 – “Happy Leap Day, or whatever they call it.”

Yesterday was Friday … my “day off.”  That’s always a “maybe,” of course.  Always on call and all that …

We got the day started with our usual Friday communique from Josh.  He checks in on his way home from taking his kids to their Friday co-op school day.  Now before he called this time he sent us a picture of Luke … with a head full of blue hair.  I think he melted down some blue crayons in his Mom’s best pan and then stuck his head into it.  Either that or he convinced Mom and Dad to spray paint it for crazy hair day at school.  Either way, it was so inspirational that Josh is going to offer to do it for Luke’s whole basketball team in the locker room today before their last game of the season.  And Luke wants to maintain the new look for church tomorrow.  Hey, you might want to check the Columbus Avenue Baptist Church live feed for Sunday services.  I hear they may be offering a free spray to anyone who says “Amen” or “Hallelujah.”

It was also grocery day at WalMart.  They seem to be slowly getting stuff into some semblance of order.  Now every row has a designated letter and number.  Makes it easier for the designated shoppers they had to have once they opened the call in your order program.  They do still have a ways to go, though.  Several spots are still in the self-leveling concrete stage …

Next we went to Home Depot.  This one was significant.  It was a major home improvement project purchase.  No, really.  We bought a kitchen sink … faucet.  The one we had started leaking a while back, so Chris has been on the prowl, looking for another.  She thought she found it, too.  But alas, the one she saw on her iPad didn’t show up on her phone when we were in the store.  She found another one, though.  And that was my cue.  It took me a while, but I got the thing installed.  I imagine I’ll feel that one for the next few days …

Last night we hauled all the Sam’s supplies up to the church.  It was actually part of an all-inclusive date night.  We took the supplies in, then headed to a little coffee house in Jamaica Beach called JeMocha Bean.  Cute, huh?  Last night was a packed house.  Jim, our worship pastor was playing with a friend of his from Columbia.  Lots of Seasiders came out to support him.  I had a few great conversations as well.  I met the director of the new crisis pregnancy center in town.  One of the neighborhood ladies introduced me.  Later, as we were preparing to leave, the owner of the coffee house stopped me and introduced himself.  He had heard someone say I was the pastor of the Baptist church in town.  That made me the representative of half of the two churches in the West End in his eyes (Jamaica Beach – West).  As we talked I found out he graduated from Houston Baptist University.  He was amazed to hear that I did too.  “Back in the day” was his reply.  Thanks for that, Cy.  He was there a few years after Josh.  I look forward to seeing how that relationship progresses …

Psalms 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Father, be with Cy as he works to get his new coffee shop up and running.  Amen.

February 28 – “That IS a big order”

Well, Chris is pretty sore from her physical therapy session and from her exercising regimen, but she is ticking to it.  She is determined to get back to walking as soon as she can.  Not that she’s not walking.  I mean walking as in … outside … on trails … in National Parks.

In between work on the sermon and looking over the Thursday Bible study notes, I ran over to the bank to make a deposit, and then stopped to get gas in the car.  I was anticipating our trip into Texas to Sam’s to get a big order for the church.  But first we had to wait for Kel to get off work.  He had arranged to get off early so he could go to Jachin’s baseball game.  We went to pick him up and get him to LaMarque, since Sam’s is right down the street from where they live.  Worked out well on both ends.

And speaking of that big order (Hey, anytime we are as low on toilet paper as we had gotten at the church, the order to refill IS a big order), this one was about in the middle as far as typical Sam’s run monetary totals are concerned.  The big problem this time was the line to check out.  They only had one checker-operated line open, and that line stretched at least ten shoppers deep.  It was blocking the entire walkway.  We swung our cart into position and settled in to wait.  It didn’t take long before the call for reinforcements went out over the PA system.  And, to their credit, workers started showing up out of the woodwork.  Two more lines opened, but instead of taking folks who were next in line, there was a mad dash of people from the very end of the line to fill in the new spots.  We didn’t move at all. 

But our patience was soon rewarded.  A manager-type lady approached us and asked if we wanted her to help us do a self-checkout.  I told her it was for the church, and thus would be tax exempt.  She assured me she could show me how to do that on the self-serve screen.  So we followed.  To my complete surprise, the screen was probably the most user friendly one I have ever seen in that type of situation.  Certainly beat the ones at WalMart.  After I scanned my Sam’s card it addressed me as “Seaside” and informed me right away that I was eligible to make tax exempt purchases.  All I had to do was select the correct button.  Easy stuff.  Then I got to play with the ray gun that shoots the bar codes.  Hey, who doesn’t like to play with ray guns?  In no time at all we were making our way out the door.  I’m still not a real fan of self-serve lines, though.  It takes away a chance to see if I can get someone else to smile …

Psalms 19:7 says, “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.  The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.”

Father, thank you for that Sam’s lady and her assistance getting us moving.  Give her a good day at work and at home today.  Amen.

February 27 – “Adventures”

OK.  44 degrees with a wind chill of 39.  How is that water ever going to get warm enough to do baptisms on Easter?  Brrr.

Speaking of Easter, I had an appointment yesterday with a young single father who just started coming to Seaside.  He just wanted to talk and try to get the lay of the land.  To make a long story short, God had already been drawing him closer and closer.  He had started praying and really felt close to God when he did.  He also felt a great sense of peace when he prayed.  He just wanted someone to help him make sense of it all.  After we talked for a while, he prayed and asked the Lord to take over his life.  Very sweet, simple prayer.  He wants to be baptized at the sunrise service on Easter.  And so his adventure begins.  I’m really proud of you, Alex.

Yesterday afternoon I went with Chris to her physical therapy evaluation appointment.  Had to make sure she told them all the relevant details, a little task she has had all too much practice with when I have gone in.  After the initial exam (which began after the initial, initial intake interview), the therapist was kind of stumped.  The symptoms didn’t seem to match up with what the doctor had suspected.  They set up a plan of therapy, though.  Looks like the first step is to strengthen her hips and core.  Hope Chris is able to be patient with this phase of adventure.  She is chomping at the bit to go hiking somewhere.

Last night was our Ash Wednesday service at church.  We had at least five new folks there to hear the explanations of the traditions involved and to receive the ashes on their foreheads.  They joined 30 or so Seaside regulars, so it was a nice group.  I talked to the early voting judges, and they told me they had several voters who came in with ashes from the Episcopalian’s Ashes to Go offering in our parking lot earlier in the day.  I guess that arrangement worked well all the way around. 

Psalms 121:2 says, “My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

Father, please ease some of Chris’ pain, and help them figure out the cause.  And be with Alex as he adventures with you.  Amen.

February 26 – “Happy birthday, Kel”

Happy birthday to Kel, my eldest son.  It’s been a long time since you first made us parents.  Thanks for that …

I went over to Nathan’s yesterday.  The time had finally come to install on the truck those Christmas presents he gave me.  Well, those and the other things we have ordered since then.  We had headlights and taillight covers and turn signals and side reflector covers and replacement bulbs and of course, the new grille.  It took us a while, as well as a few smashed fingers (par for the course, I suppose), but it looks really great now.  We did uncover something screwy going on with one side, though.  The blinker is going really fast.  That’s the “official” indicator that something is wrong, usually that a bulb is burnt out.  But we checked everything two or three times.  The only thing that shows up happened when we turned the headlights on.  The rear seemed fine, but in front it was like the lights suddenly got brighter – too bright to even detect the blinker.  I’m guessing that might mean some kind of electrical surge is going on.  Guess I’ll ask the mechanic when we take it in to get the horn fixed and the inspection done. 

Next task was certainly a fun one.  I got to burn stuff.  Actually the “stuff” was palm crosses from last year’s Palm Sunday observance.  We use the ashes from that burning for our Ash Wednesday service tonight at 6:30.  I think that was the last item of preparation needed, other than going over the service to get it clearly in my head (never an easy task … with what goes on in my head).

The afternoon was reserved for yard work.  I figured I had a window before it got cold again (I was right.  It’s 54 degrees and dropping.  Wind chill is 46.  Way too cold).  I got the mowing and edging done.  Chris took a break from her quilting to come do some sweeping.  Then we hung up the new box of lights over the back patio.  They really brighten the place up.  I think Chris is happy with it.  And as they say, when mama is happy …

Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

Father, please give Kel a great day today for his birthday.  Amen.

February 25 – “offendability”

Monday again.  Seems like that happens at least once a week …

And Monday mean the biggest work day for me, so I dove right in.  Mostly computer stuff, getting everything filed from Sunday and doing all the preliminaries for Thursday Bible study and the next Sunday’s sermon and worship service.  Chris was just as busy.  She seems to be in the home stretch of the quilt she’s working on, so she is really focused right now.  Of course I have no idea how far she is from actually finishing the thing, but it sure looks good to me. 

After lunch I started reading a book.  Not a novel this time … those are for car rides and cruises.  This one was written by some guy who really agrees with me on a lot of things.  As often happens, I wish I had read his book many years ago when I started formulating my own understanding of the subject matter.  But he didn’t write it until 2015.  Maybe I should have written it first.  Oh well.  The subject matter is great.  All about choosing to be unoffendable.  I never used that particular made-up word, but I have sure been teaching the same concept for years.  Yep.  You can choose not to be offended.  That one is all on you.  It’s a life-changing concept.  Want to read the book?  I got it for around ten bucks on Amazon.  It’s called Unoffendable: How One Change Can Make All of Life Better.  Check it out …

By the way, here’s another TV show for you to check out.  Have you seen the one called Home Town?  It’s a DIY/HGTV type of thing.  A couple in Laurel, Mississippi, is going around renovating houses in the town and filming their progress.  A veritable Chip and Joanna in the Waco of Mississippi.  They are incredibly “Old South” in speech and “Small Town” in their way of doing things, so don’t be offended by that.  Never heard so many “y’alls” in one show, even from the Gaines’.  Nothing earth-shattering about it, by any means.  But it will provide you with a nice alternative to Girl Scout Cookie Championships …

Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.”

Father, thank you for the ever-present reminder to watch my own “offendability.”  Amen.

February 24 – “all with …”

It was a good day at church.  Not a huge crowd or anything, but a good group nonetheless.  I was feeling kind of out of it, though.  Just having a hard time concentrating.  It didn’t help that the visual verse had some of the strangest grammar ever.  I suppose we got through it OK …

After church we went to lunch at Salsa’s with a few church folks.  That was a stretch.  It is Mardi Gras weekend, so I was kind of worried there would be huge crowds at the popular spot.  Needn’t have worried.  The big crowds were back downtown at one of the parades that was setting up to happen midafternoon.  We didn’t have any wait time at all for a table.  Service was fine, except I ended up getting Chris’ meal and she got mine.  They weren’t that different, though.  Besides, we each brought home half of the meal, so we are set for lunch today, I guess. 

Back home we did our Sunday afternoon crash on the couch routine for a little while.  Well, I crashed.  Not sure what Chris did.  I think she was reading a book.  When we woke up we settled in for a look at the taped series finale of Criminal Minds.  Not many surprises there.  Basically, take care of the bad guy and they all lived happily ever after.  Kind of like the book I finished up last night.  Strange ending, but essentially the same. Bad guys dealt with and good guys live happily ever after.  I even figured out who the mystery bad guy was long before he was revealed in the book.  Gotta love the world of novels and television. 

Psalms 100:2 says, “Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.”

Father, thank you for a chance to worship you, share a meal, and get some rest, all with folks I really care about.  Hmm.  “All with ...”  Has a nice ring to it.  Amen. 

February 23 – “Ustoppable”

Early morning wake-up call on Saturday.  We had to get to the gym for Luke’s big basketball game.  I have no idea what the final score was.  They don’t keep an official tally, but it was a close one.  Luke scored several baskets, most on steals and the subsequent breakaway layups.  I was impressed with his attention to detail on defense.  His arms were either straight up or straight out to the side.  No chance of a foul call on that one.

After Luke’s game we went to lunch with the family, and that included Cary and KayLynn, who were in from Arlington to say hi to the boys.  We went to the favorite pizza place where we could eat good food and watch the Baylor basketball game on their TV.  Exciting stuff.  Number one Baylor ended up losing to number three Kansas by just three points.  It will be interesting to see where in the standings that will put Baylor now.

Caleb’s basketball game started after lunch.  And his team was … unstoppable.  In fact, the opponents held a celebration when they finally scored a basket.  And that was the first and last time they did.  I think the final score was 23-2.  Caleb played some tenacious defense and even dove for a few loose balls.  Zak and I had some coaching “suggestions” from the sidelines, but Nani made sure we kept them to ourselves.  Meanwhile AnnaGrace had her Baylor cheerleader pompoms on the sideline.  Very cute.  All in all I would say the Vaughan family produced some pretty good kids.  Not that I know of a proud grandparent anywhere …

Matthew 5:3 says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Father, thank you for our safe and uneventful trips both there and back.  IT is always good to have you along.  Amen.

February 22 - “Happy birthday, George”

Yep.  It’s George Washington’s Birthday.  It has been lost in the shuffle of Monday (so has ol’ Honest Abe’s back on the 12th).  But I haven’t forgotten all those art project silhouettes we did throughout elementary school to honor them.  Father of our country, they called George.  Do they still teach that?  I wonder ...

We left the house at 8 a.m. yesterday for a quick trip to Waco.  It was a week ago that Josh had a birthday.  Just a week late.  Not bad for remembering a middle child, right?  Chris even made him an apple pie birthday concoction.

After our obligatory stop at Buc-ees, we pulled off the road somewhere near Navasota to fulfill one of those “we oughta stop there someday” comments that we have made many times in our myriad of trips to see the Waco cousins and their parents.  Following the signs, we made our way through some backwoods roads and finally arrived at the home of ... Bee Weaver.

No, it’s not the site of Aunt Bee from Mayberry’s retirement home.  It is an actual honey factory.  Make their own honey, with a little help from their friends.  That means lots of those bee boxes on the grounds and hundreds of thousands of the little critters hard at work.

We were greeted by the neighbor’s two dogs.  The big black one really took a liking to Chris.  She had to fight off his amorous advances.  They helped direct us to the proper building.  I think the one we started at, which was closed, was actually the mead tasting room.  Never have been attracted to the concept of mead.  Guess I wouldn’t have made a good Viking ...

We did finally find the little store.  Their honey appeared to be pretty good.  We could have had a major tasting, but I preferred waiting until after real food for something sweet.  We did get a little jar of it, though.  Oh, and we also got an education.  The lady working the shop was ... passionate about bees.  did you know that One bee makes barely a quarter of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime?  Gives new meaning to minimum wage.  I wanted to buy a cool little stuffed bee that they had, but I was informed rather quickly of two things ... 1) It is a drone.  And 2) It wasn’t for sale.  Well, OK then.  Excuse me for being bee-ignorant.  Still ... why showcase it if it isn’t for sale?

We made it to Waco in record time and enjoyed hanging out with the gang.  Even got to go to Caleb’s basketball practice.  We tried to show off some Panama pictures but we couldn’t get the camera to cooperate.  Ah well.  Another reason to come back, I suppose.

Well, we have a few basketball games to get ready for today.  Guess I’ll grab some breakfast.

Psalms 4:8 says, “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lone, make me dwell in safety.”

Father, be with these little guys on the basketball court today.  Grant them an hour or so of real fun.  Amen.

February 21 – “The Cardboard Pizza Emergency”

We tried one more time in the truck order department.  The replacement for the grille arrived earlier than expected at Nathan’s house, and he said it looks a lot more like what we need than the other one.  Even has a background for the GMC logo on it.  And I went ahead and ordered the replacement side marker lamp assemblies.  No idea why they are called that other than they are on the side of the truck.  I just know they are amber colored.  Why not just say that?

We had an emergency pickup at school yesterday.  Cailyn called her parents to let them know one of the wires on her braces had broken loose and was behaving incredibly annoyingly. Since both of them were at work, we were up as next in line.  We drove out to the East End of the Island where her school is to pick her up.  Then to the dentist’s office, which is right around the corner from our house. 

All was taken care of, and as we pulled out of the parking lot to head back to school, another issue arose.  Would she have time to eat lunch?  They only get thirty minutes to scarf down their cardboard pizza slice.  Could we in all good conscience as doting grandparents allow for the remotest possibility that she would be subject to such a horrific fate?  Thirty minutes?  Cardboard pizza?  I think not.  Besides, we had to drive right past Whataburger on our way back to school anyway.  How could we not stop?  Of course we left the final decision up to Cailyn.  She pondered her options long and hard … two, maybe three seconds.  We went to Whataburger. 

And then, horror of all horrors.  They no longer offer the Dr Pepper milkshake.  Come on, people.  I get that you have to have some excuse for ad campaigns “re-introducing” the good stuff every so often.  But some things are better off left alone.  We were forced to revert to our precious go-to order, chocolate malts, but it was done under protest.  The lady told us to give them a month or so and the DP shakes would probably be back.  Sigh.  What option do we have, save to wait, pining away the loss of yet another beloved icon …

Luke 6:45 says, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

Wow, Lord.  That verse sure gives new meaning to the phrase, “you’re full of it.”  Help me be full of you.  Amen.

February 20 – “Attack of the Invisible Ogre”

Wednesday the work day.  Chris dug in with her quilt.  I started work on the Easter sunrise service that we have on the beach every year.  I got the gifts ordered that we give the attenders.  Did some preliminary work on the sermon for the service.  Even printed out a few advertising fliers. 

On the truck front …

More of the parts we ordered came in.  Two of them were wrong.  Two others should work.  Apparently we ordered for a Chevrolet truck.  Ours is a GMC.  Made by Chevy, but not the same thing back in 1992 when the truck was manufactured.  The biggest oops involves the grille that we have to send back.  The thing is not so heavy, but it is big.  And bulky.  And has to be re-boxed and resent.  Not a fun project at all.  I’m hoping that the packaging store just around the corner handles FedEx shipping as well as UPS.  They do their own repackaging as well.  That will be helpful.  

Last night we had “Get Cailyn to her softball game” duty.  She had a late game.  Started at 7:20.  I’ll tell you up front, the good guys won again.  Fairly handily, too.  Cailyn was a speed demon on the basepaths.  Her first at bat she hit a soft liner to the first baseman.  The fielder couldn’t handle it and the ball skirted away.  Cailyn took off for second and slid under the tag.  On the next pitch she stole third with no problem, once again easing under the tag.  And when the very next pitch went wild, she scrambled home.  1-0 good guys, and they never looked back.  Her next time at bat she walked.  Another successful steal put her at second, but the ball trickled into the outfield, so she took off for third.  The ball was recovered.  The throw was in the air.  Now at this point time seemed to stop.  Well, at least for Cailyn it did.  One of those invisible infield ogres that live underground chose that exact moment to make an appearance.  I guess all the pounding of feet above his lair was keeping him awake.  He reached up for the first thing he could grasp.  And it was Cailyn’s foot.  Like a football running back tripped up by the last possible defender on his way to a touchdown, she flew through the air in what could, in other circumstances (read here, “closer to the base”) have been considered a daring, head-first slide.  She toppled face-first into the dirt and lay stunned for what seemed a much too-long few seconds.  The ball skirted past the waiting fielder.  Parents and coaches and teammates were all screaming for her to get up and make her way to third base.  Was she hurt?  Would they tag her out?  Oh, the suspense of it all.  Finally she managed to awaken from her groggy state and locate the base, just a few scant yards ahead of her.  She struggled to her hands and knees, shook her ankle from the grasp of the offending ogre, and bravely crawled to the bag, arriving just ahead of the now-alerted defenders.  And when she scored her second run of the game, she danced a rather unique victory dance back to the dugout, laughing in the face of the scowling ogre, who slinked back into the ground, never to return for the rest of the game.  But beware … the good guys play again tonight …

Romans 8:39 says, “Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Father, keep those little girls safe and warm tonight in their next game.  It’s gonna be cold out there.  Amen.

February 19 – “Episcobaptipalist??!!”

Tuesday after holiday Monday.  Well, this particular Monday didn’t mean much as a holiday other than the bank was closed and there was no mail service.  But then we didn’t have any mail service yesterday, either.  And I still had to do computer work.  That carried over into Tuesday as well. 

But I did have an interesting phone call.  A lady from the church I grew up in, Grace Episcopal, had a favor to ask.  Seems they have been doing a mobile distribution of ashes on Ash Wednesday at the car wash in Jamaica Beach every year.  Well, the car wash doesn’t exist any more, so they were looking for a site to set up for the ashes distribution.  And what better place than the Baptists’ parking lot?  They just need a spot where people can drive their car through and get ashes put on their forehead.  I explained that we are a host site for primary voting, so there will be lots of political signs already up along the roadway, not to mention the church’s marquee.  But, hey.  People can stop in for ashes, vote while they are at it, and find out that we are having a service that night for the expressed purpose of explaining the symbolism behind Ash Wednesday and Mardi Gras.  And as part of the service we will celebrate communion and do a distribution of ashes as well.  Body of Christ working together and serving the community at the same time …

Chris left the island for a while yesterday.  She had to drive into Texas to go to the quilt shop.  This time she needed some more of the specific quilting-quality thread to continue work on the latest creation.  She also picked up some more material for the next quilt in line.  Looks like she’s planning to keep busy for a while. 

Meanwhile I went for a walk.  We haven’t done much since we got back from the cruise.  Chris got sick right after, and now her leg is giving her fits.  I have felt bad about going on my own.  Besides it was a great excuse to be a little lazy …

1 John 2:15 says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, love for the father is not in them.”

Father, thank you for the chance to be helpful to some brothers and sisters.  Amen.

February 18 – “Two runs, tamale casserole and a three-year-old …”

Sunday afternoon.  I crashed for a while on the couch.  Pretty unashamedly, I might add.  I couldn’t even tell you what was on the television.  When I woke up Chris was nowhere to be found.  Well, at least not at first glance.  I got up to track her and discovered her snoozing away on the bed.  Imagine that.  Sleeping on a bed.  What a concept.  She stirred when I entered the room, so I asked if she was awake enough and of her leg felt up to the trip over to the airport fields to watch Cailyn play some softball.  The aching leg and after-effects of the medication led her to stick around the house, so I headed off for some softball. 

I’ll lead with the bottom line.  Cailyn’s team won.  They’re called the Nitro this year.  The pitcher tossed a no-hitter.  In fact, the only contact the other team made resulted in two weak foul balls.  Sadly, Cailyn’s team only had one hit.  They did hit the ball, though.  Just right at people.  But they made the most of the errors and walks presented to them.  I know they scored at least two runs.  Way to go, Nitro.

We had some little interlopers around the house that night.  By the time I got home the LaMarque cousins had descended.  Kel and Christina were going on a date, so all their kiddos were spending the night in Galveston.  And since they were all here anyway, Cailyn received the inevitable invitation as well.  Nathan and April came over and helped cook some supper for the whole brood.  Great tamale casserole thingie, by the way, April.  We showed Nathan and April our Panama pictures and gave them their souvenirs.  The kids were in and out.  The older ones even stuck around and watched some of the show. 

When bedtime finally arrived we had family worship and the kids departed to their respective claimed spots.  Chris’ leg was really beginning to get sore, but she was afraid to take her medication.  She was worried that she wouldn’t hear it of one of the kids woke up in the night.  I assured her that if such an event occurred, I would take care of it.  She just laughed.  Not sure why.  As it turned out, Ezra slept until 6:30.  He and I spent an hour or so hanging out in the wee morning hours.  Me and the three-year-old.  Finally, someone who gets me …

Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”

Father, thanks for those wild and crazy kids we had running around the other night.  They could always use your blessing.  Amen.

February 17 – “WalMart … the encounter”

We had another WalMart encounter the other day.  Gotta love it.  We first went just to pick up some fruit.  Then we decided to walk around to see if we could get our bearings in the new layout.  Didn’t take long to realize that WalMart doesn’t yet have their bearings, so for the rest of us … the adventure continues.

As we roamed Chris found some hanging lights that she liked.  She’s been wanting some for our back patio.  We grabbed a box and brought them home to check out how they might fit into her plan.  After some clarification (I had the idea that was in her head directly reversed in my head), we determined that the lights would be a fit, but we needed a six foot outdoor extension cord and perhaps another box of lights. 

We found the lights again with no trouble.  The extension cord, however, was another story.  We combed through every cord on the shelf, well, on the three shelves.  They had extension cords in at least three different locations.  We finally located one.  And only one.  But, as luck would have it, it had no price on it.  No little rectangle full of scannable lines anywhere.  Another fruitless search for a companion or errant packaging finally led us to approach a harried checker for some assistance. 

And so the search began again.  She had to dig through the same display that we had just spent thirty or so minute sin.  We knew more about it than she did.  Strangely enough … she couldn’t find a price either.  Imagine that.  So she used her ninja checker skills.  She grabbed a shelf tag with one of the lowest prices up there and declared, “This is gonna be the price today.  Four bucks.”  And she made it happen.  I was impressed. 

Back at home we got the lights up following Chris’ plan … I think.  Ultimately she approved.  So much so that the plans are already in the works to add another strand.  But here’s the thing … if we can see out there at night, does that mean we have to find stuff to do out there? 

Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Father, thank you for whatever is going on in Chris’ head at any given moment.  Being her husband is a wonderful adventure.  Amen.

February 15 – “Breaking sports news …”

Breaking sports news … dateline Waco … Luke Vaughan and the rest of his young basketballers had the game of a lifetime Saturday morning.  The team won … I think.  But that is certainly not the news.  Young Luke garnered the headlines this time with a grandparent-calling-to-report-the-news-worthy report.  Seems Luke had what some might call a “hot hand” in this encounter.  Just how hot was the young ball handler? 

He scored 24 points, shooting from what would be three point land - if his league allowed three pointers, mid-range jumpers, put back rebounds, and breakaway fast breaks.  And not only that, he was credited with five assists, getting his teammates into the action as well.  If you have been counting with me, that amounts to a total of 34 points Luke was directly responsible for.  Now here’s the real amazing part … his team’s total score was … 37 points.  Luke was directly responsible for 34 of his team’s 37 points.  If my high school math serves me correctly, that equates to almost 92% of the scoring. 

That is nothing short of astounding, basketball fans.  Give the young man a hand …

James 5:16 says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

Father, thank you for the fun Luke and his buddies had yesterday.  Now would you give them a day of spiritual “fun” today?  Amen.

February 15 – “The Holy Grail of …”

Ah, Valentine’s Day.  It didn’t go unforgotten in this household.  A little quirky, perhaps, but remembered nonetheless.  When Chris awoke she found a little stuffed monkey in her chair, reminiscent of the much larger monkey perched in the office chair nearby.  And the little guy was holding in his arms … no, not a heart.  No, not a box of candies.  No, not a piece of jewelry.  No.  Not this little guy.  He had his arms wrapped around … a jar of sweet pickles.  Now that is some classic romance there. 

Well, OK.  There is a bit of a backstory.  Chris has been looking for some sweet pickles every time we have been grocery shopping for weeks now, and WalMart simply has not had them.  The other day, when she was not feeling well and I went to pick up some groceries, what should I stumble upon but the Holy Grail of Pickledom.  Sweet pickles.  Of course I had to get some.  But I also had to hide them and wait for the perfect moment to spring them upon her.  It worked.  She was happy.  Now I must hasten to add that the second half of her gift came later.  I had to perform a wedding at high noon, so I stopped on the way home and got her some yellow roses.  Beautiful creations, those. 

Speaking of the wedding, it was held on the beach out near the church.  In 45 degree weather.  With a pretty strong wind.  It was just me and the bride and groom and their beautiful German shepherd named Dallas.  The groom was wearing a full on tux with white tie and cummerbund.  The bride was in a short-sleeved dress.  It was very pretty, but she was freezing.  She refused to put on her sweater, though.  Needless to say, I cut the service to a bare minimum.

So back to the Valentine’s Day festivities … Chris has a special treat for me as well.  She made me some chicken enchilada pie, my favorite casserole.  I’ll even eat leftovers.  She also snuck in a homemade apple pie.  Wow.  Now that’s an awesome meal.  I would even go so far as to say it was … sweet pickle-worthy.

Jeremiah 17:7 says, “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.”

Father, thank you for the incredibly sweet and patient lady you gifted me with as a wife.  Grant her a pain-free day or forty.  Amen.

February 14 – “coronavirus in Galveston …”

I suppose it was inevitable.  The Galveston Daily News reported this morning that we officially have the coronavirus in Galveston.  Sigh. 

OK.  OK.  That was a bit melodramatic.  The University of Texas Medical Branch here has one of the world’s best research facilities for viruses here in town.  They received their “copy” of the bug and have started work on it to try to develop a vaccine or something that will work against it and its spread.  Just keep it contained, Fellas … please.

I met Kel and Jachin at the AT&T store again yesterday.  The phone Jachin bought online had a flickering screen, so he’s sending it back.  In the meantime he’ll be using one of Chris’ old phones.  For some reason he didn’t want to use her old case, though.  I can’t understand why.  It was a very pretty shade of glittery pink …

We had to remember her old password to get in, and then it asked for her Apple ID password.  That was one I didn’t know offhand.  That’s why I write them down … old school.  Besides, Kel was the one who made it up for her anyway.  And that bit of trivia (the fact that he made it up) made it possible for Kel to actually break the code using some of his best techniques for creating passwords in the first place.  In other words, he figured it out by thinking like – well, like himself.  Jachin should be all set with his temporary new old phone now.

We stopped by Randall’s to pick up Chris’ prescriptions for her newly discovered back issues.  The girl that waited on us was the same one I had last week.  I told her the last name.  She replied, “V-O-N?”  I desperately wanted to have a duplicate conversation of the one we had the week before, but all that came out was a suppressed chuckle.  I did manage to begin, “No.  V-A-U-G-H-A-N.”  Before I finished she experienced the apparent dejavu moment.  It caused her to look up from the computer and apparently recognize me.  She apologized profusely, of course.  I just grinned. 

1 Corinthians 13:4 says, “Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”

Father, watch over the researchers who will be working on that virus.  Give them some wisdom as they work to find a way to combat it.  Amen.

February 13 – “That counts …”

Well, didn’t I have the most marvelous day yesterday.  I spent the bulk of it working on getting our income tax ready to send to the accountant.  WooHoo.  Who doesn’t love wading through all the receipts and records from the past year and seeing how much you spent?  Of course that also means you get to do a little reminiscing in there as well.  It inspired Chris to get her vacation journal out and read to me about all the places we have been to over the past two years.  We have had quite the run.  Not finished yet, though.  We hope to make a jaunt to Pennsylvania to touch base with some good friends up there.  And there are still a few Texas National Parks to visit.  That would be actual US National parks that are in Texas.  Texas does have some national parks of its own.  They just have to call them state parks now.  I think the closest day trips are the park on Padre Island and another near Brownsville.  Hey, I said “closest,” not actually “close.”  This is Texas we are talking about. 

Chris went to the doctor yesterday.  New one.  Seems since she hasn’t been in three years she is considered a new patient.  Fortunately she likes this one, though.  And I already do, too.  She has a combined specialty in family as well as sports medicine.  Oh what was the problem?  Her leg has been giving her fits.  Shooting pain down the outside all the way to her ankle.  Sore leg?  Nope.  It’s her lower back.  She has disk issues pinching a nerve.  Sounds way too familiar to me.  Welcome to my world. 

So now Chris gets to go to physical therapy to learn how to exercise for her back.  Hey, I have a thought.  Maybe we can go together.  Of course.  That could be our date night for Valentine’s Day.  That would count, wouldn’t it?  Physical therapy date night … how much more romantic can you get?

Philippians 2:5 says, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”

Father, I would sure like it if Chris didn’t have to go through all the stuff with her back that I have with my neck and back.  Please walk with her.   Amen.

February 12 – “Here goes …”

The middle of February.  It’s just about that time again.  No, I’m not talking about Valentine’s Day, although you guys probably shouldn’t forget about that one.  I’m talking about preparing all of this box full of stuff for … income tax.  Never a happy time.  Oh, sometimes it results in a tiny taste of joy, when you realize you might actually get something back, or you don’t have to pay as much as you feared.  But getting all the stuff ready?  Not so much in the fun department.  But, here goes …

I did work on the sermon for Sunday.  That kind of goes without saying.  It’s an everyday thing every week, at least for a little while each day.  Those Greek words don’t translate themselves.  Well, they kind of do when you use a short-cut interlinear Bible program.  But you still have to put them in some sort of semi-cohesive structure to talk about.  And then there’s the life application.  Kind of the whole point.  So, here goes …

Oh, I helped Chris a little with her latest quilt project.  No, I didn’t do anything invasive like thread a needle or poke a needle through fabric.  And no, I didn’t go anywhere near the sewing machine.  I just helped spread out the offending quilt and get it lined up for whatever the next phase of the project will be.  Don’t ask any more questions beyond that.  I won’t know the answer.  But she appears ready to move on with it, so, here goes …

Have you tried the broom challenge yet?  I first saw it when some of the fire department guys posted a picture online.  Now it’s all over Facebook.  The idea is to stand your broom up all on its own like it is under some kind of Harry Potter spell or something.  I tried it.  Massive fail.  Guess I didn’t get it leaned in the right direction to line up with the earth’s angle of rotation on its axis.  Either that or, as Chris opined, the bottom of our broom is a hot mess that even Dumbledore couldn’t get to stand up.  But maybe if I try one more time.  Here goes …

Psalms 105:1-2 says, “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.  Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of his wonderful acts.”

Father, for some reason I feel a need to pray for my fire department guys this morning.  Watch over the ones on shift.  Take care of their families.  And be with the ones who have a few days off.  Help them to use it to connect with their families and get some rest.  I love those guys, and I know you do, too.  Amen.

February 11 – “Already an adventure”

Ah, Monday.  Back to the old grind.  It was time once again to attack the weekly tasks of bill-paying and article-writing and worship-service-preparing and sermon-developing.  Toss in some more of the things that had plopped on our plate while we were cruising around the Caribbean as well as a few that have come up since we returned.  It all made for a time-consuming tossed salad of tedious tasks. 

Whew.  That’s enough hyphens.  Besides, I forgot to include the extra non-work related side journeys we took.  On the way back from one of our ventures we stopped at the bank to make a deposit.  I know.  Not very glamorous, is it?  But I did get to say hello to one of the two Eastern European tellers.  Made me kind of miss being on the cruise ship.  She was very nice and had a fine grasp of the English language. 

Before returning home we popped into … WalMart, of course.  We were out of fruit, so that was a must-stop to make.  We even ran into a lady we used to see at the water exercise class we took back in the day.  Wow.  I guess that was well over a year or two ago.  Ages.  We did get some fried chicken while we were there.  Fried chicken and salad for supper.  Not a bad combination.  Oh, and we still haven’t mastered the new WalMart configuration.  Thing is … I don’t think WalMart has mastered the new WalMart configuration.  Too many things keep changing from day to day.  But it keeps things interesting.  A trip to WalMart was already an adventure.  Now it’s more like a dangerous jungle safari.

Okay.  Okay.  I get it.  This post barely qualifies as an entry in the whole blog system of communication.  It happens …

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do.”

Father, please bring light to the depressed today.  Sometimes it just hard for them to see through their darkness.  Amen.