January 8 – “she gazed longingly backward …”

I snuck in a mile walk before Chris woke up yesterday.  I gotta say … it was cold.  The wind chill was 45 degrees.  It felt weird just walking in my heavy coat with no particular place to go.  Now it wasn’t my heaviest coat, mind you.  I do have a snow jacket reserved for the bleakest of weather.  Later in the morning Chris insisted that I take a break from work and go on a walk.  We met the Geran’s out for their jaunt around the neighborhood.  Oh, and it was not so cold this time, except in the wind.  And in the shade. 

 

So, mile number two, this one with Freddy in tow.  And she proved to be a real chuckle on this one.  As we reached about a half a mile, we crossed over the street that led to a short-cut back home.  Yep.  Freddy recognized the short cut.  She started tugging at the leash to go in that direction.  I called her back to my side and we continued on, but then she stopped again.  This time she gazed longingly backward, lamenting the lost opportunity.  She paused a few more times before finally resigning herself to her fate and joining us for the last leg of the walk. 

 

I spent about an hour at the computer doing a chat with an AT&T genius.  I was trying to get our account straightened out.  Since we just upgraded Chris’ phone, I checked the upcoming bill online.  It was beyond convoluted.  The employee was really nice, though, and I’m pretty sure we got everything fixed and accounted for.  At least for now …

 

Chris took an afternoon nap.  I sat at my desk and listened to a piano jazz album on my new record player.  Can’t say I have ever done that before.  Ordinarily I don’t particularly care for instrumental stuff.  I like to hear words.  But this I liked.  Very relaxing. 

 

Nathan and Cailyn came over just in time to help us cram our Christmas stuff back in the attic.  We had to get it out of the way one way or another before home group.  If they hadn’t come Chris and I were going to haul it all out to the garage.  That breach of restriction protocol would have gotten us in trouble with our loving children …

 

Home group has finally started back.  We even had Stewart and Sonya, some new Seasiders, with us.  It was intro to Joshua week, and we start going through that book next week.  After the teaching we chatted and shared stories about past Seaside excursions.  Lauren of course had photos of each event, as well.  Sonya was in stitches as she laughed at our anecdotes.  Glad we could be of assistance …

 

2 Samuel 7:22 says, “How great you are Sovereign Lord!  There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.”

 

Father, thank you for our home group crew.  It’s good to have a small group growing together again.  Amen.