June 30 – “Update … Half-Yoda and the books”

Freddy report.  Half-Yoda seems to be doing pretty well.   The bandage is obviously uncomfortable, but she is adapting.  She slept a lot the day after we brought her home from the procedure.  I don’t think she had been getting much shut-eye before then.  Now it has just become uncomfortable.  We take her back in on Saturday to get the bandage off and have the vet take a look at it.  She did have some visitors yesterday.  Corey and Janell came over to check on her and to bring her some special treats.  They have located a source for dog treats in the shape and apparently taste as well, of things like yesterday’s peanut butter cookies.  Thanks for the concern, guys. 

 

Yesterday was my goal day to get the books actually on the shelves and in some semblance of order.  There was a lot of double stacking involved, so it took some finesse, but they are all on board.  Well, all except the six boxes that I decided not to unpack.  I left my EdD notes boxed up.  Also some bulky notebooks of things primarily related to youth ministry.  I have one box of books that amount to duplicates and a few that I know I will never crack open.  Never have up to now. 

 

Today’s goal is to go through all the nic-nacs and 25 years’ worth of random gifts and paraphernalia that have accumulated on the shelves.  We’ll see how many survive the next cut.  I anticipate some pictures for sure.  Maybe a few of the souvenirs.  I also have to carry out to the garage a few boxes of income tax remnants.  Hopefully, the room will be presentable, though perhaps not quite up to Chris’ standards, for home group tonight.

 

Galatians 5:16 says, “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

 

Father, thank you for Freddy’s progress.  And thanks for the loving concern of our neighbors.  Amen.

June 29 - “Yoda ear”

Started my day around 5 a.m. emptying boxes again. When Chris got up she went for a walk. I got down to just one box remaining before I would have to start the really hard stuff. That would be putting them in order in the shelf. Why did I stop at one? 

 

Well, we had to take Freddy in to the vet. Her left ear was beginning to get really swollen, to the point where she was even walking with her head cocked to one side and shaking her head all the time. We had to do the visit as a walk-in, so it took about an hour to get seen.

 

Of course it was something significant. Ear infection to make a long story short. She had to have the ear drained and cleaned and steroided. Then she had a hefty shot of antibiotics. If for some reason this doesn’t work, she’ll have to have surgery. Glad we don’t have a trip planned for a week or two. They took her back at around ten. They returned with her shortly thereafter with her ear wrapped up so that she looked like half of Yoda. We go back Saturday morning to get the wrappings removed and have the vet check out her work.

 

The Kel family came by in the afternoon. They went to the library, so it was an easy stop here. They were amused / amazed at the preponderance of books on the floor and haphazardly strewn upon the new shelves. It will take me a while to get them up on the shelves in some semblance of order.

 

John 1:12 says, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

 

Father, thank you for the skill and wisdom of the vet today in taking care of Freddy. Help her heal quickly. Amen

June 28 - “BBBBoookkss!”

We stayed at home all day. Well, except for our 2- mile walk. Didn’t even go to Walmart for the groceries we needed. We’re we sick? Nope. Just really busy. Doing what?  Glad you asked.

 

Chris started the unenviable task of washing all our dirty clothes from children’s camp. It was quite the pile.

 

Meanwhile I spent the day in my office. Was I working hard?  Well, that’s a hard yes. But it may or may not have been actual work. I mean, I did get some work done on the Bible study for home group on Thursday. And I got the week’s birthday cards addressed. But I spent most of the day emptying boxes.

 

Chris finally turned me loose on filling up the new bookcases. Well, that is, after we emptied one and moved it and moved another in its place. Whew. Lots of moving. But then I had to go out in the garage and bring in box after box after box of the books I boxed up from my office at church.  Now that wore me out. And I still have 16 boxes to go. Not sure how many I’ll get to actually put on a shelf. Ah well. I’ll get back at it tomorrow.

 

Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

 

Father, thank you for the chance to showcase my books again. Amen.

June 27 – “Patience maker”

It was great to be back at Seaside yesterday.  And even more fun to be there preaching.  Thanks for the opportunity, Pastor Kel.  I even managed to throw a Visual Verse at them.  I used the one from children’s camp.  They jumped right in like I haven’t been gone for five months.  Actually, I think they were just being very kind to me, and I appreciated it.

 

We went to lunch with Lauren, Cathy, and Sam.  They are all from our home group, so it was old home week.  Great to be together with them again.

 

Back at home we said hello to Freddy first.  She has something going on with her ear, so it looks like we’ll be making a vet trip sometime in the very near future.

 

After watching the Astros lose in extra innings to the Yankees (rats!), we attacked that remaining bookcase.  While I struggled with the screws and bolts and boards, Chris began the arduous task of placing stuff on top of the shelves. Baskets and pots old gas lamps and clocks and even a few books.  I finally got to reorganize some of the books that were already inside.  We still have to decide on one more location for one of the bookcases.  After that I may or may not get to bring in a box or two from the garage.  As for now we have a big pile of books on the office floor. Patience maker, for sure.

 

We ended the day with a Hallmark movie. We have to a lot of catching up to do in that ballpark, as well. 

 

Isaiah 41:13 says, “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

 

Father, thank you for our Seaside family.  As great as traveling has been, it is always great to see the family again.  Amen.

June 26 – “We’re baaack”

I started the day with my usual day after camp scramble to get things around my desk into their proper places. That’ll take a while. We’re baaack … at least for a couple of weeks.

 

However … next, we left the island again to get to the karate graduation. Ezra went first. Micah and Josiah performed at Noa’s. The two youngest ones broke their ceremonial boards and received their next level belts. Micah and Josiah will get their black belts at the end of July. Kel was supposed to get a Krav Maga belt (or whatever you get for that class), but he was home sick with the flu.

 

On the way home we connected with Cailyn by phone. She and her mom were in Galveston at a medical event.  They had to leave before we could get there though. Sure miss seeing them.

 

Back at the house we had some lunch and watched the rest of the Astros no-hitter over the Yankees. Always a wonderful day. Then we watched a Hallmark movie. We were actually starting to relax a little bit.  But I had to spend a few hours working on a sermon for church today since Kel is definitely under the weather. Sounds like the flu.

 

Once I got something worked out there, we put together shelf number three out of four. Still haven’t put all the books on yet, but we’re getting there. And I understand Freddy is coming home today. We’re almost back to normal. Or whatever random lack thereof equals our life.

 

Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

 

Father, please fill me up with your Spirit today for the teaching at church.  Amen.

 

June 25 – “Whataburger, Waze and Weddings”

We had to get moving a little earlier than usual. We had to get all packed up and loaded into the car … before breakfast. Fortunately, we spent some time the night before doing our packing, so it wasn’t so difficult. I did still have to turn in our room key and drive the golf cart over to its designated return spot, though.  And even that was made easy.  At breakfast, the camp director walked up to me and said I could hand over all my keys to her.  She’s not one you argue with, so … I handed over my keys to her.  Our children’s minister (To whom I understood I was SUPPOSED to turn the keys over) - Michelle - understood completely.

 

After a breakfast where Chris had her ear talked off by one of the Columbus girls, we went to the last celebration time. Then it was good-byes and a final group picture in front of the bus before heading to Waco. We were the last ones to pull out, but pretty soon we were right behind the bus.  It was driving about 20 miles under the speed limit, so Chris managed to pass it up before long.  As it turned out, we even beat Josh and Christi and the kids.  Not sure how that happened, since we never saw them on the road. 

 

The reunions with Mom and Dad back at the church were, as usual, quite heart-warming.  Hugs and kisses abounded.  I even received a few hugs and “see you next year’s.”  Sounded like a very positive experience for all of them.

 

Once everyone was squared away, we went to Whataburger with Josh and crew for a real, absolutely unhealthy, hamburger.  It was great.  But while we were there, I got a text from Kel.  Seems “Christina got me sick.  Again.”  He had the flu, and he was supposed to perform a beach wedding last night.  He wanted to know if I was available to do that for him, and to be on standby to preach on Sunday.  We did some rapid calculations on our fingers.  We should be able to make it, so I told him to count on me.  We almost didn’t.

 

Houston traffic came awfully close to doing us in on this one.  It was really bad.  The Google Siri patrol, and even Waze, kept changing recommendations of routes.  We finally just dove right in with the rest of the minions and drove right through the middle of downtown.  We finally pulled into our driveway right at 6:00.  The wedding was scheduled for 7:30.  Just enough time to unload the car and change clothes and rush to the West End. 

 

Of course I made it in plenty of time.  The wedding went off without a hitch.  I even scored a few of the tamales they were serving afterwards.  I got a ride to my car from a longtime Seasider who was also attending.  I finally got home around 8:30 or 9:00.  Chris had already emptied all the suitcases.  Now we can focus on getting books on the new shelves.  Well, after I put together a sermon for tomorrow.  And after we go to Noa and Ezra’s karate graduation.  And … And … And …

 

1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

 

Father, thank you for our safe trip home.  Please be with Bill and Kim as they work out their new life together as a married couple.  Amen.

June 24 - “Quest to guess”

Last full day of camp. I had another long chat with the band keyboard guy when I went for coffee. He was leaving early to get back home for work. It definitely won’t be the same sound without him.

 

After a breakfast of little tiny waffles (limit 4 - I just took 2) and sausage links, we headed over for Morning Celebration. That’s the one with upbeat singing and crazy, large group games and skits. It’s designed to get the kids pumped up for the events of the day. And the band does a good job with that.

 

Next came another rotation of outdoor games. I hung around with the guys again, and Chris went with the girls. That enables us to get pictures of both groups. Our guys never lost a single match in any game they played all week, and this day was no different. The games are weird and fun, and our guys consistently encouraged the opposition.

 

One of their little rewards for being so unbeatable came when they finished the game early. They managed to score a front row seat to the lunch line. And that’s a pretty coveted location. Lunch this time was bow tie pasta with al fresco sauce and a long strip of what was allegedly a giant pizza roll. I guess the taste was there, but it just seemed like a weird bite.

 

During Bible study several girls were trying to guess what Bible character I was going to be during evening worship. They asked if he would be from the Book of Nehemiah. Nope. They thumbed around in their Bibles and landed on another guess, “Are you gonna be Job?”  Nope. Finally they asked, “Well, can you at least tell us what book he is from?”  Long pause. I didn’t answer out loud, but I silently pointed … to a Bible. Yeah, I know. Not helpful in their quest to guess. But fun for me.

 

I spent the afternoon as I have every day this week - going over the interview for worship. Chris did go with Christi and AnnaGrace to the Arts and Crafts class. Inside. I just haven’t been able to handle the afternoon heat out there. The average has been something like 99 with a wind chill of 101. Chris hasn’t handled it well, either. She’s had a few times when she had to sit down pretty quickly and get some water in her. Some pains. Some palpitations. Mostly just shortness of breath. She bounces back fairly quickly.

 

After supper we headed over to the last evening worship. The focus this time was: Christ my Future. The character was Lazarus, the guy Jesus brought back from the dead. I think it went pretty well. Josh did a call to commitment for the kids to share with one of their counselors.

 

After the service I had a lot of kids approach me to high five or fist bump. They called me by my character name, of course. Some even asked for my autograph on their camp shirt. My real name, of course. But I did have my best kid-comment from a youngster about 9 or 10. He held his hand up for a high five and said, “Hi, hashtag Peter, hashtag Josiah, hashtag Nehemiah, hashtag Lazarus.”  At least he got all the names right.

 

The late night activity was water slides. There were 4 water slides and 2 bounce houses set up. Plus the volleyball courts had some major action going. They finally shut everything down around 9:45. It IS children’s camp, after all. And that IS a late night for them.

 

Matthew 7:8 says, “For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

 

Father, thank you for the kids who braved it and took their concerns and commitments to their counselors and to you. Bless them. Amen.

June 22 - “Air quotes”

Met the band keyboard player when I went to get some coffee. We chatted for a long time about his life as an assistant principal and the program he was working on to mirror a camp setting in his welcome to the campus for incoming sixth graders. He has some great ideas. That campus is about to be hit with a whirlwind of activity. Get ready.

 

Standing in the breakfast line, I was greeted by a little girl who threw some Air quotes my way. She said, “you were, <<Air quotes>> ‘Josiah’ weren’t you?”

Yes, I was, young lady. Yes, I was.

 

Wacky large group games again got the morning started. High energy songs from the band. All that led into outdoor games. Our guys and girls were cited by the rec staff as the most encouraging group of the whole camp during game time. That makes me proud.

 

After lunch we headed over to our meeting room for Bible study. I did a memory verse game after they blew it out of the water remembering the visual verse. Jeffrey led the Bible study. He did a great job reinforcing the Josiah points.

 

The rest of the afternoon was open for various activities. Swimming in the pool and the lake, archery tag, and crafts were a few I heard mentioned. We came back to our room. Chris read and napped. I did my best to get the Nehemiah story straight. He was my upcoming character of the evening. Truth be told … I did a little napping, too.

 

Supper time came, and we had a knock on the door. It was Josh. He wanted to invite us to join them in a family dinner of sorts. Actually, he had just seen the menu for dinner - orange chicken and other Oriental-type delicacies. My response was perhaps a little too quick, “I’m in.”  I did the driving into town with Josh - a business meeting, of course. We went to Sonic to save the family from painted-orange chicken (or whatever that means).  We ate together in the hotel common room. It was so good. I haven’t had a cherry limeade slush in forever. My BLT was good as well. The family left full and happy for worship.

 

Greeting the kids before worship, a young girl approached Josh. Seems she needed to have Jesus in her life. She walked away a child of Jesus. Josh walked away on cloud nine. And worship hadn’t even started. I told him she was the one that made the whole week worthwhile. Everything else is gravy. The service itself went pretty well. Josh and I got off-script a little more than either of us was comfortable with, but one of my ad libs actually fit better with some changes I didn’t know Josh had made in his sermon. Way to go, Holy Spirit!

 

After worship we headed to the jungle and rock-climbing wall. Luke made it to the top and rang the bell a few times. Several others - boys and girls- did the same. Then it was over to the canteen for a late-night snack and some ga ga ball. Mr. Daniel challenged the girls, and lost, so they get to paint his face this morning. Looking forward to that one. I got to be the answer to another group’s scavenger hunt. They took my picture with them because “you were that guy on stage.”  Guess I’m famous in this minuscule corner of Texas … for a week … maybe.

 

Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Father, please watch over the young girl who Josh led to the Lord last night. Help her to grow in you. Amen.

June 21 - “Enter the king”

First full day of camp. It feels kind of weird not to be writing in rhyme to the tune of “I’m a Nut.”  But I’m technically not a counselor this time. So no brain challenge. Just physical. It continues to hit triple digits around here.

 

I discovered a coffee machine in the hotel breezeway room where we are staying. Good thing. By the time I got to that point in the breakfast line, they were completely out of coffee.  Breakfast was kind of a typical camp affair. Scrambled eggs. Biscuits and gravy. No butter though. Very weird.

 

Celebration was fun. They play all kinds of strange games for very large groups. They also do some wacky stunts showcasing a kid or two from each church. Our guy did a good job catching marshmallows tossed at him. Enough for second place. Once that wrapped up, we all headed outside for another round of games there. The one Chris and I saw involved the boys from Columbus Ave and water. Lots and lots of water. The guys showed themselves to be pretty water/battle savvy.

 

After lunch we went to our Church group Bible study time. They were blessed with a special Visual Verse from the visiting weirdo actor. It will be the memory verse for the week, and we’ll have several different ways to help them remember it. The Bible study reinforced the teaching from the night before. Michelle did a great job, especially considering this was supposed to be Cecily’s turn. She had to head home with a possible broken foot. Nice job, Michelle. Miss ya, Cecily.

 

The highlight of the day was when Columbus had their turn on the zip line. We sat in the hot sun-sauna to watch the kiddos make their runs. No counselors went this year. Too many kids. But Luke did manage to sneak in there and make his inaugural run. Did a great job, too. No screaming that we could hear.

 

Chris and I went back to the room instead of to the pool next. I had to work on my character for the interview during worship. King Josiah of Judah. This is the one where I wore the elaborate king costume from Columbus Ave. Did I mention that Chris is a great one to work with? When I was trying to get the gist of the conversation learned, she read quietly. When I was ready, she went over the script with me and made sure I knew the lines. Guess the preparation worked OK. I even managed to throw Josh a curve ball or two. Like when I mentioned Chip-eth and Yohannah and the Property Brethren. Luke, however, was the star of the show. He came on stage to show what an 8-year-old king would look like. I even took off my crown and put it on his head. It slipped down around his chin. After the service the lead singer of the band asked how often Josh and I did things like this together. I answered, “This week.”  He couldn’t believe this was our first time. It was great fun all around.

 

After worship we went over to the swimming pool for a root beer float and an evening swim. Except we didn’t swim. I ended up talking with one of the Columbus Ave sponsors, a college student who feels called to the ministry. Great young man. I pray he has a good future serving the Lord.

 

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

 

Father, please be with Jeffrey as he continues his college career. And bless his coming marriage as well. Amen.

June 21 - “On to GlenRose”

We loaded up by about 8:30. We had to stop for some gas, so we left first. Josh got a call that the church needed him to take his truck because the smaller bus they had arranged for didn’t have enough storage for all the supplies and luggage. Fortunately they hadn’t left yet, so that crisis was averted. Aaaannnd … when we arrived at the church, never mind. They were able to get everything loaded on the bus after all. Michelle, the children’s minister, led a brief parents’ meeting, and we were off by around 9:30. Pretty impressive. That was the planned departure time. Of course we followed Josh and Christi back to their house to drop off the now-not-needed truck. Then we were on our way to GlenRose as well.

 

Since we aren’t technically sponsors this year, but guest speaker, we weren’t assigned a bunk with the kids instead we were placed in a really nice hotel room on site. We stopped our stuff off and headed over for the meeting with Columbus Avenue’s group. We wanted to get a copy of their schedule so we’d know when we could see some kids that we knew. After that was lunch and then opening celebration. Sponsors had a big powwow meeting while the rec team led the group in some silly games. After the celebration, we went back to the room because the kids were all going swimming. I needed to go over the interview for that night. We both ended up crashing for a minute or two in bed.

 

We started off the teachings with the big guns … Simon Peter.  The camp team wanted to do a gospel presentation the first night, so who better to interview than Peter? And in he came, cast net in hand, to tell of his experiences walking with Jesus. He also explained how Jesus changed his life and how Jesus can change lives today. Word has it a different character may show up tomorrow night. Wonder who?

 

After worship we all went out to the fields for a fort building experience. The kids were split into ten or fifteen teams. Each team had a pile of cardboard and a roll of duct tape and some paint. The task was to build a fort. And then they were turned loose on each other with water guns. And great was the destruction thereof. The kids had a blast (get it?). We were all ready for bed, though.

 

What … and who … awaits us tomorrow?

 

Psalms 113:3 says, “From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.”

Father, please use the gospel as presented by Pastor Josh (and Peter) to touch the life of someone this week. Amen.

June 20 - "Father’s Day”

I was up early enough to start working on the children’s camp teachings. Josh is going to interview me each night at the large group worship time. Well, not me exactly. I will be playing a different Bible character each time. Peter, Josiah, Nehemiah, and Lazarus. The hard part right now is  keeping each night’s teaching emphasis in my mind. I still have a few hours to figure it out.

 

We joined the family for worship. Then we went to the adult Sunday School class we generally attend when we are in town. They were studying Nehemiah. I paid close attention since he’s one of my characters this week. Kudos to the teacher team.  They did a great job. We found out later that he is Josh and Christi’s PCP. Chris said she wished she had known. She would have questioned him in detail about Josh’s recent medical issues.

 

Back at the house Christi prepared a spread of chicken fajitas. Or tacos. Orr red maybe you’d call them burritos. I don’t know. But they were good. Dessert was the cinnamon cheesecake from the day before. That really hit the spot. Then they pulled out the Father’s Day gifts for Josh. Imagine my surprise when I was included as well. I got two of those cooling wrap things. Perfect for being outside at camp. They also gave me a catfish head drink holder. And finally there was the Father’s Day bag of treats from AnnaGrace. Oh, and I had a Father’s Day phone call from Nathan. We chatted for however long it takes him to drive to work. Then Kel called with his good wishes, and we talked for a while.  Ended up watching the famous paratrooper scene from The Longest Day with Zak and Caleb.  Great day.

 

Psalms 103:13 says, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;”

 

Father, thank you for the expressions of love I received yesterday. And … Happy Father’s Day to you, too. Amen

 

June 19 - “Shelves and Koop’s and traffic jams”

I did some more last minute work on childrens camp stuff while Chris cleaned house. Can’t leave a dirty house, as we all know. She even wondered aloud how we could still have so much dog hair when Freddy wasn’t around. I suspect sneaky little  Freddy left a secret hair bomb set to explode when we were gone for more than 24 hours.

Then we started putting books back on bookshelves, except this time it was on two of the new ones we just put together. Chris had a plan for where she wanted stuff to go, so I just stayed out of her way - on the floor and sorting books for her. We still have two more bookcases still in boxes. And of course we have one or two … thousand more books. Out in the garage. She wants to establish where to put what we have inside before she allows more in.

She had everything packed and ready to go by the time I got back from the grand opening. Oh, I forgot to mention. It was the grand opening of Koop’s BBQ Kitchen. They finally got all the i’s dotted and t’s crossed so they could move into their store front facility. Pretty good turnout for the ribbon cutting, too. While standing in line chatting with PJ’s (the owner) Uncle Robert, we noticed a sign that said Galveston PD had power of attorney over the property. We had to ask around to find out what that one meant. It allows the police to act on their behalf if someone is loitering or causes a scene. Makes a lot of sense in areas where there are a lot of vagrants and the like. The food was great, of course. I got my plate and brought it home to split with Chris. And we still had enough to freeze for when we get back in town. Good stuff. I highly recommend it.

While in line I also heard the I45 northbound (heading off island) narrowed to just one lane. Couldn’t wait to get into that traffic jam. We finally got  on the road shortly after noon. And the traffic didn’t disappoint. Well, it really wasn’t that bad. It never came to a complete stop, so we always felt like we were moving. It took about 20 minutes to get through the bottleneck, and we were back on track. Our Buc-ees stop was pretty quick - just gas and a bathroom break. Josh and Christi were surprised we made such good time.

Josh grilled some chicken and corn on the cob for supper. We chatted about the children’s camp sessions we would be leading together. Christi finished off with potatoes and fresh green beans. Very healthy meal. Of course Christi also made a cinnamon and sugar topped cheesecake. It was supposed to be for Father’s Day, but she wanted Josh to have a few shots at it before we left for camp. Fabulous.

Chris retired early. Said she was pretty tired. I wasn’t far behind. I couldn’t keep my eyes open to watch the movie the boys put on.

Psalms 103:8 says, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”

Father, thank you for our safe journey. Don’t want to ever take that for granted. Amen.

June 18 – “It’s just practice …”

I spent a few hours at the fire station yesterday.  We have instituted a new concept in attracting potential new hires.  How about allowing them to do a trial run of the agility test they will be required to pass in order to get hired?  The runs don’t count.  They just give those who think they might be interested a chance to try their winds.  And apparently the word got out.  One kid was there from Rhode Island.  Another drove down from Tyler and made it just in time.  Three of our guys from the Jamaica Beach Volunteer Fire Department came as well.  There were plenty of guys to cheer for. 

 

I was asked to help out with timing the runs.  It was fascinating to see how some would absolutely nail one event but struggle mightily at another.  I think they all learned that it’s not about those individual “excels” that expend a lot of energy but leave you hurting at the end.  Instead it’s all about the long haul. 

 

Fortunately slash unfortunately, there was very little wind.  That was very good for climbing that ladder that reached into the clouds.  That was very bad when it came to the temperature.  89 degrees with a wind chill of 99.  Plus that good ol’ Galveston humidity.  It was hot. 

 

Of the ones I had a chance to talk to, I think they appreciated the chance to test themselves without the added stress of the job being on the line.  They discovered what they needed to work on individually, and all of them realized they have a long way to go in endurance.  One guy even told me he decided that day to quit smoking.  Good choice, my friend.

 

I would count this as a successful experiment.  Now if some of these guys and gals can just make it back for the real thing …

 

Psalms 103:2 says, “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”

 

Father, thank you for watching over the guys and girls who participated yesterday.  Help them as they focus on their personal training in the days to come.  And thanks for the GFD guys who came out to help.  Some of them were even off duty.  Bless them.  Amen.

June 17 – “Ready … set …”

We had another great breakfast from Diane and Larry.  Homemade waffles and bacon.  I would say we had plenty of energy from that infusion to get us into the car and onto the road with plenty left over for the ride. 

 

On the way home we listened to the child abuse training videos required for all the adult sponsor-types going to camp next week.  After the first one I took the test, passed with flying colors, and sent it to the Michelle, the children’s minister.  She replied almost immediately.  “Sorry.  You did the wrong one.  The link for the right one was in a text rather than the one in the email.”  Of course it was.  I went back through the text thread, and sure enough, there was the updated link.  So, being as how we had nowhere else to be, we listed to that one as well.  It had the identical information, sometimes even word-for-word.  The first one was much more thorough, though.  I took the test and once again passed (100%).  Even got a certificate of completion to send in.  Then we logged in with Chris’ phone so she could get certified as well.  Sadly, that meant she had to listen to the whole video again.  But she, too, passed with a perfect score.  We sent in the copy of our certificates to Michelle, and she replied with thanks for our accomplishment.  Guess we are good to go for next week. 

 

Well … at least for that part of next week.  I still have to get Josh a copy of the intro songs for the evening worship times, compile the Memory Verse activities I am responsible for at the Columbus Avenue small group Bible study time, determine what supplies I need for that and then prepare the supplies, and get a costume together and read over my parts in the teaching times with Josh.  Oh, and we still have to go to WalMart to get snacks and stuff.  Then maybe we’ll be ready to go.

 

In the meantime, last night we put together one of the four bookcases that arrived while we were gone.  It took forever because more than a few of the pieces were not identified, resulting in us putting two of them in the wrong place.  We finally figured it out, though.  The other three should be somewhat easier.  Then we have to clear the existing shelves, move the existing bookcases down, places the new ones, empty the book boxes from the garage, fill the new bookcases up.  No … probably won’t finish that project before camp. 

 

Let’s add one more thing to the list.  I am going over to the fire station this morning to watch some of the open physical agility testing for potential new hires.  It’s one of my favorite things to watch.  Those guys are really run through the wringer to see if they have what it takes. 

 

Oh, and tomorrow I have signed up to support the grand opening of a great new restaurant in town called Koop’s Barbeque.  They have provided the meats for Seaside’s anniversary as well as my retirement.  Great folks and really great food.  Go by and try it out sometime.  4501 Broadway.

 

Isaiah 12:2 says, “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.  The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”

 

Father, thank you for the folks who put out the different child abuse training videos to partner with churches and camps.  Should help provide an extra level of security.  Amen.

 

June 16 – “History … and I was there”

Diane fixed some kind of dead baby duck pancake in a skillet for breakfast.  Actually, I think it was some kind of foreign concoction - from Holland, maybe?  It was fun to watch it crawl upward out of the skillet while cooking in the oven.  Then it came crashing down when she took it out.  Fascinating.  And then she made it even better by adding some bacon.  Everything is better with bacon.

 

We chatted for a while until it was finally time to head to the Astros game.  Well, I guess technically I should call it the Rangers game, since we are in their territory.  It’s just that after we got to the stadium, I’m not convinced there weren’t more Astros fans than Rangers fans.  All I can say it … that was a lot of orange. 

 

It was dollar dog day, so that’s what we had for lunch.  Of course.  The dogs were OK, but they really need to keep them on the grill a lot longer.  And one other comment about the environment.  It was cold.  I mean, really cold.  Our seats, although really great for watching the game, were right in the direct line of fire for the air conditioner that was responsible for feeding at least half of the stadium.  Larry even went to the stadium store and bought Diane a beach towel to wrap up in.  Fortunately, Chris had a jacket on.  I just stood up and walked around to stay warm. 

 

And also fortunately, the Rangers bats were, for the most part, ice cold as well.  That, or maybe they just got a bit demoralized after the Astros scored six runs in the first inning.  Then later, two Astros pitchers served up immaculate innings for dessert.  Two of them.  That means they only threw nine pitches in an inning, all strikes, and each of the three batters struck out.  That has never been done before in the history of baseball twice in the same day, much less the same game by the same team … and to top it off, it was against the exact same batters.  Ouch.  History.  And I was there.

 

After the game we stopped at a Huntley favorite spot for some supper.  We weren’t the only ones.  The Astros fans within joined me in a silent celebration with a nod and a fist pump and a mouthed, “Go Astros.”  The Rangers fans were just … silent.  Oh, but the food.  Chris had a grilled shrimp taco.  I had fish and chips.  Mine tasted a lot like the ones we had up in Alaska.  Really good stuff.

 

Back at the house we talked through some more Hawaii stuff before finally crashing into bed.  Great day.  Now to head to Galveston for a day or two and get ready to head back to Waco on Saturday for children’s camp next week.  Whew!

 

Galatians 5:24 says, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

 

Father, thank you for the hospitality we experienced from the Huntley’s.  Please bless them for that.  Amen.

June 15 – “From heaven to the salt mine depths”

We started the day off with a really great breakfast.  Hey … bacon was involved.  How could you go wrong?  Christi even gave me enough to make a BLT-to-go for munch.  Chris got the leftover chicken salad.  We loaded up the car right after breakfast and hit the road.  On our way to beautiful downtown Quitman, Texas – home of the alleged “Best Quilt Shop in Texas.” 

 

The road to Quitman was pretty boring.  Nothing but trees and bushes with an occasional small town (read here “slow down”).  About the only excitement was when they had shut that road down to only one lane.  We had to wait for the lead truck to guide us through the traffic cone maze.

 

The quilt shop was called “Stitchin’ Heaven.  I can see why.  It was a huge warehouse-size showroom full of fabric and patterns and sewing machines and thread.  They had also taken over the old funeral home next door.  Guess that was now their warehouse.  We didn’t go over there.  You never know what evil may lurk within a structure like that …

 

Chris was indeed … excited.  She got all the items she wanted and handed over the gift card she received from Seaside back when I retired.  The entire bill came to only $39.  Well, plus the cost of gas to get us there, but that was the fun part.

 

And what made the journey “the fun part”?  On our way to our next stop, we drove through the town of Grand Saline.  Yep.  “Saline.”  It was the home of one of the world’s largest salt mines.  It is owned and run by Morton’s Salt.  Couldn’t help it.  We had to find the visitor’s center and stop.  Sadly, they stopped doing actual tours of the mines back in 1963, but inside the visitor center we saw a very informative video about modern-day salt mining.  The most significant thing about this little detour in our day?  The visitor center building was made out of salt.  And you could lick it, if you so desired.  They even sold a t-shirt that said something like. “I licked the Morton Salt Museum Wall.”  And people had posted photos of themselves on social media actually doing the licking.  I … didn’t.  Chris absolutely wouldn’t allow it.  We did buy a salty Christmas ornament.  The lady working there also gave us a box of salt as a parting gift.  Sorry.  No stuffed animals available.

 

We made it to our evening host home, the Huntley’s.  The Winkle’s were already there, so without further ado, we dove right into planning for our trip to Hawaii next year.  Chris took over leading the meeting, as we went through all the details we already knew to make sure all were on the same page.  Then we took a break and Larry grilled some burgers.  Diane added some baked beans and deviled eggs to the mix.  Great supper.  After the meal we continued our review of the Hawaii plans.  The next big decisions to make involve choosing which excursions we will be going on.  Plenty of time to decide that, but it was fun to peruse the cruise line website and see what all is available.  We even emailed our travel agent to ask a question or two.  She has already answered.  Pretty efficient lady, that Belinda. 

 

After the Winkle’s left, the four of us decided to take a walk.  Well, I can probably accurately say that the ladies decided we would take a walk, and Larry and I went along.  Security purposes, of course.  I think we made it a little over two miles.  Not exactly sure how far, but it was dark when we got back to the house.  We cooled down and chatted a while longer, but pretty soon we all hit the sack as well.  Big day today.  Astros game in Arlington.  P.S.  GOOD GUYS won in a thriller last night 4-3. 

 

James 3:13 says, “Who is wise and understanding among you?  Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”

 

Father, thank you for bacon and burgers and family and friends.  Amen.

June 14 - “Searching for regalia”

I walked a 2-miler with Chris. It was an interesting experience to do the walk on foreign turf, so to speak. Actually the walk was somewhat less than the full two miles. To compensate, we added more steps by trudging to the end of the street a time or two to get those extra tenths. 

Have you ever been a spectator to an actual movie being filmed? We were so privileged to watch as Luke and AnnaGrace filmed a movie. It had their own plot and everything. We all then gathered around Christi’s phone to watch the finished product. Superstars in the making, for sure. And then we got to hang out with those stars while Christi went to HEB for some groceries. 

Christi took us up to the church to search out their costume closet for appropriate regalia for the four different roles I will be playing  next week at children’s camp.  The so-called “closet” was more like a suite of five rooms. It was While there rummaging through robes and crowns and swords and staffs that Josh realized the need for a fourth lesson. We were confused by the fact that there are only three small group Bible Study times. We all brainstormed and came up with a pretty good idea. To Josiah and Nehemiah and Peter, we added Lazarus. They each fit the topics Foundations, Framing, Finishing, and Future. It does seem that interesting worship sessions are afoot. 

We all took MaddieBelle for a walk after supper (really good chicken Alfredo by Christi). I had a frozen lemonade for dessert. Again, thank you Christi. When we got back, Chris and I took up our ringside seats for a rousing family basketball game. Josh and Luke vs. Caleb and Zak. Nobody held back, either. Fun game. 

We all crashed in front of the TV for the NBA finals basketball game. I had no stake or interest in the affair, but t try he boys sure did. You would think they had a bet riding on its conclusion. Great fun watching them watching. Meanwhile, I quietly kept track of the Astros game on my phone. Sadly, the bad guys picked up a win in that one. Maybe tonight things will turn around. Or better yet, Wednesday afternoon when we are actually in the stands …

1 Chronicles 16:34 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

Father, thank you for days of random family fun. Amen. 

June 13 – “Chattin’ and munchin’”

We made our way to church yesterday.  We went to the first worship service and heard Josh’s take on where the church had come in terms of their Vision 2022 long range planning statement.  Pretty impressive.  They completed Phase one of a major renovation project.  It was slated to take 3.6 million dollars.  The finished project came in at 3.2 million.  Who comes in $400,000 under budget?  And to top it off, the whole thing has already been paid off.  Now that’s impressive.  Later in the afternoon we went to a churchwide meeting with the architecture firm they have hired to walk them through the next Phases.  I was really impressed with them.  They take the time to get to know the church before they come in with drawings and suggestions.  This church is over 100 years old, so they have some major renovations to deal with if they want to enter the 21^st century (or the 20^th, for that matter).  Everyone seemed excited about the possibilities, though. 

 

After church we went down to the first floor where the Sunday school class we usually go to was generally held.  No one was there.  Fortunately, a lady was at the door directing people to their meeting spot for the day … the teenagers’ room.  They were meeting together to get to know each other … just for fun.  Sounded good to us, so we trekked upstairs (well, we used the elevator) to join them.  The youth pastor was leading the meeting.  Instead of an actual Bible study lesson format, they had the room set up with ten large round tables.  Four youth and four adults were allowed at each table.  After a time of chatting and munching on donuts, he led us in some friendly Bible trivia competition between tables.  Some questions were pretty tough (Name the four rivers in the Garden of Eden).  Some were fairly easy (How old was Jesus when he started his ministry?).  The one that took the cake, though, was the no-brainer that was the last question of the day.  In what city was Jesus born?  Easy Peasy, right?  Bethlehem, right?  Not on this day.  The computer flashed up “Jerusalem” instead.  Wait.  What?  Talk about a rebellion.  Virtually every table threw the red flag and demanded a challenge to that call.  The youth pastor finally looked it up in his Bible and acquiesced.  Pretty fun time. 

 

We finished up the morning attending a meeting about the upcoming Children’s Camp.  Chris and I are going as their guests.  I will be working with Josh on the large group worship teachings (He’s the camp pastor).  I’ll also do the small group memory verse portion of the church Bible study time.  Yep.  I can feel a Visual Verse coming up now …

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

 

Father, thank you for the time with believers in another fellowship group.  And thanks for the way they are loving Josh and Christi and their kids.  Amen.