July 31 - “Black belts”

We had a full morning yesterday. Of course it didn’t seem like it. We didn’t walk or anything. Just did all that last-minute trip prep stuff. Lay out clothes. Find a spot for them in the suitcases. But wait! Wash that one last load that has that one pair of shorts … oh, and that last pair of  underwear that you absolutely must have. Stuff into the briefcase all the books and computer and miscellaneous accessories that we might need. And the maps. Paper maps. We are definitely old school on that one. Throw in Chris’ National Parks book. Several stamps for that thing loom in our near future. Bake another round of chocolate chip cookies. Why? Because they are there. Speaking of cookies, don’t forget the ice chest. We do have a few things that need to go in there. And once all that stuff is done, find a spot to cram it all in the car. Whew!

 

We finally got everything all loaded up and ready to roll. Marley did her best to escape every time the door opened when I was loading the car, but she never went far. She seemed to really like riding in the car, too. Back at her house, her sisters, Abby and Tilley, were excited to see her. They all went out in the backyard for a while. Chris stayed with them. She was cold from the drive up, but I had been holding a four-legged heater in my lap, so I was hot. I stayed inside and typed on this blog until I cooled down.

 

Once we got the canines all situated, we headed out to Alvin for the big black belt graduation for Micah and Josiah. It was held at Living Stones church. Pretty huge venue. Lots of spectators. And the show was a true spectacle. Micah and Josiah were amazing, especially with their parts in nunchuks (Micah) and bow staff (Josiah).  And those skills carried over into their performance during the grand finale, a light show. All the lights went off, and the costumes and equipment flowed in the dark. Things were spinning and twirling like mad. It was actually beautiful. About 60 total students received some level or another of belt awards. Micah and Josiah each received their first degree black belt. Pretty great accomplishment, guys. We were (and are) quite the proud grandparents. After all the requisite photo ops, we went with some friends and some of Christina’s family (and The Kel family, of course) to a local Alvin, Texas, Mexican food restaurant. They planned to stay a while and fete the boys.  We stayed long enough to eat and run.

 

Why the hasty exit? We still had a three and a half hour drive to Waco ahead of us. That was to be our second stop on our next grand adventure. We made it around 11:30.  Not too bad, considering we had our nighttime driver (Me) behind the wheel.

 

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

 

Father, please be with Micah and Josiah now that they have achieved the first leg of an amazing milestone. Thank you that all of the karate was intermingled with a really strong scriptural focus. Amen.

July 30 - “Of course …”

I enjoyed my day off from walking yesterday. This time it was an actual day off. No sneaky lawn mower or clippers to derail me.  Of course, Chris went for her walk. Then she did her steps and arm workout. Of course, she did need a little bit of input from her personal trainer (a.k.a. Me, Inc.). Just tweaked her style a hair so she wasn’t able to cheat on those triceps lifts.

 

We had some visitors arrive around ten. Jachin brought over Noa and Ezra to hang out with us for the afternoon. Mom and Dad were at the big black belt karate battle royale that Micah and Josiah had to take part in. They also brought us an extra four-legged critter for the night. Marley will spend the night with us while Nathan, April, and Cailyn go to Barton Springs for the night.

 

For lunch we had some of that Diane Huntley no bake lasagna. Good stuff. We spent the afternoon watching a Hallmark movie while the kids played.

 

Mom and Dad came and picked up the youngsters around 5:30 or so. They also took Freddy with them. She is staying at their house while we are gone. That meant Marley got to be an only grand dog for the night. Not sure if she loved it or missed the perennial action at her house. For some reason she took to me. Followed me around. Sat next to me on the couch. Whined at me when she was on the floor. Freddy doesn’t even do that. At least she got to continue getting spoiled. By Chris, of course.

 

Psalms 145:18 says, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”

 

Father, thank you for the afternoon with Noa and Ezra. It was fun watching them play and having them interact with us. Amen. 

July 29 - “Fan fan”

No walking yesterday. Woohoo. Well, unless you count back and forth across the yard behind a lawn mower (not self propelled) and weed eater (with deadly accurate stray strips of cable that tore across my shins), followed by hedge trimming (evil demon devil thorn bush with oh-so pretty purpleness preventing me from whacking at it with abandon, as is often my desire. Oh, and the fence-climber bush that is officially too tall for me to reach in key spots). Oh … temperature? 90 with a wind chill of 102. Hot.

 

We have different ways of cooling down after our outdoor stints. Chris goes and sits in the shade in our back porch swing. I sometimes join her.  Briefly.  Most often, however, I go for the inside track.  Meaning I literally go inside and sit in the air conditioning under a ceiling fan. Which are you a fan of? (See what I did there? “Fan”).

 

Me and Corey and five ladies of our home group gathered last night.  It was “Farewell to Hannah” night.  Not that one of the ladies was named Hannah or anything.  We’re just studying through the book of 1 Samuel, and we have been focusing on Samuel’s Mom, Hannah, for a week or two.  Or maybe three.  She’ll pop up again one more time later, but we finished with her prayer of worship last night and poor old Elkanah’s confusing trek back home without his son (He’s Hannah’s husband.  Elkanah, not his son).  We’ll be moving on to “Trouble in the Tabernacle” when we get back in three weeks.

 

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

 

Father, thank you for the cool breeze you sent Chris outside on the swing. Thanks as well for the miracle of modern air conditioning. Amen.

 

July 28 - “I love you with all of my hip”

I was back on the walking trail again yesterday. Amazing what one day off between walks can do for my old cranky joints. And I made it the whole 2.5 miles. There was some barking on the last mile, though. Chris asked about my hip. I redirected the question. Something about her not having a vested interest in that particular part of my anatomy. “I have never said I love you with all of my hip.”  and I hastened to add … “But I do have a vested interest in your heart!”  Then I questioned her about how she was breathing and what pains she was having in her back. Funny … the discussion never returned to my hip or knee or even back.

 

We checked off another of our pre-trip checklist. Chris gave Freddy a bath. We even brushed her with one of those undercoat combs. She’s all ready for her stay with her LaMarque cousins. 

 

Just as the Astros game began, we decided to run over to Home Depot. Chris has some cactus-type plants that she wanted to repot. But apparently, cactus-type plants require cactus-type plant dirt. That’s what we went to get. I have a lot to learn about this whole green thumb thing of hers.

 

We popped into Target while we were over there to see if they had any replacement wheels for suitcases. One of ours broke off. It looks like we are going to get the entire suitcase replaced by the warranty department of the manufacturer. In the meantime we just thought we’d see if replacement parts existed. Maybe they do. But not there.

 

Philippians 2:2 says, “then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.”

 

Father, please be with us as we count down the last few days before leaving on our next adventure. Amen.

July 27 - “wake-iosity”

I was awake really early yesterday. My journey to full awakeness /wake-iosity / wake-arisciousness began around three when I first woke up. From then on it was dozing in fits and fiddles until I finally gave up and got up around five. At least it gave me the chance to get started on the Bible Study for Thursday night.

 

Chris did the walk. I did not. No extraordinary hip or back pain. I just wanted to take a day off. When she got back, we worked on a creatively crafty-type gift for a while. Not sure how it will turn out in the end.

 

After lunch we did some grocery store errands. Randall’s for Chris’ medicine. Walmart for everything else. We needed some general groceries, but we also did some snack shopping for our next road trip. Yep. It’s that time again. We leave on Saturday, if all works out. First stop is Waco. From there … parts unknown to the far, far, Frozen North. Well, at least the somewhat cooler North.

 

The LaMarque Vaughan’s came over last night. The plan was … pizza. Beyond that I guess it was just to hang out, because that’s what happened. Jachin got here first, and Freddy greeted him excitedly. Then she ran back to the front door, expecting the rest of the gang. Then back to Jachin. “Yep. There should be others with this one.” Back to the front door. She bounced back and forth, quite confused, four or five times. The rest of the crew finally arrived five or ten minutes later, so she finally settled down. That dog is not stupid …

 

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, quite simply, “pray continually,”

 

Father, thanks for the chance to hear Jachin talk about his mission trip to Boston. Keep on directing him. Amen. 

July 26 - “A rude surprise”

We were awakened with a really rude surprise. Well, Chris was, anyway. I was already up and in the kitchen. The coffee had just finished perking when suddenly, the electricity went out. No warning. No thunder. Just went out. Scared Freddy, for sure. She came running into the kitchen with me. Meanwhile, back in the bedroom, all of Chris’ heart monitoring equipment alarms went off at once because of the power failure. Needless to say, she woke up.  It didn't stay but a few seconds, but it was enough to knock the clocks off time.  

 

We were apparently feeling extra-enthusiastic later in the morning. Just as we reached the final turn of our walk, Chris mentioned that she intended to add a half mile. She told me I could go on home if I wanted to. Nope. All the way. Two and a half miler. I figured it would probably mean I wouldn’t be able to stay awake for all of the Astros game (late West Coast start), but the time with her is worth it, even on the walking trail.

 

I spent at least three hours trying to get our computer to talk to our printer.  Both of them took a hit from the outage, and when they came back on, they just wouldn’t talk to each other. Ornery kids. It took me every bit of that three hours to figure out … the computer was connecting to the wrong Wi-Fi. That’s it. Once I showed it the right one, boom. No more problem.

 

Isaiah 26:4 says, “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.”

 

Father, thank you for the encouragement Chris gives me about all that walking. Please keep her healthy. Amen.

July 25 - “Meeting Grizzy”

We had a few extra passengers to pick up for church yesterday. In fact, I received a strange text that reminded me. It went something like this:

I’m an acorn, small and round … I’m a nut! I’m a nut! I’m a nut! I’m a nut! I’m a nut! Git up! Git outa da bed! Don’t be a grunt, you big ol’ head!

 

That should sound familiar to a few dozen folks who have been to camp or on a trip with me. It sure did serve as a wake-up call. I let Chris know right away that it was time to leave to pick up Cailyn and her friend.

 

We had never met this particular young lady. She introduced herself as Cailyn’s stepsister, but failed to give me a name. So I supplied one for her. Griselda. Sounded very stepsister-y to me at the time. She finally told me her real name. Something like Lexonimous.  Griselda Lexonimous.  So Grizzy it is.

 

Church went well. 50 plus people were there. Afterwards, a group of folks went outside to put together the benches that were donated and that we finally received the last pieces to. Unfortunately, three of the eight pieces were received broken, meaning only two of the four benches could be assembled.  I guess Pastor Kel will be making some phone calls on that one.

 

While that issue was being dealt with, we left to join another group of Seasiders over at Way West Grill. I had a BLT, but it hit me when we got home that there was no tomato on it. Odd. There was a lot of bacon, though. Redeeming factor. Chris had chicken quesadillas. Cailyn and Grizzy shared a Hawaiian pizza. We got them home in time to head out for their Sunday afternoon shopping spree. They were even taking Noa along.  Gotta teach the next generation of females to love shopping, I guess.

 

We did get to see Jachin briefly. He has been on a mission trip to Boston. He brought me a souvenir. It’s a lapel pin from the Fenway Park Green Monster. Very cool.

 

Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”

 

Father, thank you for the folks that stuck around to put together those benches. And thank you for the chance to introduce Cailyn’s friend to Your family at Seaside. Amen.

July 24 - “A formidable foe”

No rest did the weary at our house. I was up and at ‘em at 5 a.m.  Chris joined me shortly after 7, and after a breakfast of some fresh eggs from Cailyn’s Crazy Cool Chicken Farm, she dragged me back out on the walking track again. Two miles. 88 degrees. Wind chill of 100. A little warm. Of course, she continued on to her stairs regimen, followed by a weight session. See why I do whatever she tells me?  She is a formidable foe for sure.

 

Speaking of which, once she completed her strength training, she notified me that it was time once again for our favorite morning game show - Finish the Flower Beds. Yesterday’s edition was … Mulch Mania. No explanation needed, other than at that time it was 90 with a wind chill of 101. And the winners received … drumroll here … all free, sweat-infused t-shirts! Plus … arms and knees intricately stained with pure garden dirt and masterfully dyed brown mulch (so masterfully stained that it actually looks black!). And the grand prize … fingernails embedded with designs rivaling the best that your local manicurist can come up with!  What a morning! Let’s do it again!

 

I did watch some of the Astros game in the afternoon. My viewing pleasure was shortened, however, by a different kind of pleasure. I got to preside over a vows renewal of a couple I actually married ten years ago. So glad to see it when one of them “works.”  Speaking of “works,” I found out after the ceremony that the Astros held on to win.

 

We finished out the night with dinner and some music. Salty Sounds (Jim and Corey and Doug) was playing at the Lil Buffalo Grill in Evia. We’ve been wanting to try it out. The food was not bad. The music was pretty good, too.

 

2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

 

Father, please be with Derek and Christy, the couple that exchanged vows again after ten years of trying out the first ones. Help them to grow closer to you and to each other. Amen.

 

July 23 - “One of THOSE …”

I had to make one of THOSE phone calls first thing in the morning. I was checking our Discover bill and noticed one charge that I never authorized. Well, sort of. It was from the pest control people. They did come out back in May to spray the inside of the house for roaches and to treat the outside for ants. The roach part went fine. But the guy told us it was too windy to spray for ants. Interesting, but somewhat reasonable. He assured me the office would call to reschedule. That’s the last I heard from them. No call. No statement. So I forgot about it and continued dodging and squishing and spraying ants as they appeared in my path. And then the charge came. It appears to be a charge for both services. At least I hope it is. Otherwise, those roaches must be wearing military grade protection and require some super spray to penetrate the armor. I called at 8 a.m. and left a message. Waited a few hours for a response. They finally called. I explained the situation. And it went right over the pay grade of the person I was talking to. A manager had to call me back. That one actually happened in a timely manner, and she offered to refund our money or respray. I told her it couldn’t be a respray if there had been no spray in the first place. We took the refund.

 

We did get after that backyard project. But not before we took a two miler to start the day. I tell you, that wife of mine is an absolute slave driver.  And the funny thing is, she always inquires as to my health - the current level of pain in my back, hip, and knee. Sounds sweet, right?  Well … the thing is … she doesn’t inquire until we’re a good half-mile into the hike. Not like I can opt out at that point, right? 

 

She had a definite image in her mind as to what this little bed would look like. Perfect circle around the tree. She even got out the tape measure to determine the radius at each brick. No eye-balling for this project. We got it marked out and the grass all dug up. It was a dirty job … so yup .. my turn. Actually, she worked at it as well, so we were both pretty filthy. I then stayed away when she dug up some of her lily bulbs and moved them over there.  She got it done, even though she had to crash on the swing for a while afterward. We didn’t get to the mulch, though. Had to leave something for another day.

 

Ephesians 6:12 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

 

Father, please grant success to Chris’ new backyard endeavor. She sure works hard back there. Amen. 

July 22 - “Moving the bricks”

We had bold plans for the morning. We even got started on carrying them out. The intention was to create a flower bed around one of the trees in the back yard. That meant gathering up some of the bricks from our brick pile out back and carrying them over to the tree. Then we needed to arrange them in the shape Chris wanted. Next would be digging out the existing grass and breaking up the soil. Then separating the bulbs of the plant she wants there and moving them over. And finally, spreading some mulch. Lots of work for such a little space. And lots of words for something that didn’t even happen.

 

We did get started.  Well, at least down to moving the bricks. Then Chris remembered that we were supposed to have sent some pictures to Christina. Micah and Josiah are receiving their black belts in karate next week, and Mom and Dad are putting together a slide show of some of their early karate “career.”  Once the pictures were sent, we also had to do the weekly housecleaning for home group. That took up most of the rest of the morning, so the backyard project is on hold. And by “on hold” I mean, no doubt on tap for today.

 

After some lunch we watched some of the Astros first game against the Yankees. That one ended up being a real nail biter. The Astros had a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to win. Woohoo. And by the way, the good guys won game two as well.  Swept the Yankees.  Always a good day.

 

We headed out to the church for the last day of VBS. Those North Texas kids did a really good job. They are talking about coming back next summer, so I guess they considered it a success. They are going to visit NASA today, then leave on Saturday and Sunday. Different leave times for different vehicles, I suppose.

 

Philippians 2:13 says, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

 

Father, thank you for the commitment of the mission group from Palo Pinto Association. Bless them and keep them safe. Amen. 

July 21 - “A sermon in there somewhere”

I started my day quite early. I woke up around 3 with my hip aching a bit. I couldn’t get comfortable, so I finally just got up around 4. Made for a really long day.

 

Speaking of days, we took a day off from walking. Instead, I mowed and edged. Then I joined Chris in weeding a flower bed in the front yard. It was pretty hot, but we got it done. Temperature was 91 degrees. Wind chill was 109. Ouch.

 

About 1:30 we left again for VBS at the church. One of the little boys led the opening prayer. An excerpt: “May everyone have a good time and learn something even though we don’t know what yet.”  There’s a sermon in there somewhere …

 

After VBS the group leading it had their opportunity to head to the beach. They aren’t staying at our retreat center, since another group already had it booked. So, they had to bring their change of clothes and make a full afternoon of it. A few of them were wary of stepping on a jellyfish in the water. Chris explained that that was not how jellyfish work, so they didn’t have to worry along those lines. I wanted to take the young lady’s beach education a step further and tell her she probably would not even see the jellyfish until after she was stung multiple times, and even then she may never see him. I thought better of that choice. Perhaps she’ll have a good time now. We let them borrow a shovel and the beach toys we keep under the building. There are a lot of little kids who will have a great time with them … as will their director, Ferrell.

 

1 Peter 3:15 says, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,”

 

Father, please keep our guests safe in the water and in the sun. Amen.

July 20 - “Back on my own recognizance”

We started our day once again with a two mile walk. I was all in for it. I figured I had to go to the doctor the next day, so I needed to ramp up the ol’ pain so I’d have something to tell him. Well … later in the afternoon I got a phone call from the doctor’s office. Seems he got slated to do a hospital rounds rotation, so they were having to cancel and reschedule his appointments. Next available? While we are in Colorado. Next after that? August 24th. I took that one and asked to be put on the cancellation list for next week. So for the time being, I am back on my own recognizance. Guess I didn’t need to see the doctor after all …

 

The afternoon was spent at none other than a Backyard Bible Club. A group from the Mineral Wells area is leading it for us. And they did a pretty good job, too. Teenagers are helping, doing puppet shows and skits and leading water games, as well as singing and doing hand motions to get the kids motivated. The group even brought along some children of their own to “seed” the club. I may or may not have been scolded by Chris for what perhaps was an over-the-top level of participation in the “Fruit of the Spirit” song. But, hey. Those youngsters deserve to experience the full picture. They learned about the wise man building his house on the rock (they even painted rocks), and the foolish man building on sand. Kind of hard to communicate to a group of youngsters who literally live on a sand bar that it is foolish to build a house on sand.  But I think they got the message. And they all seemed to be having fun.

 

Last night we drove up into Texas to check out Cailyn’s first boy-girl party at their house. She invited us, so we weren’t just crashing the party.  We only stayed for a while - long enough to grab a slice of stuffed crust pepperoni and enjoy seeing the vast degree of separation between the sexes. Nathan and another Dad seemed to have the situation well on hand.

 

Matthew 6:7-8 says, “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

 

Father, thank you for the young lives being touched each afternoon this week. Draw them toward yourself so they can experience you right where they are. Amen.

July 19 - “A discussion is forthcoming “

We went up to the church to meet the group that will be leading the VBS the rest of the week. They are from the Mineral Wells area. One of their leaders is the guy who came down after Hurricane Ike to help out. He ended up crawling into a big tree and trimming off some dead branches. Even his kids helped with sweeping and cleaning up. Looking forward to chatting with Ferrell again.

 

We walked down one of the main streets to locate at least part of the group. They were going door to door with flyers about the events of the week.  We finally caught up with Kel and walked along with his group for a while.  After everyone left we walked over to the Shrimp and Stuff food truck for some lunch. That’s always a special treat. I had my popcorn shrimp basket. Chris had her grilled shrimp tacos. Good, good food.

 

It was back on the road to Texas again in the afternoon. This time we had to pick up Cailyn and a friend to get them to the church. They wanted to help get everything set up for the block party. And, well … we almost made it into Texas. We got to Target on the way out of town and Cailyn called to let us know she was riding in with Aunt Christina instead. Saved us an international trip.

 

The block party was a rousing success on every front. Two bounce houses. Frisbees. Corn hole. The church playground structure. Hot dogs. Cotton candy. Sno cones. Popcorn. Seagulls begging to be fed. Seasiders wore our blue shirts so folks would know who we were. I was able to meet and introduce to Kel several new folks. And there were a lot more I saw but didn’t necessarily get to meet. Several of them mentioned the flyer they received at their houses that morning. Nice job there, delivery crew. Several also told me they would probably come to church. As I said, all in all … rousing success.

 

There was one glitch in the works, though. As one set of parents started to leave, they realized their 7-year-old son was missing. We searched the whole premises but couldn’t find him anywhere. Mom finally jumped in her car on a hunch while Dad kept searching with us. Not long after that, I received a photo text from the Mom - of the youngster running down the street on his way home. Dad, though relieved, assured us that there would definitely be “a discussion” when he got home. Glad he was safe, though.

 

Psalms 147:11 says, “the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.”

 

Father, thank you for the safety our Jamaica Beach community afforded him when that youngster decided to run home. Amen.

July 18 - “Welcome ... and wet”

We started our Sunday off with a little trip. We drove into Texas to pick up Cailyn. She wanted to come to Seaside with us for church. She is always welcomed with open arms and hearts by us of course, but also by all the Seaside folks who have watched her grow up.

 

I met and chatted with several people new to the church. One gentleman was invited by his nephew. He said he felt a little overdressed. I assured him that as long as he wasn’t wearing a tie, he would be fine. He assured me that “next time I’ll be a little more relaxed.”  A family was there that just moved to Galveston from Jacksonville, Texas. Their youngest daughter is attending A&M Galveston. Their granddaughter made herself known as a world-class hugger. A pretty good crowd stuck around for dinner on the grounds after church as well. Great day.

 

Kel and his family, and of course Cailyn too, came over for a while after lunch. Cailyn braided Noa’s hair. Ezra played with the cars. Micah and Josiah joined Kel and me watching the Astros. They didn’t stay all that long. Cailyn rode with them back into Texas. Plans were being made to come back for our VBS this week led by a group from Central Texas.

 

Later in the afternoon we received a text from April inviting us to an impromptu swimming party. Christina was bringing the kids over to get in the pool, so April decided to cook some burgers and hot dogs for dinner.  We jumped in the car and headed back into Texas a second time in one day.  Hey, we didn’t want to miss the festivities.  The kids had a great time swimming.  Kel and Micah showed up just in time for the food. We missed having good ol’ Uncle Nathan around, but he had to work. 

 

1 Corinthians 3:16 says, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?”

 

Father, thank you for the way Seaside has welcomed our family over the years. Amen.

July 17 - “Ponder the placement”

We were back on the track again yesterday. Two miles. Then I joined Chris on her trek up and down the stairs. She gave me permission to stop if my hip hurt too bad. I kept going, though. Hey, if I have to go to the doctor, I need to have an actual injury when I get there.

 

Next we attacked some more of the clutter in our bedroom. And to top that chore off, we even hung on the walls a mirror, a frame with six pictures in it, and one of the huge paintings given to me by a Seaside artist. Chris was excited to uncover her Bethlehem Street Market box. It’s that time again, I guess. Vendors will be receiving their emails very soon. Oh, and when we sat down in the office for a break, Chris had another brainstorm for moving some things around. We’ll see how that one plays out after she ponders the placement for a day or two.

 

We heard from Josh. Well, actually we forced the issue. We called him. Just wanted to check in and see how he survived going to youth camp. He’s pulling double duty as pastor and youth pastor until they can hire a new guy. Chris and Christi used the opportunity to do some more planning for our trip to Colorado in a few weeks. I’m ready to get back on the road.

 

1 Chronicles 16:11 says, “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.”

 

Father, thank you for being all the strength we need. Amen.

July 16 - “She caught me”

We did our two miles again. My hip bothered me … well, no more than usual. Chris made a doctor appointment for me, though. Seems that she had determined in her deviousness that the next time she saw me limping or pounding on my hip (as is my way when it gets sore), she was going straight to the phone and call. Needless to say … she caught me.

 

She made the call, and of course they put her off, telling her that they would transfer the request to the doctor himself and see if he would accept the appointment. She left my phone number for them to call. I considered that a win. They never call right away, and even if they did, I was sure there would be no way I could get an appointment for at least a few months. I settled back in to my book about Joe DiMaggio.

 

However, ere I turned even two pages, my phone rang. Yep. Doctor’s office. “And when would that appointment be for,” I asked, smugly. “Oh. You’re lucky. He actually has an opening this Wednesday at 9 am.”  Great. Well, then, let’s go walk a few more miles.

 

1 Corinthians 15:57 says, “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

Father, thank you for Chris’ persistence ... I suppose.  Amen. 

July 15 - “Kaboom!”

I didn’t get much sleep night before last. I woke up at 3:30 with my hip aching and then couldn’t get comfortable. Then around 4:30 a severe thunderstorm blew through with very loud claps of thunder. That lasted thirty or 45 minutes. I finally gave up and just got up.

 

We had a little house guest with us.  Noa stumbled into the office around 8 or so.  Chris suggested that they make some pancakes, so it wasn’t long before we were seated in front of a stack of cakes and a plate full of bacon. Yum. By the way, Noa can sure eat some bacon. That’s my girl.

 

After breakfast we cleared the table and played some card games. I won at Kings in the Corner, but Noa absolutely destroyed me at Battle. From there we moved to the couch to watch some episodes of The Floor is Lava. She also introduced me to a show called Mr. Beast. Some You Tube guy gives away thousands of dollars to people who will do outrageous stunts. Strange. We had to get her to rehearsal by 11:30, so that was the extent of our literary enhancement for the morning.

 

At home group last night, we got started on a new Book - 1 Samuel. It will undoubtedly take a while to wade through this one. Here we go.

 

Luke 1:37 says, “For no word from God will ever fail.”

 

Father, thank you for the rain today. Our grass sure does appreciate it.  Amen.

July 14 - “A Pretty Big Beast”

Chris went to the lab for some blood work. Apparently, they messed up with what they drew last time, so they needed to stab her again. In and out. Easy peasy.

 

When she got back, I mowed the grass. No edging this time, but I did stop and pull a few dozen weeds. As is her custom, she followed behind and swept up. She does like a finished product. After the mow, I discovered on the ground the carcass of a pretty large insect-type beast with a nasty-looking, big stinger. An internet search and some help from Facebook friends revealed that it was most likely a cicada killer wasp. Although it is a huge creature, it is essentially harmless … unless you are a cicada – hence, the name.

 

After lunch it was her turn to head for a haircut (Chris’, not the bug).  I planned to read while she was gone, but I had some visitors instead. Christina and Ezra stopped by. They had dropped Noa off at theater rehearsal. Since Noa was spending the night here, they dropped off her suitcase with us. It was a fun visit. Let me just put it this way … Ezra had plenty to say.

 

Chris got home about three minutes after they left. “Missed ‘em by that much.”  Her hair looks great, by the way.

 

I did eventually get back to reading.  I read enough of the book I started on Babe Ruth (a different one from the autobiography I really liked) to decide it was just way too disjointed to follow with ease. And the author used way too many million-dollar words for a simple sports book. I just couldn’t follow. So that one is back on the shelf. I pulled another one, this time on Joe DiMaggio. So far it is already way better put together. I may even finish this one.

 

We picked up Noa around 5:30 and headed right for Whataburger. The youngster was hungry. As is her custom, she jabbered all the way home. We watched a few episodes of The Floor Is Lava on Netflix before she headed to bed.  Well, that would be after family worship - around 8:30. I watched some of the Astros game in California before giving up and hitting the sack myself.

 

Psalms 56:3 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”

 

Father, thank you for our special granddaughter time with Noa. Amen.

July 13 - “It’s great to be married again”

Chris walked. I didn’t. It was my day off. That’s my story and I’m sticking with it.

 

We met up with Kel and Lauren at Sam’s. The plan was to add Lauren onto the church’s account and get her a card. We also had some other housekeeping to do on the account, but we were told that that has to be done over the phone through the corporate offices. Major corporation business, you understand. Basically, we’re trying to make the Kel the church’s primary card holder on the account. How hard can that be?  Push a button, right?  Guess there’s more to it than just that.

 

So … they were able to add Lauren to the church account. No problem. Chris and I then drove up to the really big Academy near Baybrook Mall. Chris needed some new shoes to do her exercise walking in. She has absolutely worn hers out. Fortunately, they had one pair in her size that she liked. She also found some walking shorts. She has lost a lot of weight, so she needed those as well. I managed to score as well. I finally got one of those silicone wedding bands. I can’t get my wedding ring on anymore, so, as I told Chris, “It’s great to be married again.” 

 

Back home I made those two phone calls about the Sam’s account. It took a while, but the bank finally got Lauren set up for a church credit card so she can make purchases for the retreat center. When I made the call to Sam’s Corporate, however, I received some “interesting” instructions. Seems the only way to change the primary person on the account from me to Kel is to … drumroll here … go back to the actual store. Well, OK then. Put that one back on the list.

 

Psalms 105:1 says, “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.”

 

Father, thank you for that amazing lady you blessed me to spend 40-leventy years with. Amen.

July 12 - “Excitement at Wally World”

I was up and at ‘em at 5:30 yes. Well, I was up. Not sure how “at ‘em” I really was. My hip was aching. That’s what woke me. And when I got up, I figured out why (although Chris doesn’t necessarily agree with me). It was pouring down rain. Don’t joints ache when the weather changes?  Especially old ones? Chris has been on to me, trying to get me to ask the doctor about it. I can hear the conversation now: “When we reach a certain age, blah, blah, blah.”  At least, that’s what I would want him to say. Way better than: “I’m sending you to PT and then to an orthopedist. You probably need a new hip installed.”  Hence, the real reason I’m hesitant to let my doc in on it.

 

We walked our two miles in spite of the threat of more rain. It started up again just as Chris was heading out to walk stairs. Lucky her.

 

We went to Walmart. I needed some more bananas, and Chris had a few random things on her list. It was relatively busy, but not like a summer weekend crowd. Oh! As we walked in, we saw two exciting things. The Oscar Mayer Weinermoblie was parked out front. That’s a rare sight. The second thing was the sign advertising gas at the Walmart station. $4.07 a gallon. Lowest it has been in a while. But that’s not all. After we got our groceries and headed back out to the car … gas was now $4.06 a gallon. I told Chris we should go back in and out until it drops below $4.00. Anybody else with me?

 

Psalms 77:12 says, “I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

 

Father, it is true; you do some mighty deeds. Thank you for the times we get to be there to see you at work. Amen

July 11 - “Love ya, Family!”

I discovered another treasure in our stash of books that have been released to the shelves. It is a first edition autobiography called The Babe Ruth Story, written and self-published by George Herman Ruth, as told to Bob Consodine. I have already reached chapter 8.  Fun reading.

 

Yesterday we realized that it was time for our once-a-month Sunday to visit a different church in the area. We decided to drive up to the church Jachin and Micah generally go to. It’s the one their whole family was attending before Kel came on board at Seaside. It’s a pretty big church. They have a praise team and a big stage and turn the lights off to sing. Quite the performance. We had a few people say hello to us when we arrived, but no real engagement until Jachin and Micah stumbled upon us. They were surprised to see us. Apparently it was one of their friends who first spotted us and clued them in to our presence. 

 

After church we were right down the street from Cracker Barrel, so we stopped there for some lunch. I had meatloaf and Chris had pot pie. Good stuff. I still miss the chicken livers, though. 

 

On the way home we were clued in by Lauren to have a listen to the end of Seaside’s service.  Sounds like Noa took care of the “Love ya, Family” at the end … in a BIG way. Nice job, Noah. That’s my girl.

 

I may or may not have dozed off for a minute or two – perhaps more – when we arrived home.  Of course I woke up in time to watch the Astros game when they finally started at 3. Another victory for the good guys. Otherwise, it was a pleasant, quiet afternoon and evening at home.

 

Ecclesiastes 12:13 says, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.”

 

Father, thank you for the chance to experience worship with another part of your family. Amen.

July 10 - “The Massive Mulch Magumpuss”

We began the prep work for mulching the front flower beds. Of course that means we didn’t get to the actual mulching right away. First we had to pull out as many weeds as we could possibly find. So … hands and knees. Chris was having some balance issues, though. Thankfully we were embedded between some pretty sturdy bushes, so she only actually plopped over and sat down one time. We finished phase one of the project in record time. But then it was incredibly hot. Mix that factor with Chris’ “issue,” and it was time to break for lunch.

 

We did continue the project after lunch, though. Dumping the bags of mulch and spreading it out - by hand, of course.  We found out pretty quick that we didn’t have enough mulch. Sigh. Put another trip to Home Depot on the list.

 

Cut to day two … We headed out right after breakfast. Ten bags of mulch loaded, and it was back home. Chris didn’t even buy any extra plants or anything. We finished up the bed in the front fairly quickly. It was actually the smaller of the two out there. The big one is on some future checklist. The back was a little more complicated. Before the mulching could begin, Chris wanted to separate some lilies she has growing strong back there. Once that was done, we mulched out one little bed and most of another. Oh, we had enough mulch.  But there was some more lily separating that had to happen first. Those lilies just can’t seem to get along. I did trim the rose bushes a bit while Chris watered all the newly separated lilies. Oh, did I mention that the temperature was 91 with a windchill of 104. Ouch.

 

We spent the afternoon lolling around doing not much of anything. I stayed inside. Chris occasionally went outside on the back porch to read and, in her words, to “warm up.”  Nope.

 

Psalms 143:10 says, “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”

Father, thank you for protecting us out in the heat. Amen.

July 9 - “The living fan”

We bought a new fan for our bedroom the other day. We like to have one of those box affairs going along with the ceiling fan. The noise helps Chris sleep. The cool helps me sleep. The one we have been using had a broken operating switch. Still works, but you have to have a pair of pliers to turn it on and off. That one has been relegated to my workbench in the garage.

 

So … we bought a new one for the bedroom. It was randomly selected from the massive pile at Walmart. We had no reason to think there would be anything unusual about a simple box fan. Little did we know …

 

That night we turned it on, as has been our custom with the other one. All seemed fine as we drifted off to sleep. But the next morning when I woke up, the fan was sitting right up next to the side of the bed. Still humming along nicely. It was just about four feet from its starting point. I thought maybe Chris moved it during the night. But strangely, she thought I was the one who moved it. Odd.

 

The next night we pushed it back into its place and again went on to bed, totally oblivious to the travel plans of our new fan. When I woke up the next morning, I swung my legs over to slip into my house shoes. Lo and behold … right next to my shoes, barely an inch from my leg, was the fan. That caused me a bit of a start. But on purpose, I didn’t move it. I just got up and started my day. But later, when Chris got up, that fan was now at the farthest reaches of its electrical tether, pointing at the corner of the bedroom … away from the bed. Now that’s just plain weird. 

 

But I was determined to stop that thing from traveling any more. The next night I stacked my shoes up next to it. To travel this time, it would have to shove them out of the way. Aaaaand … victory. No movement at all. Guess we’ll keep up with the nightly barricade from now on.

 

Luke 6:35 says, “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”

Father, thank you for the miracle of electricity that brings us coolness and calming sounds at night. We could do with that fan staying in one place, though. Amen.

July 8 - “TFBTTVD”

Yesterday was “Take Freddy Back to The Vet Day.”  The doc wanted to take off Freddy’s ear bandage and check it out. Aaaaannd … apparent success. All looks good at this point. We’re just supposed to stop her from shaking her head so forcefully. Good luck with that …

 

Our outside project of the day was a back yard affair. The rope lights that illuminate the stairs and the upstairs part of the deck had worked their way loose in numerous places. We picked up some coaxial cable staples, and they worked like a charm at doing the repair work needed.

 

Back inside, we did the usual Thursday preparations for home group. Vacuuming, sweeping, dusting. We also hung up the last printer’s drawer. Chris got it all filled in and ready for company.

 

The Astros played an afternoon game, so that was my task. Had to help them out any way I can.  As it turned out, all they needed was home runs from Altuve and Alvarez. The “Double-A’s.”

 

Last night at home group we finally finished the Book of Ruth. Actually, this was one of the fastest forays through a Bible book that I have ever led. But then … it’s an awfully short book.  Wonder how long the next one will take. Hmm.

 

Proverbs 11:24 says, “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.”

 

Father, thank you for the good news about Freddy. Amen.

July 7 - “It’s Thursday”

Chris called the vet yesterday, as instructed. The doc said to bring Freddy in this morning so she could look at the ear. Hopefully it will be healed up, because the next step is supposed to be surgery.  No one is excited about that prospect.

 

I walked a few miles with Chris to start out the day. As is her usual pattern, she continued on outside in the back yard to walk the stairs.  And after that she dove into cleaning out flowerbeds.  When she gets a task in her head, she is a beast – er, well, she is quite determined - until it is finished. The back yard already looks great.  And we already have some mulch to set out in the front.  Next …

 

Kel stopped by for a visit. He had been up at the church taking care of some business. We had a pretty good visit with him. He is still fighting that sinus infection that is lingering. Sounds like he is talking from a pit somewhere.

 

Chris had a doctor’s appointment in the afternoon with her PCP. The doc is still concerned that she is having spells of shortness of breath and “heart flutters.”  Oh, and is a stroke of great wisdom, she also wants Chris to have a colonoscopy. What wonderful fun.  Otherwise she declared Chris to be in pretty good health.

 

We did watch the Astros last night.  They just couldn’t pull another miracle comeback out of their hats.  Ended up losing 7-4.  Oh, well.  They get another shot at Kansas City this afternoon.  Go Astros.

 

Matthew 5:9 says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

Father, please bring Kel to complete healing from that sinus infection. Amen.  

July 5 - “Available to help out”

We started out our day with a two-mile walk. It has been a while for me. I’ve been fighting a sore back and hip again, but I made it the whole way. No biggie for Chris. She breezed through it.

 

Chris stayed outside and started doing some more work in the yard. She is up to her elbows in the flowerbeds again. Being gone so much gives them the chance to get way overgrown. She did an awesome job with them though … as usual.

 

I stayed inside and did some work from there. I wanted to get the Thursday night Bible study pretty much finished. We are finishing up the book of Ruth. Lots of good stuff in there.

 

In the afternoon we ran errands. First to Home Depot. We needed to replace the cable clips holding on the rope lighting around our deck. We also picked up what we thought would be a workable wall plate for a smart switch we want to install.  Should have checked it before we left.  We have a switch connection that appears to make the whole smart switch idea impossible for that particular light.  Oh, and we also bought some mulch. Didn’t know about the mulch. We saw a marine vet putting some in his cart, and Chris was reminded … and sold.

 

Next to Randall’s for a prescription and a pineapple. Then on to … drumroll, please … Walmart, of course. There we grabbed some bananas, toothpaste, a watermelon, and a new fan. Now we can relegate the old one that has been gracing our bedroom on to the garage to cool off the workbench.

 

After some dinner that Chris made (one of her specialties - homemade hash), we settled in to wait for the Astros game. Janell came over a time or two to borrow some tools. They have some major renovations in play right now.  The house is going to be much safer and refreshed with damaged siding and interior drainage issues all fixed by her brother. Glad we could be available to help out.

 

Romans 15:4 says, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”

Father, thank you for days when we can feel like something was accomplished, however minor it might actually be. Amen.