November 22 - “Indoors”

It was freezing cold yesterday. Well, maybe not freezing. But cold. Really cold. Like 54 degrees cold. In Galveston that might as well be below freezing. Miserably cold. 

Sadly, the cold weather meant a certain outdoor activity had to be postponed. I know it sounds funny to you Northern Wastelanders, but our grass needs to be mowed. Never stops growing around here. Just slows down a little.

Our day, then, was spent for the most part indoors. It was a Thursday, so we had to do the weekly home group cleaning. I did the vacuuming, as usual. Chris cleaned the bathrooms and swept. 

Then we eased into the home group experience. That included baking the cookies. Mini-chocolate chippers. Always a crowd favorite. Chris met with Sandy before we started. They are finishing up last-minute details for the Bethlehem Street Market craft fair in a few weeks. Sandy has taken over the reins from Chris since we are planning to be out of town quite a bit more often than in the past. 

Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭ says, Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land.

Father, please work out all the details of the market. And bless Sandy and her team for taking it over. Chris has certainly earned the reprieve. Amen. 

November 21 - “My neighbor screamed …”

I had an “interesting” encounter yesterday with … well, maybe it’s best that I just share the story. Here’s how it happened …

As Chris concentrated on her latest sewing project, and I watched some mindless TV, there came a knock at the door. It was clearly a lady in distress (in the person of our next door neighbor).  Seems she had a flat tire in her driveway and needed a jack. Another neighbor had offered his,  but couldn’t get it to fit. I pulled ours from the car. Note here that it had never before been released from the shackles that had bound it since the car was first purchased so many years and so many miles ago. 

I made my way over there, and did my best to find some portion of their car frame that would allow my notched-for-a-Chevy-Equinox-only jack to lift the car enough to pull off the blown tire. So far, so good. 

The tire came off, but the obvious next task was to get the tire replaced. The neighbor with the too-tall jack offered to drive the tire to the shop. He didn’t have room in his seat for a passenger, though. We assumed she would wait for his return. But no. Before we knew it, she was crawling into a car with … an Uber driver. 

Before she left, though, I explained more than once that the jack was not made for their car and could slip at any time, so they needed to make sure no one came anywhere near the car while they took the tire to be replaced. All was assured. And off they went, tire in hand. 

Not long after, the knock came at the door that the tire was back, albeit with a slightly bent rim and a ponderously glued new tire upon it. I was needed because the now-inflated tire wouldn’t fit on the rim yet. Needed to be a little higher. 

And so I resumed my cranking, which, by the way, involved me lying alternatively on my back or my side with both arms and part of my head craned under the car. The more I cranked, the more difficult it became. As it was, I could only go about a quarter of a turn at a time. But I kept at it. 

Until … 

Just as I reached the end of a particularly demanding crank, BAM!! The jack slipped out of its increasingly precarious perch. And the result? Yep. The full weight of the car came crashing down. Somehow - in the grand scheme and divine plan of a gloriously forgiving God - it missed. Well, not entirely. I did get a scratch on my arm. And a tiny scrape on a knuckle. My neighbor screamed (surprised you didn’t hear it), “Oh, my precious Lord Jesus!”  Just between you and me, that’s probably the closest she’s come to praying since we’ve known her. 

I retrieved my jack from under the car, and apologized that it did exactly what I warned them it might do. She refused to accept that apology, however. Instead she profusely apologized to me, saying, “I’m just so glad you weren’t under there.” I assured her that apparently God was not done with me quite yet.  She replied, “Oh, no, Mister Kelley. No, he’s not!”  

No, Dear Neighbor. And he’s not done with you, either. 

Isaiah‬ ‭9‬:‭2‬ ‭ says, The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness.

Father, what else can I say? Thank you that I am still alive. Amen. 

November 20 - “Gettin’ the fixin’s”

Back to the old grind again. Two Mike walk. Chris even kept up the torture by walking up and down our deck stairs. Did I mention that she’s my hero?

Right after lunch we hit the ground hard. No. Nobody fell. I mean we got going on Thanksgiving preparations. And of course that meant … Walmart. We got the fixins for pies and cookies and turkey fryin and whatever else we could think of on the spur of the moment. Sure filled up that basket, though. But speaking of “fillin’”, a little of that stuff was designed to get a start on fillin’ that new fridge. Woohoo!

John‬ ‭15‬:‭12‬ ‭ says, This is My command: Love one another as I have loved you.

Father, thank you for all the things we have to say “thank you” for. Amen. 

November 19 - “And … even further…”

We left Waco a little early yesterday. A little after 8, I think. We wanted to get ahead of the oncoming rain. 

I got to see Josh as he departed for his early morning breakfast appointment. And we saw Christi as we were loading up the car. All of the kiddos were sound asleep, though. And we wanted no part in disturbing sound slumber. 

We stopped for a quick breakfast on our way out of town. McDonald’s. Hey. They do have decent breakfasts. Speaking of quick stops, we did our usual Buc-ees bathroom and gas stop further down the road. 

And … even further down the road, we stopped at an AAA office (Hmm … a or an in that usage situation?). We picked up some road maps for our upcoming Spring Training journey in March. 

And … even further down the road, we stopped at the outlet malls. Chris is looking for a very specific pair of tennis shoes. Made by Sketchers. Size 6.5. Not white or pink or purple. Preferably the dark colors - gray, black, etc. not an easy find. They didn’t have them either. Still searching. 

And … even further down the road,  we stopped yet again. This time it Randall’s. They had frying oil on sale (for the Thanksgiving turkeys!). And since we ended up spending more than $75 (a few other things made their way into the basket), we got another turkey free. Plan is to fry nine of them next week. Whew! 

We finally got back home a little after three. Corey brought Freddy over and even helped us with the unloading. Thanks, neighbor!  

Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭9‬ ‭ says, The peacemakers are blessed, for they will be called sons of God.

Father, thanks for our safe trip home. Good to be here. Amen. 

November 18 - “To the bibliophiles”

We started the day at church. Where else? After all, it was Sunday. First church, then Sunday School. We stumbled upon a real treat when we got to that class. A lit of them were out serving in different capacities around the church, so they had a fellowship breakfast. Three different kinds of pancakes and deer sausage on the side. Couldn’t pass it up. Good stuff. 

After church we went to a fast food chicken place for some fast lunch. It wasn’t too bad. A place called Slim Chickens. 

Next we headed over to the big piano recital. All three of our younger ones were on the menu. AnnaGrace and Caleb even added a duet as well. And Caleb also played a duet with one of the young ladies from church. Pretty impressive, those Vaughan children. 

We made one other stop. Back to the big book sale again. They were all half price. However, they were really picked over. Hope all you bibliophiles out there inspire a love of books in your children. Real books. Paper books. The smell. The feel. Nothing quite like it. 

Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭114‬ ‭ says, You are my shelter and my shield; I put my hope in Your word.

Father, thank you for the beauty of music coming forth from the twinkle fingers of our grandkids. Bless ‘em. Amen. 

November 17 - “Order of the day”

How’s this for an early start? Or a late ending?  We slept in until 8:00 yesterday morning. Why? Because we didn’t get to bed until sometime after 1 a.m.!  Those football games an hour and a half away just take a little longer to get home from. 

Basketball was the order of the day for physicality. The boys got chores out of the way quickly (mowing and leaf blowing) so they could have a clean court in the driveway. 

Josh and Christi, and then Chris and I, took turns going to the library’s used book sale. Chris found one novel to read. There were some things that looked interesting. But they would be even more interesting at the half-price price going on today. We just might have to make a return visit after church. 

Last night we were invited to join the rest of the family at a church small group party. Tacos were the food of choice. The game (other than the football game on the TV) was called Wits and Wagers. Not one I’ve ever heard of before. It was pretty fun, though. There were 12 adults and all of us were able to play. Meanwhile, the many, many children were having a grand old time running around as well. 

Deuteronomy‬ ‭31‬:‭8‬ ‭ says, The Lord is the One who will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.

Father, be with the folks in that small group. Help them grow close to you and to each other. Amen. 

November 16 - “Friday Night Lights”

We are back on the road again. Not going to Waco this time. Well … wait a minute. We are going to Waco, but not until … well ... First we are going to Georgetown. That’s where Caleb’s playoff football game is being played. After the game, it’s on to Waco. 

But first …

We had to make a stop at Academy. The shoes Chris bought in Waco simply didn’t fit. Come to find out, they were wide fit only shoes. Her foot is not wide. On the contrary.  So returning the wide-bodies was our only option. She tried to find another pair, but alas, to no avail. 

About the only exciting part about this errand came as we were checking out. The clerk was quite chatty. And after a few minutes … it came. Right out of her mouth. As clear as brand-new windshield that’s been freshly washed and squeegeed dry and followed up a good spattering and wiping of Windex. She called Chris, “Sunshine.”  Yep, an endearing nickname that wasn’t one of the Big Three: “Hon” or “Dear” or “Sweetheart.” I kinda like it. “Sunshine.”  Has a certain ring to it …

The return completed, Sunshine and I resumed our trek North. We made the obligatory stop at Buc-ees, as usual. But instead of taking the turn toward Waco, we continued straight on to Georgetown. 

We stopped in the absolute middle of nowhere to go antique shopping. Best I could tell, we may have been located in or near the round top of Round Top, Texas. Always fun to discover the things we threw away now worth big bucks. At least I still have my baseball cards. 

Carrying on …

What to our wondering eyes should appear 

in the next larger town of Giddings, so clear? 

But a tiny wee version of - what’s that I hear? 

You’re right! Baby Buc-ees! I ‘most shed a tear. 

Ever so briefly we stopped at that place. 

I checked out the bathroom, then left at high pace. 

But I shared with my bride as we drove out of there, 

“Although just a baby, it’s Buc-ees, I swear!”

We made it to Georgetown with a little time to spare, so we headed downtown to the famous square. We took a few pictures (got one of three-legged Willie, one of their claims to fame). The high point of that excursion, though, was when we stumbled upon the world headquarters of DayTripper Texas. Great tv show, if you’ve never seen it. The stars weren’t around, but it was fun to be there anyway. 

Finally we met up with Josh and his crew at the football field. Friday Night Lights!  Check out the pre-game prayer: 

“Lord, thank you for this great facility where we can play football. We love football. We love football. We love good football. We love Texas. Greatest state in the country. Oh, and Jesus … we love you too. Amen.”

No. Really. I’m not kidding. He really said that over the loudspeaker. Go Texas football … I guess. 

In the game, Caleb’s team had 4 dropped TD passes and one reception out of the end zone. Nevertheless, they played an amazing game. Sadly, though, the Good guys lost this one by one touchdown. Hey. Quarterfinals in state. That’s not too shabby. 

Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭19‬ ‭ says, And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Father, thanks for taking care of those boys tonight. I for one was really proud of them. Amen. 

November 15 - “Ah, Thursday”

“Ah, Thursday. Great day for … wait! We have home group tonight!”

Yep. That was pretty much our thought pattern yesterday. That meant cleaning house and going over the teaching. Add to that, putting away the stuff we accumulated at the convention (all the vendor giveaways) and unpacking the suitcase. Oh, and ultimately repacking a suitcase to leave again this morning. 

But first … we spent about an hour going through the Houston Astros website. And we did a thing. As of now we are signed up for a four day stay in Florida - right smack in the middle of Astros Spring Training. We have tickets to two games, not to mention a pre-game meal with team representatives. The plan is to use the trip as a kickoff for a longer - possibly as long as three weeks - adventure on the Southern East Coast. And that adventure will be just one among many events in our 50th anniversary extravaganza celebration. 

Yep. 50 years, coming early June, 2025. Actually, it’s been such an awesome 50 years that we will be  celebrating all year. Stay tuned. 

Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭25‬ ‭ says, A generous person will be enriched, and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water.

Father, this one’s been a pretty quick at-home turnaround. Please ride with us today. And keep the football guys healthy and safe. Amen. 

November 14 - “Long night”

Neither of us got out of bed until after seven yesterday. For Chris it was because … well, she rarely gets out of bed until after seven. My reason was a bit different. I had a rough night. Not one, but two bouts with pretty bad stomach pain. Wasn’t like a cramp, particularly. It just hurt. I hung out in the bathroom for a long time, just in case. Never was needed, though. The pain finally subsided around three. That would be 2:57, if you’re counting exactly. I finally managed to doze off shortly after. OK. I know. Way more information than you cared to know about. But hey. That was my day. 

I managed a half cup of coffee and a muffin for breakfast, but I had to lie down for a nap after that. Just a bit more than my gut was ready for. After AnnaGrace read a page from her book for Chris and showed her illustrations for the story The Three Little Pigs to Christi (I secretly listened in), we got back on the road home. 

Well, we did stop at HEB for a quick lunch. Chris got a sandwich. I was hoping they had a deli with some soup, but I settled for cheese crackers and a Sprite instead. That seemed to go down well, so we were able to stop in beautiful near-downtown Hearne for a Dairy Queen blizzard. Just a little one. And I was careful. All went down well. 

We did stop at Buc-ees. Had to, because … well, you just stop at Buc-ees. We got some gas, and grabbed some light food. Fruit and chicken salad. Again, all stayed under control in the stomach department. Now that we are home maybe we can pay closer attention to what’s going on. Or not. We plan to head back that direction early Friday. Caleb has a playoff football game. Important stuff, right? 

Mark‬ ‭4‬:‭39‬ ‭ says, He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still! ” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Father, thanks for the reprieve from the stomach pain. Amen. 

November 13 - “Let’s love Jesus and love people”

The morning started much the same as the day before. 6 a.m. wake-up call for Chris (I woke up at 5:30). We chatted with Josh for a long time, mainly about basketball. ‘Tis the season. Then we headed back to the convention center to grab one of those amazing breakfast burritos. 

The big business of the meeting had a lot of potential for problems, but everybody was pretty much civil. The issue had to do with the group affirming a certain doctrinal statement. There was a lot of obvious misunderstanding, but the majority ruled and nobody got into a fist fight. That spirit held true even at a special panel discussion on women in ministry. Basically? Agree to disagree. Now, let’s love Jesus and love people. 

The LaMarque gang hung out at Josh and Christi’s for a while, then headed on to their hotel to prepare for their family activities today and then their return home. We’re heading back ourselves a little later. But … we’ll be back. 

Psalms‬ ‭68‬:‭19‬ ‭ says, May the Lord be praised! Day after day He bears our burdens; God is our salvation. Selah

Father, thank you for the times of worship this week. Always needed. Amen. 

November 11 - “… a little … I guess”

We had some visitors at church yesterday. They live in Granbury now, but one of the couples used to live in Fort Stockton.  That’s where Chris’ high school best friend lives. And come to find out, the lady actually knows Helen. Chris was excited to meet her, first, then to send Helen a text. 

The folks were really kind to me. For the most part they all stayed awake during the teaching. Even interacted with the questions I asked. My Experiencing God kids did a great job with the object lesson. Thanks for being great sports, Kaylee, Micah, and Jesse. 

Kind made me miss the whole preaching thing … a little … I guess. Thanks for the chance, Kel. 

We left for the convention in Waco after church. And about the the time we pulled into a parking space at Buc-ees, about an hour and a half away, I realized that I left my wallet and keys at home. Just a dumb move and not the end of the world. But it did mean that I wouldn’t be able to do any of the driving. Again, not a horrible problem. It’s just that Chris doesn’t see so well to drive at night. Guess we’ll have to enlist one of these grandson-types to do some chauffeuring. Caleb? You ready?

Proverbs‬ ‭22‬:‭4‬ says, The result of humility is fear of the Lord, along with wealth, honor, and life.

Father, thanks for you for the encouragement of the folks at Seaside. Bless them for that. Amen.