January 23 – “Nothing can tear us apart”

Have you ever had a day where you end up extremely tired and you realize that you really haven't done much of anything?  That was today.  Chris' Mom and Dad came over this morning to bring a pink slip she made for Cailyn to wear when she is dedicated next week.  She already made the dress years ago.  In fact, Jachin and Micah and Zakary all had to wear it for pictures.  At least they had a blue slip underneath it.  Actually the whole point of their visit was so Great Granny could hold Cailyn for as long as she wanted.  The rest of us got to sit around and talk and watch her hold the baby.  Kind of like watching grass grow.   As they left, our friends David and Mona arrived.  They are going on a cruise tomorrow, so they came in early to hang out for awhile.  They also brought steaks for supper and something for a big breakfast as well.  They even called ahead and had us invite Kel and Christina and the boys to join us for supper.  It was quite an evening.  All the guys went outside to grill the steaks.  I ended up making sure Jachin and Micah didn't fall into the water as they threw rocks and seeds and anything else they could find into the water.  I also had to keep an eye on Scooter.  He thought every rock thrown into the water was a ball intended for him to fetch.    After Kel and Christina left, we sat around talking fire department stuff and taking turns holding Cailyn.  Nathan and David are both fire fighters, so they have a lot in common.  All the women in the room were mothers, so they had a lot in common as well.  I did a lot of listening.  I finally snuck over here to the computer to get this entry in before it gets too late.   I think the funniest thing I heard (out of quite a few funny reminisces) was when Jachin (the 5 year-old) came up to me, pointed his finger in my face, and said, "DadDad, let me tell you something.  Me and Hannah (a 5 year-old girl in his class) are in love."  Well, I have heard about Hannah several times before, so it wasn't completely news to me, but he didn't stop there.  He continued, "That means nobody can ever tear us apart."    Made me think of Romans 8:37-39: "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."     Father, thank you that no one can tear us apart from you.  Amen.

January 22 – “Hooking Up”

I started back teaching at Seaside Christian Academy today.  It was the first time since the hurricane.  Part of the problem was that I didn't have any of my teaching notebooks.  They were all lost at sea, as it were.  The other problem was I have been spending the better part of each week's "spare time" working on the house.  That, along with the time it takes to be a pastor has just left no time for me to prepare new lessons.  Our headmaster has been great.  The kids have been super.  They have been on to me to come back for quite a while now.  It is good to feel wanted.  I finally found a really good overview of the Bible textbook.  I'm planning to use it as a base for the class.  I imagine I'll make up some "different" lesson plans as we go along.  Gotta make it fun, you know.    I guess the session itself went well.  The kids were pretty wound up.  I like it that way.  They all stayed awake.  They even got into the "response" times.  I gave them an opportunity to learn about the consensus of the early Jews and Christians in accepting books into general usage.  Told them the headmaster was going to take us all out to lunch if we could only agree on one place.  They came up with all kinds of ideas, from Olive Garden to Wendy's to Saltgrass Steakhouse.  They even tried to vote on it.  They eventually settled on Olive Garden.  That's when I said I didn't want to leave the island.  I preferred Luby's.  That threw a kink in the works.  They had to revisit all their choices.  None of them wanted to go to Luby's, though.  We were at an impasse.  And so, since consensus wasn't reached, Mr. Collins was off the hook for lunch.  That consensus is not an easy thing.   We did do some work at the house this morning.  The workers were not there, so we had access to the power.  We decided to powerwash the storage compartment in the backyard, along with a few other things in the back.  I spread out the hose and hooked it up to the faucet.  Got the cord all plugged in, aimed the nozzle and … nothing.  I couldn't believe it.  This faucet was in the line of pipe that was cut off during work inside.  I unhooked the hose and walked out to the other faucet in the yard.  Chris stopped me before I got it hooked up, though, and put just enough doubt in my mind to make me go check.  Sure enough, that faucet came directly off the other one.  No water at all in the back yard.  We ended up having to drag everything out to the front yard faucet.  That one worked.  We were hooked up.   It made me think of when Jesus stood before Pilate.  Pilate said, "Don't you realize that I have the power to free you or crucify you?"  Jesus answered in John 19:11, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above."   Father, you sure knew where to hook up to your source of power.  Forgive me when I try to do stuff on my own.  I need to stay hooked up with you and you alone.  Amen.

January 21 – “Mode to Be Mended”

I woke up today determined to do something at the house.  My plan was to make a path to the back door so the workers could get to it to change it out when the time came.  When we got there, though, the framers were already hard at work.  At least it sounded like they were.  Lots of hammering and sawing and loud music.  As it turned out, they have pretty much framed out the changes in the kitchen walls, except for the steel pole that will be the main support point.  They did a lot of extra stuff around all the door frames.  I guess to get them ready to hold on to some doors.  They also did the expansion of the shower and closing in one of the old doors to the master bathroom.  There are anchor bolts everywhere around the outside of the house.  I don't think it's going anywhere for a long time.  They even got the frame ready for the attic stairs and the crawl hole into the attic in the garage.  I know we have coming up electric, AC and heating, plumbing, and windows and doors.  I keep forgetting to ask if they can run cable and telephone wires at the same time as electric.  And we thought today about asking if we can put some plywood flooring in the attic to make it easier to store stuff.    There's always something in this rebuilding nightmare.   Instead of going right in, we decided to clean out the minivan, which is now parked across the street at Mom's.  We have decided to give the van to our friends Dennis and Anna, who pastor in Port Bolivar.  They need something they can carry teenagers around in over there, so it will be used well for what little time may be left in it.  And what better place for a 1997 Chevy Venture to spend one's last days than in the care of two mechanics?   When we finished emptying it out, Chris left for a WalMart run and I decided to get a little done in the back yard.  As it turned out, I got very little done.  I didn't even empty off the one card table right in front of the door.  I did move the rocking horse out of the way, though.  WooHoo.  The problem was that I started out trying to brush clean some of the old Bibles and scrapbooks we set out on the spa to dry.  None of them are in very good shape, but they are somewhat drier than when they first got there. And they smell a lot better.  But they are never going to reach their full potential unless we can get them inside – into the right environment.  Otherwise they will stay constantly damp – never in the right mode to be mended.  Kind of like us when we get into some bad habit or stupid situation.  Unless we stay away from that stuff, or get out of it as soon as we realize where we are, we'll just get further and further into it until it's no longer an easy matter to get out.   1 John 1:6-7 says, "If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."   Father, keep me in your light.  It's so much more refreshing to be clean.  Amen.

January 20 – “My Thoughts”

I have to be honest today. Even though I got to talk to Wayne, an old friend from way back who is now a pastor in California, my thoughts were on little things all day. I got to see two of them at lunch – Jachin and Micah. I can't wait to see Zak again. And then there are those two very little things. It struck me that I haven't done very well at putting my thoughts about them into words, so here's a picture or two: Caleb Braden Vaughan Cailyn Sevela Vaughan Proverbs 10:1 says, "A wise son brings joy to his father …" Father, I guess you have given me some wise sons. Amen

January 19 – “Amish Cabinet Maker Guys”

Today was "Meet the Amish Cabinet Maker Guys" Day.  Seriously.  Everything we did up until around one o'clock was tempered by the thought in the back of our minds that "Pretty soon we meet the Amish guys."  We went to WalMart to order some pictures of our two little new additions.  We also had a few things that we were going to buy while there.  Problem was, the lines were kind of long.  And it was almost time for the Amish Cabinet Maker Guys to be at the house.  So we did what any other typical, Galveston-based, WalMart shopper would do.  We took our spiral notebook and mini-photo albums and hid them behind the "Make a necklace out of beads" kits in the crafts section.  The plan was to return after our meeting and pick them up then.  We did.   Now.  We got to the house ahead of the Amish Cabinet Maker Guys.  Our framing crews were there on their lunch break.  I was rather jealous.  They had set up their little griddle again and were making some soft tacos or tamales or something.  Sure smelled good.  Oh, did I mention we hadn't eaten yet either?  Didn't want to get caught waiting for food at Sonic when "The Call" came through.  It was interesting to do a quick walk-through and try to figure out what all had been done.  The wall adjustments were obvious.  It was the replacing of bad studs and hidden stuff like that that was hard to discover.    Finally, the Amish Cabinet Maker Guys arrived.  Two young guys with a soft briefcase and a tape measure.  One had a little bit of facial hair and the other was clean-shaven.  That one looked like a teenager.  They asked if we had a drawing.  Of course, Chris did.  I volunteered to go to the car to retrieve it.  Meanwhile they started drawing and measuring and asking questions and using "Amish Cabinet Maker Guy" words that I had never heard before.  I must say I was impressed with my wife.  She was right with them most of the time.  She had done her homework and then some, so all those obscure carpenter/cabinetry details were second nature to her.  They left with their own sketches and notes and assurances that we would get some drawings in an email by Monday or Wednesday of next week.  After that we could come to their showroom in Houston and pick out wood and stain and make changes and make a deposit if we liked what we saw.  To be honest I was so lost and hungry by the time they left, all I wanted was a large cherry limeade slush and something – anything - on the Sonic menu.    I have no idea if we can afford what these guys will come up with as a price for our cabinets, but it was sure worth meeting them.  They were fun to be around.  The beard guy was so passionate about the project that his brain was operating about three steps ahead of his mouth, which put him five or six steps ahead of me.  The other guy was very quiet until it became obvious that his cohort was racing past us.  Then he stepped in and calmly bridged the communication gap.  They were an amazing team.    In John 17:11 Jesus prays for believers: "I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name — the name you gave me — so that they may be one as we are one."   Father, most of time I would settle for just being as in sync with you as the Amish Cabinet Maker Guys were with each other.  I can't even imagine all that's really involved in being one with you.  Wow.  Amen.

January 18 – “Getting a handle on it”

I admit it.  I was a little bit jealous of Chris today.  Cailyn was up most of the night, and so were her Mommy and Daddy.  That meant it was time for Nana to step up and volunteer to "sacrifice" her morning so they could get some sleep.  That meant she "had to" rock and bounce and walk and cuddle with Cailyn for several hours.  Tough life for a grandmother.  They all seem to have come through it pretty well, though.   It was great to see everybody for the gathering of the Church this morning.  It always is.  We had some new folks.  Several of them now live in Galveston and plan to come back. God is moving in Galveston again.  It's just kind of hard to see it when you're right in the middle of it.   Mom and I went by the house on our way home.  It sure doesn't look the same with some of the new studs up for the different wall structure.  I think it's getting close to time for the electrical wiring to be run.  We have to rewire the whole house.  And plumbing.  It's been recommended that we replace all the galvanized pipes with pvc, so that means starting from scratch there, too.  Don't know if we can afford that one or not.  And while all that is going on we need to replace the roof before too much longer.  We might have some help with the roof.  A group from Brownwood was to have a meeting last week about that.  Hopefully we'll hear from them soon.  Some time in there we have to decide if we're keeping the fireplace.  That'll mean sandblasting and repainting it at least.  Then we need to move it to the corner, which means the roof will be affected at two points – closing up a hole and cutting a new one.  We have had some offers of possible help with some of the other projects, too.  I know for sure Josh's church in Arlington is going to put up the sheetrock and probably the insulation.  We still have to buy it all, though.  We have a meeting with the Amish Cabinet makers tomorrow to see if we can afford them.  Chris sure hopes so.  They are supposed to be quite a bit less expensive than other custom cabinet makers.  The bid for the new windows came in a little less than we thought.  (It sounds so weird to me to be saying something that costs $9600 is less than we thought).  The central air and heat looks like it's going to be around $6100.  Gotta have that.  We might get some help with the interior doors and trim work.  Still not sure on that one.  Should cost around $6500.  Looks to me like the flooring is going to be the biggest expense of all.  Part of the house is wood floors and the rest is ceramic tile.  Chris and I helped Josh lay tile in his house, so I think we can be involved in that one.  On top of all these decisions, we're still waiting to hear from our mortgage company about how they want to handle the insurance money.   It's all been pretty overwhelming since Day One.  I remember when we first got back to town.  I couldn't even answer the "What do you need?" question.   At least now I'm beginning to get a handle on what we need.  And I know God has in his hands how we're going to end up getting it.    Psalms 95:3-5 says, "For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.  In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.   The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land."   Father, I do trust you.  My mind is not strong enough to handle this whole rebuilding thing.  Please hang on to it for me.  Amen.

January 17 – “The Safety Thing”

The call came in last night, actually.  "April has been discharged.  They are supposed to do a blood test on Cailyn in the morning and we can come home.  Can you come help us?"  There it was.  Our granddaughter was coming home.  Now that meant she was coming to the same house where we are staying.  Not exactly the same thing as home, but "with us" is the operative point.  We made our way back to St. Luke's one more time.  It still took awhile for the final papers to come through, the doctor to give his final blessing, and the nurse to go over all the fine print.  Finally, though, it was time to head out.  Nathan and April were excited, scared, tired, overwhelmed, and overjoyed all at the same time.  Nana and DadDad were busting at the seams proud of our gorgeous little one.    We loaded up the cars and started to buckle Cailyn into her car seat.  Suddenly Nathan jumped up and hollered, "Ma'am, wait!" at the aide who pushed the wheelchair full of April downstairs.  She came back and I heard Nathan say, "She still has on her security tag."  See, when they did their first check of the baby, they put a tiny little leg band on her.  Attached to the band was a security device designed to cause all sorts of ruckus when it passes through the scanners back up on the 25th floor.  It's supposed to prevent the wrong person from walking away with a baby.  In our case?  No ruckus.  No loud noises.  No WalMart quality warnings ("You are a criminal.  Stop and let us look in your bag.").  If Nathan and April hadn't noticed it in the car, they would have had an interesting souvenir, to say the least.   The aide ran in and called the charge nurse, who immediately came down and cut the tag off.  As soon as she left, the nurse who had been caring for Cailyn and April came drawn with her scissors drawn, too.  Both offered profuse apologies.  I asked why the scanner never went off.  She said that she had turned the scanner itself off back up on the floor and just forgot to cut off Cailyn's tag.  Not the best way in the world to inspire peace and confidence in the system.   The "safety thing" didn't go off.  When you think you are safe, you might not be.  What are you putting your trust in?  Is it the things of the world, like money or power or position or popularity?    Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."   Father, thank you for protecting Cailyn today.  We trust her to your care, not the "safety thing."  Amen