August 7 – “New Jersey”

Today is departure day for our trip to the grand state of New Jersey.  That is one state I sure didn’t know anything about.  So I did what any self-respecting traveler would do before boarding a plane into the unknown.  I googled it.  Actually I used the search engine Goodsearch, because for every search we make they give a penny to Seaside.  Can’t beat that.  Here  are some of the “Did You Know?” facts I found from the New Jersey official state website:

 

10 Things you didn’t know about NJ

1.  The first organized baseball game was played in Hoboken, NJ in 1846.

2.  New Jersey’s State House is the second oldest still in use. (Maryland has the oldest.)

3.  New Jersey was known as the "Pathway of the Revolution." Over 100 battles were fought on New Jersey soil.

4.  New Jersey has more horses per square mile than any other state. The United States Equestrian Team is headquartered in Gladstone, NJ.

5.  The properties in the United States version of the board game Monopoly are named after the streets of Atlantic City.

6.  The first state to sign the Bill of Rights.

7.  New Jersey is one of only two states (along with Oregon) where self-service filling of gasoline is prohibited.

8.  The first professional basketball game was played in Trenton, NJ in 1896.

9.  New Jersey has 127 miles of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean.

10.  New Jersey is home to more than 9,800 farms covering 790,000 acres of farmland.

 

And if that wasn’t enough to wow you, they added these phenomenal rankings:

2nd in blueberry production

3rd in cranberry production

3rd in bell peppers

4th in peach production

4th in head lettuce

 

So New Jersey is officially the state to go to if you want to bump into a horse, have someone else fill up your car with gas, meet a real live farmer, gaze upon the Atlantic Ocean, or eat a salad.  I, for one, can’t wait.

 

We did receive some advice the other night from those renowned airline experts, Zakary and Caleb, the Travel Brothers.  They just returned from a flight to Disney World, so we were certain they would be able to tell us all we needed to know in preparation for the airplane ride.  And we were not disappointed.  Zak’s advice was short and sweet: “Chew gum.”  That’s right.  Perfect for dealing with those ear-splitting take-off and landing moments of inner ear pressure.  Caleb’s words were highly practical as well.  “Make sure you go to the bathroom.”  Now I’m not sure if he meant “go to bathroom before you get on board,” or “check out the bathroom on the airplane.”  In either case, I think we got the message.  Thank you so much, Caleb.

 

It seems our flight is one of a few that provides in flight full Wifi service.  We can use the personal mobile viewing apparatus of our choice to access TV channels and on-demand movies, and some of them are even free.  Hmm.  I planned to take a book to read, work some crossword puzzles, and maybe take a little nap.  How does that work with Wifi? 

 

Psalms 104:3 says, “He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.”

 

Father, we’ll be up there on those wings of wind with you in a bit.  It’s comforting to know you’ll be right there beside us.  Amen.

August 6 – “A highly unusual event”

Something highly unusual took place around the Vaughan house yesterday.  And for me to say something was unusual around this place means it must have been highly out of the ordinary.  Of course “ordinary” doesn’t really have much meaning here anyway.  This is the place where at any one moment there might be a houseful of youngsters screaming and chasing each other in a circle around and around the pathway particularly designed for that purpose – slapping across the smooth tiles of the kitchen, into the hardwood floor of the back hallway where the photos of honor record the Vaughan history from birth to graduations and back to births of grandchildren, across the oval braided rug in the office that is a reproduction of yet another memory of days past (the rug, that is, not the office), back onto the new-since-Hurricane-Ike hardwood floors covering the front hall filled with books and dolls and knick-knacks of all kinds,  and back finally into the kitchen-of-Chris’-dreams with its Amish-constructed cabinets.  (Whew.  How’s that for being descriptive?  That’s some hard work.  Be sure to appreciate it next time you read a novel.  It is not easy to be a wordsmith). 

So, where was I anyway?  Oh, yes.  The unusual event from yesterday.  In this particular case it had nothing to do with a memorable saying from Cailyn or a cute quip from Josiah.  No baseball news from Jachin or memorabilia trading with Micah.  Now we did have a FaceTime call from Zakary and Caleb.  Yesterday was their first day of school and they wanted to show us some of their hard work. Seems they learned about whales and scooping water out of lakes and rivers to use for irrigation and something about monsters going to college, none of which I remember studying at least until high school.  Oh, and they did share one other useful tidbit of juicy gossip.  There as yet unborn baby brother now has an official name.  I won’t say for sure what it is, but it had something to do with Star Wars and Crayons and male offspring. 

Oh, did I get distracted again?  Sorry about that.  Was I talking about our trip to New Jersey tomorrow?  No, wait, I was going to do that in the morning.  Oh, yes.  The unusual event from yesterday.  Here it is.  Are you sitting down?  It hasn’t happened here in I can’t remember how long.  Oh, it was much needed.  And certainly welcomed.  It’s just that it was so … unexpected.  Well, I won’t hold you in suspense any longer.  See, yesterday … Chris took a nap.  A long nap.  Lasted at least three episodes of Love It or Leave It.  The woman was tired.  And did she ever deserve it.  Sleep on, my Love.

Psalms 104:2-3 says, “He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.”

Father, thank you for drawing Chris into some blissful sleep yesterday.  Give her ample opportunities to do it again.  Amen.

August 5 – “Comforted”

Well, I did my duty yesterday and took ice cream to station five.  It seemed to be quite a surprise to them that I was the one who actually brought the ice cream.  After all they all had their picture in the paper with me.  As it turned out, I was glad I did make the visit.  They had a big smoker going in the parking lot, and they invited me to come back later in the day for some smoked ribs and chicken and corn on the cob.  Now that was some good food.  Even better than then food, though, they also invited their families to join them for the meal, so I had a chance to meet a few of the wives and even little Liam Short, representing the next generation.  Very cute kid. 

Cailyn spent the night with us Saturday.  She was quite worried that I would leave for church without her, in spite of my assurances otherwise.  Finally, just before we went to bed, she gave me this statement of permission:

“DadDad, it will be OK for you to quietly sneak into the bedroom in the morning.  Now don’t be noisy so you wake up Nana.  And you can sneak up to me a just whisper in my ear.  Say, ‘Cailyn, get up, Sweetie Pie.  It’s time for church.’  You can call me Sweetie Pie.  That will be all right.”

Well, with permission like that I was all geared up to make my Ninja assault that next morning.  Problem was, she woke up and joined me in the office by 6:30.  I had planned to give her at least another thirty minutes.  I questioned her about her early rising time.  I indicated my disappointment that I didn’t get to wake her up and call her Sweetie Pie.  Her reply:

“Well, that’s OK, DadDad.  It’ll be all right.  You can do it next time when I am at your house for night-night time.”

I felt … comforted.

Psalms 104:1 says, “Praise the Lord, O my soul.  O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.”

Father, thank you for the chance to experience another part of the fire fighter family.  As ever, keep them safe today.  Amen.

August 4 – “Fame”

My “fame” didn’t take long to spread.  I was mowing the grass yesterday when one of my neighbors pulled up in her car.  Alice has known me since we first moved to this neighborhood.  I mean first moved here.  Back when I was five years old.  Her family eventually moved into the house next door to us.  She still lives in that house, and now I live across the street.  It was not necessarily surprising that she would stop to talk, but I certainly had no idea what she might want. 

I turned off the weedeater (thankful for the break – it was hot) and ambled over to her car to say hello.  Before I could speak, though, she greeted me with a perky, “How’s it going, Chappy?”  Yep.  She had already seen the newspaper article with that big headline, “Chappie listens.”  They spelled it with an “ie,” but I have never been one to be a slave to convention, so I changed it.  Besides, I’m kind of lazy.  Alice was very pleased with the article, though.  She said she had never thought about all the stress involved in the profession.  She also had a question, one that I’m sure others have had.  “Why do fire fighters respond to medical emergencies instead of EMS?”  I explained that fire fighters are geared up to respond more quickly, so they are usually on the scene first, assess the situation, and perform initial aid.  Then when EMS does arrive, they brief them and help in any way they can.  She thought it would make more sense to have the EMS and fire department all operating out of the same place.  Hmm.  Seems like that has come up in discussions.  Better watch out for Alice, guys.  She is quite the community activist. 

I also found out that having my picture in the paper “qualifies” me for some obscure, bizarre fire department hazing ritual.  Seems that when you get your picture in the paper it automatically becomes your turn to provide ice cream for the guys on your next shift.  Fortunately, Kroger’s has Blue Bell on sale this week, two for seven dollars.  Guess me and Blue Bell will be making a stop by station five this afternoon after church. 

Ah, the price of fame.

Psalms 103:20-22 says, “Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.  Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.  Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion.”

Father, draw some folks toward you today.  After all, it is your day.  Amen.

August 3 – “Chappy”

Well, the article came out in the paper today about the Galveston Fire Department’s new chaplain.  It was actually a very positive presentation about me, but more importantly it painted the department in a positive light.  I guess my new nickname is official now, though.  The chief who appointed me (Jeff Smith, who is now retired) called me “Chappy” before he left, and he was one of the main guys interviewed for the story, so the name is out there.  I like it, though.  Has quite the ring to it, don’t you think? 

We got some news from Cailyn while she was staying with us yesterday.  Not sure if her Mom and Dad are privy to it quite yet.  Seems that, in her words, “Next, next, next, next, next, week, when my Mommy and Daddy have lots of money, we are going to Disneyworld, and I’m gonna have breakfast with the princesses and everything.”  Now that’s going to be quite a trip, but I’m still trying to figure out exactly what those dates are.  How many “nexts” were included in that statement, anyway? 

She and Nani made a tent while she was here.  I was invited in for something very special because she needed my help.  There was a cuckoo bird who was in some severe trouble, and I was called in to help transport the bird into the tent hospital operating room.  We carried the imaginary animal in together.  It took both of us.  The bird was very heavy.  I asked what the problem was and why was it so serious that it required surgery.  The explanation was a bit technical.  You know how those medical people are.  But I did get this much: “The cuckoo bird ate a chicken and it has bones all in its tummy.  Lots of bones.  It ate lots of chickens.”  Well, I can imagine that it is hard to survive with that many chicken bones inside you.  And that certainly explained why it was so heavy.  She was a great teaching doctor, too.  She asked me what I thought she should do first, so I suggested making the incision to open it up.  She smiled and said, “That’s very good.”  It’s always great to be praised by your supervisor, isn’t it?  She made the cut and reached inside.  The first thing she pulled out was, interestingly enough, a wishbone.  I took one end and together we broke it.  She got the big side, so she won the wish.  She reached back in and there was another wishbone.  She won that one, too.  In all she pulled out seven different wishbones.  She won five out of seven of the contests, so I guess that makes her the Wishbone World Series champion. 

Psalms 103:19 says, “The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.”

Father, thank you for the chance to be there for the fire fighters and their families.  Keep them safe.  Amen.

August 2 – “On creativity”

One of the things Chris does when Cailyn comes over to stay is work with her on things like handwriting and reading and even some basic math.  You know, readin’, ‘ritin’ and ‘rithmetic.  She’s pretty good on all counts, too.  I meant Cailyn, but Chris is a good teacher.  Yesterday we were at the table and Cailyn decided it was time to “do some schoolwork.” She went to her drawer of supplies, pulled out a notebook and some colored pencils and started drawing some swirls.  Hey, art counts, too, doesn’t it?  After a few minutes Chris announced that it was August first, “And school for Cailyn starts in just 25 days.”  Cailyn grinned broadly and continued with her yellow swirls.  Chris then tossed out a challenge.  Something along the lines of, “One of the things your teacher will want you to do in school is write your name.”  Cailyn said, “I can do that.”  She carefully turned the page in her notebook, smoothed out the wrinkles, and picked up her yellow pencil.  Turning to Chris she pronounced, “Watch … and learn.” 

Now, around our house the schoolwork is never limited to just the “3 R’s.”  There is always that bit of imagination-stretching that every child desperately needs.  Of course here they probably get more than “a little bit” of imagination stretching.  Chris and I stayed there at the table as Cailyn completed her name and moved on to bigger and better things in her notebook.  We started comparing notes on the things Mom does when she gets up late at night.  Chris completed one story about how we can hear Mom’s bed rustling when she gets up – our cue to be on the alert for the footsteps that inevitably follow.  Cailyn listened intently.  And not to be outdone, she announced that she, too, had a MeeMaw story.  Here’s how hers went: “When I was asleep I heard MeeMaw rustling around, and I thought she was rustling with a cat.”  Hmm.  Rustling sounds like wrestling.  Not that big of a stretch.  And a cat.  Not a bad story element.  Somewhat believable, yet quirky enough to grab attention.  This kid has story-teller potential.  Watch out, Mom and Dad, when she gets old enough to need some alibis.  Hers could be monumental. 

Psalms 103:15-18 says, “As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.  But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children — with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.”

Father, thank you for the tiny spark of your creativity you placed within us.  It is one of the most exciting things ever to see developing in children.  Amen.

August 1 – “An FD Day”

Yesterday was a fire department day for me.  I made a trip up to the administration office to check in and see how things were going up there.  I had a great visit with the chief and heard about a few of the upcoming events that I might have a chance to be involved in.  One will involve the Bryan fire department as kind of a celebration of the relationship the two units have developed after the injuries several of their guys received and their subsequent stay at the UTMB burn unit.  Later on there will be another pinning ceremony for the new hires and those who have been promoted.  I’ll be one of the ones “officially” receiving my badge and getting pinned at that one.  The chief was also looking forward to the newspaper article scheduled to come out this Saturday.  It’s about the chaplaincy here in the Galveston department – how it is good for the department and the community and how other departments can get one started.  It will be great to have an article that is at its core a positive one, without politics or a specific disaster being involved.

When I left the chief’s office I went down as is my custom to see the fire fighters on duty, but they were out on a call, with just a captain holding down the fort.  I was disappointed that I didn’t get to see the whole crew, but that is the nature of the calling.  I did get a text, though, from one of the other stations.  The honor guard coordinator had a copy of the Galveston-specific procedures for line of duty deaths that I had asked him for.  He was also the guy who set up the softball tournament last weekend.  He was very pleased at the turnout and the attitude of the guys.  I enjoyed talking to him and his captain for a while before heading out to Seaside for our prayer meeting. 

There are so many possibilities for the future in ways to do ministry with the fire department.  Oh, they have their issues to deal with – city politics, union wrangling, equipment repair and replacement and the like.  But when all that extraneous stuff is factored out and the focus is placed on the reason behind their existence as an organization in the first place – to save lives and protect the community – you find a unity of respect rather than separation.  They share a common bond that transcends pettiness and forces you to return to the life and ministry of Jesus and to see emulated his approach to life: “Love God.  Love People.”  Don’t get me wrong.  I love the church.  I love Seaside.  But I have sure been blessed by my time working here.

Matthew 22:37-40 says, “Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'   This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'   All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."”

Father, use me however you can.  I am willing.  Amen.