September 7 - “First walk back”

I’m back. Well, sort of. I took my first post-alien-ray-gun-to-the-back walk yesterday. Since my first stretching routine the day before resulted in a barrage of spasms and assorted pains and numbness feelings, it was with great fear and trepidation that I took that first step. And for about the first half-mile it appeared that the spasms were bent on rearing their ugly heads. I plodded through, though, and made the one mile that was my first walk back goal. Woohoo. And by the time I got home, the spasms had mostly disappeared. A good sign. 

The plumbing company finally called back. We are being forced to pull the $3000 trigger on replacing the sewer line in our front yard. This time the clog-clearing lasted a little longer than 4 days, but 2 weeks is still not that long. Yep. 2 short weeks after the drain was cleared, the backup is back up. They are supposed to be here by 8:00 this morning. Let’s get this done. 

We made an errand run in the afternoon. Chris’ walking shoes have been used so much that they are just falling apart. So that meant a trip to Academy for a replacement pair. And the funny thing is, there was only one pair that was in her size and in the color she wanted. Boom! Take those home. 

WalMart was next on the list. Our weed eater died the other day, so we had to get a replacement before the end of the season. Sadly, the season was already over at Walmart. No corded weed eaters remained. Looked like we would just have to swear off weedeating for the rest of the year. 

Next we stopped off at Randall’s. Prescription medication time again. They had one ready for each of us. And since we were already on 61st street and pointed in that direction, we decided to make a quick run to Home Depot. Maybe the weedeating season was still on there. 

It took an extra turn down an aisle, but I finally stumbled upon just what we were looking for. We grabbed a weed eater almost exactly like our old one as well as some replacement line. Guess we’ll have to chop that persnickety grass after all. 

Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭5‬ says, May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had

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Father, be with these plumbers coming today. Protect them in the heat. Amen.

September 6 - “Aaaaaannnd … it rained”

Chris walked. I did my full stretching routine. Slowly working back to walking again. Guess that may take longer than expected. The stretching triggered the spasms again. Long day. 

She also watered the backyard. Aaaaaannnd … it rained. Of course. We haven’t had any decent rain for a very long time, so it was more than welcome. 

In the afternoon Chris took Sam up to Sam’s cancer doctor appointment to provide an extra set of ears. I stayed behind and made my way over to Randall’s. I needed bananas of course. I also needed some more stamps. Friendly neighborhood Randall’s is the place to get all of that. 

1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ ‭says, 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, please be with Sam as she processes the newest info from her doctor’s appointment. Amen. 

September 5 - “Well, Labor Day …”

Well, Labor Day. In Galveston that means holiday weekend coming to a close, so traffic, traffic, traffic. Great day to stay at home, actually. 

But I needed to make a hospital visit first thing. A friend from the Austin area texted and asked if I could stop by and see her mom. Mom had had a stroke, and was facing some serious recovery and rehab. She seemed to recognize me, at least after I told her who I was, just to make sure. And when I prayed, she squeezed my hand and pulled it tightly against her face. She has a long road ahead of her. 

From the hospital I stopped at four of the six fire stations to check in and just chat for a while. As always, it was great to see the guys and hear how their lives have been progressing. 

I had to send out an email I’ve been putting off. Plumber. Yep. After washing a load of clothes and running the dishwasher, there was that telltale gurgle in the bottom of the shower. Sewer backing up once again. I didn’t wait any longer. I sent the email that we were ready to get on the schedule for the replacement line. I also asked if they offered any kind of payment plan. Hey. Couldn’t hurt to ask, right?  

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭15 says, Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Father, please be with Alana and her doctors in the coming days. And watch over our fire fighter family. Amen. 

September 4 - “Sixteen legs”

Now that’s not a bad night’s sleep for me. I woke up briefly at around 3:30, but not because my back was hurting. I think it was holdover habit my body had developed from being awakened around then for so long. I was able to get back to sleep fairly easily. Stayed under until 5:30. Haven’t done that in a while. 

The LaMarque Vaughan clan stopped by on their way to church to drop off their dog. That made four of the four-legged variety of critter. That’s sixteen canine legs running around here. We had two of Nathan’s and Freddy is still holding down the fort, of course. 

Church was packed out. Lots of people in town for the holiday, I guess. And to top it off, there was a really large group from a Korean church in the retreat center. And they were having a worship service in their language, so the parking lots were all pretty full. 

The LaMarque-ers came over after church for a Sunday Afternoon Day Before Labor Day Extravaganza. Actually, Kel grilled some chicken for fajitas. Good stuff. 

And while they were here, my two assistants, Noa and Josiah, managed to finish the most recent jigsaw puzzle. And as I had begun to fear, alas, it had two pieces missing. We looked high and low, under the couch, under the rug, even in the pockets of clothes I might have been wearing while I worked on it. Oh, well. It happens. I checked the company complaint policy online. I can answer everything except sending a photo of the receipt. It was a gift for my most recent birthday. I may try anyway. Worst that could happen? Rejection. Not something I worry much about these days. 

Psalms‬ ‭100‬:‭4 says, Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

Father, please be with Alana as she deals with the aftermath of her stroke. And give her daughters peace in the midst of it as well. Amen. 

September 3 - “Koopin’ it”

We had a real treat yesterday. Our long-time friends from Arlington, Wayne and Sheri, came to Galveston with family. And while the grandkids went to the beach, we were blessed with a trip to Koop’s BarBQ and an afternoon of sharing memories. Great time together. 

And to top it off, after they left to resume grandparenting duties, we took our life in our hands and went on a real adventure. That’s right. We went to Walmart. We needed some fruit and a few other things, so we braved it. What made such a common experience suddenly so daunting? Um. Check your calendar. It was Saturday. In Galveston. On Labor Day weekend. Let me put it this way … I had a great time people watching … 

Zephaniah‬ ‭3‬:‭17 says, The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.

Father, thanks for the great time we had catching up with Wayne and Sheri. Give them a fun and restful weekend. Amen. 

September 2 - “One more day”

We stuck by around the house again yesterday. Chris did her walk, but she felt like I should still take it easy on my back for a while longer. I didn’t argue. It was better yesterday than the day before, so I have high hopes for today. 

I spent the better part of the day working on a really tough jigsaw puzzle. Every piece is cut differently, so there is no anticipating rows. But at least you know what shape you need. Oh, and color, if you can discern color. A thousand pieces. It’ll take a while longer than usual. 

I also spent some quality time in front of the TV. I watched an old movie while Chris read a book outside. Actually, when I checked on her, she was sound asleep. She needed it. 

Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭24‬ ‭says, However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

Father, thanks for the encouraging day yesterday. Help me stay patient. Amen. 

September 1 - “Phantom pain”

Day one post ray gun. I know the doc said to anticipate some sort of issues through Saturday or so, but I gotta say, this was  … uncomfortable. I could feel the injection site, for one thing. Not horrible, but just there. On occasion there were muscle spasms. That was new, but the doc specifically mentioned them. And then there were the off and on stings of what I knew as nerve pain. Guess there was some phantom pain at work. But what can you expect when the procedure was accomplished using alien technology? 

I tried to help with the house cleaning for home group, but Chris threw me to the ground and ripped the vacuum cleaner from my hands. Oh, and speaking of cleaning, I went into the bathroom before supper, and what to my horrified eyes should appear? My gloriously shining image had mysteriously vanished from the lid of the toilet. I was crushed. But word has it that the picture was beginning to reveal more and more signs of some exotic leprositic disease. So, sadly, it’s … gone. 

We had another birthday party at home group last night, amid the battle between the Israelites and Philistines. That thing (the battle, not the birthday bash) has been going on for a week or two now. Or three. Or maybe four. But we did celebrate Bobby’s very special entry into his decade of the 60’s. Welcome to the downhill slide, my friend. 

Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭18‬ says, The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Father, please be with Bobby on his trip back to Tennessee. Amen.