January 10 – “A Blessing”

 Yesterday I was honored to be a part of the ceremony of dedication for a brand new fire station here in Galveston.  The downtown Central Station will be torn down and replaced by parking and green space, and the new station will be built across the street in a current parking area.  That will mean the historic city hall building and the new fire station will be joined by a park in between.  The style of the building will incorporate aspects of that building as well as the other historic buildings in the area.  All in all, it is a pretty exciting move by the city.  Especially with the poor conditions in the current fire house. 

Fire Chief Wisko acted as the master of ceremonies for the affair.  Mayor Yarborough spoke, as did the city council representative for the district, Amy Bly.  The architect for the project, Daniel Pesek, also had a few words to share.  Every member of City Council was on hand.  Several fire crews were there, and quite a few off duty guys came as well.  Numerous retired fire fighters spotted the crowd.  The folks from the fire marshal’s office all came out.  Texas General Land Office, the construction company, and city staff and others from the architect firm were also on hand.  It was quite the affair. 

My part was to “bless the site.”  Now, I don’t have any mystical power to cast a spell that will keep out evil intentions.  But I do know how to pray.  And the One I pray to can do quite a bit more than just spout some feeble attempt at anti-hexing.  Here’s a look at my notes for the day.  Oh, and special thanks to the mayor for holding my container of water.

Philippians 4:4-8 says:

   Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

   Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Blessing with Water:

The flower is a symbol of life – the life that comes from Creator God.  Water has long been a symbol of the Spirit of God.  I splash the water in every direction to say that we are asking God to cover every inch of this place with his protection and power.

After I read each of the following lines, repeat the phrase “Bless this place”.

(Lightly dip the end of the flower into the dish of water.  Toss the water in four different directions)

May the power of God surround this place and be a source of guidance and hope personally, spiritually, and even politically to all who enter.

     Bless this place

May the presence of God touch and protect the lives of the firefighters and staff and administrators both here and in their lives at home.

     Bless this place

May the peace of God that passes all understanding make this place to be a safe haven, both for those on shift and for the community they serve.

     Bless this place

May the activities and thoughts and plans and prayers uttered in this place be blessed by the God who sees in secret and loves us anyway.

     Bless this place

Closing Prayer:

      Father, we ask that you bless this site and all who come here.  We ask that your presence be alive in each person who passes through here, and in all those they touch when they leave.  We pray that you will be a light in the hearts of the people who come here, a place of comfort in times of pain, a compass when they feel lost, and an assurance that they will never be alone when they are connected to you.  I pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen. 

January 9 – “About trust”

Ouch.  We took our car in to the mechanic yesterday for an oil change.  It was past time and the sensor thing sure let us know about it.  A few hours later we received the call that the oil change was complete … but.  Yep.  Not what you want to hear from your mechanic, especially when he is an honest guy who you really trust not to talk you into work you really don’t need.  Sure enough, it was time for new brake pads, front and back.  Chris has been hearing the tell-tale squealing, so we approved the extra work and tightened our belts an extra notch.  As it turned out, when he called to let us know the car was ready to be picked up, Dennis had some good news.  He had tracked down the last time he changed the pads, and was able to arrange for a warranty discount.  Knocked off a nice portion of the hit to the pocketbook.  Thanks, Dennis.  We appreciate you going the extra mile again.

After spending most of the rest of the day working on church stuff, I shifted gears and tried to get some more space on my phone.  I deleted a lot of saved stuff from texts people have sent after making sure the photos and videos I wanted to save were safe elsewhere.  I discovered another issue my phone has.  You know how it’s supposed to change layouts when you turn it sideways?  Well, not anymore.  Whatever sensor or piece of hardware that makes that happen has shifted into technology heaven.  Makes it more difficult to watch videos, for one thing.  It’s amazing how much you realize that you relied on something after it is gone.  But then I got to thinking … it’s not wired to the wall.  Oh, and it’s way closer to Captain Kirk’s handheld communicator (minus the phaser settings, of course). 

Last night we got a call from some Seasiders who asked if we could race over and pick up their girls at day care.  Seems they were stuck in Houston traffic and were going to be late.  A dollar a minute for every minute late can add up quickly.  We followed their directions, but couldn’t find the gate to get from the parking lot to the building.  Even drove around behind to try there, but ended up in the parking lots of some hair stylist.  We returned to the original parking lot, and Chris finally saw an opening in the fence structure near the garbage cans.  I guess it was just a case of one of those structural marvels designed to make the whole fence look alike.  It worked.  We did find the girls, though.  Seems the day care worker had told them their pastor was picking them up.  The girls, however, had no idea who they were talking about.  Until we walked up, that is, and they both screamed, “Pastor Kelley!”  See, I’m not “your pastor.”  I’m “Pastor Kelley.”  Besides, what they should have told them was “Mama Chris.”  They were way happier to see her than they were me. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”

Father, thank you for trust.  It’s good to trust Dennis.  It’s humbling to be trusted with someone’s kids.  Amen.

January 8 – “A Crisis of Technological Proportions”

We had a good day at church yesterday.  Nice crowd both numbers wise and in the way the participated in the teaching.  Even had some folks from Pennsylvania and Illinois there with us, not to mention the ones who drove all the way in from different parts of Texas.    Quite a few folks agreed to stick around after church to help take down the Christmas decorations.  With all that help we were completely finished before one o’clock. 

After church we stopped by to check on the family from the big fire the day before.  Numerous donations had come in, so Chris and I got to make the delivery.  They were very appreciative.  It is tough being in a position where you know you don’t really have anything, yet you don’t have a place to put anything, either.  What do you say when someone asks, “What do you need?”  You need everything, but how do you prioritize?  They seem to be focused on clothes and making sure their transportation is in good order right now so he can get to work.  She is tasked with making the outrageous number of phone calls facing them.  Neighbors have stepped up and are already planning a benefit for them on the 20^th.  Seaside and the Jamaica Beach Volunteer Fire Department are both accepting donations of cash and gift cards.  And of course they need and are grateful for all the prayers they can get.

We finally made it back home and crashed on the couch to watch Return of the Jedi.  And the result was not good.  Apparently the disk we have didn’t do as well as we thought in surviving after Hurricane Ike.  It skipped and jumped like an old scratched record.  Finally it just gave up entirely and shut down.  Now that’s a crisis.  Everyone needs to have a copy of Return if the Jedi on hand.  And you have to watch it in proper sequence before going to see the final episode in theaters now.  What to do?  What to do?  Well, we did what anyone else would have done, I’m sure.  I went to WalMart to get another copy.  It was a long shot, but I had to try.  Besides, we were almost out of fruit, so there was another excuse.  Chris’ last words to me as I left the house?  “If they don’t have this movie, that doesn’t mean you can just buy any other movie instead.”  Wait.  Now why would she say such a thing to me?  I assured her that I would return soon, movie in hand.  “Some movie.”  And she waved a brief, “You better not …” 

Fortunately, though I actually found a copy.  Included both DVD and Blue ray editions.  I popped in the Blue ray and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  Suddenly the machine started its process over.  I feared something was terribly wrong.  Again it attempted to load.  This time, however, an error code appeared with a message.  In a nutshell, it regretted to inform us that our Blue ray player was too old to read the newer versions of disks now out.  This disk could not be read.  Sigh.  There’s another expense.  A new Blue ray player.  Not to be deterred, however, I fumbled through the case and found the DVD version.  Surely there have been no new developments in DVD technology.  I popped it in and voila.  There was good ol’ Luke and his dad and his sister and her boyfriend and his rather large pet.  And finally our afternoon of coughing and Star Wars could begin in earnest.

Psalms 23:1-3 says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.”

Father, thank you for all the folks who came to Seaside for the very first time yesterday.  And please keep walking with Mike and Nancy.  Amen.

January 7 – “A window into a fire”

 Ever wondered what kinds of things go into a fire call?  Maybe this post will give you just a taste, a glimpse through the window.  And understand … there is oh, so much more involved. 

I went to another fire yesterday.  This one came through the app on my phone as Chris and I were waiting for breakfast to finish baking (cinnamon rolls).  It indicated the location as Jamaica Beach so I turned on my radio to hear some details.  Sure enough the fire was fully involved and not far from the church.  I looked at Chris and she simply said, “Goodbye.”

The sirens were already ahead of me as I headed toward the West End.  I was passed by one fire vehicle about Spanish Grant, so it was apparent that everyone was heading to this one.  I parked several blocks away and walked past several Galveston fire trucks.  I noted trucks from at least four of the Galveston stations had responded.  One was set up at the fire hydrant to pump needed water down to the fire.  Others were waiting to be called in as assist crews or to be released to service to cover the rest of the Island’s needs.  EMS was on site.  Police officers from Jamaica Beach and Galveston set up a road block to keep out traffic.  Curious neighbors lined the streets watching the action with cups of coffee in hand and heads sadly turning side to side. 

At the fire site the flames were still engulfing the structure, a canal home built on pilings, as are all the homes in the neighborhood.  Heavy smoke streamed from the attic.  Jamaica Beach Volunteer Fire Department was first on the scene, so Fire Chief Baden was intently focused, acting as command for the crews from Jamaica Beach and Galveston Fire Departments.  Galveston Chief Mike Wisko arrived as well, and offered his expertise as needed.  The crews from both departments worked together seamlessly, dragging hose and spraying hot spots and knocking down walls to reveal hidden simmering areas, all the while taking extra care because of the report of a box of ammunition and some fireworks on site.  A support team from Jamaica Beach VFD offered bottles of water to tired fire fighters as they returned to the trucks to replenish air tanks and take a quick breather before returning to the battle.  I also saw some neighbors bring over bottles of water and even Gatorade as well. 

Word soon began to spread that the fire began somewhere in the garage.  The resident heard an explosion and suddenly the house was fully engulfed with fire.  She barely had time to get out.  There were pets involved, however.  Three large dogs were cowering on the deck.  Apparently one jumped to safety on its own.  A second responded to an unusual rescue effort.  A ladder was placed against the deck and responders held a large sheet of plywood over their heads as they climbed it.  One of the dogs got the idea right away and jumped from the deck onto the plywood and then to the ground.  The final pup was too frightened to take the scary plunge, however.  The dog’s fear proved to be a boon to fire fighters, however.  Once it started cowering in a corner, the rescuers were able to carry it to safety. 

After I had been there for a while, Chief Baden and Lauren from the Jamaica Beach department pointed out the homeowner to me.  I made my way over to offer my help and prayers.  As we talked I felt an arm engulf me from behind and a voice call out, “Hello, Pastor Kelley.”  It was the lady’s boyfriend who also lived in the house with her.  Now, I get a lot of people acknowledging me as “Pastor Kelley” even when I don’t know who they are.  This was one of those times.  It took me a while before it registered that this young man had been one of the youngsters who grew up coming to Seaside's children and youth events. His current full beard and the cowboy hat pulled down over his face certainly went a long way toward changing his appearance.  Seems that the house had belonged to his grandparents who had recently died, and the property had just passed into his mother’s hands.  He was living there and fixing the house up, with new paint and brand new flooring so far already completed.  Later, when I left the fire scene, I made a stop by Michael’s Mom’s house to check on her and assure her that everyone was fine.  Mike was there when I arrived, so we had prayer together.

As fire crews worked to finish knocking down the blaze and seeing the clean-up through to the end (the house was a total loss), the Jamaica Beach Volunteer Fire Department contacted the Red Cross to get some immediate assistance for the family.  Several neighbors approached me to offer help as well, and asked if they could contact me with donations in the days to come.  I received a call from Galveston fire fighter David Rojas later that night.  His family had been collecting clothing since Hurricane Harvey, and it was all stored at Mario’s on 61^st Street.  They wanted to offer whatever they had to the family in need. 

First responders.  Community.  Church.  Family.  All pieces of the puzzle … glimpsed through the widow.

Psalms 21:13 says, “Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might.”

Father, walk with Michael and Nancy and Maureen as they face all the unknowns of starting over.  Bless the first responders for their timely and professional response.  They certainly made me proud.  Amen.

January 6 – “It is official”

It has officially happened.  Santa is no longer in the building.  Yep.  I had my seasonal winter shearing taken care of yesterday.  The college era long hair and the Santa Claus beard are history.  Oh, there’s still a bit of a beard.  I’ve kind of grown attached to something on my face over the years.  And I didn’t shave my head bald or anything.  I just placed my hairiness in the hands of a competent hair stylist (more than competent, actually; she is amazing), and sat back and relaxed.  The head doesn’t take near as long to dry off after a shower now.  And in a pinch I don’t even need a comb.  Just brush my hands through it and I’m good to go. 

We have finished the first three of the Star Wars movies, arguably the worst of the series.  I think Rogue One falls next in line chronologically, if I’m not mistaken.  Then we can finally get to the “real” Star Wars movies. 

Chris woke up in a not so good situation yesterday.  When she finally joined me in the study she almost immediately left again.  Seems she had spent the last hour in the bathroom.  In her words, she was “emptying my system from both ends.”  Then we talked with Josh for a while last night.  He and Christi both have been pretty sick as well.  I felt bad about that.  I worried that I was the cause of everyone’s malady, even though I did my best to stay out of the way as much as possible when everyone was here.  Chris assured me it was probably just a virus that the kids had that didn’t affect them nearly as hard as it did the adults.  Makes sense.  I for one am certainly a wimpy adult.  And those kiddos are incredibly resilient.  Chris bounced back pretty well by the afternoon, though.  Her “Mom anti-illness genes” are still in pretty good working order.  The kids get well quickly.  The Moms get well quickly.  Is it any wonder the rest of us poor soul Dad-types have to contend with the dreaded Man flu?  But that’s OK.  We are willing to take the hit so the rest of the family can avoid the worst of it.

Psalms 20:7 says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”

Father, bring your healing to all the folks with flu and colds and coughs this season.  Amen.

January 5 - “A Smoky Romance”

I had to leave the Island yesterday afternoon to attend a funeral visitation in Santa Fe.  Now let me say up front that I have been warned that it could get like this (My son is a mailman, after all, so he gets to experience it all the time), but for the first time I got to experience the full force of the freeway lane closures just north of the Island.  It took me a good fifteen or twenty minutes just to get across the causeway.  Traffic was backed up clear to the car dealership, and from the looks of things it might have ended up all the way to Target (61^st Street) before things got better.  There have been a lot of complaints on social media and in the newspaper (that would be two different generations), but at least it’s not happening in the summer.  It will affect Mardi Gras traffic, though.  I imagine that will be a nightmarish weekend around here.

I thought I would be late getting back for home group, but there was no traffic coming home.  I made it with about ten minutes to spare.  Chris had everything ready to go and was reading a book on the couch.  I joined her, and we talked about National Parks and our desire to check them out on our next adventure.  That’s what the book was about.  One couple’s journey through the parks and the letters they send back to friends. 

As it turned out no one was able to be here for home group, so we put the house back into every-day mode and settled in for an evening together.  It didn’t take long for Chris to suggest lighting a fire in the fireplace.  I recommended we get started on our Star Wars binge.  That’s where we watch all the movies already out before going to see the new one.  The biggest decision was whether to watch them in the order they came out or in chronological (numerical episode order).  We finally decided to go with chronology.  Episode One: The Jar Jar Binks Fiasco.  As you might gather, I didn’t think much of Episode One.  It was nice to have the fire going right next to the television, though.  When things got too silly, I could just gaze into the flames.  It was quite the romantic setting. 

Well, it was until the smoke started accumulating in the house instead of exiting through the flue.  That has been the only negative with this Ben Franklin style stove that we have.  It’s very interesting architecturally, and adds a lot to the décor of the house.  It puts out a lot of heat.  But after a period of time it starts working backwards as far as the smoke is concerned.  We can usually get rid of it by opening the back door, but I think we waited a little too long this time.  I finally put a box fan in the window and had it blowing the smoke outside that way.  Worked like a charm.  I think I may start there next time and set up the fan before we even light the log.  Well, Chris, we truly have a smoky island romance, don’t we?

Psalms 20:5 says, “We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God.  May the Lord grant all your requests.”

Father, thank you for my smoky romance with my beautiful wife.  Amen.

January 4 – “Wrapping it up”

Beyond the usual time I spend every day on sermon preparation, I spent most of yesterday trying to wrap up all the loose Christmas ends.  That meant writing thank you notes for gifts.  That seems to be becoming a lost art these days.  Oh, not around here by any means though.  Chris won’t allow it.  She was very strict on our boys about it when they were growing up.  That, of course, translates into “she was very strict on me then and now.”  I do appreciate a little thank you.  Just a small taste of gratitude expressed sure goes a long way.  

I also tried to find just the right spot for some of the different gifts we received.  I am ready to hang a wooden cross on the wall by my desk.  It will fit perfectly right above a framed picture I have of the city of Jerusalem.  I found an open spot on our game shelf for the Catopoly game the Boyer girls gave me.  I find it suspicious that the game fit absolutely perfectly.  Almost as if someone – or some feline thing – did some rearranging to ensure a permanent residence.  Can’t trust those cats, you know. 

However, most of my day was spent flipping through one of those day by day calendar things I received from Lauren and Ed.  Every day has a different saying from a church marquee.  I made an extensive list of the ones I thought would fit onto the marquee we have at Seaside.  There are a bunch of them.  Want to hear a few? 

Some were clearly church related:

The True Triple Crown: Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Read the Bible.  It’s user friendly.  Tech support available Sundays at 10

And one of my favorites:

They tried to bury us.  They didn’t know we are seeds

Others were philosophical or common sense or just plain fun:

Hold the door open for a clown.  It’s a nice jester.

We come from earth.  We return to earth.  And in between we garden.

No matter how much you push the envelope, it’ll still be stationery.

That’s enough for now.  You’ll have to drive by Seaside 50 times of so to see some more.

Psalms 20:4 says, “May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.”

Father, thank you for those who gifted us this year, either with their abundance or with their presence and love.  Amen.