April 13 – “Late night”

I’m a different kind of sore this morning.  We spent the morning of my “day off” in the back yard, meticulously pulling up weeds that have forced their way into the lawn back there.  Some of them agreed to come along nicely, even responding to being tugged at with a rake.  Others, however, were stubborn.  They simply refused to give up without a fight.  Gotta give them some kudos for their stick-to-it-tive-ness, I suppose.  We only managed to get through about half of the yard – the worst infected half, though.  Not sure what today holds, but I am sore.  Back sore.  Side sore.  You-crawled-around-on-your-hands-and-knees-pulling-weeds-for-hours sore.  Oh, but that reminds me.  I can bend my new knee a little farther than before.  Still feels very weird to kneel on it at all, but it can be done.   

Yesterday evening I had an appointment to meet with a family in Jamaica Beach.  When I got home there were two extra little ones and their mother hanging around.  Noa and Ezra (and Christina) were over.  Their brothers and Dad had also been there for some supper, but I missed them.  They were already at a hero-clix tournament in LaMarque.  As it turned out, Noa helped me make palm crosses for our Palm Sunday services at church.  Ezra helped too.  He brought us palm branches.  Noa had a good mnemonic way of remembering how to do it, too.  Something about folding like a letter in her name, down, down again, going through the back door, oops he forgot his keys, now he forgot to lock the door, and now he forgot to put the watermelon on the kitchen counter.  And there it is.  Chris tried to follow along.  She has trouble remembering how to make one every year.  Guess she doesn’t think like an almost-six-year-old.

We both slept in this morning.  Chris because I left her alone and there were no strange dishes-clanking, keyboard-clattering, Freddy-scruffling noises to contend with.  Me?  Well, I sort of stayed up late last night.  Oh, I fully intended to go to bed around ten or so.  In fact, I actually did.  My problem was two-fold.  The afore-mentioned soreness was a tad more severe, thus making it difficult to get comfortable.  And two … well, the Astros were playing in Seattle.  That’s a two-hour time zone difference.  The game didn’t even start until after nine.  I was serious about heading to bed, though.  I snuck in watching the game on my phone app.  I think I could have made it, too.  Right up until Altuve hit a grand slam home run.  Then I knew it was time to just return to the den and watch the rest of the game there.  Strictly so I wouldn’t wake up Chris, you understand.  I was only thinking about her.  As it turned out, Gurriel later added a second grand slam, and the Astros won 10-6.  Guess it was worth the late night.  I finally settled into bed around 12:30.  Slept until 7:30 this morning. 

Psalms 46:10 says, “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’”

Father, thank you for my cross-making assistant last night.  Amen.

April 12 – “I stayed quiet”

Yesterday was Find the Printer Day.  With the booklet for the sunrise service completed, and my 30% off coupon in hand, I headed over to Office Depot to see what they had to offer. 

The young lady in charge of the print department energetically greeted me and happily began entering my request into the computer.  Oh, this was the Quote Computer, as I found out later.  It didn’t take long, as her fingers flew over the keyboard entering the specs of the job, type of paper, and other pertinent information I didn’t even know I had given her.  I stayed quiet, mesmerized by the activity.  The initial quote appeared.  Well over $800.  I immediately spoke up.  “Nope.  That’s way too much.  Thank you.” 

Surprisingly, however, she quickly agreed with me, saying, “You are right.  That’s way too much.  Let me enter it this way.”  And those fingers began their journey across the keyboard once again.  I stayed quiet.  A second screen portrayed almost $500.  That was more what I expected, but again, I chose to stay quiet.  Good choice.  She still wasn’t satisfied.  She dove back in yet again.  I stayed quiet … again.  This time the bottom line showed around $250.  “There it is,” she offered.  “That’s your quote.  We can do it for that much.”  I suddenly found my voice.  “Nail it.  Let’s do it.”  I was afraid to wait any longer.  That price had nowhere to go but back up. 

Next step was to switch to the actual cash register computer.  They went through all the rigmarole needed to get everything entered into that computer, and the price came to that almost $500 one again.  I stayed quiet.  But the lady who had given me the lower quote overrode that price and entered the quote she gave me.  “Because that was what I told you …”  I didn’t argue.  I stayed quiet.  Then on top of that, she entered my 30%off coupon.  Not a bad price for 500 booklets.  God worked that one out.

From there I stopped by the hearing aid place.  I wanted to talk to the receptionist again after the interest she showed the other day.  No one was there, so I put a sunrise service flyer in the door and said a prayer that it wouldn’t blow away before it was found.  After I got back in the car, but before I drove away, who should walk up to the car from behind?  The receptionist.  She had been to the dentist and was just getting back.  She saw me and came over to see if I needed anything.  We ended up talking for about ten minutes about her life and about the sunrise service.  She seemed genuinely excited about the prospect of going.  Even asked if she could tell the audiologist about it.  Pretty cool God-in-action stuff. 

Psalms 126:5 says, “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.”

Father, thank you for moving in the heart of that receptionist.  Keep on drawing her to yourself.  Amen.

April 11 – “The whole holey street: Why not?”

They came and repaired holes in front of our house the other day.  We appreciated the gesture.  We have been driving in and out of the craters for years now.  I think maybe they should have just replaced our whole holey street.  But no one asked me.  Sigh …

I got started on preparation for Easter services.  That means a sunrise baptism service on the beach at 6:30 a.m. and a communion service at 10.  So far I have finished the song booklets for the sunrise service and got it approved by our worship pastor.  Now I have to get it in to the printers.  A nice surprise on that note.  I was thinking about using a different printer this year.  But yesterday I got one of those letters from Office Depot with coupons attached.  Yep.  Thirty percent off all print services.  Don’t think I can beat that anywhere.  Headed there later this morning.  As far as teachings go, I’m almost set for the communion service.  Still need to get started on the sunrise service, though. 

We had to take our car in for its oil change and tire rotation.  This was the last free one associated with our new car purchase.  On the way home we stopped by Home Depot to pick up a new weedeater.  The other one broke right when I started using it.  Those things last about a season and a half.  We also got a few patches of sod for the yard.  That’s also a constant, generally losing, battle. 

Oh, and as we drove into the parking lot I noticed that they were cleaning out their palm trees in the parking lot.  I pulled over to pick up two or three branches to use for palm crosses.  A few workers were standing nearby, so I let them know I was just taking a few for Palm Sunday at church.  Before I knew it workers from all directions were asking if they could help me load the pickup down with branches.  Guess they were OK with us taking a few …

Speaking of more yard work, at least I did get the yard mowed before the weedeater crashed.  I also trimmed a few trees, and Brennan from across the street came over and helped me pull some weeds from the front lawn.  Evil, grow-in-a-circle weeds.  Another never-ending job there.  At least they weren’t the evil, sticker burs that stab you and won’t let go.

Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentiles.”

Father, thank you for the offers of assistance from unlikely sources yesterday – the palm tree workers and Brennan.  Bless them for that.  Amen.

April 10 – “An Easter story”

I had an appointment with the audiologist yesterday.  Apparently, one of my hearing aids was not amplifying properly.  Chris noticed that the TV was getting louder again.  I noticed it, too, this time.  Not the TV.  The little notification musical ditty that plays when I first close the case and insert them into my ears was sounding like it was getting farther and farther away. 

I went back with the audiologist, and she, being quite chatty, asked if I was busy at the church, what with the season and all.  I agreed that Easter is always a very busy time of year.  She then asked if this weekend was Easter.  I updated her personal calendar with the information that we still had another week before Easter – and I needed every minute of the extra time.  Then I casually added, “We have Palm Sunday first.” 

Suddenly, from the confines of the receptionists desk came a cry, “So what IS Palm Sunday, anyway?”  Not that she was listening in or anything.  The audiologist was pretty much finished, so we moved to the front of the office where I could better answer the question.  I told her the Palm Sunday story – which she had never heard.  Then I followed with the rest of Holy Week up to Easter.  My favorite question came when the receptionist asked, “Well, how does the Easter Bunny fit into the story?”  Actually a great question when you grow up in our society.  The audiologist jumped in on that one, blaming that little rabbit on pagan nature festivals.  Pretty accurate answer.  I softened it a bit by explaining some of the symbolism that was appropriate.  Also told them about the Eastern European custom of dyeing eggs blood red to symbolize the blood of Jesus.  After that one question led to another, and I ended up answering questions about Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, and Lent as well.  Then more customers came in, so we had to cut the lesson short. 

The audiologist was grateful, because she hadn’t heard a lot of the historical facts before.  The receptionist was pensive and at times even amazed at the story.  It was the first time she had heard any of it.  Great opening for next time to maybe take the discussion to a more personal level …

Psalms 51:1-2 says, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.  Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.”

Father, be with that receptionist.  Keep her safe as you draw her to yourself.  Amen.

April 9 – “A Sporting Day”

Wow.  Late night last night.  Texas Tech vs. Virginia’s fault.  That was a very exciting basketball final.  Even went into overtime.  Sadly, Texas Tech lost, but that may have been good for their city.  I saw where when they won the other night to make it to the big game that bedlam and rioting broke out all over Lubbock.  Like … destructive stuff, not just dancing in the street.  Sounds like it was pretty scary to live in Lubbock.  So maybe the loss protected some property and kept some people’s police records clean.  Sad.

Now that game didn’t stop us from enjoying the Astros come from behind victory over the Yankees.  Actually any kind of victory over the Yankees – by just about anybody – is generally a good thing.  This one was pretty sweet, though.  Big old Tyler White lumbering around the bases to barely beat the throw home.  Altuve homering.  And my personal favorite.  Correa’s broken bat squibber that rolled slowly down the first base line while another run scored.  And the pitcher and first baseman were so confused, Correa ended up safe at first with a hit.  Gotta love it.  Of course I love it when they score 15 runs, too …

And to top off our all-sports day (I’m ignoring the work I also had to fit in), we drove into Houston to watch Jachin play some baseball.  He starts in left field, but had to come in as pitcher later in the game.  He did a great job, too.  Threw strikes, unlike his harried predecessor.  They lost the game, but we were proud of our young left hander. 

Zephaniah 2:3 says, “Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands.  Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.”

Father, today would you watch over the youngsters who are involved in sports of all kinds.  Lots of potential for injury, of course, but it’s just so much fun.  Amen.

April 8 – “Triathalon Sunday”

Once again it was time for Triathalon Sunday in Galveston.  Some 3,000 entrants swam and biked and raced around Moody Gardens and then out past San Luis Pass and back. 

We got word even before church started that one of the bikers had been hit by a car and was being transported to the hospital.  We prayed for him and the car driver. 

Lots of our Seaside folks just didn’t want to leave after church.  They were talking and laughing and enjoying each other’s company.  We had a really good worship and teaching time, and it’s always hard to want to head back into the “real world.”  When they did leave, many of them went to lunch together.  Gotta love a family.

And then the storm blew in after church.  Pretty severe weather.  Remember those triathletes?  Now ordinarily a little rain will not stop one of these events, and actually the professional triathletes were long finished before the weather came.  But there were quite a few cyclists still on the road.  A multitude were in the middle of running the half-marathon.  They all kept on plugging until a sad note came.  They received word to seek shelter first, then to abandon the race altogether.  We were hit with wind gusts up to 60+ miles an hour, along with lightning and hard blowing rains.  Safety first. 

That storm blew over our swing out back as well as our table upstairs on the deck.  No real damage, though.  The new fence and side porch and decorative slate walkway adjunct all came through with flying colors.  I guess our construction skills proved worthy. 

We stayed inside during and after the storm.  The Astros came through in the bottom of the ninth to win their white-knuckle game.  Then the Baylor Lady Bears barely hung on to win by just a point after their star player went down with a knee injury.  Real nail-biting action in that one.  Tonight we see if Texas Tech can finish out their Cinderella run in the men’s NCAA tournament.  Ah, March Madness.  Gotta love it.

Matthew 18:3-5 says, “And he said, ‘Truly I tell you. Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.’”

Father, please watch over that cyclist who was hit yesterday.  Help the docs know exactly what to do for him.  Amen.

April 7 – “Exciting. Exciting. Exciting. Not so …”

We finished laying the side-of-the-house patio pavers.  Exciting.  It took all day.  No, really 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Chris unloaded just about every one of those 300+ bricks and hauled them from the truck to the back yard.  Plus she did some other yard work as well.  If my soreness is any indicator, she should be an absolute wreck today.  But then, she is pretty amazing …

Last night we watched the Astros victory while switching back and forth with the NCAA basketball tournament.  Exciting first game.  Virginia was losing by two, but managed to pull it out by one point when a kid was fouled on a 3-point attempt.  He made all three free throws with 1.5 seconds left in the game.  After the Astros game ended we switched full-time to watch Texas Tech play Michigan State.  Tech won, too.  First ever trip to the final game.  Exciting stuff.

So, gotta go.  Today is Triathalon Sunday in Galveston.  That means roads between here and the church will be closed and 3,000 bikers will be, well, everywhere between here and the church.  We are determined to get there early enough to avoid that traffic.  The race is on.  Not so exciting …

Psalms 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”

Father, please keep the Triathalon folks safe today, in the water, on their bikes, and as they run.  Amen.