The Blind Leading the Blind

Someone who holds back the truth causes trouble, but one who openly criticizes works for peace. 10:10

We had a bunch of ladies from church over for lunch today. One of them is blind so she and Gary had lots to talk about, in particular Gary's book port.
Overheard:

Candy is a treat. Please consume in moderation -- inside wrapper of a Hershey's bar.

I'm Such a Dork

To be wise you must first have reverence for the Lord. 9:10

Today I dropped my cell phone and the battery fell out. I put it back in, but it appeared to be dead. Next I tried a battery from a different phone and still no sign of life. Then Rachel reminded me it might work better if I turned it on.

The swimming pool will be used Sunday morning, June 11, by the Montagnard Church for a baptism from 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM. All other swimmers will need to leave the pool during that time. Thank you for your cooperation.

25 Years Ago Today

Keep my teaching with you all the time; write it on your heart. 7:3.

...I was giving birth to baby Rachel at Kilu'ufi hospital in Auki, Malaita, Solomon Islands. The recovery room contained 10 newborns with their mothers and grandmothers. We were given half a loaf of bread and a tin cup of sweet tea the next morning. We gave Rachel a middle name from the language we were living in, Fiito'ona, but we anglicized it to Fitona. It means 'faith'.

A week ago today we were ceremoniously shutting the door between our side of the house and hers, so now she has been living in her "own" place for a week. So far, she seems to enjoy it (except for not having a dishwasher), especially now that she has a new kitty to keep her company. She also potted a plant for her new home. Women need living things to care for.

Overheard:

I've lost my car--again.

50 Years, 90% Sure

A man who commits adultery hasn't any sense. 6:32

Last night we attended a 50th anniversary celebration for missionary friends. These two both have a terrific sense of humor, so that made their party a fun one. Their kids had organized a photo tribute that covered the two New Testaments they produced in Papua New Guinea, and we saw a video of the dedication of the most recent one. Their daughter seems to have inherited her parents' sense of humor--inside the lovely arch, decorated with tulle and golden wedding bells, were two wheel chairs.

Today the husband of this couple was at coffee break with us and he talked about the fun evening. Then he mentioned a phone call he had had with his daughter when she was dating her now husband:

"Dad, I like him, but I'm just not completely sure. I'd say I'm about 90% sure."
"Karol, I've been married to your mom for over 40 years now, and I'm still only about 90% sure!"

We all got a laugh out of that, but he said on that advice Karol realized that she had a good thing and that she should proceed, even if she still had a few doubts.

In other news, Rachel got a call today to interview for another Christian school as a Kindergarten teacher. And she got a call today for a date. I have no idea how either of these things will turn out, but it is always nice to be asked!

Andrew called me via Skype tonight--it worked really well and was free.

Overheard:

I've lost my keys--again.

Urban Camping

Love wisdom, and she will make you great. 4:8

When the kids were little, we used to camp out quite a bit. But somewhere along the line either the kids got too big or the tent got too small. Then one day, while drying out the tent, the wind carried it off to a barbed wire fence and that was the end of that. So we gave up on camping.

Last week Gary and I decided to try urban camping. We drove a total of 4.5 miles to Cedar Hill State Park, located on Joe Pool Lake. To get in we bought an annual pass to all Texas State Parks, then drove past all 350+ campsites to see if there was one we liked. Since it was a Thursday, the park was pretty empty, and we found a great spot right on the water.

Next problem, we had to go buy a tent. Lucky for us, Wal-mart is only 3 miles away from the entrance to the State park. Gary wanted to buy a little tent, but I insisted on one you could at least stand up in. Notice, it is intended for urban camping.We then went back home to pack for camping. We knew we could, but we resisted bringing a microwave or TV, but did bring an electric kettle so we could have a cup of tea (that didn't taste like smoke).

We drove to a place to go for a hike (this is a big park and you have to drive everywhere, just like the rest of Texas) and noticed they had strict instructions for the urban snakes.On day two of our trip, we got too hot and drove home to relax in the a/c during the middle of the afternoon. Good time to upload one's photos and check the email. Back to the park in time drive a couple miles to the other side of the park for an outdoor lecture on coyotes, complete with powerpoint slide show projected with a video projector.Lest you think I'm joking about the urban camping thing, here's the sign at the entrance of the state park:For another account of our vacation, look here.

Overheard:

My cat loves me!