Whirlwind

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)

Whirlwind

We haven’t such a fun busy weekend for years.

Thursday night we had dinner with good friends from church. We laughed and laughed. The food was good, the fellowship was wonderful. We visited the outside of an obscure sculpture museum near the restaurant in Austin’s Hyde Park, adjacent to the University of Texas.

We saw a plant that looked like basil but wasn’t. Our table faced a huge picture window that looked out on Duval Street, and the “basil” plant. We watched countless people put their faces in and smell it, or brush their fingers on the leaves … nothing. They frowned, just like we did.

The basil, however, on my Texas horseshoe was as sweet and tasty as you would ever expect. And Margaret and Pam couldn’t stop being happy.

Jesus came down with his newly chosen apostles. Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him, because power came forth from him and healed them all.

On Friday we had friends over to our apartment. We don’t do that often, but the place cleans up nice. They stopped by before our birthday dinner for a few minutes, and then we rode together to Fonda San Miguel, one of the most beautiful and colorful restaurants in Austin, where they serve “interior” Mexican food rather than Tex-Mex. The best “mole” sauce in Austin, and lots of new tastes for me.

I chose you from the world, that you may go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.

Our friends travel to Africa to teach the ins and outs of videography to pastors and businessmen in Congo, and their stories were fascinating. Birthday boy Mike got a beautiful caramel covered flan from John our server, and we all took bites. Melt-in-mouth bites they were.

Saturday was National Cinema Day all over the country. Every movie in every format, just $3 per ticket. We saw Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. Sweet movie with so much redemption, and I pretty much didn’t stop crying. And then five minutes to a second nearby theater for the Minions movie!

The Rise of Gru was intense and funny and charming. We had tickets in the 4DX theater, though, so we sat in chairs that reminded me of the electric chair at Menard State Penitentiary in Illinois. We weren’t strapped in, and we weren’t shocked, but the chairs were not exactly plush, and we were shaken to pieces whenever there was a chase scene. It would have been impossible to eat popcorn.

Andi joined us there at the last minute. We didn’t have costumes, but Margaret did bring three minion midgets that we played with afterwards. Or maybe they played with us.

Matt talked about James at church on Sunday, and then Greg talked about John at our “EmptyNester” Sunday School class afterward. He gave us questions to discuss at our tables. We had great discussions. And we played with our minions again! They had a good time too.

Sunday afternoon we finished a neat jigsaw puzzle, and then we watched “Father Brown” rescue another lost soul from a false accusation.

Now you have had yourselves washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. The Lord takes delight in his people.

On Labor Day Miles and Jasper spent the day with us. We swam in our pool under a bright blue not-too-hot-in-the-morning sky. We had meatballs and fusilli for lunch, we blew up our giant air mattress and took long naps, played all of my guitars and dressed up like pirates. After we drove the boys home, Aki and I grilled cheeseburgers, Miles showed off his new home school setup, I helped Jasper take a shower, and then after Miles and Jasper were asleep we played Apples to Apples.

And guess what?

I won!

The Lord loves his people, and he adorns the lowly with victory. Let us sing for joy upon our couches, and let the high praises of God be in our throats. The Lord takes delight in his people.

 (1 Corinthians 6, Psalm 149, John 15, Luke 6)

(posted at www.davesandel.net)

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