Bowie heat, work, church

The weekend in Bowie was hot. It was not as hot as it is going to get but for some reason it seemed overwhelming. I got up early Saturday morning and worked on taking apart the pieces of roof blown off of the covering I built over the logs. Later in the early afternoon Grandpa and I reused those pieces of metal roofing and two by fours to reroof the hog building. The hogs were stressing out in the heat since there was no shade and, at that time, no breeze.


About half way into the project I got so weak I told Grandpa I needed to go get some water. I thought I was not going to make it to the trailer I was feeling so badly. I did get inside and lay down on the floor in Mama’s and my bedroom. Very soon after that Grandpa came in because suddenly he had begun to feel the same way. It was much later before we went back out to put the metal roof back on the little building. Even then we did not finish, but we got the hogs enough shade that they began to cool down and breathe normally.

Hopefully Grandpa and Victoria can complete the repairs this morning. The cover over the log kit will have to wait until after vacation. It is not critical but I am worried about the logs exposure to the sun bleaching the wood to the point that we assemble a variegated home. I was hoping for, and I know Mama is expecting, a more uniform color to the walls once constructed. It will all work out, just not in my time frame.

I did get a lot accomplished while I was in the Decatur office Friday. I have one peer who is the type of person who does so much better with face-to-face interaction that I knew, with the project we were working together on, it would be far better for me to be there to get it done. We had a very tight timeline and a very specific goal. As it turned out, it was good that I made the trip – both for the sake of work and for the farm. Besides I got to go to church with Victoria and encourage her.

Grandma asked me Sunday morning why we couldn’t just go to a local community church. Why did we have to go to Decatur? It is a difficult question to answer when I am seeking to lead my family to a place of service, not just a place of worship. I know better and to do less than I know is right is to be disobedient. Cost is not the issue. Service style is not the issue. Congregational size is not the issue. Obedience is the issue. The cost of fuel and time do not compare to being where God wants you to be and I feel the church in Decatur is where God would have us go. So we go. It should become obvious sometime later.

Grandma and Grandpa went to the Bowie Church of the Nazarene Sunday morning. They had met the pastor last week when they stopped by the church to talk to him. Grandma said he had a wonderful testimony and she was excited about going. They were very disappointed. There were only twelve people in church besides them; ten women and two men – including the pastor. Grandpa determined the work to be dead. I am not sure it is, but I was not there. I am not sure where they will go next. If they are not willing to spend the money on gas to get to a good church, they have very limited options.

I stayed dressed in my church clothes and hustled back to Amarillo after church Sunday morning. I got back about thirty minutes before the service started. I was glad to be there. My church family was glad to have me there.

It was a busy weekend. It was a good weekend. I am anxious to have Mama back…Chase is welcome too.