Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day 2010.  It is important that we remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country and our freedoms.  Yesterday, at church, we paused and took time to give thanks to the ones who have gone before us in the battles fought over the years.  And then, I reminded the congregation that Jesus paid the ultimate price for our freedom from sin by giving his life for our salvation and eternal life.

Last Saturday, Sondra and I spent the day cleaning, taking stuff to storage and the trash, setting up and other errands to get the other spare bedroom ready for my brother David when he is released this Friday morning from the Rubidoux Re-entry House.  This spare bedroom has been used as Sondra's "office" when she was teaching full-time, so there was much educational material and books and classroom "extras" in piles and stacks.  It is exciting as the day approaches.  Saturday afternoon, I went to visit David and talk about the upcoming days.  David interviews again on Tuesday at Coronado Stone, and has his "driving test" at DMV on Thursday afternoon.  Meche (his wife who still lives in Chiapas, Mexico, in the house they bought) will arrive Thursday evening.

Yesterday (Sunday), we had the Ridings Family from Lancaster, California, come and present a concert.  The dad, his 13 year old daughter and 12 year old son sang both contemporary and gospel songs, as well as share testimony and Scripture.  They blessed us, and they said how blessed they felt as they shared with our church.

After church, Sondra and I went by Panda Express to get some fast-food Chinese to take and eat with David at the transition house in Rubidoux.  We got it all - Kung Pao chicken, honey walnut shrimp, broccoli beef, mushroom chicken, fried rice and chow mein, orange chicken, barbecue beef, egg rolls, spicy chicken, egg drop soup and fortune cookies!  We had a feast and enjoyed it all.

After that, I needed my Sunday afternoon Baptist nap!  Slept a few hours in the living room, with the TV on the NASCAR race.  In the early evening, Sondra suggested a Sunday drive to relax, so we jumped into the Chrysler Sebring convertible, put the top down and drove a short while knowing that we would end up at the Dairy Queen for a treat.  Sondra and I split a chicken dinner and then we had those tasty ice cream cones.  What a way to end the day!