Today was a good Labor Day, although I continued to feel tired most of the day.

The bulk of the day was spent at home.

After a year of captivity, I let the cats out to scout the house. My little boy was like, “Meh.” The little girl came downstairs and cautiously checked out spot after spot, meowing the whole time. When she is anxious, she talks. By the time late afternoon arrived, they were both happy lounging in their familiar crib. A little anti-climatic there.

Chayya (or “Little Girl”) waiting for a head pat

Shukriya (or “Little Boy”) mans the staircase

I was glad to have my friend Bonnie come over and hang with me for a study afternoon. I’ve known Bonnie since the ole college days, though I suppose I knew of her in high school since we attended the same megamonsterchurch. Bonnie is back in school, studying to be an RN. Good for you, Bonnie. I studied Acts 1 for our small group Bible study tonight while she cracked some really big scientific looking books. I stayed away from her and those books. We did get a chat or two on people and relationships and that stuff. She and I are wired similarly emotionally, so we can kind of see where the other is coming from and provide the man/woman filters where necessary. It’s good to have friends that can help you understand things in your life from a different vantage point.

Before small group, I was happy to meet my folks for dinner at our favorite eatery, Panda Express. I was just glad to see them and be with them. I am thankful to have good, engaged parents. Never a doubt that I am loved by them.

Small group was good. Even with a number of people out for the holiday, we had two new couples in our group, and the study was good. I led, and when I do, I tend to go too deep and get bogged down, and then we run out of time. I will work on not going so deep, and giving better cursory summaries of the texts we cover. We recognize that the goal of the study is not simply knowledge acquisition, but for God to meet us and challenge us through the Word so that we listen to Him more in our daily lives.

It was interesting to note from Acts 1 that the apostles, dudes that had hung with Jesus for three years, and then saw him in risen form and listened to him teach them, still didn’t understand what God’s plan was for their lives. They were still thinking about political kindgoms and Israel’s return to its golden age as Jesus was trying to tell them to live for the kingdom of God. Jesus had to tell them “Forget the political stuff. Be witnesses of my gospel and what has happened in my life, death and resurrection for you, and for the world.” It’s good to know that even the most churched-up dudes miss things.

The other great nugget for me was the reminder that the Holy Spirit came on the disciples in power. The Holy Spirit empowers believers. He has power to give us to change our lives. He’s not just a bed time story or a listening buddy. He gets inside of us and changes us, if we let him. Do your thing inside of us, Holy Spirit, please.