Paul Alton MBA

Welcome to the New Year. We are in Harlingen, Texas this month.

They say you should begin as you hope to continue.

We had a quiet day.

Midday we drove to South Padre Island. It was busy for that beach. Juanita relaxed, reading in the car. I walked on the beach, first south then north to the next access point. It was busy at the walk-on access point we were parked at. It was even busier at the next access point which is both walk or drive onto the beach. I handed out a few curved illusion tracts in English and a great many in Spanish.

We drove home for a quiet evening.

We met at the warehouse for the staff meeting and chapel. Juanita and I have been mostly taking Fridays off, but Brother Ben and some others are heading to Guatemala on Saturday, so we wanted to get a heads up on anything he wanted us to do while he was gone. The drive through food bank reopened today after the Christmas pause. It wasn’t too busy. Oscar did not speak at chapel today.

After chapel, Juanita and I went out to the Training Center. We applied a coat of joint compound to both sides of the wall, applying tape to some seams. We had lunch and drove out to the mall in McAllen. It was very busy with cross border shoppers from Mexico. On the way past we noticed the RGV outlet mall was busy as well. The Macy’s and other McAllen stores were busy, although the Macy’s Home store was showing signs of winding down.

Juanita drove the old highway back to Harlingen and Sam’s while I read. At Sam’s we bought fuel, salad fixings and a couple of hot dog combos for supper.  

We had a quiet morning until about 11 when we roused ourselves from vegging and surfing to go to the Iwo Jima Memorial museum. Outside it has the statue which was used to cast the bronze version of the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. Inside there are maps, displays and a video about the battle of Iwo Jima.

Then we went to the library on our way to the Jackson Street Market. The first Saturday of each month Jackson Street is closed for a street market. This was our first visit to it this winter. We learned today that there is an indoor market on Jackson Street that is held every Saturday. We wandered around that a bit. We sat in one of the booths so a friend manning it could take a bathroom break, then we meandered out into the sunshine.

We had a couple of bunless burger and soft drinks at a Whataburger. Sounds innocent, but at $CDN 39 it won’t be a regular habit. The actual cash outlay used to buy my first house was $32. Time and inflation march on.  

After a brief trip to Walmart we visited the local Harlingen mall. What a contrast to the McAllen mall. There was still a JC Penney’s but it looks like it was on its last leg. The stores in the mall were absent or in obvious hospice watch. Thus inspired, we went home and took it easy

Mike spoke in church. He mentioned that before Christ was charged the high priest declared that one man should die for many. He wouldn’t quote him in everything but he would in this.

Bildad the Shuhite in Job 25:6 – “In comparison, people are maggots; we mortals are mere worms.” Mike expounded on how there are tow different types of worm. The word for the second type relates to the word for scarlet. A worm that they dry and crush and use to dye clothes red. The life cycle of this second worm. When mature female ready to give birth. Climbs onto branch. Lays eggs between body and branch. When eggs hatch they eat through their mother. Mike related this as a picture of Christ’s sacrifice – “if you don’t eat my flesh…”

It is easy to get distracted and forget that we are in Him.

We had lunch at home then drove to Port Mansfield, looked around, admired the small deer that wander freely through the town. We drove back a  different way and checked out the Port of Harlingen before driving home to relax.  

Oscar Brooks spoke in chapel about group think beginning in 1 Samuel 30. In pursuit of the captors of David’s wife and children there were two hundred “too tired”. In verse 21 - How is David working with “wicked men”? They don’t want to share with the “tired” ones. David insists otherwise and that is the ordnance still. David is an example of a lot of good things and a lot of bad things. This an example of a good thing.

Not everyone we work with is perfect. David didn’t choose them. The worthless men didn’t want to share the spoils. Earlier in the day they wanted to kill David. He did not allow the worthless men to run the group. That is the power of working with people who may not be the best people. Worthless people will speak of worthless things.

A group has to work with those God gives them. But they don’t get to run things.

One of today’s big projects is fencing in Byron’s work area. This is inspired by recent thefts and a couple of willing volunteers from Byron’s home church here for part of this week. Another project inspired by thefts is to clear sight lines and remove the aftermath of some homeless housing out back.

I manned a chainsaw to cut down the trees and shrubbery that have been obscuring the sight lines when the police drive by the back of the warehouse. After the trees were cut I helped drag branches to the pile and picked up trash ledt by the homeless people. Juanita worked in the office until lunch then helped pick up trash.

We had the oil changed in the car before we headed south for the winter. That’s a lot of miles ago. Time for an oil change again. When I went to book the oil change the dealer said there was a recall. Today was the day. If the recall goes well, they will reprogram the ECU, test drive the car and the ECU will say things are fine. If things go poorly the ECU will say the car needs a new engine. A new free engine would be nice, but that will tie up the car for a while, while they order and install an engine. In preparation we have emptied the tools from the car.

We drop of the car at seven and wait for a shuttle to take us to the warehouse. The shuttle is ready about 7:30 when the morning bookings rush dies down and there is somebody available to drive it.

Oscar spoke in chapel about fighting the wind of the Holy Spirit.

East vs West wind, Why did Jesus say wind of Holy Spirit you don’t know which way?
Exodus 10: 13 East wind brought locusts (judgement).
Jonah 7&8 The worm ate his vine. The East wind took away the little comfort. He wished he was dead
Exodus 14:21 East wind. Blessing to Israel. Judgement on Egypt
Exodus 10:19 West wind - removes locusts

Wind is a natural thing. Something in nature that God uses in a supernatural way. There are times in your life that you find yourself fighting the Holy Spirit. God says, “No. You’re going the wrong way.”

Don’t fight the wind of the spirit.

Juanita helped in the office. I helped with the fence with a break to go pick up the car. All is well.

After lunch we reached choke point with the fence. Not much I could help with. We went to the training center, applied some corner bead. Tried another repair but found evidence of past efforts. I have questions. I sorted tools. We put them back in the car.

After a shower we went shopping, and for steps at Sam’s.

Oscar spoke in chapel this morning. A few days ago, he spoke of the East and West winds. Today, he spoke of the South wind, a wind of warmth and discernment.

Job 37:16 sweltering in clothes. Psalm 78 – the quail (remember the locusts of east and west winds), a wind of provision, coupled with the east wind. Luke 12:54, 55 you say it’s going to be warm. But you can’t tell the time you are living in. What’s happening around you. Acts 27:13 Sailing based on the south wind, but lacking discernment.

God using nature to teach us something supernatural.

After chapel, Juanita helped in the office until lunch time. I helped complete the fencing around Byron’s shop area. After lunch she joined me helping put away stuff in the newly defined work area. On the way home we stopped at Sam’s to pick up some salad fixings.

On this year’s schedule, Friday is our day off. Juanita headed to the laundromat early on while I puttered at the keyboard. We missed Oscar’s message but were able to access it here on Facebook.