We woke up in the morning to hear my sister had her baby in the middle of the night. Torin Samuel. I sadly wasn’t there this time as it was my weekend to work and there was a lot going on. My other sister was there who lives only ten minutes away and has been there for three of my sister’s four home births. She opted out of having a mid-wife this time, I think mostly to save money. She gave birth at home on their bedroom floor.

They’re still planning on coming. I told her all she’d have to do is sit in the recliner and hold the baby. It’s a busy week of preparations for when people arrive here on Thursday. Ethan surprised us Saturday morning by showing up around 8AM after telling us he wasn’t going to leave until Saturday around 6AM. He and some teammates were supposed to play campus-wide hide and seek on Friday night but then decided not to.

He got home sometime around 1AM but slept in the retreat center with the former counselor who’s been living here until he starts his job in January. So that was fun to see him. Dad and I went grocery shopping this morning to get the first batch of food. Thanksgiving Day we’ll spend at his mom’s house in the later morning and for the noon meal. Wednesday evening we’re playing games with Laura’s family and some others.

I do like these gatherings. It’s a lot but every year is different and somehow works itself out. This year my grandma sent $1000 to cover the food. I’d only asked for $500. So that was nice and her way of supporting us and being there. My other aunt is coming this year, finally after years of asking. She has something with her work where things are due at the end of the month and it’s never been a good time. She’s still talking to Tim.

Dad and Elianna are picking up the puppy tomorrow. They’ve been shopping to get all the things together, tonight bringing home a bag of puppy food. My sister regularly acts like I’m in for a rude awakening as soon as this dog is here. I told her ignorance is bliss and that I’m fine with my bliss until things have to change. Seriously, I have no idea what to expect. They keep saying you have to take him outside to use the bathroom.

It’s a male German Shepherd. I think of German Shepherds as being a mix of black and brown but this one is mostly black with only a little bit of brown. She won’t tell us the name. There’s a place in the back office where he’s supposed to sleep and I guess for a while she is going to sleep with him. I’m trying to figure out which cat is going to have the hardest time with him being here. I’m kind of hoping they’ll eventually be used to it.

The morning Ethan came home I woke up to a text sound at 7. I figured it was him letting me know he was leaving. It wasn’t. I thought it was weird that he hadn’t texted, and I thought about calling him but I didn’t. He said he’d set his alarm for 6AM so he could call me because he figured I’d worry. But for whatever reason he didn’t and went back to sleep. I wasn’t really worrying, it was more like wondering then letting it go.

But it made me happy that I’d somehow been thought of again. I read Acts chapter 4 and basically Peter and John are interrogated by the religious leaders asking them in whose power had they healed a lame man. In Jesus’ power, they said. The leaders tell them they need to stop doing that. It makes them (the leaders) uncomfortable for whatever reason but they also see that they can’t deny that this man was healed.

Whenever I’ve read about Peter and John being bold I’ve always kind of pictured them enjoying this experience. Like they’re getting some kind of high or rush out of ruffling these feathers and being defiant in some way. But I don’t think that’s going on here. Boldness is speaking the truth, not rebelling. And then the leaders kind of threaten them. These are not idle leaders. These are the people who had their friend killed.

So these leaders could essentially do the same to them. The disciples pray to God for boldness. Their behavior in these moments is all coming across as completely non-pompous and rather measured. They’ve fallen asleep in Gethsemane and not believed when others came to them to tell them Jesus had risen. The only way they’re going to be bold in the face of such leaders is through Jesus who gives them the power to do so.