Moments for the Heart

This is something I should have done a long time ago, but I begin today and will continue to do so until this thing is over. I have kept a journal in the past, but with the busyness of life, I have neglected to do so for quite some time. That ends today.

This is not intended to be blog. It is a journal of the happenings of the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020. Please do more than read it, share. Leave your story at the bottom of this page; a story of your experience. This is a shared time capsule for posterity sake for future generations.

Sunday, May 3

As of today we have 19 cases; 7 active, 11 have recovered, and still only the one death. The good news is that things have not grown beyond what they have been. So it seems that the worst is over. At least that is what it looks like, and what most of the local media is saying. Not that you can really trust what the media says anymore. They can be so agenda driven, it’s crazy.

Governor Abbot this last week made a declaration to reopen Texas. This was met with gladness as well as those who feel it is too soon. They are saying that he is making a huge mistake an that the virus is going to explode here now. Other states are hardening their lock down over the virus and they feel Texas should be doing the same. It will actually open slowly. Restaurants and movie theaters are allowed to open with certain contingencies. Then in a couple of weeks other businesses will open. It is a slow process, as it should be.

In addition our church is planning to reopen on May 17. Not 100% either, meaning no Sunday School or Childcare. We will also ease back into normalcy. Still streaming Live, that should be one thing we will continue to do beyond this pandemic event. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone back in church, and I cant wait to start up Sunday School again. I miss our class. Videos are fun to do, but I miss the interactive part.

By the end of the month we should see how Governor Abbot’s Open Texas declaration is working and if the virus continues to decline as it has been, or if he was mistaken an it rises due to the increase in contact with people being out and about.

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Coming up to the end of another week and our county is up to 14 cases, and has had its first confirmed death. However, 10 have recovered. The one death was an elderly man. Not that it makes the death less saddening, but the recovery factor shows that it is not as bad it could be. Yes, there are people dying, and it is sad and my heart goes out to them, but the doom and gloom some are placing on this pandemic, are not to the extent that they are pressing it.

I will say that it is difficult what to believe. You see one report that things are getting better, then the next report says that we are on the cusps of it getting much worse. You see graphs of the peak starting to get behind us, but hear warnings that we are just on the edge of ‘the worst of it’. You want to believe that everyone has people’s best interests at heart and that humanity has a passion to get through this… but I don’t know. It seems more and more that politics edges its way into the mix, on both sides. It is sad that getting re-elected (this is an election year) is more important than genuinely helping people through a crisis.

To give an example. Everyone, well just about, received a check in their accounts this past week. A stimulus check which amounted to $1200 per adult and $500 per qualified child. For some families this would mean a good chunk of change. But underneath it all, yes it was there to help, but was it a political stunt? Maybe, maybe not. But the other side of the aisle is attempting to outdo this stimulus by not providing one check but a monthly check plus a rent forgiveness plan. It’s all ridiculous. Playing politics in the middle of a national crisis, just to win a seat at the table come November.

Okay, that is enough politics. That is not what this is about. But apropos to what is going on, so I include it. We did receive ours, and yes it did help us out tremendously. But our hurt was not from the pandemic, it was from me being out of work the last year and a half due to my condition.

Kids are doing well with home schooling. But all Texas schools were canceled for the remainder of the year. Carolyn is working up in SA at a branch short a manager. Not to happy about it because it places her in a higher risk area, but she goes where she is sent and uses it as an opportunity to be a witness for Christ. As for me, writing has slowed and I know I need to find more paid gigs, but during down time I need to write more. Especially right now, with what is going on.

Sunday, April 12, 2020 – Easter Sunday

It now has been nearly a month since my last entry, and I promised myself that I would write regularly, I haven’t. So, instead of a bunch of smaller posts, we get one long post. It makes a much more difficult read. But here we go.

In our county we now have eight confirmed cases, which it being a month later, is comforting news. Two of which have recovered from the virus. Yet, business all around are closed. All restaurants are curbside, there is no sit down anywhere.

There are lines to get into the grocery store where you have to wash up and sanitize before you enter; the line has squares or strips of tape and you must stand behind the lines which are six feet apart. When one moves up, you are allowed to step up to the nest place in line. To top it off, more places are suggesting you wear a mask. It’s not mandatory, yet, but it is strongly suggested.

Throughout town you see a split. I would say about 60/40 maybe 70/30 who wear masks. Carolyn has to wear one for her job. And every establishment in town, the employees must wear them. They also have plexiglass shields between the registers and customers. It is surreal.

To top things off, there is a dip in oil prices. Not sure if it related to the Coronavirus, but oilfield workers are either being laid off or losing their jobs. Four friends of mine have lost their jobs, and I know of two others that have had their hours cut. This is all crazy all around.

Switching gears, today was our church’s Easter service. Our fourth Facebook Live service. With God’s good grace, we have the process learned and have had few issues, outside of the second service connection loss at the startup of service. We are also getting the Sunday School lessons up on YouTube and that is going well. It keeps me busy, but I enjoy doing it.

The kids will begin their second week of at home learning this week. The first week went well. It was far less work than I anticipated and while I am a bit disappointed with the amount of work they are receiving, at the same time I am relieved. Yes, I want them to received their education, but I was concerned they were going to overburden us with a mass amount of curriculum. Instead we are given the bare minimum to meet minimum standards. So instead of too much, its too little.

There are programs we can do on our own, and I plan to do that, much to my little ones dismay, but I don’t want her to fall behind because when this all is over, she will enter the sixth grade, and be expected to perform at a sixth grade level. Not taking into account the CorornaBreak of 2020.

Monday, March 23, 2020

Late last week Governor Abbott issued an Executive Order that stipulated no gatherings larger than 10 people. This meant that we were not able to hold church services. So this weekend our church had its first Facebook Live service. It was an amazing experience for John Mark, Mr. Burleson, Pastor and I, to pull it all together. I can tell you I do not envy guys who do this every weekend. While they probably have it down to an art, it was a lot to keep an eye on to make sure everything went off without a hitch. And God most definitely had his hand on us getting things done. I was clicking away until the last moments.

From the Go Live click to the End Live it was exciting. Watching the ticker go higher and higher. The highest number I saw was 75 viewers. AMEN!! Such a blessing. I am confident churches across the U.S., maybe even the world were experiencing the same thing; left with little choice but to use unfamiliar means of getting their services to their parishioners.

Not that Facebook Live is unfamiliar to me, I have done my share of them, it was doing it on such a grand scale. This was more than sitting at my kitchen table with a laptop. It was neat to see FB and YouTube light up so many church broadcasts. God’s Word spread across social media like it has never before.

Joys can be found in the midst of worldly setbacks. We can either allow them to shut us down or we can overcome them and keep going. Social Media allows us to continue to spread the Word of God and still maintain the social distancing we are required to adhere to, to help contain the virus that is rapidly spreading.

That being said, two confirmed cases were found in our county this weekend. This finally made it hit home for many. Now it is next door. Before we could talk bout it being thirty, forty miles away. Now its in the next town. Now people will really think twice before they head out. “Do we really need this or that?”

Carolyn’s work, Wells Fargo, is now closing its doors. Yes, she still needs to go to work. She is considered an essential business. One of those places that you do not hear mentioned when people talk about essential personnel. Well, they are closing the doors, but they are keeping the drive through open. So she will have somewhat a buffer. Not sure how the vacuum tube will help with germs.

As always, I encourage you to leave your experiences in the comment field at the bottom of this page. This is not a blog about me. This is a time capsule for future generations of what we went through. The more stories we have here, the more our kids will see what Coronavirus2020 was all about. So please, share.

Friday, March 20, 2020

ENTRY ONE: It seems like this like a movie right now. It really doesn’t have too much a feel to it, but surreal nonetheless. You go outside the house and see people acting not normal. We seem to be losing the country edge that makes us the country folk we have been known for. It is saddening.

Folks are stocking up on everything from rice to toilet paper, thinking that tomorrow it will not be there. Stores will open at 6 AM only to be emptied by 10. It is crazy. Thank God they finally got some sense and put limits on most common goods that these individuals were hoarding. I can understand that most of us have never seen a situation like this in our lifetime, but those who have are too old to act with the vigor they would like to, and therefore are pushed aside and left empty handed. Compassion is forgotten, and the right of self preservation kicks in. Through which true colors are revealed.

When it first hit, I spent a half hour in line in our small town of Charlotte at a Family Dollar. I was not even buying anything essential. Most of the people in front of me had carts full of stuff. A couple of them I did not recognize. I was told by the manager that outsiders from San Antonio and other places were coming to our town because SA stores were out of many items. She had to put limits on stuff because they were leaving nothing for us locals.

Switching gears, the kids are out of school for God knows how long. Right now it is until April 6th. Chris’ prom has been postponed, most likely cancelled. He is pretty upset, as is Jacqueline (so are both moms as they all have spent time and money on this.) Who knows what this will mean for the end of the year, not to mention next year.

All businesses, as of today, are closed for the most part. Texas Governor Abbott issued an executive order that limited social gatherings to 10 people. That means restaurants, bars, theaters, any gathering places are closed. Even our church is now going to Facebook Live this and next week. It is now a different world we live in: that is until April 3rd when the order is set to expire.

Again, this is really a journal entry style. Not really a blog, so if you are reading this there is nothing new I am telling you. I am writing this for posterity sake so the future generation will see it and know what happened today and so we remember what happened back when. I know there is so much more, but I can cover that in future entries as I plan to write a little each day, or if any major changes arise.

If you have read this far, or have skipped to the end, I encourage you to leave comments about your experiences during this time. What are your feelings, what are you seeing where you are at, what words of encouragement do you have for all of us?

What I have to say is that God is in control. He knows exactly where we are at. He is aware of what is going on. It is written on the pages of His book of history. We don’t know why, but He has a plan for it. And we need to trust Him and draw close to Him. He loves each of us with a love we cannot explain. Lean on that and each other and we will get through this.