The Hauptmann's: Our Weekend in Siestaville (Houston, TX)

Shortly after I arrived in Houston the GPS goes completely black. I had plugged all of our stops and places we wanted to see and go prior leaving. Panic. Traci calls for me to pick her up so I go back to the air port which is not an easy air port to navigate, from the road it is labeled A, B, C, D, or E. That's it, if one doesn't know what one is doing a circle around or two will help clarify things while fairly patient Texans in their rather oversized SUV's go wooshing by and very patient Traci goes running between north, south, east, & west. Confused yet? So were we...actually I was, Traci wasn't. Deciding the GPS thing is a major problem we stop at a Best Buy, Traci-off handedly, in the witty way she has, comments that maybe it's a fuse. The super sweet Best Buy guy offers to plug it in (I love computer diagnostics) to see what's the problem-for free, replaces the fuse for free and off we go...with a picture but no cheeky lady telling us we are not going the right way-Houston roads aren't easy to follow visually on the GPS because they have roads that run along the highways but we manage. We head to Yia Yia Mary's for some delicious Greek food then the Omni to get ready for this evening-Beth Moore's Scripture memory event.

At the hotel were these beautiful swans.

We found great seats!

our Siesta Mama,

Worship with Travis,

Beth Moore stood right next to us for prayer...we had the best seats. She recited from memory (this was a scripture memory event) and taught on 2 John. To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth and not only I but also all those who have known the truth, because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:

Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father in truth and love. I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth as we received commandment from the Father, and now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment that as you have heard from the beginning you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves that we do not lose those things we worked for but that we may receive a full reward. Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ had both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. Having many things to write to you I did not wish to do so with paper and ink but I hope to come to you and speak face to face that our joy may be full. The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen.

She started with an acrostic WALKING-to be filled with joy.

W-we're all starved for some face to face so our joy may be complete. No paper-we are built for face to face-we lost it in the garden and won't get it until the 22nd chapter of Revelation. Prayer-dialogue back and forth with God. v 8 watch yourselves do you may not loose what we have worked for so we may with a full reward. Anything we can work for we can loose-the gift of the promise land from God-we can loose ground. Rev 3:11-we can loose crowns, Luke 8, the seed before it takes root can be lost. We have a full reward.

A-all we've worked for can be lost in our pursuit of freedom in Christ. If you don't watch it you can loose some ground or all of it. The scriptures speak of rewards: Matt 5:12, Mark 4:1, Luke 6:23, Luke 6:45, 1 Corin 3:14 and as God as a Rewarder Heb 11:6. Revelation 2:25 Hold fast to what you have until I come. You can't loose Jesus, you didn't work to for (to get) Him, He did the work for you.

We are the elected, the one chosen. Church was in houses in the beginning. Eklecte kuria-chosen lady. L-listen with the ears of a chosen lady-in study, church, prayer-whom I love in truth and because of the truth that abides in us. The revelation of God-His truth can only come in love-for example, the woman at the well, Jesus can tell you everything you ever did and you gain dignity out of it. Truth in love. How many lies do we tell for love? The truth abides in us and will be with us. It's not just a wish or greeting but a fact. v 4-I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in truth-it is a thrill for him to come across people really out there doing it. We haven't attained but we press on.

Beth Moore has us hold up our spirals (with the 24 scriptures we memorized). She said, "you have lived in an upward spiral, I've done many a spiral downward, all my upward spirals all come when I am in the word of God. We believe in the power of God's word-heals hearts, mends minds, alters paths.

We took pictures with Beth,

this was the sweet gift-so unexpected, a book for notes, pen, and tote bag.

Saturday morning I had to go for beignets, Traci got what she called, "the best breakfast sandwich ever."

more Travis: Oh my soul marches on in strength, my battle is in victory,

She started with a cute story about her grandson doing WOW-three fingers up on each side of his face with a big open mouth. So funny.

The darker the world gets the more you can count on the Light coming. Dear lady, walk in it. Walking in the word is abiding, not standing still but walking in it. K-keep the pace of true abiding. 2 Sam 7:6-7 we are present day tents, we are the OT tabernacle, where ever we go God is moving with us. Ezekiel 14-God says go forward. In Hosea, God says, remember when. We don't Him to say we were stronger back then. Psalm 118:13-I was pushed back and about to fall but the Lord helped me. If we let the enemy push us we will eventually fall. Psalm 44:5-through You we pushed our enemy and through Your name we trample our foes. She loved what Travis said, "sometimes you just have to get your angry on. Push back in Jesus' name."

We have to be careful not to charge on ahead on our own, stay under the umbrella of God. We have an insatiable appetite for novelty, to hear something new. The bible is timeless, if what we hear isn't in line with the bible it is wrong. We want the Word in our hearts and brains. We are in a world that is suffocating in self-absorption. If we just have head knowledge we are puffed up-we think we wish our pastors would study more, the Word has to get to our hearts-believe it then it needs to soak down to our feet and live the Word, we do it. Our minds recognize, hearts emotionalize, and our feet actualize. Bengal, "apply yourself totally to the text, apply the text totally to yourself." I-invest your whole life into love-move in God's love at His pace, no running ahead. If you feel empty ask yourself how much are you abiding in the knowledge that God loves you. Just say, "I love You too." Eph 5:1 get out there and walk like people who know they are loved by God. Truth without love is just fact-truth is still truth, keep faith and love. Maybe that's the lost ground-you need to love Him more. Orthodoxy-truth and love, orthopraxy-correctness or orthodoxy of action and practice. It's not about our imprint on earth but spinal truth-orthodoxy-outrageous love, soul delivering truth. John says I am not telling you anything new-this is your orthodoxy-love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and love one another. Pray for it. Just as you heard from the beginning, how do I love? Walk in obedience to God. We don't have a knowledge problem but an obedience problem. Hula hoop-God's love has no end or beginning. Sometimes in marriage I"m sorry means I love you. John called himself the disciple Jesus loves. I know Jesus loves me. Believe in that truth, love God and one another. Newton made a list of sins. No. 3 "Making a feather on Thy day." But at the end, "not loving Thee for Thy self"-not loving the Lord like I should, not abiding in Thy truth.

v. 10-11 don't let false teachings/teachers into the church or house, do not even say hello. v. 7 anyone going out and deceiving is being sent by the enemy-he says go forth and deceive just as Jesus said go forth and make disciples. Matt 24-the enemy is commissioning as well. Jesus said liars and seducing spirits will come. Difference between a liar and deceiver is believability. You will fall for the con, they are convincing. The enemy is among us, not just enticing us into the world but in our world, in our midst. v 8-watch yourself, we are so busy watching someone else-legalism. N-never forget the ploy to infiltrate. A whole lot of deceivers are convinced they are telling the truth, they don't know they are deceivers-they are deceived-many are so sincere.

v 7 those who do not confess Jesus Christ coming in the flesh, the One who saves, the Messiah, the God Man, came as God in human flesh-they have no business with us. 2 John is about fleshing out the teaching of Christ, Christ came to flesh out God, we are left to flesh out the doctrine of our faith. Orthodoxy-living, loving-vibrant. G-go out into the world walking in what you know-the deceivers are going out-don't hide.

Houston has some of the coolest intersections,

We headed to Williams Waterwall-64' tall with 118 Texas live oak trees around it,

off to Niko Niko's for lunch,

there was a very long line,

they were actually Greek and speaking Greek,

Traci noticed the fans for when it's hot, heaters for when it's cold and umbrellas for when it rains,

yum! a homeless guy thought so too, Traci gave him all our left over food,

Houston, known as the Bayou City-bet you didn't know that, was founded in 1836 on the banks of Buffalo Bayou.

the building to the right looked to me like it was made of legos, it turned out to be a Federal Reserve-definitely not what one would expect, Traci quipped that it was probably designed by an architectural student,

birds in the bayou,

shells were everywhere,

Houston has bats-no kidding-living under a bridge, we didn't make it back in time to see them come out...next trip,

I thought this fountain looked like a dandelion,

heading south east,

I had just finished teaching Owen about the war for Texas, here we found ourselves where the Battle of San Jacinto took place. It was the decisive battle led by General Sam Houston (who was greatly out numbered by the Mexican professionally trained army) that lasted just 18 minutes...630 Mexican soldiers were killed and 730 were captured. Santa Anna, the President of Mexico was captured (whom the Texans didn't even realize they had captured until another prisoner called him El Presidente), 3 weeks later he signed over the Republic of Texas making it an independent country. Not only was Texas acquired but also New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Utah, parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma-1/3 of the US-it was a pretty big booty.

The Monument, built of Texas limestone is 570' tall and topped with a 220 ton, 34' Lone Star. (The Washington Monument is only 555.427')

the battle site,

I totally believe everything is big in Texas-the mosquitoes were HUGE,

port of Houston,

There were two Civil war battles fought near by-Sabine Pass and Galveston. There were two cannons used in the 1936 Battle of San Jacinto and the 1963 Battle of Galveston.