Houston Astro fans got an early Halloween. It was truly fright night in Houston as the Astros gave up their chance for a World Series championship to the upstart wild card Washington Nationals. It happens often. It has happened seven times since 1997. The team that has plodded along winning consistently all year long ends up losing to a team with much fewer wins (the Nats didn’t even win their division), but is surging at the end. That’s how my Angels won a championship in 2002.

Here in southern California, fright night is tonight, but sadly, in some places, it will be unable to be celebrated properly with neighborhoods evacuated from numerous fires fueled by hot days and high winds. Some of that fright will be real to those who return to find only a skeleton of their home. We need to be in prayer for these people.

But here on Oak Street, the show will go on. The street will be closed off to vehicular traffic and literally thousands of people will make their way up and down three blocks here that go all out decorating for this night. Residents on our street have such a demand for candy that townspeople from all over who plan on bringing their children are contributing to our candy supply. It’s a very appreciated gesture since last year we gave out over 2,000 pieces.

Meanwhile, picture day was yesterday, and we got some good ones including the one at the top of this page. Little Jackson was a challenge. The photographer was screaming, dancing and shaking toys to get him to look in her direction. It’s amazing that we got even that one — eight people looking relatively good all at the same time — a chronicle to the most important blessing we have — the people that we love in our lives. You get a good photo and everyone looks so happy, and even though you know that is probably not the case, for that one moment in time, it is, captured forever on film; we are what we all know we can be — a true slice of what the Spirit brings to our lives all the time.

The incredible women in my life.