God's grace is glorious. I can't tell you how blessed we are and we are so thankful to God and his mercy. We have fared so well in this crisis. I can't say our emotions have fared that well, but when we realize how fortunate we have been, we are thankful. That eases our emotions.
I know we are ready to go home. Isn't it just like us. We don't want to be home, going on vacation, but when we can't go home, we want to be home.
Tollie is at our house in Beaumont as I am writing this. He flew from Tyler to Beaumont on a private plane with four other men from the dealership. He is at our house and walking through, checking things out. Seems the only problem is the kitchen floor that buckled when the refrigerator freezer thawed and leaked out the water. It will probably have to be replaced. But that is all. The tree that fell in the backyard, took with it some landscape lights and concrete pathway, but only lifting them up. He stated that the tree root stands about 8 feet in the air. Our lemon tree, one of them anyway, survived, even keeping the heavy lemons on them and they are now turning yellow.
He stated that leaves are plastered on the front of the house. It will have to be cleaned. But all the furniture we left on the front porch is okay. No windows broken, no problems on the outside. We will probably have someone inspect the roof just to make sure there is no damage.
I can't thank God often enough for all the blessings.
We are staying now in Tyler and living at this point in a cabin at Whispering Pines. It is an RV resort just north of Tyler, about 14 miles. We have a deck we can sit and watch the beauty of God's kingdom. It looks like we will be staying there for the duration of our time away from home. Well, someone has to do it! Again, we are thankful for God's Goodness. The company is picking up the tab and we are thankful for that as well.
I miss my kids, my grandkids. Hopefully they can come see us this weekend.
I may not be able to post for several days as we have no connection in the country. Only here in town at the dealership.
I came today to put out the word for employees to have a contact number for their paychecks. The company is paying everyone! They have insurance for this kind of thing. Thank you, God, again for your great mercies.
Take care and Rita will not keep this ole gal down long!
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Monday, September 26, 2005
NO NEW NEWS!
Right now there is no new news. We are still waiting to see when we can go home. We search the internet daily for any news. It is hard to find that news sometimes. I have found that I can get a stream of our local radio station on the internet and that has helped....hearing familiar voices!
Tollie may need to go to Tyler for work. The server was airlifted from Beaumont to Tyler and now there is work to be done there. If he goes, I am going with him. He can do most everything on line but it would be easier to be there to work.
I just don't think I can be without him right now! I told him I just want us to be together. I need him and he needs me. I think the uncertainity at this time causes me to grasp the one normal. So I am hanging tight to him.
We hope to go home by the end of the week. Each new morsel of information gives us hope that things are returning back to normal. Schools won't be starting in that area for another week or two and many businesses will have repairs before resuming work. We are still uncertain if the dealership is okay. But we think it probably is. One of the guys who does all the contracting things, maintenance on the building and electrical things stayed in Beaumont.
At this moment, we are still in Arlington, helping my sister and her husband paint their house to get it ready to sell. They will be moving as soon as it sells. Tommy resigned his position as preacher for the New York Avenue Church of Christ in Arlington this past Sunday. His doctors have encouraged him to retire. He was hoping to work for about a year more, but the elders thought it best for him to retire now. So......we are trying to help them. It is good to have something to keep us busy.
Busy is good at this time, it helps to be "normal". Hopefully, we will be going home soon. We keep holding tight to the Lord and his will in all this and our faith is ever stronger.
Tollie may need to go to Tyler for work. The server was airlifted from Beaumont to Tyler and now there is work to be done there. If he goes, I am going with him. He can do most everything on line but it would be easier to be there to work.
I just don't think I can be without him right now! I told him I just want us to be together. I need him and he needs me. I think the uncertainity at this time causes me to grasp the one normal. So I am hanging tight to him.
We hope to go home by the end of the week. Each new morsel of information gives us hope that things are returning back to normal. Schools won't be starting in that area for another week or two and many businesses will have repairs before resuming work. We are still uncertain if the dealership is okay. But we think it probably is. One of the guys who does all the contracting things, maintenance on the building and electrical things stayed in Beaumont.
At this moment, we are still in Arlington, helping my sister and her husband paint their house to get it ready to sell. They will be moving as soon as it sells. Tommy resigned his position as preacher for the New York Avenue Church of Christ in Arlington this past Sunday. His doctors have encouraged him to retire. He was hoping to work for about a year more, but the elders thought it best for him to retire now. So......we are trying to help them. It is good to have something to keep us busy.
Busy is good at this time, it helps to be "normal". Hopefully, we will be going home soon. We keep holding tight to the Lord and his will in all this and our faith is ever stronger.
Saturday, September 24, 2005
PRAISE GOD!
We stayed up most of the night watching the news. We did sleep some, intermittently. All I could imagine from what we saw on the TV was that our house might be standing but the windows and glass door on the back might not have survived.
I suggested a few minutes ago for Tollie to call our neighbors across the street since they were not sure they were evacuating. When he called, their answering machine came on! What a surprise. So....he called our next door neighbor, Terry. He answered the phone and then lost connection. Tollie tried again and it rang and rang. Then, Terry answered and said he had just walked in the door. He had spent the night in Beaumont in a hotel. He works for Entergy and had stayed close to start work soon after the storm passed. He had gone home this morning to check everything out. He said from what he could see, everything was intact and okay. He said he would call back after more inspection.
Terry called back and we did loose one of the big trees in the back yard, but since the wind was blowing from the north it went away from our house and fell in the neighbors back yard. The house was intact and there did not seem to be much damage. He had lost a ridge vent and there was some shingle damage.
Now I am in shock and praising God that we have a home to go home to. Now it will be just a matter of time to get electricity back on. I feel great knowing what I can face when I get home. Thank you God and I pray that others fared as well. The storm going into the east of us helped take the brunt to the east of us and not on us. Sorry for Lake Charles and thankful they had evacuated.
Will update more as I know more.
I suggested a few minutes ago for Tollie to call our neighbors across the street since they were not sure they were evacuating. When he called, their answering machine came on! What a surprise. So....he called our next door neighbor, Terry. He answered the phone and then lost connection. Tollie tried again and it rang and rang. Then, Terry answered and said he had just walked in the door. He had spent the night in Beaumont in a hotel. He works for Entergy and had stayed close to start work soon after the storm passed. He had gone home this morning to check everything out. He said from what he could see, everything was intact and okay. He said he would call back after more inspection.
Terry called back and we did loose one of the big trees in the back yard, but since the wind was blowing from the north it went away from our house and fell in the neighbors back yard. The house was intact and there did not seem to be much damage. He had lost a ridge vent and there was some shingle damage.
Now I am in shock and praising God that we have a home to go home to. Now it will be just a matter of time to get electricity back on. I feel great knowing what I can face when I get home. Thank you God and I pray that others fared as well. The storm going into the east of us helped take the brunt to the east of us and not on us. Sorry for Lake Charles and thankful they had evacuated.
Will update more as I know more.
AFTER MIDNIGHT
It is after midnight and we are, well let's make that clear, I am still waiting and watching. Unfortunately, my sister does not have cable. So.....I am on the computer searching for any recent news concerning Rita.
I found a website out of Houston for a TV station and it has helped feed me some of the information. I should just go to bed and wait till morning, but it is my home we are talking about. I want to know how the house fared. But in reality I won't know until someone goes home and checks everything out.
The best news to hear to night is that Rita is 30 miles southeast of Port Arthur. Wow! Southeast is good news. We live on the west end of Beaumont. Beaumont is northwest of Port Arthur. So that means we are on the west side of the eye wall. That could mean less damage, less rain and wind. I have to remember that Rita is very large and there will be some damage, but by being on the west side, there is less chance of tornadoes and the wind comes from the north, not the south.
I have hope. I am clinging to that hope.
I found a website out of Houston for a TV station and it has helped feed me some of the information. I should just go to bed and wait till morning, but it is my home we are talking about. I want to know how the house fared. But in reality I won't know until someone goes home and checks everything out.
The best news to hear to night is that Rita is 30 miles southeast of Port Arthur. Wow! Southeast is good news. We live on the west end of Beaumont. Beaumont is northwest of Port Arthur. So that means we are on the west side of the eye wall. That could mean less damage, less rain and wind. I have to remember that Rita is very large and there will be some damage, but by being on the west side, there is less chance of tornadoes and the wind comes from the north, not the south.
I have hope. I am clinging to that hope.
Friday, September 23, 2005
LUNCH, A NAP!
It is amazing how lunch and a nap can give you a different perspective.
I awoke this morning around 7:00 am. I had a restful night. I did wake several times during the night but that is to be expected since I am in someone else's bed. But each time I woke, I was able to go right back to sleep without much effort, a definite difference from the night before! So I did get a good night's rest.
When I got up this morning I turned on the TV to check the progress of Rita and bam! The I-45 tragedy struck me full force and the tears started flowing. I felt exhausted and cried at every word out of my mouth. I went ahead around 9:30 and showered and dressed for the day with a headache the size of a watermelon and just about has heavy.
My sister called about 11:00 am from her work and we all went to lunch. I tried not to dominate the conversation with our concerns and it was an enjoyable lunch. We came back to the house, me and Tollie and both fell in a restful afternoon nap.
I awoke an hour later, no headache and much clearer eyed. I feel much better.
Hurricane Rita has downgraded to a 3. She is still going to be large and dangerous and it was a good thing that we left. We have made some decisions that I feel good about. The first decision made this morning was that we will only take the disabled couple back to Beaumont when we are assured they have their apartment with adequate electricity and their assistants are back to help them. Otherwise, we will encourage them to stay here where family can assistant them. We have a work friend who is closer to Beaumont where he evacuated to and we have made contact to ask him to check on our house. That way, we will be able to determine better when we can return and what we will be returning to find. With these decisions in place, I feel better.
Is is a control issue? Yes. We have laughed that Tollie tends to shut down and he will sleep most of the day. I get into gear in these situations and work my brain when my body can't do anything and solve all the problems. I really want to allow God to be in control and I am doing pretty well in that area. But my feelings of needing to be in control are there and I am trying to distinguish what is a feeling and what is an action in that area.
Thankful is the word of the day. Thankful we are here, thankful we have a place to lay our head and thankful my family is safe.
I awoke this morning around 7:00 am. I had a restful night. I did wake several times during the night but that is to be expected since I am in someone else's bed. But each time I woke, I was able to go right back to sleep without much effort, a definite difference from the night before! So I did get a good night's rest.
When I got up this morning I turned on the TV to check the progress of Rita and bam! The I-45 tragedy struck me full force and the tears started flowing. I felt exhausted and cried at every word out of my mouth. I went ahead around 9:30 and showered and dressed for the day with a headache the size of a watermelon and just about has heavy.
My sister called about 11:00 am from her work and we all went to lunch. I tried not to dominate the conversation with our concerns and it was an enjoyable lunch. We came back to the house, me and Tollie and both fell in a restful afternoon nap.
I awoke an hour later, no headache and much clearer eyed. I feel much better.
Hurricane Rita has downgraded to a 3. She is still going to be large and dangerous and it was a good thing that we left. We have made some decisions that I feel good about. The first decision made this morning was that we will only take the disabled couple back to Beaumont when we are assured they have their apartment with adequate electricity and their assistants are back to help them. Otherwise, we will encourage them to stay here where family can assistant them. We have a work friend who is closer to Beaumont where he evacuated to and we have made contact to ask him to check on our house. That way, we will be able to determine better when we can return and what we will be returning to find. With these decisions in place, I feel better.
Is is a control issue? Yes. We have laughed that Tollie tends to shut down and he will sleep most of the day. I get into gear in these situations and work my brain when my body can't do anything and solve all the problems. I really want to allow God to be in control and I am doing pretty well in that area. But my feelings of needing to be in control are there and I am trying to distinguish what is a feeling and what is an action in that area.
Thankful is the word of the day. Thankful we are here, thankful we have a place to lay our head and thankful my family is safe.
JUST WATCHING!
I am sitting in my sister's house, watching the news. I have a headache pounding in my head, making my eyes tear! Or maybe, the tears coming from my eyes are making my head hurt. At this point, it is hard to tell! It is all a blur, swirling around in my head, much like Rita!
I watch as Rita is swirling in the gulf, heading straight for my home. My home of 30 years. We have enjoyed the springs and falls. We have loved the trees. We came from west Texas where trees were sparse and the grass turned yellow in the winter. The trees, large trees with lots of shade are green all year round, because they are oaks. The grass is not as green in the winter, but stays green all year.
My home, where we added a front porch just two falls ago and have enjoyed sitting there, enjoying the rain or watching the kids play in the front yard. My rocker that came from Cracker Barrel, given to me at Christmas from my wonderful husband is sitting against the house, hopefully close enough to remain there.
I sit here wondering what to expect. I believe I will have nothing left when we return. Now I am second guessing about what I brought with me. Did I get everything I could? No, I had plenty of more room in the van. I could have taken so much more. But was it necessary. I almost got the genealogy stuff, but decided at the last minute to leave it. I have worked long hours searching for that information and why did I not get it? It was a decision and I was tired of trying to make those decisions.
Rita is swirling and my head is swirling. I am hopeful, I am here, I am safe, my family is safe and God is in control!
I watch as Rita is swirling in the gulf, heading straight for my home. My home of 30 years. We have enjoyed the springs and falls. We have loved the trees. We came from west Texas where trees were sparse and the grass turned yellow in the winter. The trees, large trees with lots of shade are green all year round, because they are oaks. The grass is not as green in the winter, but stays green all year.
My home, where we added a front porch just two falls ago and have enjoyed sitting there, enjoying the rain or watching the kids play in the front yard. My rocker that came from Cracker Barrel, given to me at Christmas from my wonderful husband is sitting against the house, hopefully close enough to remain there.
I sit here wondering what to expect. I believe I will have nothing left when we return. Now I am second guessing about what I brought with me. Did I get everything I could? No, I had plenty of more room in the van. I could have taken so much more. But was it necessary. I almost got the genealogy stuff, but decided at the last minute to leave it. I have worked long hours searching for that information and why did I not get it? It was a decision and I was tired of trying to make those decisions.
Rita is swirling and my head is swirling. I am hopeful, I am here, I am safe, my family is safe and God is in control!
Thursday, September 22, 2005
WE MADE IT!
We left Beaumont about 5:45 this morning with our little disabled couple in tow and we headed north. We were cruising along pretty well when we hit a stop north of Kountze. And I mean we came to a dead stop. It took us about 2 1/2 hours to reach Woodville, a trip that normally would take about 45 minutes to an hour. Which really when we hear the horror of the parking lot on I45, that is not too bad. After reaching that point, it was bumper to bumper but we were able to keep moving. They had finally called the mandatory evacuation and when they did that it opened all intersections to the north traffic. There were police directing traffic at all major intersections and we were able to go on through without a hitch. In fact after reaching Woodville, it seemed the traffic just kind of thinned out. We wondered where all the traffic went. But each time we came to a small town, the traffic would back up again and be slow.
We arrived in Dallas about 3:00 pm, tired but thankful. We left the couple at a motel in Lewisville and waited for their family to arrive. It was taking a long time for them to get there and we left about 4:30 to head to Arlington. We arrived at my sister's house about 5:30, read weary but in one piece.
Our oldest daughter left with her family about 9:30 pm last night and had planned to go 287 to Corsicana to her cousin's, but when they arrived in Woodville, 287 was closed to through traffic. So.....they had to go all the way to Lufkin and then go back down to Corsicana. They finally stopped for about an hour to sleep and then arrived there about 5:30 this morning. They are safe and sound.
Our youngest is safe and sound in Austin.
Where is Rita going? Only God knows at this time. I have had the feeling all day that I would not have anything to go back to. I'm not sure why, but when we walked out the door this morning, it felt like it would be the last time. Only God knows if that is going to happen. I have cried my tears and will cry more but I am okay with it! If we lose everything, we are still blessed and we have each other. That means more than any stuff!
I also had the feeling of a mother hen all night and this morning, wanting to gather my chickens under my wings and protect them. As soon as I knew Jamie and Paul and the girls were safe, I was okay. I then realized I was in the protection of my father and we would be fine.
I don't know about my neighbor. They were not going to leave, but when I talked to them this morning, they had decided to evacuate. So......not sure where they went or when the left. I just pray everyone gets out in time. It will not be good no matter where Rita decides to come ashore. There will be damage of some sort. We live north of I10. One report today said that if Beaumont takes a direct hit, we could get a storm surge of 20 feet and it could reach I10. That is hard to believe, but we will see.
Prayers are needed, especially for those on the roads in Houston and other areas where they are trying to flee. I am just so thankful we got out in time. Now it is all in the Lord's hands.
We arrived in Dallas about 3:00 pm, tired but thankful. We left the couple at a motel in Lewisville and waited for their family to arrive. It was taking a long time for them to get there and we left about 4:30 to head to Arlington. We arrived at my sister's house about 5:30, read weary but in one piece.
Our oldest daughter left with her family about 9:30 pm last night and had planned to go 287 to Corsicana to her cousin's, but when they arrived in Woodville, 287 was closed to through traffic. So.....they had to go all the way to Lufkin and then go back down to Corsicana. They finally stopped for about an hour to sleep and then arrived there about 5:30 this morning. They are safe and sound.
Our youngest is safe and sound in Austin.
Where is Rita going? Only God knows at this time. I have had the feeling all day that I would not have anything to go back to. I'm not sure why, but when we walked out the door this morning, it felt like it would be the last time. Only God knows if that is going to happen. I have cried my tears and will cry more but I am okay with it! If we lose everything, we are still blessed and we have each other. That means more than any stuff!
I also had the feeling of a mother hen all night and this morning, wanting to gather my chickens under my wings and protect them. As soon as I knew Jamie and Paul and the girls were safe, I was okay. I then realized I was in the protection of my father and we would be fine.
I don't know about my neighbor. They were not going to leave, but when I talked to them this morning, they had decided to evacuate. So......not sure where they went or when the left. I just pray everyone gets out in time. It will not be good no matter where Rita decides to come ashore. There will be damage of some sort. We live north of I10. One report today said that if Beaumont takes a direct hit, we could get a storm surge of 20 feet and it could reach I10. That is hard to believe, but we will see.
Prayers are needed, especially for those on the roads in Houston and other areas where they are trying to flee. I am just so thankful we got out in time. Now it is all in the Lord's hands.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Hello Rita
Well, we are leaving. We are heading out in the morning around 5:00 am for Dallas. The handicapped couple have a hotel room in Dallas and we will go to my sister's in Arlington.
We are in hopes of beating the traffic tie ups leaving so early. The reports today were that the traffic from Galveston to Huntsville was a parking lot! We don't want that. We have been down that road before and it was miserable. Hopefully, we will be well on our way before the traffic gets too bad.
I pray for those who are staying. Tornadoes and trees don't mix well. Our neighbors are staying so I am not worried about our home. It is only a house and stuff. I have packed those things that I feel I cannot live without at this time. Pictures, projects I am currently working on this computer. Everything else should be able to be replaced. Not easy, but can be over time.
I pray for those who are more in the direct line of Rita. At least we are on the fringes, so far. Thanks for your prayers. We have no control over hurricanes and tornadoes, but we do know who is in control and for that reason we will be fine. My kids are leaving tonight and should be well on their way to my neices' house. So as along as we have our family safe, I will be okay.
Today has been hard. I am tired and teary but doing okay. The drive will be hard.
Hope to give you updates as I can. Salute from Southeast Texas.
We are in hopes of beating the traffic tie ups leaving so early. The reports today were that the traffic from Galveston to Huntsville was a parking lot! We don't want that. We have been down that road before and it was miserable. Hopefully, we will be well on our way before the traffic gets too bad.
I pray for those who are staying. Tornadoes and trees don't mix well. Our neighbors are staying so I am not worried about our home. It is only a house and stuff. I have packed those things that I feel I cannot live without at this time. Pictures, projects I am currently working on this computer. Everything else should be able to be replaced. Not easy, but can be over time.
I pray for those who are more in the direct line of Rita. At least we are on the fringes, so far. Thanks for your prayers. We have no control over hurricanes and tornadoes, but we do know who is in control and for that reason we will be fine. My kids are leaving tonight and should be well on their way to my neices' house. So as along as we have our family safe, I will be okay.
Today has been hard. I am tired and teary but doing okay. The drive will be hard.
Hope to give you updates as I can. Salute from Southeast Texas.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Rita?
Well, Louisiana had their Katrina. Texas may have our Rita. At this point, it is looking more and more like we may have the big one come our way.
I am trying to think ahead and have contacted a niece who lives in Central Texas and we will probably go there if the need arises. We should know more about Thursday or Friday. Of course, anything can happen, as we know from Katrina. If Rita goes in east of us, we are okay, but anything west of us could spell danger, winds, tornadoes and rain, lots of rain. The last I heard today, it looked like it might be Galveston area, which is west of us. Depending on the category of the storm, it would affect us, just not sure how much. If it comes in at High Island, we are in more danger.
At this time, I am trying to determine what is of value, sentimental and what I should pack. We will have to decide if we take two vehicles or just one. This would also depend on the kids and what they want to do. They are north of us and may not have to evacuate. Later in the week, we will know.
I think everyone is much more on edge even here because of Katrina and the mess she left. We know it could be just as bad, although we are above sea level. That helps! My first priority is my pictures. I have albums and boxes of early movie tapes. They will go in first. Then there are some hand me downs from ancestors and they will need to be packed. Of course, the project I am working on now and others that are for later! The computer is a must! It has our life history on it!
My biggest concern is all the stuff in the yard we will have to move to the storage house or the garage. That will take some time. We are high here and I believe we will be okay, but we are taking no chances and if Rita decides to come visit, we will leave is she is anything more than a category 1. We have been through Bonnie and did okay. Anything more than 1 and we are out of here.
Will keep you updated on what I am taking and when we leave.
I am trying to think ahead and have contacted a niece who lives in Central Texas and we will probably go there if the need arises. We should know more about Thursday or Friday. Of course, anything can happen, as we know from Katrina. If Rita goes in east of us, we are okay, but anything west of us could spell danger, winds, tornadoes and rain, lots of rain. The last I heard today, it looked like it might be Galveston area, which is west of us. Depending on the category of the storm, it would affect us, just not sure how much. If it comes in at High Island, we are in more danger.
At this time, I am trying to determine what is of value, sentimental and what I should pack. We will have to decide if we take two vehicles or just one. This would also depend on the kids and what they want to do. They are north of us and may not have to evacuate. Later in the week, we will know.
I think everyone is much more on edge even here because of Katrina and the mess she left. We know it could be just as bad, although we are above sea level. That helps! My first priority is my pictures. I have albums and boxes of early movie tapes. They will go in first. Then there are some hand me downs from ancestors and they will need to be packed. Of course, the project I am working on now and others that are for later! The computer is a must! It has our life history on it!
My biggest concern is all the stuff in the yard we will have to move to the storage house or the garage. That will take some time. We are high here and I believe we will be okay, but we are taking no chances and if Rita decides to come visit, we will leave is she is anything more than a category 1. We have been through Bonnie and did okay. Anything more than 1 and we are out of here.
Will keep you updated on what I am taking and when we leave.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
LIFE
Today was a good day. Worship to the Lord. I saw one of my children, but didn't get to see the grandchildren. That was the only bad of a good day!
Ashton woke up sick this morning and stayed home. Paul stayed with her and Emma. I was able to visit with Jamie. Didn't get to see my other child as she is in Missouri as I type this and should be back in Austin tomorrow. I am praying she had a great time while there, even though I feel certain she did! It will be good to hear from her and find out how the weekend went. She was to meet more of the family!
I have been busy this weekend working! Yes, working on the weekend, but at least it was a fun job. I am doing a history video for the company I work with. I have had fun creating this video, of course with the help of my dear husband. He is so good at this and I have enjoyed working on it. It will be presented this week at a rotary club breakfast in Port Arthur. It will be interesting to see how it all comes out.
Life is full of surprises and changes. I know I am constantly reminded how changes affect almost every minute of my day. I know changes can affect not only the individual life, but a marriage as well. I am praying for my daughter and son-in-law for changes that have been happening in their life to settle down a bit and give them some comfort. Everyone in a marriage struggles at times and they are no different. They are working on the struggle and that is what it takes.
I hope you have few struggles today and if you have any suggestions for a happy relationship, leave them here. I would love to hear from you.
Ashton woke up sick this morning and stayed home. Paul stayed with her and Emma. I was able to visit with Jamie. Didn't get to see my other child as she is in Missouri as I type this and should be back in Austin tomorrow. I am praying she had a great time while there, even though I feel certain she did! It will be good to hear from her and find out how the weekend went. She was to meet more of the family!
I have been busy this weekend working! Yes, working on the weekend, but at least it was a fun job. I am doing a history video for the company I work with. I have had fun creating this video, of course with the help of my dear husband. He is so good at this and I have enjoyed working on it. It will be presented this week at a rotary club breakfast in Port Arthur. It will be interesting to see how it all comes out.
Life is full of surprises and changes. I know I am constantly reminded how changes affect almost every minute of my day. I know changes can affect not only the individual life, but a marriage as well. I am praying for my daughter and son-in-law for changes that have been happening in their life to settle down a bit and give them some comfort. Everyone in a marriage struggles at times and they are no different. They are working on the struggle and that is what it takes.
I hope you have few struggles today and if you have any suggestions for a happy relationship, leave them here. I would love to hear from you.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Good Discussion! I am Learning
I have been having a good discussion lately with Travis Stanley concerning race issues. You can get to his blog at www.travisstanley.net. He has some good things to say and I am learning to be more passionate, but at this point, I think I am learning to ask good questions. That is really what I want to gain right now from blogging. Asking good questions, thought provoking questions that cause me to think and wonder and search out my own heart.
I want to be more compassionate for the poor and I hope to gain that as well as more knowledge on what God wants from me.
Have a great day!
I want to be more compassionate for the poor and I hope to gain that as well as more knowledge on what God wants from me.
Have a great day!
Monday, September 12, 2005
Tollie and I are teaching a class on Sunday morning on Parenting. We only have a few people in our class. I was hoping for more in the class. Today was a good class. We talked about discipline and asked the members of the class to do some observing this next week and look for examples of what they think is good parenting and bad parenting. They are to be prepared next week to share what they observed.
We gave our examples today of bad parenting. Tollie had seen a woman at Mazzio's Pizza. She had the boy pinned down next to the building and slapped him across the face.
I had an example of a mother who tried to corral her 3 to 4 year old daughter and then out of the blue grab the child by the arm and start whooping her. Needless to say the child was surprised by the whooping and it was obvious the mother was either frustrated or angry or maybe even embarressed by the child's action and took out that feeling on the child.
We talked today about the fact that most, at least a lot of parents just go into parenting expecting to know how to parent without giving any thought or getting any instruction on how to parent. We looked at Hannah versus Eli on parenting in I Samuel. Hannah taught Samuel early on and when Eli had the boy and God called Samuel, he immediately obeyed the call. On the other hand, Eli scolded his sons and they were sinful and immoral. Eli waited too long to try to reign in his sons and it was too late.
Next week we will continue to talk about discipline and how that discipline involves training, instruction and molded the child.
We gave our examples today of bad parenting. Tollie had seen a woman at Mazzio's Pizza. She had the boy pinned down next to the building and slapped him across the face.
I had an example of a mother who tried to corral her 3 to 4 year old daughter and then out of the blue grab the child by the arm and start whooping her. Needless to say the child was surprised by the whooping and it was obvious the mother was either frustrated or angry or maybe even embarressed by the child's action and took out that feeling on the child.
We talked today about the fact that most, at least a lot of parents just go into parenting expecting to know how to parent without giving any thought or getting any instruction on how to parent. We looked at Hannah versus Eli on parenting in I Samuel. Hannah taught Samuel early on and when Eli had the boy and God called Samuel, he immediately obeyed the call. On the other hand, Eli scolded his sons and they were sinful and immoral. Eli waited too long to try to reign in his sons and it was too late.
Next week we will continue to talk about discipline and how that discipline involves training, instruction and molded the child.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
WHO DO WE BLAME?
That seems to be the question of the day. Who do we blame? Was the mayor of New Orleans at fault? What about the governor? And then why did the President not do something sooner? Everyone seems to be pointing fingers in all directions. The Republicans are really pointing fingers at the governor and mayor of New Orleans.
My belief, for what it is worth, is that the governor of Louisiana did not do her job. Of course, I am only hearing what happened and I was not there. So I can only make a judgement on what I hear. I have heard that the President had to call the governor and suggest to have the National Guard move in there. My understanding is that the President cannot go into the boundaries of the state and make decisions. It is up to the state to ask the President for this help. That makes sense to me. So why didn't the governor call sooner and ask for help? Did she expect the government to come in after declaring the disaster before the storm? Did she just not know the procedure? As governor, why didn't she know and understand the procedure?
When I hear the governor talk on TV, she does not seem to have much presence about her. She is not an eloquent speaker. She seems to be in a cloud, which would be understandable. But it also seems to confirm that she did not take the leadership necessary. When you compare all the other areas hit by the same storm, it seems others fared better with the help. There are complaints all over and that is usual. The governor of Mississippi seemed to have the presence to take charge and got results.
I have heard it compared to 9-11 and that Mayor Guillani took charge and things got done quickly. I would suspect that any governor who takes charge and makes things happen, makes decisions, would help in a crisis. When a crisis happens, you need someone to take charge and be the leader. Someone who can coordinate all the different entities. Some say that putting FEMA under the homeland security was a mistake. I hope they re-do this decision if that is the case.
My main concern in discussing all this is that I want to know where the breakdown of communication occurred. Why? ~~ So that it can be fixed. I live on the gulf coast of Texas. But for the grace of God, we could have been hit by Katrina and we are likely to be hit by another hurricane in the future. And, more importantly, with the state of the current world, a terrorist attack could occur anywhere, at anytime. When something happens, will the crisis cause this much mis-communication? Could we be faced with an even greater disaster? How will the government respond? How will the local authorities respond?
This is my concern. We have a mentality in the US that we are the chosen country. We are immune to disasters and when something like Katrina hits, it wakes us up to the fact that we are not immune. But how we respond to these disasters say a lot about who we are as a people.
My biggest response to Katrina's disaster is how Louisiana is ready to party but not ready for a crisis. How can a state with so many Casinos bringing in so many dollars still be one of the poorest states in the nation? Where is all the gambling money going? Whose pockets are being stuffed with dough? If a city, such as New Orleans is so poor, how did it continue to function? How can we, as a people, justifiably build New Orleans back in the same manner? It should be re-thought and re-built in a manner that would not jeopordize people's lives. The devastation is just incredible.
All of our lives are changed by Katrina. We will not see our world in the same light as before. We are all affected by this storm.
__________________________
Just an update: I still don't have anyone in my home for shelter. I have tried to find a small family, but have not gone out myself. I have made a call and left my number but no takers to date. We are trying to do what we can, but mainly praying is all we are able to do. I am concerned now that I cannot take anyone in for two reasons. Tollie leaves town every month for his work and I don't want to be here by myself with strangers in my home and secondly, we are not sure of the time frame for their staying. We have other things happening in the coming months and I would not want to have to ask someone to leave for those things. I just pray everyday for all those misplaced by Katrina.
My belief, for what it is worth, is that the governor of Louisiana did not do her job. Of course, I am only hearing what happened and I was not there. So I can only make a judgement on what I hear. I have heard that the President had to call the governor and suggest to have the National Guard move in there. My understanding is that the President cannot go into the boundaries of the state and make decisions. It is up to the state to ask the President for this help. That makes sense to me. So why didn't the governor call sooner and ask for help? Did she expect the government to come in after declaring the disaster before the storm? Did she just not know the procedure? As governor, why didn't she know and understand the procedure?
When I hear the governor talk on TV, she does not seem to have much presence about her. She is not an eloquent speaker. She seems to be in a cloud, which would be understandable. But it also seems to confirm that she did not take the leadership necessary. When you compare all the other areas hit by the same storm, it seems others fared better with the help. There are complaints all over and that is usual. The governor of Mississippi seemed to have the presence to take charge and got results.
I have heard it compared to 9-11 and that Mayor Guillani took charge and things got done quickly. I would suspect that any governor who takes charge and makes things happen, makes decisions, would help in a crisis. When a crisis happens, you need someone to take charge and be the leader. Someone who can coordinate all the different entities. Some say that putting FEMA under the homeland security was a mistake. I hope they re-do this decision if that is the case.
My main concern in discussing all this is that I want to know where the breakdown of communication occurred. Why? ~~ So that it can be fixed. I live on the gulf coast of Texas. But for the grace of God, we could have been hit by Katrina and we are likely to be hit by another hurricane in the future. And, more importantly, with the state of the current world, a terrorist attack could occur anywhere, at anytime. When something happens, will the crisis cause this much mis-communication? Could we be faced with an even greater disaster? How will the government respond? How will the local authorities respond?
This is my concern. We have a mentality in the US that we are the chosen country. We are immune to disasters and when something like Katrina hits, it wakes us up to the fact that we are not immune. But how we respond to these disasters say a lot about who we are as a people.
My biggest response to Katrina's disaster is how Louisiana is ready to party but not ready for a crisis. How can a state with so many Casinos bringing in so many dollars still be one of the poorest states in the nation? Where is all the gambling money going? Whose pockets are being stuffed with dough? If a city, such as New Orleans is so poor, how did it continue to function? How can we, as a people, justifiably build New Orleans back in the same manner? It should be re-thought and re-built in a manner that would not jeopordize people's lives. The devastation is just incredible.
All of our lives are changed by Katrina. We will not see our world in the same light as before. We are all affected by this storm.
__________________________
Just an update: I still don't have anyone in my home for shelter. I have tried to find a small family, but have not gone out myself. I have made a call and left my number but no takers to date. We are trying to do what we can, but mainly praying is all we are able to do. I am concerned now that I cannot take anyone in for two reasons. Tollie leaves town every month for his work and I don't want to be here by myself with strangers in my home and secondly, we are not sure of the time frame for their staying. We have other things happening in the coming months and I would not want to have to ask someone to leave for those things. I just pray everyday for all those misplaced by Katrina.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
WHAT IS IN A NAME?
I grew up thinking that if a person was not part of a church of Christ, he/she was not a true Christian. I believe my parents still have some remnant of this belief. However, for me I have come to believe we were wrong in that assumption because.......
Would believing that make the church the point of salvation, not Christ?
Would believing that cause us to put ourselves on a pedestal and believe we had arrived?
Would believing that take my focus off Jesus and point that focus on myself?
Yes, I believe the answer to each of these questions would be yes!!!!!
I was looking at a web page of a church. In my looking, I realized I was looking to see "what kind of church" they were. Is that a valid question? It hit me that if they were focusing on Jesus and him crucified, then what did it matter what flavor they were? They may do things differently than I do. They may have a different structure to their organization than I do, but in the end if they are looking to Jesus for salvation and reaching for answers from God, then who am I to determine they are not correct? Who gave me the authority to do that?
I don't know where they hail from. They just call themselves The People's Church. We call ourselves Christ Covenant Church. I think we are trying to say that we are generic. We don't have specific traditions to cause us to act a certain way. We are just trying to follow Jesus. In following Jesus, we are trying to point others to him as the only way to true happiness.
I pray we are doing a good job of that. I pray that my giving up my own traditions for Jesus is what it is all about. Does it really matter how we do things, as long as, first of all we do them and secondly we point to Jesus in all we do?. Are the issues really that important?
In light of the events in the last few days, I would gesture to say we focus on to many human aspects of this life and toss the spiritual. I pray I focus more on the spiritual today and put aside my human tendencies.
Would believing that make the church the point of salvation, not Christ?
Would believing that cause us to put ourselves on a pedestal and believe we had arrived?
Would believing that take my focus off Jesus and point that focus on myself?
Yes, I believe the answer to each of these questions would be yes!!!!!
I was looking at a web page of a church. In my looking, I realized I was looking to see "what kind of church" they were. Is that a valid question? It hit me that if they were focusing on Jesus and him crucified, then what did it matter what flavor they were? They may do things differently than I do. They may have a different structure to their organization than I do, but in the end if they are looking to Jesus for salvation and reaching for answers from God, then who am I to determine they are not correct? Who gave me the authority to do that?
I don't know where they hail from. They just call themselves The People's Church. We call ourselves Christ Covenant Church. I think we are trying to say that we are generic. We don't have specific traditions to cause us to act a certain way. We are just trying to follow Jesus. In following Jesus, we are trying to point others to him as the only way to true happiness.
I pray we are doing a good job of that. I pray that my giving up my own traditions for Jesus is what it is all about. Does it really matter how we do things, as long as, first of all we do them and secondly we point to Jesus in all we do?. Are the issues really that important?
In light of the events in the last few days, I would gesture to say we focus on to many human aspects of this life and toss the spiritual. I pray I focus more on the spiritual today and put aside my human tendencies.
Monday, September 05, 2005
Great Labor Day Weekend!
I started Friday by baking cakes. I made four cakes to take to the building on Saturday. 60 cakes were to be delivered on Saturday and 60 on Sunday for a shelter housed in Lumberton. It will feed about 200 people. This is our part of helping in the disaster. Of course, we have thousands in our city and this is a small part of helping out.
I keep thinking God will send someone to stay with us, but as yet, all my efforts to house someone has not met results. I keep praying about it, and will continue to do so.
I keep thinking about my sister and brother-in-law. Tommy preached yesterday to a congregation suffering from great loss. Losing four members in a church is hard. These were four of their core senior members. They will be suffering for a while.
On Saturday, we ran errands and I cooked for my family. Mindy came in Saturday evening and the little g-kids stayed the night with us. We had lunch here on Sunday and had a birthday party for Ashton on Sunday evening. Ashton's birthday is not until the 13th of this month but because Mindy could come this weekend, we decided to have her birthday. On the 13th, Ashton will be five years old. Where did the time go? She had a great time, getting a new bike, new clothes and a new Bible!
This morning, Mindy has already left for Austin. She has to work this afternoon and so had to be on the road early. We had breakfast and then she left. I am taking the time now to do my reading and blogging, before Tollie gets on the computer and works on his schooling. He has some things he needs to do this morning. Then my plan for the day is to relax and work on my projects to get them done. I am getting close.
Labor Day was always a fun day for me growing up, but I could never understand why taking the day off for Labor!?! It didn't make sense to me. It is always refreshing to have a day of rest from our labors and I appreciate God giving up Sunday. We use to have a group that would cook out together before we went to do our hospital ministry, but these days we are scattered and don't seem to have "time" for that sort of gathering any more.
Tollie and I started our parenting class yesterday. I was a little disappointed that we only had a couple of people there, but it was Labor Day weekend. I hope this is not indicative of the next few weeks. It will be a long 13 week series! We began by telling our "story" and asking each of them to do the same. In other words to tell the type of family they grew up in, how many years married, how many children, etc. Mindy came into our class and it was fun to hear her tell of her expectations for marriage and children and her rebellious teen years! We all had a good laugh.
We plan to cover many aspects of the family including marriage, child raising during the pre-birth on up to grown children. I pray God will use us to reach those who want to know what the Bible says concerning all this and also the experiences of others in these areas. I think it will be a fun class.
Have a great week and a laborless labor day!
I keep thinking God will send someone to stay with us, but as yet, all my efforts to house someone has not met results. I keep praying about it, and will continue to do so.
I keep thinking about my sister and brother-in-law. Tommy preached yesterday to a congregation suffering from great loss. Losing four members in a church is hard. These were four of their core senior members. They will be suffering for a while.
On Saturday, we ran errands and I cooked for my family. Mindy came in Saturday evening and the little g-kids stayed the night with us. We had lunch here on Sunday and had a birthday party for Ashton on Sunday evening. Ashton's birthday is not until the 13th of this month but because Mindy could come this weekend, we decided to have her birthday. On the 13th, Ashton will be five years old. Where did the time go? She had a great time, getting a new bike, new clothes and a new Bible!
This morning, Mindy has already left for Austin. She has to work this afternoon and so had to be on the road early. We had breakfast and then she left. I am taking the time now to do my reading and blogging, before Tollie gets on the computer and works on his schooling. He has some things he needs to do this morning. Then my plan for the day is to relax and work on my projects to get them done. I am getting close.
Labor Day was always a fun day for me growing up, but I could never understand why taking the day off for Labor!?! It didn't make sense to me. It is always refreshing to have a day of rest from our labors and I appreciate God giving up Sunday. We use to have a group that would cook out together before we went to do our hospital ministry, but these days we are scattered and don't seem to have "time" for that sort of gathering any more.
Tollie and I started our parenting class yesterday. I was a little disappointed that we only had a couple of people there, but it was Labor Day weekend. I hope this is not indicative of the next few weeks. It will be a long 13 week series! We began by telling our "story" and asking each of them to do the same. In other words to tell the type of family they grew up in, how many years married, how many children, etc. Mindy came into our class and it was fun to hear her tell of her expectations for marriage and children and her rebellious teen years! We all had a good laugh.
We plan to cover many aspects of the family including marriage, child raising during the pre-birth on up to grown children. I pray God will use us to reach those who want to know what the Bible says concerning all this and also the experiences of others in these areas. I think it will be a fun class.
Have a great week and a laborless labor day!
Friday, September 02, 2005
LIFE CHANGES ON A DIME
I titled yesterday's post as Life is Changing. Boy is it ever!
Please pray for New York Avenue Church of Christ in Arlington, Texas. My brother-in-law is the minister there and my sister is the church secretary. Yesterday, three couples of their senior "Road Runners" group were traveling on a fun trip and had an accident in Crockett. One couple, Don and Bettie Davies died, Pat Parker died and her husband, Bill is in critical condition as he was airlifted to Tyler, Jack Chance died and his wife Dianne Chance was in the hospital but may have been released with minor injuries!
My sister said that Tommy had his sermon all planned out for Sunday. "Don't sweat the small stuff." Here are two crises, the hurricane and now the accident, As a church we need to stop worrying if we are clapping or raising hands. We just need to worship and worry about the world about us.
My heart bleeds for this family of God and for the families in crisis in New Orleans and all over the Gulf Coast. Many who are here in Beaumont are saying they are not going back to New Orleans. They have nothing to go back to and will start their lives over here or in a new place. Sometimes, I think it might be nice to start over without any baggage! Thank you God for the chances you give us to always start fresh with you and our lives.
Please pray for New York Avenue Church of Christ in Arlington, Texas. My brother-in-law is the minister there and my sister is the church secretary. Yesterday, three couples of their senior "Road Runners" group were traveling on a fun trip and had an accident in Crockett. One couple, Don and Bettie Davies died, Pat Parker died and her husband, Bill is in critical condition as he was airlifted to Tyler, Jack Chance died and his wife Dianne Chance was in the hospital but may have been released with minor injuries!
My sister said that Tommy had his sermon all planned out for Sunday. "Don't sweat the small stuff." Here are two crises, the hurricane and now the accident, As a church we need to stop worrying if we are clapping or raising hands. We just need to worship and worry about the world about us.
My heart bleeds for this family of God and for the families in crisis in New Orleans and all over the Gulf Coast. Many who are here in Beaumont are saying they are not going back to New Orleans. They have nothing to go back to and will start their lives over here or in a new place. Sometimes, I think it might be nice to start over without any baggage! Thank you God for the chances you give us to always start fresh with you and our lives.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
LIFE IS CHANGING!
Life, as we know it, is changing all around. I see the devastation in the coastal region and I can’t fathom what is happening there. There seems to be no order. There seems to be no one in charge! No one that really knows what is going on! That is rare in our United States. But people are hurting and needing and when those hurts and needs are not met, people do strange and sometimes unthinkable things.
I can’t imagine shooting at a helicopter trying to rescue someone! That is unthinkable. But it happened. I can’t imagine taking things that don’t belong to me! But it is happening. I can’t imagine being so selfish as to walk past another’s need! But it is happening. I can’t imagine being so needful that I resort to these things. But it happens. Just because I have not ever had it happen to me, does not mean it does not happen nor that it could not happen to me at some time.
I remember the movie Trading Places and the bet the brothers made that if someone was rejected by friends and family and lost everything, they would turn to violence. It happened! We are base people and without Christ, we are hopeless. We lose everything and have no hope and we see these vile happenings.
I can sit in my clean, cool and comfortable home and watch on TV or type in my computer and sit in judgment on the people I am watching do these unthinkable things and say I would not do them. But in reality, I am not so sure that if I were in the same situation I would resort to whatever to meet my immediate needs! Especially, if I did not have the hope of Christ.
So I am trying real hard not to judge these people and realize that Christ is the missing link in their lives. Christ is the healer and need meter of all. Until I take Christ to these people, there will be these vile happenings.
UPDATE on CHARITY
I have not had anyone come into my home to date, to house during this crisis. I went to get my gift cards yesterday and took them to the church office. In talking with one of the ministers there, she had gone to the Ford Arena and they are not needing anything at this time. I told her and the others that I had thought about going out there and asking if there was a need for a young family to be housed and all I could think of was 1500 people all rushing to me to volunteer to come to my house!
The headlines would read: Another victim of Katrina ~ Woman crushed by mass!
She is going to a shelter in Lumberton and if she sees a need she will recommend them to come to my home. I told her I can remember when my youngest daughter was a baby and she was sensitive to loud noises and did not do well in crowds. I can imagine a young family with small children in similar circumstances and I would be happy to help them.
Also, the preacher’s wife has family-in-law that are currently housing 14 people from New Orleans and they know of other families coming in the next week to the area. They may take up our offer. So as of right now, I have no guests in my home. But the offer still stands and I am opening up myself to God’s leading as to who comes to my home.
___________________
On another note, I am asking prayers for my sister and brother-in-law. They are making life changing decisions in the next few weeks and it will alter their lifestyle and livelihood. Please pray for them.
I can’t imagine shooting at a helicopter trying to rescue someone! That is unthinkable. But it happened. I can’t imagine taking things that don’t belong to me! But it is happening. I can’t imagine being so selfish as to walk past another’s need! But it is happening. I can’t imagine being so needful that I resort to these things. But it happens. Just because I have not ever had it happen to me, does not mean it does not happen nor that it could not happen to me at some time.
I remember the movie Trading Places and the bet the brothers made that if someone was rejected by friends and family and lost everything, they would turn to violence. It happened! We are base people and without Christ, we are hopeless. We lose everything and have no hope and we see these vile happenings.
I can sit in my clean, cool and comfortable home and watch on TV or type in my computer and sit in judgment on the people I am watching do these unthinkable things and say I would not do them. But in reality, I am not so sure that if I were in the same situation I would resort to whatever to meet my immediate needs! Especially, if I did not have the hope of Christ.
So I am trying real hard not to judge these people and realize that Christ is the missing link in their lives. Christ is the healer and need meter of all. Until I take Christ to these people, there will be these vile happenings.
UPDATE on CHARITY
I have not had anyone come into my home to date, to house during this crisis. I went to get my gift cards yesterday and took them to the church office. In talking with one of the ministers there, she had gone to the Ford Arena and they are not needing anything at this time. I told her and the others that I had thought about going out there and asking if there was a need for a young family to be housed and all I could think of was 1500 people all rushing to me to volunteer to come to my house!
The headlines would read: Another victim of Katrina ~ Woman crushed by mass!
She is going to a shelter in Lumberton and if she sees a need she will recommend them to come to my home. I told her I can remember when my youngest daughter was a baby and she was sensitive to loud noises and did not do well in crowds. I can imagine a young family with small children in similar circumstances and I would be happy to help them.
Also, the preacher’s wife has family-in-law that are currently housing 14 people from New Orleans and they know of other families coming in the next week to the area. They may take up our offer. So as of right now, I have no guests in my home. But the offer still stands and I am opening up myself to God’s leading as to who comes to my home.
___________________
On another note, I am asking prayers for my sister and brother-in-law. They are making life changing decisions in the next few weeks and it will alter their lifestyle and livelihood. Please pray for them.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
GOD, I NEED YOUR HELP!
As we watch the coverage of the aftermath, we feel helpless. Yet, Tollie and I both had the same feeling last night. We want to do something. Of course, our first thoughts were we have this large house with extra beds and room for people. So, we both, almost at the same time, said we want to go get someone to stay with us, that needs housing.
But I need help in doing this. This will certainly be out of my comfort zone. Yet, if I want a B & B, someday, this would be like that! So.....how can I not try. Yet, a B & B could be a one night thing, where this may be a month-long thing! That is a huge difference! But I do feel compelled to do something.
I am going this morning to get some gift cards. We are collecting those at church to hand out and help the victims in some way. I will go to Ford Arena or call and find out what is the best way to help! I know they need money right now and that is certainly a possibility. But I will see what else I can do and I am praying this morning that God sends someone to us to bring home to our house!
This could be a turning point in our lives to go from wanting to be a different church, to being a different church!
But I need help in doing this. This will certainly be out of my comfort zone. Yet, if I want a B & B, someday, this would be like that! So.....how can I not try. Yet, a B & B could be a one night thing, where this may be a month-long thing! That is a huge difference! But I do feel compelled to do something.
I am going this morning to get some gift cards. We are collecting those at church to hand out and help the victims in some way. I will go to Ford Arena or call and find out what is the best way to help! I know they need money right now and that is certainly a possibility. But I will see what else I can do and I am praying this morning that God sends someone to us to bring home to our house!
This could be a turning point in our lives to go from wanting to be a different church, to being a different church!
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
PEACE!
In reading my list of blogs this morning, I read where Kip McKean is bringing back the "lost" from the ICOC and wanting to determine who is in or out! This brings back so many memories and not good ones at that.
Why do people feel compelled to judge the hearts of men? I know we all do at times but this is a constant in this man's life. Satan has a strong hold on this man and I pray for his freedom in Christ.
I am still praying for those in the Gulf Coast states who are hurting and not home and don't even know if they have a home to go to. It must be devastating! I am so thankful we were spared. We got a strong, short lived wind and rain storm through here yesterday in late afternoon that was nothing compared to what these people went through. This was just an outer band of storms that came through, but it was enough for me. Knocked over some plants and my front yard looks like beavers have been in my tree cutting the tips off!
So I am very thankful we didn't have a visit from Katrina and hopefully we will not see any of her family of hurricanes this season!
Why do people feel compelled to judge the hearts of men? I know we all do at times but this is a constant in this man's life. Satan has a strong hold on this man and I pray for his freedom in Christ.
I am still praying for those in the Gulf Coast states who are hurting and not home and don't even know if they have a home to go to. It must be devastating! I am so thankful we were spared. We got a strong, short lived wind and rain storm through here yesterday in late afternoon that was nothing compared to what these people went through. This was just an outer band of storms that came through, but it was enough for me. Knocked over some plants and my front yard looks like beavers have been in my tree cutting the tips off!
So I am very thankful we didn't have a visit from Katrina and hopefully we will not see any of her family of hurricanes this season!
Monday, August 29, 2005
KATRINA!
We are breathing a sigh of relief as we watch Katrina going into Louisiana. She could have made her way further west but went north instead. We are happy. Not happy that others are suffering but happy she did not come our way.
I thought it strange this morning when I heard a senator from Louisiana say they were praying for the storm to go east of New Orleans! I am sure there were others praying as well, those east praying it would go west or east! Poor God! I know he must hear all these prayers coming from all directions and then has to decide to disappoint someone! Is this really how it works? I have so many questions concerning prayer and how it works and I can't wait to get to heaven and ask them! (Although probably by then, it won't matter to me)
What do you think about prayer? I know prayer works, I'm just not sure how it works nor am I sure I always ask the right questions in my prayers. I know God has a plan and does he really change those plans by hearing prayers? If that be the case, what causes him to change his mind and does he then become a respector of persons and then does it depend on our "goodness" or "badness" as to who he listens to? Or is it that it is so out of our realm of thinking that none of this is what happens at all and that what really does happen can't be explained in human terms? See, I have many questions.
Don't get me wrong, I do pray. I pray every night before I go to sleep and I try to pray often. I am sure I pray when things are tough and I need to have comfort. I try to remember to always pray for thanksgiving. But I am not sure I pray often and at the right times and especially I believe that I don't pray the right kind of prayer! I am working and studying on my praying to see if I can understand it more and more.
If you have ideas of how prayer works and how it affects us, please share them with me.
I thought it strange this morning when I heard a senator from Louisiana say they were praying for the storm to go east of New Orleans! I am sure there were others praying as well, those east praying it would go west or east! Poor God! I know he must hear all these prayers coming from all directions and then has to decide to disappoint someone! Is this really how it works? I have so many questions concerning prayer and how it works and I can't wait to get to heaven and ask them! (Although probably by then, it won't matter to me)
What do you think about prayer? I know prayer works, I'm just not sure how it works nor am I sure I always ask the right questions in my prayers. I know God has a plan and does he really change those plans by hearing prayers? If that be the case, what causes him to change his mind and does he then become a respector of persons and then does it depend on our "goodness" or "badness" as to who he listens to? Or is it that it is so out of our realm of thinking that none of this is what happens at all and that what really does happen can't be explained in human terms? See, I have many questions.
Don't get me wrong, I do pray. I pray every night before I go to sleep and I try to pray often. I am sure I pray when things are tough and I need to have comfort. I try to remember to always pray for thanksgiving. But I am not sure I pray often and at the right times and especially I believe that I don't pray the right kind of prayer! I am working and studying on my praying to see if I can understand it more and more.
If you have ideas of how prayer works and how it affects us, please share them with me.
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