Gustav: A Matter of Where, Not When

Good grief. Just when we thought that our "Chocolate City" had seen enough drama, this happens. Thankfully, according to an article on Bloomberg.com, NOLA residents are taking a life-threatening Category 4 hurricane seriously this time. A local business owner was quoted as saying, "The hurricane isn't even in the Gulf of Mexico and the town is a ghost town." GOOD!! IT SHOULD'VE LOOKED LIKE THAT WHEN KATRINA WAS ON THE WAY!!! But I digress... Read the article here. I expect that we'll get some rain out this, too, if we're lucky. We could use the precipitation.

This map can be found on the NOAA website. I think these guys have such cool jobs. I've always had a real fascination with weather, weather patterns, and catastrophic weather events. I wouldn't be good at doing any of the math, but I sure do enjoy the science behind meterology.

Regardless of the fact that the eye is not predicted to pass directly over NOLA, they are most definitely on the more dangerous side of the hurricane. Quoted from the website HurricaneTrack.com,



"The maximum effects of a hurricane are usually felt within what is called the right-front quadrant. Here the winds are (typically) strongest, storm surge is highest, and the possibility of tornadoes is greatest. It is important to know whether or not your area will be affected by the right-front quadrant. It could mean the difference between maximum hurricane conditions or a glancing blow."

Unfortunately, if you superimpose this map over the predicted landfall of Gustav, NOLA falls directly in this quadrant of the hurricane, so it doesn't look good.

I won't comment on politics or personal opinion right now, because I'm sure you all know exactly how I feel about the Katrina debacle by now. (And if you don't, you probably don't want to know.) Let's just all pray for every man, woman, child, and animal fighting to survive right now. And let's please not focus just on NOLA. True, the squeakiest door gets the majority of the grease, but let's cast our eyes a little further west. People living in Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes will likely lose everything they have in this hurricane. They were directly hit by Rita three years ago and were almost wiped off the map then. (FYI: Lake Charles is in Calcasieu Parish, for a frame of reference.) There are plenty of low-income families living there, farmers, etc., who took a massive hit. There were even reports of flooded cemeteries with caskets floating like macabre driftwood in Cameron Parish. And we can't forget S4J and several other of my peeps in that neck of the woods, as the eye is predicted to more or less pass directly over them.

Praising God that His hand is already on this... Praying for leaders to do the right thing for their constituents... Praying for people to take initiative...

Pit Stop: Home

Well, we have arrived home again from our time in Washington to the disgusting, oppressive heat in the grand ole state of Texas. Can you tell I'm thrilled to be home? There is something to be said for sleeping in one's own bed after a lengthy travel, but it's a bittersweet thing for me this time around. Once again, I'm having to reacclimate to being alone, and I don't like it one bit. My heart is with R. but my mind has got to be plugged in here, and I'm stressed out and distracted. You can imagine how much fun I am to be around right now!

It was a good, memorable experience. Can't really call it a vacation, because that's not what it was intended to be. I've been working on uploading pictures for almost an hour now, going through them and wondering just where the time went and how fast it went by. The kids really handled travelling well, and actually handled the time change better than me, truth be told. I look forward to schlepping them up there again sometime in the not-too-distant future, but with R.'s schedule being full of travel and unpredictability, and kids starting school soon, I'm not sure when that will be. However, we do have a family vacation planned with aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents next week, and I'm trying to talk S4J into a mini-chicas this weekend.



Yes, yes, Gretchen and I did have our "MIRL," and it was just the coolest. Picture my personality but putting a "relaxed and groovy," laid-back, wise, funny spin on it, and you've got the Bloggy Queen of the PNW, as I've decided to dub her. Her kids are the coolest, and Big seems like a big sweetie to boot. She was uber-cool about my puky Lil' G and energized Bud, and we even got to enjoy a glass of local wine to top off the afternoon. It was an amazing treat and blessing to get to meet her and experience her heartfelt hospitality. Can someone say Chicas '09?!? haha!!!

I'll get to posting some of the cool pics and giving everyone the run-down in a bit. Got to sort out household/essential things that were deliciously neglected whilst I retreated to the arms of my sweetie, and start preparing for another trip. I have some interesting excerpts from some journaling and just "wow" pics to put up. BTW, keep your eyes open: there is a special event coming up here at GGG's place. I'm even getting my own cool button from HisGirl to kick it off!!! Be sure to check back...

Much love to Gretchen and everyone who prayed for and over this trip, my children, my relationship, my nerves, etc. Please keep those prayers coming. We still have a long way to go, but I know that God is faithful and present and sovereign. Check back soon for the latest updates!!!

"A Living Prayer"

This is a song by one of my favorites, Allison Krauss and New Union Station. I would give major organs to get to meet her and just listen in on her and the band in a jam session sometime. Anyhow, the first time I heard this song, I felt like she had torn the words right out of my heart and my prayers -- between her and Chris Rice, those two really know what's on my mind. S4J, this is one of the songs you are charged with making sure is played at my funeral. JO, this is the song I want to do as a duet with you at church, if we can talk the Chokemaster into picking it for us!

Today's Verse: Isaiah 46:11b-13a

"...What I have said, I will bring about: what I have planned, that will I do. Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are far from righteousness. I am bringing my righteousness near, it is not far away..."

Yes, yes, yes. I know I haven't posted anything in a few days. Between nursing a migraine, spending most of Sunday either on the road or in church, and just being exhausted and deep in thought in general, I have neglected several things, save kids and laundry. Sorry for the excuses.

I don't know why I'm like this, but I'm a cyclical person. I'm guessing we all are, and not in the way most women are thinking right now (thanks to Lybrel!). I'm cyclical in my thinking. I get going down the road of life and come to something in the road. I identify it, ponder it, occasionally usually overanalyze it, smack myself into gear, and resume my journey down the road. But for some ridiculous reason, that thing shows up again! It might be just after I round the corner, or it might be miles down the road, but invariably that "thing" will come right back and I go back through this process. Being a lover of logic and efficiency, this is quite frustrating to me, and in turn becomes frustrating to R., S., S4J those who have to hear me talk about it all the time. So why do I, or any of us, keep coming back to stumbling blocks in our roads?!?

I wish I had an answer for that, I really do. As I sat down today to write this blog, my heart was heavy with care. I'm at a real loss for how to handle a situation upon which I have a lot riding. If it didn't matter to me, it wouldn't register on my emotional radar, but since it matters quite a bit, it's like looking at a Category 5 hurricane on the doppler. I felt pressed to head to my good ol' standby, the Psalms. But as I opened my Bible, this verse smacked me in the face like a foul ball at a summertime t-ball game.

Yes, I know that I have taken a verse out of its socio-historical context, but sometimes when God really wants to catch your eye and make a point, usually before He does it the painful way, I think it's entirely possible that the Holy Spirit lets your eye catch on a word or phrase. For me, that phrase was LISTEN TO ME, YOU STUBBORN HEARTED!!

It's a rare thing to have something so obvious and pointed show up, as I like to say, in black and white on a billboard right in front of my face. How many more times am I going to blog about the same things bothering me? How many more passages of Scripture am I going to have to read before I get the point? How far gone is my situation going to have to go until it either smoothes out or completely unravels? I don't want it to unravel. In my effort to "work against that," I'm afraid that is exactly what is going to happen. I feel like God is trying to tell me to quit being a backseat driver and to get a grip, and I'm finding it so hard to do this. I am humbly asking for your prayers, both from those who are regular readers and those who stumble upon my posts, those who are Christian, those who are Jewish, Muslim, or any other "flavor" of religious expression. Please pray that God would give me the added measure of faith to rely upon His faithfulness, massive amounts of patience for all the people in my life, and for outrageous amounts of strength as my character is being developed, my relationships strengthened, the events of my life unfolding. I feel so trapped and paralyzed by my own stupidity sometimes! Please pray for me to be more optimistic about my life and to not be in such a hurry to live my life that I don't appreciate everything and everyone for exactly what and who they are for me. Thanks in advance.

And with that, I'm off to take the kids to see "Kung Fu Panda." :)

Mandatum Novum

OK. I was going to give everyone their "Maundy Thursday 101" lesson, but Sing4Joy has totally beat me to the punch! So, go hit her page and come back so we can continue...

Pretty interesting stuff, I think. I've noticed that not many churches have Maundy Thursday services, and I know my church has not always had them. At my church, we are observing this important day with a Seder, combining that with the chance for each person to take part in the meal as well as music. It's not a traditional, orthodox seder, but then again, we're not Jewish. We are trying to incorporate our Jewish heritage to better appreciate and understand our New Testament faith.

One of the songs that we are playing tonight is, "In The Garden," by Michael Card. I have scoured the internet to find you a clip to hear or watch of this song. It is NOT the traditional hymn that you are most likely thinking of; it's a completely different song. It is a lament of sorts, and the part that gets to me is the second verse. Here are the lyrics:

"Trembling with fear,
Alone in the garden
Battle before the final war
Blood became tears,
There in the garden
To fall upon the silent stone
There in the darkness, the Light
And the darkness stood still
Two choices, one tortured will
And there, once the choice had been made
All the world could be saved
By the One in the garden

The light of the dawn
Was seen in the garden
By gentle eyes, so sadly wise
The angels appear,
They come to the garden
Clothed with sighs, they realize
The One they've adored from the start
Will be broken apart
By the ones He had come to save
So they're here simply now to be near
He's no longer alone
They sit by Him and moan."

I have never viewed the Passion from the perspective of the angels, created beings separate from humans and from God, spectators in the history of creation. How they have adored Jesus, the Word made flesh, which has been since the foundations of the world, and ministered to Him no doubt, have worshipped Him and will do so again at the end of days. I envision Jesus, wracked with the reality that is so near. His aching, wrestling with what is to come, His desire to be obedient to the Father, His intercession for us as believers yet to come even moments before these terrible events begin (John 17:20-26), and yet there is an unseen assembly. The angels have come to minister to Him. They can't step into His place, but their ministry is one of presence. It was so important that He not suffer alone. They said nothing but they were there. Their spirits were so heavy, yet they came to Him.

Can we 100% prove that this actually happened? No. But is there exacting evidence that proves that this was impossible? Again, no. It seems acceptable in my understanding that this scenario is entirely possible, and it grieves me in a beautiful way to think of the Passion from this perspective. Thinking of the feelings running through Jesus' heart, the reason for all this to come to pass, break my heart. Then, when I think about the angels coming to minister to Him, their hearts breaking, that, too, makes me sad but comforts me as well. I can believe that, if the Father provided this kind of comfort to Jesus in His time of need, then He can also accomplish that in my life. The angels came to provide love and support, not to take the cup of suffering away. And so it is in our lives. God comes to us -- supernaturally, through other people, through experiences, etc. -- and shows us His ministry of presence, although we're still up to our eyeballs in some of the thickest mud we've ever found ourselves in. It is a big deal to me to not feel alone in my struggles and my journeys. When I feel alone in this world, I know that I have not been completely abandoned, and that thought alone has been something that has gotten me through many a hard day.

One last thought about the events of today: try to bring Maunday Thursday and Good Friday to the table with you every time you receive communion. As I like to tell Ron, communion, along with baptism, are two of the only things in my religion that are tangible. You can have a sensory experience with bread, wine, and water. They are, to me, one of the easiest ways to remind me of "what it's all about." It's about love. Jesus loved me, even me. He established the breaking of the bread and the drinking of the wine as simple, physical reminders of His love. He suffered, was broken, and poured out His life out of love. For me. For you.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." --John 15:13 (KJV)

Prayer for Brae-Brae

I don't know who Brae-Brae is, but from the perspective of a child, I thought this was neat. I found this over at Hearth & Home:

God be in my head, and in my understanding.
God be in my eyes, and in my looking.
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking.
God be in my heart, and in my thinking.
God be at my end, and at my departing.

Tuesday Thriller

Sometimes I need a little brain candy, if you will, and this seemed like an interesting tidbit. While silly at first glance, I think it's actually quite interesting to see what other people are reading, and this game is almost like reading an excerpt from the book once it's really gotten into its purpose or plot... So, enjoy! (And if you decide to do this on your blog, leave me a comment so I can read it; if you don't blog, you can leave yours in my comments for the rest of us to read!!)

"Quick, Grab A Book!"

So the rules of the game are this:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Beginning with that sentence, post the next three sentences.
5. Tag someone to continue the game -- I tag YOU, Christine!

On with the game...

The book at the top of my stack is a book entitled, "Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home," by Richard J. Foster. It's a book that I have, neglectfully, only read the introduction of but think will be a great book. Each chapter seems to be stand-alone, and it was assigned reading for a course I took that I just never got around to reading and was never tested over. I know that's terrible!!! But maybe this will spur me on to reading it. Here's my excerpt:

"'Reveal my sin, O Holy Spirit'; 'Lord Jesus, let me feel loved.' Notice the brevity of each of the prayers -- seldom more than seven or eight syllables."

This passage is discussing the topic of breath prayer, BTW.