Katrina Tears --- Part 1

Gosh, I hate crying soo much in a day that I can't seem to think of other things. Especially on my way home tonight I just kept sobbing once I saw the refugees in the normally vacant motels on my street! Soooo many people have no place of their own for at least 2mths. The people of LA get to be Texans for bit. The images of the people being rescued and then having to wait on the bridges till the buses could help them get out brought so many tears. Then the shock of a man that had been rescued and was safe on the overpass jumping to his death from the overpass. I understand some of the bitterness that these people felt on the bridge, but it is sad that our level of patience is sooo lessened during tragedy. I want to work on that within my self. By morning those people will live in the Astrodome and other houston areas. Just thinking about the people who went to the Superdome having to come here after not having water or electricity since Monday. Three days without a shower...oh my! Of course even worse are those who have waded through the murky waters to safety or those who have been rescued off their roofs after days! I'm HATE the looting...it isn't so much the theft that is bothering me as the blantant disregard for the situation and the need to get out.
I am PISSED that I heard someone on the religious station say that Katrina came through New Orleans because of God wanting to show his power in such a city of sin. That is a load of crap! God is NOT going to do that. Also it is wrong since it was the day after Katrina that the New Orleans area was destroyed. There is much good for God in New Orleans. There are some growing churches and serious faith work being done!
Which this is a large part of my thoughts. I couldn't not think on Sunday about a hurricane testimony Ms.Linda used to tell. I heard her give it many times. She was about to evacuate with the semester missionaries, but she didn't because some of the teens were stuck there. Parents had left without their teens! There were about 10 of them if I recall. She got them together and they stayed and survived the storm in the center. There is no way they could have done that this time. I finnally saw on the news some of the 11th ward near Tchoupitoulas side. Very clearly is was also under much water which really didn't surprise me after enduring the many rainy bread days there. The other thing I have thought about today is hope. With one of the teens at the center, the quote I came away with is "why doesn't harrold feel hope?" I have prayed about this for him since I left. New Orleans Seminary is one of the very few places that is above sea level but they do know there is some damage and at one of the off site residences. I am very curious about the decision that they will make on Friday for this semester. (Dr.Paula and Jacksons, I'm praying for you!) I heard yesterday morning on the radio a woman from Metarie. I trembled when she talked about the water on Bonnabell in the old part of Metarie. This is where I went for church. I loved this church. I lived through the spring of 2000 because of this church. I learned real evangelism because of this church. I am sad to know that the building has received damage but I'm sadder to know that these people will have to endure two homes of healing.
Point to Ponder: Will my prayers finally make me secure in knowing that God is in control?

Fake Christians Make Me GRRRRR

GRRRRRRRR! Why do some ignorant souls have to make it so hard to let others know what God's love really is! EVEN worse to me is that this is happening at the funerals of soldiers.
quote:
The Rev. Fred Phelps, founder of Westboro Baptist in Kansas, contends that American soldiers are being killed in Iraq as vengeance from God for protecting a country that harbors gays. The church, which is not affiliated with a larger denomination, is made up mostly of Phelps' children, grandchildren and in-laws.
This Phelps guy is really the leader of a cult if you ask me so I'm willing to send in the feds to stop them! I'd rather have David Koresh than this idiot who wants to pretend to be following God. What a way to have a church...birth them! And people are opposed to women being actual biblical leaders yet we have this fool going to funerals. A real Christian knows that the signs should be "God hates Sin" which of course includes Phelps sin of hatred on people. The bible speaks to false teachers alot also...shame on him for being one.
(grrrrrrr...being annoyed with false Christians so not the way to begin a Sunday morning)

The only thing I can think right now of how to apply this to me is to not keep these annoyance feelings before heading to church service. Thankfully I have sometime to listen to Enter His Gates to try to get in the right frame of heart again.

White dress?

ok...I really have no desire 95% of the time to get married but the whole idea of blowing off the stupid traditions that so many find vital is extremely appealing! One of which is the whole white dress concept which is broken by so many because the image of the bride being a virgin is so rare even for those married in a church as Christians. (also annoys me that people the the female has to wear white yet the male doesn't need to wear white....just stupid) But one of the things I'd break about this is to not wear the white dress. I figure it is not all the onlookers business about my virginity or my future mates...since so many I know wore white and it is very clear they had no concept of waiting for sex. As I had this thought today because I spilled red koolaid on my white shirt today. I totally remembered hearing through out my life about not wearing white. Seriously, my mom really didn't want to purchase white things for me because I'd be so hard on it. So it would make sense to me that a dress to celebrate and worship a new beginning would not be white for me.
Just a random thought today that I thought I'd share.

First Day of School

Sadly this was a difficult to complete day it seemed for all four of us. A teen annoyed, a teacher in traffic, a elder bruised, and me with too many changes/mishaps. What a way to begin the new year.

The changes are the much earlier time and the cost of gas. Thankfully I've been trying to train my brain some during the last few weeks, but leaving at the time I used to get up is a challenge. I am the one that was able to get 10 and 11am classes through almost all of my college years. (of course Meredith would be the one that screwed up that record!) So I'm learning to adapt by getting to bed earlier and changing my routine somewhat. The cost of gas really shocked me when I went to fill up my tank yesterday. I had $20 on my Wal~mart card and it didn't fill up the tank on my little car! UGH. So I have to be more creative now and entertaining my grandma as we are at her home...we can't just watch television all day. hopefully the prices will actually go back down after labor day! I know that we certainly will be doing more walks when the temperature gets less. Just difficult knowing we are needing to stay in doors. (perhaps think pre-paid GAS cards for my birthday...isn't that sad?)
The mishaps were the rabbits being out free. I enjoy animals but needing to be responsible for so many gets annoying especially when I think that the owner could have prevented this escape. The rain meant we couldn't sit on the porch today to watch the school kids coming home. (it was also a blessing for it cooled things for a moment) Grandma needed two baths today and she kept walking without her walker. I got very frustrated with this. I truly hate who I am when I have this frustration.
Soooo how do I apply what I need to do so the entire year doesn't bring me down? I gotta use that time before grandma gets up in the morning to give God control of my day. I'm gonna start doing some biblical reading there in the morning. I'm also gonna make sure I sing a couple of songs and give him praise for the privilege of being called to help my grandma. Then on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I am going to have grandma have a small God focus time with me. I know she will not remember it but I think that for me doing it with her it will help us have a better day together. She doesn't pray in the inspiring way that she used to but somehow I still believe that God listens to her pray and answers her more speedily.
Time to get some sleep for Day 2.