Word from inside the storm zone

Technology is amazing!! My mom was able to send out an email using a neighbor's satellite internet connection. We're all so thankful and relieved to KNOW that everything is fine. Thanks again for your prayers!!

hi ya'll, I am so excited- I feel like I have just won the lottery. better than the lottery!!!!!!!!!! a neighbor has satellite internet so hopefully you will get this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE ARE OKAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

it was really scary and now it is just uncomfortable. we have some roof damage, but not bad. dave put tar paper up this morning where the plywood is showing. water leaked through the kitchen light fixture. but we are so blessed! the devastation is awful. it looks like jeremy's place after the tornado- but no trailers. all our houses are spared but we have probably lost half our big trees. unbelievable. the big oaks just layed over. God was watching us and the 2 oaks by our bedroom are still standing and about half of the tree that had the swing - the rest are down. we will be picking up limbs for years. the barn was spared. we have a tree on the little carport and one leaning on the gas tank but it seems okay.

we have our generator and fuel, so we have food, water, and a way to cook it. i have been frantic to get a message to you because i know that you are worried. no phone. we may not have electricity here for a month. dave and about 15 men back here spent 5 hours yesterday morning clearing the road to 21. right now 21 is blocked but they are supposed to have the national guard clearing it today. IF we can get out, we will probably come to granny's soon. we were packing to leave tomorrow mostly to get word to you, but if you dont see us don't get excited. i need to try to get to margie's house today. she and erin stayed and we haven't heard from them. st tammany has a lot of wind damage, and roads are impassable. kayla, i hope that you are ok. i have been sick with worry. keep in touch with granny and aunt joey. you can try to send me an email, i may check back tomorrow if i can, but just let me know you are okay. i love all of you! we will probably stay a little longer now but will go to granny's soon. don't worry, i love you!!!!!!!!!!!!! and we will get satellite internet!!!!!!!!!!!!!

love, mom

Now Praising!

Thank the Lord, we've finally made (indirect) contact with my parents, and have at least confirmed that they're safe! Kayla was able to get through to some friends from church who live nearby, and they have been in touch with mom & dad. They had several trees in the yard that are now uprooted, and lost some shingles which resulted in a roof leak, but are otherwise ok. They'll definitely have to head out of town since they don't anticipate the utilities returning for several weeks, but they're going to wait a few days to get things situated, and I think help the neighbors. (They're the only ones with running water since they have a generator to pump from the well, so everyone is showering at their house!)
It's such a relief to finally hear that all is well- the pictures on the news have been so disturbing. Thanks for all the prayers, phone calls, and emails as we waited!! Please continue to pray for the people who are still there, and for the ones who have suffered loss. Pray that God will be glorified as a result of this tragedy, that many will realize that the things of this earth will fade and only the Lord is steadfast. May He be praised!!!

The waiting continues

Still no word one & a half days later.... i don't like this!

Katrina

Please pray for my parents... they stayed at home to ride out the storm (just north of New Orleans), and neither their landline or cell phones are working. I talked to them this morning, but we haven't been able to reach them since the worst passed over that area.

Something I read-

I just read this in a book I'm working through for school, Miniskirts, Mothers, and Muslims. I can't believe how much I have enjoyed this one! (Thanks Dr. M!!)

How many times have we sat in a church meeting and felt isolated, or unwarmed in our hearts? Sometimes the formality of a meeting prevents people from being
natural, or cuts across direct communication with one another. Unless there is a
particularly caring group, a person could take part in worship without
experiencing direct personal contact with another.
In the New Testament the church is described as the family of God. Yet, the sense of family can be missing. It is especially difficult for people to share with others if they have nothing in common and the only shared experience is the formal meeting time. The Christian family needs shared family experiences together, just as a family does. This type of fellowship should be a regular part of our lives. It bonds
our local church because it combines two of the most important aspects of
community-based culture: hospitality and family.

I miss this...

Lessons

I'm learning a lot about relying on God for everything- to be my comfort, my friend, my strength... Until this past week, I was totally content, and the Lord consistently reminded me that my joy comes from Him, not from the things He's given me. I see now how I've let other things get in the way of that contentment. My times with Him are becoming more stable and more frequent. He's teaching me the meaning of the statement "You're all I need." For example, a few nights ago I was at the gym- feeling pretty tired and cranky- and I couldn't focus on my music or the book in front of me (while I rode a bike). I finally put it all away and spent the rest of that time praying and trying to clear my head. I was able to get a grip and found myself in a better frame of mind. It seems so simple, and I'm ashamed that some of these lessons seem so new and fresh to me.
Right now I think my biggest struggle/dilemma is knowing how actively I should be looking at my options for the future, or if I should just sit back and wait for God to put something in front of me. Should I be patient or pro-active? I have a hard time trusting my own discernment most of the time. I need some direction, even if it's just as simple as "wait" or "explore the possibilities".
In the midst of the confusion, though, I know that God is still good. He brought me to this place, and He will not leave me alone. It may not be the most comfortable situation all the time, but the Lord is drawing me closer to His side, and I wouldn't trade that for anything.

Girls just wanna have fun

Yesterday I returned to GA after 4 incredibly relaxing days at the beach with three of my best friends. Tracy, Lorie, Julie and I met in 2001, while we were all working in central Europe. We took a vacation to Greece and Macedonia together that Thanksgiving, and vowed that we'd have a reunion trip every few years. Earlier this summer, we were at one time all on different continents; last week was the first time we've all been together in four years! It was so good to catch up, laugh, eat junk, talk, relax in the hammock, and pray with these girls. It's funny- we're all so different, yet God has woven our hearts tightly into a beautiful, unique tapestry. For example, we couldn't help but laugh at the variety of reading materials we brought out to the beach one day- Let the Nations be Glad by Piper, The Feminist Mistake by Kassian, Self magazine, and Harry Potter. (I'll let you guess who was reading what!) We had so much fun!

Hopefully I'll have time tomorrow to share all that the Lord has been teaching me lately!

Currently homeless

God has given me so much to be thankful for. Although I still don't know "why", I know that He brought me to Atlanta for this time in my life, and it has been a sweet season of spiritual renewal so far.
The hardest part of moving, though, has been finding a new church home. I've been in a different church every Sunday for the past month, and still haven't found one that feels like home. Not even a little bit. Deer Creek Community Fellowship (back in Fort Worth) spoiled me. I've never really been a fan of mega-churches, or even large churches, but I thought that maybe if I found one with a good singles group and lots of people my age I could get over that. A shepherd is suppossed to know his sheep, though, and I don't want to be just a member of another church where my pastor won't know my name or recognize me in the grocery store. Also, I want to meet friends who share my passions & feelings about the church being a community of believers who treat one another like family.
And while I'm getting some of these things off my chest, can anyone explain to me how fancy light shows and smoke machines are suppossed to bring me closer to Jesus? Three out of four churches had one or both of those things! And I don't understand it. People feel the need to make the church more "seeker-sensitive" and appealing to non-believers, but when did Jesus and the Cross stop being enough? Do we really need a gimmick?
You might have guessed that this is something I'm really struggling with. I stayed in this morning and had a great time with the Lord, just me & Him, and tried out another church tonight, but these feelings were reinforced again. I know that I need fellowship with other believers, and I don't enjoy being a visitor week after week. Please pray for me that I'll find a church to call "home" soon!

Thankful

Have you ever seen the show "While you were out"? I surprised Lisa this week by rearranging her living room while she was at work one day. I spent the day Wednesday shopping for new lamps & new curtains, and Thursday I got up early and set to work, moving furniture and putting up the new stuff. It was tough moving the couches, but I had fun knowing how shocked Lisa would be. I just wish I could have been there when she got home from work that night... I had to work myself that night. She was so surprised- and it felt good to know that I had blessed someone else.
Work is getting better & better. With every shift, I feel a little more confident about the job I'm doing...
Kayla just called me. A deer ran out in front of her car last night when she was on her way home, and she flipped her CRV three times. Miraculously, she got out with only a few scratches and bruises. Strange enough, her accident happened at almost the same point on the highway where I had my first and only wreck five years ago, "give or take a few feet" according to my mom. I'm so thankful she's ok.