Go Away Gustav!!

Well, its official....Gustav is coming into the Gulf and is currently a Category 4 Hurricane and continues to get stronger.  Most of Bryan's family lives in Grand Isle, Louisiana--a fishing town two hours south of New Orleans, or in other small towns on Bayou LaFourche.  Three years ago Bryan's family lost their businesses and their homes were damaged by Hurricane Katrina.  Since the storm, they have rebuilt everything and have been doing well.  Now this is all being threatened again!  I can't even begin to think about the devastation another hurricane would bring!  I know God is in control of everything.  I know that the people we love are more important than any piece of land or establishment.  If all we had in this world were the people we love, we would still be blessed beyond belief.  We can get through anything as long and we have one another!  All this being said, another storm equal to Katrina or worse, would be anything but easy to recover from only three years later. 

When hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, I did not know the Gaspards yet.  I met Bryan just a month and a half after the storm.  My home in Jackson was without power for a little over a week and the clean up took months.  

Bryan is on call today, so I have been making preparations in case we are again affected by this storm.  I have bought enough food and water, I filled up with gas, and I filled our prescriptions.  I still need to take down my hanging baskets of flowers and move our grill/umbrella/fans off the porch and into the garage.  Fortunately, after a recent tornado when we were without power, we purchased a generator large enough to run our deep freeze, a couple of lights, and our "oh so precious television!"  It is sad how isolated I feel without the television when I am home alone, not knowing what is going on in the rest of the world.  Oh well....   I also have one of those emergency crank radios that are made exactly for the purpose of losing power.  My aunt gave it to us for a wedding gift.  I thought it a little strange at the time, but I am now thankful seeing as how I have already used it and obviously will use it again.....so , Thanks again Carolyn!!

Bryan and I are also preparing for the hospital to get a little crazy.  It is likely that many patients from other hospitals in the path of Gustav will be evacuated to our hospital.  Situations like these always make for chaos at the hospital.  I am glad that Bryan and I work in professions that help people in need.  While we are not able to often help others financially, we are able to offer the gifts of human interaction, comforting words, and medical care.   

Please pray for all people who will be affected by Gustav!  I ask you all specifically to pray that God will protect our family and our friends that are in the path of the storm.  I'll keep you updated on how God blesses our family!