The word Amazing/Amazed has been a huge word this week for me. I guess having lots of quiet time the last 2 weeks, while working on the house, I've had time to think and pray. I've opened my eyes to things around me and have noticed amazing things. I pray that my heart stays this way. The first week home cleaning out the house and being in panic mode, my life was centered around my damaged house. After the mattress incident my life has been changed. I know that sounds funny, but out of all this devastation to my city, I really can see the beauty. Here are my AMAZING views:
This weather has been great for drying out the house- AMAZING
The co-workers and friends that called and checked on me before we returned home to BC- AMAZING
Nicole for helping me clean out my house- AMAZING
Nicole offering me her classroom couch- AMAZING (still don't want it! :))
Katy calling me several times checking on me before going home when her plate is so full- AMAZING
Being off work for a week so I could get my life together- AMAZING
FEMA passing out goods to people- AMAZING
Red Cross talking to people and passing out goods- AMAZING
Our church didn't have any water in it- AMAZING
Red Cross stopping at my driveway on Thurs. telling us to take a lunch break and giving us a hot meal- AMAZING
Our insurance adjuster coming out Friday- AMAZING
Our adjuster being very nice- AMAZING
My husband crying as he showed the adjuster the damaged baby crib that has never been used- AMAZING
Troy surgery going so well- AMAZING
Katy's strength- AMAZING
A very special card in my mail box at work with an AMAZING gift.
The substitute in my classroom for last week did an AMAZING job.
The text messages I get everyday asking how I'm doing- AMAZING
Red Lobster last night and getting away- AMAZING
The damaged churches I passed this morning on my way into BC having service outside- AMAZING
Donating clothes to BC teachers that lost everything- AMAZING
Having fun cleaning out Robert's clothes that are so old- AMAZING
Mrs. Colleti that organized the clothing drive- AMAZING
The line of cars that were lined up to donate- AMAZING
Broccoli and cheese soup from Chili's to Go today- AMAZING
The free Snoee the lady gave me at ExxonMobil today in BC- AMAZING
Robert bleaching the floors in the house today- AMAZING
Having a day off today- AMAZING
Thank you Lord for showing me your amazing beauty!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Amazed
"Amazed' by, Lincoln Brewster
(verse 1)
You dance over me while I am unaware
You sing all around but I never hear the sound
(chorus)
Lord I'm amazed by You
Lord I'm amazed by You
Lord I'm amazed by You
And how You love me
(verse 2)
You paint the morning sky with miracles in mind
My hope will always stand
For You hold me in Your hand
(bridge)
How deep how wide
How great is Your love for me
I have this song on my profile now and it wraps up what I am feeling. Out of all the heartache of loosing possessions and honestly being mad about it the Lord shows His face. The One who knows me the best, knows how to get my attention and it's always in my face. Robert and I have been frantically working on getting our things moved to Mauriceville and trying to gut our house to the studs in the wall to prevent mold damage from the flood. We were so blessed to only have short of 2 feet in our house, but we've worked non stop for 6 days now and are finally seeing the end of the road for now. Yesterday morning I decided to take the lowboy by myself to Beaumont to find our a mattress to sleep on. The day before my grandparents ventured out and gave me two businesses that were open. I decided to go down Dowlen and Hadley's was open. I knew I could get a good mattress and I was in and out of there in about 10 minutes. I had to go to the warehouse at the old location on Calder and had a man tie the mattress and it's frame down to the lowboy, because I have no idea how to tie something down. I tipped the man very well for helping me. I went and came home through Mid County in fear of killing someone if I went down I-10 through Vidor. On my way back into Bridge City things starting flying off the lowboy on my way up the Veteran's bridge. Thank the Lord no one was close behind me or it could of been really bad. The mattress frame when sailing off the bridge in a frisbee fashion and the mattress went sliding off the back on the bridge. I saw a white truck get over quickly and DPS wasn't too far behind me. DPS is everywhere and you pass one at least every 1/4 mile around here. Kudos to them for protecting us at this time! The trooper told me that someone was picking up the mattress and to pull over at the bottom of the bridge. Quickly there were 2 men with my mattress and they quickly loaded it back on the lowboy. They told me that my husband could probably get the frame because it wasn't in the water and it had landed in the marsh grass/mud. I really had no desire to because there are Search & Rescue teams at the bottom of the bridge probably looking for bodies...? I told them our situation, that I had no bed, and I had just bought it in Beaumont. It was a funny story and I told everyone when I got back to B.C. I have to laugh to keep from crying and it works for me! My grandparents offered to get me another frame at Hadleys and Robert and I met them that evening. We were almost home and a co-worker of mine called and said that at the end of the broadcast on Ch. 12 they announced that if anyone had lost part of a mattress to call. I immediately told her to "Shut Up" and that she was just joking. She promised me she wasn't and after I got off the phone with her, Stephen called me and told me the same thing! I called Ch. 12 and spoke with Erica Harris and she was so excited that they found the owner. She gave me a name and number of the man who had it. I called the man and he asked me what I was driving to verify it was me. I asked if he had been behind me and he said that he had and he kind of paused. I asked if he was one of the men that picked up my mattress on the bridge, in traffic!, and he was! He said he couldn't bare the thought of us not having a bed to sleep on so after he got home, him and his son went under the bridge and got it. Simply Amazing!
Not only is that amazing, but an hour before I got the call about Ch. 12 I was fussing to Robert and being human. I was fussing about how we are trying to do what is right in life, live like Christians, and now our house has major damage. We are gutting it and now we will be investing all our extra time into this disaster for months to come. I was just fussing about "WHY us Lord!?" I was honestly bitter and mad about being a Christian. There I said it! You know we've all been there. About an hour later getting home with the frame my wonderful grandparents got for us, I was reminded that the Lord is still watching over me and "danc(ing) while I am unaware." He put Wayne, the rescuer of my frame, in my life yesterday to remind me that He is still my Lord and He still loves me. Robert met with Wayne today and got the rescued frame. I'm going to try and bring it back to Hadley's this week. I just got a little mud on it. Beyond this storm....I am Amazed how You love me.
(verse 1)
You dance over me while I am unaware
You sing all around but I never hear the sound
(chorus)
Lord I'm amazed by You
Lord I'm amazed by You
Lord I'm amazed by You
And how You love me
(verse 2)
You paint the morning sky with miracles in mind
My hope will always stand
For You hold me in Your hand
(bridge)
How deep how wide
How great is Your love for me
I have this song on my profile now and it wraps up what I am feeling. Out of all the heartache of loosing possessions and honestly being mad about it the Lord shows His face. The One who knows me the best, knows how to get my attention and it's always in my face. Robert and I have been frantically working on getting our things moved to Mauriceville and trying to gut our house to the studs in the wall to prevent mold damage from the flood. We were so blessed to only have short of 2 feet in our house, but we've worked non stop for 6 days now and are finally seeing the end of the road for now. Yesterday morning I decided to take the lowboy by myself to Beaumont to find our a mattress to sleep on. The day before my grandparents ventured out and gave me two businesses that were open. I decided to go down Dowlen and Hadley's was open. I knew I could get a good mattress and I was in and out of there in about 10 minutes. I had to go to the warehouse at the old location on Calder and had a man tie the mattress and it's frame down to the lowboy, because I have no idea how to tie something down. I tipped the man very well for helping me. I went and came home through Mid County in fear of killing someone if I went down I-10 through Vidor. On my way back into Bridge City things starting flying off the lowboy on my way up the Veteran's bridge. Thank the Lord no one was close behind me or it could of been really bad. The mattress frame when sailing off the bridge in a frisbee fashion and the mattress went sliding off the back on the bridge. I saw a white truck get over quickly and DPS wasn't too far behind me. DPS is everywhere and you pass one at least every 1/4 mile around here. Kudos to them for protecting us at this time! The trooper told me that someone was picking up the mattress and to pull over at the bottom of the bridge. Quickly there were 2 men with my mattress and they quickly loaded it back on the lowboy. They told me that my husband could probably get the frame because it wasn't in the water and it had landed in the marsh grass/mud. I really had no desire to because there are Search & Rescue teams at the bottom of the bridge probably looking for bodies...? I told them our situation, that I had no bed, and I had just bought it in Beaumont. It was a funny story and I told everyone when I got back to B.C. I have to laugh to keep from crying and it works for me! My grandparents offered to get me another frame at Hadleys and Robert and I met them that evening. We were almost home and a co-worker of mine called and said that at the end of the broadcast on Ch. 12 they announced that if anyone had lost part of a mattress to call. I immediately told her to "Shut Up" and that she was just joking. She promised me she wasn't and after I got off the phone with her, Stephen called me and told me the same thing! I called Ch. 12 and spoke with Erica Harris and she was so excited that they found the owner. She gave me a name and number of the man who had it. I called the man and he asked me what I was driving to verify it was me. I asked if he had been behind me and he said that he had and he kind of paused. I asked if he was one of the men that picked up my mattress on the bridge, in traffic!, and he was! He said he couldn't bare the thought of us not having a bed to sleep on so after he got home, him and his son went under the bridge and got it. Simply Amazing!
Not only is that amazing, but an hour before I got the call about Ch. 12 I was fussing to Robert and being human. I was fussing about how we are trying to do what is right in life, live like Christians, and now our house has major damage. We are gutting it and now we will be investing all our extra time into this disaster for months to come. I was just fussing about "WHY us Lord!?" I was honestly bitter and mad about being a Christian. There I said it! You know we've all been there. About an hour later getting home with the frame my wonderful grandparents got for us, I was reminded that the Lord is still watching over me and "danc(ing) while I am unaware." He put Wayne, the rescuer of my frame, in my life yesterday to remind me that He is still my Lord and He still loves me. Robert met with Wayne today and got the rescued frame. I'm going to try and bring it back to Hadley's this week. I just got a little mud on it. Beyond this storm....I am Amazed how You love me.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Ike got us!
Well, Hurricane Ike got us on Friday. It went straight in to Galveston and we are due east 90 miles from there. The worst side to be on. Ike did very little wind damage, unlike Rita in '05. The worst part, was the water surge. We had 2 feet of ocean come in our home and 90% of our town had water in their home. It's a very sad time for many families and we ask for you to please pray for our town, Bridge City.
Monday we were able to return from 9-6 and we started cleaning out. Today we ripped up flooring. I had 3 dead fish in my yard and the smell of the salt water and mud (marsh) is horrible...to say the least. Fortunately we didn't loose much. We evacuated and were safe during the storm. We lost all our furniture and very little clothing. We're living out of suit cases. I never realized how much I depended on furniture!
Some families lost their whole house and some families just 6 houses down the road had about 5 feet. If you have that much water, everything is ruined. We are so blessed to have our house that never sold and we know the Lord had it in his plans. We still have no electricity so we are running off of a generator for now. We are told within a month we will have power. I've went through a lot of emotions the last few days because the people I love the most were affected. My parents had 3 feet of water, my sister and brother-in-law, 1 foot, and my step-son had 5 feet. We're working hard on starting over, moving and getting our house cleaned up for insurance. We ask for your prayers over our safety as we work to transition and our health as we are working "over time."
Robert and I have to return to work soon, way too soon, so we have a lot to do. I'm thinking about taking another week off, so I can just mentally get back together. I really am blessed! I'll post pictures soon of some of the destruction in our town.
Monday we were able to return from 9-6 and we started cleaning out. Today we ripped up flooring. I had 3 dead fish in my yard and the smell of the salt water and mud (marsh) is horrible...to say the least. Fortunately we didn't loose much. We evacuated and were safe during the storm. We lost all our furniture and very little clothing. We're living out of suit cases. I never realized how much I depended on furniture!
Some families lost their whole house and some families just 6 houses down the road had about 5 feet. If you have that much water, everything is ruined. We are so blessed to have our house that never sold and we know the Lord had it in his plans. We still have no electricity so we are running off of a generator for now. We are told within a month we will have power. I've went through a lot of emotions the last few days because the people I love the most were affected. My parents had 3 feet of water, my sister and brother-in-law, 1 foot, and my step-son had 5 feet. We're working hard on starting over, moving and getting our house cleaned up for insurance. We ask for your prayers over our safety as we work to transition and our health as we are working "over time."
Robert and I have to return to work soon, way too soon, so we have a lot to do. I'm thinking about taking another week off, so I can just mentally get back together. I really am blessed! I'll post pictures soon of some of the destruction in our town.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Evacuating again...ugh
We've been home exactly a week today and now Hurricane Ike is headed to Texas. It's looking better as the day goes on hitting SW from us. This puts us on the east side of the storm which is not good because of the horrible winds and rain. We are on the coast where TX and LA meet. Anything is better than a direct hit, because we are on the coast and our town would be washed out to sea- literally. It looks like we will be evacuating and this time furthur away. We will be going to a town south of Ft. Worth where my grandmother (Dad's side) lives. I haven't seen her in about 3 years so it's way past time. I'm enjoying these short work weeks, but it's no fun spending money on evacuating. It's not exactly a vacation for me; I worry too much.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Gustav
This past weekend we evacuated for yet another hurricane. It's a very normal thing this time of year in SE Texas. The mandatory evacuation was Sunday morning and we left Saturday evening before the traffic got bad. We are so thankful that we didn't take a direct hit from Gustav. We were headed from the lake to our next stop in NE Texas, and decided Monday morning that since our home wasn't taking a hit and the weather would be bad where we were staying, we came home early yesterday. It's so good to be home! I didn't put the boxes of pictures away yet, because there are 3 other systems/storms out there. I hope and pray they stay away, too!
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