Crazy but Stabilizing

I am truly excited that football season is here. It has given me joy in a time of stress, and I am content to watch even more than one game in a single day. That's a big step for me!! Anyway, I just wanted to let whoever reads our blog to know about our current situation. The seminary has been offered a small home less than a mile from the North Georgia campus, which is where Stephen is working. (Actually, they have been offered many homes, apartments, etc. from very nice people who want to help) The campus is in Decatur, and Stephen has been commuting every day--ugh! My boss has also offered me my old job back working with the Dean of Graduate Studies office. Since we only have one car, we needed to live closer. So, are currently in the process of moving in the little house. One might say, "They don't have any thing to move in; how can they be in a process?" Well, good question I say. The house was extraordinarily dirty and has not been occupied in over a year. It's pretty old, too. So, my mom, sister, and I are working on cleaning it and beautifying it as much as it can be. And, again, since I don't have a car I rely on them to get me places. We have been given some provision to purchase things that we need to live on our own again. First Baptist East Ponce de Leon is supposed to bring some donated furniture on Saturday. We don't know exactly what they're bringing but I am sure that it all will add such character to this funny little home. We are ever so grateful for all the support and encouragement from everyone. Here's a shout out to Tana & Stevie Martin for being so so kind in our time of need!!!

And on we go . . . the new class schedule for the fall has come out after a weekend retreat/planning session of the faculty. It appears that I will be taking one class at the extension center and the rest through online threaded discussions. Although this method is not optimal for me, I find great comfort in the way that the NOBTS administration and faculty has provided for us students.

I still am not sure how God is going to use all of this mess for His glory, but I am learning that it's not my problem. He requires me to be faithful at all times in everything that happens and in all that He asks of me. They, I'll just let Him deal with it because He's much bigger and wiser than I.

For the glory of His name!

What we're going to do . . .

Well, the answer to most people's question for us is "we really don't know." Stephen and I are not sure exactly where God will lead us in the near or distant future. We will not know more until further details are revealed about jobs, school, and the situation in New Orleans. For now, we are staying with my mom in Gainesville. Stephen is working some with NOBTS at its Decatur extension center. I am currently jobless. We are not sure if Stephen will continue to work with NOBTS for the present or if he will need to get another job. I will probably need to find a part-time job but our vehicle situation is presenting a challenge. We left the corolla in New Orleans, so it is flooded. So, we are sharing a car except when I take my mom to school and then use her car. Fun times! Anyway, I will resume many of my fall courses through an online threaded discussion beginning October 3. I may also be taking some classes at the Decatur extension center. For sure, I will also take some workshop classes in October and January, and possibly March. Stephen and I have never had so much uncertainty in our lives. We no longer have any plans. We are having to truly learn to rely on God to lead us where we need to be going. Although I don't understand everything that is going on, I do know that I can trust in His sovereignty because I can trust in His goodness. Last night, I passed my college and mentioned to Stephen that for the first time I kind of miss those college days . . . mainly because they seemed somewhat "safe." I said, "I don't feel like my life is safe right now." And then I remembered that line from one of the Chronicles of Narnia books (which are underwater right now) when the Beavers told the children that Aslan was not safe. Of course he's not safe, he's a lion. But he is good. And that, dear friends, is what I am clinging to--that He is good.

Here's a picture of our church. It's only a couple streets over from our apartment, but the water looks worse here. I believe that it's up to the rooftops of the houses. The building just to the right of the church is an elementary school. So is the larger grayish building in the right lower corner.

This is our apartment. The fact that we can still see the roof of the little building in the left part is good. It is to the level of the first floor, which means that the second floor should fair ok. Because that roof is not covered, we are hoping that the water is not all the way to the top and that perhaps some of our things that we placed up high may have somewhat of a chance of being ok.

Update

It's so hard to figure out what we are actually feeling about all of this hurricane stuff. I get so angry at the looters and crazy people shooting at helicopters who are trying to evacuate medical patients. I mean, do these people have absolutely no sense of decency. It seems as if Satan himself is fully indwelling these nuts. And then, last night, some other crazy person was saying that the problem in New Orleans was a race issue. He said that if white people were in the dome, then relief would have already been there. Is he crazy, too. The majority of the city are African-Americans. The ratio just lends to more people being left as the majority race. Anyway, that made me mad, too; I won't continue to post my further thoughts there. And I'm also sad at the state of our apartment and seminary. I feel compassion for people standing around the city without food or water. At the same time, I feel frustrated at the people who could have gotten out of the city or to a shelter but didn't because they just didn't. They are using resources that could be used to evacuate people or bring in supplies. But as is, they are forcing enormous search and rescue efforts. Please don't think that my heart is not breaking for these people. That's what makes these emotions so complicated. Heartbreak, compassion, anger, frustration, sadness. All of them at once is crazy. I need to go run.