Four years ago today...

August 29 probably isn't a very significant date to most people I know, but to anyone who was living in New Orleans or the gulf coast 4 years ago, it was a life-changing day. Four years ago today hurricane Katrina hit and changed thousands of lives. Since I'm home sick and Jonathan's sleeping, I thought I would retell some of the thoughts from that experience.
JP and I were engaged and had just gotten back to seminary from a summer at camp. (We'd been back here a week and a half to be exact!). Although we knew Katrina was out there, they kept saying it was going to hit Florida, so we stayed with our plans and came up to Gadsden to get engagement pictures made.
I still remember waking up at my parents' house in Gadsden and walking downstairs to see pictures on CNN of water. Water everywhere. It was really hard to even imagine that this had really happened. We searched online for pictures of the seminary. Every picture they showed on tv we tried to figure out where it was, hoping to maybe get an idea of what it looked like on campus. It was a nerve-racking, frustrating, hopeless few days as we searched for information. Eventually we learned that the campus was covered in several feet of water (like the rest of the city), but still had no information about what would happen next. I'm a planner. I HATE not knowing what will happen next. But that's one of the lessons God taught me through this experience.
James 4:14 says "yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." Since apparently I couldn't learn that lesson from scripture alone, God used this object lesson of Katrina to drive the point home. :) I'm not SO much of a planner anymore. The next verse, 15, says "Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.'"
There are so many things in life, most things actually, that are out of our control. So instead of stressing about things I have no control over, I try to rest in God's providence and peace and trust that He knows what's best and wants what's best for me and my family. We eventually made it back down here to NOLA (1 year later) and have an immediate connection for ministry with so many people here just because we've been through the same experience. We didn't loose as much stuff as other people, and I know we weren't as emotionally or mentally scarred as others, so I consider us blessed. God has shown Himself faithful to us as individuals and as a seminary family. No, it wasn't fun and I wouldn't want to do it again, but I know God has used it for good (Rom. 8:28). So even though I'll take important papers, pictures, and memories with me for any other evacuations, I know that our lives are in God's hands and that He's in control of all the storms.

Sleepy Mommy

I'm sure all new parents have funny stories about silly things they do because they are so tired. Well, I've decided to share mine and hope no one reads this and calls Child Protective Services or anything! One morning last week I came home from work and stayed up with Jonathan until his morning nap while JP went to work. This is our normal routine for days after I work so I don't know why this day was different. Jonathan slept from 9-11 and then we get up, I feed him, he plays and then we both go back to sleep from 1-3. I always change his diaper when I get him up at 11.
Well, I was so tired and just kinda stayed asleep and was in this fog until after I fed him. Before I put him in his jumper to play, I couldn't remember if I changed his diaper or not so I took him to his room to check. As I opened the diaper, to my surprise I saw that I had put one diaper on top the other! Talk about leak protection! I have laughed hard about this several times, but not nearly as hard as the other night I got to wondering about what Jonathan was thinking. He was probably very confused why we were doing the diapers a little differently and his bottom was still wet!
Fortunately I started working part-time this week so maybe we won't have any more of these kinds of problems! But I understand where you are coming from new moms, night shift nurses, or just anyone who doesn't get enough sleep! Hang in there and just be glad you're not having to wear 2 diapers!

1 Little Indian

Jonathan has found his Native American roots! One of the inside jokes in our family is about how JP and Kassi are part Native American (like 1/16th or some other super small fraction)! We laugh because they are the ones who "married in" and brought some culture to our family. We even took pictures of them with Pocahontas at Disney World last year! :) Well now Jonathan has embraced his father's Indian genes and has learned a war cry! He can't do it himself yet, but keeps his mouth open until you do it for him - it makes us laugh hard! By the way, I realize this blog may not be completely politically correct, but my intentions are good! :)

First trip to Cafe du Monde

Last week we had a quick visit with my good friend Lauren and her boyfriend Andrew. They came through town on the way to Alabama to meet Lauren's new little niece. Because they were only here for a short time, we went down to the quarter for breakfast. Jonathan loved being in the quarter! He loves being outside anyway, so when you combine that with the jazz guitar in the background and people everywhere, he was fascinated! He didn't have any beignets or cafe au lait this time, but I'm sure we'll be back in the future!They matched! :)

SO much to look at!