Friday Night on the Coast

Today I was able to meet Karen Potter for the first time. Karen has come to the Coast for the summer to volunteer her time and to help all she can. I can tell by her happy spirit that she is going to be a great addition to the team here at Central. Somehow I didn't take a picture of her, but that'll come in another post. Karen will be here until August. Allen came by with her when she visited. Allen is talking more and more, and I think one morning he'll wake up and just talk like he used to - before Katrina hit the Coast. He brings so much happiness wherever he goes, I can't imagine what a great influence for the Kingdom he will be when he starts talking again. Randy Gore is here from North Carolina with some college students. I was glad he came by yesterday for a visit. Also visiting today was Julia Wetherington. Julia has a ready smile and is always on the go. She and Jim are both very hard working people with two beautiful daughters. Jim has served as one of our deacons for a long time. Margaret really enjoyed Julia's visit. They talked out in the yard for a long time ... hope they weren't talking about me! David Hazelwood came to visit this afternoon. David and crew put in most of the floors in our home. David is here with his father, his brother, and three other Christians. They live in either Fulton, Kentucky or South Fulton, TN - which is essentially the same place. They just drove in today and will be here for several days working on floors - their specialty. I enjoyed speaking at David's congregation - and that of his brother - a few months ago. The last time David visited he brought a big bag of Valentine gifts from several in their church to Claire, which made her so happy! The Hazelwoods are among the people that have come to have a special place in our hearts. The update on my leg is that there is no update. It's about the same today. Which is a lot better than it was five days ago! My stepdad had a biopsy on a lung this morning. After the procedure part of his lung collapsed, but all is well now. They are waiting on the results and any prayers are appreciated. My brother and his family are at my parent's, but because of my leg I can't travel over there. I hope to go to Bay City, Texas this summer sometime and thank them for the help received after the storm. There are so many people to thank... which is an awesome testimony to the Family of God! WLOX, a local television station in Gulfport, produced an excellent video called Katrina: South Mississippi's Story. I've had it for about a month, but I hadn't taken time to watch it. Since I'm sitting in this chair I thought it was a great opportunity. I cried all the way through it. It is very well done, and very thorough. It was very interesting to watch the news crew carry on even as the studio ceiling gave way under the pressure of the storm. The catastrophic damage, the stories, and re-living the event really made it an emotional video to watch. But it was worth it. If you order one, you won't be sorry. We are nineteen days from Hurricane Season 2006. All work crews that are planning to make trips this summer must make it a part of their preparation to keep an eye on the tropics. There are several other things on my mind tonight, but I'll let that be the post. Thanks for reading. It is good therapy for me to be able to express these things and to know that they are read by others.