storm thoughts

As many of you know, we live down here in south (very south) central Louisiana.  Gustav is looming in the Gulf and everyone is making preparations.  I always marvel at how a menacing monster like a hurricane can make total strangers waiting in lines (lines for food, for water bottles, for gas, for plywood, etc) find a sudden kinship and allow us to strike up conversations with ease. 

We are all trying our best to batten down the hatches and then get out of the way.  But that is not always so easy.  The gas stations have all been out of gas for the past two days, (in the two towns nearest us) as everyone tries to fill up their vehicles and gas cans at the same time.  On Sunday morning contraflow will begin on the interstates, but there isn't a hotel room to be had for hundreds of miles around.

Sometimes I wonder if the reason folks down here seem to have such a strong faith, is because they have to rely on it so often.  Please pray for us and everyone else in the path of this storm.