Is That A Light At The End Of The Tunnel?

Yes, believe it or not our month together has come and gone. Starting Tuesday a new monthly blogger will take over for me. I hope that you have enjoyed reading the blog as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I will try to put together some final thoughts and comments together for you over the weekend. And boy am I glad that it is a holiday weekend. I can't wait to sleep in on Monday.

In the meantime, I have some more updates for you on the situation down south.

It looks as if things may finally be improving in New Orleans. Approximately 12,000 people have been evacuated to the Houston Astrodome (and now to other shelters) and conditions, while not perfect, are vastly improved over the chaos at the Superdome. Oh, and the mayor of Houston is now my hero (read his comment at the end of that article). Gotta love people who speak the plain truth.

In New Orleans supplies have finally been able to reach the Convention Center, and people are relieved but still weary amidst the war-like conditions. President Bush toured the devastated areas and claimed that initial relief efforts have not been enough, and promised that there would be an improvement. In an unusual turn of events Americans are on the receiving end of humanitarian efforts as world leaders are pledging their support and offering aid to help the United States through this crisis.

In the midst of all the violence that has erupted after Katrina and the terrible loss that has destroyed the area it is nice to know that not everyone turns "to the dark side" after a situation like this. People across the country are opening their homes to strangers who lost everything and need a place to stay.

Below is some more information on programs being set up in and around Euless, TX to help those in need (thanks to Sarah Holland for this). We have graciously been given permission to share this info with you. Pass this info along to your pastor, use it yourself, just please find a way to take advantage of it.

Dear Brethren of Section Seven,

I am sure each of you has been enamored with the catastrophic affects of Hurricane Katrina. This has directly or indirectly touched all of us. At least ten UPC churches in Louisiana are under water. Pastors are unable to communicate with their members. They do not have buildings, any income, food, water, and medicine supplies are scarce.

The apostle Paul stated in 1Cor. 12: 26 "whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it." It is one thing to identify a problem and another to offer hope. How can we offer hope? "The Samaritan Project" is an emergency relief ministry we are offering from our church in Euless. His whatwhat we are doing:

Emergency Relief Supplies- Offering emergency relief to the victoms of Hurricanecane Katrina by providing necessities in four categories: 1) Non-perishable food 2) Toiletries and Medicine 3) Clothes (gently used or new) 4) All Bedding.

90.9 KCBI radio station is advertising our church as a drop-off locatand wendwe have already received items from denominational churches. They have also placed us on their website as a drop off location. The items received are going to primarily UPC churches but one particular pastor we are helpis usingsing the items to distribute to his community as an outreach ministry. The need is great and Section Seven can help.

Our church, along with Bro. Burkett’s church in White Settlement have joined efforts and will be sending a U-haul to Mobile, Ala. on Tuesday morning to offer relief to a Home Missions Church that was ravaged.

Adopt-A-Church- We are compiling a database of pastors and churches in need along with all contact information. We are also compiling a list of churches wanting to assist by adopting one of these churches. Our focus in this endeavor is to be a link between the churches in need and the churches wanting to help. If you are interested in adopting a church please respond by e-mailing me at cmclaughlin@fupceuless.org. It has been very difficult getting in contact with many in Louisiana and Mississippi due to power outages. However, as we make contact we will need churches that are ready to assist. Any information you have is welcomed, please.

Adopt-A-Family- There are children from UPC churches as well as non-UPC churches being sent to the Metroplex for their education. Some are with their parents and others without. Some don't know where their parents are and they need help. This is an opportunity for us to be ahead of other denominations and meet the need of our communities. Again, this is a work in progress that will evolve as the needs are presented and there is no way to have concrete answers to all the questions but we can make a difference in our corner of the world.

I am communicating with KCBI and informing them of the results and testimonies. When our men get to Mobile, Ala. they will take pictures of the pastor and what we are distributing. We will also get a video interview with him thanking our communities for giving. There is no doubt that other drop-off locations are needed across the Metroplex as Euless is to far for those in greater Dallas and Fort Worth. If you are interested inchurch beinghbeing a drop-off location let me know and we will submit that to the radio station. Together we can do more!

Again, the way you can help:

Ø Emergency Relief Supplies
Ø Adopt-A-Church
Ø Adopt-A-Family

In His Service,
Carl McLaughlin
Section Seven Secretary

My friends and contacts at the Campgrounds in Louisiana have sent me a list (also see a couple of posts below) of the following items that are needed:

laundry and dish detergents
fabric softeners
trash bags
toilet paper
gift certificates (to places like Wal-Mart, Target, etc)

She stated that most of all they are in need of monetary donations as it allows them to purchase what is needed as the need arises. Starting tomorrow you will be able to donate directly through www.ladistupc.com. If you would rather send money (or any of the items listed) to the district offices their address is as follows:

Louisiana District UPC Campground
Attn: Randy Harper/District Secretary
PO Box 248
Tioga, La 71477

Please, please, please, if you are unable to do anything else, continue to pray. That alone can accomplish more than anything we could do physically.

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Prayer In A Time Of Need

As violence and anarchy (well, what else would you call it) erupt in New Orleans I think it especially imperative that we all remember to pray as well as offer our support in other ways.

Pray for peace. That tempers would calm and the violence against one another would stop.

Pray for wisdom and strength (mentally/physically) for the President, FEMA Administrators, Louisiana/Mississippi's Govenors and the many other officials working to find a solution to this disaster.

Pray for strength (mentally/emotionally/physically) for those who are involved in the rescue/search/recovery.

Pray that the Lord, who controls nature, would intervene and allow the flood waters to begin receding, that the weather continue to hold and allow the clean-up process to continue.

Pray that those that have lost everything would find comfort and maybe even be led closer to the Lord through this.

These are just a few suggestions. Let the Spirit guide you. These are exactly the kind of situtations where intercessory prayer is called for. Romans 8:26

In Other News

In all of the media blitz surrounding Katrina, many of us may have failed to realize that there was a tragedy that occurred on the other side of the world yesterday. Over 700 Shiite Muslims were killed yesterday in Iraq as they crossed a bridge on their way to a tomb. A terrorist seized the opportunity to start a rumor that a suicide bomber was on the bridge as well and panic ensued. Iraq is observing three days of mouring and funerals began today.

The circus that is the case in the disappearance of Natalie Holloway continued today as the main suspect appeared in court.

If you are looking for missing friends/relatives in Louisiana/Mississippi or want information on volunteering you can visit www.craigslist.org and click on any of the cities listed in red. The information relating to Katrina is then on the left hand side of the page. Be prepared, some of the stories are heartwrenching.


Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

More

I know it seems like my reporting on the hurricane damage seems to have taken over this blog but when you stop to realize and consider the enormity of the situation I feel it is only appropriate. I will try to stick in some other information here and there but there is simply too great of a need for me to ignore.

I mentioned that I have family that lives in Louisiana. What I failed to mention is that my best friend lives in Alexandria, LA. She and her husband work for an Ambulance/Medic service that is connected to Compassion Services International. I've spoken with her several times in the past few days and this morning she sent me some preliminary pictures that their teams have gathered of the damage. Right now they are working furiously to help our fellow believers and their families that are in need.



In the center of this pictures is a large building with a green roof. That is Apostolic Outreach Center, New Orleans, pastored by Raymond Watson.

The Louisiana District and Officials are working feverishly to help those in need. Bea told me this morning that they now have over 700 people at the UPCI Campgrounds in Tioga, LA. While this is a logistical nightmare I'm sure, it is being handled exceptionally. It will be several months minimum before these people can return to their homes so the district staff and volunteers are trying to get people settled and children enrolled in the local schools.

As you can imagine they are in desperate need of many, many things. I would urge anyone who lives in the area and is able to please see if you can find a way to drop off sheets, blankets, towels, hygiene products, basic school supplies or water. I will have an address (incase you are out of town and want to send donations) and a more complete list for you either this afternoon or tomorrow a.m. I'm sure they would appreciate anything else you could think of as well. Afterall, they have nothing.



New Orleans



What's left of sections of I-90 (bridge) between Baton Rouge and New Orleans (top) and I-10 (bottom).





Biloxi, Mississippi

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Pentecostal Churches/Members and the Hurricane

The following letter from General Superintendent Kenneth Haney, gives a little more information about the state of our churches and their members in areas effected by Katrina. Please take a minute to read through it and find a way to help if you haven't already.

August 31, 2005

Dear Fellow-Laborer,

As you are no doubt aware, the United States has suffered a major catastrophe due to Hurricane Katrina. We have been monitoring the ongoing tragedy in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama and are especially concerned about our churches, pastors, and members in Metro New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

While information remains difficult to gather at this point, mostly due to the lack of phone service and power in many of these areas, we have been able to get enough of a picture to know that the need is great.

Current information leads us to believe that ten to twenty churches have been destroyed or severely damaged. Pastors in the worst hit areas, including New Orleans, have been advised that people will not be able to return to their homes for weeks at best and several months at worst. This, of course, means they will have no church services and they, their churches, and many of their people will have no income. During this time, there will be a need for help with food, shelter, and other necessities.

The United Pentecostal Church stands ready to help. Please help us do so. Through your kindness and generosity we can make a difference. But we must act now. Go to our website at www.upci.org and you may donate using your credit card. If you prefer, you may send a donation by check, designated ‚ Disaster Relief, to:

United Pentecostal Church International
Disaster Relief Fund
8855 Dunn Road
Hazelwood, Missouri 63042

All of this money will go to help our churches and people in this time of their great need. Any administrative costs will be covered by World Evangelism Center.

Thank you in advance for your care and generosity,

Yours for the need,

Kenneth F. Haney
General Superintendent
United Pentecostal Church International


I will be back later with more updates, news, and maybe even our final "character insight".


Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Updated Info

I have been asked to share this with all of you:

Per Bro. Jerry Jones (General Secretary of the UPCI):

As you know Hurricane Katrina has ripped apart many lives and left thousands homeless. In response, UPCI will use the Brotherhood Fund to assist in the effort to provide relief. Our customary practice is to donate to Compassion Services through Foreign Missions Division; however, their policy precludes us from assisting within the United States. If you wish to contribute to this fund, please designate your contribution, “Hurricane Account”.

Donations can be made by visiting www.upci.org and donating with your credit card, by calling 314-837-7304 (World Evangelism Center) or by sending a check payable to UPCI (in the memo: Brotherhood Fund or Disaster Relief) to:

World Evangelism Center
Attn: Disaster Relief
8855 Dunn Road,
Hazelwood, Missouri 63042-2299

Also Bradley MacDonald of The Bench Warmers, reports that they are without electricity but that they (and all of our other 90&9ers are fine). Please keep the prayers coming.


Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Somber

As hurricane Katrina blows out over land the residents of Louisiana and Mississippi are left picking up the pieces. The damage in New Orleans is so heavy that the entire city has been ordered to evacuate and until flood waters start to recede the city will be abandoned. It is simply impossible to allow people to remain in a city that has no power, no food supply and that is surrounded by/covered in water contaminated by gas, oil, chemicals, dead bodies and other debris. The Govenor of Louisiana has stated that all 30,000 people who have taken refuge in the Superdome, and those in other shelters are expected to be evacuated today. In Biloxi there is little left except rubble.

To add to the devastation the baser instincts of people seem to be surfacing. Looters have descended on the French Quarter in New Orleans, which is probably the least damaged area because it actually sits 5 feet above sea level and since police are busy with rescue efforts shop owners have taken to patrolling the streets and sitting in front of their businesses with guns. Reports yesterday said that prisoners who had been evacuated from a local prison and then stranded on a flooded road and rioted and taken 4 hostage including children. Several thousand National Guard troops are on their way to the devastated areas to help restore control.

For those of us not living in the areas directly effected by Katrina, I would suggest that you take a look at some of the great slide shows that msnbc.com or cnn.com have available. They do more to impart the seriousness of the situation than any news article I could link.

Be prepared for a spike in gas prices (yes, even higher) over the next few days/weeks. Experts are claiming that it is likely that gas prices will hit $4/gallon with the northeast and southeast being hit first and hardest. (This is where I stop to thank the Lord for public transportation)

If you would like to be a part of the relief effort you can visit Compassion Services International (a UPCI sponsored site), or FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), or any of the many sites listed here.

It is crucial that we, not just as concerned Americans, but as Christians do all that we can to help those in need. How else are we ever expected to share our "light and salt" with the world?

The Other Side of the Story

I have relatives that live in Lake Charles, Louisiana, which for those that don't know is west of New Orleans but right on the gulf coast. On Monday my mom called them to make sure that everything was alright. My aunt responded that yes, they were fine. As the hurricane was approaching LA, a front had moved into their area and was holding the storm at bay. In fact, the sun was shining. She went on to share the following story.

Two weeks ago, Bro. Nugent (their pastor in Lake Charles) had a dream of a terrible storm devastating the area of Lake Charles. Feeling an urgency in his spirit about this dream he called the church to prayer and fasting for the next two weeks. As we all know Katrina hit on Monday but Lake Charles was spared any damage. Bro. Nugent told the church that the front was the hand of God protecting them.

What an amazing story. It is so inspiring to be reminded that God still speaks to people and when they respond he blesses in return. Had it not been for the prayers of these saints the damage in Louisiana may have been much worse.

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

A Virtual Tour of NYC

Since my time as "blogger of the month" is quickly winding down I thought I'd make good on my promise to share a little bit of NYC with all of you. And as most of you have probably noticed I like to post pictures in my blog. So without further ado . . . I bring you NYC through my eyes. Hopefully you'll get to know a little more about me and see some of the greatest city in the US (I can't say the world b/c I love London and Paris).




This building with the pointed green roof is World Wide Plaza. Home to Universal Records, Ogilvey & Mather and the company I work for Cravath, Swaine & Moore, LLP. On any give day you can find me somewhere between floors 38 & 49 of this 50 story building.



On the top is a picture of the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. This area is within walking distance of my house and provides an amazing view across the East River of the Manhattan skyline (especially at night). From here you can see the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, and the obvious gap where the Twin Towers used to stand. On July4 I watched the fireworks from here and looking to my left you could see the Statue of Liberty and the fireworks over her too. It was incredible.

The photo on the bottom is of the Brooklyn Bridge and part of the Manhattan skyline at night. No city in the world sparkles like NYC at night.



While this is not a picture of my actual house it is taken on a block near me and similar to what most houses in my neighborhood look like. To find out more about Caroll Gardens/South Brooklyn, click here and take a gander. This area has so much character and I LOVE it.




Since we talked about it repeatedly I thought I'd share the NY Public Library (top) with you. I've yet to be able to find a picture that does it justice, there is truly something magical about this place. Below is the "Met", if you plan on visiting, take at least 3 days to see this if you want to see it all, or do a running (almost literally) tour in one day. The nice part is that it backs right up to Central Park so you can cover both at once if you're crunched for time.



One thing I am really looking forward to is being able to ice skate this winter in Central Park at Wollman Ice Rink. I may not last long but it is on my list of things to do. But man the Bow Bridge (also Central Park) looks cold in winter.



You can't come to NY and not visit Times Square. However, I wouldn't advise spending much time there as it is basically a tourist trap and you will see much more of the real New York if you venture outside of 42nd/45th and Broadway/7th. Don't bother visiting during the day, it's the lights at night that you want to see. If you stand just about where this picture was taken you can see my office building and if you stand in front of my building and look uptown you can see Columbus Circle and the entrance to Central Park. Basically I'm in the middle of everything.



Someday when I'm filthy rich I'm going to live here, or somewhere like it . . . aka, the Upper East Side. Oh to have neighbors like Ivana Trump and Mayor Bloomberg. Actually I couldn't care less about them if I could just live in one of the fabulous old buildings in this area. For now I'll just window shop and dream about the future.

There is so much more to share with you but I don't want to kill the blog by trying to upload so many pics. Maybe I'll do one more of these if I haven't bored you all to tears already.




Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Imagination Is More Important Than Knowledge

A little Einstein to help you start your morning off right. And a little King Solomon too.

The News In Brief

Just the highlights this morning folks.

Gulf States devastated - I've heard several references to the devastation caused by Katrina being "the U.S.'s Tsunami". I guess it's too much to ask that we not be overly dramatic? While this storm has been devastating and lives have been completely disrupted and even lost (most of whom were capable of leaving and ignored evacuation orders) the devastation is no where near that of southeast Asia. Thanks to our advances in technology the loss of life will come nowhere near the hundreds of thousands who were caught unaware last December, and since this is America only the best and fastest relief efforts/aid will be given. Let us continue to pray and do all that we can to help those in need but there is no need to make everything about "US".

There isn't much else to report on the "news" front right now. I'll post a couple of links to interesting stories that you may want to read at your leisure.

Diamonds in the Rough?

Flushing Meadows Report (that the US Open for those less athletically inclined). Psst, Agassi survived round one.

Airforce "Regulations" on Prayer

Friends

I think it should be said that everyone needs at least two good friends in their life that they can count on no matter what. Someone that is there for you when you need to vent about the condition of the world in general, who will hug you when there are no words to say, and who will laugh with you at the stupid things until you cry. You know who I'm talking about. In life, it is the friend that can call at 4 am and you don't mind, the friend that will let you crash on their couch (or vice versa) with no questions asked, and the friend that will tell you the honest truth even when it hurts, that matters.

These relationships are rare and usually take years to develop, but sometimes the Lord sees our need and drops them into our lives almost overnight. My closest friend in all the world (and yes she's called at 4 am in tears and scared me to death) was an "overnight" connection and nobody knows me as well as she does.

Think about it. Can you see their faces? Do you know who these special people are?

Now when was the last time you told them how much they mean to you? Never pass up that opportunity. Send an e-card, send flowers or candy, send a unique gift (I love this site) or just pick up the phone and call them.

Ok, enough mush and sentiment, it's making me sing the Carpenters . . . what the world needs now, is love sweet love . . .

I have a treat for you all this afternoon so make sure you check back in.

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

I Need Another Weekend to Recover

It's a horrible feeling when Monday morning rolls around and you feel worse than you did on Friday afternoon. Blah. It's sort of like needing a vacation to recover from your vacation. I place the blame firmly on the fact that I'm living in New York and doing anything involves serious walking and an untold number of stairs.

The weekend went something like this:

Friday - 5 pm, left work and walked to 49th/6th to meet my roommate for shopping
5:30 - 9:00, walked up and down 5th Ave looking in the various stores and climbing the stairs between levels
9:00, walked to 51st/7th to eat at the Stardust Diner (good food/entertainment - check it out if your in NY)
10:30, walked to subway, rode home, climbed subway stairs, walked 7 blocks to apartment and
climbed stairs to 3rd floor
12:15 am, went to bed
Saturday - 6 am, down the stairs to take the dog out and back up to sleep
12:00 pm, down the stairs and walked 12 blocks to eat breakfast then 4 blocks to local bead shop
3:00, walked to subway (again more stairs) and went into Manhattan, got off the subway and walked
10 blocks to the Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
4:30 - 8:30, walked around the Met and managed to see about 1/3 of it (the place is massive)
8:30, hungry and with sore feet/back my roommate and I set out walking to find someplace to eat
10:00, having chosen Italian and feeling marginally better we walked to the subway and went home
(and climbed a few more stairs for good measure)
12:00 am, collapsed into bed

It's not that I didn't have a good weekend. It just seems that my body can't keep up with what my mind wants to do anymore. I think it's a bad sign when you're "old" before you hit 30.

Happenings

The gulf states have battened down the hatches and waiting out the deluge from Hurricane Katrina. People who were unable to evacuate the city of New Orleans are being housed in "last resort" shelters, one of which is the Superdome. But with winds estimated to be up to 145 mph the storm is already taking its toll, even on the massive stadium. To all of our friends and family in those areas stay safe and try to stay dry and know that we're praying for you.

The backlash from Pat Robertson's comments continue and slightly more disturbing, Jesse Jackson (pg 9) has now jumped into the frey by visiting with Hugo Chavez this weekend. As much as I do not want to be associated with Pat Robertson's views, I certainly don't feel the need to have Jesse Jackson speak for me. Don't these guys have anything else to do?

Another VMA (Video Music Awards) Show has come and gone and the most exciting news of the event actually happened the evening before when "Suge" Knight was shot at a pre-party hosted by Kanye West (who btw, I saw in my building last week). The shooting wasn't fatal and MTV should just be glad that it didn't happen during the live broadcast on Sunday night.

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!