My vestry has given me a wonderful gift – a “mini-sabbatical” for 4 weeks beginning January 9th! I cannot wait. 3 1/2 years of dealing with our post-Katrina world and ALL that entails has taken a tremendous toll on me and my family.
Why only 4 weeks? I am due a longer sabbatical, per my Letter of Agreement. But with the building project ongoing, I didn’t feel I could be gone for 3 months at this time. I will take the rest of it sometime later in 2009 (probably after our “official” consecration of the new building August 15th – we should occupy around Easter but will have both our Bishop and the Bishop of the Diocese of Florida, who helped us out SO much in our building campaign available on August 15th so the BIG PARTY will be then!
The plan for January is complete respite time. My wife just lost her job, so she will be free to join me for most of it. We are traveling to St. Lucia for a week for our 25th anniversary (WOOT!), then will do some other traveling until early February. I am fortunate my middle child is in nursing school and living at home so she can take care of the 9th grader. It’s all coming together very nicely.
I feel I am really limping to the finish line to get to this respite time, and I am oh so very grateful for the support of my vestry and wardens and parish for this time away to recharge my batteries.

No, that doesn’t mean I need to vent. It’s a new verb, describing that special sense we try to recall during Advent – waiting, watching, hoping, anticipating.
It also describes St Patrick’s church. Our new building is going up! It is truly fun to see. Walls are in place, roof trusses are up, decking of the roof is ongoing, parking lot is ready for gravel. Pretty exciting!
Less exciting is the LARGE gap in funds needed to pay for it. Please see stpatrickslongbeach.org/5000for100.org if you can help.
But meanwhile – we watch it. We wait. We hope. We cannot wait. It’s coming!
So is The One for whom we wait, and watch, and hope for. The child came, God became one of us. And He shall come again. So this Advent, we are Advent-ing on a couple of levels – and maybe, this time, we really get it?
Will you watch with us?

Word from the MS Coast is we dodged a bullet. There is some pretty bad flooding in some low lying areas, especially in Hancock County. There is no power in my neighborhood in the Pass, but all in all in pretty good shape. I will head home in the morning (Tue).
I am so thankful for the prayers and the support from so many. We continue to pray for all those suffering from this storm and who remain in its path.
We will decide by Wednesday if we will continue with the plans for the Ground Breaking on Saturday. May need to postpone as folks concentrate on clean up. Will post something on here when we know.
Again, thank you all. It was a LONG few days. Earlier today I felt very anxious, almost anxiety-attack like. I read Bishop Jenkin’s (Louisiana) blog here, and could relate so much to what he said. It is PTSD I believe, all this triggering those still raw and painful memories, fears, anxieties. A mixture of nausea and worry and anxiety and the like, I suppose. No fun, and my own personal material losses from Katrina were quite small compared to most. I know the psychological impact on people from Gustav will be something to deal with.
Keep praying, friends.

Friends.
It’s the 3rd anniversary of Katrina. Intentionally we are not doing anything special today, church wise. Good thing, as the level of anxiety down here right now is off the charts. As Gustav churns away almost 1100 miles south, we all anxiously watch the projected path and intensity. Two days ago we were square in the center of the “cone of uncertainty”, and despite being constantly told that it was way too early to project an exact path, something about being on that middle line drove people over the edge.
Which is really ok. Preparations are on going. Folks are, I think, much more ready this time. Evacuation plans, gassing up, etc. done way ahead of the usual pace.
Today the center line of the path is west of us, but we certainly are still in the midst of the projection. But seeing that line move, it calms people down some. It shouldn’t, but it does.
We know better. From Ivan and Katrina, from storms of all the past years, we KNOW that once it gets in the gulf, it really could go anywhere. The tracking will narrow it down in time, but by the time that happens, it’s too late to do all the things we are finishing today. I am glad we are paying attention. I am not glad about the frayed nerves, the relived trauma, the rawness of this event, on the 3rd anniversary of “that” one.
Last year I posted THIS on the anniversary date. This year I was hoping to let it slip by as we prepare for the ground breaking of our new building in a week. But Gustav changed all that. Once again we are reminded of the cost of living here, a cost not just in having to go through all this, but also an even greater cost, I think, in stress and fear. This reminder, even if we do not take a big hit, will send some more people to other locations, leaving the coast behind forever.
I pray this storm shrinks and is a non event. Forecasts claim otherwise. I am grateful for all the prayers and support. Today and yesterday I have heard from many, many people across the country who are concerned for us, and it reminds me yet again of how we are all connected. The body of Christ is stronger than any storm, and I am so appreciative of those parts of the body that continue to hold us up when we need it. God bless you all.

Friends – we will have an official ground breaking – with at least one bishop and other dignataries, on September 6th at 10:00 am! If you are in the area, please join us for this exciting event – we will feed you a picnic lunch. I hope you will celebrate with our people this milestone.
Thanks for your continued support and prayers.