Praise You in this Storm
Casting Crowns
I was sure by now God,
You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
that it’s still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain,
“I’m with you”
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away. ÂChorus:
And I’ll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
that You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise you in this stormI remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry You
raised me up again
my strength is almost gone
how can I carry on
if I can’t find You.
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
and as your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes awayChorus
I lift my eyes unto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes unto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earthChorus
The Blame Game
Right now, what angers me more than most anything else, is just how much people are throwing blame at the President for the “slow response” after the Hurricane.
Look, I know that most people that are blaming him have only gotten word on what’s been happening down there from the news. I, like many others, got word of it from people that live in Louisiana. Close friends of mine, one of whom had a father that worked Fire Rescue for nearly a week in New Orleans, helping to rescue people and just came home on Sunday. People in surrounding areas were able to get in and start helping out on day one.
The problem with this, isn’t that ONE MAN didn’t respond to the tragedy by sending aid after five days. The problem came with groups of looters and rioters mobbed the streets, hijacking cars, busses, shooting at people, killing people, and this scared off many of the relief workers who were being shot at. So the National Guard had to be brought in.
Another fact is that the damage of this storm was much worse than predicted. Yes, people were able to make it out on foot, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that rescue vehicles could make it to where they were located.
Here’s a couple things from my friends that are down in Louisiana:
From my friend Ashley: I first wanted to let everyone know that I know of one other place to volunteer in Lake Charles. Supposedly, the Burton Colliseum will also be uponed. If you are a member of a church, also check there. Many churches are opening up their doors. Praise God!
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING!!!!! especially for girls…There have been reports of weapon smuggling into the Civic Center, theft, & car break-ins. Please, I don’t intend to discourage you from volunteering…I only wish to encourage you to please be cautious! Bring a gentleman with you or go in groups. I have not, repeat HAVE NOT, heard reports of rape in Lake Charles yet, but…please be always aware of your surroundings.
From my friend Allison:
My take on the looting….so sue me…
1.I feel that survival is key. If you need to steal food or water…or even supplies to keep you clean (towels, soap, etc.) so be it.
2.There is no need to loot the houses on Canal and St. Charles Avenue (may lightening strike you dead one day or soon).
3.There is no electricity, nor will there be for months, to watch your brand new big screen tvs, just leave them in the store.
4.Its sad that a bunch of mean ol New Yorkers can get it together and act more civilized after a disaster then their good ol’ southern counterparts. Evidently even if it were a bunch of terrorists that caused this they find a reason why “they deserved to take it all for themselves cuz we owe um.”
5.These ‘Gangsta’ families are making it easier to find themselves now. They didnt head to the Super Dome because they couldnt bring in their guns and drugs. Keep it up…now you’ve made the Mayor so mad that you idiots have the cops stopping most of the rescuing of innocents so they can come after you! Stupid bastards.
6.Looters going into homes of where the owners are dead should at least have the decency to bring the bodies out so the rescuers have an easier time finding them instead of just trampling over them to find what little the storm didnt destroy…then when you come out may lightening strike you dead.
Hindsight is ALWAYS 20/20. Everyone has made a mistake at one time or another, but not everyone has the entire country saying “he took too long.” I don’t care if it was five days or two days, any amount of time would have been “too long.” If it were only two days, then we’d be saying “It took us only two days to send aid to the people after the Tsunami, and our own people on our own land took just as long?”
A Tsunami is a completely different storm as a Hurricane… a Hurricane takes some time to discipate(sp?) before anyone can do much.
NEW ORLEANS FLASHBACK: OFFICALS WARNED RESIDENTS ‘YOU’LL BE ON YOUR OWN’
Mon Sep 05 2005 18:57:15 ET
Before residents had ever heard the words “Hurricane Katrina,” the New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE ran a story warning residents: If you stay behind during a big storm, you’ll be on your own! ÂEditors at TIMES-PICAYUNE on Monday called for every official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be fired. In an open letter to President Bush, the paper said: “Our people deserved rescuing. Many who could have been were not. That’s to the government’s shame.”
But the TIMES-PICAYUNE published a story on July 24, 2005 stating: City, state and federal emergency officials are preparing to give a historically blunt message: “In the event of a major hurricane, you’re on your own.”
Staff writer Bruce Nolan reported some 7 weeks before Katrina: “In scripted appearances being recorded now, officials such as Mayor Ray Nagin, local Red Cross Executive Director Kay Wilkins and City Council President Oliver Thomas drive home the word that the city does not have the resources to move out of harm’s way an estimated 134,000 people without transportation.”
“In the video, made by the anti-poverty agency Total Community Action, they urge those people to make arrangements now by finding their own ways to leave the city in the event of an evacuation.
“You’re responsible for your safety, and you should be responsible for the person next to you,” Wilkins said in an interview. “If you have some room to get that person out of town, the Red Cross will have a space for that person outside the area. We can help you.”
Developing…
http://www.drudgereport.com/flash3kt.htm
So please, send aid, do something to help, but stop complaining. A lot of us are very fortunate to be in areas that are not effected so badly by natural disasters, but that doesn’t mean that we’re simply not effected. Tornados have destroyed whole towns. I know because I’ve been there. I saw it happen in the late 90s. Did the president send in aid at all? How quick was our response to help them out..? Oh, that’s right…most of the country had never heard about the F5 tornado that destroyed that small town in Kansas.
My point is, there’s nothing we can do to fix the problems of how this was handled. All we can do now, is CHOOSE to be more well prepared for the next one, and try our best to help those in need RIGHT NOW, because all that we have is the present, and that’s all we’re ever going to have.
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