More Ike Photos

For those of you friends and family reading from around the country, Ike has decimated Houston. There are over 2 million people without power, trees block many of the roads, and water continues to be a problem in low lying areas and the typical flood zones. Here are few more pictures to give you a "look see." We have tons more, but have to convert them from raw to jpegs and computer access is presenting a challenge in this regard - they'll be up as soon as possible.

Photo above is Braeswood near Fondren.

The photo above is a home in Maplewood - this is typical for most every house in SW Houston that I've seen. Unfortunately, Willow Meadows neighborhood is one of the worst hit, but I've not captured photos from there yet. The western eye-wall of Ike passed right over Willow Meadows.

The photo above is Fondren Middle School - notice the sign blown out.

Ike Photos

The Long family has thankfully survived Hurricane Ike. The long-time Houstonians we've spoken to said this is worse than Alisha in 1983. Having been here only 6 years I have to take their word on that one. What I can say is that this damage is some of the worst storm damage I've personally ever seen.

The house in the above photo is three doors down from us in the Braeburn Valley neighborhood. That and all the photos of storm damage were either shot by me or Traci.

These two houses are about 3 blocks from us. The house on the left was under renovation, and received heavy damage not visible in this photo.

Above photo - still in the Braeburn Valley neighborhood - two friends are having a beer together to cool down. Ike blew over the brick wall these guys are sitting on, as well as the fence in the background. Next photo is right across the street from these guys.

I'm a Little League Dad

I know that the sports fans among you are anticipating the arrival of football.  The fall sport really kicks off this weekend, but I've got my mind on baseball.  Little League baseball to be precise!  One of my favorite pastimes is being involved with my son's Little League experiences.  The ball park where he plays is sacred ground to me and it's a mini-vacation every time I go out.  I'd almost swear it's even 10 degrees cooler out there.

 

Some years I've helped coach, some years I've watched from the sidelines, but either way I thrill in knowing that Fall Ball is starting soon. Candidly, I must admit that part of the reason I love it is that I get to be a kid, too.  And I remember, like Bruce Springsteen, my "glory days."    No matter what I'm doing at the Westbury Little League field, I'm doing something Biblical - I'm remembering and I'm participating.

 

Such is the case for the ritual of the Passover, explained by Moses in Exodus 12.  In that passage Moses lays out the plan by which God is going to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.  Out of their bondage, the Jews will later learn that the "liturgy" he described had to precede their liberation, that relationships came before religion, and that the Passover wasn't all about celebration.

 

Like me at the baseball field, the Jews and Christians alike are called to remembrance and participation in the Passover as a part of God's ongoing plans for liberation of people.  If you'd like to hear more about what I mean, come take part in a series of teaching called Teach Your Children Well, Sundays between now and the end of October.  There will be eight familiar stories of faith for you to talk about with your children and others, as well as a new way of looking at what God was doing then and is doing now.

 

Play Ball!

Pastor Gary

 

Not a Sermon – Just a Thought is a weekly e-column written by me, Gary Long.  I’m the pastor of Willow Meadows Baptist Church in Houston.  To read more of my writing, check out my blog, Life to the Lees.  To subscribe or unsubscribe to this list, just contact me at glong@wmbc.org.