Tuesday Sep. 6th

Holy moly, I can't even believe it is Sep. 6th already! This will be very brief, I am at work but can't do this tonight at home - I have homework. I know Homework? what? Not in school, but I am going on this retreat (I think) with a lady from work. It is a religious thing. She has been trying to get me to go to her church and I doubt that will happen but I am just curious about what it is they believe. Already the questions they are asking in their packet of pre-study are along thise lines, "when did God come into your life, or when did you come to know Jesus?" My first thought - since birth, or at least baptism. Of course Christians and Catholics are two very different things.

The one point she made to me that finally made sense is that too many people focus on the religion and not the relationship with God. A relationship with God is personal and is different for each person! Hallelujah! Amen! Praise Jesus! Finally someone expressed exactly what I have been trying to determine and understand for a long time.

Do you realize I have never read the bible? I didn't even own a bible until Debbie (my co-worker) gave me one. I want to do this retreat to learn more about what they believe and to discover what I believe. The bible (so she says - she can quote much of it) never mentions a religion other than in the Old Testament to discuss the discuss the observance of Jewish rituals. Because Jesus and his disciples were Jewish and never converted. Yes, the first "Pope" or leader of the Catholic faith was Jewish - Peter that is. Interesting. Can you tell I am intrigued with religion?

Anywho, another interesting occurance in our lives. Rusty and I were at home Thursday or Friday night and we watching more Katrina coverage, like always, and heard this loud boom. When I say boom, it sounded like an explosion. The whole house shook and we were both startled, to say the least. We immediately went outside (was that intelligent?) to see if we could notice anything. Nothing. Nothing other than the neighbors on our street also outside trying to see what in the hell that noise was. I went out back to take out Buster and the folks on the canal side were also checking their yards. We think it was a sonic boom - some plane probably from Eglin Air Force base breaking the sound barrier (I tell you there are a lot of military bases around here!). Of course no mention of it was made on the news or in the paper the next day or since. Having never before heard a sonic boom I wouldn't know for sure, but dang if that wasn't loud and a little frightening.

We are ever more familiar with the sound of choppers and supply planes. Much of the rescue operations are based out of Pensacola Naval Air Station (NAS). Good to hear, I guess. It is odd though to hear them that often overhead. The only time in the past I have ever noticed a chopper it was for three reasons, traffic, airlift, or criminal search. None of which was a comforting thing, this time they are saving a lot of people, many are glad to see these choppers overhead.

Well, until next time!
B