A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day...08-31 thru 09-01-05 ~ Katrina ~ A Nation in Prayer and Sorrow

DollyCali; Billie; Aquamarine; Mama_bear; Dutchess; Just Amy | August 31 - Sept 1, 2005 | Dolly Howard

[DollyCali]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

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~ Billie, Mama_Bear, Dutchess, Aquamarine, DollyCali ~

Free Republic’s Finest
Pray For America

Our Country suffered a devastating blow this week with Hurricaine Katrina. It is so hard to watch the pain and suffering from our citizens. BUT….WE WILL PREVAIL because we are a society that lends a helping hand. Please stop here and share your thoughts and prayers.

We are heartened by all the threads offering support… Many of us are personally involved with local relief efforts… Some come from small communities who have deployed two to three trained disaster volunteers. Larger communities send more. The bottom line is....WE ARE here for our fellow countrym men and women.

The same thing is happening all around the United States. We are just of a few small communities but you add them up and thousands are helping set up shelters all around the country, providing food, water shelter, comfort and support. This is the United States at its best.

We now offer prayers for all the victims of this terrible disaster and GOD BLESS THE USA!!!!!!

Isaiah 33:2 -- O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.

James 5:15b -- The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

The Levee Breach

NOLA SWAT Team

06-28-05 ~ Hall of Fame #12

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 08-29-05 Military Monday 08-30-05 How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' Every Thursday at the Finest The guy's good, folks!

[DollyCali]

Dixie, it was this thread but it was prematurely posted in error. When posting a thread you have two buttons to select. preview & post. When we are working, fine tuning our threads we use preview.

Easy anytime to hit post but when you are really tired, much easier.

On occasion the premature is livable ...maybe just a border size to adjust.. or something else to tweak. But this one was replete with "no nos" - a section of pictures from a previous thread that found it's way in, no pledge & no ending section.. and before I could contact an adm mod in the middle of night, the posters found it!!!

And you are correct with the risks of living in appealing areas. It seems each part of the country has its hazardous.

I hope we are all braced for just how large this death toll will be. It will be immense.

[DollyCali]

Morning Ray. I imagine your rain/weather in PA is pretty similar to ours in Cleveland area.

[DollyCali]

Morning Pip. This has been a time of reflection, prayer, tears and gut wrenching pain, hasn't it? You are doing the Dose tonight aren't you? You will have a lot of pix I imagine. It has been "interesting" doing this thread on a borrowed computer w/o photo editing program and w/o broadband. Very time intense as you so well know.

[DollyCali]

Good morning! Thanks for stopping by & sharing. Are you living abroad at this point or being a tourist? It is hard to be far away and watch these situations.

I really, REALLY feel for our troops overseas who are from these areas & not only have to worry about their critical work but now will worry about family & friends. Chances are they wont know the fate of their loved ones for quite some time.

The peace that comes from our creator is the only thing that can sustain us at times of travail

[auboy]

It's going to take a long time to recover. One day at a time. I pray for the survivors and the responders risking their lives to help.

[hildy123]

I have a question. Can FR donate to the hurricane disaster and is there a FR fund or account to funnel these donations through to the Red Cross? As a group, that is.

[DollyCali]

Thanks for sharing your story Lakeside. The ones who stayed often died. The ones who left will have nothing to return to. Even if the home is "liveable", it will be a very long time, if ever, that the infrastructure and basic services for our normal American life is returned.

Prayers for your parents continue.

[AnnaZ]

Who pinged me at #3 (and then vanished)?

[Gamecock]

Good morning! Thanks for stopping by & sharing. Are you living abroad at this point or being a tourist? It is hard to be far away and watch these situations

Good morning Dolly, I am in the Army serving in Germany. I have three staff (military and civilian)with family ties back to the areas affected by this storm. Needless to say, they are basket cases.

I think Spurgeon said that in times of trouble, God's sovereignty is the pillow on which we rest out heads. I keep telling myself that, at least 30 times a day right now. GC

[DollyCali]

I was at that thread in the "wee hours" Hushpuppie. Our worst fears beginning to unfold, it seems. I have a very dear friend(I was engaged to him, but broke it, a few years ago) in Mississippi at the coast. He just bought a new home last year & became a Realtor & LOVES the area. No word from him, I emailed him the day before the hurricane hit, wishing him prayers and luck. No response. I hope he evacuated.

[DollyCali]

me!!! Guilty!!!!

It was an unintentional double post for the ping. sorry. FR on this computer in early morning hours told me that the page was unavailable when I posted the ping. so I back tracked & reposted. Bingo. Two Pings (which will annoy many) with a photo!

[DollyCali]

Knowing something in your mind & being able to let your heart & soul "KNOW" it are two different things, right?

It is only in times of real trial that our faith is put to the test. Other times it is more or less academic.

I am sure your people are crazy over not knowing. It is a helpless feeling for all of us. Wishing so much there is something we can do to help those who survived & easing their burden NOW. But also knowing this is just the start of the tragedy for the majority

[DollyCali]

Good question Hildy.. I know there is a thread for FReepers who are willing to open their homes to survivors who are homeless. I will poke around the Hurricane Live threads later & see what I can find. I will post some links later & include the donation info if there is any. I recall most of the FReepers sharing what they thought were the best relief agencies.

[AnnaZ]

Ahhh... it's all clear to me now.

= )

And now, back to our regularly scheduled thread...

Prayers, and not a few tears, to the victims and survivors of Katrina. (A name sure to go out of vogue in the south. Eek.)

[JustAmy]

Heavenly Father, We come to you in prayer for our nation during this time of mourning. We ask that you protect and guide those who are working to rescue our fellow citizens.
We ask that you comfort those who have lost loved ones. Please hold them in your loving embrace. Please Bless and Comfort those who have lost so much and those who are awaiting word from their family and friends. We ask this in Jesus' Name. Amen.

[DollyCali]

WDSU reports the following website as a clearinghouse for New Orleans information:

http://neworleans.craigslist.org/about/help/katrina_cl.html

Here's what the page looks like:

craigslist resources for Katrina Survivors

Looking for missing family and/or friends?

* lost and found

Can you provide temporary shelter for hurricane victims?

* temporary housing / shares / apartments

Volunteer opportunities

* volunteer listings

General community notices and updates

* all community listings

[LadyX]

Thank you, Dolly, for your excellent work in gathering some of the pictures that tell the tragic tale of Katrina, and your usual eloquent and heartfelt replies.

It is a somber time in so many ways, and this place, Billie, to express our understanding of the magnitude and sorrow and offer streaming prayer is appreciated.

Foremost to remember is that God Almighty is indeed sovereign,
and All Things go according to His unfathomable Plan.

*May we always respect that*; deal effectively with the hands we are dealt,
knowing He is in all the situations; and ask for His Mercy and Grace for allthe affected.

Father, we remember the words, "THY WILL BE DONE,"
and trust Your direction.

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Psalm 5:3

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[Aquamarine]

Praying for those in the devastated areas on the Gulf Coast and bracing for more bad news ahead. May God be with us all as this catastrophe unfolds.

While traveling with my family to New Orleans back in the early 70's we saw where Camille went through the Biloxi area, it was years afterwards and it still looked like a big scar. There were abandoned ships that were washed into shallow waters that were still there as reminders.
This morning Mr. A relayed to me that a friend at work had family from the New Orleans area that did evacuate to Destin Florida during the hurricane only to get caught in a rip tide while swimming that took the fathers life and left the 15 year old son in critical condition. Tragic.

[LadyX]

It is wonderful to know your loved ones are safe, although their lives are forever changed.
My prayers will continue for them, and for all touched by this tragedy.

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{{{Hugs 4 U }}}

[DollyCali]

good morning again all...All the sister's are today and tomorrow going to be helping to hostess the thread. We all felt a need to for a few days step back from our normal up beat, peppy threads and rather to focus our hearts and souls to our maker & sustainer.

I know the events are numbing. The threads with information are gold mines but also land mines to wander thru some hostility and overtired and wit's end folks.

I will try to post some occasional updates of news/pix for those who might have an interest.

One thing I know is that they are just getting started with master plans, there have been no press conferences (per se) to disseminate info media. The Military/National Guard will be tight lipped. There may also be a media freeze. I am glad our president will be in charge. He has earned his wings of being a good leader & the tests continue

Here is a little more info I found elsewhere that you may have an interest in Finest FRiends

http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/WWLBLOG.ac3fcea.html

09:14 AM CDT on Wednesday, August 31, 2005


Tom Planchet



9:09 A.M. - (AP) VATICAN: Pope Benedict says he is praying for victims of Hurricane Katrina and urged rescue workers to persevere in bringing comfort to survivors.


9:04 A.M. - (AP) Plans are being put into place to transport evacuees from the Superdome to the Houston Astrodome via a bus convoy.


8:41 A.M. - Gov. Blanco and Archbishop Hughes lead the State O.E.P. in prayer. "We look to (God) for our care," Hughes said. The Governor said monumental work lay ahead, and that a "higher power" was needed.


7:59 A.M. - Suzanne Parsons: St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office - 2,186 in public shelters in St. Tammany and number is growing.


7:49 A.M. - Governor Blanco: Four Navy ships headed to New Orleans with food and water.


7:38 A.M. - CNN report...another attempt will be made to sandbag the 17th Street Canal.


7:24 A.M. - Slidell Mayor Ben Morris: Electricity is six to 12 weeks away.


7:06 A.M. - Governor Blanco wants the Superdome evacuated within two days.


6:57 A.M. - Governor Blanco: "Absolutely necessary" that the Army Corps of Engineers drop sandbags into the levee breach.


6:50 A.M. - Sen. Landrieu: The whole parish of St. Bernard is gone.


6:27 A.M. - (AP) Conditions in New Orleans hospitals deteriorate.


6:22 A.M. - (AP) No time to count the dead as rescue efforts Click for story.


6:20 A.M. - Governor Blanco: Estimated 20,000 people in dome and they will be dispersed around the state to rescue centers being set up. Situation 'unteneable' in Superdome.


6:13 A.M. - Governor Blanco: Essential personnel will stay in city, but general public needs to go. Logistical nightmare to bring in food and water.


6:11 A.M. - Governor Blanco: We have found places around the state to house the refugees, we just need to get them out.


6:10 A.M. - (AP) -- Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman says the Bush administration will release oil from petroleum reserves to help refiners affected by Hurricane Katrina.


5:55 A.M. GOVERNOR BLANCO: Stopping the looting is important, but saving lives a higher priority right now. Not sure where looters think they are taking the stuff since city may soon be under water.