Tornados hit Kearney and Aurora Thursday Night

40 train cars derailed, buildings at the fairgrounds destroyed, $40 million damage at the airport, residence hall at UNK damaged, apartment complexes damaged...sounds like it was an exciting night in Kearney.

I drove to Omaha from Oklahoma yesterday, so I wasn't aware of the storms until I got a call from Grandma wondering if I was ok. She was with my relatives near Wood River (45 minutes east of Kearney) and heard that several tornados hit. Most of my friends didn't have damage to their homes or cars, but I still can't get through to those on the north side of town (but no injuries or deaths have been reported, so I'm not too worried anymore). Payne Aschwege was quoted in an article as saying "You start thinking about people instead of things," which is so true!

Articles:
Tornadoes hit near Kearney, Grand Island (Kearney Hub)
Tornadoes turn Kearney area upside down (Kearney Hub)
Storm Photos (Kearney Hub)
Governor Declares State Of Emergency: Kearney, Aurora See Tornado Damage (KETV)
Tornadoes Strike Kearney, Aurora (KOLN/KGIN)

Highlights from the last 1.5 weeks

A week ago Thursday, my car wouldn't start after lunch. A neighbor looked at it and we finally jumped it. (I knew my jumper cables would come in handy - they've been unused since 2000.) It could have been really expensive, but the car only needed a new battery! It was still using the original from 2002, so it did pretty well!

On Monday evening I went to my small group. It's an interesting group of people - all have huge tough things going on in their lives and I think it would be understandable for any of us to fall into the victim role on any given night. A new person came that was really having a hard time - her husband is in jail for molesting their 9-yr-old daughter (who is now in the foster care system), her son is in jail, and she's struggling with alcoholism while trying to parent her four other kids. The group surround her with God's love - not trying to fix her problems, but rather encouraging, empathizing, and pointing her to the only One who can help her! The group occasionally does this instead of going over a lesson, so it's not terribly unusual. But it really struck me on Monday that this is how the church should respond to people! (I love it that my church draws these "types" of people in instead of driving them away!! There's no need to put on a fake smile!) I had lots of energy when I got home and decided to go for a walk. I typically listen to podcasts while outdoors, but this time I just hung out with God. It never ceases to amaze me how me meets me where I am and doesn't wait until I am where I should be. As Joyce Meyer says, "He loves us enough to meet us where we are at, but too much to let us stay there!." How true...

On Tuesday I went to the dentist for the first time in 2.5 years. One of my good friends recommended this guy and he was awesome! My teeth were fine and he didn't think it's necessary to take out my wisdom teeth (both answers to prayer!). I even got to watch FoxNews and ESPN while they cleaned my teeth!

On Thursday I looked at an apartment that I really liked. I decided to take it, but am not sure when I'll move yet. For the last few months, I've been casually looking for a cheaper place to live - thankfully I'm on a monthly lease! I love my current home, but I'm away so much that I might as well live in a smaller place and not pay for all the nice perks I have now.

On Thursday evening, I found out that I got a promotion at Cabela's. I know I'm qualified, but didn't know if the hours, training, etc would take away from my primary job. God took care of all those things and I got the position!

And now I'm on vacation! I drove to Oklahoma last night, will drive to Omaha on Thursday, and will return home Sunday morning. There's little planned, so it will be nice to hang out with friends and take a break from the rest of life.