I know you're in San Diego. What's going on with you. Are you OK!!???

Hi Miki. God has me in his care, so I am doing fine. Thanks for asking .

I live more towards the coast away from where the fires were burning. But there are lots of ash and smoke everywhere, and I know some people who did lose their homes. It's sad. I pray for their quick recovery.

Love HB

I thought maybe you'd add some insight since you're in the thick of things.

Hmmm...well, let's see.

My sister helped out with some of the Qualcom folks by getting some toiletries for the local school that was collecting them.

I know of one woman, an acquaintence of the family out in San Bernardo who lost her home to the fire. I was sad to hear about this, but she and her dogs are okay, and I pray she'll recoup quickly.

There's a family I know in Julian who lost their home back in the 04 fire and have rebuilt. Now they're faced with possibly the fire turning back on Julian so I can only imagine that its a bit nerve racking as they had evacuated. I have not heard from them since, so I pray they're doing well and that their home is spared.

My mom is fine; she has returned to her earlier evacuated home.

Today, I didn't go into work because the office building was closed due to heavy smoke, but I called the front desk and it will open back up tomorrow Friday.

In fact the smoke did seem to clear up a bit later today.

The Prez was in town and that was a circus; I like to think his presence helped more than hindered.

Every where I went folks were talking about the fires. I had talked with folks who told me of some brazened but isolated lootering that had happened. I heared about a man who had to choose between saving his Corvette or his classic 73 Camino. He lost the Camino.

Folks were very greatful that this fire was not as fatal from the last fire, but I heard there were some burnt bodies found in the after math, so that might change later.

There were a lot of supportive radio adds and some television adds from insurance companies about filing claims.

But, the thing that struck me was yesterday morning there was ash raining down like little snow flakes and I thought "this came out from somewhere maybe five, six or ten miles away..." It was just strange to think that the ash on my car was possibly someones house.

I kinda know now how it felt in the Greek fires, Shekel had posted earlier. I'll be glad when it's all done.

Be well, Miki.

Love HB

Thanks for the news report HB but now how about some insights.

This is what l mean;

God makes the sun and rain to come on all. But when it's raining ash down on you or perhaps fire what do you wonder when you know you're the recipient of something that could become an even greater disaster in the coming months or years? Are people questioning their lives?

You know about what burned where and to whom...but have you been able to get in anybodies head? Or is it still to soon? We wonder what the world is thinking behind the scenes and away from the cameras..And what is the church is thinking?

Has it depressed you? Made you sober? Made you want to scale down so there's not as much to take with you? What's important? What is important HB? I've thought about this for myself...like others ..pictures and important papers...but that's about it. I see people cry when they see their childs first bike burned to a crisp...But why are they really crying? No one and nothing can take away a memory. We carry those things in our hearts...Do you think people are crying over this kind of stuff because deep down they know it's just stuff and all the striving to obtain it was for nought? Is that the reality that makes people weep?

I'm glad you're OK...

My heart goes out to you all Humble Bob.

Thank you for giving that report.

I'm praying for you to HB..I have friends in San Diego too. They live closer to the coast..last I heard they had evacuated. Hoping to get an update soon.
Blessings to you HB!
Love, Lisa

Thanks for all your heartfelt prayers.

As for soul searching ephiphanies, Miki, I have not talked to folks directly about what this all means to them. In fact now that law enforcement is treating the fires as arson lots of folks seem to be able to sum up the whole matter to some bad people out there, perhaps dismissively thinking no act of God or nature was involved here, just business as usual.

For me, one of my earlier thoughts was "I'll go to Home Depot to pick up some things - BUT, if this was any worse I wouldn't be able to do that at all." Before 911 I would have thought just the Home Depot part and not the "if it were any worse" part. Some agreed with me that this was also a change in their attitudes from "Oh that that's terrible, but I gotta go catch my plane" to realizing wait a minute, stores might be closed, power might be out, gas might not be available, hospital services might not be available, or flights might be cancelled...

It seems, that folks are adjusting and simply accepting of thats just the way things are these days, with Katrina, with Iraq, with global warming, with rising oil prices, with the San Diego fires, but in the mean time gotta go to work, gotta pay the bills, gotta run errands. It's somewhat surreal.

I think in crisis people actually want to stay in their routines and not think about the worse, they want normallicy and will try to make things normal. Crisis is just too draining to worry about and I think people will not want to deal with it unless actually confronted by it.

Did it mean folks suddenly wanted to get closer to God during the fires? Well, I'm sure people were praying that their houses be saved or that the fires will go out, or that they were greatful for being safe and stuff is just stuff that could be replaced. I prayed and felt the same. But mostly no big things pointing to God's intervention in the matter as plain-as-day evidence, this is proof. It was mostly personal and touching events special to each person who heard or seen, that left a sense of bewilderment or awe, like why are these three home left standing out of the 200 others that was burned, or why was this one house burned down out of the the rest that are still here.

A woman told me the flames lept over her home and burned a few houses around her. Though, she thoroughly watered and saturated the hill side in her back yard she believed God's hand was over her home.

I think people are tired, of all this bad news, in this modern day, and when it hits them personally it hurts. That's why they cry when their child's first bike is burned to a crisp.

Love HB

I think you've hit the nail on the head HB... Especially this part:



Thanks for taking the time to answer.