Friday, February 8, 2008, 7:37 a.m., C.S.T.~

Dear Journal~

Sarah Wright here.

Now that the baby is asleep and Wayne is taking a sponge bath (he can't have a regular bath quite yet until his incision heals some more), I can write in here.

The girls (as well as Mwugu) have left to go to school; hopefully they'll have a good day. Only Rheese (the baby), Wayne, and myself are home, enjoying the early-morning quiet.

It wasn't quiet a few days ago (Tuesday night). We were under tornado watches a good part of the day; during the evening hours, here they come, rows of supercells with tornadoes, extremely large hail, very heavy rain, frequent (and dangerous) lightning, and damaging downburst winds. It was very terrifying.

We didn't have any damage to our place; however, a few streets down, several houses sustained quite a bit of damage, displacing the families that lived there. Poor Wayne was freaking out. I was freaking out; the kids were freaking out. It was madness!!

We got to our basement shelter and did a lot of heavy-duty praying. God must have listened because our house is still standing, and we're still here, unharmed and alive.

Unfortunately, for one of the families at our church, tragedy struck. Deidre and Bob Brownwood lost their twelve-year-old son, Dominic, when a tree fell on him while he was trying to put his bike away. A terrible thing to have happen; we're all reeling with shock at the enormity of the situation.

Dominic was a very sweet child, a boy who would do anything to help another person, a boy who lived the life of Jesus in his actions. Now he's gone home to Glory, to be with Jesus forever, and we are now left, scratching our heads, and asking the proverbial question: "Why?"

The wake for young Dominic Brownwood is on Monday and Tuesday; the funeral is on Wedsneday at our church. We plan on being there, as do a lot of members of our church. When one member of our church family is hurting, we all hurt.

When I heard the news about Dominic, all I could do was cry. It doesn't seem fair that a parent should outlive their child, and it doesn't seem fair when a young person dies. We shouldn't question God about these things; however, there are times we can't help but to ask.

Now is such a time.

Poor Wayne was devastated. I thought he was going to have to go to the ER Wedsneday; he kept having terrible chest pains; he insisted he was okay, but I was very concerned. Thankfully the chest pains have disappeared, and Wayne is back to his (normal) self again.

That I can be very thankful for! I am so scared he is going to have a heart attack when he is under stress!

I am going to have to watch him like a hawk come Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday when we go to the wake and then the funeral!

Susie has survived her surgery; time will only tell if it was successful. Wayne has been on his face, praying ferverent prayers to Heaven regarding Susie's surgery. I have too. I've spent a lot of time in my prayer chair and reading the Bible, trying to give myself comfort.

Some good news from Louie and her crew: Johnny has a book that's just been accepted for publication (it will be out later this year; it's his first one), and Ronee' is trying out for "America's Got Talent" next weekend at Opryland Mills.

Hopefully Ronee' will make it to the show; she is a wonderful singer and performer! She may only be fifteen, but she sings like an angel and plays like a musician that's been playing music for years!

The family made it through the stormy period; their house had some damage (mainly to their shingles on the roof and some aluminum siding on the south end, plus some trees lost some branches and twigs, plus a young sapling got knocked over by the hurricane-force winds).

The house itself, meanwhile, escaped the worst of the damage; they don't have to stay someplace else until their house can be repaired; it could have been a lot worse for the Sandusky family.

Over fifty people perished in the storms that raked across the southland; many lives were forever changed. I know I or Wayne will never forget the storms; it was beyond terrifying!!

Now it is cold and clear out, back to winter again. Seems that spring is trying to get an early start here in the southland. One minute it's unseasonably warm, with people running around in shorts and tee-shirts; the next day, they have their noses buried in scarves, their heavy clothes on, and shivering in the frosty air. It's like the weather can't decide to make up her mind!

Such as the weather patterns here in the south. People are always griping/talking about the weather: "If y'all don't like the weather here, wait five minutes--it'll change." And it does, believe me!

Well, I am going to go now; Wayne's out of the shower, and I will have to help him get dressed. Since he is paralyzed from the waist on down, he can't do his socks, shoes, or his pants. I have to do this for him.

Take care and God bless!

~Love, Sarah Wright. :)