July done; August on deck. Not my favorite month:(

So we survived another of the hot weather, unpleasant months saying goodbye to a very busy July.  And a very rainy July.  As dry as May and June were, July was that wet.  I have standing water and 4 ft. tall grass to prove it.  Readers of this blog know I dislike the summer months and I believe August is my least favorite.  Down here you can't say August and not cringe remembering that Katrina struck us in this late summer month.  This year it will be anniversary #6 of that killer hurricane.  And this August, like every other August, we must keep our eyes trained to the east and the south as hurricanes are more likely to strike from mid August to mid September.  Besides the threat of hurricanes, August usually brings us the hottest weather of the year so we are braced and prepared for that.

One redeeming thing about August is the beginning of football season.  With the labor issues behind us all we are following down here are those New Orleans Saints.  I hate to admit this but we are probably still on a Super Bowl high even though that monumnetal victory was 17 months ago.  Hopes are high again.  The team is pretty much still together, the team got quality for the Reggie Bush deal and they have signed some big players.  Hope springs eternal; time will tell.

Another thing that remains a constant joy in my life is family.  We will transition again this August with our daughter moving off to graduate school.  The mrs. and I are used to being home alone; embracing the empty nest.  But this is a new move for our little girl; new school and new friends so we may be a tad bit anxious. 

And yet another joy, no matter what the month, is my ministry.  The diaconate is remarkably special to me and I feel compelled to give back.  So August ushers in another formation semester and that means I will be helping with various class activities including assisting in homiletics and mentoring.  We have two classes again getting ready to start next week; our 2012 group and the new 2015 group.  On August 10th the entire diaconate community will gather for the Feast of St. Lawrence and our 2012 group will be installed as acolytes.  I look forward to these opportunties and my continuing ministries at Most Holy Trinity Parish and Rayburn Correctional.

So let's get August started so we can get closer and closer to autumn, and cooler weather and football season and the best time of the year.  And may we always remember, summer or not, hot or cold, everyday and every season...Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever!