September and we are somewhere in between

I'm glad the traditional summer months of June, July and August are behind us; I really dislike these particular months of the year.  And late last week, just like that, we arrived at September.  I have a love-hate, up, down kind of relationship with September.  And this particular September is indeed proving true to form.  On this Labor Day as I take some time to unwind, I do so with one wary eye cast to the east and a monster storm named Irma.  We have just witnessed the impact of these kind of storms with Hurricane Harvey and the devastation wrought upon coastal Texas, including the Houston area with record rainfall, all the way to the areas around Lake Charles Louisiana.  Most of the stories post Harvey have been of incredible human spirit from rescues to so many relief efforts and contributions.  The fact of the matter is that the area impacted will take a long time to recover but they will recover.  And we must never forgot that as of this morning there is a death toll that has reached 50.  And with Harvey still a current reality now we are looking at this monster named Irma:



Now anything can happen, and a lot will change between today and any landfall, but currently this track looks like very bad news for Florida and plenty of places inland.  But hurricane tracks do change and for us who still live with Katrina fatigue, this bears watching and a reminder to be prepared.  As hurricane veterans in this part of Louisiana this should not be a shock to us as we know that the peak of hurricane season is September 10th.  So we watch and wait, having to be about the business of every day life because while concerned, this thing is a week away from any of us.  And we pray, Irma, just go away.

As we get about everyday life I prepare for our next visit with the "grands" as we travel to North Carolina to celebrate Calvin's 5th birthday.  It is beyond incredible to me that Calvin is already 5!  And we can't wait to see him and little sister Katelyn who, you may recall, celebrated birthday #2 just two months ago.  Our September visit to North Carolina is one of those reasons I do love September as are many other reasons.  In case you have not noticed it is football season!  I certainly enjoyed all the games this weekend as college football kicked off, especially watching my LSU Tigers picking up a shutout victory over BYU.  And the New Orleans Saints start the new season a week from today and all Saints fans want and expect something much better than these mediocre performances of recent memory.  That Super Bowl victory for the Saints seems like a hundred years ago.  Another reason I love September is the promise of October and hopefully cooler weather.  In fact we are actually getting a cold front soon and will have overnight lows in the upper 50's; that's nice for us in early September.

If the first few days of September are any indication ministry will be full and robust.  I was privileged to offer Benediction at my parish both Friday and Sunday evenings and assisted at two masses Sunday.  I also visited with a brother deacon Saturday struggling with some health issues.  Later this month I'll be back at Rayburn, will begin our fall-winter Bible Study as we move on to the Acts of the Apostles and fulfill several other ministry responsibilities.  The ministry of the Permanent Deacon takes no time off no matter what month it is or even the weather conditions.  Simply, we serve!

So I love a lot about September in reality but truly hate those threats from hurricanes and tropical disturbances.  And yes, I do not like the normal summer-like heat but am hopeful for cooler things to come.

In any event, let's keep persevering through this 9th month of the year, remembering those who have suffered and are now recovering from Harvey as we pray away Irma and any other named storms this year.  Bring on North Carolina, Calvin's birthday and lots more football!  Happy September!