Normally, when someone mentions Texas to me I tend to ask, “Do you know where the best part of Texas is?” When I get the expected, “No,” I tell them, “Smack dab in the middle because then, no matter which way you go, you’re leaving.”

That’s just a harmless dig at Texans, of course, but the same could be true for any place I ‘spect. Even Oregon.

Personally, I pray that the weather will turn off the rain in Texas so the flooding can recede and people can get about the business of recovering. It’s pretty devastating. An ideal situation would be if all that rain could be redirected to Oregon & Washington to help put out 22 forest fires burning in those states. The most significant is the Chetco Fire near Brookings, Oregon. Much of that town has been evacuated as the fire approaches after burning more than 125,000 acres of timber. Many of the other fires have consumed 10,000 to over 30,000 acres. Containment is difficult because of the remote locations and continuing heat.

Please keep all the folks displaced by both flooding and fires, as well as those who are battle the elements to contain the damage, in your prayers.

Thanks.