It's almost too much to take

Gallatin, Sumner County, Warren County, places you all had probably never heard of before last Friday. That's when Mother Nature's wrath came down upon these beautiful Middle Tennessee areas.. Gallatin and Sumner Counties are to the Northeast of Nashville, Warren County is to the south of Nashville. Friday was a very scary day for all of us here in Nashville. The storms started moving through at about 1:00. A lot of people I work with live in Sumner County, and Gallatin because the property taxes are a lot better there and these places are not that far from Nashville. I remember standing next to a co-worker Friday afternoon when he was trying to locate his daughter, they live in Sumner County... He was frantic but trying to calm his wife who was on the other end of the line.. My heart broke for him, but he then said to his wife, "it's only it's a house, that's why we have insurance" ... His voice cracked for a minute but he pulled it together in order to be strong for his wife... I was scared, the radio reports were just awful... all fo the destruction. Then the news came, fatalities. By Saturday, 12 people had died as a result of the tornadoes. My heart aches for those family members left behind.

The reporting has continued since Friday and I am so proud of my fellow Tennesseeans... We are called the Volunteer state for a reason. For the most part, people were extremely positive and appreciative of the help they were recieving. The overwhelming, theme was, it's just stuff, as long as I have my family and everyone is ok, that is really all that matters. But some people lost family members and I ask for special prayers for them.

I have lived in Tennessee for most of my life and I can never recall such devastation in one week. First West Tennessee, then Middle Tennessee, it's just awful. But my faith teaches me to lay our burdens upon the Lord, that brings me comfort and I hope that it brings comfort to those who have lost so much.

If you would like to help those effected please contact the Nashville Red Cross at www.nashvilleredcross.org or Second Harvest Food Bank at www.secondharvestnashville.org...

But most importantly, please pray for my fellow Tennesseans, even if you are not a Believer, please just think good and positive thoughts for these people.