It has not yet begun to rain

The remnants of Hurricane Frances came to north Georgia at about three o'clock this morning. I knew this because I had the window above our bed open, and I was getting wet. Later, around five this morning, our dog Sabrina started going nuts when the wind picked up. That dog is going to have a heck of a time if we end up moving to Kentucky--they have real weather there. The rain is still coming down, but I just took the dog out to go to the bathroom, and the wind is barely blowing now. I think this tropical storm is running out of gas.

I finished reading Praying with Icons last night. It reminded me again why I respect the Russian church so much and why I can never get too close to it. To address the latter first, the author, James Forest, relates that his wife grew up in a Dutch Reformed household, that in their eyes any recognition of Saints or Icons was Catholic, and they were not Catholic. My wife's situation is similar. The difference is that the Forest's wife has apparently decided nonetheless to become Orthodox. Our situation will not allow that. Mary's family, as long as they're around (may they be around for many years), will always be low-church Protestants, more particularly Campbellites. That means her parents. That means her uncle and cousins. That certainly means her brothers and sister. And although I have my doubts sometimes, I still think that means her neices and nephews. But I think I've come to the point that I'm alright with that. After all, I've been a Campbellite myself for a decade--as long as I've been Christian. And although I have a fascination with things Orthodox, I don't think I'll ever see the need to become Orthodox. Perhaps it's "bloom where you're planted." Perhaps it's keeping the peace with the family. But at any rate, I've been Campbellite, I am Campbellite, and I don't see any compelling reason to become other than Campbellite. The tradition is still alive enough that people like Dr. Norris and Wes Arblaster can emerge from it and remain alive--why should I think that I'm more delicate than those two?