We're now almost finished with day two in Birmingham and I think I echo everyone's sentiments when I say I want to go home. Yesterday was a pretty good day and everyone was generally upbeat, myself included. Today I woke up and got the day started well, but about 10:30 it really start to hit and I really started to miss home. Now I love to travel and I love to see new places, but this isn't like most trips. I don't have that travel mentality.

I may try to get out and see a few things in town tomorrow. For the most part it is just hard to sit around with nothing much to do. It allows far too much time to miss where you're from and gives time to wonder when you'll get to go back. Speaking of which, we are tentatively headed back Saturday but we are still awaiting word from the city.

It's time like this when I continue to realize that New Orleans is where I am supposed to be. No matter where I go in the country I am always still called home, this time more than most. I just want to get back to my city, my neighborhood and my life.

But I know that God has bigger plans. I know He is using this time for something. Maybe it's to teach me patience or reliance on Him. Maybe it's to help me identify with those in our ministry who were so affected by Katrina. I don't really know. But what I do know is that this is a whole bunch of free time with very few distractions to keep me from spending time at His feet and hearing what He has to say before I head back into the routine of ministry in New Orleans.