My first blog post....

I couldn't decide what I wanted to talk about for my first post on this blog. After much deliberation, I decided to put up a post from a different blog I wrote earlier this year.

As Thanksgiving approaches, please don't forget to keep the victims of this tragedy in your prayers. In only minutes, everything we love and care about could be taken from us- just like those in Tuscaloosa, AL, earlier this year.

It's easy to allow life's stresses to blind us from how much we actually do have to be thankful for. I hope this post serves as a gentle reminder of the undeserved blessings God has granted each of us.

Posted April 2011:
"I wasn't going to post these pictures or tell these stories because there is no picture and there are no words that can do justice to what I experienced last weekend. It was truly life changing.

Two Saturdays ago, what were you doing? If you are like me, you were cleaning, running errands, and just relaxing. BUT last Saturday, you were changing people's lives! The donations and prayers you guys made blessed literally thousands of people.

As I drove into town I felt a little excited because I haven't been home long enough to see anyone or enjoy myself since December. At the same time, I felt nervous about what I would see and whether or not I was prepared. I took the McFarland exit and my heart was overwhelmed. Although I didn't see any "real" damage from the storm, I did see streets lined with tents, some air conditioned and others open. The tents were full of people...they were eating dinner, getting water, washing their clothes, picking up ice, children were making cards for their mothers for mother's day, picking up clothing, etc. There were a multitude of organizations there: army, navy, and many churches and individuals offering support.

It made me feel proud. Proud to be from the South. Proud to be from Alabama.

Tide Loads of Hope Tent

Soma Body of Christ has 3 tents and are supplying food and clothing. They cost $1,600/wk/tent. The church can't afford the tents any longer. If you know someone who could help cover this cost, please contact Soma at 205.553.2877.

As I continued to drive the damage got worse and worse. I was in complete shock at the devastation and how well defined the tornado's path was.

This is a view from the street before the tornado...

The same view after the tornado. You can see the billboard was snapped in half...



This is a view of Forest Lake before the tornado...



This is Forest Lake after the tornado...



Before and after pictures of an "L" shaped shopping center which held Hobby Lobby, Big Lots, Tuesday Morning, a gym, Chuck E. Cheese, etc.....








In the top left of the next photo you see University Mall, the bottom left is the L shaped shopping center referenced above. This is before the tornado...


Same view after the tornado...top left is the University Mall and bottom left is the shopping center...



McDonald's on 15th Street before....


and after....




Schlotzsky's Deli before...


and after...



Hokkaido Japanese Restaurant before...



and after...if you look just above the car you can see the only thing left standing in the restaurant- the freezer...



Krispy Kreme before....



and after...unfortunately, 2 bodies were found here....



In these pictures you can see the hospital in the background (tall building with blue letters). The tornado missed it by about a block. The only damage it suffered were busted windows on the upper floors. Thank God this hospital wasn't in the tornado's path or the fatalities would have been unreal...

Before this storm you could NOT see this hospital because of all the trees.

Businesses we can't identify....

The devastation is unbelievable. You can stand in one spot and as far as you can see on each side is just rubble. In one location you can see the next town and before the storm that was impossible.

The destruction to businesses was sad, but not heart wrenching because I realized, in the end, they will recover everything lost.

Then we started to reach residential areas. It was horrible. Many of these people were renters and now have nothing. They have nowhere to go and have covered their homes with tarp to keep out rain while they try to survive in what's left. Some people have generators supplying power and others use candles.

The homes on the outside of the tornado were damaged by 100 mph winds. Streets all over town were just opened a few days ago. As you drive through, some locations have trees and metal piled over 6 feet high bordering both sides of the road.

The devastation got worse and worse with no break until we saw homes that were just completely leveled. Each home and car is marked with an "X" indicating the date it was searched, who searched it, and how many survivors/bodies were found.

Many of these people will not leave the debris they once called home. They have pitched tents and are spending their days rummaging through the remains of their houses salvaging every memory they can find. Pictures, financial documents, and the like have been found as far away as Knoxville, TN, and a website has been set up to help these people recover these cherished memories.

Photo of Rosedale Garden Apartments before...

and after....

While clearing the property, they have started lining up the cars on the edge of the street.

The sign reads, "14 Survivors by the Grace of God."

Just a slab left.

Crescent Ridge Area was also hit very hard by the tornado.

Here are some aerial views before....

and after...

Another before....

and after....

Before....

after...

A man was in this neighborhood when the storm hit and was missing after the storm. Several days later his body was found 30 miles away.

Again...some only have a slab remaining.

Soma Church (I mentioned above) was at the end of this neighborhood....

The church was unharmed. The front door was broken by a man trying to get inside for safety.

The church and neighborhood before....

Church is located at the top where the red circle is.

And after...

These homes are located in the neighborhood that was devasted next to the church.
Before...

After...

Before...


After...


Not sure what address this home is...

Before...

After...
Before...

After...


Other photos from this neighborhood....

In the middle sits a dresser with flowers placed on it in memory of those who died here.

This storm shelter saved a family's lives. Their home was leveled and now they live in the RV to the left.

These homes are located in the neighborhood that was devasted near the church.

That's my friend's boat in the tree.

Only steps remain.

Eventually I was unable to take anymore pictures: (1) they are a disgrace because they do not accurately represent what Tuscaloosa has suffered and (2) people died here and it seemed disrespectful to take pictures of burial grounds.

Three different times we saw fire trucks parked at houses and people removing debris with surgical masks on. As we got closer we realized they were searching for bodies because the odor was unmistakeable.

Residents are being warned to be careful when clearing trees and other debris from their land because bodies are being found in the oddest places. A friend had gone through his land and didn't see any bodies. He had his young son outside helping him clear the property with a bulldozer. They didn't realize a body was underneath some trees and had been there several days. When the machine hit the body, the body exploded. There are no words to describe the effect this had on him or his son. It's just completely unbelievable and everyone is suffering enormous grief.

While in town, I heard story after story of survival and it was evident, in the midst of the destruction, God's hand was on the city of Tuscaloosa:

• Many people were not where they were suppose to be during the storm and so their lives were spared.
• An infant was found among debris 3 days after the storm, strapped in a car seat, and unharmed. There is no explanation for how this baby made it through the storm. No word yet on who the infant's family is or whether or they survived.
• A family was hiding in a closet when the tornado hit their home. The entire home was destroyed and as the tornado passed it was so powerful that it was literally sucking their 3 year old out of the house. The child's father held onto his ankle like a kite and his life was saved.
• My friend's father owns a houseboat and thankfully he wasn't there when the storm hit. His neighbors on both sides stayed in their boats because the marina wasn't in the path of the storm. It did hit the marina. The boat on his left was picked up and thrown and all 4 people inside where thrown into the river. It is a miracle they survived. The boat to his right looked like it imploded; the walls fell on all sides of the boat and the hull remained with furniture perfectly in place. The residents of this boat ran under the dock and clung to it with all their strength. When they recall the events they tell how hard it was to hold on and they remember almost drowning, but are thankful they survived.
• A lady and her children were in their house when the tornado picked it up and moved it one and a half blocks down. They walked outside and had no clue where they were. Miraculously, they were uninjured.
• Many homes were completely destroyed and the only thing standing is the one closet or bathroom the family sought shelter in. The only explanation is God's grace.

Three major radio stations in town have partnered together to help with relief. They are not broadcasting music, but have 12 lines open for callers. All day people call in with needs and within minutes they are met. For instance:

• One partially paralyzed man was injured in the storm. Because his injuries weren't life threatening, he didn't want to call for an ambulance- since they were so badly needed in other areas. He waited a week and when he couldn't stand the pain any longer he called the radio station to see if someone could give him a ride to the hospital because he still didn't want to tie up an ambulance. A random listener picked this man up and took him to the ER then gave him a ride home 6 hours later.
• A church called in asking for volunteers to pack up and move what remained salvageable in their building. Over 400 people showed up to help.
• The calls ranged from asking for help unloading shipments of supplies, to asking for mattresses, to asking for food, to asking for help from those with chainsaws, etc. Each time the needs were filled in minutes. It's unbelievable how much the town has united to help each other.

I want to extend a special thank you to Rack Room Shoes for donating close to $30,000 in the form of 2,000 brand new pairs of shoes. Many people were walking around without shoes and this generous donation helped fulfill a basic need for thousands.

• There was one young girl (about 14 yo) who showed up alone to get a pair of shoes. She was wearing worn out gray tennis shoes and asked me for a size 4. Size 6 was the smallest we had, but I asked her to try them on because I know her feet will continue to grow. She ended up needing a size 7. She was so excited to have a new pair of shoes that actually fit. She walked out in her socks carrying the box to the hall to put the shoes on. The look on her face will forever be imprinted in my mind.
• A man came for shoes and was so broken he didn't care if he had to wear women's shoes. He said, 'At this point it doesn't matter.'
• These stories are abundant. In spite of the pain in their eyes and the grief they were dealing with each person was excited and thankful for being blessed with new shoes.

I understand how hard is to read these stories, but I felt it necessary to share them so that you will get a small glimpse of what others are dealing with. I pray that you will realize how greatly your donations touched these victims and that we will all be thankful for our families and our health.

Often we lose sight of what is really important in life and in such a self-serving world our only focus is 'ME.'
Hopefully, the awful effects of this storm will teach us the importance of looking outside of our homes and cities and realizing there are a lot of hurting people. We are called to help and to serve these people.

I encourage each of you to continue to pray for Tuscaloosa. After the storm, roads were impassable and over 500,000 people were without power. With the help of many neighboring states, almost all power has been restored and all roads were open about 4 days ago. It has been said that Tuscaloosa has accomplished more by way of clean up in 6 days than 6 months of work after Hurricane Katrina. The town has come together and the nation has supported Tuscaloosa immensely. In spite of these accomplishments, there are months of work ahead so please keep praying.

Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for your support. Without each of you, this mission would have been impossible.

All photos shown in this blog are the property of Lori Johnston or were borrowed from Tuscaloosa News or Jason Clark, freelance photographer with SouthCreek Global Media in Northport, AL."