Martin Olasky's visit to the Princeton Cemetery (where Jonathan Edwards is buried) led to some solemn reflections on life and death in the light of Hurricane Katrina and the 4th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Here are several blogs covering Hurricane Katrina from various perspectives:

Hurricane Katrina
Eyes on Katrina
Lone Star Times
Slidell Hurricane Damage Blog
A Small Victory

This seems like a good way for local churches outside the damage zone to lend a helping hand.

The victims of the hurricane are hungry for spiritual food, too.

Pastor Andy McQuitty of Irving (TX) Bible Church has  issued a call to his congregation to be involved in a very direct way as refugees from New Orleans are being housed in the Dallas area.

Finally, consider these words from Puritan writer William Law: "The greatest care exhibited toward a man is prayer for him."  When great catastrophes come, we sometimes think that prayer doesn't count or we treat as a kind of last resort. From God's point of view, prayer must come first. If we start with prayer, we will find ample ways to put our words into practice. If we omit prayer, we are no better than atheists who do not pray at all. Along with all the tangible things desperately needed in Louisiana and Mississippi, we must pray to the God of heaven, asking for his help. First we pray, and then we become part of the answer to our prayers.

To sign up for Pastor Ray's free weekly sermon email list, click  here . You can find his daily weblog, online sermons, travel schedule, and other resources at  www.keepbelieving.com . You can write Pastor Ray at  raypritchard@calvarymemorial.com .