If you will, remember to pray for all of the people affected by the fires in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.

Growing up in Menard, I've seen a number of grass fires, but I've never seen anything like this. In the last week, I've been in Lubbock, Abilene, and Menard. All three of them have been hazy and have had the ubiquitous smell of smoke because of all the surrounding fires. Abilene today even looked cloudy, and it was just smoke from all of surrounding fires (particularly the horrible ones around Cisco, Eastland, and Gorman). Menard alone had three pretty major grass fires in the county just today, including a pretty enormous one that we drove past north of town. Two days ago, a fire got within about fifty feet of my grandmother's house (though that turned out ok). Menard shouldn't be in any particular danger at the moment, but several towns have been almost totally wiped out, including Cross Plains, which isn't far from here and which has a few people who used to live in Menard. I think Gorman has been totally evacuated, too. Just remember these people.

And pray that the federal government will jump in on this thing, too, to help out the local fire departments which are undermanned and underequipped. You would think they would have wanted to be on the safe side this time.