"This Just In...Evacuations In Diamond Bar..."

Thanks to all who have asked how we were doing with regard to the fires - we really appreciate it! We're doing just fine, but it was a little scary for a few hours there. I was at a meeting at church on Sunday morning, but was paying close attention to updates being texted to me from a couple of close friends explaining that evacuations had now reached Diamond Bar with the fire threatening our little city.

I had a few duties during worship service, but we moved them to the front of the order, so I could leave right away to make sure our house wasn't up in flames, the result of a stray ember. My friend Carey went with me in case I needed to pack up stuff, but when we got to my house, there was little smoke and no ash. And the traffic wasn't nearly as bad as I anticipated. The day before my family was supposed to attend a dinner in Huntington Beach, but couldn't even make it a few blocks from our place because of all the traffic pouring onto side streets, the result of the 57 Fwy being closed. Fortunate for us on Sunday, the wind was blowing in the opposite direction as was the case all weekend, such that though Diamond Bar was closer to Brea flames, Fullerton actually had way more smoke and ash. Our house was fine, but my heart goes out to those who weren't so fortunate.

While all this was happening, I kept thinking to myself that Diamond Bar makes the news for all the wrong reasons. We're a quiet little city that no one really notices us. But more recently we've made headlines for the suburban houses fronting illegal marijuana factories, then it was how our backyard may be home to the next LA football stadium, and now the Freeway Complex fire.

I suppose in our case, no news is good news.