I hope this update finds you all doing well.  I want to wish you all a Happy Holiday season. We certainly have a great deal to be joyous about, as the MCMC project continues to prove its importance and relevance even this far removed from the actual disaster that was Katrina.

We continue to be able to advocate on behalf of the clients we serve and share data that is helping to shape policy related to the ongoing recovery efforts. You are very much appreciated and respected by all of the MCMC leadership and field management staff members for all of the hard work that you are doing. I pray that you too are joyous, even on those days when you might not be completely happy. In my mind, Joy and Happiness are two totally different things. For me, happiness is an emotion generally related to my everyday circumstances. My everyday circumstances have not always led me to be happy. Joy, on the other hand, is an internal thought process that is based on my quiet confidence in God. No matter the everyday circumstance in which I might find my unhappy self living, I can remain Joyous because I know that there is a greater hand at work and that my circumstances are only temporary. I hope that you have the opportunity to be joyous this season, even if the circumstances around you may not be ideal. With a quiet confidence, we move forward and we know that our work is making a difference because it is what is meant to happen right here, right now.