Reflections

Wednesday night we had a wonderful little service to help each other deal with our fears and grief. Bruce relayed the story of Jesus calming the storm in relation to where God is during a crisis.

When he started, I thought...where is he going with this? Bruce talked about how the storm was raging around them while they were in the boat. The disciples were freaking out! They went into the boat and woke him up and asked him if he cared what was happening.

Can you imagine? Asking the Lord God almighty if he cares? I thought of course he cares!--but then it hit me....not everyone thinks like me. God has made us all different and to have different questions is ok.

Then I thought about significant things that Chelsea will remember from her teenagehood....

*9/11/01
*a year later we had a sniper loose and wrecking havoc in our area.
*from that our kids now have regularly scheduled lockdowns and terrorist drills, like we used to have fire drills.
*we now have a family emergency plan...which needs to be revised now that Chelsea can drive.
*at our church we lost a vital member and close friend this past dec.
*2 dec's before that Jay's father died.

She has experienced more sorrow and heartache in her 16 years than I had. How will that change who she is?

Our family alone has had a major event happen every year since the fall of 1999. This has just been our family.

So I can see how people would think "does God care?"

What I have learned from all the above crap that has happened is....

Yes, he does care. Just like he told the disciples....he controls the wind and waves. He has promised us an amazing afterlife but we have to claim him in this life inorder to get that after life.

Many opportunities have been laid before me to profess my faith and beliefs, as a believer...i am commanded to share it. I will confess that until 2001, I didn't do it. I am trying much harder now. I have started to pray to invited God into my life in that way.

So-- yes, Virginia, there is a God and he loves you and wants a relationship with you.

In rememberance and a challenge

Tonight at 7:30 p.m. the Fairfax Church of Christ invites you to be a part of the prayer service to honor and remember those who have been affected by the horrific events at VA Tech.







I know this has been extremely difficult of alot of you. I challenge those of you who believe in God to share boldly your faith with others. This is a time that has been laid before us by the evil one and I challenge you to take this and use it for the good that we KNOW Jesus brings us. People are listening and asking questions. YOU don't have the answers to the questions, just show them God. He has them.

From what I understand, the families at VA Tech have declared Friday, April 20th Orange and Maroon Effect day. Wear your orange and maroon!

Listen to our Hearts

As the news poors out of Blacksburg, the tragedy is hitting even closer to home. Teens in our youth group, friends of my daughters, are reeling from finding out that friends they played on high school teams with are gone. Our Youth intern from last year attends Tech. The RA killed was an RA that she worked with for 3 years. One of the students is her fiancee's best friend, he was shot 4 times. The last I heard, he is in critical but stable condition.

It is just so sad that our teens are having to deal with this. It seems so unfair that the reality of man's sin is thrust upon them and crammed down their throats.

They are choking on vomit that this world is regurgitating. I just wonder, when will enough be enough?

The only thing I know what to do is, just tell them that this isn't God's will. Man has a choice and man's choices have consequences. Often those choices fall out on others.

But God is a great God! He is saddened by this tragedy too. God wants you to know that He is here for you. Just as you are, He accepts you. You don't have to have the perfect words to say to Him. So maybe you don't need to speak. Just cry, be angry, be sad.

He listens to our hearts.

It's a sad day

I am sure by now that you have heard about the tragedy that happened at Virginia Tech.

My brother, sister-in-law and their sweet children all live there. We have several children of Fairfax members who attend VA Tech. All are physically fine.

I would like to impart some things I learned over the 9/11 tragedy and the death of my father-in-law. Please pray for the families affected by this horrible event.

I know that this seems overwhelming and senseless.

Remember that what you are feeling is normal. There is no hand book on how to handle something like this.

Take some time to do something "normal". If need be go to McDonald's and order a big mac.

Turn off the t.v. for a while.

Do not watch the t.v. with the kids in the room.

Remember to be talk to your kids on their level about what happened. Remind them that they are safe, that God loves them and you. Pray with them for the families and individuals involved. IF they ask--remind them that God gives us free will to make choices and sometimes people are so sad and upset that they make bad choices.

A situation like this can be horribly overwhelming and that is a normal feeling. Don't try to make sense of this right now.

Ask God for peace and wisdom to deal with this.

This is just another sad reminder that this world is not our home. Unfortunately Satan's reign is strong here on earth.

I love you all.

And the Oscar goes to?

Jay and I are poor...so we are watching all the Oscar nominated movies now that they are on DVD/payperview. I think I would like to ask "The Academy"...what in the world constitutes Oscar worthy movies?

So far we have seen The Departed, Little Miss Sunshine and Babel.....

My opinion is.....

1. The Departed--it was ok. Out of the 3 we have seen, I guess I like this one the best. It had a good story line, good character development, but the ending was depressing!

2. Little Miss Sunshine--it was alright. I was very disturbed by the language of the teenage son. I just kept thinking...."his mom and dad let him talk that way for the movie and hear the things said to him by the grandfather...." It was disturbing to me.

3. Babel--um what?!!! I thought it was slow, long, boring, and anti-climatic. If you have seen the move from a few years ago called "Traffic" with Michael Douglas then this seems very similar to me.

Now the Pursuit of Happyness--there was a GREAT movie!!!But alas, not nominated. Excellent story--uplifting. LIfe can be depressing enough, why do I want to go pay people to watch their 2 hours of unhappiness?

I don't know that I will see the Iwo Jima movie or the Queen. Not unless someone can give me several good reasons to go.

I have seen Premonition in the theatres--I kind of liked it. I took the kids to several movies over Spring Break. Wild Hogs was cute. Blades of Glory--didn't actually see but it was dumb. I still would like to see Breach.

There are a few movies coming out that I would like to see.
What did you think of these movies?

Answers

Here are the answers to my quiz



1. I went to ACU
2. My official job title is Assistant TO Children's ministry--I am not a minister by title
3. I share a birthday with Gillian!
4. I sang for a benefit put on by Nancy Reagan my junior or senior year in high school at the Mayflower hotel downtown.
5. My favorite fast food is Sonic because I don't get it very often!
6. I have never been to Miami
7. I have never been a substitue teacher
8. i have recently found a fondness of green beans. I tolerate broccoli in salads mixed in with lots of other stuff....
9. I was in a major car accident at the age of 19
10.Jay and I have never had a honeymoon--sad isn't it?

Thanks for playing!