A poem

This poem was forwarded to me by my sister-in-law and I thought it was so beautiful, I had to share it.

Twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38
>
> when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate.
>
> their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air
>
> they could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there
>
> They were filled with such joy, they didn't know what to say
>
> they remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.
>
> "where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse
>
> "this is heaven." declared a small boy. "we're spending Christmas at God's house."
>
> When what to their wondering eyes did appear,
>
> but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.
>
> He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same
>
> then He opened His arms and He called them by name.
>
> and in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring
>
> those children all flew into the arms of their King
>
> and as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,
>
> one small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face.
>
> And as if He could read all the questions she had
>
> He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad."
>
> then He looked down on earth, the world far below
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> He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe
>
> then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,
>
> "Let My power and presence re-enter this land!"
>
> "may this country be delivered from the hands of fools"
>
> "I'm taking back my nation. I'm taking back my schools!"
>
> Then He and the children stood up without a sound
>
> "come now my children, let me show you around."
>
> Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran.
>
> all displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.
>
> And I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,
>
> "in the midst of this darkness, I am still The Light."
>
> ~Author unknown

It reminds me to trust that even though they were so tragically taken from this earth, the beauty and love they see and feel right now is beyond our comprehension.

And on another note, we are in the midst of a great controversy right now. The gun debate; some want stricter laws while others believe that isn't the solution. I don't own a gun. I never will. It's just too scary to think about, having a gun in my house. But I don't believe that banning guns is the answer. Criminals do not obey laws. They will obtain guns either way. People who want to do harm will always find a way.

We need to stop the arguing over who's right or wrong. We need to come together. I know we all feel that something has to be done. Just what that something is, is the big question. But one thing we can ALL do, is to stop focusing on all the evil that is in this world, and do our part to show the kind and loving side of human nature. Go out of your way this holiday season {and always} to show kindness to family and strangers alike. Ever see that commercial where someone witnesses a random act of kindness and it sets a chain reaction of good deeds into effect? THAT'S what we need to do! Inspire the world to do good! Show evil that good WILL prevail. We won't cower in fear or wave the white flag. We will stand up and fight for good. Show extra compassion. Give extra tight hugs. Light up this world with a love that can be seen from the heavens. Let's show those little angels we can do better.

Psalm 27:13-14 "I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!"

address

I found the address to send condolences to the families of the Sandy Hook tragedy. I wish I could do something more for them, but the more love and prayers they receive, the tighter they will feel God's arms wrapped around them. Here it is:

PO Box 3700
Newtown, CT 06470

heaviness

 

This is Emma. She is 6 years old.

She is the same age as the majority of the children

tragically killed last Friday in CT.

 

Look at her face. That sweet innocence only a child

can possess. She is love. Pure love.

 

As I look at the faces of the sweet children that were taken from their parents

far too soon, I can't help but picture my own child's face. That could have been her!

That could have been her classmates!

 

My heart is so heavy with sadness. I find myself constantly shaking my head in disbelief

and can't fight back the tears. Those families. Those poor devastated families.

Christmas is supposed to be a time of rejoicing. They will only feel loss.

Sorrow. The emptiness of a loved one....forever gone.

 

A child.

 

How will they cope? The hole in their hearts must be unbearable.

Please, God....please comfort them. Please tell their parents

that they are with you. That they didn't suffer. That angels were there with them,

holding them close. That they are in paradise where there is no more

evil. Tell them somehow. Help them. Please, God. Help them understand

that even though they held those precious children only a short time,

they will be reunited some day. Help them get through this life

on earth without them. Please, God.

 

Help the rest of us deal with the fear. Help us heal our own hearts and trust that

you have a plan for everyone. And one day, this heartbreak will end.

Help those suffering from mental illness get the attention and care they need.

Help everyone suffering with the sadness that surrounds us today and always.

 

 

 



Pray

"The angels are always near to those who are grieving, to whisper to them that their loved ones are safe in the hand of God." ~ Quoted in The Angels' Little Instruction Book by Eileen Elias Freeman, 1994

Please pray for the families of the following angels:

CHILDREN
Charlotte Bacon, (age 6)
Daniel Barden, (age 7)
Olivia Engel, (age 6)
Josephine Gay,  (age 7)
Ana M. Marquez-Greene, (age 6)
Dylan Hockley, (age 6)
Madeleine F. Hsu, (age 6)
Catherine V. Hubbard,  (age 6)
Chase Kowalski, (age 7)
Jesse Lewis, (age 6)
James Mattioli, (age 6)
Grace McDonnell, (age 7)
Emilie Parker,  (age 6)
Jack Pinto, (age 6)
Noah Pozner, (age 6)
Caroline Previdi, (age 6)
Jessica Rekos, (age 6)
Avielle Richman, (age 6)
Benjamin Wheeler, (age 6)
Allison N. Wyatt, (age 6)

ADULTS
Rachel Davino, (age 29)
Dawn Hochsprung, (age 47)
Anne Marie Murphy, (age 52)
Lauren Russeau, (age 29)
Mary Sherlach, (age 56)
Victoria Soto, (age 27)

Tragedy

I didn't sleep well last night. I couldn't stop thinking of the tragedy that has befallen the quaint town of Newtown CT. It was supposed to be a safe town, one that has only had 1 homicide in the past 10 years. This really opens one's eyes to the fact that it truly is safe nowhere. We let our guard down, thinking something like this could never happen to us or our community, but we just never know. And that is the scariest thing. Like was said in one article, "Not even kindergartners learning their ABCs are safe." It's horrifying.

I am someone who would be devastated to accidentally hit a squirrel with my car on a road, so I cannot even fathom what state of mind this boy was in to be able to carry out such a heinous and despicable act. Practically a kid himself, he coldly and maliciously cut the lives of so many innocent children short. It was said he struggled with mental illness. Well, you'd almost certainly have to have some wires crossed to do something like shoot kindergartners. That, and be 100% pure evil. I'm sorry, mental illness is no excuse. He still knew right from wrong.

Last night, as I lay in my bed trying to fall asleep, all I could think about was how devastated those families are. How they woke up this morning and got their children ready for school like any other day, for the last time. They will never do it again. They will never kiss them goodnight, help them with their homework, watch them grow.....it breaks my heart. It breaks everyone's heart. To lose a child is unimaginable.

So I prayed. And I prayed. And I prayed. And as I prayed I thought, what can we do? I mean, we can all pray for the families, but it won't ease their sorrow. Nothing can. Nothing short of God bringing these innocent people back to life can. Why does this happen? Life is so unfair! It makes me question so much. One thing in particular is gun control.

This is a heated topic. So many people believe that it's their right to own a gun to protect themselves. But I believe that it's probably more common that these guns kill more innocent people in accidents and horrific acts like yesterday, than they do protecting people from intruders. I also believe that if we had really strict guns laws which made it near impossible for the average person to own a gun, things like this would probably happen anyway. When evil people want to hurt others, they will always find a way.

Obviously this boy wanted to die. But why.....why, why, WHY did he have to take 27 other lives first?? Why children? 5 through 10 year olds.....why? That question is on everyone's mind today. And even if we did have an answer to that, it wouldn't make it any better. Our hearts would still break for those affected. There are still 20 young children who will never experience college, marriage, children, grandchildren, etc. And 7 adults, who won't be going home to their families. Their loved ones left with the void of someone dear to them, forever gone. They just didn't deserve to die. It's so incredibly sad.

And then there are the kids that survived. They are lucky to be alive but they are forever scarred with the horror of what happened. It couldn't have been an easy thing to witness as a child. God help them heal.

When my kids got home from school yesterday, I hugged them for a really long time. Eden said, "Are you OK, mom?" And I thought, as I hugged her, feeling her breathe, smelling her hair, feeling her warmth, how lucky I am that I can still hold them. Still snuggle them. Hear them laugh. It's a blessing. A gift for which I which I will never take for granted again. You just never know how long you have with the people you love. And no matter how long, it's never enough.

My deepest sympathy to the families affected by this tragedy. Heartfelt thoughts and prayers to everyone involved. May you find the strength to get through these difficult times ahead.

skating

We bought each of the girls a pair of brand new ice skates about a month or so ago. The first time they used them was about two weeks ago. These are a couple of pictures from that day. See how behind I am with looking through photos lately??

 

This was Emma's first time skating ever. She loved it. I remember Hanna's first time skating. She was taking lessons, and she must have been in preschool. I wanted to start her early because it was my hope that she would be a hockey player. Anyway, she couldn't stand up on the ice by herself so they let her have a chair for balance. It was the cutest thing. The whole group would be listening to the instructor and Hanna would be off in her own little world, pushing her chair around the rink.

 

Maybe I'll have a hockey player yet :)