My Birthday and other things
Today is my birthday. I'm now 51. Funny how this one snuck up on me, busy as I am. Last year I was all freaked out about turning 50 - and this one barely hits the radar....
Besides I am thinking a lot about the shooting at NIU, not too far from where I live - kids from the parish attend school there. As far as I know, all are safe...but six or seven others have died....these shootings are breaking my heart...why are kids thinking this is "good" idea? What are we as a society teaching them? We have some serious work to do.
At the very least, when will we do something about the easy availability of guns - especially high powered automatic guns? I know making them illegal will not solve the problem but it would be a start. Then what about all the violent movies and tv shows? What about the war? What about all the ways we are desensitizing ourselves to violence, pain, suffering? And what about these hurting kids who think actions like this are a solution to their own pain? Yeah, is evil alive and well in this world? I'd say so.
Please pray for these kids, this community, all involved...
I am also running off to the office to take care of the parish admin things because she went to get her son from NIU - and of course spend the day with him. I think he is a little tramatized (ok, that sounds naive - I know he must be)...
Then I have to do all my usual Friday work and then run home to head off for the Ministry Discernment Weekend. I will be gone through Sunday (yay, happy birthday to me, spending it doing this)...(actually this will be a prayerful, quiet, reflective weekend, a break from the pace of life recently, so it will be good in that regard - and my family and I will celebrate on Sunday).
Here is something to be joyful for, in the midst of pain, sorrow, fear, discernment, aging, etc....
A new picture of Little L with her arm around Baby Z. They are now 9 weeks...
Besides I am thinking a lot about the shooting at NIU, not too far from where I live - kids from the parish attend school there. As far as I know, all are safe...but six or seven others have died....these shootings are breaking my heart...why are kids thinking this is "good" idea? What are we as a society teaching them? We have some serious work to do.
At the very least, when will we do something about the easy availability of guns - especially high powered automatic guns? I know making them illegal will not solve the problem but it would be a start. Then what about all the violent movies and tv shows? What about the war? What about all the ways we are desensitizing ourselves to violence, pain, suffering? And what about these hurting kids who think actions like this are a solution to their own pain? Yeah, is evil alive and well in this world? I'd say so.
Please pray for these kids, this community, all involved...
I am also running off to the office to take care of the parish admin things because she went to get her son from NIU - and of course spend the day with him. I think he is a little tramatized (ok, that sounds naive - I know he must be)...
Then I have to do all my usual Friday work and then run home to head off for the Ministry Discernment Weekend. I will be gone through Sunday (yay, happy birthday to me, spending it doing this)...(actually this will be a prayerful, quiet, reflective weekend, a break from the pace of life recently, so it will be good in that regard - and my family and I will celebrate on Sunday).
Here is something to be joyful for, in the midst of pain, sorrow, fear, discernment, aging, etc....
A new picture of Little L with her arm around Baby Z. They are now 9 weeks...
Comments
Happy Birthday!
I love this post because it's a microcosm of what your life sounds liek right now: joy, hard things, looking back, looking ahead.
Blessings to you.
Yes, the shootings are breaking my heart too...
That picture is incredibly cute.
The twins are georgeous!
and the shootings- what can we do but pray...
Look how big and beautiful those twins are! I love how they're all cuddled up.
wish you a blessed weekend.... see you later.
Jeanine
In the misdt of suffering and lost it is wonderful to be reminded that God indeed is still with us blessing us. If we doubt that all we must do is look at those precious little girls!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Amen to all your comments about violence ...
and thanks for the cute picture.
Peace to you and those you love.
happy b-day!
Happy Birthday!