TRUSTING GOD
alex came home last night from a walk with lucas and said: 
“something is going on out there. there are police cars all over the place and they closed the street to car and foot traffic.”
i got up this morning to get ready for church and turned on the news to check on the weather. the first image i saw was police cars and the 50s style burger joint down the street where we often eat at. i stood motionless staring at the TV… my oldest kids go there a lot with their friends.
the report was about the shooting that took place last night at the parking lot of the burger place. three people got hurt and the suspects got away in a car. i just stood there looking at the TV, my eyes blinking. i was thinking… this is the place we walk to all the time, same place my kids hang out at… this is a very safe neighborhood, lots of missionaries living around here because of the William Carey University and the World Center for Missions… these could have been my kids rushed to the hospital with bullets in their bodies… ugh, blink, blink, blink.
it is not a safe world anywhere. bad things happen to good people all the time and as helpless as i feel knowing that there is nothing i can completely do to protect them, i feel peace because my and my children’s “fate” is in the hands of the One who created us and loves us… key words - loves us.
keep dreaming,
niza
January 31st, 2006 at 10:00 pm
Scary.
I was stopped in my tracks the other day when I read an article about a family in Florida whose 5 kids and 2 nephews were all killed in a car accident. Then, when their grandfather found out, he died of a heart attack. So, these two people lost all of their kids, 2 nephews and a father all in one day.
http://www.wjla.com/headlines/0106/298033.html
Makes you want to stop and give your kids an extra big squeeze. We must cherish people now because life is too short to put off letting those we love know how we feel!
February 1st, 2006 at 4:23 am
amazing how tragic stories like this bring a rush of clarity and perspective on life…
February 1st, 2006 at 7:39 pm
I’m coming to see you woo-hoo!!!!!!!!
February 2nd, 2006 at 5:54 am
things like this give us such a wake-up call. this world is not our home, but we sure do like to settle in and act like it is.
Life here is short and there is so much to do … and so many ‘i love yous’ to say … thanks for sharing your vulnerability …
February 3rd, 2006 at 1:48 pm
we’ll be there Feb 23-26th…excited to see you!
February 3rd, 2006 at 1:58 pm
I want to see you too, Deana!!! Can we work it out?
February 3rd, 2006 at 2:01 pm
I’d love to see as many people as we can! We’re coming for my birthday, the 26th so we’ll be playing some I’m sure…but definitely want to meet you guys too Tina!
February 3rd, 2006 at 2:08 pm
How fun … your birthday! What a great excuse to celebrate! Let’s try to work something out. Are you staying with Alex and Niza? Maybe we’ll invite ourselves over (wink)
February 3rd, 2006 at 2:15 pm
I think we are going to stay at the Rivera’s. We will have a hotel as backup in case some one is sick, but I think for now that’s the plan.
February 3rd, 2006 at 2:17 pm
Where do they live?
February 3rd, 2006 at 2:23 pm
Montebello, CA
February 3rd, 2006 at 3:27 pm
deana - i’m glad you’re staying with mel and lilia, but it’s too bad for me, i was going to invite you to stay here… lucky for them though =)
tina - we’re so excited about tomorrow. can’t wait to see you guys. around 2pm right?
February 3rd, 2006 at 3:31 pm
Niza, let’s have a party for Deana!
2PM tomorrow is great. I can’t wait to see you too!
February 3rd, 2006 at 3:40 pm
yeah… i was thinking about that already. my rule is, bloggers that stay with us get a BBQ or whatever with other bloggers at our place ; ) but i’ll make an exception for deana cuz i really wanna do this, she’s awesome… mooooah!
February 6th, 2006 at 2:18 pm
Niza, thanks for your comment! I could totally echo it — I have a special place in my heart for you and your family too. I would love to see more of you and I have a feeling that will happen in the next few months. Can I move in with your for a night or two sometime?
Though it would be fun to all live on the same street!
February 21st, 2006 at 8:03 pm
Wow Niza, I feel it…this world is dying and dying fast.