Be it ever so humble

I thought that I would be a mom who would be glad to see her kids able to do things and go places - to see the experience things I had not and probably never would. And, for the most part I think I am.

I have to say, though, that I don't think anything has given me as much relief as seeing Leah get off that plane in Roanoke did. I am glad she had the opportunity to study abroad. I am glad she enjoyed doing it. I am even more glad she is back here in the states - home.

Close the door

"There is nowhere to go, and nowhere to hide. "

B wrote the above on her blog in response to the Virginia Tech tragedy (I refuse to use the terminology used by the media - it is just too hard). As I read it, I remembered when I was looking for somewhere to go, to hide, to find a place of complete silence from the world around me, a place where there was no struggle, no hurt.

Some would say a person could find that place inside themselves through meditation and prayer. Some would say that place could be found in a church. Perhaps out in the midst of God's creation - in nature or on the paths of a labyrinth. I found it in none of these places. I found it behind that closed door that the writer of Matthew speaks of. I literally went into my bedroom, shut the door, went into my closet and shut that door.

On my knees in that dark place, I found that all the clothes, shoes, luggage and other "stuff" provided a sound barrier between myself and the "world." I still had to come out and face it all, but for that brief moment, in that most unusual place, I found a place where I could hear what I needed to hear and shut out the rest.

Today, I think I will go back home, go into my closet and pray that everyone else will find theirs.


"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Matthew 6:6

Promises

"Don't be afraid, my love is stronger,
My love is stronger than your fear.
Don't be afraid, my love is stronger,
And I have promised, promised to be always near."

A friend reminded me of our singing of this song during a chapel service at Bethany. I remember singing it and tears coming to my eyes - not tears of fear or sadness in my life, but tears of knowledge and belief in the awesome love and presence of God in my life.

Little did I know that I would be singing the same words, again with tears, but this time the tears were those of fear and sadness. Fear and sadness for myself, but also for Leah, B, Rob, Sarah, Brittany, Jo, Jerry...

Maxine TurnerVienna, Va.Senior, Chemical Engineering
Henry LeeRoanokeFreshman, Computer Engineering
Matt La PorteDumont, N.J.Freshman, University Studies
Jamie BishopInstructor, Foreign Languages and Literatures (German)
G.V. LoganathanProfessor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Juan OrtizGraduate Student, Civil Engineering
Jarrett LaneNarrowsSenior, Civil Engineering
Ryan Clark Columbia County, Ga.Senior, Biology, English, Psychology
Leslie ShermanSophomore, History and International Studies
Caitlin HammarenSophomore, International Studies and French
Liviu LibrescuProfessor, Engineering Science & Mechanics
Kevin GranataProfessor, Engineering Science & Mechanics
Reema SamahaCentrevilleFreshman
Emily HilscherWoodvilleFreshman, Animal and Poultry Sciences, Equine Science
Ross Alameddine, Saugus, Mass.

Cho Seung-Hui

Heart and Soul...

"His purpose isn’t to shield us from the suffering now but to use it to keep our hearts from attachment to this life that is passing away. " Ruth Hochstetler - Goshen College Devotions