Shattered

My heart breaks for the families and community of Newtown, Connecticut.

I’m sure the children and adults thought they’d be safe on a Friday morning at Sandy Hook elementary school. Then came the horrific sounds and later they saw what had happened. A community, shattered…

I used to teach first grade, kindergarten and preschool. I LOVE children! All I can offer are prayers for comfort.  I believe in the promise that “God comforts the brokenhearted.” Psalm 34:18

Out of sorts and filled with disbelief over the tragedy in Connecticut I had yelled at God as I walked around my quiet neighborhood. Why did this happen? God "spoke" to my heart and said he also wept and has experienced the pain of losing a child. He knows firsthand about EVIL and that's why he sent Jesus to save a broken world.

Later I was unpacking my Christmas china. Then I heard the unmistakable sound and saw the pieces. I thought they’d be safe. They were bubbled wrapped. My beautiful Spode platter and a couple plates given to us by my In-laws were broken and shattered into pieces. 

I yelled several naughty words and then my husband and I both thought of the same thing at the same time. 

In light of the shattered lives, broken china is not a big deal-it’s replaceable.

I join our country and the world mourning for the precious children and caring adults who lost their lives last week in an unspeakable tragedy as their families grieve.  May we not live in fear and all cling to the hope that is found in Jesus.  

Christmas is coming and love wins.

In His Grip, Jane

Message Received

Matthew 2:6-7 "And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn."

She loves me, she missed me, and she wants to be near me. "She" needed to send a message that expressed her feelings. She did...and it was messy and smelly.

"She" is Sydney our new beloved two year old rescue dog, and her message was written in poop on our bonus room carpet.

I'd been in Indiana for almost a week and Sydney was home with "Daddy". During the 12+ hours between the time he left on a business trip and I arrived home, we had friends feed her and let her out to "take care of business", but Sydney was not satisfied. She wanted to make SURE I knew how much she loved me, thus the poop messages. I worked hard at cleaning up the stains, covered them with torn towels and  hired a professional carpet cleaner.

We'd been keeping a close eye on her, taking her outside a lot and hoping our clean carpet would stay clean.

All was well… Until yesterday; when she delivered a messy, smelly message to "Daddy" who had left her on her own in the house rather than crate her. (She gets anxious and rips up her pad.) 

The good news of Jesus was sent because God loves us. He wanted to be near us then, he does now and will forever (if we choose to acknowledge and accept his gift.) God needed to send a clear message how MUCH he loves us; therefore he sent his child who would be born in a smelly, dirty stable, shedding his blood for a messy world.

I thought about Mary, delivering God's message in the form of a baby, in the smelly stable in Bethlehem as I dealt with my "baby" and the mess.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

Lessons Learned: Messages are sometimes delivered in unique ways, love isn't tidy but oh so worth the mess and a two year old should not be left unattended.

MESSAGE RECEIVED!

In His Grip, Jane

(Sydney Update: My hubby and I have a daily “poop report” to make sure she's doing her business outdoors where it belongs…We are now both relegating her to her kennel crate when we leave the house. Even though we call it her room, she still does NOT like it and her pad keeps getting smaller...)

Source:123RF.com#14948262