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Hello Friends.  This weekend most of us were/are heart broken over the unthinkable injustice that occurred in Connecticut.

Photo from here

Tim can’t and won’t watch the coverage of it.  He doesn’t want to think about such evil and would prefer to avoid filling his mind with such terrible thoughts. I totally understand that.  While I hate hearing all the awful details, I feel like I need to watch, like I need to learn about what happened so I can try to wrap my head around how we can keep it from happening again.

Instances like this cause me to look at my own life.  I can’t help but think about how blessed I am and how others have experienced so much heart ache.  Somehow I was raised by parents who loved and supported me, I was born in a country where opportunity is everywhere, and thus far I haven’t had to deal with any crushing blows (like losing a loved one too soon).  Right now, I almost feel like I am waiting for the other shoe to drop.  Through this shooting (and other situations I have seen acquaintances go through lately), I can’t help but wonder when I am going to have to deal with a terrible tragedy of my own.  But can’t think like that. I can’t live my life fearful of what is coming.

Instead I want to become reflective and think about how I, personally, can change things.  I am not sure how to prevent mentally ill or evil people from carrying out their evil deeds.  I don’t know if it is even possible to prevent.  I do, however, think there are actions I can take in my own life to make a difference, to right some wrongs in this world.

Almost everyone I’ve talked to has been shaken by this tragedy and I think it’s because we identify with victims.  They look like us, they live like us, they speak like us, they are so very similar to us.  However, what about those that don’t look like us?  What about those that live a world away and die, not from an evil man’s actions, but from dirty water and lack of food?
I am by no means trying to downplay the Newport shooting, but what about the tragedies that happen everyday around this world that we actually can prevent?

Can we keep a few deranged peope from carrying out terrible acts?  I’m not sure we can.  But here’s what we can do.  We can send money to Africa for water wells.  We can adopt a child doomed for a life void of love or opportunity.  We can buy food for starving babies for the cost of our latte.  We can empower people to go and teach farming methods/water cleaning processes so we aren’t just momentarily fixing an issue, but providing skills for lifelong health.  When you take a second, it’s almost overwhelming to think of all the things we could support.  But I think more important than picking the “right” cause is to pick a cause.

There are so many places we can put our money to make a difference.  Here are just a couple of organizations I know and trust.  Maybe you will find them worthy of a support gift as well-

World Vision -Tim and I decided to sponsor a child together after 6 months of dating.

That was 2002.  This year, we received a final letter and photo from Maurine to let us know she had finished the World Vision program and would be pursuing higher education.  With our $30 each month, World Vision was able to provide shelter, food, and an education for Maurine.

Everyday Ministry– This ministry was started by a dear friend/mentor of mine.  I love the story of how Denise had to fight fear and find the courage to leave her comfortable job (which she was so good at) to pursue that which God called her to.  God’s hand and faithfulness are apparent in this ministry that is helping to bring clean water to Africa.

If you would like to support these ministries, you can click on the links above or you can add to a donation bank that I have created right here.

According to my analytics, 50,000 unique visitors come to this blog every month.  So, I’m not asking you to donate $10, $20, or $100.  I am asking you to donate $1.  If everyone who stopped by in the next month donated, we would have $50,000!  That would take care of so many children, so many needs.  At the end of the month, I will take the donations and give them to Everyday Ministry where I know the use of the money will be prayerfully considered and wisely used to make a difference in hundreds, if not thousands of lives.  Thank you in advance for your donation!

Regardless of whether you donate here or not, I believe we can choose.  I believe we can choose to make this shooting save more lives than it took.  Let this horrific crime be a call to action for each of us to do what we can, to help those we can.  Good will overcome evil- that I believe with my whole heart.  We just have to decide if we will be a part of that holy, driving force for good or if we will shrink into a corner and let fear and despair overtake us.  Let’s choose the former.