Sad.

Probably not the post you want to read about... but this is what I'm thinking about. 

Sad. Why? 

A friends son was shot in the head and she found him on her front door step several hours after he had been laying there. 

And after being in surgery, found out that he probably wouldn't survive. 

He passed away yesterday (May 17th).  And they have donated his organs. 

I can't even imagine how I would be dealing with this, and wish to let her know that I love her, and pray that she might feel some comfort right now.  What a hard time. 

And to think this happened only a few blocks from my house.  And I was in that very spot just hours before the this took place. 

I can't believe what goes through anyone's mind to be such a coward and not show their face or own up to what has happened.  I hope that the person responsible is caught and dealt with justly. 

I am glad to know that I can help this family out in the coming days as funeral arrangements are made and that maybe by doing this service, she might know of my love for her. 

Even though this son was 32, I am still thinking of holding on tight to my own children.  Because we really never know how long any one really does have here on Earth. 

Lessons on Service and a "near Death" experience.

**Okay so not so much a Near Death experience, but definitely a learning experience.

I have to say I think I'm trying to make a better resolve this year to make a note about each day. I find it incredibly hard to keep track of this in a journal as I used to with the traditional pen and paper. But using this blog as my way of keeping a record of the journey's, big and small, that we go on is so much easier.

We had the opportunity tonight to help clean the building we attend church at. My thoughts of this at first, when my husband said he had signed us up, were "are you crazy... the kids aren't going to want to do this, and they'll just whine and blah blah blah...."

But I do have to give him credit, he picked a great night, because not only did we sign up but, at least 3-4 other families were there as well to help clean the building. And my kids were all EXCITED for this opportunity. As we've only done this one other time back in the summer, they were ready to take a turn again.
And someone or some company had come in and shampooed the carpets so that eliminated the need for all the vacuuming to be done. SU-WEET!

So it worked out rather nicely to have this be our family night doing service at the church building.

Bonus: we were back at home in time to get the first phase of kids into bed, but it was meant with much resistance. I on the other hand, and finding myself ready to crash by 8pm myself, and wish I could. Because then I wouldn't find myself
catching that second wind that will cause me to stay awake really late. And then have problems functioning on the marrow.

I'm glad that we can find some opportunities in life to help teach our kids about service. About doing something for nothing in return, except the feeling one gets when you do something good. It's amazing how FUN, they think it is when it doesn't involve doing there own chores in our home. While that will probably be an ongoing teaching moment till they leave our home, I'm glad that I can have small moments like this to teach them other important necessities.


And on a side note: we left Heidi here at home while we were two blocks away because she didn't want to go, and she had homework she needed to finish. So we allowed her to stay, and she asked if she could play our "nintendo" system (the old school version). I said as long as her homework was done. Well we came home and she was BAWLING like a baby, because the TV had fallen of the entertainment system when she was trying to turn the TV slightly to plug in the cards in the back of the TV, only the TV somehow got moved to far, and she was inexperienced in doing this, and the TV was screen down on the floor.

I was worried about her, but she ended up being fine, and I think all the crying was because she almost broke the TV. I think, that she thought, she really did brake the TV. But it all still works, so it looks as if we'll still be a while longer before we acquire a nice flat screen that can be mounted onto a wall.

But at least she wasn't hurt. But the look in her eyes and the tears rolling down her cheeks really made me sad for her. So, lesson learned on my part, that either she doesn't stay by herself anymore, or I plug in the machine before I leave. And we need to teach her how to call her Dad's cell phone.

What a Monday.
So tell me what did you do for your Family Night??