Miserable comforters!!

I have been studying the book of Job lately. It is an interesting book filled with lessons to be learned. There is mystery behind the book of Job on who wrote it and other interesting things, but that's for another day.

We all pretty well know the story of Job. He was a righteous man who had a great, comfy life. Satan comes in and starts smack talk about how the only reason Job is faithful is because God is so good to him. God knows better than that. So God says Satan is allowed to get at Job for a while and do anything except take his life. Then ....ka-blewie! Job loses his family, wealth, flocks, EVERYTHING. He is covered with sores and trying to deal with the loss of ALL his children. Job sinks into depression and has "friends" that try to convince him that this is somehow his fault. Eventually, God speaks to Job and his friends and lays down the law. God sets things right and Job was faithful through it all and he ends up even more blessed in the end than he was in the beginning. Whew. So that's the very basic condensed version. If you want the full story go to the old testament a d read the book of Job.


Usually we like to focus on Job, and how we admire the fact that he remained faithful. We focus on the immense amount of suffering he went through. However, I want to flip this around and look at it differently like I enjoy doing.

Too often when we read the bible we don't put ourselves in the shoes of those in the story. We like to sit on our comfy rumps and scoff at the mistakes people made. Are we blameless? Do we Forget that we know how the story from a view they cannot see? We know what each person is thinking and we are able to look at it from the outside.

First I want to focus on Jobs friends. As I read their accusations against Job I felt angry. I kept wondering how they could say he HAD to have done SOMETHING wrong for all of this tragedy to fall upon him. Then, I checked myself. They didn't know what I had read in the first few verses about what went on between God and Satan. They had no idea. To their credit they sat silent for several days with Job. Ever done that before? Job became so frustrated with them and their comments he called them miserable comforters. It was true, they were. This caused me to ask myself....am I a miserable comforter? We all have been at some point. We point our fingers and judge people, even our friends. We ask, "How could they afford THAT?" or "If they hadn't done XYZ then this wouldn't have happened."And on it goes. We THINK we know the situation. We THINK we know what the answer is. Just like Job's friends though, we are so wrong. Let us make ourselves aware that we are ignorant, and we have no right to Judge. Job's friends really and truly believed they were doing what was right. Hmmmm, I've been there. You? I've been so sure I was right, then God smacks me upside the head and knocks some sense back into me for a moment. Saul was sure he was right when he was killing Christians. Perhaps when we are sure we are right we need to step back for a moment. At the root of all of this, I believe, is pride. We don't like to admit we are wrong, do we? We like to play goody goody and sit ourselves up and look at other peoples problems when we need to fix our own issues. Job's friends can teach us a lot. We can see how much like them we really are.

The next time someone needs you, don't judge them. Don't pick apart why or why not they should have done something. Be there for them. Show them the love and mercy of Christ. Pray FOR them and pray WITH them. Right then and there and later. Guide them to the love of God.

Child-like

Well, it has thus far been an interesting week. My son got his first bee sting at school Tuesday. He got stung on his finger and it started swelling right away. Tonight I took him into urgent care to be seen because even though he has been on Benadryl and had an ice pack and had motrin....the swelling got worse. His fingers started turning purple. So he was loaded up with steroids and sent home. My six year old is a bottomless pit already, so it should be interesting to see how the steroids affect his appetite.

Speaking of my son, I wanted to share something with you. On Sunday we had the joy of watching a new sister baptized. I held Gabe in my lap and thou he has seen it before he asked what was going on. I told him she was getting her sins washed away. He watched with great interest. After she arose from the water we all rejoiced and sang a song. The baptistery in our congregation has windows on either side so sunshine reflects on the waters throughout the day. Gabe pointed vaguely in a direction and asked, "what's that"? After trial and error and slight frustration on his part I figured out what he was pointing at. He was pointing to the reflection on the wall of the water that was still rippling slightly. I explained what it was, light, reflections, all that. He looked at it hard for a second and said, "but what are those wiggly things"? He was referring to the lines the ripples made in the reflection. I told him it was ripples in the water. He said he thought it was her sins in the water. Oh, the joy of children! I smiled and kissed him. I hugged him. I told him he could be right.

Is it any wonder we are to be as children? The pure matter-of-fact faith. The innocence. We adults complicate things so much at times. Often we need to take a step back, and simplify. I learn so much from my children. I think of how we are Gods children and how He must feel at times about the way His children act. I am by no means a perfect parent. But God is. So, we all have the perfect parent in a sense. When my kids sulk, when they don't get what the expect or when I try to convince them that XYZ will hurt them and they argue with me, I think of how I act towards God. Do I rebel and feel the need to prove Him wrong? Do I think I know best? Do I trust Him to care for me? Do I get sulky when I don't get what I expect? Do I try to reason with him or argue His ways? It all makes you go "hmmm", doesn't it?

This week I hope you take a step back and simplify. Reflect on your attitude, and make positive changes. Above all love God, and love your family.

I don't walk the line, I dance on it.

I get a lot of people with mixed feelings about the way I choose to educate my children. I have one home-schooled child and one public schooled child.

My youngest is in public (k) and my oldest is home (5th). My long term plan is to have my son at home as well. I intend to see my daughters education through until graduation.

In the minds of many, I walk the line between "good and evil". You see, a lot (not all) of parents that home school think it is horrible of me to have one of my children in public school ::dramatic gasp here::. Then, a lot (not all) of public school parents think I am"ruining and sheltering" my daughter because she is in "home school" ::dramatic gasp here::. Here is a news flash for any person falling into these categories: They are MY children, please mind your own business. But, at the same time I would like to satisfy "inquiring minds".

I believe that every family is different and I believe that public school is not for everyone just as much as home school is not for every one. I praise God that I live in a time and place where I am able to chose what I believe is best for my own children.

Why do I homeschool? Because I want Bible class to be more than Sunday mornings. I also want to teach my children so much, that I simply cannot teach them when they are gone all day. Am I sheltering my child? Absolutely. I feel she is simply too young to be lambasted with what kids are exposed to these days. I feel that if I throw her into school to deal with all the junk while she is still growing and maturing, and trying to blossom, she will drown. I am trying to equip her to deal with life when it is time. Don't get me wrong, she is not totally in the dark about issues. Rather, I chose to introduce things to her as she grows and in my way, not from another kid at school.

The world is so messed up. Today I read an article that NYC public school system is now providing the morning after pill to girls (starting at 14yrs.)for free without parental consent. It seems like they are trying to fix a broken back with a band aid. Treating the symptoms but not the problem.

Now, on the flip side, I think public schools were, at one time, a great thing, and some can still be. I have absolutely nothing against people who choose public school. It is THEIR choice and is not my place to judge. I send my son to kindergarten. For him, I think this will be a great thing. He is learning some valuable life lessons and (as far as I can tell) things are still innocent . He is having fun and is gaining some independence.

The rearing of my children is not a responsibility I take lightly. I will be held accountable for what I teach them during my life. Each of us will. I will not sit idly by while the world fights for my children's hearts. I do not pretend to have it all figured out, I am only human. There are days when I want to give up on it all and have the days to myself. But my heart will not allow it. God has entrusted me with these precious children and I must do my best to raise them according to His plan.

So, I don't really walk the line. I dance on it with mismatched socks and parachute pants!

Oh be careful little mind what you think.

Here we are again. Another day has passed. My kids are in bed and my mind is running much faster than my body.

I want to write about something that's been on my mind lately. It kind of goes along with my post about judging others, but not quite.
Friends, I sometimes think we judge Jesus. What I mean by this is, we try to smash Him into a mold to fit OUR ideals and tell others what God thinks of them without considering who He really is. Often people think of Christ as walking highly among the people, not associating with "riffraff", cheats, liars, thieves, prostitutes, or the like. So in turn we set ourselves up on a pedestal and pat our backs while we look down our noses at these "sinners". Those people who obviously can't be as good as we are. We parade around telling people what we are against....but not what we are for. We tell them what they are doing wrong but never stop to see what WE are doing wrong. How. Dare. We.

Christ was a servant to His friends. He washed their feet! He is the ultimate example of humility. He sought out the sinners and brought them love and grace. Many times people would gasp and point fingers because our Lord took time to share Gods love with those that everyone else condemned.

We are ALL sinners. (rom 3:23) But thank the Lord that we can all be forgiven. After living on this Earth and living a very humble life, He died for us.

Don't get me wrong. I fully understand that "Evil company corrupts good morals." What I'm saying is everyone deserves love, and a chance. Who can truly look around at the people you see and say they don't deserve to go to heaven? Who will throw the first stone? The people around us need us to show them the love of Christ so they CAN have a chance to go to heaven. When we turn up our noses and walk away we have sentenced them and judged them.

There will be those who refuse. There will be those who accept. How can you tell by merely judging from the outside. Only God knows the heart.

As Thanksgiving (the forgotten holiday) approaches, I challenge you. Invite someone who will be alone to be part of your family. God will provide you with what you need to carry out his work. Have faith, be bold, and love all.

Sticks in spokes will break your bones and words can always hurt you.

As most of you know, I have been following a strict vegan-like diet that my neurosurgeon recommended. I was to stay on that for 6 weeks, which I did. I lost 10 lbs in the beginning then went up and down 4 lbs for the next 5 weeks. I also decided that I was going to start training for a half marathon, next fall. I was SO happy when my six weeks were up for that diet and I could drink milk again! And eat yogurt! It's the simple things you miss.

Today I went for a follow up with that Dr. Today, he threw a stick in my spokes. During my walk/jogs my lower back has started hurting and I've been getting sharp pains going down the backs of my legs. SO, despite my best efforts, the Doc insists I stop all walking and or running until I get an MRI on my back and he looks at the results. ::sigh:: But wait! There's more! Not only did he put the kapoot on my training but he also wants me to try the diet AGAIN, but with new restrictions. Woo hoo! Oh wait....no, no I don't think I'm excited about that. In my head I can almost hear the doctor snorting he's laughing so hard.

I got to sit through another talk about my weight. I just love when you KNOW something is a problem and yet people insist on telling/reminding you. It always improves your self image ....not. I know, I know, he's trying to help. That's why I'm going to listen to him and give it my best shot. The worst that can happen is it DOESN'T work and I can tell him with a clear conscience that I gave it my best shot.


So I feel like I was going along and doing pretty good then....wham! I got a stick in my spokes and it stopped me dead in my tracks. It is disheartening. It makes me want to turn around and flip my tail in the air and walk away like a sassy cat. It makes me want to just forget it all.....but I can't. It's not my nature. No, instead, I'll get bummed for a few days, and sulk around the house while I talk myself into not giving up. I don't know when to quit. I feel like giving up trying would be giving up all hope. Even after I fail again and again there is that small hope that drives me on. The hope that THIS could be the time it works.

I am insane. Why? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results. That's pretty much me. I like to think of myself as "ruggedly independent" (stubborn). It can be a good and bad quality, it just depends on where it is applied.

I am not giving up. I won't let this battle be won by the opposing side. We all have daily battles. We all have something we must conquer daily. We will keep on keeping on knowing we aren't the only one. Don't give up. Go open your bible and read Psalm 29. Our God is a strong God. He will help us through if we just seek Him.

I'm rooting for you.

Floods, fears, and faithfulness

One of the great things about Home School, is being able to take time to answer questions that might relate to the topic but are not THE topic.

For example, this morning my daughter and I were reading about Noah's ark and the flood, but that lead us to the book of revelation.

We were reading about the floodwaters starting and all the people left behind because they were wicked. I asked her to consider how frightening it must have been for Noah's family. I can just imagine people screaming and running, realizing how true Noah's words had been. Realizing it was too late. They had listened for 100 years and never believed. Few people actually stop to think of this moment in history and how tragic it really was. I told her it will be much the same when Christ returns. People think they can wait until the last minute to make things right. It will be too late. This provoked her to ask about some things she had read in the book of Revelation. She said it was frightening. I TOTALY agree.

Keep in mind that she is 10 years old, but she has always been a deep thinker. The book of Revelation is complex and I don't have all the answers. However, I told her that the entire book can be summed up in two words--God Wins.

People on Earth are obsessed with taking sides. Democrat or Republican. Liberal or conservative. This team or that. This school or that. When it comes to God, however, people often think of God as the one choosing sides. We like to put Him in a nice box and use Him to justify our motives by proclaiming that He is on our side. We are foolish people. God cannot be contained, nor does he chose silly sides. God IS a side. YOU must chose to be on HIS side. We are to follow HIS rules. He created us, not the other way around.

I try not to be "hell fire and brimstone". Yet, there are things that need to be told. There are MANY joyful things we focus on but today was sober.

My daughter was stirred by what we had talked about. She said she was afraid that she wouldn't make it into heaven. She welled up with tears and and we hugged tight. I stroked her hair and thought of how much I was like her at that age. I remember the fear. Even as adults, we fear. Don't worry, I didn't just leave her afraid.

She has been baptized and takes her Christian walk very seriously. So, we talked about grace and mercy. We talked about Gods immeasurable love and His amazing grace. Even as adults we have a hard time wrapping our minds around the mercy of God. Even as adults, we fear death. Christians should not fear death, if we are faithful. Christ defeated death. If we follow Him, he will save us from deaths sting.

Finally, we talked about how important it is to teach others about Gods love, so others don't have to fear anymore. Others need to know that these things are real. We all need to share the good news with others.

After our lesson, we prayed together. We cried. We hugged. Then I tickled her ribs and she giggled. We smiled and with hope in our hearts set back to work. I pray you have hope in your heart.

Word Power

Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. (Proverbs 18:21 ASV)


Wow. Just wow. Read that scripture and let it sink in. The power of the words that come out of our mouths. It has sparked many sayings. "I stuck my foot in my mouth." "Tongue tied." "Cat got your tongue?" The list goes on and on.
One of the first things that came to my mind was the song we sing to our children. "Oh be careful little mouth what you say..." What powerful advice there is hidden in the song meant for children but applicable to all.


The Bible is flooded with scriptures on the power of words and the tongue. Most of the passages cautioning us on the amount of harm we can cause with our words.

Our words are like tools. What the tool is used for, depends on you. Are our tools used for building, improving, protecting? Or are our tools used for tearing down, ripping apart, and destruction. While we may want to believe that we are using our tools for good, it may not be the case. We are all guilty of speaking behind someone's back or stating our unkind opinion about a person to others. It's hurtful, and just wrong.

We can "paint pictures" with words. Have you ever painted a picture of someone either to themselves or someone else? Of corse. Every time you speak to them or of them you do. What type of image do you want to leave in the mind of those you speak with. Parents, we help to paint the way our children see themselves. Much like painting, once you have made a stroke of the brush with words, it cannot be taken back. We must consider what we say, carefully.

Today, someone used their kind words to encourage me. They used their tools to build me up and they painted beautiful strokes on my heart. It meant the world to me. To that person, I thank you. Thank you for believing in me.

You can literally change the course of a persons life by what you say to or about them. That is really powerful. God blessed us with the ability to communicate so we can talk to Him and our fellow man. What God gave us is good and we must use it for good. We must not pervert it or use the very thing meant to build each other up, to tear each other down.

Whoever you are, I believe in you. Our Lord God believes in you, He made you! I pray for everyone who reads my blog. Know that I may not know you, but I care about you. Know that God does know you, and He will always care about you. He loves you enough to Give up His Son for you. I'd say you're pretty special.

Let's get our brushes in hand and our tools at the ready. We will all paint pictures today, will you paint Love? We will all use our tools today. Will you build hope?

Go encourage someone today.

No wax left and the oil is low.

Did you ever think of the expression,"I'm burned out"? Did you ever consider what it means? Think of a candle, the wax is the fuel which drives it on. Yet, the candle does not burn for its own purposes. Rather it burns to shine light for those around. It, in a way, sacrifices itself for those around it. That makes it very applicable, doesn't it? Or think of an oil lamp who's fuel needs constant renewing. We are much like that, are we not?

"I'm burned out." It is something I hear more and more from people. Those I don't hear it from, often you can see it on their weary faces. They are the ones who work endlessly to serve others, often without thanks. We all know one of these people or have been one at some time. My heart goes out to them, as I have been there.

It weighs on my heart to see so many people growing weary of doing good. Often a simple thank you would make all the difference. But there are times when people have to fight to do good and it becomes exhausting. Some things burn us up more quickly than others because we must burn more brightly.

What has happened to the workers? Where have they gone? I see so many who sit idly by with self-entitled attitudes. It seems more prevalent then ever. Sometimes I find myself wondering if the general population will ever stop serving themselves and look at the people around them. This is nothing new though. In the Bible we find several instances where people felt alone in their work. This feeling of "woe is me" is a tool being used against us. It is a a pool of dangerous self pity in which we will drown.

Please, encourage someone today. Write a note, send a card, write a text, make a call. Words are powerful. They can cause irreparable damage or they can be a source hope for a lifetime. Aren't sure what to say? That's what hallmark is for! Or simply write "thinking of you". Slap it in an envelope and send it away. If you could save a persons heart from despair, for less than 50 cents, would you? It seems such a small price to pay. Or you can pay a stranger a compliment. Perhaps they have nobody to encourage them.
If you are on the verge of being burned out, you can relate even more and should find a fellow worker to encourage. It will help you too.

To those who feel they have nothing left, you are not alone. Take heart in the fact that I pray for you. I may not know your name or what you do, but God does. Keep your light burning brightly for those around you. Do not conserve your light or keep it dim. Look at the prophet Elijah. He thought he was alone but God told him there were thousands others just like him. Ones who were still doing right and not bowing to idols. Read this in 1 Kings chapter 19.

So please, look at those around you and find someone who needs to be encouraged and step up and encourage them. We are all in this together, so let's help each other make it through. Encourage each other and pray for each other, TODAY.

It's God's, mama.

It's Sunday. The Lords day. In this family it means nothing is planned (except on rare occasion) other than worship, bible class, and family time.

This quarter I am teaching a class for 3-5th grades. Sometimes they spring questions on me that catch me off guard....and I love it. It shows me that they are thinking. Today they asked me "who made God?"

I tried explaining that EVERYTHING on this earth and in our universe has a beginning and an end.. I told them that this is why it is so difficult for people to comprehend that God just always has been. I went on to say that most adults have a hard time understanding. I think it's good for kids to know that adults don't always understand things either.

Well, class continued and we had a good time looking things up in the bible to answer questions. I try to teach the kids that they need to be sure that what they learn is actually the truth, and the way they check is by looking it up in the bible.

After class dismissed it was time to go to the auditorium for worship. So, we seated ourselves and got situated. Rachel went up to sit with the youth group, while Gabe stayed back with my husband and I.

Gabe is your typical 6 yr old little boy. He can't sit still or pay attention for long. He likes anything that has to do with transportation, or construction. Once in a while he does something or says something that lets me know he is taking it all in.

Today he was in question mode. Why? How? Who? So many questions from him!! I kept having to remind him to whisper as worship started.

We sang a few songs, had a devotional before communion, then communion. After communion we have offering, where we can give a portion of what we have been blessed with.

I give each of my kids a small allowance each week. I give it to them with the understanding that part of it goes into the offering and part of it gets saved. The rest they can spend.

Well it was time for offering and I pulled Gabe's dollar out of my wallet. I handed it to him and said ,"YOUR money is in my purse."

Without hesitation he said,"It's God's, mama. It's all really His, he just let's us use it. Isn't that nice?"

Wow. I was speechless. It's humbling to get set straight by your 6yr old.

I had to sit and process the smack down I had just received! He was so right, and I knew it. I kissed him on the head as he smiled and put his dollar folded into an airplane into the offering.

So often we sit there and try to be greedy with our money. I had heard, and even have told my children the very thing that Gabe told me. Yet we forget it so quickly. God is entrusting us with what we have, to see how we will handle it. We are stewards of His money. How would we want someone to use the money we gave them?

As soon as worship was over he was out the door and playing with the other kids. People sometimes look down on kids. It's sad. I think 1 Corinthians 1:27-31 (or the entire chapter:-)), says something very applicable to this situation. It also reminds us that we aren't "all that and a bag of chips". Mark 9:35-37 also comes to mind.

What really got me was my son wasn't saying what he said to show he was better. He didn't say it to make me look dumb or for any prideful motive. He was simply stating the truth, and he did it with love.

I hope we will ask the tough questions, like my class, and not just believe any answer given. I hope everything we say will be out of love. And I hope the next time we look at our bank accounts, we will remember, "it's God's, Mama."

Oak Trees From Acorns

We had some heavy storms go through our area on Friday. I'll admit it was frightening. I was driving through it with my two children in the car. The winds reached over 90mph during this storm. Trees were falling, business signs were sailing across the road in front of us. Pieces of trees were slamming into the side of my car and at one point I was concerned that my car would blow over.
We really need some rain around here. That storm was like all the prayers for rain hit at once!
After everything was over and I had time to reflect on the events, a scene came to my mind. A storm, a boat, a man, and a little faith.


"Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." Peter said to Him, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and *said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:22-31 NASB)

This has to be one of my favorites. Most people look at it this and call it the story of Jesus walking on the water, or the story of Peter doubting. What if we spin that around? What if we say it is the story where Peter tried, or where Peter had faith.
Wait, Peter had faith in this story?? Uh, yes, actually he did. It's so easy for us to sit back and judge, isn't it? We want to stand proud and beat our fists on our chest and declare 'I'd NEVER doubt like Peter'! Yet when money is tight and we don't know how we will ever make it, we doubt. When politicians lie and leaders abandon, we doubt. Even after God proves himself time and time again.....we doubt. We are human and it is our nature to doubt. Lets be honest, everyone is a hypocrite, to some degree. The story is not there for us to sit back and wag our heads at Peter. There are many lessons in this story.
Faith is a simple concept, and we practice it every day. We have faith in gravity. If we didn't, we would constantly be afraid of flying off into space. We have faith in the chair we sit in or the floor we walk on. Faith is believing in what you cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1).
So, back to the story. The boys are in the boat and they see Jesus coming towards them, walking on the water. They think he's a ghost, which I can't say I'd feel much different. Then he let's them know it's ok and that it is Him.
So, then every one starts jumping up and down and asking for a turn to walk on water. Ha! No! Peter, asks For Christ to prove who he is by commanding him to come onto the water. Christ simply says, "come".
Peter dared to step out and take a risk. A big risk. A risk that would strengthen His faith.
Who are we? Are we sitting in the boat watching? Do we show up on Sunday and watch everything happen all week? Or are we taking action and stepping out? Are we willing to try even if it means we fail?
We like our comfort zones. Who doesn't? But sometimes it has to hurt if we want to grow. Sometimes we have to have growing pains.
Well, Peter gets freaked out by the wind and waves and starts to sink. There are 'winds' and 'waves' in our lives that cause us to sink too. Yet, what Peter does here is interesting. Does he just start swimming, or try to save himself? Nope. He calls out to Christ. Then IMMEDIATELY Christ reaches down to help him. He doesn't wait 'til he's near drowning. Peter called out for help, and help is what he got. I think all too often we try to solve our own problems, don't you? Perhaps we need to call on Him for help more often than we do.
Christ says to Peter, "You of little faith. Why did you doubt"? You of LITTLE faith. Not you of NO faith. Peter becomes a key figure and leader in the new testament church. He continues to mess up along the way but God did great things through him.
Sometimes all we need is a little faith because if we have a little, it will grow. A little faith can turn into a big faith if you nurture it. Oak trees grow from acorns, don't they?
Faith is a simple concept, but that doesn't mean it's easy to act out. We need to challenge ourselves and those around us to be like Peter was in the boat. We need to step out of the boat and take the risk. We need to serve others and be workers. Faith needs to be put into action. There will be wind. There will be waves. Yet, if we have just a little faith we can do much.

A late night history lesson will break your heart.

Last night my daughter wanted to stay up late and watch a movie together. It is summer and I wanted the opportunity so I agreed. My son learned of our plans and I told him that he could join us as well. We browsed the movies and came across the diary of Anne Frank.
        Rachel studied the girl on the cover and and asked what the story was about. First, I told her that it was no story. I told her it is very true, every bit of it. Then I went on to explain about WW II and the Nazi's. She stopped me and asked who the Nazi's were. For some reason this stirred my heart. I felt that she needed to know this important part of history. I don't even know if they teach it in school anymore.
        It was settled. We were going to watch "The Diary of Anne Frank". I knew the story and knew it would be hard for my daughter to watch (she is 10). I however, believe that sometimes children need to be exposed to unhappy endings. I see so many of my daughters friends disconnected from compassion, and sympathy. It is our culture for young children to watch crazy movies and become callused to things around them. I know this is not always true, but it does seem to be a large number. I think all the external "junk" our kids are exposed to gives them a real disadvantage in the emotional department. It feeds a selfish, entitled attitude. The value of a human life seems to be less in the eyes of so many. It saddens me deeply.
        We all three settled down to watch the movie. It was a long movie and there were many questions along the way.
         It had been a long time since I had seen the movie or read the book. The more we watched and the more I remembered Anne Frank reminded me of my daughter. This gave me a new perspective on the movie. Before, I had watched it as a girl, relating to the young people in the movie. This time, I watched it as a parent, and related to the adults. New emotions were churning inside of me.
         The scene in the movie came where their hiding is finally discovered. My son crept over to my lap (He is 6yrs.) and had little tears in his eyes.
        He said, "Mama, those bad men are so mean. I wish I would have been there to fight them."
        My little protector.  I tried to smile at him, thinking of what I would have done had I been in that situation and told him, "My big strong boy, a lot of people died trying to fight the bad men."
        Then Rachel looked at me with tears down her cheeks and still welling in her eyes and asked, "Mama, does she live? Does her family live?"
         I took a deep breath. I hadn't expected it to stir their emotions so much, or mine. All I could do was shake my head and whisper, "Just her father, love."
        Then came the end scene and Rachel was hanging on to every word spoken by Anne's father about the fate of his family and friends.
         The movie ended with both children in my lap, with all of us crying quiet, sullen tears. My son was fairly easily comforted and after lots of hugs and kisses he felt much better. My daughter is a deep thinker. She would not be so easily comforted. She had so many questions. She wanted to know why I hadn't told her about this before.  She was somewhat familiar with WWII but only what it was like in america during the war.
        My daughter and I sat and discussed many things last night. We talked about relatives who had fought in WWII. We talked about how it would have been in their shoes. Then, we talked about how blessed we are.
       After much discussion, it was very late and time for bed. Rachel wanted to sleep in bed with me. I allowed it and soon after we laid down she was out cold. I laid there looking at her face and thinking of what it would be like to have our family separated and sent away the way the Frank family was. The lump in my throat ached as I thought of the feeling of helplessness. I envisioned the people who survived searching for months or years to discover the fate of the ones they loved. What heartache. Then a thought came to me. Death is not the end.
        My imagination swept me away to a reunion in heaven. People who searched for and never found the ones they loved. In all these scenarios it was always my family. I imagined it for a little while, then I could take it no more.
        I laid there and prayed. I thanked God for many, many things. The hope of heaven really is a grand hope. What would we have to comfort us in our times of sorrow?
        I will forever thank God for my family. Above all, I will thank Him for the hope He offers. The Bible is so full of promises that I know will be kept. When things look beyond hope, they are not. It may be difficult to see, but it is there.
        This morning I decided to look up Anne Frank. Unknown to me, the 25th, was the 60th anniversary of her diary being printed. Then I saw that she and my daughter shared the same birthday in June. I encourage you to look it up as well.
        History is an interesting thing. We can learn so much from it, if only we are willing to. The Bible tells us that the old testament (the part before Jesus, the old law) is there for us to study and learn from. Through out the years that are recorded you can see history repeating itself over and over. I suppose it will continue to do so. I believe that if we can learn from the mistakes of others, we should, and not make the same mistakes ourselves.
           Anne Frank had no idea the impact she would have on the world. Who knows what sort of impact we may have one day.