Virginia Tech in Memorium

Trying to make sense of the senseless is a very difficult thing to do. The recent events at Virginia Tech underscore how cruel life can be. The unexpected nature of life throwing pain and sorrow at each of us in varying degrees will make us question the senseless.

The responsibility of this tragedy lay with the person whom committed it. People that were directly effected and died much too soon. Your faith and beliefs will provide you with the ability to find some comfort. You will learn about yourself, devastated families will learn about themselves and others remotely effected will learn as well.

How one moves on from an incident such as this will be worked out individually among all of the survivors. Just know that life will continue and you must move on beyond it. This does not mean to lose the great memories of those victims of a senseless act. There will be heart ache and grief for many that will eventually subside. I only hope that each of the families directly effected, the suvivors that are healing right now and those traumatized can find some amount of strength in the days to come.

In memoriam for those that lost their life, I list the victims. My prayers and words of strength to their families.

Ross Abdallah Alameddine, 20
Christopher James Bishop, 35
Brian Bluhm, 25
Ryan Clark, 22
Austin Cloyd, 18
Jocelyne Couture-Nowak
Daniel Perez Cueva, 21
Kevin Granata, 45
Matthew Gwaltney, 24
Caitlin Hammaren, 19
Jeremy Herbstritt, 27
Rachael Hill, 18
Emily Jane Hilscher, 19
Jarrett Lane, 22
Matthew La Porte, 20
Henry Lee, 20
Liviu Librescu, 76
G.V. Loganathan, 51
Partahi Lombantoruan, 34
Lauren McCain, 20
Daniel O'Neil, 22
Juan Ortiz, 26
Minal Panchal, 26
Erin Peterson, 18
Michael Pohle, 23
Julia Pryde, 23
Mary Read, 19
Reema Samaha, 18
Waleed Mohammed Shaalan, 32
Leslie Sherman, 20
Maxine Turner, 22
Nicole White, 20

All of these people were beautiful and wonderful. With the loss of each one, the stars will shine a little brighter and the sun a little brighter as each one of them will be shining down upon each of us.

Today & Tomorrow

I will be vacationing for a few days and will write again upon my return. Until then, I leave a quote for you to think about today and dream about tomorrow.

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in, forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day, you shall begin it well and serenely...” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Spring Is Near

We are approaching the end of a winter season in the northern hemisphere. The spring of a new season is coming quickly. Maybe not quickly enough for some and the 'weather man' may contradict it. Yet spring is coming as sure as time continues on.

Doug Larson, an English middle-distance runner who won gold medals at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris said, “Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.” It is this optimism that brings you through the rough times. It strengthens you to take full advantage of the better times that await.

When we wallow in despair and anger, we weaken our mind and body. If this carries over into those times when life isn't quite so bad, then we are not in a position to take advantage of opportunity. Keep your head up, work through the coldness of winter and prepare for the spring of a new life.

Change will occur with the coming season. As you see buds of new opportunity, ready your mind and attitude to change with it. There will be great things happening for you when you create movement this coming spring time.

Hope For Tomorrow

The Entombment of Christ by Carravagio.

For Christians around the world, today is Good Friday. The day that remembers the crucifixion and death of Jesus at Calvary. This is a holy day observed by most Christian religions.
Mainstream Christian churches view Christ's crucifixion as a voluntary and vicarious act, and one by which, along with resurrection on the third day, death itself was conquered.

Others religions have their holy days as well, each of us with some central faith in purpose and meaning of our lives. Even non-religious people have their beliefs in some type of reasoning. We must have and hold onto the realities of life but we also have to create faith within ourselves. One that will allow us to look into the unknown, the future or to even set a goal for our life.

I normally do not bring my religious beliefs into full view within my writings. My wish is to have something to say to everyone of every dimension. To offer words of encouragement and hope to anyone that happens upon my site. Today though, I proudly display my religion and faith. For me, this weekend is about hope and faith in a greater tomorrow.

"It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been moved away... and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple... Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together. Simon went right into the tomb. Then the other disciple also went in; he saw and he believed. Till this moment they had failed to understand the teaching of scripture that he must rise from the dead." (John 20)