Nothing's Ever Promised
I have so many things on my mind and in my heart and I'm not sure what else to do but write them down. This week has been hard for all of us; at least I'd like to think that if you are a human being, you have been impacted or touched by the recent events in the news.
We had a guest speaker for our sermon at church today and she discussed a passage from Luke chapter 9 in which Jesus gets a bit impatient with the people who want to follow him. She made some great points about how we need to stop being distracted by our past or our own personal issues and just commit to being a part of God's kingdom. In addition, she challenged us to DO something about the issues that we are experiencing as a society. Stand up for others whose voices are being drowned out and stop trying to make other people agree with your opinions without being open to seeing things from their perspective. We all need to love a little more, hate a lot less, and provide each other with support and understanding. We need to keep hope alive.
I recently read an article in People magazine about the shooting victims in Orlando. I am thankful that the article focused on the victims and not the gunman. It is incredibly sad that so many people have lost their lives in the last few months to gun violence as a result of hate. I don't know what the right answers are as far as gun control, but I know praying gives me some sense of peace about the situation. In addition, People published the phone numbers of each state's senators and representatives. I thought this was a great idea and I would like to share them as well. Take action and make it a point to call or email your legislators. Tell them to use their powers for good and make a difference. For the state of Maryland, here are the phone numbers: Sen. Ben Cardin, 202-224-4524, Sen. Barbara Mikulski 202-224-4654, Rep. Andy Harris 202-225-5311, Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger 202-225-3061, Rep. John P. Sarbanes 202-225-4016, Rep. Donna F. Edwards 202-225-8699, Rep. Steny Hoyer 202-225-4131, Rep. John Delaney 202-225-2721, Rep. Elijah Cummings 202-225-4741, and Rep. Chris Van Hollen 202-225-5341. If you are in another state, I'm sure you can find your information online, but if you want the info from the list in People I am happy to convey it to you.
On another note, I learned today that another friend experienced a stillbirth today. My heart breaks for all of my friends and family members who have had to deal with miscarriages, infertility, stillbirths and/or lost babies/children. My only action in this case is to turn to prayer. I hope that all of these amazing women and their families can feel the power of prayer and that it gives them hope. Losing a child has to be one of the hardest experiences to go through and there simply aren't words to describe it. There also aren't words to help console the parents or family members in this situation; however, I hope that by offering meals, financial help (when able), babysitting for their other children, or any other support that is in your realm of capability, they can get through it and come out stronger in the end. All of this makes me even more worried about my own pregnancy. I feel selfish saying that, but I just keep trying to remind myself that no matter what, I have absolutely no control over what happens to the life I am trying to grow inside of me (aside from the obvious things like eating healthy and exercising myself). I am always reassured whenever she moves or we see her heartbeat; however, nothing is guaranteed. I just keep the serenity prayer in my mind at all times. I have got to stop trying to control things and just leave it in God's hands. That is, and will continue to be, the most difficult thing for me to do. However, I am a work in progress and I am doing the best that I can.
I have also been thinking of my friends and family dealing with loved ones battling cancer and other illnesses. This thing we call life is certainly not an easy thing to deal with. I just hope that we can all provide each other with the support and understanding that we need in order to make it through as a team. I hope we can all spread more messages of positivity, love and support instead of trying to create divisions within ourselves. I will continue to do what I can to make a difference. I hope that any of you reading this who are my friend or acquaintance know that you are loved and if there is anything that I can personally do to help you feel that way, please don't hesitate to reach out.
We had a guest speaker for our sermon at church today and she discussed a passage from Luke chapter 9 in which Jesus gets a bit impatient with the people who want to follow him. She made some great points about how we need to stop being distracted by our past or our own personal issues and just commit to being a part of God's kingdom. In addition, she challenged us to DO something about the issues that we are experiencing as a society. Stand up for others whose voices are being drowned out and stop trying to make other people agree with your opinions without being open to seeing things from their perspective. We all need to love a little more, hate a lot less, and provide each other with support and understanding. We need to keep hope alive.
I recently read an article in People magazine about the shooting victims in Orlando. I am thankful that the article focused on the victims and not the gunman. It is incredibly sad that so many people have lost their lives in the last few months to gun violence as a result of hate. I don't know what the right answers are as far as gun control, but I know praying gives me some sense of peace about the situation. In addition, People published the phone numbers of each state's senators and representatives. I thought this was a great idea and I would like to share them as well. Take action and make it a point to call or email your legislators. Tell them to use their powers for good and make a difference. For the state of Maryland, here are the phone numbers: Sen. Ben Cardin, 202-224-4524, Sen. Barbara Mikulski 202-224-4654, Rep. Andy Harris 202-225-5311, Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger 202-225-3061, Rep. John P. Sarbanes 202-225-4016, Rep. Donna F. Edwards 202-225-8699, Rep. Steny Hoyer 202-225-4131, Rep. John Delaney 202-225-2721, Rep. Elijah Cummings 202-225-4741, and Rep. Chris Van Hollen 202-225-5341. If you are in another state, I'm sure you can find your information online, but if you want the info from the list in People I am happy to convey it to you.
On another note, I learned today that another friend experienced a stillbirth today. My heart breaks for all of my friends and family members who have had to deal with miscarriages, infertility, stillbirths and/or lost babies/children. My only action in this case is to turn to prayer. I hope that all of these amazing women and their families can feel the power of prayer and that it gives them hope. Losing a child has to be one of the hardest experiences to go through and there simply aren't words to describe it. There also aren't words to help console the parents or family members in this situation; however, I hope that by offering meals, financial help (when able), babysitting for their other children, or any other support that is in your realm of capability, they can get through it and come out stronger in the end. All of this makes me even more worried about my own pregnancy. I feel selfish saying that, but I just keep trying to remind myself that no matter what, I have absolutely no control over what happens to the life I am trying to grow inside of me (aside from the obvious things like eating healthy and exercising myself). I am always reassured whenever she moves or we see her heartbeat; however, nothing is guaranteed. I just keep the serenity prayer in my mind at all times. I have got to stop trying to control things and just leave it in God's hands. That is, and will continue to be, the most difficult thing for me to do. However, I am a work in progress and I am doing the best that I can.
I have also been thinking of my friends and family dealing with loved ones battling cancer and other illnesses. This thing we call life is certainly not an easy thing to deal with. I just hope that we can all provide each other with the support and understanding that we need in order to make it through as a team. I hope we can all spread more messages of positivity, love and support instead of trying to create divisions within ourselves. I will continue to do what I can to make a difference. I hope that any of you reading this who are my friend or acquaintance know that you are loved and if there is anything that I can personally do to help you feel that way, please don't hesitate to reach out.
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