Song for Sunday: Seasons in the Sun

I always thought of this as a nostalgic song. It sort of is, but I guess my knowledge of the lyrics didn't go beyond the chorus.I always thought of it as a happy song.

Yesterday, I heard this played by a band at an Out of the Darkness Rally/Fundraiser to prevent suicide. The lyrics really are sad. I did some research, and learned that Terry Jacks actually wrote this about a friend dying of cancer and saying good-bye to a friend, his father, and his daughter. However, it was based on a French song, le Moribund, which was basically a suicide note, though not from the author, rather from a charchter.

The French song:

Jacques Brels version .. le Moriband.. the original of Seasons in the Sun Translated from French into English

Good-bye, my wife, I loved you well
Good-bye, my wife, I loved you well, you know,
But I'm taking the train for the Good Lord,
I'm taking the train before yours
But you take whatever train you can;
Goodbye, my wife, I'm going to die,
It's hard to die in springtime, you know,
But I'm leaving for the flowers with my eyes closed, my wife,
Because I closed them so often,
I know you will take care of my soul. 


Even though Seasons in the Sun is not about suicide, it has a tone that fits with suicide prevention. A few facts a gathered from my brief stop at the rally. 

• 90% of people who commit suicide have a diagnosable and treatable mental illness at the time of their death. Five to 10% of suicides take place in mental hospitals.
• First responders have a suicide rate four times that of the general population, but there is no funding for programs to help
•  Older adults have the highest suicide rates, more than 50% higher than young people

 Good mental health care would be the best suicide prevention. Something to work for. 

Here's today's Song for Sunday. May it lead you to prayer for the suicidal and the dying. 

 

Blessings.

Song for Sunday: Prelude from Bach's Prelude for Cello Suite #1

My most interesting uncle --actually a grand uncle -- passed away this morning at the age of 93 after a long full life 

What made him so interesting? His stories. Often humorous, they dealt with his life working, often overseas, for the phone company, his other travels, and his stint as a chauffeur and household assistant. 

That was for a famous cellist, Mstislav Rostropovich. Here the Maestro, as Uncle Clay called him, plays Bach's Prelude for Cello Suite #1. Uncle Clay wasn't particularly a classical music enthusiast, but I post this in his honor, a nod to his varied and interesting life. He'd probably  laugh. 

Song for Sunday: America the Beautiful

A classic hymn, imbedded with prayers for the US, this song is perfect for the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. In fact, we sang it in church today. 

Most schoolchildren in the US can sing the first verse, but it was the other verses that struck me today. I especially noted the first two lines of verse three: "Oh, beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved, And mercy more than life!" A fitting reminder of the servicemen and women who paid the supreme sacrifice. I also love that this song acknowledges that America isn't perfect, and reminds us we are under a higher power. 

1. 1. Oh, beautiful for spacious skies,
   For amber waves of grain,
   For purple mountain majesties
   Above the fruited plain!
   America! America!
   God shed his grace on thee,
   And crown thy good with brotherhood
   From sea to shining sea.
2. 2. Oh, beautiful for pilgrim feet,
   Whose stern, impassioned stress
   A thoroughfare of freedom beat
   Across the wilderness!
   America! America!
   God mend thine ev'ry flaw,
   Confirm thy soul in self-control,
   Thy liberty in law.
3. 3. Oh, beautiful for heroes proved
   In liberating strife,
   Who more than self their country loved,
   And mercy more than life!
   America! America!
   May God thy gold refine,
   Till all success be nobleness,
   And ev'ry gain divine.
4. 4. Oh, beautiful for patriot dream
   That sees beyond the years
   Thine alabaster cities gleam,
   Undimmed by human tears!
   America! America!
   God shed his grace on thee,
   And crown thy good with brotherhood
   From sea to shining sea.
5. Text: Katherine Lee Bates, 1859-1929
   Music: Samuel A. Ward, 1848-1903
6. Public Domain.
7. Here's a link to a version by the Hillsdale College Choir.
8. 
   
9. 
   
10. On this Memorial Day, however you celebrate it, honor the fallen.

Song for Sunday: Dancing in the Sky

I was at a wake yesterday. A young friend of mine -- who I actually hadn't seen in a few years -- had passed away. Over time, I have counted his father and aunt as my friends through our participation in the New England Baptist Youth Conference (now CYC) and we've kept in contact some by virtual means.

When "Pieces", as we new him at CYC, was dying he was on my prayer list, although at that point I didn't realize how serious things were. Years before, he had been in one of my classes at CYC and once I had driven him to a camp event and supervised him there. Apparently that made an impression on him. "He loved you," his father told me. I loved him, too, but we'd lost direct contact.

This song was played at his wake, during a brief service. I'd never heard it, but it expressed grief very well. I was taken by the lines: "What do you do in Heaven? Is there music? Is there art and invention?" for Pieces was an artist. His drawings were very lifelike and had great expression. I wish I'd known more about that when he was alive.

Pieces was also a caring and sensitive young man, and very bright. He was an organ donor and because of that six lives were saved and more people will be helped by his tissue. It was characteristic of him to think of others.

Pieces' soul is in God's hands.


I offer this Song for Sunday, written and sung by Canadian twins Dani and Lizzy, to all who are grieving. Here is the link.

What songs express grief for you?

Meme-ic Monday: Choose Happiness

We can't choose what we have to face, we can choose how to react to it. That's the piece of advice that this meme reminds me of.

My sister, Pam, passed away on February 25 and her memorial service was yesterday, March 12. A "Celebration of Life and Legacy" we called it, and it was. The men wore Hawaiian ties supplied by her husband because she had wanted Hawaiian shirts at her funeral but that might have been misunderstood by some. I wore a muted Hawaiian print shirt with my black skirt and gray shrug.

Pam had used the phrase "Life is Good" throughout her battle with cancer. Shortly before she died, she switched to telling people to "Choose Happiness." Today's meme was posted on her Facebook wall by a friend after she died.

I choose this meme in memory of my sister, and I have no desire to critique or even react to it. It just stands in remembrance of her.

How do you react to this meme?

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On Mondays, I will be posting and responding to memes, one each week. They will be ones that grab my attention, perhaps either resonate with me or annoy me. If you see a meme you would like me to react to, let me know.

Song for Sunday: Wind Beneath My Wings

I remember really enjoying the song Wind Beneath My Wings when it was out in the late '80's.

My sister and brother-in-law had it as their wedding song in 1989. Yesterday, it was played at her memorial service. A way to recall a happy occasion and the start of a wonderful life together. It was also a fitting tribute to her.

I hope you enjoy this link:

What song do you use to honor someone? Who does it honor?         

Song for Sunday: We Shall Overcome (for Emmanuel AME Church)

There are no words. 

Even if my voice could reach them, there is nothing I could say that would comfort the members of the Emmanual AME Church. Were I there, I could do no more than stand with them as they mourned fathers, mothers, children, pastors and Christian brothers and sisters. Sometmes that's the best thing to do. 

I am amazed at the faith of these people. Even the secular press has noticed how unshakeable it is. These people have forgiven - freely and fully, it seems- a man who, after being welcomed by them,  committed a hate crime against them, who hurled racial invectives as he killed them, who seemed intent on starting a race war between blacks and whites. The congregation of this church will not help him succeed in that last. 

Just as I have no words of comfort, I have no song of comfort to offer. So, for today's Song for Sunday, I turn to a song of hope, the song that rang through the Civil Rights Movement, a song that still speaks of solidarity. Join me in this prayer and sing with me, and those in this link:

 "We shall overcome, 

We shall overcome, 

Deep in my heart, I do believe,

We shall overcome someday."

God grant us peace. 

Still Remembering

On Monday, I attended a Memorial Day ceremony at which were rededicated 29 trees in remembrance of those killed in service to their country. One  was for someone I knew personally. The people leading the ceremony asked us to keep remembering after Memorial Day, so here goes.

I knew Danny as an active and friendly boy. He faithfully attended my Sunday School class in the early 1980s. He was a good friend of my brother. He grew up, entered the Navy, and was deployed to the Persian Gulf.

Early in the Desert Shield operation, Danny -- Engineer's Mate Third Class Daniel M. Jones -- was killed in an electrical accident while performing routine maintenance aboard the  USS Antietam in the Persian Gulf. He was 19.

My brother and I were at the youth conference at the time, working on staff; I as the registrar, he as an SIT. As they do, the community surrounded my brother as he mourned his friend and supported me as I broke the news to others of our church who were present, supported my brother, and mourned myself. Most had never met Danny, but they prayed for his family and for peace.

Danny is listed as having been single at the time of his death, but he left behind a girlfriend. His parents and six siblings keenly felt the loss.  His wake and funeral were very  well attended, a testament to his youth and the lives he touched as a US Sailor. The pastor gave a powerful sermon reminding us that God, too, had lost a son and that a part of Danny would live forever. It was broadcast on the news, reminding our nation of the sacrifices military members and their families make.

People like Danny need to be remembered outside the immediate circle of their family. They died for all of us. Until there is peace, someone will always be dying for our freedom and safety. I close with a prayer that Eleanor Roosevelt carried on her person during World War II.

Dear Lord, lest I continue in my complacent ways, help me to remember that someone died for me today. And if there be war, help me to remember to ask and to answer "am I worth dying for?"


Who did you remember this Memorial Day?









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Looking for an excellent learning opportunity for your high schooler? Consider the Christian Youth Conference at Ocean Park a two week residential camp for teens held in early August on the beautiful southern coast of Maine. Celebrating 100 years!

(Belated) Song for Sunday: The Battle Hymn of the Republic

For Memorial Day, in honor of all the men and women who have died in the service of our country, a link to this powerful hymn, sung by the US Army Chorus.

Happy Memorial Day!!

Death Penalty

"Many that live deserve death. And some die that deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then be not too eager to deal out death in the name of justice, fearing for your own safety. Even the wise cannot see all ends."

                                                                  ~Gandalf the Grey

                                                                in Fellowship of the Ring

                                                                   by J.R.R Tolkein

It's been just over two years since the Boston Marathon was shattered and marred by bombs. Two years since an act of terrorism horrified -- and galvanized -- a city. 

We saw evil that day. We saw good that day.

Two brothers were believed responsible. One died before being brought to trial. The other has been convicted on 30 counts of murder, attempted murder, terrorism.

The jury has decided that he should die, that he deserved the death penalty. Perhaps they are right. 

I do not find this a cause for celebration. That a young man could go so far wrong, is horrifying, saddening. That he be killed for it may be just, but it won't bring back those he killed or restore the legs of those who lost them. It will not erase memories. 

It won't even bring closure. Appeals, potentially years of them, will keep this case alive and before the victims. That it will bring more anguish is why the Richards Family asked that the death penalty be taken off the table.

I do not know what is right, what is best. I favor banning the death penalty, because the justice system isn't perfect and because I am pro-life. In this instance, the facts are clear and guilt has been admitted, albeit with the claim of undue influence from an older brother and the mitigating factor of a dysfunctional family. Still, we are all ultimately responsible for our own actions and choices.

Gandalf is right that even the wise can not see all ends and I am far from wise. I do not know what should happen here. 

Whatever it is, though, I won't be celebrating. I will pray for the soul of this young man. I will pray even harder for the healing of his victims. 

I will pray for us all as we seek peace and a world beyond terrorism.

God bless.

Song for Sunday: Beautiful Day

It's a beautiful day. The weather is nice -- sunny and cool. I got to worship, work with youth, celebrate a graduation with friends.

Today also would have been my Mom's 74th birthday. My friend Paul rode the PanMass challenge in memory of his wife but also my mother, in honor of his sister-in-law, but also my sister. We are grateful for him.

There is someplace I would rather be than here today, but that isn't what's happening.

So I try to enjoy today as it is... full of worship, work, celebration, memory, and longing. And it's a Beautiful Day, so the U2 song of that name became today's Song for Sunday.

What songs are you enjoying today?

Celebrating a Life

Today's post has two purposes.

First, it is a restart of sorts. I haven't posted much recently and am now planning to get back to writing regularly. I hope to write three posts a week.

The second purpose is to remember a CYCer and speak out against drunk driving.

Tom was a fun-loving young man of faith whose life, along with that of his best friend, were cut short on July 17, 2010 by a drunk, drugged driver who was traveling in the wrong direction down the highway. She died, too. Tom left a young wife (he was only 24) and two young boys (ages three and one when he died). Tom is only one of far too many tragically taken this way.

You can read more about Tom here.


So I make my annual plea:


Don't drink and drive.

Take the keys.  

Appoint a designated driver.

Call a cab. 

We've all had enough heartache.

Also, Tom's family has started a foundation in his honor called the  The Thomas J. Serewicz Sr. Foundation For Kind & Responsible Living, Inc.

This coming Sunday in central Mass, they will hold a fundraiser and memorial picnic.

Here is their description of the event:

We hope you can join us for our old-fashioned picnic. Relax on your blanket in the sun, play backyard games with family and friends,: Frisbee, blowing bubbles, target games, get a team together for sack races, volleyball, badminton, etc. Or sit inside and just visit or play cards, etc. Grab some summer reading from our second hand book table, enjoy something to eat on us, and just get away from it all and enjoy. Bring your fishing gear if you have a license and want to fish (for a minimal donation). All the while helping a great cause. The day is filled with free fun, and the opportunity to give freely to our fundraising efforts. Bid on some nice things in our silent auction, including passes to Davis Farmland and Megamaze, a 30 minute massage, and some other gift items from our vendors. This year a portion of our proceeds will go to Teen Challenge program, assisting teens and others who are struggling to overcome addictions. Help us to bring something wonderful to the world in honor of Tommy's life and love. 


If you live near there, stop by and join the fun!


And remember, sober driving only.

 

Song for Sunday: Father I Adore You

I learned this at camp years ago. Maybe we sang it in Sunday School, too. Often, we signed it as well. The repetition made it easy to learn the signs.

A simple song, for worship. A lovely round.

It was written in 1972 by Terrye Coelho Strom and has become a standard.

So here it is for Fathers' Day Song for Sunday.

This song is, of course, about my heavenly Father.  I would like to also say about my earthly father. He was a hard working man, a retail manager, who was always generous and very funny. He supported my childhood and young adult endeavors in dozens of ways. 

In 1995, my father died of Lou Gherig's Disease or ALS a horrible, progressive motorneuron disease. He maintained a postitive attitude and his sense of humor throughout the course of his illness and even on his deathbed. 

I will always remember him. 

Love you Dad. 

Cancer

It's a word that still strikes fear.

We have learned much -- but there is still far to go in our fight against this insidious disease.

My family has been struck multiple times. I lost my mother to a version of ovarian cancer that her oncologist called "tough and mean." My sister is battling colon cancer now. Thankfully, the progress of her treatment has been good so far.

I also have aunts and uncles who have been affected.

And friends. Some have died, some are fighting, some have won.

My story is far from unique. I suspect all of us know someone afflicted by cancer.


Research is critical, as is patient care. Both mean money.

Today, I will tell you about two friends who are working to raise money:

My friend Heather, a former college roommate, over at The Reluctant Survivor is walking in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. She is a Breast Cancer Survivor and tells her story very well on her blog. It is a very empowering read. Here is her fundraising page.

Paul, who has been friend, mentor, teacher and second Dad since my teen years, rode in the PanMass Challenge the past two years. This year he went many extra miles. His story of training is very inspirational, but it is his love for his late wife Peg that is truly awe-inspiring. He cared for her faithfully and well during her long last illness. Her loss was a blow to many of us. I considered her my second Mom. Paul rode in her memory and also had my sister as a "pedal partner." His fundraising page is open until October 1 and gifts given up to his birthday on September 10th will be doubled.

There are a million ways to support cancer victims and research and many organizations to donate through. I offer two opportunities and hope that you will give to one somewhere, whether in time, prayer or money. God bless you!

What is your experience with cancer?

Song for Sunday: On Eagle's Wings

My mother's birthday is coming up this week. She would have been 73. Both of my parents died far too young. When my father died of ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) back in 1995, the church soloist sang this song at his funeral. My mother decided to have the last line of the chorus engraved on his/their tombstone. So, in memory of my parents, today's Song for Sunday:

On Eagle's Wing


You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord,
Who abide in His shadow for life,
Say to the Lord, "My Refuge,
My Rock in Whom I trust."

And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.

The snare of the fowler will never capture you,
And famine will bring you no fear;
Under His Wings your refuge,
His faithfulness your shield.

And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
You need not fear the terror of the night,
Nor the arrow that flies by day,
Though thousands fall about you,
Near you it shall not come.

And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.


to His angels He's given a command,
To guard you in all of your ways,
Upon their hands they will bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.



Do you have a song that you use to remember someone?

Drunk Driving

In 2010, 31% of all automobile fatalities were due to drunk driving. Tom Serewicz and his best friend were two to be included in that statistic. They weren't drinking, the other driver was.

Tom was 24 years old. He loved life and he was a man of faith who loved God and enjoyed studying the Bible. He built strong friendships in the camp and would chat with fellow campers who were feeling down. He was known for raids and plans for larger than life raids (raids are late night pranks) and even brought night vision goggles to the conference one year. Making others laugh was a great joy of his and he enjoyed clowning around. Tom was kindhearted and has been described as a good soul. His friends feel the world is a little darker and a little colder because he is gone from earth. Tom left behind his wife of nearly five years and their two very young boys. Things weren't always easy for Tom, but he was growing into his responsibilities and was a very loving husband and truly devoted father, just starting a new business to support his family.

It is in his memory that I post this blog. It is my hope that no more young women will be left widows, no more small children will be left fatherless, no more mothers and fathers will get that horrifying phone call, no more siblings will have cause to cry because of such an avoidable situation.

Tom is gone because someone made a bad choice -- the choice to drink and drive. Help stop these tragedies.

Here are a few thoughts on how:

-- Remember that your judgment will be impaired if you drink, and you are unlikely to notice. Appoint the designated driver before the party or night out. Give them your keys at the beginning of the festivities.

-- Talk to your teens. Be ready and willing to pick them up, without lectures, if they or their driver have been drinking or doing drugs. Later, you can explain your views on teen drinking but make sure that they know you are proud of them for choosing not to drive drunk and that it was the right thing to call you.

-- And teens/ young adults, make the call when you need to. Better upset parents than you dead. Taxis work, too.

-- Don't forget that if the people you are babysitting for come home inebriated, you can make alternate arrangements to get home. In fact, please do. Your parents won't mind you calling them. Trust me.

-- Be willing to take the keys. If you are the designated driver or witness someone trying to drive drunk, stop them. Sure, they might be mad. But, if they remember anything, they'll probably thank you when they are more clearheaded. And if they don't want to be your friend after that, are you sure they are someone you want to hang out with anyway? At any rate, everyone else on the road will be very pleased.

--Organize an awareness event in town, write a letter to the editor, spread the word that drunk driving is bad.

Drunk Driving Prevention Resources

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

CADD USA -- Teens

 I am sure you can think of other things. Whatever you do, thanks for keeping the roads safer.


RIP Tom Serewicz.




I knew Tom through the Christian Youth Conference at Ocean Park., where he was a camper and I was a staff. He is missed by those who knew him there and elsewhere.
 

Remembering Mom

My mother was the most self-less person I ever met.

Two years ago today we lost her to cancer.

Before that, she spent 15 years as a devoted fulltime caregiver. In that time, she cared for my grandfather during his battle with emphysema, for my father while he battled ALS and for my grandmother who was bedridden for 10 years.

Much of the time she was "on duty" 24/7 with an aide only two hours a few times a week. She never took more than a two day break and that no more than twice in a year.

She dealt with bedbaths, commodes, medications, equipment, doctors, nurses and hospice workers. She managed it all with grace.

Less than two years after my grandmother died, my mother got her own diagnosis: ovarian cancer. She was gone a few months later.

I miss her. I'm sure she has a few jewels in her heavenly crown.

Who are you missing?

Do You Have Other Children?

It seems to be happening more right now. People have been asking, "Do you have more children?" "Is he your only?"

I struggle with answering that. 

I am raising one child. However, I have five. Four are in Heaven, having died before they were born, for reasons the doctors haven't been able to figure out. 

So when I am asked, "Do you have other children?" I want to say, "not living;" or "yes, waiting for me in Heaven." 

Sometimes, I do, if the person asking seems to be genuinely interested in my history.   

Usually, though, it's easier to answer as if I am the mom of singleton. It requires less explanation and I don't want to seem as though I am being overdramatic or making a bid for attention. Certainly, I don't want to make someone who has asked an obviously friendly question feel upset or ashamed. It's not a bad question either, I don't think people should stop asking it of others. 

It's just that, sometimes, I feel a bit like I am betraying my other children when I don't mention them.

              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One year, I lost a baby in March that would have been due in August. This was my third miscarriage, and I had carried halfway under the care of a specialist. We discovered that the baby had died at the twenty week ultrasound. I had already planned not to attend CYC, the conference of the youth ministry I volunteer for, because I was supposed to be on the maternity ward. This wonderful community not only made room for me but surrounded me with a depth of love and care that still amazes me when I think of it. Everyone -- yes the men, too -- offered support, prayer, hugs and extra childcare for Jordan without my ever asking. I was afraid to approach one woman, who had lost three babies after birth, feeling she had suffered so much more. On Commitment Night she was a prayer partner. When I went over to her, she threw her arms around me, reassured me, and prayed fervently, fully understanding my loss. 


At times though,I feel as though there are people who just want women to "get over" miscarriages quickly. I have known of groups where they were considered unimportant, basically something to be ignored. If there is a point of education to this blog, it's this: When you have carried a life within you, however briefly, it's loss brings real grief. 

Erma Bombeck was an auther and comedianne. She could find humor in almost anything, but this is what she said of her miscarriage:

           I lost the baby.....

...As I lay there mumbling “I am so sorry,” the guilt was unbearable. Feelings of self-recrimination came and went like waves of nausea. 

I had now joined a group of women who had to give a child back. They look like other women and they function like other women. But there is an emptiness inside of them that never goes away. At any given time of year when no one knows what they are talking about, they will look wistful and remark that the baby would be three years old today, or five, or ten. They play with the probabilities...the would have beens...could have beens... should have beens... and forever question, "Why?"

The babies would have been 12, 11, 8 and 5. I know they are waiting for me in a perfect place, but I really wish they were here.



Do you have a story of loss to share?







I am participating in the January 2013 Ultimate Blog Challenge.

Shock, Horror......Christmas

Along with everyone else's, my heart breaks for the parents and families of those children and teachers in Newtown, Ct. I cannot fathom the depths of their grief. There is nothing to say to them that will make a difference. I am in prayer for them.

It's not the time, yet, for political talk of gun control and changes in policies. It's time to mourn.

The nation is shocked.

And it's Christmas time. That the tragedy happened in such close proximity to this favorite holiday of children seems to make the horror grow. Christmas is about a baby, The Baby, who came to save us. We see it as a gentle time of birth and joy.

In the middle of the Christmas story, though, is a scene we don't often reflect on. The census is over, the baby has been born in the stable, the shepherds have visited. Two years have passed, the family has moved into a house and the star has led the Wise Men to Jesus.

Those Wise Men stopped on the way and spoke to Herod, king of Judea, who on hearing of a newborn king, went into a jealous rage although at first he hid that well. He learned that the baby was in Bethlehem.

Then he sent soldiers to kill all of the baby boys under two years old in that town.

Just think what it would have been like to be the parents of one of those children. Scripture describes it as "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." Right from the beginning, because of the evil Herod, shock and horror were with us at Christmas.

Christmas is the incarnation. God came to a willing virgin and had a son. He took a human body, deigning to live among us, share our weakness, feel our temptation and avoid sin.

Look with me beyond Christmas to the Cross. Here Jesus feels the intense pain of bodily violence and the spiritual horror of separation from God. The Father feels what it is to lose a son. So God has been here, knowing the loss of His own flesh and blood, his own beloved Child. This is a grief He knows.

Ultimately, we go even further. Past the Cross, we find the Resurrection with it's triumphant victory over death and sin.

Right now, we are at Good Friday, in the midst of the horror, grief, pain. Easter may feel like a faint and distant hope, but it will come.





Lord, be with all affected by this horrible incident ... the victims, families, investigators. Bring hope, comfort and help. Guide our steps as a nation. In Jesus name, Amen.

The Fight Against Cancer

Cancer is an ugly word because it names an ugly disease.

I lost my mom, Anne Picone,  to ovarian cancer on March 15, 2011. Eleven days later, my friend Peggy Goodhue succombed to lung cancer. Right now, my sister, Pam Turner,  is battling colon cancer. Over the years, various other family members and friends have fought the disease. Some have won, some have lost.

Great strides have been made in the treatment of some types of cancer. Others are still resistant to the doctors' best efforts. More research is needed and that means more money. In these days, it can be hard to decide where to donate hard-earned money. But so many of us have been touched by cancer. I hope you will consider this request.

Paul Goodhue is riding in the Pan Mass Challenge, a two-day bike ride organized to raise money for cancer research. He rides in memory of his wife Peggy and in honor of my sister Pam. A link to his "Pace Line" is below. He has worked and his dedication and riding stamina are amazing. Please consider supporting him or one of the other riders in the PMC. Thank you.


Paul Goodhue's PMC ride.


Have a blessed day!




This is my 22 post in the July 2012 Ultimate Blog Challenge.