Fear.

I have nothing profound to say about what happened in Connecticut yesterday.  I've prayed and cried and avoided the news.  It feels kind of cowardly to avoid the constant updates and speculation but I feel like I need some kind of shield from the terror and fear.  I just wish that there was a rewind button to bring back the innocence that was lost.

Yesterday I took the little kids to the car wash.  This is a rare occurrence so Lauren had not been through an automatic car wash since she was a baby. 

The car wash is terrorizing for a 2 year-old.  Screaming terror.  She's not screaming in this picture because her brother is consoling her (and having the time of his life).  But her face speaks of fear.  I hope that she will never know real lasting fear.  The kind that fights to keep you in the darkness and haunts the corners of your mind.  I pray that no child has to hear or witness terror and fear that yanks them from the safety of childhood.  I hope the worst that they know is car wash fear because that always ends and eventually you realize that the octopus isn't going to eat you.

Matthew 10:16
Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

Philippians 4:6-9
 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.