Refuge for a Single Mom

How often do our kids tell us that we don`t appreciate them or tell them how terrific they are?

Well, I just have to say that my son is totally awesome.  He is extremely smart and kind-hearted and I`m so darn proud of him, I could burst!  *smile*

For a History Day project, his class was given their choice of a tragedy or triumph in history to research and learn more about.  Afterwards, they had to do a presentation on it.

He and two friends chose to learn more about the Columbine High School Massacre.  Josh said that although he really wanted to learn more about it, he now knows more than he ever wanted to.

I`ve seen him in his room in tears many times over the last week.  When asked about it, he simply says “This is SO messed up!”  “How?”  Why?”  I think deep down, he was hoping to understand it better!  But like everyone else, he`s just left with more questions!

Here are some excerpts from the presentation:

We can never know for sure what drove them to this. We never will know what went through their heads. Theories have been made that they were bullied, videogames are to blame, depression, racism, and more. We do know their passionate hate for society and that they were driven to violence and eventually suicide. This might be a world filled with evil but death isn`t the answer.

The Columbine massacre has done many things, yes it was a tragedy and what happened can`t be changed but maybe it can be prevented from ever happening again. Schools have started anti – bulling rules and regulations and started to follow zero – tolerance rules. It also started gun control laws. We can`t imagine how the family and friends of the students who lost their lives feel, we should learn something and do something about it and not let the people who lost their lives die in vain.

Unbeknownst to me, these projects are similar to those of science fair projects.  Josh and his friends will be competing against other projects in the school and the winning presentations compete in county, state and national competitions.  Whoo Hoo!

When tragedies such as the Columbine High School Massacre happen, we tend to burry our heads in the sand because they don`t affect us.

Being on-line I have the opportunity to meet people all over the country and even the world.  It all becomes a little more real and `close`!  I just can`t even imagine how these parents and families must have felt or how they`re feeling now!  We send our children to school where they should be safe to learn and to be kids.  But that isn`t always the case!

Of all the `junk` that we face every day, I think it`s important to put it all into perspective!

Loving, encouraging and teaching our kids is so important!

20 My son, keep thy father`s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. 22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.  Proverbs 6:20-22

Nurturing them and `molding` them to be great adults is the most important responsibility we have!

Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.  Proverbs 22:6

The people they `grow up` to be will affect many generations to come!

18 “You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 19 “You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up. 20 “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your sons may be multiplied on the land which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens remain above the earth. 22 “For if you are careful to keep all this commandment which I am commanding you to do, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and hold fast to Him, 23 then the LORD will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you. 24 “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours; your border will be from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the river, the river Euphrates, as far as the western sea. 25 “No man will be able to stand before you; the LORD your God will lay the dread of you and the fear of you on all the land on which you set foot, as He has spoken to you. 26 “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am commanding you today; 28 and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known.  Deuteronomy 11:18-28

Labels: Children