A Time To Kill

I just recently saw the 1996 film A Time To Kill. I know its a movie but it broke my heart to feel the pain of someone like that little black girl in the movie who gets raped by 2 drunken white men at the age of 10. I don't think I even knew what the difference between a man and woman was when I was 10. I can't even imagine what kind of an emotionally disturbing and permanently damaging experience it must be. I hope no little girl in this world would EVER have to cope with something as disgusting as that.

Shenandoah Teen Killings

3 white teens in Shenandoah beat an illegal mexican immigrant, Luis Eduardo Ramirez Zavala, to his death. How could anyone get so outta control that they muder another person. Rage to that extent is just unacceptable. I don't understand how people can harm someone else simply because they are a different color than them. You can read the rest of the story here: http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/07/25/immigrant.killing.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch

I hope Luis's family can find the strength and courage to get through an unfortunate time like this.

Stampede in India

My prayers today for all the 150+ people that were killed in the tragic stampede at a North Indian temple this past weekend. Its probably one place in the world you would not expect to see such a disaster. I hope their families can find the strength to cope with this and continue to have faith in God.

Earthquake in China

According to Wikipedia "the 2008 Sichuan earthquake occurred at 14:28:01.42 CST on 12 May 2008,with its epicenter in Wenchuan County, Sichuan province of the People's Republic of China. It had a magnitude of 7.8 Ms according to the State Seismological Bureau of China and 7.9 Mw according to the United States Geological Survey. The epicenter was 90 kilometres (55 miles) west-northwest of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, with a depth of 19 kilometres (12 mi). The earthquake was felt as far away as Beijing and Shanghai, where office buildings swayed with the tremor. The earthquake was also felt in nearby countries, such as Pakistan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Official figures (as of May 14) state that 16,665 are confirmed dead and 66,286 injured, Thousands are missing, many of them buried, and eight provinces were affected. These figures are likely to rise sharply as a clearer picture emerges. It was the deadliest and strongest earthquake to hit China since the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, which killed approximately 250,000 people."

I can't imagine what it must feel like to go through something like this. The closest I have experienced is Hurricane Andrew in Miami in 1992 but I was lucky enough to have my entire family survive it. I pray for all those that lost their lives or their loved ones in this earthquake.

Myanmar - 100,000 lost

According to Wikipedia "Cyclone Nargis was a strong tropical cyclone that caused the deadliest natural disaster in Burma's (also known as Myanmar) recorded history. The cyclone made landfall in the country on May 2, 2008 causing catastrophic destruction and at least 34,273 fatalities with a further 27,838 people still missing. However, Labutta Township alone was reported to have 80,000 dead and some have estimated the death toll may be well over 100,000. The official Red Cross estimate is between 68,833 and 127,990 people killed."

My prayers go out to all the victims of this storm, those that lost their own lives and those that lost their family and friends during this disaster.

Loss of a child

Child birth is an incredible event. It is touching on so many levels. After taking care of child for 9 months inside you, a woman has few more years of constant care and attention that go into raising a child. It is such a special relationship and an unconditional love beyond comprehension for most people. My Aunt lost her 3 year old baby in a water accident, one that could not have been controlled by any yet haunts everyone. Her first child was lost in an accident that left her stunned. I can barely deal with the thought of losing anyone close to me in my life. How is a mother to deal with losing a child that she bore for 9 months, that she cared for and loved every day of its existence, that is her flesh & blood, literally a part of her.

I pray for anyone that has EVER had to go through such situations. I wish it upon no one and if someone does have to deal with it I hope they can learn to not blame themselves and keep the memories of the lost child in their hearts forever. My aunt was scarred, she blamed herself for the longest time even though she knows there is nothing she could have done. She went into depression and was so angry with herself that she was not able to focus on her other child or husband. It is a tough situation to deal with and a very sensitive one at that. I hope people in such situations can gain strength and learn to move on with support from their loved ones. Accidents, as unfortunate as they maybe, happen. Its not under anyone's control. I just hope people can learn to move past them instead of letting them damage their lives further.

Domestic Violence

I'd like to pray today for the victims of domestic violence. In today's world, where opportunities are unlimited and freedom is everyone's right, I can't imagine why anyone should have to suffer through physical and mental abuse by their spouses. Nearly 25 percent of American women report being raped and/or physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, cohabiting partner, or date at some time in their lifetime, according to the National Violence Against Women Survey, conducted from November 1995 to May 1996. I've seen reports that indicate almost 70% of Indian women experience some form of domestic violence. These numbers are incredible and you can only imagine the state of fear, insecurity and depression these women must live under. I pray that they can find the courage and support needed to stand up against their abusers and move on to a life they deserve of peace and happiness.