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| Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews |
This is me with our family doggy and my doll, when I was two. I look so sturdy. Well loved, clean and healthy. One of the lucky children in the world.
I wanted to write something today, but didn't know what. I am emotionally and psychologically worn out with the Joplin disaster, and with the news that there are more tornadoes on the way today. Though I live in Oregon, I have friends in Missouri. We have family and friends in Kansas and Arkansas. Tornadoes freaked me out before this year, but now they REALLY do. You just can't control the wind.
I also want to be sensitive to those who no longer have homes, and posting something about mine today just didn't somehow seem right. Even posting pretty pictures of the great outdoors or our yard didn't sit well with my spirit. I keep thinking about those trees with their bark blown off. I think that I have a weird case of survivor's guilt or something, even though I live 2,000 miles away. I wonder how many great peeps in Blogland have been personally effected? Who no longer have a home or any of the basics?
My heart goes out to those who can't find their kids, other family members and friends. My friend Lynn Obermoeller is trying to locate her friend Dr. Geoffrey Hilton, who is a chiropractor in Joplin. His house is now gone. If you have any information about Geoff please go to Lynn's blog, Present Letters, and let her know. Thank you. Please go to my resource post of yesterday, if you need help and/or information by CLICKNG HERE.
Update: Geoff has been found safe and sound! Prayers have been answered. He went through the storm hunkered down in his bathtub and when he crawled through the rubble and made it to the curb, a nice lady driving by took him to her house. He got in touch with Lynn and others yesterday in late afternoon/early evening. Yay!
I was googling prayers this morning, and found a neat website called Beliefnet.com. I copied and pasted the two below from there. I modified the first one; the person who wrote it originally had written it for the 2005 Tsunami victims. I hope that nobody will mind that I did that, and I hope you will join me in praying these prayers today. Or join me with praying prayers of your own.
Dear Lord,
Please heal those who have been effected by this tornado in Joplin. Let those who have died now be in peace
Please comfort those effected by this disaster. Bring their communities together in love, in prayer, and help them care well for each other.
Let the world community pray and assist the people who were affected by this disaster with much compassion and show their caring in practical and abundant ways.
Let those effected by this tornado rebuild better than before. Let them be strong. May good come out of this time of sorrow.
Bless the earth. Bring peace and harmony to the lands, to the sky, to the waters... If there be a need for the earth to release its tensions in the future, let it do so in a way that is gentle and harms no one. Let the waters return to their natural ebb and flow. Let the earth be calm.
Peace, Peace, Peace... Be calm. Be still. Let the healing begin...
-- Beliefnet member WhiteHeron. Read more: Beliefnet.com
Prayer for Those Whose Loved Ones Are Missing
Loving God, the hope and protector of all humankind; bless those whose loved ones are missing. The agony of not knowing whether someone is living or dead is a daily torture. The uncertainty of life's future relationships hangs in limbo. Hope rides a roller coaster. Yet each day must be lived. Give unto your people the blessing of your grace that they may face each day with courage and hope. Guard their families from further danger and harm and hold them in the blessing of your love. Amen.
-- Vienna Cobb Anderson, from "Prayers of Our Hearts" c 1991 Vienna Cobb Anderson. Reprinted with the permission of the author. Read more: Beliefnet.com
"Fear Not"
by Tide Times
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7 comments:
It is hard to believe that anything can do that much damage--the pictures on the news were heartwrenching. We, technically, are part of Wichita, but live 2 miles from Andover. All my kids went to school in Andover. I saw the tornado of 1991 coming when I looked out the window. Many of our friends lost their homes that night, and much of the town was reduced to rubble. I have a healthy respect for nature and its power. I join you in sending out prayers to the people of Joplin.
Hugs, Mickie
Hi Kathy, it's so sweet of you to mention Geoff in your blog. I just blog what I had planned and it seemed so... gosh, what's the word - pitiful that I am whining, but I wrote the blog before the tornado, so of course I wrote a PS about Geoff and now I'm just consumed in hoping to find him. It is emotionally draining. Thanks for your thoughtfulness and for all the stuff you've been doing on FB too! Much love.
Thank you, Mickie and Lynn. Lynn, I hope that you find him soon. God bless.
Amen Kathy. I will pray for Lynn's friend and the others who are unaccounted for.
The terrible thing is that more bad weather is heading for them and has all ready taken lives in Olkahoma. Sad times we are living in.
Thank you, Patti ... I know, this is crazy. It is officially tornado season for one week. I hope it ends before that!
Lovely, heartfelt post, Kathy. I, too, have prayed for all of the people affected. I have prayed to St. Anthony (I'm Catholic) to find help and peace of mind for them, and to find any missing loved ones. I also gave a donation to the Red Cross online. The Red Cross is wonderful and they are always the first ones there. Again, wonderful post.
Best,
Gloria
Beautiful, touching post. I'm sending bunches of prayers for those in Joplin and elsewhere affected by these horrific storms. I pray also that Geoff is safe and sound.
This devastation makes me more than grateful for everyone and everything in my life.
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