While None of us has all the answers, the fact that the children cannot be held or comforted is an ABOMINABLE act.
Please ask the people of Romania…..they can tell you the true cost of the lack of human contact.
I may not know what should be done….but at least I know what should not be done.
I know God is in control and I grieve for our country and the cost we may pay. I was talking to my son the other day when God was used to justify the response of our government. I wondered to him if this was a test…..was God possibly asking us to show mercy to those who needed it? And if we did….maybe He would redeem those efforts. How? Maybe by bringing a new spirit of love to the U.S. and even more maybe He would redeem what has been lost to our neighbors.
So we have been doing some sprucing up of our home, and with each new task completed, we are more and more comfortable. (Really…we have only been here 13 years!) Our latest venture was bringing some interest to a kitchen wall, over the counter where we keep the coffee pot. (Or our coffee shrine as I call it)
So the day finally came, and my first reaction was sadness, then I pondered and then I laughed. I was sad because I know that at the loss of Billy Graham, his family and friends will be going through a grieving process. The first moments of separation are the worst. I was also sad because it seems that these are the days that we need a Billy Graham.
This year was kind of funny because Lent started on Valentine’s day. Not coming from a liturgical background, I have only started following this tradition. (In my own made up way) So a couple days ago, I was reading a blog written by a young Catholic woman, and she made the connection between Valentines day, the whole “love” thing, and Lent which prepares us for the remembrance of the greatest act of love ever. I thought that was kinda cool. Up to that point, the only connection I had made about the coincidence was to tease my friend that she may need to celebrate Valentines on Tuesday. 
Well, this isn’t the bay area, where there are plenty of museums, venues, and events, but that doesn’t mean that there is nothing to do!
I think it is going to be an interesting year. There are things that I am looking forward to, but I also feel a little concerned. Why? Well it all comes down to themes. When I read or see things, sometimes themes appear. So far this year, I have seen this thread of beauty through pain, and it has caught my attention.
So today, since I am not feeling well (still feeling the effects of the flu) I am going to try and make these observations short. These are just some things that have stood out to me the past few days, and they seemed appropriate to think about on this day we remember the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Cheryl Mendoza 