My Daily Bread

These are some things I say each day that I have written down

to give me affirmation and strength for the day.

I commit my day to love, joy, peace,

patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness, and self control.

I am walking by faith and not by sight.

I am a Child of God.

I am saved by Grace through Faith

I am getting all my needs met by Jesus.

I am doing all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I have the Wisdom of God.

I have authority over the Devil.

I change what I can and accept what I cannot.

I am a laborer together with God.

Remembering

Yesterday was the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims. The event was held at The National Press Club in Washington, DC. The event was co-hosted by the National Organization of Parents Of Murdered Children, Inc. (POMC) and Maryland Crime Victims’ Resource Center, Inc. (MCVRC) and funded by The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC).
All over the nation towns honored victims with vigils, support groups, ceremonies, and more.
www.pomc.com
http://mcvrc-news.blogspot.com/
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/
The event was to honor the lives of those taken by violence; publicly recognizes the impact of homicide on their surviving family members and friends; and pays tribute to those organizations that work with and provide services to survivors of homicide victims. Remember. Remind. Respect.
1. Family Relationship Dynamics Following a Homicide
Remember – homicide creates trauma and devastating consequences to a wide circle of individuals, from family members and friends, to schools and communities, and to our nation as a whole

Remind – individuals and communities of the challenges and barriers faced by parents, spouses, children, and siblings
Respect – understand the importance of identifying and addressing the mental health needs of survivors
2. The Roles of Law Enforcement and Survivors of Homicide Victims
Remember – the interdependence between law enforcement and survivors
Remind – barriers to productive interaction and the benefits that result from proactive, positive interactions
Respect – mutual understanding of the roles and responsibilities as well as needs by survivors and law enforcement
3. Services and Rights of Survivors Assist in Justice
Remember – the requirements of laws and benefits of services to survivors
Remind – the benefits of appropriate treatment of survivors and their need for justice
Respect – following the law and understanding the need for full compliance of comprehensive rights & services for survivors
This document was produced by the National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children (POMC) under grant number 2010-VF-GX-0001 awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this document are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.
I lit candle for my brother and all of the victims. It was still lit when I got home. It was a tough night, working all day kept my mind off of it until it was almost time to go home, then the emotions started twirling. It was one of those cries that everyone needs once in a while. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing and my angst from building up inside of me. It was the first time my husband had prayed out loud for me. He got the prayer out of a book of blessings we got from our Marriage Mentoring that we are doing. I highly suggest the program for all marriages and for those who are about to get married. It really stresses faith building and your relationship with God. The second section is about tools for the marriage. This is the webiste if you are interested http://www.marriagecomission.com/partners/?ID=504. It is a year long commitment but worth it. I already see improvements in my marriage and we just did the First Foundation on Covenant.
After the prayer, I settled down and was finally able to blow out the candle. It's amazing what happens inside you when other people pray for you out loud for a specific reason. The Holy Spirit is absolutely amazing!
One of my favorite verses: Psalm 46:1
God is our Refuge and Strength, a very present help in times of trouble.

Fourth of July

We honored Richard in the 2nd Annual Wedowee 4th of July Boat Parade! And we won 1st place!

All for HIM!

We all Love and Miss You!

Photo Shoot With Daddy (more to come soon)

Call Upon Me

January 30, 2010 will be a day I will never forget. I am changed, my life has changed, my family has changed, and things will never be the same as they were before.
I originally started this blog for my girls and what they had been doing. I wanted to take some time though to write a little bit myself.


My brother was called by the Lord that cold, rainy Saturday morning. His life was taken away by murder. They say trauma can be defined in two ways 1. injury: any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc. 2, an emotional wound or shock often having long-lasting effects.
#1 my brother had to endure. #2 is the one that now embodies my family and picking the pieces up and putting them back together is exhausting. There were approx. 15,241 people murdered nationwide in 2009, of that number almost 45% were in the south, and the violent crime rate is 429.4 per every 100,000 people in the U.S. This is actually a drop since 2008 but for every single one of these murders there is a family who is going through some kind of trauma related to it.
For me, my body went into overdrive, I didn't actually realize or couldn't even grasp the fact that my brother has just been killed. I helped with funeral arrangements and kept busy. My worst nightmare had occurred, many, many times I would think that I never wanted anyone close to me to have to die because I didn't know what I would do. Maybe God was preparing me with those thoughts by having to think about it and what I might do if it actually occurred. But as the days passed they got harder, the weeks got harder, the months, got harder, and the year got harder. It felt as if I was moving in slow motion but everyone around me was full speed ahead. I couldn't think for myself, I didn't want to. I wanted to escape reality, rewind the time clock, or freeze the moment because I knew what was lying ahead. It's September and some tough times are about to come. I wake up each and every day because of the one thing that gives me strength, my faith in Jesus Christ.
Marie T. Freeman wrote "On the darkest day of your life, God is still in charge. Take comfort in that."
I know my brother is waiting on me at heaven's gates. Pacing around anxiously like he always does, wanting us to hurry up so he can show us all the beauty that it holds and all the best places to go! I had no other place to go than to cast my eyes on Jesus and ask for his help. I needed him to carry me.
Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters,  

I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
 A.W. Tozer ~ The man who has God for his treasure, has all things in one.
And that is what brings my brother and I together. God holds him in his kingdom and he holds me on Earth. How amazing that we can both be held together by one unchanging God. For Hebrews 13:8 says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.