What To Do After a Church Shooting.

Another mass killing, and my heart breaks. And this time, it is another church in a small town. As a Christian, this really hits home for me. I am in church most Sundays with my family, and there have been many Sundays I have imagined what I would do if a shooter attacked during service. Well, I was not in church yesterday. I was camping with my hubby and girls. But there was a pregnant mom of three who attended church yesterday, and was killed along with her three children and unborn baby - it could have been me.

The Bible tells us to mourn with those who mourn, and I do. Unimaginable tragedy for so many people. I mourn with these people and this community and I think, 'what can I do?'

So I'm lying down with my toddler for a nap, and I ask God what to do. What I hear back is "Pray" and "Love your family". We are the church. The body of Christ. We will not be defeated by evil, and we have a God who has already won. But for those of us still here on this Earth, we can fight this battle. On our knees and in our homes.

"For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies [or guns, or republicans or democrats], but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12

"We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons (prayer), not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Tonight our household will pray together.

"For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” Matthew 18:20

"The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Exodus 14:14

I hope that this will inspire you and your household to gather tonight. Invite anyone - Christian or not - to pray with you. We are all burdened by these tragedies, and we need to go to God. He lifts the burdens and reminds us that He is in control and that He is still on the throne. He cares for us and does not wish for us to perish.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

Our God is the God who created everything that is, and He defeated death and He wants us to turn to Him.

"Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you." 1 Peter 5:7

" if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

It is not the time to ignore the news and be silent. It is the time to be the hands and feet of Christ and come together as people of God and live out what we believe. We need to take action, for "Faith without works is dead". (Read James 2:14-26)

When Mother Teresa was asked, “What we can do promote world peace?” She responded, "Go home and love your family”. And I believe this is where our action starts.

On our knees in prayer, believing God for His power and mercy and grace, and in our homes, together with our families, where the picture of marriage and family is a replica of Jesus and His church.

And please, use this as a teaching moment for your children. Do not be afraid. Tell them that evil attacked yesterday, and then show them how to go to God in prayer. How to cast their burdens upon Him, and believe that He is God. Even in the face of tragedy. My children do not know what happened in Texas, but we will tell them as a husband and wife, as their mother and father, and we will pray WITH our kids and demonstrate our faith in action. I believe with all of my heart, that if all the believers in the world pray, and teach our children to pray, that we will see the darkness be pushed back and fear demolished and our land will be healed, and God's glory will be blinding.

Please, pray with our family tonight from wherever you are. There is much power in prayer, no matter what the world says. "...The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." James 5:16b

Our Lord hears our prayers and He always answers. It doesn't take much, just ask Him.

It's All Well & Good.

In my mind it seems a little crazy.  Like I'm jumping into a squishy rubber, inflatable raft from a GOOD distance, not entirely sure if the whole thing will just envelope me like a scene I once saw in a movie, or if it might actually be able to absorb me and carry me as I am hoping it will.  Starting something totally new, totally different is scary.  Even this name, Well & Good, is already being used.  It's a health and wellness site that's very stylish.  So, who knows, maybe it's a first draft of a concept, maybe it will never amount to anything.  I'm praying.  I just care a lot about what is going on in the world and I think - I know - a lot of other people do too, I just don't think that they - we - always think to DO something about it.  And as a stay-at-home wife and mom of three kids under seven, one of which I homeschool, sometimes I feel paralyzed to be able to get out of my pajamas, let alone get out of my house, to DO something for my neighbor, my friend, or anyone outside these four walls.  Don't get me wrong - please don't get me wrong - my biggest DOs in life have happened in these four walls - well not these four walls, but all my biggest DOs have involved the four people I DO life with every day, and I absolutely love it.  I said I DO to my husband in 2006 on a beach in Delaware.  I actually used the word "squandered" in my off-the-hip, not-rehearsed vows - as in I would "not squander" him.  That in itself is a call to DO.  And man, have I done a lot in this marriage!  Then came the kids.  As soon as they were born, my mission in life changed.  All we have done is DO since we became parents.  All I want to DO is give them all the love and guidance and wisdom and discipline and opportunity to BE WELL & DO GOOD, and to know and love their personal savior, Jesus Christ with all their hearts and minds and souls, and experience the freedom and abundance of life that true relationship with the God of the Universe brings - and I hope that they learn to share that with others.  And I DO a lot of other things too.  I DO cook food for my family.  I DID quit my job to be home for my husband and kids.  I DO homeschool my daughter because it is the fullest life that bridges family, faith, and education.  And because God called us to it.  And now, I DO want to DO more for the world around me.  Maybe this is an outlet for me to escape the mundane, maybe it is a vanity project to see how well I can do at something out there in the "real world", but I really hope it's not.  I hope that the reason I'm doing this is because there is a GOOD place for it, that it will be useful.  Please pray with me as I start this journey of finding all the DOers out there and maybe even getting to DO a little of my own.  Be well and do good.

Love,

Jill