"A. J. Gordon noted that if you tear down a sparrow's nest the little bird will build again in the same place. However, if you pull it down several times, she will seek a new location,a shelter higher up,where it will be less vulnerable. Gordon then observed that Christians are not always so wise. They form dwelling places of happiness and hope in this temporal world, only to see them pulled down time after time. Yet after each brief interval of sighs and tears, they begin building all over again in the same way. They never realize that through their defeats the Lord is directing them to put their security in Him. " (courtesy www.crosswalk.com)

Like many of you, I've been glued to the awful pictures and reports coming from Virginia Tech.  33 (including the shooter) DEAD!  As a father and grandfather I can only imagine the devastation hundreds of families - that's right hundreds - are going through right now.  Dads, Moms, brothers, sisters, grandparents, Uncles and Aunts, neighbors, classmates are all trying to deal with this terrible tragedy.  We are beginning to see names and faces now of the students and staff who were slain. Read of a Hero Prof (Copy & Paste if the link doesn't work.) http://www.foxnews.com/video2/player06.html?041707/041707_hero_prof&FNL&Heroic%20Act&acc&US&-1&News&285&&&new   It is difficult not to be moved to tears as you listen to the stories.  The question most are asking and the question there will never be a satisfactory answer to is WHY?  The overall answer, however, is quite easy.. SIN!  The more and more we try to do what A.J. Gordon talks about - form dwelling places of happiness and hope in a temporal world - the more we see Satan let us build and then tear down what we perceive to be "places of hope".  For many, the more we see of incidents like this the more we view life as hopeless.

I would hope that this incident, and ones like it, will continue to cause us, and those going through these tragedies,  to look for hope and security in Christ instead of temporary things around us in this world.  This was heartbreak on a global scale but there are many who suffer terrible heartbreak alone.  Either way the pain is tremendous and we look for answers.  Make sure that if you encounter someone in your life journey who is alone and hopeless - you can point them to the source of all our hope... Jesus Christ.  As the hymn writer says..  "My HOPE is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness".

My prayers continue to go out for all those involved in any way and I pray for our nation and world that more and more will find hope in Christ.

Shalom my friends,

PK