"D" is for Dare to....

I had a different way to go with my very late and dearly needed to read  Alphabe Thursday post! But I will do my very best to incorporate it all here! My heart goes out to all those effected by the tragedy in Connecticut today! I have put up several posts on Face Book and I hope you will read those! I am what many would call a bible thumping Christian! But I am a strong willed woman and it is important that you do not think I am making light of a tragedy or my faith! I just feel sometime too many Christians are  wishy washy! They step back instead of forging ahead and possible hurting someones feelings! They love the Lord but cautiously. They won't take a stand against all the ridiculous political correctness in this country. Then when a tragedy strikes they wonder where God is?! Why didn't He do something to stop this! So love me or leave me I am an outspoken girl! Sometime I hear little whispers from the Lord and I choose my words very carefully but I make my point! The bible is a book of knowledge. It is filled with everyday advice. It will help you, if you are still raising young ones, to deal with those, like myself, that are strong willed! It has helped farmers for years  produce crops. Dependent on Him ,somehow our lives make more sense! Even when we suffer those "Job" times. I use to think, "boy Lord you are nuts! You want me to believe I will still love you after you take all that is important to me? Hmmm....." Then my own life suffered tremendous loss! Good health, a spouses good job, the death of an unborn child, bankruptcy, losing a favorite phamily car! A beautiful new home! The loss of a beloved father, a darling, doting dad who adored his youngest daughter! Grief! Thick as fog over a river on a cold dreary morning! More job loss, more heart breaking  foreclosure! Another home, one which raised five adorable children gone, taken away from homeowners hoping this would be the one place to retire one day. Taken away by corporate greed, people hungry for money! When that money stares them in the face they need more! Then they make jokes about poor helpless drug addicts trapped in a cycle of despair, their own lives mirrored against that of the less fortunate.  The homeless the ones who have lost hope.They compare us to all the once hard working people struggling to stay afloat! Yet their love of money, of needing more and more effects many hardworking individuals that are reduced to "losers" in this game of life! We are the bad guys. The ones that should have planned better. All along that winding broken road is the One who loves us, money or not! House or cardboard box! A light goes on inside your head! Things, they don't matter at all. when life is said and done things will not matter. Only God staring us in the face looking over our lives and what we made of it. How we treated those around us. A kind word or a wicked one. During these difficult times in my own life, and yes this happened to us, I did not make it up, I found out that God matters. People matter. Love and kindness matters and money, it helps give us basic comforts but it is not my god. It is not my reason for living. We lost nearly everything we had and we let it go. Bitterness, no, sadness, some! We tried to live up to Job! We nearly succeeded! We trusted God. Sometime we felt He was the only one there and found out He was! We started depending on Him. It is always easy? Heavens no! But when tragedy strikes, such as this shooting of innocent lives in Connecticut I prefer to trust Him. I dare you to read your bible. If you need one, give me a shout ! I will send you one. I dare you to trust God! I seriously double dog dare you! In fact, the coup de grace of all dares, the sinister triple-dog-dare ya! I want you to read the bible and share a comfort or two with me. Believe me you will find something to touch your heart during a senseless tragedy. God has a way of putting it in front of your face! So will you accept my dare and read the bible? Then rememeber these beautiful words from Jesus Himself, "But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14 New American Standard Bible. I think in the days ahead perhaps a parent will, if only for a brief moment, find some comfort in these words. Their lives have been forever changed. I hope you say a prayer, send a card or note and trust God! Now accept my dare and than share your own thoughts with others.