The Power of Prayer

This morning, while trying to wake my daughter for school, I stopped and said a prayer. I prayed for her safety to and from school and I prayed that God would cover the school and blanket them from harm today. I pray often, so this really wasn't that unusual but for some reason this morning, I felt  that I NEEDED to more than ever. I'm so glad I did, because an armed man walked into an elementary school located only 30 minutes Northeast of where I live.

This afternoon, local news outlets reported a gunman had walked into a DeKalb county elementary school and even fired shots at the police before surrendering. The school's bookkeeper, Antoinette Tuff,  is being credited with convincing the shooter to put down his guns and give up. The gunman asked her to call the news station and she did what she was told but not before saying a quick prayer. Thankfully, the suspect was apprehended and no one was harmed though I can't help but think of what could have happened. Ms. Tuff was the only one in direct contact with the gunman but instead of panicking, she prayed. She was able to keep calm, thus keeping the gunman calm, which in turn kept everyone safe from harm.

Some people don't be believe in the power of prayer, but after today's events, how could you not? Prayer changes things. When we pray and do so the right way, the atmosphere shifts. What the Devil meant for evil, turned out good in the end. This incident could have turned out another way, but when God is in the mist, everything changes. We have to understand the order of things and sometimes we are put into situations that force us to seek the Heavenly Father's comfort and guidance (even if we don't understand the "why" at the time). I thank God that I'm a praying woman and I thank God that I'm not the only one.
Be Blessed!

Four Weeks to the Day

It's been exactly 4 weeks since George Zimmerman was found Not Guilty in the murder of Trayvon Martin. My question is what have you done to make a difference? I can honestly say I haven't done a thing and I am ashamed.

In the last 4 weeks, I have been blessed to be able to kiss my kid goodnight EVERY  night, Trayvon's parents cannot. In the last 4 weeks, I have sent my kid off to camp and/or school and watched her come home every day, Trayvon's parents cannot.  In the last 4 weeks, I have watched the changes in my daughter , Trayvon's parents cannot. In the last 4 weeks, I have talked with my kid about her future, Trayvon's parents cannot.

I don't know what the future holds. All I can do is pray to my Heavenly Father that he will keep my family safe from harm. My hope is there won't be another George Zimmerman or another Trayvon Martin, but the reality is, if I don't stand up, there will be. Though time may help the community heal from this tragedy, we must not forget what happened and what will happen again if we don't do something about these bogus "stand your ground" type laws. Remember the term "flip the script"? I say we "flip the script" and stand our ground. We cannot rest until these laws are changed. Trayvon cannot rest in peace until these laws are changed. Will you stand with me?

Mississippi's New law: Collect Blood of Babies born to teen moms for DNA testing

I read an article on Mississippi's new teen mom law regarding a new law in Mississippi that requires hospitals to collect cord blood of babies born to teenage mothers for the purposes of establishing paternity. When I first read this, I had to stop and clear my eyes a bit, after all I do wear glasses so I have to be seeing things, right? Wrong! It's very true and very disturbing. According to the article, the law was designed to combat teenage pregnancy (they claim to have one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the country) and more importantly statutory rape. The supporters of the law cite teen mom's unwillingness to name the father's in certain cases, especially if they are older, for fear the dad will be prosecuted. Opponents however say it's a violation of privacy and fear that teenage males may be unjustly prosecuted if they are proven to have fathered a child with an underage girl.

I have to admit, on it's face it's dead wrong, but if we look deeper, what's the real issue? Should we applaud the state of Mississippi for trying to get a handle on a teen pregnancy rate that's reportedly out of control, or should we be concerned more about the Civil Rights of the parties involved? I'm all for privacy, but if my daughter was impregnated by someone she refused to name, I might be inclined to question the circumstances myself.

Honestly, I'm straddling the fence on this one. Teen pregnancy is nothing new and young girls have long been victims of dirty old men seeking the virginity of adolescent females to satisfy their needs. While I agree that something has to be done; there are clearly too many gray areas. Safeguards have to be in place so that teenagers having "consensual" sex aren't criminalized in the same manner as a 30 year old man that likes having sex and impregnating young girls.  The law should focus more on stiffening the penalty for statutory rape versus victimizing the teen mom all over again to possibly prosecute a crime that may or may not have even occurred.

Thought of the day: You must be stupid to commit a crime today!

I watch a lot of true crime shows like Forensic Files, The First 48, Domminick Dunne's Justice, etc. and I still cannot for the life of me understand what makes people so stupid. I mean really what is it that make you so special to think you can get away with something as serious as murder or rape? We are in a technological age and DNA is no joke. I think the problem is that most states with the death penalty take too long to act. This is a personal opinion but I truly believe in that ultimate punishment and think it isn't used enough. I've said it before and I'll say it again, stupidity is all around us and you have to be some kind of stupid to commit a crime these days.