09/16/2025
A lot has been going on for me over the last few months, and I'll make a separate post about that in a few days, but I want to take a moment to acknowledge the events that happened last week.
First, it's incredibly sad to have yet another school shooting go down in American history. I was heartbroken and horrified to learn that children were injured and that another child was so conflicted that he would commit such a heinous crime against his peers. I know that the world can be so very unkind and harsh and that some kids need more support than others to process their feelings or experiences and I wish that every child was always able to get that help when they need it to prevent tragedies such as this.
We should all be praying for peace and healing for the victims and their families as they go through unfathomable suffering and sadness and work to give our children a good foundation and upbringing to teach them right from wrong and the value of all lives, regardless of our differences.
Secondly, I want to acknowledge the passing of Charlie Kirk, who, whether you liked him or not, was a human being with hopes, dreams, and convictions like you and I, who had a family and a future that was snuffed out for all the wrong reasons.
Political agendas aside, I believe that his heart was for sharing God and his values with anyone who would listen, and to find a connection and common ground with everyone, especially the people who seemingly had the least in common with him. He was unashamed and had courage even when he was outnumbered which is more than I can say for myself and my own convictions. He knew that his message would not always be welcomed with open arms, but he spoke anyway and still tried to have discussions with people.
I have spent most of my life trying to lay low, avoid confrontation, and stay somewhere in the middle so as not to have conflict or lose people I thought were my friends. I have been cowardly, I have kept my values fairly private, and have worried far too much about what total strangers might think of me if I talked about what I believe in. It's so easy to say nothing, but so hard to be transparent when you want so badly to be liked, respected, or looked up to.
Charlie's courage to speak out in the face of adversity, violence, hatred, and threats gives me courage to share my beliefs and values openly too, and I hope that it sparks the same spirit of conviction in you as well.
I am a Christian and I believe that God sent his son Jesus to die for our sins so that we may have eternal life. I believe that God is love and that people who call themselves his followers should be examples of that love to all through service, kindness, and respect and while I'm not perfect at any of those, I strive to be better at each of them every chance I get.
I believe that Charlie's death is lighting a fire in many of us who almost forgot what we believe in, who almost let our flames get extinguished, and that God will use this tragedy for His glory if we turn our sadness and fear into faith and courage.
It is my hope and prayer that each of you take a moment to be grateful for all the things you have been blessed with, starting with your lives, and give your hearts to God that He may use you to bless others and to have courage to stand up for what's right even if it means standing alone at times. Be grateful for your families, for your health, for every struggle you've endured and for the challenges that surely await you still. Have faith that your story is not over yet and that your life can have as much meaning as you allow it to.
God bless you all, and God bless America. πΊπΈ
