Lone Star State

I'm back from deep in the heart of Texas.

I'm terribly, terribly sunburned on strange parts of my body--like my thighs. Who knew? Apparently the spray sunscreen only works on the part which you directly spray (I have a non-sunburned circle on my right arm as proof of that).

The trip was good. More later this weekend perhaps.

Promise to post about the topics in the previous post.

The last month (or so) in pictures...

I apologize for my posting absence. It's been a while because it has been busy, busy, busy and I am off again on Monday with my Middle Schoolers as we travel to Houston for a service project trip. When I return, I promise to talk about 1)McNellies, 2) VBS, 3)Lancaster, 4)My mom's visit and Sarah's Visit, 5)the surreality of having youth visit my parents' house, and 6)my accidental date to Alaska. Until then, for your viewing pleasure:

Lamentations

Thursday, April 12 one of my high school students (a graduated senior) took his own life.

I heard the news while with our youth on our service project trip in Ohio early on Friday morning. Plans were made and we cut our trip early by a day to be here for the funeral.

I am rewinding and winding my memories of David in my head, wondering if there was more that I could do, or say or reach out to him that would have changed the outcome. I mourn, deeply, for the waste of the gifts of leadership, writing and music that he had to offer that are now gone. I struggle with why such an amazing, gifted student felt that there was no other option than ending his life.

David suffered from depression. As Pastor said in his sermon today, "David succumbed to the illness of depression. Depression took David's life." I was and am thankful for those words of comfort in this time of deep grief and questioning. I am thankful for the assurance of David's faith and am comforted by the knowledge that we will one day rejoice together in heaven.