Good Monday morning, everyone!

We had another topic in mind for you this morning, but life kind of intervened the way it sometimes does. It reminds me of Chapter VI in our One God, Two Voices book that is entitled, “People (and Sometimes We) Just Don’t Understand.”  We delve into several topics, but the main focus is on the tremendous toll the loss of a student takes on teachers. As Deidre (Voice I) said, “Another thing that people just don’t understand is that teachers can and do bond with their students in many positive ways . . . after countless days of teaching and interacting with a particular student, you can build a rapport that can last a lifetime.” We both go on to discuss the loss of students we have taught to death and/or bad circumstances, including prison.

Well, the “Downs” from the title in this blog post is that I am lifting Deidre, my sister in the Lord, co-author, and best friend, up in prayer today as she ministers to a student body who has lost one of their own – a Senior in the school where she counsels/teaches – to a tragic accident this past weekend. Even though she has experienced this type of loss before, no one is ever fully prepared to experience it again with a new group of students who are shocked and initially inconsolable. This is someone they knew, with whom they perhaps walked down the halls or sat beside in classes at their school. Death is for old people; not someone their age! There will be many tears and possibly hysterical sobs as these young people come to grips with the reality that death is no respecter of age. Children die, teenagers die, college students die . . . but that fact is not really brought home to anyone unless you experience it yourself. I would appreciate prayers for my friend as she deals with a very difficult situation and tries, with God’s help, to comfort those who are mourning.

Moving onto the “Ups” in the title, Deidre will move from a troubling experience to an exciting one, when she meets me in Orlando this week. The Two Voices are participating in our very first event as we exhibit our book at the Florida Association of Christian Colleges/Schools (FACCS) annual convention. I hear that the Orange County Convention Center is HUGE, so I expect to be overwhelmed and lost! This will be the first time that we have books to sell to the teachers/others who attend this yearly meeting, and we are looking forward to meeting as many of them as we can. Prayers for safe travel and a good result are also requested from our readers.

I know that God will move in the Ups and Downs of our lives. I have seen Him do it before and He will not fail us now. That’s what we meant in our previous blog about trust. It is so freeing to know that He is in control.

Wishing you a blessed week. Enjoy the colors of the season – it’s beautiful in the Whited Woods!

Sue – Voice II