The barn/house is now fully enclosed!!! YEE HAW!!! It has been a long time in the making, but seeing how the barn looks now, I realize it has been worth the wait! We now have as much room as we need for storage.
I cannot begin to tell you how nice it is to have enough shelter for everything.
My family is thrilled that I will no longer be asking them if everything is covered when it rains!
The guys have started framing the inside. Sarah and I are so excited we can hardly contain ourselves!
Now, having said all that, I would like to say that our family has been praying for all the families in Connecticut. The barn, the farm and all of those things are important to us, but this last week has, once again, put things into perspective. I was looking on Facebook earlier this morning and found a link that, I believe, is very appropriate. I have never lost a child, but this man has and his point of view seems very wise to me.
COLUMBINE STUDENT'S FATHER 12 YEARS AGO
Darrell
Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School
shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address
the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee in 1999. What he said to our
national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully
truthful.
These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott
are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that
God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness.. The following is
a portion of the transcript:
"Since the dawn of creation there has
been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain
the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my
wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic
teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain.
Their blood cries out for answers.
"The first recorded act of
violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The
villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National
Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the
murder could only be found in Cain's heart.
"In the days that
followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers
began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the
NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to
represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are
responsible for my daughter's death.
Therefore I do not
believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything
to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent.
I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy -- it
was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the
real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the
blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I
wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best.
Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage,
You've outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question "Why?"
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!
"Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and
spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we
create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and
wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational
systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges
began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has
happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so
doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as
terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs -- politicians immediately look
for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more
restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private
liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would
not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop
someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real
villain lies within our own hearts.
"As my son Craig lay under
that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before
his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or
politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in
America , and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at
Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let
the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move
into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that
violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you
who would point your finger at the NRA -- I give to you a sincere
challenge.. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first
stone!
My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!"
- Darrell Scott
