Janet's Blog

Bill walked by when I was working on my first blog post, and asked what I was doing.  When I told him that I was starting a blog, he sort of rolled his eyes.  I could tell that he didn't have a clue about why I would want to blog.  So, why blog?  I guess I have several reasons. To begin with, writing is often easier for me than speaking.  The act of writing gives me time to organize my thoughts, so I can say what I really mean. Sometimes my innate shyness gets in the way.  I feel like people don't really know me because I don't always speak my mind.  One of my college professors once told the class that "a shy person is a selfish person"--words that could only be spoken by a true extrovert!  Of course, I was too shy to tell him (and the entire class) what I really thought about his assessment.  (It's just my opinion, but I think that extroverts are sometimes selfish when they won't let us shy people get a word in edgewise!)  In my experience, I've no

Today marks the first anniversary of Ellie's death.  I know it has been a difficult day for my nephew and sister, and for many others who knew Ellie.  It's very hard to lose a loved one, especially a six-year-old child.  It's tempting to blame God, because we know that He could have miraculously saved Ellie.  We know that He loved her immensely.  Why didn't He step in to take away the cancer?  We can't second-guess God, but we like to try.  Maybe He saved her from something worse.  Maybe those of us who are left will learn something from her death.  Maybe someone will draw closer to God.  Maybe, maybe, maybe... My nephew, Wes, with his oldest daughter, Ellie Ever since sin came into the world in the Garden of Eden, people have to die.  Dying is an inevitable part of life, caused by viruses, cancer, accidents, heart attacks, sometimes even murder.  But aren't most people supposed to live for a long time before they die normally of old age?  If we were able to ch