Death of a young wife and mom

It's odd how we can be so moved, devastated even, by the loss of someone we've never met. We are touched by celebrity deaths as if we were their acquaintances. That makes some kind of sense because there's an illusion of "knowing" a celebrity.

What is strange is how painful the death of a complete stranger. Three days ago a young (34) wife and mother of three children (two with disabilities) from our church died of cancer. She was only diagnosed in late fall. No one expected she would be gone so quickly. God took her two days before Christmas, perhaps the worst time for a family to lose a daughter, wife and mother.

I never met this young woman. My wife met her briefly because had worked with one of her children in Sunday School. My wife sobbed when we heard the news. I've been in shock. A little hole has been poked in souls. The sadness is palpable. Maybe it's easy to feel that family's pain because we are young(er) parents. I cannot imagine losing my wife at such a young age (or at all for that matter.)

When a young person dies, more questions are raised than get answered. Why God did you take her now? Why did you leave her young children motherless? Only God knows the timing of tragedies. All I know is that it is painful to imagine being in this family's shoes.

Quite possibly, the lesson for me is to be unceasingly thankful for the blessings of my beautiful, wonderful wife and daughter He has given me. Maybe I am supposed to remember that others are suffering and could use our support. This horrible tragedy is a chance for the rest of us to show love to this family in crisis. I hope that our family and our church step to the plate.

Deadly Sin No. 2: Gluttony

In the post-modern world, it seems that people really don't believe in sin. Certainly, things that many used to believe were sinful are acceptable behaviors today. To think of overeating, a very common practice in our culture, as sin is probably to some laughable.

Every year after Christmas, though, I know why the early (6th Century) Church identified "gluttony" (latin: gula) as a sin. I feel that "sin's" grip on my body. As wonderful as feasting can be, I feel poisoned after the holidays. Christmas is toxic.

Here's what I ate yesterday (sorry if this seems like too much information):

* Leftover Indian food for breakfast
* About a dozen shrimp
* 10-15 crackers, about 1/2 w/slices of cheese
* Some chips and salsa
* Small scoop of mashed potatoes with gravy
* Small salad
* 2 slices of ham
* Piece of cheesecake
* Some fruit salad
* 2 bottles of Guinness Draught
* 1 bottle of Modelo Especial
* Small glass of egg nog
* 1/2 bag of Smart Food (R) Popcorn
* Maybe 2 cookies
* 5 small cups of Diet Dr. Pepper
* 20 oz. (lousy) gas station coffee
* About 8-10 asparagus stalks

This doesn't include all the junk I ate on Christmas eve: potato chips; rhubarb pie; lasagna; more lousy coffee; pre-made garlic bread; Diet Coke. Yuck. Reading this makes me want to never eat again.

I want to cleanse this stuff from my body. I want all the sugar and fat and carbs and processed garbage out. Now!

I fully and completely understand the blame for how I feel lies with me. A little more discipline yesterday should have been exercised.