Every year, for a week or two, depending on the weather, we can be in awe of the amazingly beautiful cherry blossoms. I have never seen them in person but when I see pictures of them or see them on tv, they are beautiful.
Are they more beautiful because they come at the end of a long winter ? Are they more beautiful because they give us hope for a future of warm days and sunshine? Would they be as beautiful if they bloomed in July instead of late March?
And then, in the blink of an eye, they are gone and replaced by green.
And that my friends, got me thinking. About a lot of things really. How fleeting is life, relationships, our children growing up, etc etc.
But what it really got me thinking about is our society.
How we bounce from one thing to another without, at least to me, making much change. Someone or something happens and it’s all you hear about for a week or two and then someone or something else happens and the first thing is in the background or gone altogether but nothing ever changed from it. The issue is still there, we have moved on from it to something else.
And eventually, we come full circle and go through the same problems again, over and over.
And we have been doing it this way for decades and I don’t have the answers to fix it. I can only write about how I see it.
Then, as I’m thinking and looking at pictures, I noticed there in the background, meandering slowly through the picture, is the Potomac River.
But the river name doesn’t matter because all rivers are the same.
All rivers are created by smaller streams, creeks, etc flowing into them making one body of water that are no longer separated, but must work together to flow throughout its life.
And in any river you will have rocks and boulders and banks to navigate in and out and around and through.
But then the river comes back together as one.
Which is the point I’m getting to.
What if we always remembered that we, as a society, are the river. We come from different places, different walks of life, we have different beliefs and we talk differently, but we are all living here together and if we flowed together like the river does, then the beauty of the cherry blossoms would not be fleeting.
What if we remembered the hurt, remembered the pain, remembered the love and remembered the beauty of all of us and all of the world.
It’s easy to get used to seeing the beauty of a sunset until we wake up one day and realize we haven’t noticed it in months.
We have to be intentional.
Because when we can learn to live together as one, the beauty of life and how we should live it, the humanity that flows from the river that feeds the cherry blossoms will be as beautiful as cherry blossoms every day, all year round.
I see trees of green, and roses in bloom, And I think to myself, what a wonderful world we can have.
I have been writing these for several years but it seems the birds, and humans, do not learn and we keep going in circles. I originally posted this and the next one two years ago. The post that goes with this one will be posted in about 45 minutes so you will have a quick answer.
History of the birds:
Love, Not Hate: The Reconciliation
Love, Not Hate: Tragedy At Mandalay Bay
Love, Not Hate: Continue To Love
Love Not Hate- Trick or Treat, Halloween Night
The dove had ruled for many years
As he looked out in the crowd his eyes filled with tears
The young eagles time had come
He had grown strong and was filled with love
It was now time for the eagle to continue his dad’s legacy
To rule the land with love for all birds from all over the country
The dove started to say
“My fellow birds, today is a great day”
The birds of prey interrupted; “We’ve had enough,
All you ever talk about is blah blah blah and love love love.”
“Tonight us birds of prey are taking a stand!”
“We have decided to start our own land!”
“The birds of prey will rule anything west of the big oak tree!”
They expected a fight but the eagle said: “That’s fine with me.”
The hawk continued, “We will build a cage around our land,
We don’t need you, on our own we will stand.”
Some of the birds of prey didn’t want to go
They believed in love and had friends that were close
But they all left, all these birds of prey
To start their own land and do it their way
The eagle sat down with the hawk
“If you insist on doing this we need to talk,
We need laws to govern all birds,
We need it written down so there’s no confusion with words.”
“We need to work together for the sake of all,
The land must still be united so we do not fall.”
But any law the birds of love tried to pass
If it didn’t suit them, the birds of prey just laughed
All they did was fight and nothing was ever getting accomplished
The birds of the land lost hope as their dreams were demolished
It wasn’t long before the birds of prey
Tried to make everything their way
The birds of love had to fight
For all the birds they tried to make it right
But in the end, the birds couldn’t agree on anything
The land was falling apart as they kept disagreeing
At first, the land of the birds of prey
Was successful and prosperous inside the cage
But birds of prey only take and never give
That’s just the way birds of prey live
Soon their land was desolate and barren
The birds of love stood outside staring
They agreed they had to help the birds of prey
They had to put into action the words they would say
Through the cage, they started to sneak food
They did everything they could to do good
But the vulture found out and tried to put it to an end
The birds of love found other ways to help the land mend
They did more than just feed
They gave hope to those in need
They reminded them of times not so long ago
Times when they were friends and not foes
They would sneak anything to help inside the cage
Until the vulture, osprey, falcon, and hawk guarded the way
But the birds of love
Would not give up
Then the birds of prey ran out of luck
For it was then that a natural disaster struck
A terrible hurricane hit the birds of prey land
What little they had disappeared in the sand
The birds of love were there in force
Helping the birds of prey through the worst
The vulture, osprey, and falcon still turned their backs
They felt the birds of love were only looking to attack
But the hawk’s heart started to soften
And something inside him started to blossom
He called a secret meeting with the eagle
He asked: “How do you love those of us so evil?”
“We have done so much to hurt you and the birds of your kind,
We have treated you like we are not the same but it’s like you are blind?”
“You are always there to lend a helping hand.”
“You are always trying to heal this land.”
“Tell me eagle, because I know you are also a bird of prey,
How do you continue to love and live this way?”
“I’m tired of fighting and tired of trying to hide,
Tell me Eagle, how can I have what you have inside?”
to be continued….
The World ( Is Going Up In Flames) by Charles Bradley –
Dear Hate by Maren Morris –
Dear Hate by Among Us –
Ghost Nation by Gary Truman –
It’s Not Working (The Truth) by Propaganda-
Come In Our Dark Times by David Haas –
Help Us Now by Melvin Williams –
Love Will Never Give Up by Karen Peck –
Our World by Buckcherry –
A Longer View by Shaman’s Harvest –
You And Me from The Descendants 2 –
The Storm by Jeremy Camp –
What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye –
Love Anymore by Le’Andria Johnson –
For What It’s Worth by Seth Glier –
The dove had ruled for many years
As he looked out in the crowd his eyes filled with tears
The young eagle’s time had come
He had grown strong and was filled with love
It was now time for the eagle to continue his dad’s legacy
To rule the land with love for all birds from all over the country
The dove started to say
“My fellow birds, today is a great day”
The birds of prey interrupted; “We’ve had enough,
All you ever talk about is blah blah blah and love love love.”
“Tonight us birds of prey are taking a stand!”
“We have decided to start our own land!”
“The birds of prey will rule anything west of the big oak tree!”
They expected a fight but the eagle said: “That’s fine with me.”
The hawk continued, “We will build a cage around our land,
We don’t need you, on our own we will stand.”
Some of the birds of prey didn’t want to go
They believed in love and had friends that were close
But they all left, all these birds of prey
To start their own land and do it their way
The eagle sat down with the hawk
“If you insist on doing this we need to talk,
We need laws to govern all birds,
We need it written down so there’s no confusion with words.”
“We need to work together for the sake of all,
The land must still be united so we do not fall.”
But any law the birds of love tried to pass
If it didn’t suit them, the birds of prey just laughed
All they did was fight and nothing was ever getting accomplished
The birds of the land lost hope as their dreams were demolished
It wasn’t long before the birds of prey
Tried to make everything their way
The birds of love had to fight
For all the birds they tried to make it right
But in the end, the birds couldn’t agree on anything
The land was falling apart as they kept disagreeing
At first, the land of the birds of prey
Was successful and prosperous inside the cage
But birds of prey only take and never give
That’s just the way birds of prey live
Soon their land was desolate and barren
The birds of love stood outside staring
They agreed they had to help the birds of prey
They had to put into action the words they would say
Through the cage, they started to sneak food
They did everything they could to do good
But the vulture found out and tried to put it to an end
The birds of love found other ways to help the land mend
They did more than just feed
They gave hope to those in need
They reminded them of times not so long ago
Times when they were friends and not foes
They would sneak anything to help inside the cage
Until the vulture, osprey, falcon, and hawk guarded the way
But the birds of love
Would not give up
Then the birds of prey ran out of luck
For it was then that a natural disaster struck
A terrible hurricane hit the birds of prey land
What little they had disappeared in the sand
The birds of love were there in force
Helping the birds of prey through the worst
The vulture, osprey, and falcon still turned their backs
They felt the birds of love were only looking to attack
But the hawk’s heart started to soften
And something inside him started to blossom
He called a secret meeting with the eagle
He asked: “How do you love those of us so evil?”
“We have done so much to hurt you and the birds of your kind,
We have treated you like we are not the same but it’s like you are blind?”
“You are always there to lend a helping hand.”
“You are always trying to heal this land.”
“Tell me eagle, because I know you are also a bird of prey,
How do you continue to love and live this way?”
“I’m tired of fighting and tired of trying to hide,
Tell me Eagle, how can I have what you have inside?”
to be continued….
The World ( Is Going Up In Flames) by Charles Bradley –
Dear Hate by Maren Morris –
Dear Hate by Among Us –
Ghost Nation by Gary Truman –
It’s Not Working (The Truth) by Propaganda-
Come In Our Dark Times by David Haas –
Help Us Now by Melvin Williams –
Love Will Never Give Up by Karen Peck –
Our World by Buckcherry –
A Longer View by Shaman’s Harvest –
You And Me from The Descendants 2 –
The Storm by Jeremy Camp –
What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye –
Love Anymore by Le’Andria Johnson –
For What It’s Worth by Seth Glier –
I am a hunter. Not just a hunter. I am THE hunter. I am paid, quite well I may add, to hunt. If someone needs to get rid of something, I am the person they call.
It’s a job. I have no emotions about killing another living thing. Many times I am saving many lives by killing a wild beast. A grizzly stalking hikers. A polar bear coming to close to town. A wolf or coyote attacking livestock. A rabid raccoon, a venomous snake, you get the idea.
I have been asked to hunt another human but I cannot go there.
November 3rd. The day that would change my life. I received a call from a farmer saying some wild creature was destroying his livestock. He explained that the creature had a growl he had never heard before. There were nights where he thought he heard more than one. The hairs on his neck would stand up just recalling what they sounded like. Their appetites were endless.
I did all the necessary prep work. I tracked over the land looking for signs of where the creature could be living. I set traps. I found nothing. Not one single sign of where it could be. But the murder of the livestock continued.
I have never failed in my hunts and I was not going to fail this time.
November 6th. It was a full moon and it was the first time I caught a glimpse of the creature. It was not a site I would soon forget. In all my years of hunting, I had never seen anything like it. I can’t even really explain it. Sort of like Bigfoot but… I don’t know. Half gorilla, half bear, half man. Yes, I know three halves don’t make a whole, but like I said, I can’t describe it, it was faster than a cheetah, stronger than an ox, claws like Wolverine.
For the first time in my life, I was scared of something I was hunting. My mouth was dry, my palms sweating, my knees shook. I fired my rifle and for the first time in my life, I missed. It looked my direction and faster than I could blink, it was gone.
Why I continued to hunt this creature I can not say. Maybe it was my pride. Maybe it was ignorance. I start a job I finish it. That was it.
November 10th. Four days had passed and there was no sign of it. Maybe the shot I fired scared it off. I doubted that was the case.
I was right.
I was well hidden in the bushes. I smelled it before I saw it. Then it surfaced about thirty feet from me. I pulled the slide back to chamber the bullet, I put my finger on the trigger, and …The farmer was right, there was more than one. I didn’t even hear the one that snuck up on me. I went flying through the air.
I landed hard on my back. I scrambled trying to get to my feet, to get my bearings. I couldn’t find my gun. It knocked me to the ground again. I was on my stomach and I knew right then and there I was going to die.
I rolled over and it was standing over me. I saw the hatred in its eyes. It saw the fright in mine. It let out a scream that caused my blood to curdle. Then the other creature was there. It was a bit smaller than the one attacking me so I assumed it was the female. It was then I saw the third creature. Much smaller than the other two. I could only think it had to be their child. I could only think these creatures were going to be the last thing I saw in this life.
The female grunted something to the male and the males posture changed. A softness came to his eyes. I looked into the females eyes and saw not hate, but compassion. I saw love in her eyes. Then I looked into the males eyes and saw not only strength but I saw love also.
Then the three of them left.
Why they let me live I had no idea. Maybe they thought I would not taste good. Maybe they could see something in my heart that I did not know was there. Maybe it was for me to be able to tell this story.
All I know was in that moment I saw animals in a different light. I saw that the male was only protecting his family. I saw that they were no different than you and me. I saw that they had emotions, feelings, and intelligence just like you and me.
Maybe even more than we do.
In that moment those creatures changed my entire life. Not only did I see all creatures in a new light, I also saw all humans in a new light. There were no more differences between races or genders. No differences in wealthy or poor. No differences in the strong or weak. I realized all humans were the same. All equal. We are all one. We are all in the same family.
I can never thank those creatures enough for how they changed my life.
Maybe them letting me live to tell my story will change your life. Maybe you will look past the outside and search for what’s inside someone.
Different by Micah Tyler –
Let Love Win by Carrollton-
The Sound Of A Life Changing by Matthew West-
Love Is The Golden Rule by Michael English –
Catch up on the history of the birds:
Birds Of A Different Color: The Sequel
Birds Of A Different Color : Christmas Eve
Birds Of A Different Color: A New Chapter
Birds Of A Different Color- A New World
Birds Of A Different Color- The Division
continued from The Division:
The hawk said:
“Tell me eagle, because I know you are also a bird of prey,
How do you continue to love and live this way?”
“I’m tired of fighting and tired of trying to hide,
Tell me Eagle, how can I have what you have inside?”
The Eagle replied: “It’s a choice to love instead of hate,
Even when your birds of prey frustrate.”
“We are not any different than you,
We are not better because of what we do.”
“We birds are all one and the same.”
“It is easy to play the blame game,
But where does that put us in the end?”
“Living in the mistakes of the past makes us enemies, not friends.”
“We have to work together instead of apart,
We can not let emotions rule our hearts.”
“It’s not easy to always do what is right,
But what is accomplished when we fight?”
“We destroy the land and hurt every bird here!”
“When we are not united all the birds start to fear,
Instead of helping all they start to help only themselves,
They enclose themselves in a box and have no dreams to excel.”
“Instead of giving we take and take, full of greed,
But when we are united and let no bird be in need,
Then we lift each bird up and give them hope.”
“When bad times hit it’s that hope that helps them cope.”
“We choose to believe that all birds should be treated equally,
The bluebird, cardinal, falcon, vulture, warbler, chickadee
The thrusher, sparrow, hummingbird, crow, owl, or duck
It doesn’t matter who you are, if you are down on your luck
We will be there to try to help.”
“We will put others ahead of ourselves.”
“It’s not glamorous and sometimes it’s hard
Because some birds are always on their guard.”
“Quite frankly, a lot of times it is tough.
To always choose to love.”
“When the world seems to have gone their own way,
When marriages fail because one bird chooses not to stay,
When young birds grow up in a broken nest.”
“When you look around and see the world is a mess,
“Yes, sometimes we have to take a deep breath
We have to push on when we want to rest.”
“We know we can never give up,
Because, in the end, it’s all about love!”
“It’s all about what we believe,
And we believe Jesus died for you and me.”
“He showed us how we should live,
That it is always better to give.”
“So, my friend, you ask what it is that’s inside,
It’s him, it’s His love and for Him, I will give my life!”
The hawk thought about it for a few minutes
Then he said: “All the bad we have done, how do you forget?”
The eagle said: “We don’t always forget but we choose to forgive,
Nothing is accomplished when the past we try to relive.”
“We must move forward and look towards tomorrow.”
“There will be pain and there will be sorrow,
But there will also be hope and there will also be love,
And that little bit of hope and love can be enough.”
The hawk asked: “Then why do so many birds, including myself, choose to hate?”
“Why is it so hard for us to love? For us, isn’t it too late?”
The eagle answered: “It is never too late, but do not wait!”
“We must get all birds to love today!”
“We must unite and show them the way!”
“We can do this together if you believe,
Together, great things we can achieve!”
“We can turn this pain into a blessing!”
The hawk thought about it for just a second
Maybe, just maybe, the birds of love are correct
He had to give the birds of love some respect
Together they called an emergency meeting
“Our fellow birds,” they said together in greeting
The hawk started off first: “Birds of prey,
Today, my heart has changed its ways!”
“I have seen how hate has destroyed us,
And I have seen the power of love.”
“Today we will tear down our walls and take down the cage!”
“Any of you birds that are still filled with rage,
Come, talk to the eagle or me.”
“It is not really that hard to see,
That if you choose to love instead of hate,
Once again, we can make our land great!”
“Today all of us birds must unite,
We must find the love that’s inside!”
“We must show it to the world,
That even humans can be like us birds!”
Then the eagle said: “In memory of the words my father last said,
We must live with hope and kindness, not fly around like the living dead.”
“Build others up and always give more than you take.”
“Most importantly, always love, love my birds, love instead of hate!”
The Answer by Jeremy Camp-
When We Pray by Tauren Wells –
I’m Gonna Love my Neighbor by Karen Peck-
No Room For Hate by Mark Lowry –
The Answer To The Question by Tree63 –
The Answer by Audio Adrenaline –
Hope Of All Nations by Karen Peck-
Hope For A Broken World by Selah –
What The World Needs Now Is Love Sweet Love by The Isley Brothers w/ Santana –
It’s All About Him by Alan Jackson –
It has been a year since my first Birds post. Six months since the third one. This one I actually meant to release after the elections but…
I have another one ready to go that will be published next week. I hope you enjoy them.
Be sure to catch up on the history of the birds:
Birds Of A Different Color: The Sequel
Birds Of A Different Color : Christmas Eve
It would soon be a sad, sad day throughout the land
When the eagle would soon fly to Heaven to be in God’s hands
All the birds talked about the progress they had made
When they all decided to love instead of hate
They all knew a new leader needed to lead
But some birds didn’t think there was a need
Why can’t we just govern ourselves
While others thought that would not go well
It wasn’t long before the roads the eagle paved turned to gravel
All the progress the birds had made started to unravel
The Hawk stepped in and said he had something to say
“I should be the leader because I am a bird of prey!”
The Vulture laughed out loud and said he should be the one
A younger Eagle said he had the right since he was the son
The Hummingbird said it should be him since he was small and fast
The Falcon and the Osprey both said no as they laughed
“How can a small bird be a leader?”
“Wake up little bird, you are just a dreamer”
It was then the wise old Owl spoke up
“All of you are making me sick, ENOUGH!!”
“Listen to how we speak!”
“If only the Eagle wasn’t so weak”
“It is as if all we have learned has been erased”
“Appreciation and respect for others is being replaced
With words of hurt and words of hate”
“I see a new leader as all of you debate”
“The only one who hasn’t said any words
Should be the new leader of the birds”
All the birds looked around wondering who it could be
They all gasped when they saw the Eagle crying quietly
“This was just a test of the last resort”
“For my time here is indeed short”
“Have you all forgotten how it was before?”
“When we all killed in a useless war.”
“We can all coexist in love.”
“That is why I will appoint the dove.”
“There is no other way we can live,
As we have been doing, we must continue to give.”
“We must continue to encourage!”
“Let kind words continue to flourish.”
“Help all those hurt and in need.”
“Don’t let in selfishness and greed”
“These might be the last words I say.”
“Love, my friends, love instead of hate!!”
“I pray you will always do what is just, what is right.”
Then the Eagle spread his wings and took his last flight
Better Than I Found It by Danny Gokey –
Here We Stand by Chosen House Choir-
Brother What Happened by Muddy Magnolias-
How Did You Love by Shinedown-
As Long As There’s Love by Alabama-
Enough Love To Go Around by Doug Anderson-
Troubled Times by Green Day-
4-15-13 by Dropkick Murphys-
One More Light by Linkin Park –
Unstoppable by Matty Mullins feat Jordan Feliz –
Change For The World by Charles Bradley-
Choose To Love by Francesca Battistelli –
One Way To Live by Clint Black-
Unite by 1Girl Nation-
Heal Our Land by Troy Sneed-
O God Forgive Us by For King & Country –
What Do I Know by Ed Sheeran –
Get Together by The Youngbloods –
All I have done is copy and paste these seven good news stories. Maybe once a week all us bloggers can post one new good news story and help change all the bad news we hear. Hope you enjoy.
Be sure to listen to the music at the end also.
1)Janiyah Lewis, 6 years old, was leaving a store and saw a man crying. Her mother was so inspired by what her daughter did next, she shared the story
“After leaving out of the store today my daughter did something that really made me stop and think. There was this guy sitting there crying and she asks me ‘did you see that man crying? What’s wrong with him?’ I said yes but I’m not sure maybe he’s just sad… She said, ‘maybe he’s hot and thirsty’ she walked over to him and goes ‘hi sir be happy it’s a nice day it’s not raining. Are you hot ? Why don’t you go home the ground is dirty?’ He says I have no home but I will be ok. She looked at him with the saddest face and goes “so that means you’re homeless. So you have no food because you have no refrigerator.” She gave him a few dollars out of her purse and her drink and said, ‘Please go eat. It would make me happy. I like McDonald’s you should go there.’ I could tell she made his day. On top of that, 2 more people came up and gave money as well. We had a small conversation and he explained his trailer burnt down and he lost everything including his wife. I felt for him. It just warms my heart. A 6 year old lead by example this morning. AWESOME! Kids see no color and that’s exactly how it should be. It’s not just a statement saying that the children are our future, it’s a FACT. That gives me a little more hope for the world.”
Many people are homeless, not because they’re lazy and don’t want to work, but because they have had horrible things happen to them. We can all learn compassion from this little girl and her huge heart.
Photo credit Kenyatta Lewis/ Facebook
2) Donations are pouring in for James Karagiannis, Buffalo’s “Ice Creamcyle Dude.” Karagiannis, 36, owns a fleet of five cycles that visit the city’s disadvantaged neighborhoods, selling ice cream for just $1, or for free in exchange for a correct answer to a history or math question.
With his reflector sunglasses and sneakers the color of a blueberry Popsicle, Karagiannis is a familiar sight in many parts of the city.
But after almost a decade in business, Karagiannis still feels the sting when saying no to a kid who doesn’t have a dollar for ice cream. So he and his drivers keep a stash of freebies to give to children who cannot afford a frozen treat.
Still, nothing is free. The youngster must answer a math or history question.
News spread fast on social media about Karagiannis’ business model, so he started a “Pay It Forward” campaign to allow people to buy ice cream for deserving children.
In return for your donation, Karagiannis has the child who receives a free ice cream write a thank you card which he then mails to you.
“I truly did not think we’d raise more than $500,” Karagiannis wrote on Facebook. “I’m afraid to look at the current total but it’s got to be over $6k and who knows where it’ll be when I wake up tomorrow morning.”
Photo credit: Robert Kirkham / Buffalo News
3) More than $167,000 dollars has been raised for a 19-year-old who was found sleeping in a tent outside the gates of his college last weekend.
Fred Barley, who is homeless, was discovered by two police officers responding to a trespassing call near a parking lot at Gordon State College in Barnesville, Georgia. He told the officers he had ridden his little brother’s bicycle six hours to register for classes for his second semester of college.
In addition to the bike, Barley had two duffel bags containing all his wordly possessions and two gallons of water. All he had to eat was a box of cereal.
The officers brought Barley to a nearby motel and paid for two nights accommodation.
The story, however, doesn’t end there.
One of the officers, Dicky Carreker, posted Fred’s story on Facebook and it went viral. A GoFundMe page on Barley’s behalf has raised nearly $168,000 dollars as of Saturday evening.
“I was not expecting any of this support and am in awe of how this community has come together to help me,” Barley told the Herald-Gazette. “I was just trying to go to school, find a job and make it on my own. Now it seems as though I am part of a new community and have a new family.”
4) A simple act of kindness from one Louisiana man is giving all of us a little slice of hope.
James Varnado brought a smile to many faces in Kenner, Louisiana, when he began helping Target shoppers to their cars in the middle of a heavy rainstorm with his trusty umbrella.
Inside the store, another shopper, Deepak Saini, witnessed Varnado’s good deed and captured the moment in a photo that later went viral on Facebook.
“In that moment, it didn’t matter that he was black and the woman in this picture was white. It was one human helping another,” Saini wrote. “Kindness is something we all need to give to each other right now and let this man be an example.”
In the photo, Varnado appears to be escorting one of many shoppers to their car despite the downpour, proving that not all heroes have capes — some have umbrellas.
photo credit Deepak Saini/Facebook
5) Instead of getting presents for her birthday, Samya McLaughlin, 9, wanted to send a message.
After watching news about the deadly shootings of Dallas police officers on July 7, Samya decided she wanted to use her birthday money to buy lunch for everyone at the 11th Precinct in her local neighborhood in Detroit.
“I wanted to show that all lives matter,” Samya told TODAY. “I felt really bad for the kids (in Dallas) who lost their fathers, so I wanted to take care of the police officers and support them.”
Joining her mother, Sierra McLaughlin, and her father, Sam Walker, along with several other family members, Samya surprised the local officers with a brown bag lunch on July 9, a day before her ninth birthday. She helped pass out about 30 bags with sandwiches, fruit, chips and a cookie.
photo credit Sierra McLaughlin
6) One woman had a “proud mommy moment” last Monday when her young son stopped and shared a compassionate moment with local policemen.
According to Kelly Garza’s Facebook post, she had just finished eating breakfast with her 6-year-old son at a Bob Evans in St. Petersburg, Florida. On the way out, her son spotted policemen eating and approached them.
“My sweet boy prayed over these officers, for safety and thanked them for their service,” Garza wrote in her post.
Many people commented on the post, praising Garza and her son, Joshua.
“Joshua is being brought up in a very loving church, where he has learned that it’s ok to share his faith and that it’s an act of love to pray for others,” she wrote.
photo credit Kelly Garza
7) A Connecticut police officer with a passion for helping children posted an adorable note two siblings wrote him while he was recovering from a knee injury. 8-year-old Malik and 9-year-old Tasha thank Officer Anthony Nolan for “being like a dad for us” and reading to them.
Nolan, who was injured when he fell at a traffic stop a couple of weeks ago, told TODAY.com he was surprised when he recently found the letter duct-taped to his front door.
“We walked up the stairs and I was like, what in the world is on the door? After seeing it, it was a little emotional,” Nolan said. “Guys, we like to have our egos, but it took my ego away.”
Nolan, an officer for the New London Police Department, said he first met the siblings while working on the beach a couple of years ago.
“I heard crying and when I approached them and asked the person who I assumed was their grandmother what happened, she explained that their book got wet and they didn’t get to read it,” he said. “I tried to calm them down because it seemed like the book was important to them.”
That sparked a conversation about books and reading, and ever since then, Nolan has been visiting the children at least once a week to read or take them to the park or for walks on the beach. He said he volunteers with many children in the New London area, especially ones who don’t have a father figure, or who live with a single parent or another relative who could use some help.
photo credit Anthony L Nolan
Brother To Brother by Union Of Sinners and Saints –
Dear Hate by Maren Morris –
Comin’ Undone by Sarah Jarosz –
Change For The World by Charles Bradley –
Colourblind by Hands Like Houses –
Where We Go From Here by Jason Gray –
My God, My Music, My Life 