 Posted Friday, September 24, 2010 8:51 PM
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Do Go Be Man,
Thanks for posting the link to Ryan Hare's sentencing as well as the family friend's statement. I watched the link and was deeply touched by the poise and grace showed by Matt's family and friend. In the news report that followed, a reporter summed it up well when she spoke of their "grace, humility, and a message of forgiveness."
Matt's family appears to have fully acknowledged their loss, faced and grieved it head-on (during the trial and no doubt during the two years since Matt's death), and are holding the perpetrators accountable. But they are a shining example of God's grace and comfort in action, through the Bible and through Christian friends. The news footage even shows Matt's parents comforting the parents of the guy who murdered their son.
My heart and prayers are with you, Matt's family, and the members of your church.
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Posted Saturday, September 25, 2010 12:45 PM
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The family's Christian witness in their forgiveness of Matt's killer got the attention of the local media:
Do Go Be Man
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Posted Tuesday, September 28, 2010 7:45 PM
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The local paper ran an editorial this morning regarding the trial:
Forgiving grace
The paper is known for its liberal agenda and frequent, uh, "misstatements" regarding traditional values. We were quite impressed with what they wrote.
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Posted Saturday, November 06, 2010 9:55 PM
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I was so sorry to read of the terrible situation that the earlier writer went through and the amazing response of the boy's parents. To forgive in such a situation is beyond noble, beyond kind, it is miraculous.
In response to your original question, I immediately thought of how I was raised in CS to ignore people's disfigurements, illnesses, and deaths. Recently, at my mother's funeral, no one (except me, one of the few non-CSers) showed any sadness or grief. I had forgotten how callous that seems to the bereaved.
Today, I attended a funeral for a relative of my husband's. There couldn't have been a greater contrast with what I had experienced at my mother's service. The widow and parents sobbed, other relatives cried out, people stood up, they rocked in their seats. In other words, they expressed their perfectly normal emotions. There was a simple yet profound sermon about Jesus. There was laughter, too, when one of the cousins related some funny incidents from their childhood. With all those years of suppressing emotions, I reveled in being able to express them today with the other mourners.
I have never felt a funeral was so "good" until today. And, at the end of it all, we had heard about Jesus, knew how we could go to heaven, and had grieved. It was real and it started the healing process, in my opinion.
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Posted Sunday, November 14, 2010 7:25 PM
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The sentencing of the remaining three charged in Matt's death will take place on Monday. Please join me in praying for the defendants, their families, their attorneys, the district attorneys, and the judge, as well as the Silliman family and friends. Pray for God's wisdom, grace, mercy, and justice. One of the local stations will webcast the proceedings.
Do Go Be Man
<><
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Posted Monday, November 15, 2010 11:07 PM
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Posted Tuesday, November 16, 2010 6:32 AM
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God's wisdom, grace, mercy, and justice was glorified. The family and friend again presented the message and witness of Christian forgiveness.
That's good to hear, Do Go Be Man. I'm glad for you, and all involved, that this trial is over -- and that justice has been served.
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Posted Friday, December 03, 2010 9:00 AM
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Great topic!
There are several ways to deal with stress--not just one. That seems so simple, but to the C.S. there is only one. The first thing I do is say yes, I am under stress and then I take inventory of the physical symptoms. I remind myself that these responses are there for a reason--survival--and that these responses are normal. The degree to which we feel stress ranges from low to high.
I have so much trouble realizing that my levels may not be what others in the same situation may be feeling!
If I feel the stress consciously and physically, it often makes me feel less stressful. Go figure!
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