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"Prisoner
of the
Wind"
Lost
in an image of wind blowing all around,
I'm in a building that's falling to the ground,
Fire is beneath me, no way to get out,
My last words I want to scream and shout,
"Give love to my family and children of three",
But suddenly I fall; I can't believe that I'm alive. I'm free!
-
by
Natalie McBride
Age 10
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Looking
Back and Pressing Forward
Seems like it was just yesterday when we put together our winter issue
of LFCNews Online for 2000/2001. This year seems like it was so long,
yet it went by so quickly. So much has happened, even since our last
issue too. Our proverbial "2001" metaphor to some cosmic place in the
future is now an odyssey moving fast behind us as we begin to search
for a new milestone in the future to build new hopes and dreams on.
Might it be freedom from terrorists, or world peace?
For the Lullaby for Columbine Project, it was a dynamic year filled
with many accomplishments and new directions. We are so thankful to
our supporters and partners for the many opportunities we've been able
to pursue to bring healing, not only to the Columbine community, but
beyond it as well.
Our recent mission trip to New York City through "The Columbine Call"
was a special high-point in outreach activities for us this year. Like
last year’s "Gathering", which we co-sponsored in California bringing
together many of the Columbine families with those from other cities
who also experienced school violence, it was an honor this year to work
with Beth Nimmo who has gone beyond all the pain and grief of losing
her daughter, Rachel, at Columbine and reach out to people around the
world. The opportunity to work with her illustrated the significance
we can make by using our sadness and grief to help others with theirs.
An additional miracle for everyone was how even God used our tragedy
in Littleton to reach out to others as 9-11 provided us the chance to
use our surplus inventory of music to bring healing to many in New York.
He moves in awesome ways.
In other areas, our website has been another wonderful tool for reaching
out; in fact it has evolved into a ministry of its own. We continue
to receive email on our stories and links about how they’ve benefited
from them. Our online store has been an area where, although we have
received several thousand visits since we began tracking them last spring,
our account with Amazon.com has not worked as favorably as we had expected.
After the first of the year, we will render a decision on whether to
continue the online store or phase it out entirely. We are currently
looking at a number of options at this time and will let our supporters
and readers know of the outcome. For now, it will remain open with our
current array of books and other media on Columbine and related subjects.
We haven’t added any new products since this the last issue, but as
new products are released, we may in the near future.
Speaking of "dotcoms", we’re thankful that our site is back up again
and that we can continue to provide service to our readers. We are still
working with our host, Interliant, about issues that have risen since
the accidental shutdown of our website that took over a month to resolve.
Fortunately, we didn’t loose any important data or files in the process
thanks to our illustrious Systems Administrator, David Vande Velde.
It has prompted us from a preventative view to be good stewards and
at least consider other hosting options.
In wrapping up my thoughts for what has been a year filled with as much
blessing as tragedy, I look to the future of our mission and its significance
in the days to come, whatever they may bring us. I look forward to another
new year where we can continue to bring healing through whatever opportunities
that may arise and rely on God and the many great individuals within
our organization for their counsel and direction.
This is also my first Christmas in over a dozen of them where I won’t
be sending out cards as I literally ran out of time to do them. It hasn’t
really bothered me a whole lot as it also seemed appropriate not to
bog down our postal service, which has enough to deal with already.
So for the many of you who would have received a greeting through the
mail from me and my daughter Nina, we send you our wishes for a wonderful
holiday season filled with the peace and hope that only God can bring.
In all of the pain and suffering of our times, we thank God for the
many ways He continues to demonstrate His love for us. Let us again
be reminded of His faithfulness with the lives of Christian aid workers
Heather
Mercer and Dayna
Curry who were miraculously spared in their most trying moments
in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Their story is truly a Christmas
story!
Happy Holidays!
Michael Tamburello
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