I just watched this & it frightens me horribly.
I have to admit, when I think about our society, the media, the celebrities, our country, our president (both current & future), I will pray. But I shamefully haven't made it a priority.
This scared me into making it a priority.
Showing posts with label reasons to put your kids in a bubble. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reasons to put your kids in a bubble. Show all posts
10.05.2008
5.29.2008
The Part Where I Want to Kick Someone In the Throat
...on account of reading some of the comments posted here. In response to our MLB stadium making a decision to open a peanut free section (ONE section) at one of the games this season (ONE game), they opened the question up to some the fine (using the term loosely) readers on their site.
Some people still think that parents of allergy kids are overreacting & blowing things out of proportion.
I wish those people had been around the evening last summer when Flynn's airway closed. And then I could've jammed the giant needle of the epi-pen into their leg as well.
As I read, I thought to myself, 'Really? Are there really people that ignorant? Really?'
And then I commented. And so did Jeff. And I wanted to kick someone in the throat.
Some people still think that parents of allergy kids are overreacting & blowing things out of proportion.
I wish those people had been around the evening last summer when Flynn's airway closed. And then I could've jammed the giant needle of the epi-pen into their leg as well.
As I read, I thought to myself, 'Really? Are there really people that ignorant? Really?'
And then I commented. And so did Jeff. And I wanted to kick someone in the throat.
4.18.2008
I Felt the Earth Move Under My Feet part deux
Last night wasn't the only time I've felt the earth shake. And when Jeff told me it was only rain & wind, that was enough to convince me to go back to the comatose state I had just gotten into after checking on Gabe's temp at 3 am.
Little did we know just two hours away, a pretty sizable earthquake was making the charts.
It got me thinking, would I know what to do in the event that it did more than rattle our windows & cause our frames to be less than straight?
Turns out, I wouldn't have a clue, I took this quiz & failed miserably. I guess all that training back in high school (thanks to Nostradamus' big scare) was only stored in my short term memory bank. And stop, drop, & cover is all I remember.
4.03.2008
3.04.2008
"Oprah and Friends" to teach course on New Age Christ
I'm one of the many who are awed by Oprah's generosity & warmed by her giving. But I'm neither warmed nor awed by this latest blow to the very foundation my beliefs are built upon.
It seems Christ is being redefined & reinvented, (basically blasphemed). It's scary to me as I know how influencial Oprah is, with millions (of watchers & dollars!).
I also realize how easy it is to buy into something like this. It's appealing. I mean, no sin? no satan? Wouldn't that be great?! An end to thinking that Jesus died for us for our sins? Who wouldn't like to live the rest of their lives ignoring the idea that someone did so much for us?!
I'm sure a lot of people will follow the idea that there are generally no rules. An intrinsic belief system of sorts. I mean I'm all for relying on your own convictions but belief in a system without the true foundation of Christ is complete false beliefs.
I also know that someone wanting to sneak into your house isn't going to knock the door down & yell & growl & scare you. They will come when you least expect, they will be quiet. They might even knock on your door & sweet talk you into letting them come into your livingroom.
And if you're wanting to convince someone of something, your best bet is to appear as if you have his or her best interest.
I don't let much get my feathers get ruffled when it comes to my faith. But when Jesus died for all of us...and then someone is wanting to use that, turn it upside down, and convince us to not build our basis on it, well, that kinda ticks me off.
Apparently this Helen Schucman heard voices back in the 60s (who didn't hear voices back in the 60s?!). She dubbed this voice as Jesus (I won't poke fun at that particular point, as I do believe Jesus speaks to some). Apparently Jesus 'spoke' to her & asked her to write down each things He said. At which point she created her book, Miracles.
I got this info in an email but never believe everything I get in my inbox (otherwise I'd be posting about how I won THREE lotteries in ONE day! The Nigerian lottery & others!). So I did my own research.
Here's my sources:
http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/007/smith-oprah.htm
I got this info in an email but never believe everything I get in my inbox (otherwise I'd be posting about how I won THREE lotteries in ONE day! The Nigerian lottery & others!). So I did my own research.
Here's my sources:
http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/007/smith-oprah.htm
Here's what a I read:
Oprah Winfrey, beginning January 1, 2008, on her daily radio
Program will offer a year-long course on the New Age Christ , in a
Lesson a day and completely cover the 365 lessons from the Course in
Miracles "Workbook."
Listeners will be encouraged to buy A Course in Miracles for
The year-long course, and an audio version, recited by Richard (John Boy Walton) Thomas will be available on compact disc.
Those who finish the Course will have a wholly redefined
Spiritual mindset-a New Age worldview that include the beliefs that
There is no sin, no evil, no devil. A Course in Miracles teaches its
Students to rethink everything they believe about God and life, and,
Bluntly states: "This is a course in mind training" and is dedicated to
"thought reversal."
The Course in Miracles -in reality-is the truth of the Bible
Turned upside down.
Oprah told her television audience that Williamson's book, A
Course in Miracles was one of her favorite books, and that she had
Already bought a thousand copies and would be handing them out to
Everyone in her studio audience. Oprah's endorsement skyrocketed
Williamson's book to the top of the New York Times bestseller list .
A Course in Miracles is allegedly a "new revelation" from
"Jesus" to help humanity work through these troubled times. This
"Jesus"-who bears no doctrinal resemblance to the Bible's Jesus
Christ-began delivering channeled teachings in 1965 to a Columbia
University Professor of Medical Psychology, Helen Schucman.
One day Schucman heard an "inner voice" stating, "This is a
Course in miracles. Please take notes." For seven years she diligently
Took spiritual dictation from this voice that described himself as
"Jesus."
Here are some quotes from the "Jesus" voice of A Course in Miracles :
· "There is no sin . . . "
· A "slain Christ has no meaning."
· "The journey to the cross should be the last '
Useless journey."
· "Do not make the pathetic error of 'clinging to the
Old rugged cross.'"
· "The Name of Jesus Christ as such is but a symbol...
It is a symbol that is safely used as a replacement for the many names
Of all the gods to which you pray."
· "The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself."
· "The Atonement is the final lesson he [man] need
Learn, for it teaches him that, never having sinned, he has no need of
Salvation."
Popular author Wayne Dyer told his PBS television audience that
The "brilliant writing" of A Course in Miracles would produce more
Peace in the world.
The Course in Miracles-based book, Forgiveness, continues to be
Sold in Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral bookstore as Schuller
Prepares to host a January 17-19, 2008, "Rethink Conference" at his
Crystal Cathedral.
It's interesting that our generation is catching a glimpse at the 'end times' (the last days).
Program will offer a year-long course on the New Age Christ , in a
Lesson a day and completely cover the 365 lessons from the Course in
Miracles "Workbook."
Listeners will be encouraged to buy A Course in Miracles for
The year-long course, and an audio version, recited by Richard (John Boy Walton) Thomas will be available on compact disc.
Those who finish the Course will have a wholly redefined
Spiritual mindset-a New Age worldview that include the beliefs that
There is no sin, no evil, no devil. A Course in Miracles teaches its
Students to rethink everything they believe about God and life, and,
Bluntly states: "This is a course in mind training" and is dedicated to
"thought reversal."
The Course in Miracles -in reality-is the truth of the Bible
Turned upside down.
Oprah told her television audience that Williamson's book, A
Course in Miracles was one of her favorite books, and that she had
Already bought a thousand copies and would be handing them out to
Everyone in her studio audience. Oprah's endorsement skyrocketed
Williamson's book to the top of the New York Times bestseller list .
A Course in Miracles is allegedly a "new revelation" from
"Jesus" to help humanity work through these troubled times. This
"Jesus"-who bears no doctrinal resemblance to the Bible's Jesus
Christ-began delivering channeled teachings in 1965 to a Columbia
University Professor of Medical Psychology, Helen Schucman.
One day Schucman heard an "inner voice" stating, "This is a
Course in miracles. Please take notes." For seven years she diligently
Took spiritual dictation from this voice that described himself as
"Jesus."
Here are some quotes from the "Jesus" voice of A Course in Miracles :
· "There is no sin . . . "
· A "slain Christ has no meaning."
· "The journey to the cross should be the last '
Useless journey."
· "Do not make the pathetic error of 'clinging to the
Old rugged cross.'"
· "The Name of Jesus Christ as such is but a symbol...
It is a symbol that is safely used as a replacement for the many names
Of all the gods to which you pray."
· "The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself."
· "The Atonement is the final lesson he [man] need
Learn, for it teaches him that, never having sinned, he has no need of
Salvation."
Popular author Wayne Dyer told his PBS television audience that
The "brilliant writing" of A Course in Miracles would produce more
Peace in the world.
The Course in Miracles-based book, Forgiveness, continues to be
Sold in Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral bookstore as Schuller
Prepares to host a January 17-19, 2008, "Rethink Conference" at his
Crystal Cathedral.
It's interesting that our generation is catching a glimpse at the 'end times' (the last days).
Read 2 Timothy 3:
Godlessness in the Last Days
1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
6They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.
2.20.2008
Tossin' & Turnin'
Night Terrors
What is it?
Within fifteen minutes of your child’s falling asleep, he will probably enter his deepest sleep of the night. This period of slow wave sleep, or deep non-REM sleep, will typically last from forty-five to seventy-five minutes. At this time, most children will transition to a lighter sleep stage or will wake briefly before returning to sleep. Some children, however, become stuck and are unable to completely emerge from slow wave sleep.
Caught between stages, these children experience a period of partial arousal.
Partial arousal states are classified in three categories: 1) sleep walking, 2) confusional arousal, and 3) true sleep terrors. These closely related phenomena are all part of the same spectrum of behavior.When most people (including the popular press and popular parenting literature) speak of night terrors they are generally referring to what are called confusional arousals by most pediatric sleep experts.
During these frightening episodes, the child is not dreaming and typically will have no memory of the event afterwards. If any memory persists, it will be a vague feeling of being chased or of being trapped. The event itself seems to be a storm of neural emissions in which the child experiences an intense flight or fight sensation. Once it is finally over, the child usually settles back to quiet sleep without difficulty.
These are very different from nightmares.True sleep terrors are a more intense form of partial arousal. They are considerably less common than confusional arousals and are seldom described in popular parenting literature.
Who gets it?
The tendency toward sleepwalking, confusional arousals, and true sleep terrors often runs in families. They tend to be more common in boys, and are much less common after age 7.
The events are often triggered by sleep deprivation or by the sleep schedule's shifting irregularly over the preceding few days. A coincidentally timed external stimulus, such as moving a blanket or making a loud noise, can also trigger a partial arousal (which again shows that the event is a sudden neural storm rather than a result of a complicated dream).
What are the symptoms?
Typically, a confusional arousal begins with the child moaning and moving about. It progresses quickly to the child crying out and thrashing wildly. The eyes may be open or closed, and perspiration is common. The child will look confused, upset, or even "possessed" (a description volunteered by many parents). Even if the child does call out his parents' names, he will not recognize them. He will appear to look right through them, unable to see them. Parental attempts to comfort the child by holding or cuddling often prolong the situation.
Is it contagious?
No
How long does it last?
Most often, a confusional arousal will last for about ten minutes, although it may be as short as one minute, and it is not unusual for the episode to last for a seemingly eternal forty minutes.
How is it diagnosed?
The diagnosis is based on the history.
How is it treated?
When an event does occur, do not try to wake the child -- not because it is dangerous, but because it will tend to prolong the event. It is generally best not to hold or restrain the child, since his subjective experience is one of being held or restrained; he would likely arch his back and struggle all the more. Instead, try to relax and to verbally comfort the child if possible. Speak slowly, soothingly, and repetitively. Turning on the lights may also be calming. Protect your child from injury by moving furniture and standing between him or her and windows. In most cases, the event will be over in a matter of minutes.
Flynn has had night terrors for about two years now. It didn't particularly scare me at first, as I had them growing up as a child & continued to walk in my sleep through adolescence.
Her episodes each might only last five or ten minutes, but the problem is, usually on a night she has an episode, she has about 10 episodes. And will struggle with it all night.
Like last night. I'm not sure we slept. We know she's okay & that there's not a lot we can do, but I still challenge you to sleep through hearing your four-year old screaming bloody murder from her room. Or yelling, "Mom, NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Or one of my favorites, "Bubby, get OFF the tv!!" It's usually mom or dad she's yelling at in her episode. And last night she even yelled about the brand new puppy she saw yesterday at Gi's.
Usually we take turns going into her room at crucial times (by crucial I mean where her screaming is getting so loud it will no doubt wake Gabe). I'm not totally sure what Jeff does, I usually hold her & sing to her (even tho I read above that you shouldn't hold them). Sometimes, it bothers me so bad to see her scared that I wake her, get her a drink, etc.
She never remembers. So, I realize she won't be scarred. But, still, you can't tell me it's a positive experience to be tortured in your subconcious. I don't remember having them when I was young, but I do remember my mom waking me or trying to comfort me.
I can definitely see where it could scare someone. And it's beyond scaring me. I'm just completely exhausted with it. It's about once a week.
Next time I'm going to try getting her up to go potty, maybe a full bladder is causing it.
After that, I'm strongly considering contacting a sleep therapist. It might be worth the ovary I might have to sell to pay for it.
What is it?
Within fifteen minutes of your child’s falling asleep, he will probably enter his deepest sleep of the night. This period of slow wave sleep, or deep non-REM sleep, will typically last from forty-five to seventy-five minutes. At this time, most children will transition to a lighter sleep stage or will wake briefly before returning to sleep. Some children, however, become stuck and are unable to completely emerge from slow wave sleep.
Caught between stages, these children experience a period of partial arousal.
Partial arousal states are classified in three categories: 1) sleep walking, 2) confusional arousal, and 3) true sleep terrors. These closely related phenomena are all part of the same spectrum of behavior.When most people (including the popular press and popular parenting literature) speak of night terrors they are generally referring to what are called confusional arousals by most pediatric sleep experts.
During these frightening episodes, the child is not dreaming and typically will have no memory of the event afterwards. If any memory persists, it will be a vague feeling of being chased or of being trapped. The event itself seems to be a storm of neural emissions in which the child experiences an intense flight or fight sensation. Once it is finally over, the child usually settles back to quiet sleep without difficulty.
These are very different from nightmares.True sleep terrors are a more intense form of partial arousal. They are considerably less common than confusional arousals and are seldom described in popular parenting literature.
Who gets it?
The tendency toward sleepwalking, confusional arousals, and true sleep terrors often runs in families. They tend to be more common in boys, and are much less common after age 7.
The events are often triggered by sleep deprivation or by the sleep schedule's shifting irregularly over the preceding few days. A coincidentally timed external stimulus, such as moving a blanket or making a loud noise, can also trigger a partial arousal (which again shows that the event is a sudden neural storm rather than a result of a complicated dream).
What are the symptoms?
Typically, a confusional arousal begins with the child moaning and moving about. It progresses quickly to the child crying out and thrashing wildly. The eyes may be open or closed, and perspiration is common. The child will look confused, upset, or even "possessed" (a description volunteered by many parents). Even if the child does call out his parents' names, he will not recognize them. He will appear to look right through them, unable to see them. Parental attempts to comfort the child by holding or cuddling often prolong the situation.
Is it contagious?
No
How long does it last?
Most often, a confusional arousal will last for about ten minutes, although it may be as short as one minute, and it is not unusual for the episode to last for a seemingly eternal forty minutes.
How is it diagnosed?
The diagnosis is based on the history.
How is it treated?
When an event does occur, do not try to wake the child -- not because it is dangerous, but because it will tend to prolong the event. It is generally best not to hold or restrain the child, since his subjective experience is one of being held or restrained; he would likely arch his back and struggle all the more. Instead, try to relax and to verbally comfort the child if possible. Speak slowly, soothingly, and repetitively. Turning on the lights may also be calming. Protect your child from injury by moving furniture and standing between him or her and windows. In most cases, the event will be over in a matter of minutes.
Flynn has had night terrors for about two years now. It didn't particularly scare me at first, as I had them growing up as a child & continued to walk in my sleep through adolescence.
Her episodes each might only last five or ten minutes, but the problem is, usually on a night she has an episode, she has about 10 episodes. And will struggle with it all night.
Like last night. I'm not sure we slept. We know she's okay & that there's not a lot we can do, but I still challenge you to sleep through hearing your four-year old screaming bloody murder from her room. Or yelling, "Mom, NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Or one of my favorites, "Bubby, get OFF the tv!!" It's usually mom or dad she's yelling at in her episode. And last night she even yelled about the brand new puppy she saw yesterday at Gi's.
Usually we take turns going into her room at crucial times (by crucial I mean where her screaming is getting so loud it will no doubt wake Gabe). I'm not totally sure what Jeff does, I usually hold her & sing to her (even tho I read above that you shouldn't hold them). Sometimes, it bothers me so bad to see her scared that I wake her, get her a drink, etc.
She never remembers. So, I realize she won't be scarred. But, still, you can't tell me it's a positive experience to be tortured in your subconcious. I don't remember having them when I was young, but I do remember my mom waking me or trying to comfort me.
I can definitely see where it could scare someone. And it's beyond scaring me. I'm just completely exhausted with it. It's about once a week.
Next time I'm going to try getting her up to go potty, maybe a full bladder is causing it.
After that, I'm strongly considering contacting a sleep therapist. It might be worth the ovary I might have to sell to pay for it.
2.18.2008
THE Question
We have had us a girls' night, that's for sure. Gabe is with Daddy at a boys only church fun night & we've been taking advantage of the interruption-free evening.
We enjoyed a tea party, with chocolate soy milk instead of tea. And rather than biscoti, we devoured some blueberry bagels, bread-sliced.
After Flynn did her breathing treatment, she decided to make a "face" (pictures forthcoming. what? you don't believe me? I always say that? Then the pictures never forthcome? okay, you're right. but this time I promise.)
So, we make a face. Complete with feathers & jewels, this face has apparently been bedazzled.
So, I saunter over here to the computer while Flynn finished her garden grean beans. And, out of the clear blue, she says it.
Lord help me. My little girl, only four years old, just asked me THE question.
You know the one.
Those words that you hope you won't hear for a long long time.
And when they do come out, you cringe & twitch & time seems to stand still.
"Mom...how does womens get babies into their tummy?"
A look of terror must've come over my face. I felt beads of sweat form on my scalp. She was looking right at me.
"Um. Eh. Um. Well. Uh...."
She wouldn't look away! Look away! Give me a chance to think of something!! 'God help me. Let your annointing fall on me & inspire me to give an answer. Just something.'
That didn't work.
So, I started praying that Jesus would return. 'Please Lord -- right now is a good time for you to split that sky open & make known of Your glorious return.'
That didn't work either.
"Um. Eh. Well. You see."
She didn't see. She just kept looking at me. And in the four years I've known her, she has never shown such concentration. She's never had such an attention span.
"Well. God puts the baby in the mother's tummy."
She still stared at me. She knew that wasn't all there was to it. She could smell the fear emitting from my pores. She wanted the real answer, the goods.
But she's only four & she doesn't need the goods.
"Whenever Daddy & I knew how much we loved each other, we prayed to God that He would bless us with a baby. And we showed each other how much we loved each other" (and really, that's pretty racey right there).
I looked up at the wall, hoping she'd look at the wall too. And then she wouldn't be looking at me anymore.
WHY IS THIS SO HARD TO TALK ABOUT? I'm a pretty honest person. Possibly the most direct person in North America.
But, she didn't look at the wall. She wanted clarification. I really don't think four-year olds need clarification, but apparently she felt like she deserved all the details. Lord help me.
"But Mom, how does the baby get into the mommy's tummy?"
You know, I don't think I knew these details 'til I was like at least seven years old & even then, I think I was too young to handle such truth. I really wanted to tell her that when a woman is at least thirty & is a virgin, never having known a man, she marries the man God has destined for her to be with FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE, then they, being financially stable & with a perfect relationship, ask God to bless them with fruit of their loins. Then, without any type of fertility issues or clomid or progesterone, are magically inpregnated.
But, that's not exactly the case.
Her eyes never left the side of my head, they just began to bore a hole in it. So, I gave in. I turned to her & prayed that I wasn't sharing too much & that this wouldn't land her in therapy.
"The baby is as small as a seed & is made in the tummy when the Mom & Dad show their love to each other."
I mean, I really didn't think I'd give her that much honesty. But, she threw me off-guard. I definitely didn't think we'd be having this conversation so early in her preschoolhood.
"Oh."
And she went on to humming & picking at her green beans.
We enjoyed a tea party, with chocolate soy milk instead of tea. And rather than biscoti, we devoured some blueberry bagels, bread-sliced.
After Flynn did her breathing treatment, she decided to make a "face" (pictures forthcoming. what? you don't believe me? I always say that? Then the pictures never forthcome? okay, you're right. but this time I promise.)
So, we make a face. Complete with feathers & jewels, this face has apparently been bedazzled.
So, I saunter over here to the computer while Flynn finished her garden grean beans. And, out of the clear blue, she says it.
Lord help me. My little girl, only four years old, just asked me THE question.
You know the one.
Those words that you hope you won't hear for a long long time.
And when they do come out, you cringe & twitch & time seems to stand still.
"Mom...how does womens get babies into their tummy?"
A look of terror must've come over my face. I felt beads of sweat form on my scalp. She was looking right at me.
"Um. Eh. Um. Well. Uh...."
She wouldn't look away! Look away! Give me a chance to think of something!! 'God help me. Let your annointing fall on me & inspire me to give an answer. Just something.'
That didn't work.
So, I started praying that Jesus would return. 'Please Lord -- right now is a good time for you to split that sky open & make known of Your glorious return.'
That didn't work either.
"Um. Eh. Well. You see."
She didn't see. She just kept looking at me. And in the four years I've known her, she has never shown such concentration. She's never had such an attention span.
"Well. God puts the baby in the mother's tummy."
She still stared at me. She knew that wasn't all there was to it. She could smell the fear emitting from my pores. She wanted the real answer, the goods.
But she's only four & she doesn't need the goods.
"Whenever Daddy & I knew how much we loved each other, we prayed to God that He would bless us with a baby. And we showed each other how much we loved each other" (and really, that's pretty racey right there).
I looked up at the wall, hoping she'd look at the wall too. And then she wouldn't be looking at me anymore.
WHY IS THIS SO HARD TO TALK ABOUT? I'm a pretty honest person. Possibly the most direct person in North America.
But, she didn't look at the wall. She wanted clarification. I really don't think four-year olds need clarification, but apparently she felt like she deserved all the details. Lord help me.
"But Mom, how does the baby get into the mommy's tummy?"
You know, I don't think I knew these details 'til I was like at least seven years old & even then, I think I was too young to handle such truth. I really wanted to tell her that when a woman is at least thirty & is a virgin, never having known a man, she marries the man God has destined for her to be with FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE, then they, being financially stable & with a perfect relationship, ask God to bless them with fruit of their loins. Then, without any type of fertility issues or clomid or progesterone, are magically inpregnated.
But, that's not exactly the case.
Her eyes never left the side of my head, they just began to bore a hole in it. So, I gave in. I turned to her & prayed that I wasn't sharing too much & that this wouldn't land her in therapy.
"The baby is as small as a seed & is made in the tummy when the Mom & Dad show their love to each other."
I mean, I really didn't think I'd give her that much honesty. But, she threw me off-guard. I definitely didn't think we'd be having this conversation so early in her preschoolhood.
"Oh."
And she went on to humming & picking at her green beans.
12.24.2007
From Our Family to Yours...
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Jingle Bell Rock
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Noel (she really was singing that)
Winter Wonderland & We Wish You a Merry Christmas11.07.2007
Do NOT Take Your Kids to See This Movie!
THE GOLDEN COMPASS, a new movie targeted at children, will be released December 7, 2007. This movie is based on the first book of a trilogy by atheist Philip Pullman. In the final book a boy and girl kill God so they can do as they please. Pullman left little doubt about his intentions when he said in a 2003 interview that "My books are about killing God."
The movie is a watered down version of the first book and is designed to be very attractive in the hope unsuspecting parents will take their children to see the the movie and that the children will want thebooks for Christmas. The books are appearing in local stores in cheap paperback editions as well as in a beautiful trade paperback collection volume. The movie has a well known cast, including Nicole Kidman, Kevin Bacon,and Sam Elliott. It will probably be advertised extensively, so it is crucial that word gets out to warn parents to avoid this movie.
Don't take my word for it, here's snopes' take on it:
1.14.2007
Lots of Prayers Answered
Mystery swirls around abductions...
To those who track child abductions, the mystery surrounding the boys’ discovery stood out.
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, about 58,000 children are the victims of non-family abductions. The vast majority of those children are returned safely.
An average of 115 cases, however, involve children taken by non-family members for long periods, put up for ransom or killed by their abductors. Of that number, about 60 come home safely, said center spokeswoman Joann Donnellan.
But what makes the boys’ case rare, Donnellan said, is the fact that a single abductor took multiple children. The case was made rarer still by the length of Hornbeck’s captivity, Donnellan said.
Investigators who made the incredible discovery turned Saturday from euphoria to some troubling questions.
• A uniquely joyful family reunionJan. 13: Craig Aker, stepfather of a 15-year-old Missouri boy who was found after being missing four years, describes his family's elation.
Nightly News“It’s hard to believe that somebody could be that brazen,” said Craig Akers, whose stepson Shawn Hornbeck was abducted in 2002 at age 11. “This has been going on four years, and he’s been right under our nose the whole time.”
Neighbors said Devlin hardly appeared to be keeping secrets. He had lifelong ties to this middle-class suburb of 26,000, family in the area and apparently no criminal record beyond a pair of traffic fines. He was often seen coming and going from his jobs at a pizza parlor and a funeral home, and nothing seemed odd about a teenager seen hanging around his place.
Neighbors didn't notice anything unusualThe landlord at the apartment, Bill Romer, said he was in the apartment once to fix a plumbing problem and saw the teen, apparently Hornbeck, sleeping.
“As far as I knew, that was his son living with him,” Romer said. “The kid’s bedroom didn’t even have curtains on the windows.”
Rick Butler, 43, said he hadn’t seen anything odd or unusual from the apartment.
Huy Richard Mach / St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Police escort kidnapping suspect Michael Devlin in Union, Mo., on Friday.
“I just figured them for father and son,” he said.
Harry Reichard, 33, who lives in the apartment directly above Devlin’s, said he would hear arguing and banging noises at all hours coming from the apartment.
Alma Rodriguez often saw the teenager riding his bike in the parking lot behind the complex. Her husband, Mario, sometimes saw him throwing a football with another boy. Hornbeck did not attend school during his time in captivity, his stepfather said.
Craig Akers said Shawn had seen benches plastered with his missing-person poster. The boy even told his stepfather that a picture intended to show how he might have aged since his kidnapping was an “insult.”
The case recalls the improbable survival of Elizabeth Smart, the Salt Lake City teen taken for nine months by a religious zealot. After her return, many questioned why she didn’t flee her captors, despite many apparent chances at freedom.
Fear used as a weaponStephen Golding, a forensic psychologist who examined the suspect in the Smart case, said captors often establish control over their victims through fear.
“People are led to believe, through someone taking advantage of their vulnerabilities, that leaving is not an option, that things will get worse for them or will get worse for others,” Golding said.
Both boys were abducted from rural areas of eastern Missouri about an hour from metro St. Louis. Hornbeck disappeared Oct. 6, 2002, while riding his bike in Richwoods in Washington County. Ownby was taken soon after getting off a school bus Monday afternoon in the Franklin County town of Beaufort, a beat-up white pickup seen by a schoolmate the only real clue.
On Thursday night, police in Kirkwood noticed a truck matching the description while serving an unrelated warrant at a nearby apartment.
‘It was quite euphoric’When FBI agents walked into Devlin’s apartment a day later, Ownby asked them, “Are you going to take me home?”, and another teenager in the modest dwelling identified himself as Hornbeck — reported missing 4½ years ago.
“Obviously it was quite euphoric,” FBI Special Agent Roland Corvington said Saturday.
Hornbeck’s parents dealt with their grief over the years by devoting themselves to bringing missing people home. They said having their son back was evidence for parents of other missing children to never give up hope.
“I still feel like I’m in a dream, only this time it’s a good dream, not the nightmare I’ve had four-and-a-half years,” his mother, Pam Akers, said at one news conference, draping her arm around her son.
At the other, Ben Ownby grinned as his mother recalled that soon after his return home, Ownby went to the computer to play video games.
“We’re just ecstatic,” Doris Ownby said. “Don’t want to let him go out of our sight.”
© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed
To those who track child abductions, the mystery surrounding the boys’ discovery stood out.
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, about 58,000 children are the victims of non-family abductions. The vast majority of those children are returned safely.
An average of 115 cases, however, involve children taken by non-family members for long periods, put up for ransom or killed by their abductors. Of that number, about 60 come home safely, said center spokeswoman Joann Donnellan.
But what makes the boys’ case rare, Donnellan said, is the fact that a single abductor took multiple children. The case was made rarer still by the length of Hornbeck’s captivity, Donnellan said.
Investigators who made the incredible discovery turned Saturday from euphoria to some troubling questions.
• A uniquely joyful family reunionJan. 13: Craig Aker, stepfather of a 15-year-old Missouri boy who was found after being missing four years, describes his family's elation.
Nightly News“It’s hard to believe that somebody could be that brazen,” said Craig Akers, whose stepson Shawn Hornbeck was abducted in 2002 at age 11. “This has been going on four years, and he’s been right under our nose the whole time.”
Neighbors said Devlin hardly appeared to be keeping secrets. He had lifelong ties to this middle-class suburb of 26,000, family in the area and apparently no criminal record beyond a pair of traffic fines. He was often seen coming and going from his jobs at a pizza parlor and a funeral home, and nothing seemed odd about a teenager seen hanging around his place.
Neighbors didn't notice anything unusualThe landlord at the apartment, Bill Romer, said he was in the apartment once to fix a plumbing problem and saw the teen, apparently Hornbeck, sleeping.
“As far as I knew, that was his son living with him,” Romer said. “The kid’s bedroom didn’t even have curtains on the windows.”
Rick Butler, 43, said he hadn’t seen anything odd or unusual from the apartment.
Huy Richard Mach / St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Police escort kidnapping suspect Michael Devlin in Union, Mo., on Friday.
“I just figured them for father and son,” he said.
Harry Reichard, 33, who lives in the apartment directly above Devlin’s, said he would hear arguing and banging noises at all hours coming from the apartment.
Alma Rodriguez often saw the teenager riding his bike in the parking lot behind the complex. Her husband, Mario, sometimes saw him throwing a football with another boy. Hornbeck did not attend school during his time in captivity, his stepfather said.
Craig Akers said Shawn had seen benches plastered with his missing-person poster. The boy even told his stepfather that a picture intended to show how he might have aged since his kidnapping was an “insult.”
The case recalls the improbable survival of Elizabeth Smart, the Salt Lake City teen taken for nine months by a religious zealot. After her return, many questioned why she didn’t flee her captors, despite many apparent chances at freedom.
Fear used as a weaponStephen Golding, a forensic psychologist who examined the suspect in the Smart case, said captors often establish control over their victims through fear.
“People are led to believe, through someone taking advantage of their vulnerabilities, that leaving is not an option, that things will get worse for them or will get worse for others,” Golding said.
Both boys were abducted from rural areas of eastern Missouri about an hour from metro St. Louis. Hornbeck disappeared Oct. 6, 2002, while riding his bike in Richwoods in Washington County. Ownby was taken soon after getting off a school bus Monday afternoon in the Franklin County town of Beaufort, a beat-up white pickup seen by a schoolmate the only real clue.
On Thursday night, police in Kirkwood noticed a truck matching the description while serving an unrelated warrant at a nearby apartment.
‘It was quite euphoric’When FBI agents walked into Devlin’s apartment a day later, Ownby asked them, “Are you going to take me home?”, and another teenager in the modest dwelling identified himself as Hornbeck — reported missing 4½ years ago.
“Obviously it was quite euphoric,” FBI Special Agent Roland Corvington said Saturday.
Hornbeck’s parents dealt with their grief over the years by devoting themselves to bringing missing people home. They said having their son back was evidence for parents of other missing children to never give up hope.
“I still feel like I’m in a dream, only this time it’s a good dream, not the nightmare I’ve had four-and-a-half years,” his mother, Pam Akers, said at one news conference, draping her arm around her son.
At the other, Ben Ownby grinned as his mother recalled that soon after his return home, Ownby went to the computer to play video games.
“We’re just ecstatic,” Doris Ownby said. “Don’t want to let him go out of our sight.”
© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
