Let's Go PENS!!!

Enough said.

Maria Chapman

Photo courtesy of Tucker Photography

Steven Curtis Chapman’s youngest child died Wednesday evening after being struck by a car driven by her teenage brother in the driveway of the family’s Williamson County home.

Maria, one of the Christian singer’s six children, was taken by LifeFlight to Vanderbilt Hospital, which confirmed the death, according to Laura McPherson, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The 5-year-old was hit by an SUV driven by her teenage brother, she said. Police did not give the driver’s name.The teen was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser down the driveway of the rural home at about 5:30 p.m. and several children were playing in the area, McPherson said. He did not see Maria in the driveway before the vehicle struck her, she said.“It appears to be a terrible accident,’’ McPherson said. No charges are expected, she said.

The accident was witnessed by two other children; the entire family was home at the time, McPherson said.

Singer/songwriter Chapman, who recently was inducted into Music City Walk of Fame, is one of contemporary Christian music’s most recognizable and most awarded names. He and his wife Mary Beth have long been supporters of international adoption, having brought three girls from China into their family. Maria was the youngest.The couple is so active in the cause that they formed an organization, Shaohannah’s Hope, to aid families wanting to adopt.

With his latest music tour, which came through Nashville in November, Chapman started a campaign called “Change for Orphans”. He asked audience members at each stop to bring spare change to the concert, where it was counted and given to a local family to aid in their adoption process.“I don’t know of anybody who loves his children more than he does and is so committed to the adoption concept, and to lose one, no matter what the circumstances, is heartbreaking beyond all comprehension,” said John Styll, president of the Nashville-based Gospel Music Association.“He talks about his kids all the time. That’s his life. His kids are more important to him than music, that’s for sure.

”The tragedy was announced during Wednesday-night services at Harpeth Hills Church of Christ, which the family attends. Maria had just graduated from the church preschool.And word spread throughout the tight-knit Christian music community on Wednesday evening.
Article courtesy of http://www.tennessean.com/


You are with the Lord, our God, little one.

and the winner is....

David Cook!

I am so glad that he won American Idol. True, it wasn't as exciting a season as previous ones but he kept it going. I also loved that he wasn't afraid to show his emotions.

Let's Go PENS!

I am in the minority here, but I am going to call the game with the Pens winning in 5. According to WPXI's voting, the majority of 'burghers are saying Pens winning in 6, but I have faith.

I just got our tickets for Saturday night's "Stanley Cup Finals Viewing Party". Jeremy is going to be so excited! I think that it is great what the Pens have done for their ticket-less fans this season and I hope that it continues in the future. On a negative note, I hope that all of the criminal-minded individuals stay the hell away from the area and let people have a good time.

There is always a first

This is my first blog. patting self on back for taking another step towards the future I wonder what new and interesting lessons I am going to learn from such a feat. I actually feel a bit of pressure to make this "good" but then reality kicks in and I realize that it really doesn't matter. It is what it is. Take it or leave it.

I am sitting here at my desk overhearing a conversation regarding "gays". GASP! Why is this conversation happening? Because of the simple fact that my desk is close to another department that consists of close-minded individuals who think they know it all, done it all, heard it all...you get the point.
"I had some gay friends in college."
"One of the bridesmaids in my wedding was a lesbian but didn't know it yet"
"A woman asked me if I was a lesbian!"
"Gay is disgusting!"
"I almost experimented one time but I was really, really drunk."
"A person makes the choice to be out of the norm."
Well, you know what? I do not feel that it is appropriate to discuss other folks sexuality while you are at work. Especially when you have conversations that are very loud and easily overheard by some that would take offense to what you are saying.

Just in case you can't tell from the picture, the staircase appears to be going up and down all at the same time.

This is a great start to a discussion on racism and stereotyping. It doesn't matter to me if you are gay, a lesbian, brown, purple, or blue. What matters to me is what is in a person's heart. If you are a good person (to me) than who am I to judge you based on your appearance or sexual preference? I only see people. I don't see "gays", "blacks", "jews", etc. I only wish more people could understand that none of those things really matter in the grand scheme of things. Something that has been getting to me lately has been the reversal of racism. I am really struggling with this one. I am sure that you have seen the email, supposedly from Bill Cosby, saying that it is racist of the "black" community to basically gang up against the "white" community. It is ok to have the NAACP, BET television, and all of the other race-based organizations. But, if the "whites" would start WET (white entertainment television?) or anything like that it would be racist. Why do we still need these organizations? I know that we needed them before, during, and after the Civil Rights Movement, but why do we still need them almost 30 years later? Why are people still so close-minded when it comes to this? Maybe I feel this way because I don't see the discrimination every day like some do, but I just wish I understood more about why people feel the way that they do. I am not going to apologize, nor do I think anyone else should either, for something that my ancestors did. Therefore, I do not think that someone should hold something against me or feel that I / the World should apologize for something that my ancestors did. I do not owe you anything. The world does not owe you anything. What's done is done. Wrongs have been righted. (or at least close to it)

I could ramble on more, but I think I need to stop on this topic and possible re-visit it in the future.