Psalm 139:16b  Every day of my life was recorded in Your book.
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God is Good

9/15/2013

5 Comments

 
PicturePlaying with new birthday pogo stick. Good to see some answers to prayer.Click for song
My family and I have been blown away by how many comments have been seen and how many news sources we have been on.  We never even called them.  They showed up on our porch.  Besides our own local news, it has been on news channels in AZ, MS, SC, and even America News Now. I received a link to a news source that had comments on it from Scotland, UK, Australia, New Zealand and all over the US! This blog has over 2,000 hits in the last week!  There are so many of you who have been hurt by our story and that makes me sad but your prayers and encouragement have been life giving.  I can certainly relate to the many angry comments but to be honest I've had to stop reading them because it makes my heart heavy.  So many people talk about the story as if they know something but they are incorrect in their understanding of the whole story.  Others try to defend us or Chris but most of the time even they don't have the story quite right.  It takes great self control to not respond and just let things go.  Our battle isn't in the media, or even against our neighbor.  Our battle is against our own desires to lash out and defend ourselves.  It is in allowing God to heal us and help us to forgive despite the pain because that really is the only true way to being free and well.  If we cling to bitterness it will only lead to our own imprisonment, so daily we must choose to forgive and let God take care of the punishment.  He alone knows the heart and motive of everyone. He alone knows the depth of the trauma and pain that has been inflicted upon our family.  He is a just God and he knows the absolute Truth. We have a lawyer and many good law enforcement officers who are seeking to bring justice.  The battle is not ours, it is God's and in that we will put our trust and hope.  We would greatly appreciate your prayers in the meantime because this is really really tough.

On a happy note, Matthew encouraged Noah and Eli outside yesterday.  They would not be alone and they actually played in our other neighbors yard where they couldn't see the scene, but they did go outside and I even heard some laughter.  As I talk to the rest of my kids we try to remember and treasure the time we did have with Puppy rather than focusing on how tragically and quickly his life ended.  We still step over boards that kept Puppy out of the living room even though they are gone.  We still expect Puppy to come running when we drop a crumb or walk in the door.  There's no telling what will bring a tearfall but we are intentionally trying to move forward treasuring the love and memories.  We feel your prayers as God is slowly helping us heal in the midst.

I have a niece who is autistic and she is one of my greatest joys.  When she heard that our Puppy had died she decided to pray.  (For her own protection she doesn't know the whole story of how.)  After she was in bed for the night my sister heard her moving around upstairs and found her seeking privacy in the bathroom to pray.  She insisted that she needed to pray so my sister gave her 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes she put her to bed.  A few minutes later my niece came down the stairs very happy, telling her mom that God said, "Yes."  My sister inquired the next morning and my niece said she had two things she had to ask God.  First - would we all be safe.  Second - will Noah and Eli ever be happy again.  She could not have known those were my two deepest questions and I am treasuring and clinging to the promise from the mouth of a babe.  Sometimes when the darkness threatens to consume and swallow me up I remind myself aloud, "God said, 'Yes'."  Prayers for protection would be much appreciated as Eli keeps asking who Chris will kill next and I can't say I don't wonder with him, but I will cling to the promise that no matter what happens here I have a home in Heaven and so do all of my family members.

That brings me to the thing that keeps going through my mind.  This man needs prayer for healing and salvation.  I am humbled and amazed when I think that my own sin brutally killed God's own son right before the eyes of his mother and Father, yet if I ask God, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.  He not only forgives but offers freedom and life abundantly forever.  Yet there are many who know about the story and they choose not to accept that forgiveness.  They try to justify in so many ways through good works hoping that the good will somehow outweigh the bad.  They compare themselves to people like Chris and claim they aren't that bad so somehow they should get a free pass.  But please hear the heart that is bleeding for you if you are one who has not received the free gift of salvation.  All of our sins brutally killed Jesus who was absolutely innocent.  Everyone of us is guilty of sin before a holy God.  Just as Puppy took the bullet that could have gone crazy and struck one of my children, Jesus Christ took the bullet called sin that would have killed each of us and because of his unjust sacrifice we are free to live in the safety of His home, if we will just accept the invitation.  That my friends is radical undeserved forgiveness and if my God can forgive me, then somehow with His help we will be able to forgive, also.  Please pray for Chris that he also will give his heart to Christ who can heal all the pain that is built up inside him that would cause him to react to a Puppy in such an irrational manner.

If you have never known the joy of forgiveness would you please pray to our loving Savior and ask him to fill you with His Life.  Let me know you have so I can celebrate with you.  If you don't have a church find one and tell them so they can encourage and celebrate with you. If you live near Bowling Green, I happen to know a church who will do just that.  It is Dayspring on Route 25 and you are invited anytime. (Sun 9 or 11, Wed 7)

If you do know Jesus and you have a home church then please pray with us.  This is the prayer we would like you to agree with us on.

Dear Lord,
You know every detail of what happened last week and you know how deeply everyone involved is hurting.  Please be near to the broken-hearted and bring healing.  Give peace where there is fear and comfort where there is pain.  Help us to forgive the unforgivable despite our desire to become bitter.  Do not let bitterness have it's way in our lives.  We pray that you would protect us and not allow any more harm to come to any of the people involved.  Please provide us the ability to get a fence and to know when it is safe again to bring another puppy home.  Be our defender and let Truth reign in this situation.  Give us patience as justice seems too slow and the void that was Puppy screams for justice.  Help us to lean into You and give us strength for each new day.
In Jesus name,
Amen


Thank you again, to all of you.  Your prayers have literally carried us this far.

Many Blessings,
Misty Sunshine

P.S.  To keep updated you can like my facebook page misty sunshine or sign up on the contact tab to receive an e-mail whenever I post a new blog.  Thank you again for your prayers!!!

5 Comments

Overwhelmed

9/10/2013

16 Comments

 
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Overwhelmed is a major understatement for how all of us feel right now.  I am trying to remain rational in the midst of nothing rational.  I hear so many in an outcry  and I am screaming the loudest.  None of this should have happened ever.  What he did to Puppy was devestating but what he has done to my family is unspeakable.  Only God can heal this and I trust that over time He will.  The prayers and support have been the only thing carrying us through.  

We have contacted a lawyer & the police are doing everything the law will allow.  Many people have reported issues with the neighbor in the past but we never would have guessed he'd pull something like this.  I don't understand why the same man who would coax Puppy into his driveway would suddenly turn on him and hate him so.  I have much that I want to say but I'm not sure how much I can because everything is still so up in the air.  The kids are going to take a long time to heal.  In 2006 our 15 year old golden retriever collie died but we were unable to get another puppy due to renting, so we ended up with a rabbit and guinea pigs to try and fill the void.  We lived in the Cleveland area at the time.  At the end of 2011 we lost our aunt in a tragic car accident.  We moved into the family home here in Pemberville shortly after.  Our kids were not keen on leaving all their friends but there was one bright spot - we could finally get their much prayed for puppy.  Because the house was in such need of work we postponed until Feb 2013 when a past youth pastor announced they had puppies to give away.  The only one left was the one we had already all fallen in love with and wanted.  A couple days later we drove 3 hours one way to get him.  This Sunday in only 3 minutes he was stolen away from us.  How do you comfort a sobbing child who can't understand why anyone would rob her of the puppy she has begged and prayed for for years?  How do you control the rage that builds inside as you hold your 2 babies all night because every time they close their eyes they see a man they called friend with a gun as he murders their beloved pet.  Movies can't even show animals being killed because everyone knows it isn't something you get over.  How can you make sense of any of it?  You can't.  I can't.  But I feel the prayers of the saints as they have lifted us up and because of God's grace we can still breathe.

We live in a broken world.  It was not created this way but we chose to seek our own will instead of God's and as He warned sin has brought death. I thank God that there is a Heaven and that no matter how bad it gets here it is the worst that His children will ever know.  But on the flip side no matter how good it gets here it is the best that anyone who refuses to submit to God's will will ever know.  Chris is not living in submission to God's will and doesn't have the assurance of Heaven.  He is an ill man who needs to meet a healing Savior.  Please pray that he will because Hell is not a nice place.  That does not let him off the hook.  There should still be consequences or he will continue to believe that he can literally get away with murder. Please also pray for his family as they are hurting through all of this as well.  His wife has been nothing but loving toward our family and she loved Puppy as well.  

Here though is where I come begging for help.  Prayer is the most important thing you can do & please don't just say you are, actually do it because God hears and answers.  Tonight Chris is next door in his own bed with his own puppy while my children are terrified to go outside as they mourn the loss of the puppy that he took from them.  There is something desperately wrong with that on every level.  I do not understand all the loopholes of laws and I know a lawyer friend is looking into how to do something more but there are loopholes that he is getting through and most of what people are talking about has no real value because the law doesn't agree from what I am being told.  He will appear in court tomorrow (Sept.11) at 10 AM but the only charges are inducing panic and injuring an animal.  That doesn't get him help that gets him nothing and we are left with the mess.  From what I understand there could be fines but how does that help us, right now I couldn't care less if the county makes some money, what about my children.  If he had shown them porn he'd be locked up right now but he can murder their beloved pet without remorse and walk around like nothing happened!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

What I need is someone who can help us make him get help someplace away from a school and a family with 7 children.  I cannot get them another puppy as long as that man is there.  Even if I could afford a fence, I would not dare put another puppy at risk.  That's not right!  Someone somewhere knows someone who can be the answer to our prayers with knowledge and resources far beyond ours.  Please please put the word out until that prayer is answered.  He is a veteran whose wife has to tell him over and over, "the war is over".  He needs help before someone is hurt worse.  There has to be something that can be done.  Please pray and share.

Thank you,
Misty Sunshine


Toledo 11 News did an interview today.  If you want to see it the link is:  http://www.toledonewsnow.com/story/23397364/pemberville-puppy-shot-and-killed-in-front-of-children


Also, someone just sent me a note that we are on the front page of the Sentinel Tribune.  The link is:  http://www.sent-trib.com/front-page/blog


Some pics 

16 Comments

Please pray for us!!!!

9/8/2013

22 Comments

 
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Dear frinds,  Please forgive me for having to blog post to inform but I have been strong for my 7 children and I just don't have teh strength to talk to each of you individually.  Please know this is personally from me to you. 


I had set today aside to post a new blog and tell you about some very exciting news concerning a 2nd bathroom in our house but instead we were hit with a tragedy.  Our next door neighbor pulled a gun out adn shot our puppy right in front of Noah and Eli.  Puppy ran as far as our back porch where he died in Josh's arms.  I am up right now with 2 very frightened little boys who see it again every time they close their eyes.  We have prayed over them and I'm playing worship music in the living room with all teh ligts on but Eli keeps asking who he is going to kill next.  When he pulled the gun he yelleed at Noah to get the H back because Noah was chasing puppy to make sure he stayed in our yard.  Noah thought he was giong to shoot him  Kristin just sobs.  she prayed so long for a puppy an d now this.  None of this makes any sense and all teh nieghbors are in disbeliev because Puppy wasn't mean. The neighbor used to call him over to his driveway while we were trying to train him to stay onour property.  It just dowsn't make any sense.  He is a vietnam vet and he has always been hard to figure out but we did our best to stay out of his way.


Just 2 days ago his wife begged me ato pray for him because he is not a nice man.  Please pray for her she is jusat a s much a victim in this.  she loved puppy too.  thank God for his family several of them heard and came .  some of teh men buried puppy and teh ladies cleaned up teh blood all over teh porch.  Hartzell's brought pizza and Matthew because he wasn't home whne it all happened.  


I thought this aftenoon was crzy enough when I called 911 because we couldn't find Victoria who went out for a run.  It turns our she missed a turn and got lost so when I drove her route she wasn't on it.  a friend from church spotted her and brought her home.  her 4 mile run became 8.  I had barely recoverd from that when I got a call from josh to pray.  he was in hysterics.  
sorry about all the typos I just can't seem to make my fingers work and I don't have teh energy to fix everything just the really bad stuff.


Thank you for all your support and prayers.


Misty sunshine

22 Comments
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