Four People Shot Outside Colorado Springs New Life Church

I’m even less . . . impressed . . . if that’s possible . . .

with your summarizing of my words . . .

than I was with your summarizing of the shootings etc.

Wholesale distortion does seem to be quite a skill set, for you.

People, esp when grieving, need to try to make some sense of bad and look to God to bring good from it. Maybe, that’s what that was about.

Agreed. My first thought when I heard the words of the younger brother Chris --- "I truly feel God is going to save a whole generation of people through this" --- was that I would have gone no further than, "We're praying that God brings good out of this evil circumstance, and uses it to save many young people, if that is God's will".

But on the other hand, I've never lost a child, or a sibling while young (or at all), and even though we do have close friends who have, and we've grieved with them and seen close up the effects on them, I still am sure that I have absolutely no idea just how incredibly great the pain would be for this to happen to my family. So I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt to the Murray family members who are saying this. Who knows, perhaps I would say the exact same thing if I was in the same spot. I can only pray I will never be in that spot.

(And of course let's not overlook the fact that God could do what Chris is predicting!)

Below is some more insight into why MM was denied a spot on the mission team to Bosnia in December 2002. Yes, that's five years now he carried a murderous grudge. Five years to the month. I can't help but wonder if it was 5 years to the day as well.

In the future, whenever a Christian mission group says "no" to some nutcase, I'll bet they'll wonder if they're painting a target on their foreheads.

This is from http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/dec/11/roommate-murray-booted-from-center-for-bizarre/

Richard Werner, 34, told CNN that he was working at the Arvada center in 2002, when Murray was there.

Program leaders broke the news to Murray in December 2002 that they weren't going to let him join a planned mission trip to Bosnia, he said.

That was five days after Murray performed a pair of dark rock songs by Linkin Park and Marilyn Manson during a concert at the mission that made fellow workers "pretty scared," Werner said.

The Linkin Park song was One Step Closer, which includes the lyrics "Cuz i'm one step closer to the edge and i'm about to break!"

Months of strange behavior by Murray preceded that concert, according to Werner.

Werner, who now lives in Balneario Camborius, Brazil, said he occupied a bunk near Murray's and that Murray would roll around in bed and make noises.

He asked his roommate about it, Werner said.

"He would say, 'Don't worry, I'm just talking to the voices.' He'd say, 'Don't worry, Richard. You're a nice guy. The voices like you.'"

Werner told CNN he instantly suspected Murray when he heard the news of Sunday's shootings.

"I turned to my wife and I said, 'I know who did it. It's Matthew.' It was so obvious."

Earlier Monday, an affidavit indicated that the director of YWAM in Arvada had received hate mail from Murray.

“Every one says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive ... And then, to mention the subject at all is to be greeted with howls of anger.”<<<

So very true.

If we could only remember that as human machines, we do not always work perfectly.

Even a lowly cabbage can develop a blemish, some blemishes can be cut away, and the cabbage saved for a good use, others ruin the cabbage for any good use.

Wishing you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas.

Even a lowly cabbage can develop a blemish, some blemishes can be cut away, and the cabbage saved for a good use, others ruin the cabbage for any good use.

Ah. So true. I like that analogy. (And God said He is also in the "pruning" business, didn't He?)

A blessed Christmas to you and your family as well.

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