Plant and shadows in morning sun

I loved the shadows on our breakfast room table this morning.

I was at church this morning for our last knitting ministry before we break for the summer. This evening, Roger and I went to church again, this time for a concert. Mrs. G. who is a member of our church and many years ago used to be choir director at the church, has now been choir director at the Junior High for 27 years. Every two years she assembles a choir (by audition) from different high schools in the area, and takes them to Europe. This year they went to Spain, and this evening was their 'welcome home' and performance for parents, friends and the community. She is an amazing lady and sets such a wonderful Christian example for the kids. The program was half sacred music and half secular, and was amazing. One of the pieces they sang was Pergolesi Magnificat, which our church choir sang at Christmas, and another was a beautiful song Prayer of the Chilren by Kurt Bestor. Kurt Bestor is a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints and served as a missionary in Serbia during the 1970s. At one point, he was working in a hospital caring for the children who had been devastated by this war that was not theirs. While retrieving supplies from a neighboring town, this hospital was bombed. Bestor came back to find it destroyed and all the innocent little children he had come to care for dead. When he returned to the US, he was inspired to write a song in tribute to the children, the innocent, who were the ones suffering from this war the most. The words are here, or you can listen to it here . It's hauntingly beautiful.


Can you hear the prayer of the children?
On bended knee, in the shadow of an unknown room
Empty eyes with no more tears to cry
Turning heavenward toward the light

Crying Jesus, help me
To see the morning light-of one more day
But if I should die before I wake,
I pray my soul to take

Can you feel the hearts of the children?
Aching for home, for something of their very own
Reaching hands, with nothing to hold on to,
But hope for a better day a better day

Crying Jesus, help me
To feel the love again in my own land
But if unknown roads lead away from home,
Give me loving arms, away from harm

Can you hear the voice of the children?
Softly pleading for silence in a shattered world?
Angry guns preach a gospel full of hate,
Blood of the innocent on their hands

Crying Jesus, help me
To feel the sun again upon my face,
For when darkness clears I know you're near,
Bringing peace again

Dali cujete sve djecje molitive?
(Croatian translation:
'Can you hear all the children's prayers?')
Can you hear the prayer of the children?.

One year ago: Low tide