Charleston AME Church Shootings

Standing in the hot Charleston wind and watching these youngsters signing the posters, I couldn't help but think "they should be on the playground or coloring in coloring books......not  mourning victims of a senseless murder." Everytime something of this nature occurs, our children lose some of their innocence.

Bride Devin Navarro, who married in a nearby downtown church, stopped by with her entire wedding party after her ceremony. She and her bridesmaids laid their beautiful bouquets at the AME memorial. 

The upstairs window in the house across the street from the church. I'm sure the house has seen much in it's history....but nothing like this.

Memorial Service

Memorial Service

Memorial Service

Thousands of Signatures

Resident directly across across from the church watching

Deep flowers on the sidewalk

Prayer

Nine Candles

As that intense hot sun set that night and the silver moon rose over the church I couldn't help but think how blessed we are and how precious life is. We  must not waste it. It goes by way too quick.

 We all got to wake up the next day and get another chance.......another try.....more time. More time to laugh and love and play. More time to hold those babies and grandbabies and great grandbabies close and teach them right from wrong. Teach them love and acceptance instead of hate. Teach them by doing.........by showing.........by living what is right.

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From the Charleston Post Courier:

Local surfers participated in a memorial paddle out at Folly Beach Saturday morning to remember the nine people killed on June 17 at Mother Emanuel AME Church. M

IST

Y LISTER

(photo-Charleston Post Courier)

Local surfers met near the pier at Folly Beach Saturday morning to hold a paddle-out ceremony to honor the nine people killed in the June 17 shootings at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston.

Paddle-out ceremonies are performed by surfers usually to remember a fellow surfer who has died, but sometimes there are special exceptions.

The memorial tradition, thought to have been started by Hawaiians in the early 1900s, usually begins with surfers gathering on a beach, sharing words or prayers, and then paddling out beyond the breakers, forming a circle or massing together, throwing flowers and/or a wreath in the water.

MISTY

LISTER

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"God Bless all affected by this terrible tragedy"

Our thoughts and prayers are with you

"Why are there so many broken people?"

.....drawing by Madeleine

"Why are there so many broken people?" asks seven year old  Madeleine. She is the little girl who drew the beautiful picture above of the church with the nine angels soaring above it.

even the trees in front of the church were covered in messages:

"Why can't the good people teach the  bad people to be good?"........Seven year old Madeleine

                                                                                 

                         .....drawing by Madeleine