John Tomlin's Memorial Fund

The John Tomlin Youth Missions Scholarship Fund

Send to: Foothills Bible Church
6100 S. Devinney Way
Littleton, Colorado 80127
Write Checks to: Foothills Bible Church
Designate: J.T. Youth Missions Scholarship Fund

John Tomlin Memorial Fund

Send to: Front Range Bank
13013 W. Alameda Parkway
Lakewood, Colorado 80228
Write checks to: Front Range Bank
Designate: John Tomlin Memorial Fund

For questions call: 303-979-0685 X 315

Messages

My heart aches for all of you. It hurts so bad...... I don't know how to make it better, I don't know what to say, I don't know how to make the hurting stop. I can only tell you it will some day; "Where there is faith there is a voice calling. Keep walking, you're not alone in this world. Where there is faith there is a peace like a child sleeping. Hope everlasting in He who is able to bear every burden. To heal every hurt in my heart. It is a wonderful, powerful place. Where there is faith..." song by 4Him. God loves ALL of you.
Peace,
Kathy in Buffalo, NY.

I HAVE PRAYED and will continue to pray for the children and parents of this awful tragedy.

Thank God for the Christian men of the Swat Team that got there in time to pray. Thank God for the Counselors and Ministers and thank God for this Webb Page to comfort all of us. I'm so glad to be a subscriber.
Shirley

What a beautiful tribute to The Kids we lost! Keep all in prayer. Kimberly
With Heartfelt Love for Littleton, Colo.

Everyone effected by the shootings at Columbine is in my prayers. I am also rejoining at the demonstration of faith by Cassie Bernall, and rejoicing that the media is covering the spiritaul outpouring following this event. May God use this terrible tragedy to work many mighty miracles in the hearts of millions of people all over the world.
--Diane

My name is Cynthia Zavala. I live in Westminster, another suburb north of Denver. I was sent this email yesterday by a close friend of mine. The author's name is on the bottom of the poem. This has helped me deal with the emptiness and pain I've been experiencing. I hope this is what God was truly thinking and doing on that fateful day. This will no doubt make you cry but the sentiment and prayer is too touching not to pass along. If you pass it on leave the author's name attached so she gets credit for this poem. Thank you. God Bless.

M E M O R A N D U M

TO: L I T T L E T O N
FROM: G O D
DATE: A P R I L 2 1, 1 9 9 9

Dear Parents, Friends and Loved Ones,

Of these precious youth you've lost,
I see your broken spirits, I know the terrible cost.
Though evil reigned at Columbine,
And horror filled the air,
I wanted all of you to know,
I left Heaven and came there.
I summoned Heaven's Angels,
Long before the call came in,
To share the dreadful warning,
Of what would soon begin.
The angels' wings were folded,
They knew what was to come,
When I said, "I'll lead this mission."
They followed one by one.
"I will go and get these babies,
And bring them home with me,
Where they'll live in Heaven's Schoolhouse,
Where it's safe and terror free."
Yes, I've prepared a Special Schoolhouse,
It stands out from all the rest,
The Welcome Mat reads, "Columbine,"
It's reserved for Heaven's best.
I was hovering all around them,
In the Library and the Hall,
When the evil forces entered,
Your children heard me call.
I wrapped my arms around them,
Pulled them close unto my breast,
"I've come to take you with me,
We must go and leave the rest."
"Your friends will long remember,
All the cool times that we shared,
And the Angels will remind them,
How very much you cared."
Yes, I took those precious children,
In the twinkling of an eye,
We were on our way to Heaven,
To their Schoolhouse in the sky.
I know your hearts are broken,
I know the pain you bear,
My heart is also broken,
By the evil everywhere.
Please help me fight this battle,
To keep our children safe,
Through prayers and love and sharing,
And holding to the Faith,
That Peace will surely reign one day,
In schools throughout the land,
For all our future hopes and dreams,
Rest in our students' hands.
I'll give you peace to fill your heart,
Send sun to break the night,
Provide the strength to move beyond the wrongs
And do what's right.
You ask how I can know your pain,
From the loss of your dear one,
It's because it seems like yesterday,
When I, too gave up a Son.

For all of you so far away who have this day been forced to sacrifice your own flesh and blood for such a senseless act, as a Mother and Grandmother, I had to tell you in some way how much my heart hurts tonight.

Fran Maiers
Rochester Hills, MI
fmaiers@aol.com

A Teen's Prayer
As received and submitted by Patti and Edie

WRITTEN BY A 12 YEAR-OLD-GIRL in Boston

Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule.
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.
If Scripture now the class recites
It violates the Bill of Rights.
Anytime my head I bow
Becomes a federal matter now.
The law is specific; the law is precise.
Praying out loud is no longer nice.

Praying aloud in a public hall
Upsets those who believe in nothing at all.
In silence alone we can meditate
And if God should get the credit-great!
They are bringing their guns;
I don't dare bring my Bible,
To do so, might make me liable.
So, now Oh Lord, this plea I make;
Should I be shot in school,
My soul please take.

A Teen Revival
As received and submitted by PVckers

This morning Pastor Focht shared some news from the Denver Rocky Mountain News and from Calvary Chapel a half mile from Columbine School as to what the Lord is doing in Colorado as a result of the recent tragedy there.

There is a revival among the young people. It all started with the martyrdom of Cassie Bernall, a 17 year old, who had entered the Columbine High School library to study. She was confronted at gunpoint and asked if she believed in God, she hesitated and said "yes, I believe in God." She was shot and killed.

A 16 year old, Josh Lap, heard all this as he crouched in the library. Two other back slidden kids in the library, who survived, came out vowing never to compromise their faith ever again.

Crystal Woodman, a friend of Cassie, narrowly escaped from the library after asking God to send his angels. Both Crystal and Cassie belonged to the same church youth group and would go volunteer in outreach to the homeless together.

After the tragedy, a small group of Christian girls from a soccer team came and gathered in a park across from the school and began praying and singing hymns. Their circle grew to maybe 150. A sweet high pitched voice was heard to say the only way you'll get through this is if you have Jesus, so get Jesus, because you don't know if you'll have tomorrow.One of the girls present began to preach and a bunch of the kids got down on their knees and prayed to accept Christ as their personal Savior.

There is revival among the youth all over the area. Hundreds are turning to Christ. All the youth pastors are getting together, and all the senior pastors are getting together. On Tuesday there will be a memorial service. Franklin Graham, Amy Grant, and Michael W. Smith are flying in for it.

Isn't it just like God to turn what satan intended for evil around for a greater good!
Praise the Lord! Our God is an Awesome God!

Uncle!
By Mike McLeland
Submitted by Jenny Likins

Note from Jenny: This poem was written by Mike McLeland. He and his family are missionaries from Denver serving in South Africa. They have seen too much violence since being in SA. I visited them when I went to SA last year. Mike's address is mmcleland@iafrica.com Mary wouldn't/ didn't I don't know what put it on her pages. Would you consider putting it on the handmaiden site?

Note from the author: Hi Jenny - Thanks for forwarding the ee!!! I don't know if there is a way but perhaps you can get the UNCLE poem on that web-site!!! Not for our glory BUT for the glory of GOD & to comfort those who are mourning!!! We would love to be there in person soo it is our way of participating in the greiving process!!! PLEEZ forward any other ee's from Denver, on this subject!!! Love in Jesus - Mike for Marcia & the boys!!! \\O//

Uncle........(I've had enough)

The grass is green,
the sky is blue,
and still the bullets fly.

Blood is shed,
people are dead,
and still the birds they fly.

Anger flows & hate it grows,
and the world it still does spin.
Man & God, the rift is wide,
the cause of it is sin.

The devil sows these seeds in men,
and cares not what the cost;
He laughs & scorns as men kill men,
adding to the lost.

But Jesus came to give His life,
that none should die in vain;
So when He comes in glory, then
we'll be with Him again!!

The only way to win this war,
is to fight it on our knees;
And seek the lost, what'er the cost,
"Unto the least of these."

One day it will be over,
the victory has been won;
And we will reign in glory,
with our KING, the ETERNAL ONE!!!!

Originally written on August 20, 1990 - when Mike & Marcia McLeland were part of the YFC Pretoria staff. Dedicated to Daniel Gallant on Sunday, August 2, 1998 & now dedicated to ALL the world but especially Littleton, Colorado as the shock of last weeks nightmare rocks each & every one of us to the core of our being!!!!

ABUSE IS NOT AN EXCUSE FOR MURDER !!!!!!
By Mark Friis

Although I live on the East Coast - some 2,000 miles away from Littleton, Colorado, I have been devastated by the Columbine High School massacre. Never have I cried so hard and slept so little since the 1985 Kentucky drunk driving bus crash that killed 27 kids during a church youth group trip to an amusement park.

I have family that lives in the Denver metro area. My brother works in Littleton not far from the school. I am the uncle of a niece and nephew at neighboring Douglas County High School. I am more than elated to report they're all ok, safe and sound despite being next door to "ground zero." I have written to debunk the excuses of abuse that some are using as justification for Eric's and Dylan's murderous rampage through Columbine.

During my junior high years and the first year of high school, I lived through a hell of physical, emotional, and verbal abuse from fellow students. I admitted to my mom just last week, they're are times of physical abuse she didn't even know about. I wasn't popular so I was a loner. I felt I was a "punching bag". I also lived in a dysfunctional family. I even tried to kill myself because I was so disliked.

One day, in high school, during lunch, a guy named Kevin walked to my table and invited me to a meeting that night. It was a night I haven't forgotten some 25 years later. It was filled with laughter, joy, and happiness. There was singing, clapping, some kids dancing too. Then there were outrageously funny skits by the leaders. After all was calm, the leaders got to the purpose of the meeting: A Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ. The leaders were from a youth ministry called Young Life - based in Colorado Springs.

Through my last years of high school, I virtually lived with the "club" as it was known on those Wednesday nights. My parents even let me have 50 to 60 crazy and wild YLer's at our house for a couple of hours of fun, fellowship and prayer. I followed Young Life on summer retreats to Saranac, Windy Gap, and La Vida. I also went on weekend retreats. It was an absolute joy to be involved with Young Life. With Young Life's help, I graduated from high school in 1977.

Thanks to Kevin, we are now the best of friends. He is the pastor of an inner city Philadelphia, Pa church. I can call him and visit with his family (3 teenagers) at any time I want. I even called him at close to midnight the other night and cried about this wholly unnecessary tragedy. I needed his pastoral counseling to deal with my overwhelming feelings on this bloody massacre that occurred extremely to close to my brother's family. Today, at 40, I still live with some of those scars of abuse. However, I have a full time job going on 14 years with a Top 10 Corporation. I have earned two college degrees. I have been engaged in politics, protests, volunteer work, etc. Moreover, I HAVE NOT KILLED ANYONE over the abuses I suffered (if I did, I wouldn't be writing this).

What was done to Eric and Dylan was wrong, plain and simple, period!!!! I find it ludicrous some people are using Eric's and Dylan's abuse as justification for murder. If any of you want to be different, an outcast, a loner, then YOU MUST LEARN TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELF AND ACTIONS. You will be taunted, looked at, sneered at, gossiped at, and so on. It's all-wrong but that is teenage human nature. I know first hand because I experienced them.

Ask yourself why aren't I liked and do something about it. Talk to your parents, a guidance counselor, a classmate you trust, your pastor, whomever. Also, get involved at school, your church, and your community. Pick a hobby. For me, I like baseball cards - I have over 100,000. I'm a baseball fan too. I like the Baltimore Orioles. I implore you, just don't stand around and palt, feeling sorry for yourself.

Finally, I pray the massacre at Columbine High School on April 20th, 1999 sounds a clarion call to America's adult population to take our kids violent threats seriously. We adults are the bridges to their future. When will we take the responsibility to protect them, nuture them and guide them until they are ready to cross those bridges?

I don't hold the Harris and Klebode parents SOLELY responsible for the son's murderous rampage. Eric and Dylan are victims too. Both fell through the cracks of bureaucratic indifference and adult apathy to their cries for help. Yes, Eric and Dylan murdered 13 of their classmates, but we adults killed all 15 kids.

To America's teenagers, I am so sorry for my fellow adults failure to stop this unfortunate tragedy. How many more dead teenagers and brokenhearted parents, siblings, friends will the toll climb to stop the killing? PLEASE no more Columbine's, Paducah's, Jonesboro's, Springfield's or Pearl's. To America and her adults, our country's future is drowning in our children's blood.

STOP THE KILLING, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
Mark Friis
mfriis@att.com

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