2013 year in review!

2013 has been a year to remember! Lets start by reviewing some world headlines.

Nelson Mandela passes away at age 95

Former South African President: also known as a freedom fighter, prisoner, moral compass, and the symbol of the struggle against racial oppression in South Africa. He held a special place in the world and was a symbol of value and goodness.


Typhoon Haiyan hits Philipines

The typhoon first made landfall on Nov. 7. It is the second deadliest Philippine typhoon to be recorded, killing 3,976+ people and leaving more than 1,000 missing.


The U.S. Government shutdown

The government went into shutdown October 1, putting up to 1 million workers on unpaid leave, closing national parks, and stalling medical research. President Obama signed a deal passed by congress  to end the shutdown after 16 days. Economists estimated the cost to the nation at billions. The shutdown began as an attempt by Republican lawmakers to force cutbacks in the affordable care act.


Westgate shopping mall attack in Nairobi

In September, unidentified gunmen attacked the mall in Kenya. The attack lasted three days, resulted in at least 72 deaths. Over 200 were reportedly injured, and the Islamist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the incident.


Syria's civil war and use of chemical weapons

In August, several areas around Damascus, Syria were struck by rockets containing Sarin. The attack led to somewhere between 200-1700 fatalities.


Train derailment in Spain

A train derailed in Northwestern Spain in July, killing 79 people and injuring many more. The train was going 95 mph when it derailed, which was twice the speed limit at the point where the accident happened. Authorities charged the train driver with 79 counts of homicide by professional recklessness.


Firefighters killed in AZ wildfire

An elite crew of firefighters trained to battle the nation's fiercest fires was overtaken by a blaze burning out of control in Arizona. 19 members of a 20 member team were killed, the lookout being the lone survivor.


NSA Snowden leaks

Former spy agency contractor Edward Snowden leaked details of top secret U.S. and British gov. mass surveillance programs to the press in June. The government has since charged Snowden with theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information, and willful communication of classified intelligence to an unauthorized person. Snowden is currently in Russia seeking asylum.


Boston Marathon Bombing

During the marathon, two pressure cooker bombs exploded killing three people and injuring over 200.


Pope Francis elected

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the former archbishop of Buenos Aires, accepted his election as the 266th head of the Roman Catholic church. He chose the name Francis, the very first pontiff to use this name.


Pope Benedict Resigns

Pope Benedict announced his resignation as Pope in a speech in Latin before the cardinals, citing a lack of strength of mind and body due to advanced age. He is the first Pope to resign since Pope Gregory XII in 1415, and the first to do so on his own initiative since Pope Celestine V in 129.

Those are the top stories in my opinion for 2013 the world over.

Now for our personal bit of news for 2013… The biggest event in all our family was the birth of Cameron! Welcome boy! This year with him as flown by!

Other family news includes:

Tyler and Kristen buying a home and adding a puppy to their family...

I feel good about my decision to put more effort into my Dad and my Anderson side of the family. 

 I am going to forgo resolutions- but I will make goals for 2014 and I plan to make it a fabulous year!!!

My Two Cents...

I am very good at having an opinion on- well everything. I am also very good at sharing those opinions- sometimes even when they aren't welcome!
Newtown Connecticut. The most recent victim of terror. It tears at my heart to think of the innocent lives shed- and at what cost? Thankfully, I believe in God. I believe that by the grace of God- the children were at a state of perfect innocence which allows them straight into heaven. I find that a comforting thought. Their mission here-no matter how short or small- was complete. For those teachers and administrators that lost their lives- they did not die in vain- they are heroes.
The media gives full coverage to these horror stories- which unfortunately continue to increase in frequency. Not just here, but the world around! I understand from one perspective that the coverage brings the community and the Country together- to unite and support those who have directly suffered. That is an important part of the healing process. However- the way these stories are reported, tends to inadvertently give glory to the assassin. Does this glory increase the occurrence of these crimes? Does it spark ideas of evil and terror? Who can really say. We speculate and try to piece the puzzle together-but in the end, there are never any answers that bring peace- or that make what happened okay.
The terror invoked the world over becomes ever more threatening and pressing into our peaceful lives. This terror robs our children of innocence, robs parents of the ability to protect their families, and robs communities of security.
What can we do to avoid these massacres? Guess what- we really can't do anything. The hot topic now is stricter gun control. I myself am a proud gun owner. I don't think that stronger gun control will do any good. The laws in place only keep the honest people honest. Obtaining guns and ammunition is not hard, but it isn't easy. If you are a law abiding citizen, you have to be a certain age, depending on the type of gun and ammo, there are limits in the quantity you can buy in a certain time frame. Some guns require background checks, and special permits. Guns and ammo aren't cheap!
The ways around these "rules" are illegal. Again- the laws only keep the honest people honest.
I take back that we can't do anything. We can. Not on any grand scale mind you, but as individuals, we must stand for what we believe in, and be true to ourselves. We can stop worrying about what everyone else is doing, and focus on what we believe is right and stay true to our integrity. We can watch out for our friends and families. These terrorists have friends and families- or did at one point. We don't or can't know what drives people to do such horrid things, but we can be mindful of signs that tell us when something doesn't feel right. We as a society can go back to caring about individuals as people. We need to let race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and all other judgements go- and remember that each of us is a person- we all need to be cared for. We can teach our children discipline. We can teach them to be of service.
The world will always have it's evil. God commanded that there be opposition in all things. Without sadness and sorrow, we cannot know true joy and happiness.
The way we handle the sadness and sorrow are the keys. We can learn from it and let it build us and unite us, or we can let it tear us apart. It is a simple choice.