Invitation has a very strong hold on our culture.  People do not want to impose on each other, these days, so a specific invitation is needed.  What got me thinking about this was a conversation I had about a week ago.  I was talking with a friend and told him to just come over to my place some time.  He responded with insight and tact.  He told me to remind him sometime.   In other words, he was saying, give me a real, specific invitation.  A general invite does not seem to alleviate the feeling of imposition.  The new lesson I have learned is that, if I want someone to feel welcome, I should invite them.

Stephanie and Rachel Works were killed at New Life Church ten days ago by a gunman whose motive was hate for Christians.  Those girls could have been PHC students, they were the type that everyone looks up to in a homeschool group.  They had a heart for God, their family, and their friends.  The stories about how they pointed their best friends to God and inspired them to see God's Will manifest in their lives are beautiful.

http://www.koaa.com/aaaa_featured_stories/x178233195
http://www.denverpost.com/snowsports/ci_7761443
http://www.newlifechurch.org/nln.jsp?id=21

*Updated*

This is my mother's email regarding yesterday.  Please pray for the Church.  The two who died were sisters (16 and 18).  Their father is in the hospital apparently shot twice.  Two others, a man and a woman (a homeschool mom) have been relesed.

Hi all!

Greetings from beautiful Colorado where the weather is mostly beautiful and there is never a dull moment. Thank you so much for all of your prayers, text messages, emails, and voice messages! There is nothing quite like a tragedy to make one stop and appreciate the love and faithful prayers of family and friends. Please continue to pray for the families of the victims of the New Life Church shooting.

So far one fatality has been reported and three other injuries ranging from critical to stable condition. One of the injured is a homeschool mom named Judy who I know through the High Country Enrichment Classes. From what I have heard she is expected to recover fully. Your prayers are a very powerful force in the universe and as great as this tragedy is, those of us that were there are amazed that the situation was contained and controlled so quickly. The casualty rate could very easily have been magnified by the 100’s under the circumstances-a crazed gunman on the loose with more than one weapon, one of which was a high powered automatic rifle, in a church full of thousands of people. By God’s grace and mercy an armed security guard was nearby when the shooting began and was able to fell the gunman.

Dave and the children were all off the campus before the shooting (praise God!) and I was in a meeting at the World Prayer Center which is on the NLC campus but in a separate building from the shooting. Hundreds of people ran to the WPC and the building was locked down (for security) for several hours, some in the basement and some in the chapel area, as the grounds became more secure. Although emotions were high and many were concerned about the well being and whereabouts of loved ones, the whole event was very well handled by police and church leadership. A lot of praying, crying, and singing were how the people responded to the situation. Everyone cooperated with the authorities and for the most part I was amazed at how smoothly things went and how kind and tender people were to one another. If the real person is exposed under pressure then my assessment has to be that the people of New Life Church are made of pretty good stuff. Please continue to pray for NLC. Your support has been amazing over the last year and we are very grateful for that. I personally do not want to even think about anything else that could go wrong there. It will be a challenge as we walk through at least one funeral in the coming days, and begin to emotionally process what we experienced today.

A little before 5:00pm I was cleared to leave the premises and was glad to be reunited with family and friends. It was too late by the time I got home to return all of your calls so I am sending out this email to say THANK YOU for your support! We are safe and thankful for the love of so many faithful friends. You are a blessing and we want you to know that we love you all.

Many blessings,
Donna Lorrig