Who am I?

I can't believe I missed out on free ice cream today. For those who didn't know, today was Free Cone Day at Ben 'n Jerry's ice cream parlors around the nation. I didn't get a chance to head over there. After my friends told me that they ranked up about 80 bucks worth of free ice cream, my mouth started to drool.

But today is just about over and I will not be able to get my free cone. BUT on May 2nd there is a 31cent ice cream scoop at Baskin-Robbins to support firefighters.

~~
The recent shootings at Virginia Tech have made me feel a little paranoid. Just the fact that someone was able to go around a college campus unnoticed with 2 guns and a bag with ammunition and knives makes me shake a little. Today, I asked a friend of mine to go with me to meet with the pizza delivery guy just outside of our college campus building that we were studying in just so I have someone else with me. It never occurred to me all those times I went out to meet the pizza guy that something could happen. I could be stabbed, shot, or mugged.

Is it wrong to be paranoid? Webster defines paranoia as "a tendency on the part of an individual or group toward excessive or irrational suspiciousness and distrustfulness of others." Having someone with me to get the pizza doesn't seem too extreme of a case of paranoia. I see it as a safety concern. You don't want to meet the pizza out in the dark by yourself. My action was not based on irrational suspiciousness, but on common sense.

It is easy to become paranoid after hearing about this situation. Public college campuses do not have fences around the perimeter. Anyone can park as long as they pay the meter/parking pass. We have homeless people that frequently come on campus to pick up whatever they can use to their benefit. These college campuses can become easy targets for people who want to do harm to others to do so.

9/11 caused some fear and paranoia in people. After the World Trade Center towers fell it was apparent to a lot of people that it could have happened anywhere. Now that this mass murder occurred at a university, more people are certain that this situations can happen anywhere.

What can we do about our feelings? Matthew 6:25,33-34 says "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today."

Worrying does not make your problems go away. They may for a while, but then you'll start thinking about it again. So why do we worry? It may be that we feel that we are accomplishing something by worrying. Worry also doesn't help in things you cannot control, for instance the weather. Don't worry if it will rain tomorrow. Worry doesn't make the rain stop. Instead, plan on bringing an umbrella with you to work or school.

Believe it or not, God is in control everything that happens on this earth. Isn't that great? All we need to do is to trust Him and put our faith in Him. God created the heavens and the earth. God made you and me. God takes care of the little birds. How much more will he take care of us? It brings peace of mind to know that God is in charge.