WHAT HAPPENED TO CHRISTMAS CHEER?!?

I have been holding a burning desire within myself for the past 24 hours. It has been smoldering within me as I travel through the business of my life, just waiting for an opportunity to stop and process what is on my mind. Of course the extremely dreary, gray day with the torrential down-pour adds nothing to lift the state of being that I currently reside in. In fact, as I write this, the sky is growing ever more blacker, and the rain is literally pounding on the skylights in my office loft.

I shall forge on regardless.............Yesterday, I followed my morning routine of breakfast, coffee and the Cincinnati Enquirer prior to jumping into my work day and noted the very depressing headlines that were screaming out in large black type just one week before Christmas. Given the already worrying conditions in this country, having all four lead articles spew out doom was very distressing. Here they are:

• CHRYSLER, FORD IDLING US PLANTS
• NEARLY HALF OF HOMES IN COUNTY FALL IN VALUE
• LAGGING SALES CANCEL 1 'NUTCRACKER' PERFORMANCE
• OHIO OKs ELECTRIC RATE CUT- FOR NOW

Then the news about Keri Shryock's death during the first Christmas performance of "Awakening" at the Crossroads Community Church was just too much. This young woman, a graduate student at my alma mater, Xavier University, had found community within this mega non-denominational church that does so much good for the local community and abroad. She was a performer in the show and fell 30 feet to her death (see earlier post). Reports from her friends show that she was a wonderful, caring, young woman who was truly making a difference in this world. A difference that is sorely needed given the above headlines that are morphing in various forms on every front page of every major city in this country. My prayers are with her family and friends as they go through this difficult period of loss. My hope is that her spirit of giving will live on in the many lives that she has touched and that these people will go on to pay it forward and touch other lives.

The message of Christmas is all about love: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Let's remember why we are celebrating December 25th and focus on the good that is going on in our lives.

• BANISH THE DARKNESS FROM YOUR LIFE
• DO SOMETHING TO IMPACT ANOTHER PERSON IN A POSITIVE WAY
  
• BE THANKFUL FOR ALL THE BLESSINGS THAT YOU DO HAVE
  

Despite the picture of bleakness that the media never ceases to remind us of, there are many rays of sunshine: just look for them closely, or go create some like Kerry did in her short life-time. And please add Keri's family to your prayers.

God Bless!

Prayers for Keri Shryock's Family

Church performer dies after fall

By Jessica Brown and Quan Truong • jlbrown@enquirer.com, qtruong@enquirer.com • December 18, 2008

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OAKLEY -- An actor in an elaborate Christmas production died this morning after falling as much as 30 feet Wednesday night while performing in the theater at Crossroads Community Church.
Keri Shryock, 23, of Sylvania, Ohio, was a graduate student at Xavier University who joined the non-denominational megachurch in August.
Audience members described the horrible scene on the opening night of the production "Awaited,'' a contemporary retelling story of the Christmas story.

They said the fall came about 20 minutes into the performance. Shryock and two other actors were playing the Three Wise Men on their way to Bethlehem. They ascended from the ground harnessed to ropes and moved slowly up toward a star.

Three others stood on the ground below them holding the ropes. The three actors began performing acrobatic-type moves similar to those in "Cirque de Soleil'' productions. One audience member said Shryock was trying to move farther up the rope to be as high as the other actors.

Suddenly, Shryock fell headfirst about 30 feet into an aisle in the audience portion of the theater. A silence fell over the audience of 2,000 people, the lights came up and people raced to Shryock.

The pastor urged everyone to remain in their seats so that EMS workers had room to help Shryock. An ambulance took Shryock to University Hospital.

Audience member Daniel Doepke, 55, of Middletown, said the performers were high up on a cable and pointed toward a star in the ceiling as music played. They wore Middle Eastern head wraps and pants.

“Toward the ending of the song she came loose,'' Doepke said. "I can’t describe how heart-wrenching it was, her fall to a hard concrete surface.''