Nothing to fear but fear itself

I blog about very little apart from my family. I don't usually comment on the media or politics but today I'm making an exception. I can't seem to shake the images of the horrific shooting in Colorado. I don't even have cable and I still can't escape it. The truth is that I am bothered by the physical reaction I have to these kinds of things. The intense feeling of fear. Feeling like nowhere is safe and no one is to be trusted. Honestly, I kind of felt like that already. I think it started when I worked for defense attorneys and read way too many gruesome police reports and saw way too many autopsy photos. It has only gotten worse since becoming a mom and fearing for others besides myself. I have read several articles and blogs in the last couple of days about the theater shooting and the common theme in them all is that of fear. Even the pastor touched on it in church. It seems that the best thing we can do right now is not be afraid. If we fear them, they win. And by "they" I'm referring to the evil-doers and other psychopaths of this world. We cannot give them that power and control over us. Some of the survivors have said that they feel spared and that their lives have been given new meaning and purpose. We should all feel that way. Life is fragile, short and temporary. Wasting it on fear instead of spending it the way God has intended for us is just that-a waste. As difficult as it is going to be, I intend to live my life to the fullest. The only way we can win is to live with gusto and passion knowing that our lives are in God's hands alone. Who is with me?