Well, my blogging took a different turn tonight and I will not be getting the posts I am working on for you out tonight as planned. Sometimes, plans change.
Our PEC group- Parents Educating Children- our Florida Homeschool and local support groups are very close. We are like one big family. We work together on projects and meet once a year at our fantastic homeschool convention where thousands of Florida homeschool families go to learn and purchase new curriculum.
We meet together once a month and then more often when we go on field trips together or when we do co-op teaching.
I just received an email from our group leader asking for prayers for the Sitton Family. Jim and Muriel's 6 year old daughter fell upon a tragic death on Thanksgiving. Makayla was a very smart and gorgeous young girl. Jim is a very much loved photojournalist for WPTV. It is really hard for me to write this post but we need your help in prayers and also to find the alleged killer. I am shaking as I write this post and my heart is pounding. I am doing all I can to hold it together so that we can get this prayer request to you this evening.
The family knows that their little angel is with Heavenly Father now. Makayla was very spiritual and was very close to God. In fact, during their Thanksgiving dinner she asked if she could say a few words. She got up and said that when you get a gift that is not thanksgiving, that is thanks getting, but when you thank the giver for the gift, then you have thanksgiving.
On Thanksgiving after they enjoyed their family gathering with many family members one of the cousins went outside for a few moments and then came back shooting everyone. There were 17 people in the home at the time. He shot and killed his 33 year old twin sisters, one of whom was pregnant. He killed his aunt who was 76 years old and then he shot Makayla 5 times while she was sleeping in her bed. This was the first time he had ever met his 6 year old cousin as he had not seen anyone in his family in 10 years. He shot and killed 4 people that Thanksgiving night and during one moment of silence as the family members were running for their lives, he said he had waited 20 years to do this. He did not shoot his father- instead this was more to punish his father for whatever!
Since I don't read the awful newspapers I found out about this through our email communications with our homeschool support group. What a tragic loss. I am going to have to take some time now to pray and get my emotions in order. I am crying as I write this story. It pains me to no end when senseless murder happens and when it is this close to home- well- it is even harder. I lost my mother to a killer and so I have a lot of empathy for those who go through this tragedy.
The manhunt for the killer has extended into Michigan. According to Jupiter Florida Police Sgt Pascarella - the alleged killer is Paul Merhige, age 35 and is driving a 4 door royal blue 2007 Toyota Camry with Florida License # W427JT. His address known address is 10201 SW 88th Ave. in Miami. But he also lived for a short time in Birmingham Michigan. Please contact the Michigan Police if you see this man. Do not approach him. He is assumed dangerous and is believed to be armed.
Courtesy of Channel 5- WPTV- Here is a photo of the alleged killer. Please contact police if you see him.
This is what Jim Sitton, her father had to say to the news media-
"I just want to let everyone know that she's in heaven; we know where she is, and that's the only reason I can stand here today. God has blessed us with a beautiful little girl and he just took her home.
"Makayla was a special girl. Six-years-old, played piano and sang. She was supposed to be in the Nutcracker ballet tomorrow at the Eissey theater... She was very excited about this. Tonight, when we put her down, I got to have a tender, special moment with her. She's just, our life, and I don't know how we're ever going to recover. God packed a lot of sweetness into that little body, and it's a tragic way to go, but we know where she is."
Here is a beautiful photo of Makayla courtesy of the Sitten family. Please add her family to your prayers tonight.
Please pray for the Sitton family and their loved ones as they go through this rough time of tribulation in their lives right now. Please pray that God's peace will surround them and that he sends his divine comfort to them.
Kona Brewing Company is one of the main sponsors of this event along with many other companies. 
