It is indeed a good news ending to this story seeler!   That people knew they were being sought was in part due to the Amber Alert programme - a great initiative.

 Did any of you get the amber alert text messages?  I'm curious because I signed up for AB, but none have occurred here since I signed up.

I'm not a "texter" - so can't help you out re that question chemgal.

Yes, it was nice to hear that this story had this happy ending, so many don't.

I want to take a moment to thank everyone who searched. I know one person came from as far as London. It is a difficult and often horrible job or volunteer endeavour. Few present were unaware of the search outcome for another Barrie area child, Brandon Crisp, who died of hypothermia in Nov 2008.  Searching in the dark for children you know are freezing cold and trying to get to them before it is too late, is something words do not adequately describe. Thanks for all you do when the call goes out, from police officer to canine crews to volunteers to those who make coffee and bring food to searchers. God bless you all!

BTW I have learned that I do not tend to thank God for them being safe, when they are found safe because then I am lost on what to do, think, say.... when they are not. The same as thanking God for a music award win or sporting event win, what do the losers do? I tend to thank God for being there, win or lose, with a family reunited in joy or a family reuinted in mourning.

I'm quite sure that my thinking about this aligns with yours SG.   I thank God for the love and care of the people doing the searching and those providing backup and those supporting the family.  I thank God for the compassion people feel, and I thank God for being there with the child(ren) who are suffering and with their frantic parents. 

I think that the Spirit joins in our collective joy when there is a good outcome, as in this case, and that the Spirit grieves with us in our sorrow if a life is lost. 

Seeler, I needed to be clear for myself.

I am in language mode recently - reading books, attending lectures, going to workshops... where it is discussed how churches/ministers/people may be holding one theology in one hand and another completely different theology in the other. They have both, because of their past, their exposure, their journey.... They are often unaware they are, in ways, still carrying both. They may have put one down, but never let completely go of it ( just because of language, culture, phrases... ) and so it is still carried in their hand. They may even be unaware that they still have it. They may even vehemnetly deny they do have it. Yet, they may be also offering up both, completely unaware. The one that is more familiar to people is the one that they will often choose. It will be grasped and passed on to another person or whole generation. So, I have been spending time on how there is theology in hymns, in prayers, in casual phrases, in conversation... It means I am hypervigilant to choose things that are a theology I embrace and if there is room for confusion to explain myself and my theology.

Ah SG - an interesting, valuable, challenging mode to be in - I do agree that often we are unaware of what we espouse, and conflicts therein.  I love that you work to bring these challenges into our awareness.