Most of these poems were written about Somer by some one whose life has been touched by hers.

She came knocking on the 17th of September,

a day I will always remember.

She was only 23, on her way to 24,

when she came knocking on heavens door.

I don’t know why you asked her to come,

guess her work was done.

She was a witness, very special indeed,

and never filled with hate or greed.

You’ll never meet a gem like her,

she always taught us Gods word.

Now, it has been 6 long months,

but in her brain are no more shunts.

She is healed! She is free,

and we are blessed with her memories!

Love, Miranda Joyce Rolen Hood

(Somers big sister) 02/2004

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HANDLE WITH CARE

Handle with care for I’m grieving today,

I’m hurting and need time for the sadness to go away.

Your kind words, a hug and especially a prayer,

I’m grieving , so even with your words of comfort,

Those too, " Handle with care".

Yes I know she’s in a better place and how happy she must be,

But as a momma who held precious life in my arms, I’m missing her

and want her back with me.

Handle with care for I’m wiping the tears,

I’d do it all again if God would let me have her another 23 years.

You tell me I’m strong and handling things well,

But oh my friend, if you knew my heart, you’d see it would have

another story to tell.

Yes the service was just what she would have wanted and I’m

glad you came,

But the thoughts in my mind right now are without Somer, life will

never be the same.

So handle with care, your words and sometimes know,

The best friend is one who when at a loss for words,

a hug and even a shared tear is all the love you need to show.

By Vicki Melvin Hood (MOM)

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 GO TO THE FATHER

With all the media attention about abstinence even from our president want to teach it in our schools, maybe someone has a song in them about this important subject in our society. Somer Hood was a good role model in purity. When "True Love Waits" came along Somer had already embraced its  principles. The following is a letter to her future (unknown) Sweetheart thanking him for also keeping himself pure until their wedding day.

We found this in a notebook after she went to be "The bride of Christ".

Dear Sweetheart,

Thank you so much for being the man of God you are.

I want you to know that it’s really hard sometimes,

but I want to save myself for you alone-

Emotionally, I have already given myself away.

I have done some physical things I regret.

But nobody will ever hold the whole package but you.

You alone were designed for me and I for you.

I can’t wait to meet you, if I have not already.

I know we will fit together like a puzzle.

I am so excited to share our ministry together.

Keep waiting.

I Love you,

Written by, Somer in her own hand

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"I can’t look towards you because I am seeking my Heavenly Father. I am interceding on Somer’s behalf, praying for Him to remove the tumor and make her whole again. I am praying - "Oh God, Our Heavenly Father, I came to intercede for a beautiful young lady named Somer who has a brain tumor. In one special moment in time you created her and placed her inside her mother’s womb ‘til she was ready to be born into this world - and as she grew she was taught about you, and then one day she gave her life to you... and then one day she surrendered to the call of becoming a missionary to tell others about you, your love, and your salvation. She is such a loving creation, and even while being sick, she gives her life’s testimony and sings your praises every opportunity that comes her way!

Do you pray to Him on behalf of others? Do you know that you can... Go to the Father...And with the touch of His hand, He’ll make folks whole again?

I will honestly have to admit (God already knows anyway) that when someone asks me to pray for them, my usual method is to pray little mini-prayers all during the day when I am thinking about it. Guess you would call these "little moments of prayer", because they are usually down to the point and short and sweet, but they are always sincere. They are usually prayers such as this: "Lord take care of Susie, watch over her and protect her" - "Lord, if it’s your will, I ask you to heal Jane" - "Lord, be with her as she goes through these hard times" - "Lord, I thank you for the blessings of a new day!" - "Lord, thank you for my family." - Just little short prayers like these! (Now let’s all be honest - I’m sure that I’m not the only Christian that prays these little mini-prayers!)... We can all be assured that God hears all of our prayers, no matter the size! However at times I do actually take time to remember God’s words to us: "Be still and know that I am God", then I humble myself and get down to some serious praying!

Our family has received word this week that one of our younger cousins, Somer Hood, has had a brain tumor to recur, and we have all been very concerned and saddened as to what the prognosis of this might be. So, I have offered up lots of little mini-prayers throughout each day, but also long sincere, straight from the heart, prayer requests for Somer’s healing. I have been praying and praying for her healing, and for strength for her and her family during these difficult times as I suppose they have silently feared the worst.... that the dreaded tumor in her brain had returned. I have prayed asking God to reach down and touch her, to take his Almighty Hand and remove the tumor from her brain and then just flick it off his fingers for an eternity into Heaven’s skies. I told Him if that wasn’t the way He wanted to remove it, and for some reason it was in His plan for her to endure surgery again, to please give the doctors the proper skills and knowledge to go in and remove the tumor - totally and completely - that every bit of it would be gone from inside her head, and that she would be totally free from it forevermore.

Of course God does things His way because only He can see the final outcome, so I know that whatever method He chooses will be in His divine plan. I truly believe that it is in His plan to heal Somer; it might not be anytime soon and it might not even be in a way that our world knows about yet! It might even be through a glorious miracle - we all know that even in our modern age, God does still perform miracles each and every day!

I am writing this in the wee hours of the morning because I couldn’t go to sleep; as I laid on my pillow for hours and tossed and turned from side to side I prayed for Somer over and over again. First I went straight to the top - to God, our Heavenly Father; after all that’s where we should all go when we really want some answers fast! Then I felt led to pray to Jesus to hear my prayers for Somer and for him to be her Intercessor and go to God on her behalf.

I don’t know why, but I kept praying, "Dear Jesus, let me see your face". I prayed this prayer with my eyes closed, open, closed, and open again, but no face appeared to me. After praying it over and over, I opened my eyes looking towards the dark bedroom wall and maybe in my own mind (and maybe not), I could see a side view of Jesus’ face looking upward, like we have all seen in pictures since childhood. Jesus spoke to me in silent words,

Father, so many prayers are coming up for Somer, they are just flying all over heaven! You wrote in your Word - "That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." Well Father, there is an unending 2 times 2 times 2, and it just keeps growing!

There are thousands and thousands of your children praying for this young soul. It all started a few years back with one earnest prayer from Somer’s dad the day he found out that there was something dreadfully wrong within Somer’s head. His cries to heaven for Somer’s healing came up immediately. Right behind his prayers for help came the prayers of a loving devoted mother, and then there were Somer’s cries and prayers for an answer to what was happening to her. She was so scared. Well, it wasn’t long, only a few moments, until another prayer came up and then another and another, and it has been that way none stop. So Dear God, Our Heavenly Father, I ask on Somer’s behalf that you remove those wicked thorns from her head. Father, I know what it’s like to have them there. I know what a piercing pain they cause, and I know how scary it is. I am interceding for her because so many of her family and loved ones are continually praying and asking me to, and not only that - I love her and I died on the cross for her, and I want her to be made whole again. Dear Heavenly Father, you have all power on heaven and earth, and you have the power to heal Somer of this dreaded disease. So I pray that you could see fit in your plan to remove her thorns and make her whole again... and I thank you Father for hearing my request."

God hears every single prayer that is offered up to Him, whether it be a mini-prayer or a long prayer. He hears our silent prayers and our spoken prayers. He hears our prayers of thanksgiving and praise, and our prayers for specific needs. As Christians, God answers all our prayers, maybe not in the way that we want them answered, and maybe not in our time, but His time.... Never never give up on your commitment to prayer. Pray without ceasing.

Let’s all continue offering up lots and lots of prayers for Somer and her family, and have faith that when we .... Go to the Father...And with the touch of His handShe’ll be made whole again!

Our Father can do it!

Written especially for Somer By Kathy S. Norris (cousin) Early morning hours of 9/4/03