A Day Never Forgotten...

Ten Years ago...one terrible, nightmarish journey. September 11, 2011. A day wrought in tragedy and death. Can anything good come of it?

September 11, 2011 a little after 9 AM. It had become a usual routine for me to do some work before turning on the TODAY show and eating my breakfast around 9 AM. Today was no different. I had just done some cleaning , we were going to have a friend come over in the afternoon to look at my husband's computer. I settled down as usual in my chair with a bowl of Raisin Bran. The TODAY team had just joked about something. Then Katie Couric came on to say that there was an incident at the World Trade Center. A small commuter plane had hit it, they were saying, and switched live to the scene. I sat there eating my cereal, thinking what a terrible thing to have happen once again (I recalled the bombing there about seven years back). I told my son who was in the back getting ready for school to come see the burning building. As I was watching this live, I saw a huge jetliner careen across the screen and into the second World Trade Center building, followed by a tremendous fireball. I nearly dropped my bowl but managed to put it on the table. This was history unfolding before his eyes and mine. I knew we were under attack and a terrible event was happening. And it went on for hours. More planes. More explosions. Buildings collapsing. The innocent dying. It was an event from hell.

My parents used to talk about the Day of Infamy when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. They were kids back then. I had been to the Arizona memorial in Hawaii and was moved. But I never thought I would witness an attack in my lifetime. Until September 11, 2001 when our own airplanes and US citizens were used against us. It was a horrifying thing.

What good can possible come from something so awful? I do know that for the first time, everything stopped. No one cared about money or politics. People came together and prayed. People hung the flag, put it on their cars instead of college alma maters, burned candles, sung patriotic songs. USA shirts and hats were worn everywhere and were hot ticket items. People were Americans. We grieved as a nation. We were family.

Dear God, I pray nothing like this will have to happen again to make us realize who we are as a nation - one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

What were you doing on 9/11, and how did it affect you?

Change is on the Horizon...

Change seems to be the word these days. We are hearing it everywhere, especially on the advent of an inauguration where we will see the first African American accept the oath of office as president of the United States. That is indeed a welcome change in a nation that has been plagued by racial tension for generations.

But one must also consider this blanket idea of "change." The idea of "Yes, we can." Words that brought Mr. Obama to the most important office on earth. But is the idea of "change" enough? Or should we look at what kind of change we are talking about? Is this change for good? Is it change for bad and man's selfish desires? Most importantly, will this change further the kingdom of God and His reign? All questions Christians need to be thinking and praying about at this crucial time, especially as we head into this vast unknown with one who has used the word "change" to bring about his elected status.

Change can be good, if it is change that brings about God's purposes and His righteousness here and abroad. If it brings forth reconciliation, forgiveness, salvation and life. If it says - Yes, God can. By ourselves, we are nothing.

Anything less and we will soon be wishing that "change" never came....

Storms During Political Parties

Ah, the storms of life. Today the Gulf Coast got hit by Hurricane Gustav, and next weekend we might be feeling the effects of Hurricane Hanna here in my neck of the woods. But although the storms are angry, black, unpredictable, and fierce, God is still in control.

I know how upset I felt at the storm coming right on the heels of the Republican National Convention. I mean the Democrats had their convention and without a hitch, it seemed. Great weather. Fireworks and all the hoopla. And end to end media coverage, which I watched in the evening. Now the other party must contend with a hurricane. In fact, several hurricanes. There are no big speeches. No party atmosphere. No media coverage. On outside, it all looks real unfair. Even critics were joking about the hurricane - well, I guess we see whose side God is on.

Hey, but God talks about storms. How He is a refuge in the midst of them. He calms them. He is a shelter. And maybe the Republican Party, like all of us, including me, can take wisdom in this. It's easy to have a party atmosphere when the sun is out and the skies are blue. But it matters more that you can rejoice and find hope in God's ultimate wisdom when the clouds are black and the wind is fierce. That you put your faith in action to believe that all things work together for good. That nothing escapes His eye, and that He makes no mistakes.

So I think the Republicans will have their party, as did the Democrats. It certainly won't be the same, but that's okay. Why not make a distinction between the two conventions, after all? Isn't that what politics are all about - to see the differences between the parties and the candidates? And to see who comes out the richer in wisdom and strength for the real party they threw.