Remembering the Day: 9/11

I can clearly remember where I was and what I was doing on September 11, 2001. I would guess you can, too.

As I was thinking about this event the other day, it made me think about my children. They were not even thought of at this point in history. It reminded me of one of the "Cosby Show" episodes where Theo was doing a report on the March on Washington when martin Luther King, JR. led the march. Theo's report was all about facts taken from books, rather than the eye witnesses (his relatives). This made me think about my children getting their information from books and the internet, rather than from myself who was "there" in a sense.

May we never forget!

9/11: Where Would We Be...If...

It hardly seems possible that it has been ten years ago since the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. That day was filled with so much emotion that I think every teen to adult remembers that day. This was probably the most horrific situation that has happened in my lifetime. However, what would America look like if we had not experienced “9/11”?

Think about the opinion of George W. Bush. I am sure there would have been many who still poked fun at his lack of oratory skills.

Think about how our airports would be different. They must have thought they were being lackadaisical in their failure to keep the airways safe. Would they still be checking people and bags the way they did prior to that day or would things have changed by now?

Think about our freedom. Were we beginning to take it for granted as it had been years since anything had happened. (I’m thinking Pearl Harbor was close to 9/11 - unknown attack, lots of people killed). Was this a wake-up call to realize “mighty” America is still very vulnerable?

Think about our patriotism? Following the attacks lots and lots of people started flying flags and appreciating their freedom. Songs like “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood had a new-found pride. The National Anthem was appreciated more.

Think about how we view our police and fire departments. After all of this we started to appreciate those who serve in those capacities much more than we did prior.

Where would we be if 9/11 wouldn’t have happened? If that tragedy didn’t happen, how would the effect of events like Hurricane Katrina change? We can only speculate as so much that has happened in the last 10 years!

Now it's your turn, what would you add to the list of "Where would we be's"...?

9/11: One Nation Under God

"What in the world is happening?" May not have been what I was exactly thinking, but it was going through my mind on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. As President George W. Bush had not been in office too long, I had not been in full-time ministry too long when this major catastrophe happened. For me, it had just been a few months since I started ministry and this event rocked me personally and professionally. I was not even prepared to handle the congregation in this situation. It was definitely a day I will never forget.

It was a day that probably anyone from 10 years of age on up (on that day) will remember. It impacted our nation, communities, schools, and families so much that it was searing on our emotional canvases.

As we are a nation founded on biblical principles, resolving to remain "one nation under God" is a must for Christians. They must resolve to keep their faith a priority when it comes to decisions as citizens in this country (aka voting). As we reflected on 9/11 on Sunday, here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

• Pray ~ Pray for our country - its leaders, its protection, its service departments. Pray for our community. Pray for the victims' families. Pray for our enemies. There is seemingly so many things to be praying for, regarding this event. What would you add?
• Stand Up ~ When you feel strongly for something that affects your freedom, stand strong for it. Whether you're right or wrong; win or lose, to stand up for what you believe in has a lot of respect within the action.
• Understand Our Vulnerabilities ~ As a country, we felt our vulnerabilities attacked. Probably no one thought that someone would plan such a horrific act - taking planes and using them as missiles. If there would have been any suspicion, I would bet that our defenses would have been incredibly high. However, our defenses were low and our country attacked causing 3000+ killed on that day. Additionally, we must keep in mind our vulnerability when it comes to our soul. Satan is always trying to attack our weak areas. What are your weak areas? Acknowledge them, so you know how to protect them.
• Strength Does Not Mean Strong ~ As the Psalmist writes in Psalm 33:16 regarding a king not being safe no matter the size of his army, I am reminded that our country may be one of the best armed military countries in the world, we are still not strong. A country that is committing itself to God is going to be strong. God makes the country strong and can bring down any size of army/country in an instant! May we keep our country one that relies on God to help keep up its strength.

Our country is one that millions of people in the world wish they could live in. We are blessed to have such a country. May our nation remain fixed on its biblical principles of which it was founded. With these principles in tact, let us continue to be "one nation under God!"

Now it's you're turn...What are your thoughts after reading the post?...