Remembering September 11

Ten years – wow! Do you remember where you were 10 years ago? I sure do! I remember it like it was yesterday!

What I remember most, I think, was the sheer silence that followed. Although we aren’t that close to the airport, without the planes overhead, it was eerily silent. It was like everything stopped. Even to this day, I look up in the sky, and without a doubt I can find at least one airplane somewhere overhead – and I remember that there was one day where there weren’t any.

People were quiet, too. No one knew what to say – what to do. Eyes were glued to the television – still not believing what was happening – still not wanting to believe it was intentional. There were no words to describe what happened on September 11, 2001.

I also remember that everyone pulled together – regardless of who they were, how much they made, what color, religion or shoe size – we were truly United that day. And not just the United States – the entire WORLD (well, most of it) was grieving with us, reaching out to help – and to pray. I remember watching the newscasters – the ones that are always so professional and composed, break down in tears. No one walked away from September 11 untouched; unchanged.

What happened to that?? On that day, and the days that followed, churches were filled to capacity; people hit their knees and prayed – right where they stood; prayers filled the air. No one said ‘oh, no, you can’t talk about God!” Everyone was talking, listening or at the very least, thinking about God. Even the reporters were saying the ‘P’ word – calling for prayers! No one said, ‘oh, wait, let me go get my suit and tie on to go to church’. It just didn’t matter. There were people in suits and dresses digging in the rubble, and there were people in dirty jeans and torn shirts sitting in the pews of the nicest cathedrals. What happened to that?? Why is it that we can all pull together and act like Jesus only when we’ve got the world falling down around us! Why is it that it takes such a tragedy to bring us all together – and to bring us back to God. And the big question -why is it that in less than ten years – ten short years – we sit here fighting and fussing and ‘that’s not my job’ and ‘I can’t do that’. Did we learn nothing?

I’m not very political, and even if I were, I’d know enough to keep my mouth shut. I don’t know whether the war was a good idea or a bad idea; I don’t know whether the troops should stay or come home; I don’t know if Giuliani did the right thing or if Bush did the right thing. What I do know is that there are so many lives that were changed that day. So many families that lost loved ones. Babies that will grow up without a parent. The fear and anguish of those who just didn’t know whether their loved ones were alive or not. The emptiness of those who still don’t ‘know’ – still don’t have a body to bury. I also know that there are tons of men and women making tremendous sacrifices to protect our country and to fight for our freedom. Many paying the ultimate sacrifice. Again, I’m not saying whether they should be fighting this battle or not – all I know is that they are. They are sacrificing, they are fighting, and they are doing it for what they believe in – our country and our freedom – right, wrong or indifferent – they are there, and they are living it. And as long as they are, it is my responsibility ... our responsibility ... to support them, love them and pray for them in their efforts regardless of politics.

Take time today to remember … to honor … and to pray for all of the victims of 9/11. Honor those that lost their lives that day. Honor those who ran into a falling building for the sake of someone else – whether they themselves made it out or not. Praise God for those who made it out alive and were able to go home to their families. Pray for the families who still grieve over the senseless loss of their loved ones. Pray for the babies that were born who will never know their fathers – they’re 10 years old now! And pray for their mothers as they raise them alone, and pray for wisdom so that they can answer the hard questions that their children are getting old enough to ask.

Pray for the soldiers who are fighting to protect us from another attack -- and for their families that miss them. Pray for the families of those who have died in service to our country. Pray for our government, that wise decisions will be made; that the path will be one that is lit by God's light. And pray for us ... that we will never, ever forget...

My Genesis Week

I have really appreciated my quiet time with God in the mornings lately. It seems like I’m getting overwhelmed everywhere I turn. That quiet time gives me a chance to settle my thoughts and re-group. I stumbled upon this verse recently (or did God say … ‘hey, read this’) and it has really made me stop and think…

“God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life” Psalm 51:11 (The Message)

A Genesis week?? Hmm … God created … well … everything in a week. Certainly He could sort out the chaos in my life in a ‘Genesis week’. Those words have been bouncing around in my head – ‘fresh start’ ‘chaos’ ‘shape’ ‘Genesis week’. God spoke the world into existence. As much as I wish I could speak clean laundry into existence … it’s not gonna happen that way.

God can help me shape my own ‘Genesis week’. I can shape the chaos into a fresh start. Now, since God isn’t going to do it for me … I need a little more than six days to get my chaos under control!

Sunday is a day of rest … but not ‘sit on the couch and watch tv’ kind of rest. It’s a rest, pray, reflect, and shape day. Every Sunday for the next 6 weeks I am going to choose a part of my life that has a little chaos that needs controlling. God did it in 6 days, I’m shooting for 6 weeks. I’ll spend Sunday praying about my goal, reflecting on what I’ve done wrong (or right) in the past, and create a plan to get it under control. For the next 6 days, I’ll put that plan in motion.

This Sunday, I’m going to start with something very visible … my house. Morgan will be gone, so it will be the perfect time to bring some of the clutter and chaos under control. Sunday, I’ll relax, pray and put a plan together. Maybe it will be one room per night. Maybe it will be wash everything … laundry, sheets, curtains, one night and dust, mop, windows another night. I don’t know … I’ll figure the plan on Sunday. Then I’ll follow that plan throughout the week.

Next Sunday, I’ll rest, pray, reflect and shape another portion of my life. Maybe it’ll be finances, or my spiritual life, work life, time management, habits that I want to change. There are lots of different parts of our life … we all wear many hats. Perhaps, if we focus on one hat at a time … and shape a Genesis week for each hat … we can turn some of the chaos into a fresh start!

After all, God organized the chaos of an entire universe. With His help … prayer, commitment and a plan … we can organize a bit of the chaos in our lives!

Which comes first ... happiness of a smile?

Which comes first … happiness or a smile?

More than once something has happened to ‘put me’ in a good mood … and that will lead me to smile a little more, have a little more bounce in my step, and be a little more patient with bad traffic and cranky people. Then, another day something will ‘put me’ in a bad mood, and I’ll be a bit more pouty, drag a little slower and be a little cranky. My level of happiness is the cause … what I do and how I react is the effect.

But that’s not what God says. “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24. It says ‘rejoice’ then ‘be glad’ … not the other way around. Webster defines rejoice as ‘be overjoyed, celebrate …’ So, what does that tell us? Celebrate first; be overjoyed FIRST, then be glad in it. The smile comes first … happiness follows.

Happiness is what comes when we chose to rejoice in the Lord. In other words, happiness is a choice. Oh wait, that’s a scary thought! Happiness is a choice … which means, by contrast, grouchiness is a choice, too.

But I don’t feel happy … I had a rough day, traffic was bad … how can I be happy if I don’t feel happy. Make a choice. If you were offered, would you choose a flower or a weed? You would reach out and take the rose over the crabgrass. So reach out and take happiness over grouchiness. Each day offers the opportunity to have a good day or a bad day. Remember, God said “I will never leave you nor forsake you”, Hebrews 13:5. With a promise like that, how bad can it be?

Make the choice … the rest will follow. Say it out loud ‘I chose to be happy’. Then smile and say good morning to someone … you might be surprised what follows. Rejoice … gladness will follow.

Have a happy day! J

My One Word

Happy New Year!!

Have you gotten used to writing '2011' yet? How are those resolutions going? Well, if you're already frustrated with the resolutions you made - relax ... I've got good news for you!

I want to tell you about a great website I found. To give credit where credit is due ... I heard the ad for the website on WPER 90.5 ... and the website is myoneword.org. The radio station is awesone - and so is the website!

Here's the idea ... when you make resolutions, you are attempting to alter bad behavior from the past. Instead, focus on who you want to be in the future. Notice that I said 'who' you want to be ... not 'what' you want to be. Life is always about the 'who' - but that's another blog! Being skinnier, healthier, richer are all 'what's'. Think a little deeper than that.

Now, the website is My One Word ... not My Long List. This is the hard part. This takes some time, prayer and reflection. Pick one word that will act like a filter for everything else to funnel through. A filter that all of your decisions at home, at work, at church, at the gym, at the dinner table can flow through.

It took me 3 days to pick my word. Actually, it took me 5 minutes - but it took 3 days to know it. I found the word, didn't like it - and then thought about another word. But I kept coming back to this one ... Stronger.

There was a song on the radio (shortly after they talked about the website) by Mandisa called 'Stronger'. She says that the troubles that we are going through are there to make us stronger. So I got the idea for that word. But then I thought ... I'm tired of being 'strong'. I have to be strong rasing my daughter by myself. I had to be strong when mom got sick. I had to be strong when she died. I don't want to be strong for everyone - I want someone else to be strong for me for a change! And then I thought ... maybe that's the problem. I don't 'need' someone else to be stronger for me ... I've got Jesus ... He's all the strength I need. Phillipians 4:13 says so ... I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I get my strength from Him - and He has never let me down.

So, that is my word for 2011 ... Stronger. I want to be stronger in my faith; stronger in my decision making and stronger in my thoughts. So, when I have a decision or a choice to make, I remind myself 'I'm strong enough for that ... Jesus gave me that strength.' Sometimes it might be 'strong enough' to handle something ... but sometimes, it's 'strong enough' to let it go. Sometimes, I might just need to be strong enough to say 'No'. When I sit down at the dinner table and want the Death By Chocolate cake for dessert ... I can say 'I'm stronger than that!'

So, what's your word??

In His Strength,

Michele