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| I wrote this memorial/tribute (or whatever you want to call it) on this blog 3 years ago. I can't think of anything more or better to say today, so I'm just going to re-post it. I still believe that it is so easy to go on with our day and not want to think about the anniversary of the tragedy that struck our nation and began what we now refer to as "The War on Terrorism" (you know, that battle that is still going on that we all want to close our eyes and pretend isn't happening.) If only we could still be standing together today, as a Nation, the way we did that day and the frightening and tear-filled days that followed. I think we all believed in God that day. If we didn't, we at least acted the way God always intended for us to act toward each other. We showed love and compassion and, dare I say it - unity. We were truly the United States of America - One Nation, Under God, Indivisible. _____________________________________________________________ NEVER FORGET(Written on September 11, 2006)   
I know on this day, the fifth anniversary of the tragedy that we beheld on September 11, 2001, there are reminders everywhere, urging us to reflect, to pray, to remember. Those reminders are on the television, the news, the radio, the internet. All day you have read them in your friends' and families' blogs, on IM away messages, and on your favorite websites. You might even be quietly grumbling to yourself as you read this, "Oh, no, not another 9/11 post." But I believe it is our duty to our nation and to our fellow men to take some time today to look back at that day and think about all the lives that were lost, all the hopes and dreams that fell, and all the heroes who out of the ashes rose. There are families out there somewhere who are still mourning the loss of a friend, a sister, a brother, a father, a mother, even a child. Other families are at this very moment praying for their brave soldier who is still fighting to keep us safe from those who are as I am writing this scheming to cause us all harm, pain, and death. Parents miss their children and pray they will come home safe. Children fear they may never see their daddies again. It may all just be an annoyance in your quiet, safe, and mundane day, but to some it is a day that commemorates pain, loss and fear. It is a day they hope no person will ever, ever forget.
I would bet that there are very, very few people who can't remember the exact moment they found out about what was happening that horrific day. Although everyone's story is different, everyone's reactions were the same. We all sat and stared, frozen in horror, at the sight of the New York skyline covered in a swirling haze of smoke and ash. Our hearts in our throats, we hugged our families tight, fearing that if we let out our breath, tragedy may strike us next. We all stood together as one, a Nation Under God, and gave blood, lifted our prayers, and did everything we could to help. It was a time of great sorrow and loss - and also a time that will forever fill my heart with a sad smile. It was the only time in my life that I have ever seen humankind come together, forgetting all racial and political differences, putting aside all selfishness and pride, and standing together as one to show the world that we are strong together and will not be destroyed.
So I'll leave you with this - a poem that sends chills down my spine and brings tears to my eyes:
(By Aimee, age 12)
We watched as people suffered and died, as orphans and widows prayed and cried, as the planes hit the towers the world held its breath, as everyone saw the destruction and death. The workers stopped working, the teachers stopped teaching, all the alarms sounded and the preachers kept preaching. We could all feel the pain of the people stuck up there burning, and when another person jumped our stomachs started churning.Everyone was on their knees praying for the souls, that were going up to heaven and had lost their dreams and goals. We were losing all hope as the number of deaths got higher, and our anger kept growing in our hearts like fire.The day September 11th would now be a very important date, the day everyone everywhere would question their fate.This would be the day that our courage shows bright, for everyone around was helping with all their might. All those people dead with not even a grave, but the helpers still worked with the hope that another they might save. After all the destruction was done all we could do is give, so we waited in lines miles long to give blood so someone might live. Now where the twin towers had once stood is a pile of ash, and everyone alive will always remember the day of this terrible crash, that took the lives of so many that didn't want to die, this day when smoke and ash filled the New York sky. This is our country, the land of the brave and free,
this is a country that everyone should see, with our colors red, white and blue, and forever and ever we will shine through.
  
(And a poem by Jane Coffin)
Today there are military jets flying high above, Protecting our freedom and the land we love. Take time and say a prayer to remember, That most horrific day in September. So many loved ones were lost and perished, God please give strength to the families they cherished. For all of the people who died and I never met, I pray that they know ‘We will never forget.’
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| Pastor Ray started college today.  For more information on that, check out his blog entry. Bebo is sleeping in his crib all night now, and even slept all through the night two nights ago (but not last night.) He is growing up so fast, and soon there will no longer be a baby in the house. I went on my first solo photo shoot a few months ago, and then my first wedding shoot last month, and my first Senior shoot last week - my photography skills are steadily growing. Pastor Ray is off to college to learn a new career (that of course will go hand-in-hand with his Ministry), the kids are growing fast (and there are no plans to have another one) and I'm a photographer! (Photography is a dream that I had but never thought I could reach, so for years I never even TRIED to pursue it.) God is leading us down a road in life that we never even imagined when we started out 8 years ago. It is all good, though - even better than we had imagined! Although life and ministry and even child-rearing are not "perfect" and we struggle (a lot!), God continues to take such great care of us, and provides what we need, and gives us strength in the harder times. God is so good...
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| I am completely exhausted from Day 4 of our Vacation Bible School, to the point where this update might not even end up making sense. Still, I couldn't go to bed without sharing this completely wonderful news. Today has been an awesome day - one worth celebrating - and I know the angels are celebrating with Jesus in Heaven, as they do every time someone accepts Jesus as their Savior, and I like to think there might even be a special kind of celebration when that person is a child. Tonight, an hour or so before VBS even started, Raynee asked Jesus to come into her heart!!! I hadn't even realized she was ready yet, because the last we had talked she wasn't certain about Heaven (she was afraid to go there because she might not have her Mommy & Daddy and other people/things that she loved) and she didn't seem to understand what sin was or why Jesus died for her or that He loved her and she should love Him, too. But God has been working in her little life and softening and readying her little heart (I'm sure the wonderful preschool workers at VBS have had a huge part in helping Him) and when I mentioned to Papa today (while preparing for VBS) that Rayne isn't sure about Heaven, she told me "Yes, I love Heaven! Let's Go! It's a wonderful place!!!" So, since the opportunity arose, I started talking to her about Heaven, and Jesus, and Sin, and why Jesus died on the cross. She seemed to actually understand what I was saying this time, and she wanted to ask Jesus to forgive her for her sins ("the bad things we do") and to live in her heart, and she thanked Him for dying for her, and told Him she wanted to live forever with Him in heaven. And, to top off all the greatness of this day, I actually got to pray that prayer with her!!! I had a hard time holding back tears, and a little bit later, when I asked Raynee if it was a special day and if it was a happy day, she started to look sad, and pretended to cry, and when I asked her why, she said she was SOOO happy that they were tears of Joy.  She then ran to the church for VBS and told Papa right away that she had Jesus in her heart.
THANK YOU, LORD, for saving us, including my baby girl, and bringing her into Your family today!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!
 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Mt 14:19) | | |
| My dear hubby got the tomatoes planted for me last night - two in topsy-turvy planters and some in the ground. (Xander wants me to write that he also planted some flowers for me. He found some seeds on the counter and went out and dug a hole and put them in.)  Anyway, while planting, P Ray told me he saw a teeny tiny tomato on one of my plants. YAY!  Perhaps later I will go out and find it for a picture.
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| I took this Personality Test from my sister-in-law's blog and found it very interesting and (somewhat surprisingly) pretty accurate!
I am an INFJ - what are you?
My results:
INFJ (Counselor):
Idealist Portrait of the Counselor (INFJ)
by D. Keirsey
Counselors have an exceptionally strong desire to contribute to the welfare of others, and find great personal fulfillment interacting with people, nurturing their personal development, guiding them to realize their human potential. Although they are happy working at jobs (such as writing) that require solitude and close attention, Counselors do quite well with individuals or groups of people, provided that the personal interactions are not superficial, and that they find some quiet, private time every now and then to recharge their batteries. Counselors are both kind and positive in their handling of others; they are great listeners and seem naturally interested in helping people with their personal problems. Not usually visible leaders, Counselors prefer to work intensely with those close to them, especially on a one-to-one basis, quietly exerting their influence behind the scenes. Counselors are scarce, little more than one percent of the population, and can be hard to get to know, since they tend not to share their innermost thoughts or their powerful emotional reactions except with their loved ones. They are highly private people, with an unusually rich, complicated inner life. Friends or colleagues who have known them for years may find sides emerging which come as a surprise. Not that Counselors are flighty or scattered; they value their integrity a great deal, but they have mysterious, intricately woven personalities which sometimes puzzle even them. Counselors tend to work effectively in organizations. They value staff harmony and make every effort to help an organization run smoothly and pleasantly. They understand and use human systems creatively, and are good at consulting and cooperating with others. As employees or employers, Counselors are concerned with people's feelings and are able to act as a barometer of the feelings within the organization. Blessed with vivid imaginations, Counselors are often seen as the most poetical of all the types, and in fact they use a lot of poetic imagery in their everyday language. Their great talent for language-both written and spoken-is usually directed toward communicating with people in a personalized way. Counselors are highly intuitive and can recognize another's emotions or intentions - good or evil - even before that person is aware of them. Counselors themselves can seldom tell how they came to read others' feelings so keenly. This extreme sensitivity to others could very well be the basis of the Counselor's remarkable ability to experience a whole array of psychic phenomena. Mohandas Gandhi, Sidney Poitier, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jane Goodall, Emily Bronte, Sir Alec Guiness, Carl Jung, Mary Baker Eddy, Queen Noor are examples of the Counselor Idealist (INFJ).
Introverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging
by Joe Butt Profile: INFJ
Revision: 3.01
Date of Revision: 6 Mar 2005
Beneath the quiet exterior, INFJs hold deep convictions about the weightier matters of life. Those who are activists -- INFJs gravitate toward such a role -- are there for the cause, not for personal glory or political power. INFJs are champions of the oppressed and downtrodden. They often are found in the wake of an emergency, rescuing those who are in acute distress. INFJs may fantasize about getting revenge on those who victimize the defenseless. The concept of 'poetic justice' is appealing to the INFJ. "There's something rotten in Denmark." Accurately suspicious about others' motives, INFJs are not easily led. These are the people that you can rarely fool any of the time. Though affable and sympathetic to most, INFJs are selective about their friends. Such a friendship is a symbiotic bond that transcends mere words. INFJs have a knack for fluency in language and facility in communication. In addition, nonverbal sensitivity enables the INFJ to know and be known by others intimately. Writing, counseling, public service and even politics are areas where INFJs frequently find their niche.
Famous INFJs: Nathan - prophet of Israel, Chaucer, Robert Burns - Scottish poet, U.S. Presidents: Martin Van Buren & James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Shirley Temple Black - child actor, ambassador, Martin Luther King, Jr. - civil rights leader/martyr, Mel Gibson, Nicole Kidman, Jerry Seinfeld
So, what do you think? If you know me, does it sound right to you? And what were YOUR results?
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