Dear friends and family,
I am in shock like you over the events of today. I appreciate the many
e-mails that have come to us today expressing the pain and the concerns many
of you are feeling. We share your pain and concerns. But I also know that
now, in this darkest hour, is the time that we must lean all the harder on
the strength of our Lord and trust that He remains in control.
I'd like to share today's edition of Heart Touchers which is written by
Michael Powers - a friend and brother. I think it expresses best what I am
feeling right now and my prayer for you and this nation.
God bless you all. God bless America.
Steve
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{Heart Touchers} *Day of Terror*
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In light of today's events I felt the need to send out
the email a bit earlier than usual...
Can you donate?
Red Cross: 1-800-GIVE LIFE (1-800-448-3543)
http://www.redcross.org (experiencing heavy server traffic)
http://www.unitedbloodservices.org/donate.html
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911
Is it a coincidence that the tragedy that occurred
today happened on September 11 or 9-11 of 2001?
Words cannot express the emotions that I felt as I
sat transfixed to my TV this morning. Connor, my
three-year-old sat on my lap as we watched America
change before our very eyes. To Connor, the scenes
on the TV were no different from the black and white
Godzilla movies he and his six-year-old brother, Caleb,
have been watching lately. Buildings collapsing,
people running from the carnage, explosions, and
billowing smoke. To him it was just pretend -- a
movie that he could stop with the remote at anytime.
It was unreal to me also as I tried to deny what
was actually happening. But reality sunk in as I
saw people jumping to their deaths to escape the
fires, people running for their lives as thick billowing
smoke and debris chased them down from behind.
Palestinians celebrating that the U.S. had been
attacked by dancing in the streets and handing
out candy to their children.
As the minutes dragged into hours, my
mind and body went from the numbness
of denial to the deep ache that I continue to feel
now. Not only has my life changed, but the lives
of my children have changed forever.
I don't have any pat answers nor words of wisdom for
all of you today. I wish I did... If anything I realize that I am
powerless to affect the world -- to change it in any way.
However, the Lord did give me the power to affect my children.
To influence them on a daily basis. To make "their world"
a safer to place to live. To live my life in such a way that
they will see the Lord in my life and want Him in their lives
also.
And when that occurs, I will know without a doubt
that no matter what happens here on earth, I will get
to spend eternity with them in a place that is free from
the terrible things I saw on TV today.
How about you? Are you placing your trust and faith in a
world that seems caught in a downward spiral, or have
you placed your faith and trust in the One who has prepared
a safe haven for you beyond the clouds if you only accept
the free gift He has offered?
Time is running out for those of us here on earth, and I
believe that the scenes that filled every TV across the world
today will become more and more commonplace as we
approach the end times...
Today, Phil Ware shares some insight on this Day of Terror.
May his words touch your heart and start the healing process
in all of our lives...
From my family to yours,
Michael
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Do you feel as if life has no meaning for you?
http://www.greatcom.org/english/four.htm
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Woe to Me!
By Phil Ware
"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man
of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean
lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD
Almighty." ... Then I heard the voice of the
Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will
go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
(Isaiah 6:5, 8)
Tragedy that has ripped through the hearts
of so many across the world has hit very close
to home for many of us in the USA. During this time
of horror, shock, injury, and death, how are we
to react? While many thoughts come to mind,
a few seem clear to us.
We must pray. We must pray for the President
and for other world leaders as they deal with these
series of attacks and the horrible toll on lives of so
many people. We must pray for the families of
those directly impacted so tragically by the hijacked
planes and their targets. We must pray for those
who are involved in the rescue efforts
and who try to deal with the horrific carnage and
destruction to human beings. Pray! Pray in your
office. Pray in your home. Pray in your church.
We must take a firm stand against prejudice and
improper "hurry to judgment" against people simply
because of their national descent or
race. It is so easy to for us to lump together
people of race, geographical, or national origin
because of the actions of a vicious few who do
not represent them. The Kingdom of God is made
up of all peoples and races, and we must be a
haven of protection and grace for those who might
be treated unfairly because of prejudice and reactive hate.
Let's also hear this as a vivid reminder of Isaiah's
poignant and sobering words. We live in a fallen world
with a dark evil prince who seeks to destroy people
and ruin lives with hate and death. In the midst of such a
world, let's also live under the strong conviction that the
only hope for our world is redemption and
unification in the grace of God. After the horrors
of World War II, many of those who had been involved
in these horrors and brutalized in concentration camps
led the Church of Jesus into unprecedented outreach
through world missions to the very people who had
mistreated, tortured, and imprisoned them. Our call
is to redeem a fallen world. This is a sad and sobering
remind of just how fallen it truly is.
Those of us who still have grave concerns for friends
and loved ones who were working at the World Trade
Center, The Pentagon, or in the air as passengers,
flight attendants, and flight crews request your prayers
for their families and us. We are citizens in the world
and called by Jesus to redeem the world. Our ultimate
citizenship is in heaven, but our heart breaks, along
with God's heart, for the destructive hate that still
permeates our world and is the tool of the evil one
to wound, maim, and kill people who are precious
to God. As long as the memory of this horrifying day
lingers in our hearts, let's also commit to make a
difference in our world by sharing the grace of Jesus.
This is a horrible, tragic, and terrifying time. It is
also a time for God's people to show who we are
with courage, empathy, compassion, grace, and
faith as we seek to serve and to be a blessing in
such shocking and painful times.
Phil Ware
phil@...
Write Phil and let him know how his words affected you today...