On Monday there were people fighting against praying in schools
On Tuesday you would have been hard pressed to find a school where someone was not praying

On Monday there were people who were trying to separate each other by race, sex, color and creed
On Tuesday they were all holding hands

On Monday we thought that we were secure
On Tuesday we learned better

On Monday we were talking about heroes as being athletes
On Tuesday we relearned what hero meant

On Monday people went to work at the world trade centers as usual
On Tuesday they died

On Monday people were fighting the 10 commandments on government property
On Tuesday the same people all said 'God help us all' while thinking 'Thou shall not kill'

On Monday people argued with their kids about picking up their room
On Tuesday the same people could not get home fast enough to hug their kids

On Monday people picked up McDonalds for dinner
On Tuesday they stayed home

On Monday people were upset that their dry cleaning was not ready on time
On Tuesday they were lining up to give blood for the dying

On Monday politicians argued about budget surpluses
On Tuesday grief stricken they sang 'God Bless America'

On Monday we worried about the traffic and getting to work late
On Tuesday we worried about a plane crashing into your house or place of business

On Monday we were irritated that our rebate checks had not arrived
On Tuesday we saw people celebrating people dying in the USA

On Monday some children had solid families
On Tuesday they were orphans

On Monday the president was going to Florida to read to children
On Tuesday he returned to Washington to protect our children

On Monday we emailed jokes
On Tuesday we did not

It is sadly ironic how it takes horrific events to place things into perspective, but it has. The lessons learned this last week, the things we have taken for granted, the things that have been forgotten or overlooked, hopefully never will be again.

On Monday - pray and be thankful
On Tuesday - pray and be thankful
On Wednesday - pray and be thankful
On Thursday - pray and be thankful
On Friday - pray and be thankful
On Saturday - pray and be thankful
On Sunday - pray and be thankful

**********************************************

I got this as a forward, so I can't guarantee it's authenticity, but it's a great story...

The following is from a letter by a woman on her return flight to D.C. this  week.

"I just wanted to drop you all a note and let you know that I arrived safe and sound into Dulles Airport tonight [9/15] at about 6:00. It was an interesting flight.

The airport in Denver was almost spooky, it was so empty and quiet. No one  was in line for the security check point when I got there so that went fairly quickly, just x-ray of my bags and then a chemical test to be sure nothing explosive was on them.

Then I waited 2 1/2 hours to board the plane. What happened after we boarded was interesting and thought I would share it with you.

The pilot/captain came on the loudspeaker after the doors were closed. His speech went like this:

First I want to thank you for being brave enough to fly today. The doors are now closed and we have no help from the outside for any problems that might occur inside this plane. As you could tell when you checked in, the government has made some changes to increase security in the airports.

They have not, however, made any rules about what happens after those doors close. Until they do that, we have made our own rules and I want to share them with you. Once those doors close, we only have each other.

The security has taken care of a threat like guns with all of the increased scanning, etc. Then we have the supposed bomb. If you have a bomb, there is no need to tell me about it, or anyone else on this plane; you are already in control. So, for this flight, there are no bombs that exist on this plane.

Now, the threats that are left are things like plastics, wood, knives, and other weapons that can be made or things like that which can be used as weapons.

Here is our plan and our rules. If someone or several people stand up and say they are hijacking this plane, I want you all to stand up together. Then take whatever you have available to you and throw it at them. Throw it at their faces and heads so they will have to raise their hands to protect themselves.

After all, there are usually only a few of them and we are 200+ strong! We  will not allow them to take over this plane.

I find it interesting that the U.S. Constitution begins with the words "We, the people"--that's who we are, THE people and we will not be defeated.

With that, the passengers on the plane all began to applaud, people had  tears in their eyes, and we began the trip toward the runway.

The flight attendant then began the safety speech. One of the things she said is that we are all so busy and live our lives at such a fast pace. She asked that everyone turn to their neighbors on either side and introduce themselves, tell each other something about your families and children, show pictures, whatever. She said "for today, we consider you family. We will treat  you as such and ask that you do the same with us."

Throughout the flight we learned that for the crew, this was their first flight since Tuesday's tragedies. It was a day that everyone leaned on each other and together everyone was stronger than any one person alone. It was quite an experience.

You can imagine the feeling when that plane touched down at Dulles and we heard "welcome to Washington Dulles Airport, where the local time is 5:40".

Again, the cabin was filled with applause.

*************************************

I had a very dear friend question my faith in God right after the terrorist attack on America. Her question was simply put, "Where is your God today?" She was very hurt, as all Americans were, so I tried not to react   defensively. Since that moment I have prayed and grieved over the disastrous events. However, I believe I have the answer. I know where my God was the morning of September 11, 2001! He was very busy.

First of all, he was trying to discourage anyone from taking this flight.  Those four flights together held over 1000 passengers and there was only 266 aboard.

He was on 4 commercial flights giving terrified passengers the ability to stay calm. Not one of the family members who was called by a loved one on one of the high-jacked planes said that passengers were screaming in the background. On one of the flights he was giving strength to passengers to try to overtake the high-jackers.

He was busy trying to create obstacles for employees at the World Trade  Center. After all only around 20,000 were at  the towers when the first jet hit. Since the buildings hold over 50,000  workers, this was a miracle in itself. How many of the people who were employed at the WTC told the media that they were late for work or they had traffic delays.

He was holding up two 110 story buildings so that 2/3 of the workers could get out. I was so amazed that the top of the towers didn't topple when the jets impacted.

Although this is without a doubt the worst thing I have seen in my life, I can see God's miracles in every bit of it. I keep thinking about my friend and praying for her every chance I have. I  can't imagine going through such a difficult time and not believing in God. Life would be hopeless.

In a message dated 9/26/01 12:34:35 PM Central Daylight Time, StuHall writes:

> What great perspective...

There is one thing out there about what happened last Tuesday/Friday that came in under the radar and escaped most Christians.

Today for the first time in history, one man (Billy Graham) spoke the Gospel to the entire world at the same time. He gave the sermon today at the National Memorial Service and was broadcast on every major television station in the U.S. and by satellite to the world.

Every country in the world received this broadcast...and because it was a Geo Political event, every leader watched and heard it translated into his/her language. Many preachers have their messages broadcast in other countries and carried around the world, but this is the first time that the entire world listened to the Gospel preached at one time. The World and all its leaders tuned in and heard the gospel. Never before has one individual preached to the leaders of the world and their country at one time!!

Mark 13:10 - And the Gospel must first be preached to all the nations.

Matthew 24:14 - And this Gospel of the King shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations and the end shall come.

Romans 10 - whole chapter - particularly verse 18.

My read on this is that through Billy Graham today, Biblical prophecy was fulfilled. As I listened to him today, I was in a store that had the entire service broadcast throughout every speaker in the store's audio system. It was on virtually every TV and radio station and people across America held hands and wept before God. It is my personal belief that the Holy Spirit came upon Billy Graham just as it did upon John the Baptist announcing the Kingdom of God is at hand. I also believe that this is the most significant prophecy to be fulfilled since Israel became a nation in 1948.

Agree or not, it was staggering to hear this today. Jesus tells us often, to watch and 'take heed, keep on the alert, for you do not know when the appointed time is." Mark 13:33.

The Budweiser employee went to his truck, called his boss and told him of  the very upsetting event. He didn't feel he could be in that store with those horrible people.

His boss told him, "Do you think you could go in there long enough to pull every Budweiser product and item our beverage company sells there? We'll never deliver to them again."

The employee walked in, proceeded to pull every single product his beverage company provided and left with an incredible grin on his face. He told them never to bother and call for a delivery again. Budweiser happens to be the beer of choice for that community.

I loved this.

What to do if you happen upon a peace rally by stupid naive hemp-shirt-wearing college idiots, to teach them why force is sometimes needed:

1) Approach dumb rich ignorant student talking about "peace" and saying there should be, "no retaliation."

2) Engage in brief conversation, ask if military force is appropriate.

3) When he says "No," ask, "Why not?"

4) Wait until he says something to the effect of, "Because that would just cause more innocent deaths, which would be awful and we should not cause more violence."

5) When he's in mid sentence, punch him in the face as hard as you can.

6) When he gets back up to up to punch you, point out that it would be a mistake and contrary to his values to strike you, because that would, "be awful and he should not cause more violence."

7) Wait until he agrees that he has pledged not to commit additional violence.

8) Punch him in the face again, harder this time. Repeat steps 5 through 8 until they understand that sometimes it is necessary to punch back.

Numerologists must be having a field day with a very eerie report making its way around the Internet.

It starts with the date of the attacks on the WTC and the Pentagon:

September 11 or 9/11 ---- 9+1+1=11

September 11 is the 254th day of the year --- 2+5+4=11

After September 11, there are 111 days left in the year.

The Twin Towers, standing side by side, always looked like the number 11.

The first plane to hit the towers was American's Flight 11.

New York was the 11th state to join the Union.

There are 11 letters in:
New York City
Afghanistan
The Pentagon

There were 92 people aboard Flight 11
9+2=11

There were 65 people aboard Flight 77
6+5=11

The groundbreaking for the Pentagon is said to have occurred on September 11, 1941.

Friday Night at 7:00 p.m. step out your door, stop your car, or step

out of your establishment and light a candle. We will show the world

that Americans are strong and united together against terrorism.

We need to reach everyone across the United States quickly.

The message: WE STAND UNITED - WE WILL NOT TOLERATE TERRORISM!

< I assume this is at 7 PM your local time. Let the light of America shine brightly! >

Published Wednesday, September 12, 2001 The Miami Herald...The Leonard Pitts Column

We'll go forward from this moment It's my job to have something to say.

They pay me to provide words that help make sense of that which troubles the American soul. But in this moment of airless shock when hot tears sting disbelieving eyes, the only thing I can find to say, the only words that seem to fit, must be addressed to the unknown author of this suffering.

You monster. You beast. You unspeakable bastard.

What lesson did you hope to teach us by your coward's attack on our World Trade Center, our Pentagon, us?

What was it you hoped we would learn? Whatever it was, please know that you failed.

Did you want us to respect your cause? You just damned your cause.

Did you want to make us fear? You just steeled our resolve.

Did you want to tear us apart? You just brought us together.

Let me tell you about my people. We are a vast and quarrelsome family, a family rent by racial, social, political and class division, but a family nonetheless.

We're frivolous, yes, capable of expending tremendous emotional energy on pop cultural minutiae-a singer's revealing dress, a ball team's misfortune, a cartoon mouse.

We're wealthy, too, spoiled by the ready availability of trinkets and material goods, and maybe because of that, we walk through life with a certain sense of blithe entitlement.

We are fundamentally decent, though-peace-loving and compassionate. We struggle to know the right thing and to do it. And we are, the overwhelming majority of us, people of faith, believers in a just and loving God.

Some people-you, perhaps-think that any or all of this makes us weak. You're mistaken. We are not weak. Indeed, we are strong in ways that cannot be measured by arsenals.

IN PAIN

Yes, we're in pain now. We are in mourning and we are in shock. We're still grappling with the unreality of the awful thing you did, still working to make ourselves understand that this isn't a special effect from some Hollywood blockbuster, isn't the plot development from a Tom Clancy novel. Both in terms of the awful scope of their ambition and the probable final death toll, your attacks are likely to go down as the worst acts of terrorism in the history of the United States and, probably, the history of the world.

You've bloodied us as we have never been bloodied before.

But there's a gulf of difference between making us bloody and making us fall. This is the lesson Japan was taught to its bitter sorrow the last time anyone hit us this hard, the last time anyone brought us such abrupt and monumental pain.

When roused, we are righteous in our outrage, terrible in our force. When provoked by this level of barbarism, we will bear any suffering, pay any cost, go to any length, in the pursuit of justice.

I tell you this without fear of contradiction. I know my people, as you, I think, do not. What I know reassures me. It also causes me to tremble with dread of the future.

In the days to come, there will be recrimination and accusation, fingers pointing to determine whose failure allowed this to happen and what can be done to prevent it from happening again. There will be heightened security, misguided talk of revoking basic freedoms. We'll go forward from this moment sobered, chastened, sad. But determined, too. Unimaginably determined.

THE STEEL IN US

You see, the steel in us is not always readily apparent. That aspect of our character is seldom understood by people who don't know us well. On this day, the family's bickering is put on hold. As Americans we will weep, as Americans we will mourn, and as Americans, we will rise in defense of all that we cherish.

So I ask again: What was it you hoped to teach us? It occurs to me that maybe you just wanted us to know the depths of your hatred. If that's the case, consider the message received. And take this message in exchange:

You don't know my people. You don't know what we're capable of. You don't know what you just started.

But you're about to learn.

I wanted to share this note from my cousin in Lithuania:

____________________________________________________________________

Condolences to your country for yesterday's occurance of the act of terrorism of such an unprecedented extent.

Today there are flags hanging here with black ribbons. Our nation grieves with your nation.

Are your family members and friends safe?

Today I found out that we had two employees injured at the Pentagon. One was treated and released, and one is in the hospital in stabile condition.

We also have one employee that is missing. He's the guy that took my place.

Dear God.

Charles A*****, praying in Escondido, Ca.

Hello, All:

Here is a personal account from New York dance friends, Meredith and John, of their close encounter with the Twin Towers disaster, forwarded by one of my dance instructors,  --Martha

From: "Meredith S******" <s********@**********.com,
Subject: The World Trade Center
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 14:38:59 -0400

Dear everyone,

As many of you know, we live just 10 blocks north of the WTC. We wanted to let you know that we are OK. We are pretty shook up, though.

Early this morning John was making coffee and heard a plane flying REALLY LOW overhead, then a boom -- he thought it was a sonic boom. Then he heard screams on the street and went out front. Our loft looks directly south, and the south wall is all windows. The main thing you see from the windows is the Twin Towers. That's when he saw the enormous gash in the first tower, and the flames. He ran and got me out of bed.

We were staring aghast at the fire and the people in the street when the second plane hit. Because we're on the fifth floor we didn't see the plane itself, just the fireball from the hit. It was so enormous we could feel the heat through our windows.

The buildings were silver, and the effect of the fire and the explosion had caused some part of them to melt, so they looked as if mercury were running down their sides. We couldn't see the actual planes, but we could see lots of things falling away from the building; mostly windows, but paper and other debris.

John went down to the street to buy some food and while he was gone I saw the first tower collapse. That threw me into a panic -- I actually screamed and backed away from the window. Even in the moment I remember thinking how ironic that we can build these enormous buildings and mechanisms, but our visceral reactions are still so primitive -- and therefore so useless in the face of such a disaster. I was also panicked because John wasn't in the house. As it turns out, I was right to panic. When the tower collapsed, an enormous mob of people who had been leaving the area also panicked, and basically stampeded. John had to help a woman with a baby carriage get out of the pathway of the crowds. But he got back inside.

We were of course running back and forth to and from our neighbors' this whole time. When the first tower collapsed, we started thinking maybe we should leave, but the mob in the streets plus the smoke and debris made us think we were better off inside.

I don't know why we didn't think the towers would collapse, but somehow that frightened us more than anything that had happened before. We began to wonder if the second tower would tip and fall towards us; or, even if it didn't, what the impact would be from just blocks away.

When it did collapse, the enormous amount of smoke and debris rolled north and completely blacked out everything for awhile. You couldn't see a thing through our windows. We walked around in dust masks for about an hour.

Later we tried to go to the downtown hospital to give blood, but a policeman stopped us and said we shouldn't go farther south. Then on our way home, another group of police tried to stop us from entering our building. We had to go around the block.

At the moment we are just sitting tight. It's a little like being in a war zone. We have no running water, but we bought some bottled so we are OK.

That's all for now.

____________________________________________________

Hello everyone.

Thank you all for your notes and well wishes. NYC is in a crazy state at the moment. I'll just briefly share my morning so that you don't all have to ask.

I take the 1/9 and 2/3 trains into work(they run up and down the west side of manhattan where I take them). The 1/9 runs under the WTC and this morning the trains were slow because of "an emergency at the cortlandt station" which is the station under the WTC. I figured someone had fallen onto the tracks or something else that's unfortunate but relatively minor. Those things occasionally happen.

So I got out of the 2/3 at Wall Street and walked over to Broadway. I noticed that the air smelled weird, they were evacuating the NYSE building, there were burnt pieces of paper on the ground, and people were just milling around.

When I got to Wall Street and Broadway and looked where everyone was looking, I saw both the WTC towers on fire. People were talking about "planes flying into the buildings" and such and I just couldn't comprehend what was going on. Emergency services were rushing to the towers and, I heard later, a lot of personnel were already in the buildings. Well, I decided that standing within relatively close view of the WTC was a bad idea and after I got about 10 steps down towards the south end of Manhattan along Broadway(battery park) I looked back and saw the top of the tower just start to fall in on itself and there was all this debris falling out and it looked like there were people jumping off the observation deck/upper floors and it was on fire and then this huge cloud of smoke started barreling down the street towards everyone and the next thing I know there were thousands of people screaming and sprinting down broadway towards the end of the island where, I thought, the clouds would disperse. This was the most horrible and frightening and soul shaking experience of my life so far. I hope it is the worst I'll ever see.

So, I was really scared and paranoid and decided not to walk to the end of the island with all the people because I though that "if I were a terrorist wanting to kill people, I would drive all the people to one location and set off some explosives." So I walked through the clouds of debris and got absolutely covered in white stuff while burnt papers were falling down and there was a horrible smell in the air. I went to the east side of the island trying to go north, but the FBI and local police weren't letting anyone go north at that point, so we were hearded to the brooklyn bridge. But I didn't want to be around a large group of people and I headed north at the first street I could. So I walked up the east side where lots of vendors and retailers had pulled their water coolers out to help people and these nice folks brought out a soap bucket and a hose and I washed the soot off my hands and out of my eyes.

Not much later I was stopped looking at the other tower when it suddenly started to collapse and a lady fainted and started crying and it was horrible all over again because you know how many innocent, hard working, early rising people were trapped and unable to flee and then snuffed out.

Eventually I got home, though all along the trip people had radios blaring in the street with the news and everyone knew that an additional hijacked plane had crashed into the pentagon. So every time a plane flew over, people would flinch and duck. However, I don't think they were commercial planes. I saw a couple of F-16's flying overhead along the way so I felt better.

I'm still very very scared. There's no way to really know that another attack hasn't been planned. I'm just hoping that things are OK. There are throngs of folks in Times Square watching the news as it comes in on the large screens there.

Thank you again for all your thoughts and wishes. The city has already started pulling itself together and I know we'll all be OK in the long run.

Much love for you all,

-Michael

"We sleep safe in our beds at night because rough men stand ready to visit  violence on those who would do us harm." (paraphrased from George Orwell)