This noon Mrs. Jim is being honored to say the prayer before the monthly luncheon of the Bentwater Ladies Organization.
She will offer this prayer:
Our Father,
We thank you for this beautiful day and for the opportunity to be together with our friends and neighbors.
As we are reminded of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, we pray for our nation still hurting from these events. We pray for those saddened from the loss of loved ones. And, for the first responders and victims who are still physically ill from the results of this catastrophic evil event.
Thank you for those in our nation’s intelligence service and for our military who continue to fight terrorism around the world. Give them wisdom and alertness for their safety as well as comfort in having to be away from their families.
We know Father that you have overcome evil and that you provide us peace among the perils of tragedies as well as in our everyday lives when we trust in You. It is your peace we need to be seeking. Because of who You are, you have also made us overcomers. Not just for our well being but so we can help others – To provide them kindness, and encouragement, as well as to provide for their physical needs and spiritual insights.
Thank you for this food and for the dedication and sweet spirit of those who have prepared and serve it. We appreciate them.
These things we pray in your Holy Name.
Amen
Thank you, Mrs. Jim. May it be my prayer as well.
The events and where I was:
1. September 11, 2001--The first plane hit the World Trade Building North Tower [WTC1]?
Watching the NBC today show, they broke in with a news flash.
Mrs. Jim was golfing(a lady came out to tell them). Mrs. Jim said "We'd better pray."
[picture courtessy of Wikipedia, World Trade Center]
2. August 16, 1977--Elvis Presley death?
Vacationing on South Padre Island with Mrs. Jim.
[picture courtessy of Wikipedia, Elvis Presley]
3. April 4, 1968--Dr Martin Luther King assassination?
I remember that day, but haven't the foggiest idea what I was doing.
4. November 22, 1963--John Fitzgerald Kennedy assassination?
At work at the New Boston, New Hampshire, Air Force (Spy) Satellite Tracking Station.
Terrorism World+Trade+Center 911 9/11 Life WTC Disaster
5. December 7, 1941--Bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japan?
Listening to the car radio with Dad.
You may have other newsworthy dates that you remember, these are all I can handle for right now.
These events/scourges have had the greatest effect on our country that I can think of.
ReplyDeleteAll of them, religious extremism, drug abuse, racial discrimination, assassination of our government leaders, and national grabs for power and domination, have changed the course of history the most in my lifetime (that I can think of and remember remember the event).
God didn't intend for us to mistreat our fellow man the way any of theses events/scourges portray. He certainly didn't/doesn't want the suffering of his creation like any of these have caused.
Man first messed things up by disobeying him in the garden of Eden, we have not been good in God's eyes since.**
When I wrote this last night I wasn't intending it to be a memorial as such. There are far better writers than me doing that today. Just was wanted to express some opinions about mankind in general.
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**Everyone of us, even today's intolerant extremists and drug pushers, can be forgiven by God's grace if they will repent and accept Jesus' death for sinning the sin of disobedience to God.
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Dad, well put
ReplyDeletePS the youngest thing I remember is JFK's assination in 63. We were in 1st grade in New Hampshire (I think). They announced the assination over the loudspeaker and sent everybody home for the day.
Jim, re: the spray plane below, you have me confused with my brother Ed who is the crop duster.
ReplyDeleteThe results of the 9/11 attack are still coming in and even tho they are often used for scapegoating purposes by those with political motives...the fact is, it was carried out by Muslim Extremists and all blame rests there. No one else is at fault for this. And btw we still don't have enough of them on permanent detention.
Mon Sep 11, 08:19:34 AM CDT
morning jim,
ReplyDeletehere is another sad day in history,
what about the bombing in Oklahoma City!
take care !
Thanks Jel
ReplyDeleteI agree the bombing in Oklahoma City was tramatic, as was the New Orleans flood of 2005.
I missed the Okla City bombing and probably others. Intentionally I left the flood out.
Mainly I was considering the major changes in the history of the U.S/world caused by the inhumanity to mankind caused by fellow man.
Each of these two above were preventable. In business and government there is a theory of cost effectivness, many catrostrophies could have been prevented but the risk of the occurence was not considered worthy of the money and restrictions on our liberty to have prevented them.
Hindsight is wonderful.
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BTW all of the NASA mishaps and many plane 'accidents' could had been prevented except the risk of them happening was not deemed worth the cost of preventing them.
At NASA we used to simulate the trouble that led to the Challenger flight explossion causing the loss of seven lives.
Google space disasters and read the Wikipedia article. It is fairly accurate on these.
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#1 I was at work
ReplyDelete#4 I was at work, but a different place
#5 I wasn't born yet.
I have no inclination about Martin Luther King's death, and as big a Presley fan that I am, I can't remember that day either.
Beautiful prayer Jim. We need all of those we can get!
ReplyDelete#1. I was at work in doctor's office.
2. I was at work on 2nd shift at the hospital.
3. Don't recall.
4. I was in grade school in the library when they announced it over the intercom.
5. That was before I was born.
I can remember where I was when I learned Keith Whitley had died (country singer, died from alcohol poisoning). I was at work again!
Oh, and Princess Diana. That was a sad one too. I was called by a friend the day afterwards and she told me. Totally shocked me. I was at home.
Rachel --
ReplyDeletePrincess Diana's death was a sad one. I don't remember where I was or what I was doing, but did follow it pretty closely.
Mrs. Jim, Jenna, Megan (GC#3 & 2--three years apart, i.e. two times for us) and I walked to the tunnel to see it and the memorial there to her. Most comments were pretty sympathetic. It was like a blog where they could 'delete' the ones that weren't nice.
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Hi Jim ~~ Thank you for your comments, they are appreciated. I liked the prayer that Mrs. Jim was
ReplyDeletereading. There are getting to be too many remembered days aren't there?
Take care, Merle.
Our God reigns.
ReplyDeleteElvis's death was a strange one for me. I was on a tractor when I heard the news. It was a shock, but what I was thinking was "wasn't he just here?" His last concert was in Indianapolis a few weeks prior.
ReplyDelete