Word for Today, Mon, 31 Aug 2004: Remembering September 11

#1 · September 7, 2004, 5:15 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on September 7, 2004, 5:15 pm
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Word for Today, Mon, 31 Aug 2004: Remembering September 11
Dear friends,

Today's devotional message comes from Larry Davies, the pastor of
Timberlake UMC and the founder of the Sowing Seeds of Faith
devotional and prayer online ministry. I work with Larry as the
editor of the Sowing Seeds of Faith prayer letter that we send
out three times a week.

This message has a common theme of caring for others outside of
our usual sphere of influence and praying for those who are going
through difficulties, and also to take decisive action whenever
possible.

We can only really reach out to others in a meaningful and
lasting way when we first get our own relationship right with
God. Each of us has to come to a point of recognizing our own
desperate condition - fallen sinners before a Holy God. When we
recognize our own position, we can respond to God in gratitude,
that He cares enough for us what when we confess our sins, He is
faithful to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. Armed with a new hope and a joy, plus a great
freedom and release, we are freed to go out and serve one another
with a genuine attitude of gratitude. When we are in this place,
we are really, willing, even eager to help hurricane victims,
9/11 victims, or our friend who needs our understanding and
encouragement.

Yours in Christ,

Brian
____________________________________________________________

Sowing Seeds of Faith...

This week we remember and honor the families of the victims for
the tragedy that occurred three short years ago on September 11,
2004. The column below represents just a few of the hundreds of
emails sent to our ministry sharing where they were on September
11, 2001.

We pray for the victims and their families of the terrorist
attack on a school in Beslan, Russia. At least 335 people of
which half are children are believed to have been killed. It is a
horrible tragedy and our hearts and prayers go out to the people
of that city.

We also pray for those who live in the state of Florida in the
United States as they recover from the devastating effects of
Hurricane Frances. The damage combined with Hurricane Charley
which struck just a few weeks ago has inflicted untold billions
of dollars damage and several lives lost.

If you would like to contribute to any of the causes mentioned
above, we have set up a way for you to do it and our ministry
will simply forward the donation on. You will find more
information near the bottom of this email.

"Remembering September 11" Larry Davies

"I took a trip to New York and remembered seeing the World Trade
Center and being in awe of its massive size and how intimidating
they looked as they towered over other structures." Jessica

Do you remember where you were on 9/11? How do you think our
country and our world is doing now? Hundreds of our readers all
over the world responded... many were involved or knew someone:

* "I helped with recovery efforts. 9/11 changed my life in more
ways than one. I questioned how this can happen and why did it
happen. It also affected my marriage and brought me into a dark
depression which took a long time to overcome. I learned to
accept we must forgive those who commit such acts for they are
lost souls who need to be prayed for." Juan

* "My friend's nephew worked there so I called her. His remains
were the last found." Peggy

* "We were in the world trade center two weeks before they were
destroyed. My sister lost friends and neighbors who worked there.
My brother was two blocks away when it happened and was part of
the fleeing masses. Some of their stories are absolutely
chilling." Bryan

* "I worked at a nursing home. I'll never forget the looks on
their faces: such horror and fear: Horror from what they were
seeing and fear realizing how helpless they were." Karen

Many were moved by our nation's generous and compassionate
response to the tragedy:

* "I was assigned to New York a few days later: Chaos, Crisis
and Conflict everywhere. As you walked into the city closer to
the tragedy area, everything got quieter - literally. Every
street corner had WTC RIP stamped on the sidewalk. Pictures of
missing loved ones, candles, paper clips and office clutter, ash
and smoke, emergency and security personnel....and the ever-ready
Vendors, selling their WTC pictures are the memories that still
haunt me. Restaurants closed due to being too close to ground
zero were opened to serve workers - Free." Paula

* "The fairgrounds were silent that day and for much of the
rest of the fair. But what really stuck out was the number of
exhibitors who immediately donated money from sales to the Red
Cross Disaster Fund. They raised over $24,000."

* "I am 83 years old and been through other tragedies: the
death of FDR, Pearl Harbor, the death of JFK, Martin Luther King
and Bobby Kennedy and remember where I was. People pulled
together and became one and many a prayer went up for lost and
survivors." Corinne

Others were frustrated or concerned about our continued response
to the tragedy and to the terrorists:

* "I thought this would pull us all together and bring families
back to church. It did for a short while, but not for long
enough. We need to get back to basics and care about GOD and
family and church. We have lost our roots somewhere and need God
to bring us back." Cindi

* "Because I teach some children who are Muslim, I had to
protect them in the weeks that followed by pointing out that the
terrorists were not average Muslims, but fanatics." Anne

* "I don't think we have come very far trying to catch Bin
Laden. We have so much technology but we can't seem to find one
man." Catherine

What should our response be? The Bible says: "Try to live in
peace with everyone, and seek to live a clean and holy life, for
those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each
other so that none of you will miss out on the special favor of
God. Watch out that no bitter root of unbelief rises up among
you, for whenever it springs up, many are corrupted by its
poison. (Hebrews 12:14-15)

God urges us to "live in peace and seek a clean and holy
life." So, what do we do? 1. We continue praying for the
victims, for those who protect us and even the terrorists
themselves. 2. We seek justice not revenge because that is our
witness. 3. We reexamine our priorities about life and about God.
4. We remember and continue to honor those who died. As for the
terrorists and others who would harm the innocent: they will
receive judgment from God. Most of all... we do not lose faith or
hope in God.

* "Three years have gone by and I still haven't visited ground
zero." Mary

* "I remember going to bed afraid and uncertain. In one day,
our lives and world were forever changed. I don't know that we
will ever feel truly "safe" again. I THANK the men and women who
are fighting for our nation and I pray for them and our
government daily." Susan
------------------------------

Sowing Seeds Ministry in cooperation with the church I pastor,
Timberlake United Methodist in Lynchburg, Virginia will forward
donations to UMCOR which is the United Methodist Council on
Relief. Like the Red Cross, they are often the first on the scene
at disasters but what is terrific about this fund is that none of
your money goes to expenses. Churches across the country have
already paid them so every dime you send will go directly to
those in need. Just visit our website at this address:
sowingseedsoffaith.com/s-cart/form.phtml?g_intCatID=1 and
make your donation by charge card or you can send a check to
Sowing Seeds Ministry, 47 Greenwell Ct., Lynchburg, VA 24502.
Please let us know in the comments section or on the check where
you want the donation to go.

From: Deb [mailto:deb4jc2@telus.net]
Subject: Just a Thank You.........

Larry! I signed up on this site about 3 to 4 years ago. I was in
a real crisis and in the middle of a messy divorce. (I have since
remarried.) You were so kind to me and even personally emailed me
and sent me a booklet on divorce, and your book. I receive the
prayer requests every week faithfully (which I love!) but hadn't
been to the home page in a year or so. So today I was interested
in looking at it again and I was looking through all the links
and accidentally took myself off the list! I was so disappointed
when I went to my mailbox just now and saw that I had been
removed. I quickly signed up again and I thought; "OK God" "I
WILL write Larry this quick email that I had on my heart". I
can't imagine NOT getting the weekly prayer requests. I can't
honestly say I pray for them all. But I do pray for the ones
that God puts on my heart and I DO write encouragements to those
that God also tells me to write. I just needed to thank you again
for your site Larry. I know that you probably get a lot of thank
you notes (and you better! LOL) but I felt the need to do that
again today. Your site is so special and unique and I don't know
of another quite like it on the whole internet. You are doing
such a wonderful job for the Lord, please keep it up. Blessings,
Deb

Thanks Deb for a wonderful letter. You made my day! If you would
like to check out our unique email ministry all you have to do is
click here: www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/sign-up.htm

Read Sowing Seeds of Faith... everyday! Click here:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Devotions.htm

Are you receiving prayer concerns from around the world? Join our
prayer team today. Check it out by clicking here:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/sign-up.htm

How can I regularly support your ministry? Become a Sowing Seeds
Ministry partner. Click here:
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/ministry_partner.htm

Jesus said: "You are the light of the world--like a city on a
mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your
light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine
for all." (Matthew 5:14-15)

"Breaking the Peanut Butter Habit: Following God's Recipe
for a Better Life" now on sale only through our website.
www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/peanbutt.htm

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Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

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Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Word for Today, Mon, 31 Aug 2004: Remembering September 11
Dear friends,

Today's devotional message comes from Larry Davies, the pastor of
Timberlake UMC and the founder of the Sowing Seeds of Faith
devotional and prayer online ministry. I work with Larry as the
editor of the Sowing Seeds of Faith prayer letter that we send
out three times a week.

This message has a common theme of caring for others outside of
our usual sphere of influence and praying for those who are going
through difficulties, and also to take decisive action whenever
possible.

We can only really reach out to others in a meaningful and
lasting way when we first get our own relationship right with
God. Each of us has to come to a point of recognizing our own
desperate condition - fallen sinners before a Holy God. When we
recognize our own position, we can respond to God in gratitude,
that He cares enough for us what when we confess our sins, He is
faithful to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. Armed with a new hope and a joy, plus a great
freedom and release, we are freed to go out and serve one another
with a genuine attitude of gratitude. When we are in this place,
we are really, willing, even eager to help hurricane victims,
9/11 victims, or our friend who needs our understanding and
encouragement.

Yours in Christ,

Brian
____________________________________________________________

Sowing Seeds of Faith...

This week we remember and honor the families of the victims for
the tragedy that occurred three short years ago on September 11,
2004. The column below represents just a few of the hundreds of
emails sent to our ministry sharing where they were on September
11, 2001.

We pray for the victims and their families of the terrorist
attack on a school in Beslan, Russia. At least 335 people of
which half are children are believed to have been killed. It is a
horrible tragedy and our hearts and prayers go out to the people
of that city.

We also pray for those who live in the state of Florida in the
United States as they recover from the devastating effects of
Hurricane Frances. The damage combined with Hurricane Charley
which struck just a few weeks ago has inflicted untold billions
of dollars damage and several lives lost.

If you would like to contribute to any of the causes mentioned
above, we have set up a way for you to do it and our ministry
will simply forward the donation on. You will find more
information near the bottom of this email.

"Remembering September 11" Larry Davies

"I took a trip to New York and remembered seeing the World Trade
Center and being in awe of its massive size and how intimidating
they looked as they towered over other structures." Jessica

Do you remember where you were on 9/11? How do you think our
country and our world is doing now? Hundreds of our readers all
over the world responded... many were involved or knew someone:

* "I helped with recovery efforts. 9/11 changed my life in more
ways than one. I questioned how this can happen and why did it
happen. It also affected my marriage and brought me into a dark
depression which took a long time to overcome. I learned to
accept we must forgive those who commit such acts for they are
lost souls who need to be prayed for." Juan

* "My friend's nephew worked there so I called her. His remains
were the last found." Peggy

* "We were in the world trade center two weeks before they were
destroyed. My sister lost friends and neighbors who worked there.
My brother was two blocks away when it happened and was part of
the fleeing masses. Some of their stories are absolutely
chilling." Bryan

* "I worked at a nursing home. I'll never forget the looks on
their faces: such horror and fear: Horror from what they were
seeing and fear realizing how helpless they were." Karen

Many were moved by our nation's generous and compassionate
response to the tragedy:

* "I was assigned to New York a few days later: Chaos, Crisis
and Conflict everywhere. As you walked into the city closer to
the tragedy area, everything got quieter - literally. Every
street corner had WTC RIP stamped on the sidewalk. Pictures of
missing loved ones, candles, paper clips and office clutter, ash
and smoke, emergency and security personnel....and the ever-ready
Vendors, selling their WTC pictures are the memories that still
haunt me. Restaurants closed due to being too close to ground
zero were opened to serve workers - Free." Paula

* "The fairgrounds were silent that day and for much of the
rest of the fair. But what really stuck out was the number of
exhibitors who immediately donated money from sales to the Red
Cross Disaster Fund. They raised over $24,000."

* "I am 83 years old and been through other tragedies: the
death of FDR, Pearl Harbor, the death of JFK, Martin Luther King
and Bobby Kennedy and remember where I was. People pulled
together and became one and many a prayer went up for lost and
survivors." Corinne

Others were frustrated or concerned about our continued response
to the tragedy and to the terrorists:

* "I thought this would pull us all together and bring families
back to church. It did for a short while, but not for long
enough. We need to get back to basics and care about GOD and
family and church. We have lost our roots somewhere and need God
to bring us back." Cindi

* "Because I teach some children who are Muslim, I had to
protect them in the weeks that followed by pointing out that the
terrorists were not average Muslims, but fanatics." Anne

* "I don't think we have come very far trying to catch Bin
Laden. We have so much technology but we can't seem to find one
man." Catherine

What should our response be? The Bible says: "Try to live in
peace with everyone, and seek to live a clean and holy life, for
those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each
other so that none of you will miss out on the special favor of
God. Watch out that no bitter root of unbelief rises up among
you, for whenever it springs up, many are corrupted by its
poison. (Hebrews 12:14-15)

God urges us to "live in peace and seek a clean and holy
life." So, what do we do? 1. We continue praying for the
victims, for those who protect us and even the terrorists
themselves. 2. We seek justice not revenge because that is our
witness. 3. We reexamine our priorities about life and about God.
4. We remember and continue to honor those who died. As for the
terrorists and others who would harm the innocent: they will
receive judgment from God. Most of all... we do not lose faith or
hope in God.

* "Three years have gone by and I still haven't visited ground
zero." Mary

* "I remember going to bed afraid and uncertain. In one day,
our lives and world were forever changed. I don't know that we
will ever feel truly "safe" again. I THANK the men and women who
are fighting for our nation and I pray for them and our
government daily." Susan
------------------------------

Sowing Seeds Ministry in cooperation with the church I pastor,
Timberlake United Methodist in Lynchburg, Virginia will forward
donations to UMCOR which is the United Methodist Council on
Relief. Like the Red Cross, they are often the first on the scene
at disasters but what is terrific about this fund is that none of
your money goes to expenses. Churches across the country have
already paid them so every dime you send will go directly to
those in need. Just visit our website at this address:
sowingseedsoffaith.com/s-cart/form.phtml?g_intCatID=1 and
make your donation by charge card or you can send a check to
Sowing Seeds Ministry, 47 Greenwell Ct., Lynchburg, VA 24502.
Please let us know in the comments section or on the check where
you want the donation to go.

From: Deb [mailto:deb4jc2@telus.net]
Subject: Just a Thank You.........

Larry! I signed up on this site about 3 to 4 years ago. I was in
a real crisis and in the middle of a messy divorce. (I have since
remarried.) You were so kind to me and even personally emailed me
and sent me a booklet on divorce, and your book. I receive the
prayer requests every week faithfully (which I love!) but hadn't
been to the home page in a year or so. So today I was interested
in looking at it again and I was looking through all the links
and accidentally took myself off the list! I was so disappointed
when I went to my mailbox just now and saw that I had been
removed. I quickly signed up again and I thought; "OK God" "I
WILL write Larry this quick email that I had on my heart". I
can't imagine NOT getting the weekly prayer requests. I can't
honestly say I pray for them all. But I do pray for the ones
that God puts on my heart and I DO write encouragements to those
that God also tells me to write. I just needed to thank you again
for your site Larry. I know that you probably get a lot of thank
you notes (and you better! LOL) but I felt the need to do that
again today. Your site is so special and unique and I don't know
of another quite like it on the whole internet. You are doing
such a wonderful job for the Lord, please keep it up. Blessings,
Deb

Thanks Deb for a wonderful letter. You made my day! If you would
like to check out our unique email ministry all you have to do is
click here: http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/sign-up.htm

Read Sowing Seeds of Faith... everyday! Click here:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/Devotions.htm

Are you receiving prayer concerns from around the world? Join our
prayer team today. Check it out by clicking here:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/sign-up.htm

How can I regularly support your ministry? Become a Sowing Seeds
Ministry partner. Click here:
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/ministry_partner.htm

Jesus said: "You are the light of the world--like a city on a
mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your
light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine
for all." (Matthew 5:14-15)

"Breaking the Peanut Butter Habit: Following God's Recipe
for a Better Life" now on sale only through our website.
http://www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/peanbutt.htm

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
This mailing proudly powered by Subscribe Me(TM) Professional -
Enterprise Edition http://www.subscribemepro.com

=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/

__________________________________
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