Category: Current Affairs

We see the images and wonder how anyone could survive this. And yet…people did.

You've heard the unbelievable stories. Here are two that especially touched my heart. I think these two people have much to teach you and me.

One is Romel Joesph, a Haitian-born music teacher…who was born blind, or so sight-impaired that he is legally blind.

Imagine yourself pinned beneath rubble for eighteen hours, unable to move, not able even to see. Imagine knowing all along that while you were on the third floor when the earthquake struck, your pregnant wife had been on the first floor and you could not know whether she was alive or dead. (She did not survive.)

Romel Joseph told interviewers how he got through that wrenching time. I caught his story while driving and later looked it up in the N.P.R. archives. Here's the gist of how he survived the horror.

"I knew I could not allow my mind to wander and to keep thinking only about rescue. So I decided to keep a strict schedule, hour by hour. I set aside the first twenty minutes for prayer and meditation," Joseph says. "After that I focused my mind on favorite pieces of music I knew, one at a time. I forced myself to concentrate, note by note, as precisely as if I were directing an orchestra. In effect, that took me to another place in my mind. For that time I did not feel my pain, did not allow myself to wonder whether help would arrive.

"Hour by hour, that's what I did. First the prayer and meditation, then the music. So I not only killed time, but I reminded myself I was not alone. I told myself I was brushing up on my directing skills and I mentally escaped the space where I was."

Romel Joseph is no stranger to tragedy. He founded the New Victorian School in 1991, in Port-au-Prince, to teach music to Haitian children. That school burned to the ground exactly ten years to the day before this earthquake once again leveled the school.

Friends dug him out after eighteen hours lying there with his leg pinned and crushed under concrete. Surgeons also repaired his severely fractured left hand, but they cannot say whether he'll regain full function…and what is a violinist without a left hand that works?

But Joseph plans to rebuild as soon as he can. As he puts it, "I need more than an earthquake to make me stop my work in Haiti!"

I think this man shows us how in the midst of fears and troubles we can deliberately turn our thoughts to other things, to people we love, to happier times and, yes, to God. Our situation may not change, but our ability to cope will.

Another rescued woman in a television interview (couldn't find her story in print) told what enabled her to hang on. She said something like this. "I lost everything except what matters most," she said, holding up her Bible. "I could not move, there in the dark, so I searched my memory and remembered some Psalms. I kept repeating them over and over, especially Psalm 46. God brought me through this, praise be, and here I am."

For thousands in Haiti, this was–and is–the worst of times. Thank God most of us will not be caught in anything like that earthquake. Yet I think these two accounts teach us a lot about surviving our own fears and sorrows without crumbling under the load.

Perhaps you love Psalm 46, too. I often find myself going back to my old, dog-eared Bible, to reread sections I've underlined in the past. Always, that includes these favorite verses of Psalm 46.

Psalm 46

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
   an ever-present help in trouble.

² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
   and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

³ though its waters roar and foam
   and the mountains quake with their surging…

⁵God is within her, she will not fall;

God will help her at break of day…

¹⁰ "Be still, and know that I am God;
   I will be exalted among the nations,
   I will be exalted in the earth."

¹¹ The LORD Almighty is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our fortress.
   Selah

God's peace and blessings,

Lenore

Learning from Haiti survivors how to make it through our tough times

January 27, 2010
                    It’s the buzz across the nation. Octuplets!

In case you’re fuzzy on the details, here are the facts. The single mother gave birth to eight babies and has six children at home, ages two to seven. Although she has an ex-husband, he did not father any of her fourteen children. All fourteen arrived courtesy of fertility drugs and in-vitro fertilization, using the the same, undisclosed sperm donor.

Nadya Suleman, age thirty-three, lives in Los Angeles with her parents and her children. A year or so ago her parents took out bankruptcy to the tune of one-million dollars. Since then the nine of them have lived in a 1,550 square foot house. (I can hear you groaning. Are you identifying with the mother or the grandparents?)

Suleman has hired a public relations firm, but not to worry. Her spokeswoman says she is “the most sought-after mom in the world right now.”

Hundreds of morning shows, television talk shows, magazines, tabloids and the like clamor for interviews. Some (I am shocked!) involve offers to pay. No decisions have been made, says her spokeswoman, Joanne Killen, who noted the obvious: raising eight babies will be expensive … plus six more.

But not to worry. According to her spokeswoman, Nadya Suleman plans to carefully review her “financial opportunities.” Killen pooh-poohed reports that this new mother already had decided to host a television show on parenting. (It should be noted her family talks of her lifelong desire to have children, and she majored in child development.) She adds that Suleman does eventually want to tell her story to the world. That’s why the new mother (again) hired their firm, says Joann Killen, to manage all those opportunities.

Years ago learned scholars, doctors and theologians began arguing the ethics of the inevitable fallout to come once fertility drugs and in-vitro fertilization became common. By this point countless couples have followed this route and delight in the results.

The tale of Nadya Suleman and her children seems to me a prime example of misuse. Think of the other issues. Maybe you’ve read articles about women who gave birth through the use of donated sperm and now are tracking down their own child’s “siblings,” through the Internet. They’re getting together for “family reunions.”

            You’ve watched television shows about couples who meet and fall in love, then find out they’re related, because the two mothers were inseminated by the same sperm donor. You’ve read the stories of surrogate mothers who changed their minds because they had bonded with the child growing within them, leaving the would-be parents sad and devastated.

            Perhaps saddest of all are the countless children all over this nation waiting to be adopted … and growing up still waiting. Meanwhile couples long to be parents and will spend years—and endless thousands of dollars, not to mention the indignity and discomfort of taking fertility drugs—hoping to end up with a child that shares their DNA.

            Last night on one of our local television newscasts, the anchor did their weekly feature introducing one or more children who ache to be part of a family. They always touch my heart, but especially last night. A handsome fifteen-year-old talked about his hope that someone would want him. The newscaster asked, “Do you ever get too old to hope?”

            The young man said something like, “Not me. Maybe I’ll go on hoping all my life, wishing I belonged to somebody. When I hear other kids complaining about their parents, I just say, ‘Cut it out! You don’t know how lucky you are to have somebody in your life who cares about you!’ So I guess I’ll go on hoping … “ And then he looked away from the camera.

            So here’s my question for you: When—not if—Nadya Suleman turns up as the featured guest on Oprah’s show, will you watch? When the sperm donor decides to tell his story (and you know he will) will you listen? Would you watch a television show on parenting with Nadya Suleman as host?

What do you think about this “brave new world” of science? And what is "mother love," anyway?

Sorry, I guess that’s more than one question, so you get to pick. Please do!

Lenore

Your comments truly are welcomed!



What’s your take on the mother with eight babies?

February 3, 2009
    I don't know about you, but I'm tired of the continual doom-and-gloom talk everywhere we turn. I don't think it helps any of us.

    You know how it goes. One reporter will say, "If … then … and then … we could … ."

    The other talking head responds, "And that could lead to … which would mean that … and then … we'd have ____ more layoffs, which would mean ____ more people couldn't make their mortgage payments. Foreclosures will skyrocket in our area!"

    Nobody seems to notice–or care–that everything starts with that little word, "if."

    For two minutes or so they've drummed up emotion and fear. Their facial expressions and tone of voice make it plain doom is imminent! Yet not one real thing has occurred.

    It's way too easy to get sucked in to this whirlpool of misery. When I do it's no time until I'm venting to my husband … or vice versa. Soon we're forecasting personal doom based more on someone else's conjecture than on fact.

   That quickly snatches the sunshine out of a room … or a life.

    So let's not join that crowd. Here's my proposal for coping with what comes. First, let's get a realistic grip on what affects our own lives and concentrate our energies there. Manage as wisely as we can, cut expenses where we can, appreciate what we already have. Living bountifully has nothing to do with having money. It's all about how we view our life.

    Second, let's look at what really matters and focus our attention there. Most of us would say that people matter more than things. So let's invest ourselves in other people. It costs nothing to speak encouragement or give someone a hug … and most of us could use more of both.

    Finally, let's count our blessings … over and over again. I think that's more than ticking off a list. Let's form a new habit: Pay attention to what is, more than longing for what isn't. Each time we do we'll feel more confident, more sure of our life, more at peace.

    When we share a life, whether with a spouse or a child, little aggravations often cloud our vision. It helps to set them aside for awhile and look at this person with a stranger's eyes. Do we spot virtues we had been ignoring? Remember, small virtues count. (Ever forgotten to put out the garbage when your husband was out of town? Then you know what I mean.) If you feel shortchanged, ask God to enlarge your perception.

    If you live with those recording devices a.k.a., kids, remember that your attitude(s) become theirs. Your fear(s) become theirs … even when they never say a word or ask a question. No child ever is oblivious to their parents' state-of-mind.

    Finally, when it comes to fear, whether of recession, depression, or a change in government, let's remember who's in charge. Today I got an e-mail you may have received at some point, one with beautiful photography and a meaningful message. It points us to the verse in the center of the Bible: Psalm 118:8. This is the perfect motto for you and me in these troubled times … or any time.

It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.

    Next time we're tempted to sink in despair, let's go back to this verse and pitch a tent. Fortunes come and go. Governments rise and fall. Only One was there before the beginning and will be there after the end. Only One has proven to be absolutely trust-worthy over time. He's the one who watches over us and who blesses your life and mine.

    By the way, here's the address for that video I referenced above: 70670-TheBibleDV.pps (2473KB)   (Sorry, you'll need to copy, then paste it to access it.) Enjoy!

    Have a refreshing weekend!

    Lenore

    What do you think about this? Your comments welcomed!



Let’s not let talk of the “downward spiral” drag us down!

January 24, 2009
    If you lived halfway around the world, would you be waiting for the inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the USA?

    Probably so. Many will cheer because he'll be our first African-American President. But there's more to it than that. All over the world people marvel that in the United States, power passes from one administration to another without riots, without wars or assassinations. Instead, we have parades and parties, all of it broadcast freely–in its entirety–over national television and radio. If you or I could find a way to shoe-horn ourselves in among the one million plus people who plan to shiver away many frigid hours, we could at least be in Washington, D.C., to be present.

    After all, this is America! We take it for granted, forgetting this is rare. Not many countries in this world change parties or governments so calmly.

    We are blessed, bountifully. We are free to rant and rave about what's wrong with this country, or with whatever the current administration happens to be doing–or not doing. We can march and carry signs. No one comes to cart us off to prison. This is America.

    After eight years as President, George W. Bush will become a private citizen and quietly go home to Texas. Throughout his years in office our nation faced many challenges, beginning with September 11, 2001, before he had been in office a year. He leaves when we're in the middle of one of the biggest crises, and his popularity ratings are at their lowest. I wish him and his wife, Laura, much happiness in this new phase of their life together.

    I am sad for him … and for her. I believe he did the best he knew how, with what he knew at the time. Since he often professed his faith, I take him at his word that he sought God's guidance every day, then went forth and did his job.

    By now I've lived long enough to know that's all any of can do, whether we're a President, a parent, or a paper-hanger.

    I almost always know more afterward than I did at the time I had to make a decision. Later, sometimes much later, I find I have a better grasp on what was involved. Perhaps I've come to understand the wider picture, or I know the people involved better than I did, or I'm simply wiser and more seasoned. Alas, I cannot go back and live it over. Neither can President Bush.

    Neither can anyone else. Whoever coined the term, "Hindsight is 20/20," said it well.

    I have no idea how history will view his Presidency. It is interesting to remember that the press and people universally trashed Abraham Lincoln almost every day he lived in the White House. He was hated by both the North and the South. The names they called him make the labels hung on George Bush look tame. Yet he calmly stood his ground, never wavering, because his passion was for justice and freeing the slaves.

    Now he's known as our greatest President, the role-model and inspiration for President Obama.

    I did not vote for Barack Obama, but as our elected President, he merits our full support. I pray his administration will succeed mightily. I do think it's wonderful that an African-American man rose to the Presidency, and I pray it will heal the old wounds and animosities. We are, after all, the United States of America. That implies we, the people, too, are to be united.

Since he has said he is a Christian, I'm guessing he, too, will pray for God's guidance each day. Then he'll go forth and do his job, the best he knows how, with what he knows at the time.

    As always, I'll pray God's wisdom and leading for our President and for all those who lead our nation. As always, I'll try not to expect perfect performance. (Does that look anything like expecting his decisions always to please me?)

     I'm thankful our new President loves his wife, Michelle, and their two daughters. I'm thankful he talks about respect and honoring authority, about the value of working and finishing school. President Obama and Michelle have the platform to be powerful role models and to inspire many, young and old. Their positive comments about family may turn around some alarming trends in our society. I'm thankful they're Christians.

    As we enjoy the pomp and circumstance of another Presidential inauguration and the hoopla surrounding it, let's give thanks. We are privileged to live in the greatest nation on the face of the earth–and let's not forget it. What's more, let's talk it up! Let's speak hope and reassurance when others are talking gloom and forecasting doom! That will cost us zero, but pay big dividends in so many ways, in our lives and in our communities.

    Because you and I and all of us together are the United States of America, not just our new President.

    Won't you join me in daily asking God to bless and protect the United States and our leaders? And enjoy the festivities!

    Lenore



Let’s celebrate what makes us “America!”

January 19, 2009
    We're about to enter the New Year … 2009! A period of time as unknown to us as if we were following a mountain path into thick fog. We only think we know what lies ahead.

   I love some things about the arrival of another New Year, like putting up new calendars. Who could miss the symbolism of "off with the old, on with the new?"

    Whatever 2008 was … or wasn't … it lies behind us. Ahead lie 365 uncommitted days. Freedom! Freedom, that is, until I start writing in those unavoidables of life, the meetings and appointments already scheduled … and there will be more. That task makes me feel organized, but also weighed down as I watch those unsullied days fill up. Knowing I've chosen most of those commitments helps, but hey, they nail down my time. I'm one of those people who likes keeping her options open, because who knows what possibilities may arise?

    But then I get a grip. I wouldn't trade places with anyone. Many of those notations remind me that I'm needed, or I make a difference, or simply that I matter in someone else's life. There's nothing that brings more deep-down joy.

    At any point, you and I have this day, this moment. That's scary, but also comforting. We don't have to deal with 365 days, only the one we're living in. Still, beginning a new year feels like starting a journey, not quite sure where one will end up. None of can foretell what 2009 will bring.

    For years I had a piece of writing framed on my office wall, and I love it still.

                                               "The Gate of the Year"

    And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:  "Give me a light, that I may tread safely into the unknown!"

    And he replied:   "Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way."

                                                                                        –M. Louise Haskins

     I can't say it better than that. So let's step off into the unknown with gusto! As long as we hold tight to the Father's hand, we'll be safe.

    May God watch over you and yours every day of the New Year!

    Lenore

    Your comments welcomed!



Are you ready to step into the abyss?

December 30, 2008
    Today is Veterans Day in these God-blessed United States. We hear a lot about "honoring the veterans," but that's a kind of anonymous phrase. So here's the face of one, one individual Veteran, on which to focus. This face, conveying such emotion, belongs to Joseph Ambrose, at age eighty-six. In this 2005 photo he holds the flag that covered the casket of his son, who was killed in the Vietnam War.



    Maybe he looks like someone you've known, as he does to me. If Joseph Ambrose still can, no doubt he attended his local Veterans Day parade and festivities today.

    At least for today let's set aside the rhetoric and arguing about the Iraq War and the war in Afghanistan. Veterans Day centers on honoring those men and women who over the past two-plus centuries served the United States. They served–and so do those serving now–to ensure this way of life endures, even though we so often criticize and take our freedoms for granted.

    Veterans Day feels more personal to us than it once did. Our two  older granddaughters both are serving in the U. S. Navy–and we are proud of them. Like every family of those who serve in the U.S. military, a touch of uncertainty injects itself into one's thinking. That goes with the territory. We rest in God's protection over them, as we do for all our family members.

  So let us give thanks for our Veterans, not just on November 11th, but every day. Let's be thankful for all those who set aside their lives to serve in the Armed Forces of these United States, in years past and in the present.  You and I are blessed to live in this wonderful country–every day.

    Here's to hanging onto that thankful spirit!

    Lenore

    Your comments welcomed!





A gentle reminder that America is no accident

November 11, 2008
    Perhaps like me, you're a bit weary of all the election day hoopla. It's hard to think of anything else, isn't it? But today's the day it ends. Within a few days we'll have the final count and then the new chapter begins. This morning Bob and I read Psalm 8, which seems to fit the day perfectly. Maybe you'll find that true, also. Right now we're reading from Eugene Peterson's The Message. Today his fresh, modern language led me to look at David's words with new eyes. Perhaps it will do the same for you:

God, brilliant Lord, yours is a household name.

Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you; toddlers shout the songs That drown out enemy talk, and silence atheist babble.

I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, your handmade sky-jewelry, Moon and stars mounted in their settings.

Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, Why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way?

Yet we've so narrowly missed being gods, bright with Eden's dawn light.

You put us in charge of your handcrafted world, repeated to us your Genesis-charge, Made us lords of sheep and cattle, even animals out in the wild, Birds flying and fish swimming, whales singing in the ocean deep.

God, brilliant, Lord, your name echoes around the world.         (The Message)

    I had to go back to the Hubble site**, of course. It brims with glorious photographs that do, indeed, display those macro-skies, dark and enormous, with "sky jewelry" like that above. (See another eye-popper in my post of October 28, "Finding peace in the midst of … whatever.")

    Astronomy never was my passion of mine. In fact, I paid scant attention to news of the Hubble space project. But the Hubble website features awesome, entrancing images, free for the looking–or downloading. Try it, you might like it!

    Then give a thought to the One who set all that glory and wonder in place so long ago.

    Remember, election days come and election days go. He hasn't changed, hasn't moved, hasn't given up on this world … so let's rejoice!

    Lenore

    Your comments welcomed! Did you check out the Hubble site?

    *Image shown: Star-forming Region LH 95 in the largest Magellanic Cloud. www.hubblesite.org





Let’s broaden our view on this election day, 2008

November 4, 2008
    Maybe it's my imagination, but it seems the mood of people around me borders on tense. It's as if we all had gone on a Starbucks binge and now can't "come down" from all the caffeine. And it seems this is an equal-opportunity malady, affecting members of both parties equally.

    Whatever the final results of tomorrow's election, some of us will be disappointed. But think how blessed we are to live in a country where we actually get to vote on our leaders! In so much of the world people only get to vote with their feet, as they flee from power-hungry individuals and armed forces. Over-crowded refugee camps teem with desperate people who left their homelands to save their lives.

    Our founding fathers possessed wisdom beyond their own, I believe. They set up the United States as a nation where each citizen is free to get involved and free to vote for candidates of their choice. We can voice our opinions without fear of being carted off to prison. Each of us can help shape the community we live in, by volunteering for worthy causes, by supporting what we believe in, and even by the way we live our lives.

    Under the U. S. Constitution, that's our right. More accurately, that's our privilege. So if you haven't voted yet, be sure to cast your ballot at your local election site tomorrow!

    If history proves anything, it's that this nation is bigger than any one man who ends up being elected President. By the way, it's worth remembering that those Presidents labeled "good" when elected didn't always turn out to be that. Several Presidents who were trashed throughout their administrations later were described as "great" by historians. Even Abraham Lincoln faced constant ridicule, name-calling and criticism during his Presidency.

    Who can predict what lies ahead, whether for this nation or in our own lives? None of us. Maybe right now you're traveling a hard path and hope seems a foreign concept. Even then, in every situation, we can be at peace. I love Billy Graham's well-known illustration.

"The storm was raging. The sea was beating against the rocks in huge, dashing waves. The lightning was flashing, the thunder was roaring, the wind was blowing; but the little bird was sound asleep in the crevice of the rock, its head tucked serenely under its wing.

That is peace: to be able to sleep in the storm! In Christ we are relaxed and at peace in the midst of the confusions, bewilderments and perplexities of this life. The storm rages, but our hearts are at rest. We have found peace–at last!

    The lesson for us all: Peace does not depend on externals.

    I wish you peace, every day!

    Lenore

    Your comments welcomed!

Feeling uptight about tomorrow’s election?

November 3, 2008
      Unless you also like to read off-beat stories in your morning newspaper, I'll bet you haven't grasped the resemblance between human beings and meadow voles. It's true. According to a report in the Los Angeles Times and reprinted in our Sacramento Bee, we have a lot in common.

    At least that's what I read in that October 16th article in the Bee. It seems that neuroscientists at Emory University National Science Foundation Science & Technology Center in Atlanta were doing research on the little varmints. (Why, I don't know. Most of us would set traps if we found one within our homes or garages. But then, scientists sometimes pursue exotic fields.)

    Anyhow, here's the headline:  "Loyalty chemical  found in rodents."

    Apparently voles are monogamous and their brains release a "loyalty compound." These scientists separated vole pairs and found that after four days the male voles experienced changes in the part of their brains that control emotions. They became lethargic and unresponsive, as if depressed, until given a drug that blocked the changes.

    Now here's their big finding that made national news: Scientists concluded that their research on these rodents could provide insight into why humans feel grief when separated from their mates.

    Are you properly impressed? Don't get me wrong, I know science has benefited all of us. But somehow I'd prefer that they draw their conclusions about human beings from actual study of human beings instead of meadow voles. How about you?

    These experts did concede, however, that "human relationships are more complex than animal bonds and involve culture, socialization and rational thought." So, they said, there may be little they can learn from the depressed meadow voles, after all.

    I couldn't find out how long the study went on, how many scientists were involved, nor how much it cost. This one thing I know, however. It's a prime example of our tax dollars at work. I'm guessing very few U.S. citizens would have chosen this as a research study focus. We'd better laugh … or we might cry.

    Still, I'm thankful for research scientists. Now and then they come up with something that blesses humanity for generations, like Jonas Salk who put together the polio vaccine. Sometimes it takes many steps to get from here to there.

   (I'll never be thrilled with meadow voles, however. I've met some of their cousins and seen their handiwork out in our front yard. It is not a pretty picture.)

    Lenore

    Your comments welcomed!



Scientists conclude meadow voles “R” us

October 22, 2008
    Today is the anniversary of 9/11, that unbelievable day in our Nation's history. On this day television newscasts and talk shows replay the images and sounds of our national anguish. We're drawn to them, as we were on September 11, 2001, and through the sorrowful days that followed.

    What good does it do to remember? After all, no one has the power to rewrite one second of that day. But I for one, can't help feeling as if had dodged a bullet.

    That's a bit over-dramatic, of course. But only a few weeks earlier a friend and I sat on the top floor of one of those Twin Towers, in the glass-walled Observation Tower. It was my first time in Manhattan. Our choral group (Bravo! Vancouver) had traveled from Washington state across the country to give a couple of concerts. New York City was our second stop.

    The first was Washington, D.C., where we sang for a large conference. Toward sunset we sat on the Capitol steps, in the balmy breezes of early evening, poised to watch the Fourth of July fireworks. No barriers. No fenced-off areas. If there were armed guards they were so unobtrusive we never noticed. There we were, thousands of us, prowling the grounds of the U.S. Capitol Building. Adults of all ages and economic levels, infants and children, and teens. Our complexions came in every hue, with accents to match. We mingled peaceably, smiling. By the time the serious fireworks were underway the predicted rains had begun. In minutes we were drenched, but we stayed, laughing, loving every minute of what we had viewed so often on TV.

    Next day we were off to New York, where we were to give another performance. My friend had been to New York many times because her son worked in New York. Nevertheless, during our free time she insisted we go to the Twin Towers, because "everyone needs to go up on top and just look out at least once."

   There we sat, knees pressed against the glass walls of the Observation floor at the very top of one of the Towers. A couple of smiling security guards quietly observed us. I walked around the roomy space, looking out in awe at the beauty of land and sea and sky. That impressed me far more than all the gleaming skyscrapers that crowded New York City's skyline. I flew home brimming over with thanks that I had the opportunity to be part of that trip.

    Who could have guessed we were nearing the end of life as we knew it? For days, weeks, months after 9/11, we Americans were watchful, fearful, as if waiting for "next time" to drop. Yet today is the seventh anniversary and nothing has. Think about that.

    How have we come safely through these past seven years? We may credit the Administration, or the learn-as-you-go Department of Homeland Security and all that came with it. We may reel off a long list of agencies and personnel and give credit where it's due. Yet every expert in every field tells us the best efforts by the best people remain insufficient. No agency, no amount of armed guards, can guarantee the safety of this Nation … nor of us as individuals.

    Experts remain confounded. For me, there's only one explanation. It is "'Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit,"says the LORD of hosts."    (Zechariah 4:6)

    We could not be in better hands. Let's breathe a sigh of thanks.

    Here's to remembering what it means that we're Americans!

    Lenore

    Your comments welcomed!

Living in the aftermath of 9/11

September 11, 2008