In remembrance

This is a photo I carry around in my Bible.

I took it in May 1996, when I took my then-fiancée Melissa on a tour of New York City (this was the first time she got to meet my family, whom we stayed with on Long Island). We were on the Staten Island ferry so we could get a look at the Statue of Liberty, when Missy told me to take this shot of Manhattan Island--in part because of the Twin Towers. We visited World Trade Center in 1999, while visiting my sister Susan in the city (she worked across the street from the WTC).

We could never have imagined that on a fall day only several years later, these giant structures would be totally destroyed, with 3,000 lives snuffed out in a satanic-inspired attack on our nation.

I look at this picture not just on this day, but at times throughout the year. It reminds me that the great freedoms we have in this country, including the right to worship God and express our beliefs freely, must constantly be defended--"freedom isn't free," and we must always show the deepest appreciation to those who gave their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, including the brave fire fighters, police, and emergency personnel; those citizens who gave their lives to rescue fellow citizens in the Twin Towers; military men and women at the Pentagon; and the brave passengers who stood up to the cowardly terrorists on United 93 (and I stress cowardly; Osama bin Laden, who orders others to die for Islam, hides in a cave trying to save his own life). And we must always be thankful for those military men and women who continue to guard our freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq.

We must be thankful to God for the fact that our nation has not been attacked since 9-11--and also give credit where credit is due for this, to President Bush and his administration. This event cannot slip away from our conscience; it should instead continually spur us to greater prayer for our nation, especially for our leaders as commanded by the Bible, and for a great reawakening of faith in Jesus throughout our land. Psalm 91:1.