A Day That Will Live in Infamy

I leaned over the balcony of the USS Arizona Memorial, watching the tears of the Arizona glisten in the water, as oil continues to leak out of the ship sunken below.  She is called "the ship that weeps for her dead", and fittingly so.

I stood in front of the wall that is etched with the 1,177 names of our heros who lost their lives that day. 

There were tears in my eyes and chills on my skin as I tried to take it all in.  Tried to understand the magnitude of where I was. 

I was standing in a moment that has been written about in text books...I was in a place that shaped our country...our families...our history.  

Today, we remember those people.

70 years ago our country was forever changed.

The next time you see a soldier, please go say Thank You.  

You might feel strange, awkward, or a little uncomfortable.  

Do it anyway.

These people are willing to die for us, yet we often forget about them. 

Their ship could sink in a moment and it could be their name etched on the wall....

Let them know you're grateful.

{Nobody Asks to Be a Hero}

"Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes or in their offices: secretaries, business men and women, military and federal workers, moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror. The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong." 

This is the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America.  

Every year on this day my body is covered with chills, my eyes are filled with tears, and my mind swirling with questions.  They say time heals all wounds, but it wasn’t my dad that died that day.  Will time ever heal the wounds of the people who had lives of loved ones so brutally ripped out from under them?

I believe completely in God’s sovereignty, but I also know that it’s easier to trust and believe when it was my dad and my friends that weren’t there that day when they were supposed to be.  God spared them, and I am forever thankful for that.   

Last weekend I attended a football game at Michigan Stadium, an arena seating over 113,000 people.  On the rooftops, perched over the suites and press-boxes were snipers, two on each corner, all around the stadium.  

 You could see them standing tall in the distance,
watching….waiting…ever on alert. This is America now.  

 

The words terrorism or terrorist attack weren’t in my vocabulary before 9/11/01.   I had never heard words like jihad or Al Qaeda, and had no idea who Osama Bin Laden was.   That all changed the day those towers collapsed.  The day the Pentagon was hit.  The day that plane was diverted and crashed in Pennsylvania.   Those words became common in my house, used without thinking because it’s such a part of American life now.  Those words and the people behind them have tried to steal America’s freedom.   Some freedom they stole by taking life itself, other freedoms they stole by invoking paralyzing fear.  

I remember the weeks immediately after, and being scared to go two miles down the road to the grocery store.  Afraid to see Arabs shopping in there, afraid to make eye contact, afraid to be away from my family, afraid of the silence that surrounded all the public places.  Life was eerily quiet for the days and even weeks following 9/11.  People didn’t smile, didn’t laugh as much.  I remember feeling like everybody was simply going about their business as quickly as possible so they could get home again to their loved ones.   

"A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining. Today, our nation saw evil -- the very worst of human nature -- and we responded with the best of America. " 

In the days following the attacks, the news continued to replay footage as more bodies were being uncovered and the likelihood of finding additional survivors dwindled.  I remember standing around the television with my friends from high school and their families, as there was talk of reinstating the draft.  My friends were all talking about what they would do, if they would willingly go fight for their country, and how they wanted to defend America’s freedom.  In the next few years, two of my friends did enlist, and one of them has served three tours overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan.  

"This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day, yet we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world."

I am proud of the Americans that will never forget and never relent.  I love the Americans that resolve to never give up on the idea of freedom that our Founding Fathers fought for, lived for and died for.   I still tear up every single time I hear the National Anthem because of what happened that day.  My favorite line?  The phrase guaranteed to make me cry even reading the simple words? 

And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there

Knowing that there are people in this world that want our flag to stop flying in this country, it makes me grateful every time I see it waving proudly.  I thank God for the freedom He has so graciously allowed this country to have, and I pray that as Americans we do not take it for granted.  He has blessed us with it, but He can also take it away.  We should not turn our backs on Him as a nation and we should certainly not take this freedom for granted. 

I thank God that He saw fit to spare my dad and my friends from being in New York City that day, but my heart goes out to the families that had a different fate.  I hope they turn to God as the one and only true comfort in life.  

Never forget.

{quotes from Address to the Nation given on 9/11/01 by President George W. Bush}

The Flag Still Stands for Freedom

What did Independence Day mean for you this year?

We hung out with our family, watched a parade, walked around a small town, and baked in the sun.

The day progressed with lots of food, homemade ice cream, laughter, and a healthy dose of noise...'cuz there's a lot of us and we're good like that.

So about this parade we went to....it was a small-town parade filled with more tractors than I’d even seen together in one spot, but it had one particular moment that I can’t get out of my head.  

I heard clapping start down the street, but I didn’t know what it was for…not for the big green tractor, surely.  

Finally I saw a truck coming, pulling three large trailers, each filled with several rows of chairs.

On these chairs sat war veterans; some old, some appearing younger than myself.  

The applause got louder as the truck slowly wheeled its way toward our portion of the street.   When I finally saw who was on the trailers, I joined in the applause that was erupting all around me.  

These men, clothed in full uniform, sat proudly as they passed us by.  They were proud to have served their country; proud to be called Americans.   The very last trailer held a casket, draped with a flag, guarded by two soldiers.  Above it hung a sign that read “Freedom isn’t free.”  

Lest we forget that, amidst our bowls of potato salad and mounds of watermelon.  

Those solders had come home from war, but so many haven’t.  They’ll never forget about the ones who didn’t, but most of us I’m sure quickly do.  

Behind them came a car that had one of my favorite songs blaring from its speakers:

And I’m proud to be and American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me. 

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘ Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

You will never know what it cost my generation to preserve your freedom.  I hope you will make good use of it. – John Quincy Adams

Sweet Land of Liberty

Today isn't just about the Freedom we have.

It's about remembering how we got it.

The price that was paid for it.

And thanking our great and merciful GOD who has allowed us to have it.

May God continue to shed His grace on us, as undeserving as we are as a nation.

Happy Independence Day

Merry Christmas To All Who May Dwell Here

Countdown to Christmas

Christmas time is here

Happiness and cheer

Fun for all that children call

Their favorite time of the year

Snowflakes in the air

Carols everywhere

Olden times and ancient rhymes

Of love and dreams to share

Sleigh bells in the air

Beauty everywhere

Yuletide by the fireside

And joyful memories there

Christmas time is here

We'll be drawing near

Oh, that we could always see

Such spirit through the year

Snow Flakes in the Globe of Life

It's Snowing!!!

But I'll get to that in a minute. . .

How was your Thanksgiving? 

Our day was full of family and much delicious food!

The table was beautifully decorated and filled with lots of happy faces.

Mom made yummy desserts, including an Avocado Key-Lime pie which
was really good, despite the oddness of the ingredients!

Mike & I after the day's festivities were over.

After enjoying a long holiday weekend, we are back to work and normal-life-routine.

Last night Mike snapped this picture of me with our little Gizmo.

He loves to cuddle up under my chin while I'm holding him...not sure why.

And last but not least. .  .

IT'S SNOWING!

Like, really.  Up to four inches today!
December 1st and we get our first real snowfall of the year. 
How appropriate.
I love snow from December 1 - January 1, and then it can go away, if it were up to me. 
But until January 1st, I'm going to enjoy it and pray for safety on the slippery roads. 
Like this morning.

But in the meantime, "All I want for Christmas is You" is playing on the radio, snow is swirling around out my window, and I'm nice & toasty with my space heater next to me and a steamy cup of coffee within reach. 

Hopefully we can put up our Christmas tree this week and may the holiday fa la la la la begin!

Happy December!



Taking Time to be Thankful

It’s easy to get caught up in the world’s ways of wishing time away because things aren’t exactly how we might want them to be, or because life gets harder than we anticipated.

I get caught in that trap sometimes.

All those who are guilty say “aye.”

Aye.

One thing God is teaching me lately is to cherish today. A wise friend reminded me recently of the joy a 2 year old has in how they approach a new day. They aren’t worried and burdened-down about crabby bosses, bills to pay, or what to make for dinner. They wake up in the morning and are (usually) eager to face the day and see what it will bring.

With that little scenario in mind, I’ve been trying to start my days on a slightly more optimistic note. Perhaps starting by thanking God for a new day to be alive; another day to do His bidding; another day to be a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend. Learning to enjoy today for what it is and not freak out about having to go to work, or if the house is messy when I get home.

I love my life, my family, my marriage, our little home, but sometimes I simply need to stop and dwell on how tremendous blessed we really are! It’s easy for other people’s negativity to rub off and to start thinking about everything we don’t have instead of everything we do have.

So what if I can’t run to the mall on a shopping trip whenever the whim strikes me?

Big deal that we can’t go out to eat very often or that we have to save up in order to have car repairs done.

Does it really matter that there is only one sink in our bathroom and we have to take turns using the mirror?

We have been blessed with full-time jobs, good health insurance, reliable vehicles, a warm cozy home, families that love us, friends that support us, and a marriage that we think is the best-thing-ever.

We’re not promised tomorrow; all we have is right here and right now. Several weeks ago I posted about the car crash that Mike & I helped out at. That whole experience is with me wherever I go, follows me every day as I leave the house, drive to work, or kiss my husband good-bye. Our lives can change in an instant, and if this is my last moment, I don’t want to have spent it wishing it all away.

My advice to you?

Kiss your spouse a little longer.

Hug your loved-ones a little tighter.

Laugh a little louder.

Smile a little bigger.

Maybe even dance in the rain once in awhile. 

Count your blessings, because no matter what is going on in your life, we can always find lots of things to be thankful for.  We have been blessed beyond measure, and now I'm just trying to live every day remembering that.

Every good and perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,
who does not change like shifting shadows.  

- James 1:17

Happy Thanksgiving, dear ones! Hope it is a beautifully blessed day for you all!



Go Blue!

Did everybody have a good holiday weekend?

A friend gave us tickets to the University of Michigan football game on Saturday. It was a blustery day, but the perfect weather to kick off the new season of college football!

As a thank-you for the tickets, I made some “Michigan” cookies for my friend. . .

. . . complete with Maize & Blue M&M’s

It has literally been years since I’ve made cut-out cookies. . .

. . .  I had to check the internet for a good recipe

 because I don’t even have one of my own.

The rest of the weekend we spent cleaning the house and did lots of rearranging and nitty-gritty work that doesn’t usually get done. It felt so good to get stuff accomplished and the house looks great!  After all that work, we may or may not have had to resort to fish sticks and tater tots for supper, but hey, the house is clean!

Did you have any fun this weekend?

Holiday Weekend

I’ve been so bad about blogging & commenting lately!

Sometimes it’s nice to have a break from the cyber world though.

How was your holiday weekend?

Hubby & I took a couple extra days off work to make the most of our holiday, but like always, time off went by too quickly. The weather was beautiful – hot and humid, but so nice to see the sun shining!!! Saturday afternoon we spent at the lake with friends, just enjoying the cool breeze and the Jet Ski. Gotta love the relaxing that happens when you have time away from work.

Also this weekend, in an effort to spruce up our back yard a bit, we splurged on a humming bird feeder and a couple Tiki torches. Granted, the torches are nothing like the ones in Maui, but it’s the best we could do for now. 
During random free moments over the past few days, I have sat outside staring at my flower bed and have now come up with some plans for it (plans like digging most of it up and starting from scratch…) but we’ll have to wait and see if that comes to fruition this summer.

Hope everybody is doing well.  I'm just trying to get back into the swing of things after having a few fun lazy days off from work! :-)

The Flag

Hello. Remember me?

Some people call me Old Glory, others call me the Star Spangled Banner, but whatever they call me, I am your flag, the flag of the United States of America.

Something has been bothering me, so I thought I might talk it over with you — because it is about you and me.

I remember some time ago, people would line up on both side of the street to watch the parade, and naturally I was leading every one, proudly waving in the breeze.

When your Daddy saw me coming, he immediately removed his hat and placed it against his left shoulder so that his hand was directly over his heart — remember?

And you, I remember, were standing there, straight as a soldier. You didn't have a hat, but you were giving the right salute. Remember your little sister? Not to be outdone, she was saluting the same as you with her right hand over her heart — remember?

What happened? I'm still the same old flag. Oh, I've added a few more stars since you were a boy, and a lot more blood has been shed since those parades of long ago.

But now, somehow I don't feel as proud as I used to feel. When I come down the street, you just stand there with your hands in your pockets. You may give me a small glance, and then you look away. I see children running around you shouting; they don't seem to know who I am.

I saw one man take his hat off, then he looked around, and when he didn't see anybody else take off his hat, he quickly put his on again.

Is it a sin to be patriotic today?
Have you forgotten what I stand for, and where I have been?
Anzio, Guadalcanal, Korea and Vietnam!

Take a look at the memorial honor rolls, and see the names of those patriotic Americans who gave their lives to keep this republic free. When you salute me, you are actually saluting them!

So when you see me, please stand straight and place your hand over your heart, and I'll know that you remembered. I'll salute you by waving back!

"The Flag"

- Anonymous

He Arose!

Hope is alive; Love is now risen!
Jesus the Christ has conquered the grave!
Fears are behind, sins are forgiven;
by God’s own Son the power of death has died.
Hope is alive!

Hope. Love. Joy. Life. Peace.

Easter is the culmination of all these things.

I watched Daffodils bud and bloom in my garden this week and it was such a perfect picture to me of the life that sprung forth on Easter morning. A reminder of the hope that was given to all men on that beautiful day.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

Because of Christ’s work on that cross, we have Life, we live with Hope,
we have Peace unsurpassed, a Joy the world cannot fathom,
and we are surrounded by His unbounded Love.

As Dark As It Gets

These words are not mine, but I hope they touch you as they did me.

---------------------------------------------

Johann Sebastian Bach's The St. John Passion was first performed on Good Friday in Leipzig, Germany, some 285 years ago. I heard it for the first time on Good Friday in a small Lutheran church in Houston, Texas.

The libretto combines the text of John's Gospel, stanzas of old church hymns, and poetic text. It is not known who ordered the words to accompany Bach's achingly beautiful score - perhaps he had some hand in selecting them; perhaps not.

As they were sung in German, I followed the English translation in my lap, but I could have closed it - and my eyes - and still understood. The familiar story unfolded on a current of sheer emotion, carried along by the music's inflection and intensity, and the sometimes harsh, sometimes hushed interplay of voices.

Loud, angry cries of "Kreuzige ihn!" needed no footnote. I got it. And the music itself let me know the moment my Lord said "It is finished!" I waited to hear the rocks split, and the temple veil to tear top to bottom, and for tombs to open and darkness to fall, and I did. I heard it all.

Then a soprano voice sang these words: "Dissolve in tears my heart, in floods of weeping in honor of the Most High. Tell the earth and the heavens your anguish: Your Jesus is dead!"

That's as dark as it gets.

Have you ever been in utter, total, can't-see-your-hand-in-front-of-your-face dark? The kind of dark that makes you wonder if there'll ever be light again? Once, near midnight in a tiny house in a Hill Country canyon, I blew out one last, flickering oil lamp and the world fell away. I didn't know black could cover so much, so fast. And I thought to myself, "This must be as dark as it gets."

Maybe the dark you remember is not physical dark, but dark of another kind. Maybe there was a moment when you lost something so precious that you thought the sun couldn't possibly bring itself to rise another time. Maybe you thought when it happened, "This is as dark as it gets."

It wasn't.

"As dark as it gets" was when the Father's only Son offered up His final breath, and it looked like death had won. "As dark as it gets" was when communication ceased between God the Father and God the Son - when two who'd never been apart, were. "As dark as it gets" was a snuffed out hope, a sealed tomb, a buried promise, and the empty hours between Friday and Sunday.

"As dark as it gets" happened once. It will never be that dark again.

"Rest well, sacred limbs;" the chorus sang as the music ended. "I no longer weep for you: sleep well, and bring me too, to rest. The grave which is reserved for you no more dismays me: it opens heaven's gates for me and closes those of hell."

"Ruht wohl, ruht wohl," rest well. It's already been as dark as it will ever be.

"Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen." (John 24:5-6, NASB)

© Leigh McLeroy 2005

February 13th

I just realized I never did my post-Valentine’s-day-post!

So last Saturday my Dearly Beloved decided to take me out for a fun Valentine’s day celebration. We ran a couple errands and then headed downtown to get our rings shined up at our favorite jeweler. We browsed while the rings were getting cleaned, and I stumbled across a Claddagh ring that I found exquisite – sterling silver with filigreed bands on either side of the Claddagh. It was love at first site. And jeweler slipped it on my finger and it was a perfect fit. My dear husband kissed me and said it would be my Valentine’s gift. Awwww. He makes me melt.

We then wandered around to the diamond section and I fell in love again… with a ring that (with tax) would cost over $28,000.00. Yes, you read that right. Once again, it was a perfect fit when I tried it on, but I’m afraid it will forever remain in the jeweler’s case, far from my reach. It was over three carats of diamonds in a beautifully romantic white gold vintage setting. Not gaudy at all, but timeless and amazingly gorgeous. *sigh*

I happily wear my Claddagh, given to me with much love by my Dearly Beloved. It’s never about the price tag – it’s about the heart behind it. And his heart is golden.

We then headed over to the theater where we watched the movie (yes, you guessed it) Valentine’s Day. I wasn’t hugely impressed, but it’s always a treat when I can get him to go see a chick-flick with me. Besides, Jennifer Garner and those dimples of hers are simply adorable and that’s all there is to it!

Red Lobster was our restaurant of choice for dinner, and though we had a long wait, the tender taste of the flaky cheddar biscuits was worth every minute. We sat at the bar as we waited for a table, and for the first time in my life I splurged and ate dessert before my dinner. I felt like such a rebel. But it was soooo good! The cookie was chocolate filled and oh-so-chewy-gooey and topped with ice cream and more chocolate. Combine this with a cup of delicious coffee and I was in taste-bud bliss.

My husband tackled crab legs for dinner with so much vigor that I couldn’t resist a picture. I’m glad he has the chance to enjoy meals like that when we dine out, because I’m not brave enough to make them at home.

It was such a lovely day that it even made the snow seem not quite so cold.