Veteran's Day 11-11-11

I received the following from a veteran and thought it needed to be passed along:

As I look at the Veteran Day messages I have sent out over the past few years, I realize that the words may have changed some but the message has been the same. With that said, this may be somewhat redundant for the vast majority of you. For those new faces among us, I hope you get the sense that Veterans Day is an important day to all of us. It’s a day set aside to honor all the brave young Americans who have answered our Nation’s call and served in the military. I challenge each of you to seek out a Veteran sometime today and thank them for their service. We are truly blessed to live in this great nation and enjoy the freedoms that, all too many times, are taken for granted. These freedoms have not come without sacrifice. We owe a debt of gratitude to those American men and women who have put on that military uniform and stood in harm’s way on our behalf. I am particularly attracted to those veterans that Tom Brokaw calls the “Greatest Generation”. I have been blessed to have accompanied two different flights of Knoxville area World War II Veterans to Washington DC as a part of a program called HonorAir Knoxville. HonorAir Knoxville’s mission is to take veterans to our nation’s Capital to tour various military memorials. I see these men and women as true American heroes but they see themselves, not as heroes, but rather as ordinary people who were called on to do extraordinary things. To my fellow veterans, I say thank you. I just hope you are as proud as I to have served our country and to have played a part in protecting the rights and freedoms we hold so dear. If you know or are related to a veteran, whether they be veterans of World War II or just back from a recent deployment, find the time today to call or visit them and thank them for their service.

If you would like to learn more about HonorAir Knoxville, you can visit the
website at http://www.honorairknoxville.com/.

Welcome

Our church family was yet again blessed. On October 16th, 2011 Beverly Summers was baptized into Christ. Welcome & God Bless Bev.

Christian Family

We would like to welcome into the Christian family Bob & Melissa Dean as well as Beverly Carlson. Melissa rededicated her life to Christ. Bob and Beverly were baptized into Christ on October 9th, 2011.

Fall in the Mountains

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Church Picnic 2011 at OneTrueMedia.com

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Remember!

The top five cancers in America are

1. Lung
2. Colon
3. Breast
4. Pancreatic
5. Prostate

The leading cancer for women is breast cancer. This month take time to remember the women who have fought and still fight this struggle. We are all one in the fight.

Starry Night

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Laughter

As we go through this life, we find that it is full of hills and valleys that are not always smooth. As we travel these life's roads, God sends us people to help us navigate life in the best way. Proverbs 17: 22 says "A joyful heart is good medicine." I know that we are going to be in situations that we want to laugh or be joyful. Our friends help get us through life by letting us cry on a shoulder or getting us to laugh. We should take time to thank the great friends that God puts in our lives. To all my friends, whether right here or Miles away, thanks and have a God Blessed Day.

Memories

In life, there are moments that you can pinpoint where you were, what you doing, & the sights and sounds around you. These moments (happy or sad) whether it be: your baptism, JFK being shot, the Berlin Wall being torn down, becoming a mother/grandmother, or September 11th... change each of our lives forever. This Sunday, 9/11/11. marks two memorable occasions: Grandparents Day and the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.

I never knew either of my grandfathers but I have been blessed to know both grandmothers. My Granny Annie (paternal) died when I was small but my memories of her are larger than life. I savor each and every one of those memories holding them close to my heart. My Granny (maternal) is 95 and staying with us. My memories of her are widespread. They range from being a scared little girl on her lap to a 33 yr. old going shoe shopping. I relish each one of these memories. I hope you take time to tell your grandparents how much you love and cherish them.

This is the tenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks. I remember the moment I heard that a plane had hit a tower of the World Trade Center. I was a teacher at the time and my students were in gym class. When the students arrived back to the classroom, we listened to the events unfold. I remember the children asking why this was happening and I had no answer for them. We let school out early that day so that everyone could be with loved ones. The one thing I remember most about that time is that as a nation we came together as a family. On our money, we have the Latin phrase, E pluris unim, one out of many. Our nation embodied that phrase. That attack was meant to destroy/divide & conquer. Instead, it brought us closer.

Whether the memories are good or bad, they shape each one of us. Our actions based on an event make & mold our character. As you commerate the September 11th, take time to remember both the sweet & bitter/sorrow & happiness because: you can't have the rainbow without the rain.

Prayers

You have heard it said that God answers prayers. I believe that with my whole heart. When I was a small child, I thought that meant if you prayed hard enough God would give you what you prayed for...I was very wrong. When you pray you are making a request and like any request you have three possible answers:

1. Yes
2. No
3. Maybe (Wait/In God's Time)

For me, that was hard to comprehend but hopefully I have a grip on it now. Yesterday, one of my prayers was answered with a yes. God brought back a friend of mine. This friend had been having troubles but now is better than ever. I thank God for that. We don't always get our way or on our time schedule but we need to thank God for all our blessings. He knows what is best for us.