Meet Me In The Stairwell

"My Soul Hath Them Still In Remembrance, And Is Humbled In Me"

Lamentations 3:20

You say you will never forget where you were when you heard the news on September 11, 2001.

Neither will I.


I was on the 110th floor in a smoke filled room with a man who called his wife to say "Good-Bye." I held his fingers steady as he dialed. I gave him the peace to say, "Honey, I am not going to make it, but it is OK..I am ready to go."

I was with his wife when he called as she fed breakfast to their children. I held her up as she tried to understand his words and as she realized he wasn't coming home that night.

I was in the stairwell of the 23rd floor when a woman cried out to Me for help. "I have been knocking on the door of your heart for 50 years!" I said. "Of course I will show you the way home - only believe in Me now."


I was at the base of the building with the Priest ministering to the injured and devastated souls. I took him home to tend to his Flock in Heaven. He heard my voice and answered.

I was on all four of those planes, in every seat, with every prayer. I was with the crew as they were overtaken. I was in the very hearts of the believers there, comforting and assuring them that their faith has saved them.

I was in Texas, Virginia, California, Michigan, Afghanistan. I was standing next to you when you heard the terrible news.

Did you sense Me?


I want you to know that I saw every face.

I knew every name - though not all knew Me.

Some met Me for the first time on the 86th floor.

Some sought Me with their last breath.

Some couldn't hear Me calling to them through the smoke and flames; "Come to Me... this way... take my hand."

Some chose, for the final time, to ignore Me.

But, I was there.

I did not place you in the Tower that day.

You may not know why, but I do.

However, if you were there in that explosive moment in time, would you have reached for Me?


Sept. 11, 2001, was not the end of the journey for you.

But someday your journey will end.

And I will be there for you as well.

Seek Me now while I may be found.

Then, at any moment, you know you are ready to go.

I will be in the stairwell of your final moments.


Stop and think and appreciate God's power in your life, for doing what you know is pleasing to Him.

Jesus said, 'If you are ashamed of Me, I will be ashamed of you before My Father.'

Yes, I love my God. He is my fountain of Life and My Savior. He Keeps me going day and night. Without Him, I am no one. But with Him, I can do everything.

Christ is my strength.


I did not write this, it was part of an email someone sent to me and I wanted to share it with you all.

Never forget this day.

If you have the opportunity, go hug a loved one.

My prayers go out to the families, friends and loved ones of all that was lost on that day.


SARAH MCLACHLAN
In The Arms Of An Angel, Fly Away From Here
From This Dark, Cold Hotel Room, And The Endlessness That You Fear
You Are Pulled From The Wreckage Of Your Silent Reverie
You're In The Arms Of An Angel; May You Find Some Comfort Here

Fabric of Friendship

"Greater Love Has No One Than This, That He Lay Down His Life For His Friends"

John 15:13

I have a few best girlfriends, some I have known for years and years but for whatever reason, I just seem to get along with men better.

As long as I can remember, it has always been like that.

My best friend in the world was a male and I was thinking about him today...

We went to the prom together, hung out daily together, he helped teach me how to drive etc...

A true friend in every sense of the word.

I loved him and trusted him completely.

I got married at 18 and he didn't come to my wedding...

2 months after I was married, I moved to Italy...

I hadn't been in Italy a month and due to some bad choices, he committed suicide.

Never, ever is life that bad.

When I received word, I was devastated...

I couldn't come back for the funeral and have yet to visit his grave to this day.

I go by the cemetary where he is buried every night when I walk, I just haven't been able to face the complete closure I know I need.

Because of the heartbreaking loss, I treasure each and every one of my friends...

I have never understood people who just use their "friends" for whatever they can get from them and then toss them aside until the next time.

True friends are a gift from Him.

I am thankful for each one that is in my life, no matter how long or how short they are here.

Some are like a whisper on the wind, here for a short time and then gone.

Some stay around longer, rooted within Faith, grounded by Him.

Each one is there for a purpose and once that purpose is over, it may be time for them to move on.

There are a few I have a very strong connection with...

I know when they are in pain, I know when all is well, I know when they are faking their happiness and I know when they are truly joyful.

It seems the closer I get to someone, the more capable I am of "feeling" their emotions.

You don't even have to say a word, I know and I will seek you out to make sure you are okay and if it turns out I was right, I will do whatever I can to help you.

That is how a friendship should be...

People seem so self-entitled & so self-involved they don't have the time to cultivate the gift He gave to you.

Each person on your journey is there for a reason and some people are just to blind to see it.

I used to think this was a lonely journey, life in general not just the mess of the 19 months.

I used to be able to stand in a room full of people and feel utterly alone and I hated that feeling.

95% of the time I don't feel like that anymore, some days yes, however I fight that feeling and no longer allow it to overtake me.

I am learning to utilize the gifts He has blessed me with, sharing them with the people I come in contact with, friends should benefit from that.

The more I walk on this journey, the less self-involved I become, the less self-involved I become, the more open I am to the people He is placing on my path, the more open I am to them, the more they know I am going to be there for them.

It took me a long time to realize that I was my greatest enemy, I was the one shutting myself off from the world and yes, there are still areas where I do that, however I am taking it one step at a time...

With the help of my friends.

MICHAEL W. SMITH
With The Faith And Love God's Given
Springing From The Hope We Know
We Will Pray The Joy You'll Live In
Is The Strength That Now You Show

Turn or Burn

"I Tell You, No! But Unless You Repent, You Too Will All Perish."

Luke 13:3

No sin is greater than the next...

Interesting isn't it...

Murder isn't a greater sin than say stealing, adultery isn't worse than coveting...

In His eyes, they are all bad.

Breaking the commandments, His laws, could be punishable by death if you don't repent.

I don't pretend to know more than the next person, I know what I read, what I study and I ask a lot of questions from people who have more knowledge and wisdom than I do.

And I ask, so many questions from the people He has placed in my life.

The more I read the Word, the less I seem to sometimes understand, so I seek out someone who is further along in their walk to help me.

There are usually only 4 people I turn too when I have questions, one is my Pastor, 2 are ministers and the other is G...

I get guidance and wisdom because they have all gone before me on this journey...

Just like He did, He overcame all that we face daily.

I feel like a newborn baby at times and other times I feel older than dirt.

I have a desire to learn all that I can about Him and what He wants from me that sometimes it is all consuming.

It is like I just can't get enough, however I do also have a life I need to get in order and children I need to raise so I have to find a balance.

So where does repentance come into play?

It was part of my Bible study last night and I learned that what I thought repentance was and what it really is are 2 very different things.

I always thought repentance was just that, being sorry...

It is more than that...

Repentance is turning away from sin by changing one's actions to obey the teachings of Jesus Christ. The repentance process consists of feeling sincere regret or sorrow for doing wrong, confessing the sin/sins, asking for forgiveness, making restitution for any damage done and promising not to repeat the sin.

Like a U-Turn you make in the road, or a complete 180, that is what repentance is.

You can't just be sorry, you have to completely turn away from whatever it is you are repenting.

You can't break a God-given law, ask for His forgiveness and turn around and commit the same sin over and over again.

Repentance isn't gloomy, it isn't concealing your sins, you have to have a right attitude towards sin.

When you have the right attitude towards sin, than you will have Godly sorrow, you than have the right attitude towards God and return to Him, you will also have the right attitude towards yourself as well as others.

In order to have repentance, you also must have works proving that change.

Again, you can't just say sorry and turn to continue what you know is wrong in His eyes.

All people sin, all people need to repent and turn from sin to righteousness.

Unrighteousness people need to repent as well.

This should be the very first thing they should do...

Not wait or read or pray - Repent first.

Only when people repent will God hear and answer their prayers, if people continue to love their sinful ways and continue practicing them, God will not hear them.

John 9:3 says - "We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the Godly man who does His will."

What does that say to you?

Plain and simple, to me it says, if I continue to sin, He isn't going to listen to me or my prayers.

How awfully sad to know our Father isn't listening to some of us because we are choosing "worldly ways" over His ways.

Yes, this means some of us who are saved are in this boat as well.

Just because you are saved, just because you call yourself a Christian, just because you go to Church once a week doesn't exclude you.

We are not above reproach either.

Repentance is a hard thing to do because it is a direct challenge to the willpower of people.

It demands people be humble before God and give up everything that goes against His will.

The more I learn, the more I see that people are generally good, however they still want what they know they shouldn't have.

Basically they want their cake and want to eat it as well.

They want to continue to steal, lie, cheat, murder, slander, harm, etc...

And than throw up a heartless apology on their deathbed in the hopes of getting into Heaven.

We all want to go through life and not have to answer to anyone who gets in the way of what we think is our path to happiness.

That is all good and well, however what are you going to say come Judgement Day?

Will you have turned?

Or will you burn?

MERCYME
From The Moment Of Our First Breath
To The Second We Bid This World Goodbye
And Everything That Is In Between
Was Made To Magnify The One
Who Holds All Things In Place
The Ruler Over Time And Space

Light Meets The Dark

"Although Jesus Was The Son Of God, He Learned To Be Obedient Through His Sufferings."

Hebrews 5:8

The journey I have been on seems to have brought me too another fork in the road.

The spilt within seems to be almost complete and now I have to decide which person I am.

This journey has been painful for me, I feel torn between who I know I am and who He wants me to become.

I see two different people standing in front of me and one of us has to go.

Obey seems to be the theme of my life lately...

Everywhere I turn, I am hearing it, seeing it, reading it...

I get it, I need to obey Him.

It was gently pointed out to me last night, after Bible study, that I am not obeying Him as I should be.

I won't go into detail but suffice it to say, I felt like I had been slapped in the face.

I am not perfect, not even close, however I try to do the right thing in every situation I am in.

I try not to think bad thoughts, I try not to judge, I try so hard to see the soul of the person speaking to me instead of the ugly words I am hearing...

It isn't easy...

What is easy, is to just say what is on your mind and move on, turning the other cheek and walking away is harder, yet I am getting better at it.

I do it because I know that is what He wants me to do, and I am not speaking in specifics, I am just speaking in general.

I thought I was being obedient to Him, I thought I was doing everything He wanted me to do, until the conversation I had last night...

It wasn't anything bad, it was more of a "light bulb" moment for me and I did come home and talk about it with G because I had to make sure I "got" what I thought I was getting.

You see, on this journey towards being the person He has called me to be, I figured everything would be "golden" and it has not been...

I am still living where I don't want to live, relying on people etc...

I couldn't understand why; I prayed, I listened when He spoke to me, I help others, I go to Church, I rarely drink and I don't do drugs, I don't sleep around, I haven't read His word like I should (I will admit that) etc...

And last night my Pastor said something that struck me like a lightening bolt ~If you are not obeying, your prayers are not being heard~

They are obstructed by unseen things in your heart, hindered by your own mind and your own choices.

Between my Pastor and the talk with my Minister and as well as the support from G, only then did it become clear...

No matter what good I do, no matter how many homeless people I feed, how many times I turn the other cheek, how many times I go to Church or Bible study, no matter how many times I hit my knees to pray...

None of it matters as long as I am being a disobedient daughter, as long as I ignore what He says, I will continue to be stuck...

Stuck in a job with no chance to grow, stuck in a house where I can barely breathe, stuck relying on other people to take me where I need to go, etc...

It feels like I am trying to run in quicksand and the more I try to run, the more it is swallowing me up, the more I fight to get out, the further I sink.

Two people, facing off...

One dark, the one I am used to, the one that has no fear, doesn't care what others think, lives for herself and doesn't give a you know what, hurt, resentful, angry, yes a little bit bitter, possibly vengeful as well and doesn't want to feel anything, anymore, ever.

One light, moved to tears by a song, compassionate, caring, so tender-hearted now it makes the dark me sick to think about, wants to help her fellow man, feels Him right there with His hand out, coaxing and loving and trying so hard to tell her she will be ok if she just places her hand in His, her heart in His hands, her trust in Him...

Completely.



POCKET FULL OF ROCKS
Louder Than The Voice
That Whispers You're Unworthy
Hear The Sound Of Love
That Tells A Different Story

A Moment Of Silence

"Even Though I Walk Through The Valley Of The Shadow Of Death, I Will Fear No Evil, For You Are With Me; Your Rod And Your Staff, They Comfort Me."

Psalm 23:4

She was the first person who ever commented on my blog.

She makes me laugh when I read her blog.

Always positive, always upbeat and always making up new words that should be added to the dictionary.

She encourages me in the way she views life and I love her bunches even though I have never met her in real life.

July 28, 2010 a tragic accident struck her family, more specifically her nephew whom she adored.

He was hurt but alive.

For the past month he has been in the hospital and she has asked for prayers.

Today he received his wings.

I can feel her pain from about 10 states away.

And there is nothing I can do to help her.

I can show compassion in the face of sorrow, understanding in the face of confusion, love in the face of anger, however I can't take her pain away.

I have her and her family in my prayers and she knows where I am if she needs anything.
Now I am asking my readers for a moment of silence for Michael.

Prayers for his family during this sorrowful time, maybe if you have an extra moment you can go and visit Nikki and offer her a kind word or a hug.

Now look around at the family you have around you, give up a prayer of thanks and go hug each one of them tightly and tell them you love them.


KUTLESS
I'm Soaring Now, Somewhere In The Sky
The Rush Of Air, Never Wanting To Come Down
There's Nothing That I've Ever Felt Like Learning How To Fly
I'm Learning How To Fly