"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some people have entertained angels without knowing it." - Hebrews 13:2



Friday, September 9, 2011

We Remember...

Of course, we all know that this week marks the tenth anniversary of 9/11. I can’t believe it’s been ten years. I remember watching it on TV as it was happening. Like most people across the country, I watched in shock and horror, helpless to do anything as we watched the towers fall, the Pentagon burn, and saw nothing left but a smoldering black hole in the ground in Pennsylvania.
We remember...
A few years ago, I stood at Ground Zero with my husband and son. I tried to imagine those twin towers standing tall and proud. I cried at site. I read names and saw pictures of somebody’s loved one. I cried for all those who were lost. I cried for the heroes. I prayed for all those who lived through the terror and continue to live with it every day. I mourned with those in mourning. I was standing in a battlefield.
Yes, we remember…
Of course we remember the horror…the planes…the explosions…the destruction…the loss of life.
What I remember about that day was how beautiful it was. It was a gorgeous, Tuesday morning. Around 8 am, our good friend called and told us that his wife gave birth to a precious little girl just a few hours earlier. Who knew that our country would be turned upside down on such a lovely day?  
We remember…
If you would, please take a moment to share something that you remember about September 11, 2001.



Loree at Ground Zero
Photo by Eric Huebner



The ACFW Conference – 2011
I had taken the time off work to go the 2011 ACFW Conference. A few months back, just as I was about to make plans and book a room, something came up that was unforeseen. I know God has His reasons for everything, and I don’t question His plans. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the conference this year. I look forward to all the blog reports on the conference.
To all those going to the ACFW in St Louis next weekend – I pray for your safe travels to and from the conference. Whatever you are there for, I pray that you get you what you need or the right words come. I pray that you learn and share. I pray that you are blessed with giving remarkable pitches - knocking the socks off of those agents and editors! If you speaking to a large workshop or small crowd, I pray your words teach, encourage, and inspire. I pray that many requests for full manuscripts and contract offers will come from the awesome agents and editors present. All and all, I pray for the love and friendship to rule the day in the end. I pray you come home renewed and motivated. You have great time! I’m excited for all of you!
Are you going to the conference? If so, are you pitching a novel? Are you speaking at the conference? What's your plan? I would love to hear about it.
Between you, me and the gatepost,
Loree


22 comments:

Sarah Forgrave said...

Hard to believe it's been ten years, isn't it? I remember watching it unfold and wondering if it was really happening.

Sorry I won't get to meet you at conference, Loree. Thanks for your sweet prayers.

J.L. Campbell said...

I was watching cable television at the time and was taking care of my son who was born nearly two months before. Then the station just stopped broadcasting and it was a while before we knew what had happened.

Anonymous said...

Loree, I remember exactly what I was doing on that life-changing day...I was preparing to have my car serviced at the time, and I had the Today Show on in the background as I was getting ready to leave. It all played out on live television--I thought at first it was a movie, and then with horror, I realized it wasn't. I'm praying for all of those who lost loved ones.

I wish you were attending the ACFW conference, too! It will be exciting to meet you in person one day!

Loree Huebner said...

Sarah: Thanks for popping in. I hope you have a great time at the conference, and I can't wait to hear all about it!

J.L.: Thanks for stopping in and commenting. I still can't believe its been 10 years.

Your son looks so happy going to meet his new teacher! I love his smile!

Cynthia: I saw it all play out live on the Today Show too!

I will plan to attend the conference next year. I expect a full report!

Eric J. Huebner said...

I remember watching the horror unfold on the Today show...first one plane then another..reports of other explosions in New York that proved to be false...later we heard of mysterious packets of white powder mailed across the country. Incredibly, we were being advised on TV to buy sheets of plastic and duct tape for our windows. I remember being upset in a way that I had never before experienced and never wish to again. I pray that we never have to deal with anything like that again.

Loree Huebner said...

Eric: I remember people buying plastic and the duct tape. So strange. Thanks for commenting.

Brandi Boddie said...

I remember my mother and I were coming home from the store. We heard something on the radio about planes hitting a building in New York so we rushed home. My grandmother had the TV on and we watched replays of it, absolutely horrified. We spent the rest of the day glued to CNN and calling friends and family to see where they were and if they were also watching.

Ten years later, and we're still fighting this war on terror. Hard to believe, isn't it? I pray that we subdue terrorism, this global sickness that Satan has let on the world. It would be awful for our children and grandchildren to keep fighting a decades-long war.

On a different note, I'm sorry to hear that you can't make it to the conference. I'm sure our fellow bloggers will share with us the great tips they learned.

Have a blessed weekend.

Deana said...

How could we ever forget. I worked in a high rise in Atlanta, GA and I remember they evacuated it because no one knew what was going to happen next.
The memorial in NYC looks beautiful though:) I hope to one day go see it.

Eileen Astels Watson said...

Loree, I'm sorry you're not going to be there. I would have loved to chatted with you in person.

Thanks for the lovely prayers. I've been praying too for all attending and now I'm going to start praying for all of those who wanted to, but aren't attending. We'll miss you all!

Eileen Astels Watson said...

About 9/ll: I live in Ontario, Canada, but we felt the horror of what the U.S. went through that day, too. My husband was due to fly out west that day, but his office called and told him they cancelled all travel for their employees due to the tragedies. We were rushing to get him packed and hadn't heard about any of it. When he hung up we turned the TV on and realized how horrible it all was. We called our girls school and went and picked them up that morning. We just needed to be together as a family with such unrest in the world. None of us will ever forget that day.

Loree Huebner said...

Brandi: That morning changed our lives forever. Thanks for sharing your memory of it.

Deana: My brother was just there at Ground Zero last week, and he sent pictures of the new tower (One World Trade Center)ascending skyward. It's going to be beautiful when it's done. Thanks for coming by and sharing.

Eileen: I am sorry that I won't be there at the conference. Something unexpected came up and I am unable to make it. I wish I could come and meet you and all the other wonderful people that I've met online that will be in attendance.

Thanks for sharing your 9/11 memory. It's still so hard to believe it's been ten years

Anonymous said...

I remember a godless nation (the USA) turning to God for help in our time of need. The churches were packed for a week or two and then most returned their sinful lifestyles... sad :-(

Loree Huebner said...

Geez: There's an old saying that "there are no atheists on a battlefield..."

I always look for a blessing in the midst of a disaster. They are there if we look hard enough. If that terrible day brought some people closer to God...even for just a short time...I'm sure they don't forget it. And if they have strayed, they may come back at some point in time. There's always hope.

Thanks for commenting.

Sandra Orchard said...

Loree, so disappointed I won't get to see you at ACFW. Really appreciate your prayers. This is the first time I don't have to pitch anything. Yippee! I get to enjoy having a book to sign and meeting all the wonderful people I've met online.

Like Eileen, I'm from Ontario. But my hubby was in Manitoba and due to fly home 2 days later. The next day no planes were flying, but thankfully, the next day they were and my husband said the airport was like a ghost town, but he made it home.

troutbirder said...

I was teaching that morning when the principals secretary called telling me to turn on the TV in my classroom. I spent the next hour trying to reassure and explain to my students the history unfolding before our eyes....

Loree Huebner said...

Sandra: I'm sorry that I won't get to you meet this time. Enjoy your book signing and take lots of pictures!! Your book is on my to read list, and I will be reading it in October.

It would have been so hard to be stranded away from home during that time. Thanks for sharing your memory.

troutbirder: I bet when your students remember where they were, they remember you...reassuring them, during a difficult time in our history. I bet you did some of your best teaching during that terrible day. Thanks for sharing.

Jess said...

You're right. It was a beautiful day. I was a Senior in college, and had gotten up early to go to the library. I found a quiet spot and curled up near some floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out on the quiet campus. When I got back to my apartment, there was a message on my phone machine. It was my mother. She sounded panicked and said to turn on my television. Everything changed that day. It feels so recent. I'm tearing up as I'm typing this.

Loree Huebner said...

Jess: It's funny but you're right...sometimes it seems like it happened just yesterday. It's such a clear memory. I never thought I would see something like that in my lifetime. Thanks for stopping in and remembering.

Stacy Henrie said...

9/11 happened three weeks before I got married. I remember how sobering the day was, but also the increase in the love for our great country right afterward.

I went to the ACFW conference last year and really enjoyed it. Wish I was going this year - maybe 2012!

Loree Huebner said...

Stacy: Let's plan to meet there next year at the conference.

Thanks for sharing about 9/11. That would be hard, planning a wedding and having that disaster happen a few weeks before. I agree with you about the increase in love for our country after. Very sobering. Thanks for stopping in.

Julie Musil said...

I remember that day as if it was yesterday. My husband was at work at the fire station and called and woke me up (we live on the west coast). By the end of the morning, 343 firefighters were among the dead. All those kids who had to grow up without a dad. It still breaks my heart.

Loree Huebner said...

Julie: That was heartbreaking. Those were brave men. Real heroes.
Thanks for stopping in, Julie.