9/11 - 10 years later

So today is the 10th anniversary of the terror attacks on 9/11/2001 and I still  I remember exactly where I was when I heard about it.  Brittany and I were at Mitchell Community College in the Student Center upstairs in between classes.  They have couches and small study rooms that are in the open but they also have a few rooms that had tv's in them that  you could rest in too.  We were sitting on the couches when we heard a person come out and get on their cellphone to call someone and say that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center.  We got up and went into the room to watch the news on tv and we saw the second plane fly into the second tower.  My mom called me and Britt's mom called her.  We had to go to classes still but we didn't have class.  The teachers turned on the TV and we watched as the towers fell and we heard about the other plane hitting the pentagon and the plane that crashed in PA.  I met back up with Britt after class and her Mom said they were evacuating downtown Charlotte because it had the tallest buildings between Washington DC and Atlanta.  I remember that I went to my Mamaw Evalene's next to eat lunch (I did this all the time because it was close to her house) and we continued to watch the news and talk about what happened.  I remember them closing down I-40 near the fuel reserve tanks because they are a huge threat. I remember being scared, shocked, and saddened by everything that was happening.  My heart just ached for those who lost loved ones that day.

It has been 10 years and I still get emotional when I see images or hear stories from that day.   Today at church we sang America the Beautiful and Pastor Lynn talked about how hard it was to write a sermon for today however she delivered a pretty good sermon for someone who had trouble writing one.  Her sermon focused on Matthew 18: 21-35 and talked about forgiveness and about how Jesus tells us to forgive.  We prayed and I continue to pray for those who lost loved ones that they may find some peace!  I think I will close my blog post about this with America the Beautiful as it is a pretty fitting tribute.

America the Beautiful

1. O beautiful for spacious skies,
for amber waves of grain;
for purple mountain majesties
above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee,
and crown thy good with brotherhood
from sea to shining sea.

2. O beautiful for heroes proved
in liberating strife,
who more than self their country loved,
and mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine,
till all success be nobleness,
and every gain divine.

3. O beautiful for patriot dream
that sees beyond the years
thine alabaster cities gleam,
undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God mend thine every flaw,
confirm thy soul in self-control,
thy liberty in law.