A Weekend In Memoriam

I want to take time to honor the memory of those who lost their lives 1 year ago & 10 years ago along with those who were left to feel the pain of loss and destruction.

One year ago on September 9th San Bruno experienced a great tragedy. At 6:11p.m. a gas line erupted in the Glenview area. The gas turned into mile high flames. Being fed by the gas the blaze quickly grew and engulfed 35 houses and took 8 lives. I was at work at the time which is about .8 miles from the fire. I heard what sounded like a plane in distress then felt the ground shake as the pipe burst into massive flames. The heat from the fire was intense to say the least. Many of us stood in shock seeing our neighbors' home disappear. It took 60 to 90 minutes to shut off the gas after the explosion. Eleven of those homes lost belong to families of our church & school. A year later many are rebuilding. Healing has come to some however not to all. I pray that the Lord send His healing and that those in pain seek Him out realizing that He is the only one that can heal them completely.

This weekend also marks the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. I still remember where I was when this happened. The images of people trying desperately to escape the flames through windows is forever ingrained in my mind. It was a numbing reality that we as a nation could be terrorized on our own land. The last time that occurred was in 1941 at Pearl Harbor. It has been 10 years and at times it feels like it just happened. I want to acknowledge the children of 9/11. People magazine had an article about these children. Ten children who lost their fathers on 9/11. They are now 9 years old, meaning they didn't even get to know their fathers and vice versa. Despite their terrible loss these children and their mothers are examples of hope. They have triumphed over tragedy. May they inspire those who haven't being able to move on. May the Lord continue to heal those hearts that are broken and in pain.

Our nation has been at war since and have lost many lives oversees. I'm grateful for their sacrifice and courage. For those who continue to keep us safe, Thank You! I also want to thank the military families, for you are the ones that bring hope, love and courage to our troops! I pray that all our troops come home soon!

May we honor the lives lost by never forgetting what has happened. May we seize life daily. Let us seize joy, love, laughter, compassion and the Author of all, God.