i remember the day quite well. september 11, 2001. i was just getting into my first year at unc-chapel hill. that morning started off with me going to my 8am chemistry class…and then we got out early, so i had breakfast with a friend who i had known since elementary school. it was a beautiful sunny day in chapel hill…

after breakfast, i returned to my room, where my roommates told me that planes had just crashed into the world trade center. not believing what i saw, my mother called me shortly after i arrived to my room to pass on the same information…my roommates and i watched in awe as the world trade center collapsed and we wondered how our country had become so vulnerable to such an attack.

in the days following the september 11 attack, the university community pulled together in support of each other and out of our uncertainty of what was to come next for our country. people cried together, prayed together, and united with each other in a way that had been unprecedented.

at the time, i dealt with september 11 in a selfish fashion. it happened the day before my 18th birthday, and i didn’t know anyone who was affected; nor did i know anyone who knew someone who was affected. i was more worried that the day this horrible act took place would overshadow my 18th birthday…my final step into freedom, where i would be a LEGAL adult. however, i kept close tabs on the media coverage…

fastforward to my senior year at unc…my girls and i traveled to new york to celebrate a birthday by seeing the lion king on broadway. we connected with a carolina alumni who took us around…and in between shopping, we went to ground zero. i don’t think there are any words that can express the sheer magnitude of what we saw, nor could we have been adequately prepared for it. in essence, it’s nothing…it’s a large hole in the ground. but if you just reflect on what that large hole represents, then it becomes something else. vulnerability. loss of life. resurgence of patriotism. life. liberty.

so on this 4 year anniversary of 9/11…and in the wake of the aftermath of hurricane katrina, i wonder if it’s still too much for us to put aside our differences and let the patriotism in our hearts guide these relief efforts…for our fellow AMERICANS…

peace and blessings…

man…i don’t even know where to begin. there’s been LOTS of hurricane katrina coverage on television, and quite honestly…the damage there is heartbreaking. i honestly could not imagine losing EVERYTHING…including my family and/or friends in the span of a few hours. there have been lots of issues dealing with the whole situation…concerns about how the media has portrayed blacks and how long it has taken the federal government to administer aid, and if that is a racist issue too. while i have a lot of my own thoughts on this…and i do feel like some valid concerns have been brought up, i feel that there’s no time to bicker over the politics of the situation. bottom line is- the hurricane katrina victims need help NOW…and people need to come together and help out our fellow americans. hopefully i can join the efforts and head down to louisiana and/or mississippi next week, or at least participate in some local efforts.

on another note, school is going well…i turned in my first assignment on monday night and i have my first test on tuesday. i’m a little nervous about it, but i’m claiming the victory on it in JESUS name. so i’m studying to show myself approved (that 2 timothy 2:15)…and…i’ve got an interview TOMORROW for this really tight assistantship on campus. i’m so excited! thank GOD for the opportunity

more and more i’m realizing that you’ve got to be careful who you let into your life and the effect that can have. sometimes being by yourself is good (i’ve realized this over the past few weeks of being in athens)…and at the same time it’s good to have someone there that cares for you and looks out for you. praise GOD for my friends who have been there for me and have been praying for me. at any rate, i’m excited about the things that are to come…

quotes that i’m feeling…courtesy of some friends:

“You’re still a mystery
But there’s something so easy
How you’re sweet to me
I feel completed
Like you’re
Something I needed
For this heart…of…mine”
~peter salett (thanks elizabeth!)

“my prayers are answered, i’m just waiting on the LORD”
~one of the bestest…nicole wilson