September 11, 2001

"America was targeted because we are the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve. I pray they will be comforted by a power greater than any of us spoken in Psalm 23, 'Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil." ~President George W. Bush, September 13, 2001

September 11, 2001

America Remembers

God Answers Prayers

For the past several years I have been very burdened for my friend Ray who is in the Army. He was unsaved and quite content that way. He's had some very close calls during his three deployments (he is still in his third). In June he was home on leave and we spent quite a bit of time together. During that time I was able to talk to him a little bit about God and my dad also talked to him some this year and a year ago when he was home.

Last night I chatted with him for the first time in well over a month. He was recently moved to another base and was without access to a computer for a long while. During our chat he told me that he had become very close friends with the assistant chaplain and they had a lot of really good talks. We then proceeded to have a discussion about having a religion versus having a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. In the course of this conversation he told me that he had admitted that he was a sinner in need of a Savior and had accepted Christ as his personal Savior! I was floored. A rush of about a thousand emotions ran through me, at first a little bit of apprehension and disbelief, then the realization that this was actually happening, he had really become a believer. Years of praying and begging God to save him had payed off and Ray is now a fellow Christian.

As I considered all of this, my thoughts kept going to a phrase I use quite often, "Oh me of little faith!" How I had despaired of this day ever coming. I thought that God had probably just written him off, but how wrong I was! I am so thankful for a prayer hearing and answering God. A God who loves the whole world and is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. A God who loves each one of us individually, and cares about us and our burdens. Praise the Lord!

Welcoming Them Home

Saturday I attended the ceremony in Leo that welcomed home a local hero, Brandon Long. Brandon is a young man who, for whatever reasons, chose to join the Marine Corps. He was sent to Afghanistan and it was there that in December of 2010 he stepped on an IED which cost him both of his legs.

Although we had only a brief conversation and a quick chance to snap a picture, I felt privileged to have the opportunity to meet him. I was in awe of him. He is young, only my age or maybe even slightly younger, yet his bravery, confidence, and tenacity go beyond that of most people I know. I don’t know much about his past, but I do know that the day he signed up for the Corps was a day that America gained a hero. Along with many others, he bravely answered the call of his country and went to war. There he saw things that no one should see, yet he did it with a strength that blows me away. There, with others, he fought his hardest and for us he sacrificed not only his limbs, but life as he knew it was dramatically changed.

I have a friend who has been deployed in the mid-east multiple times. He’s over there again. Honestly, I am awed by him, mainly because I could never imagine doing what he does. This goes for every single man and woman who gives of themselves to serve in the military. The courage and bravery that they have are more than I can imagine.

When these brave people come home we ought to use every chance to welcome them in the biggest ways possible. Whether it is lining the dive way of an American Legion to welcome home a wounded veteran, standing in an airport with signs, balloons, and patriotic t-shirts as a military person walks off a plane, or standing in a cemetery paying our final respects to one who has paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, we ought to give some of our time and effort for these dear people who have given so much so that we can live in the greatest country in the world.

Welcoming Home a Hero

Yesterday a hero came home. He was alive, yet would never, ever live life the way he had in the past. You see, Brandon Long was in the Marines and deployed in Afghanistan last December when he stepped on an IED and both of his legs were blown off at the knees. Amazingly he survived, and yesterday he was welcomed home with a hero's welcome. The festivities began at the airport where he was welcomed by his high school's marching band. There was a huge procession of motorcyclists and emergency vehicles that led a 30-some mile procession to the Leo American Legion, post 409 that hosted a huge ceremony for him.

I did not go to the airport, however, I did go to the American Legion. Click here for some pictures from the ceremony at the airport. Below are some pictures that I took.

~Flags lined both sides of the driveway~

~Motorcycles starting the procession~

~A bagpiper led Brandon up the driveway~

~Sweet Marine hummer~

~Here comes Brandon!~

Ray

I've written in the past about my friend, Ray, who is in the Army. I've asked prayer for his Salvation, and for his protection as he's been in Iraq once and Afghanistan twice. Well, he was home for 2 weeks of leave and I got to see him several times, so I thought I'd post a picture that way you can put a face to his name. Please continue praying for his Salvation...he's still not very open to Christianity at all. He's getting ready to be transferred to a unit in Alaska, and will probably be going back to Afghanistan by the end of the year! I'll keep everyone posted.

*************

Say Thanks!

This is a great way to be able to say "Thanks!" to our troops overseas!

Distance

Veterans Day

In my life I have been blessed to know many men and women who were/are in the military, people who served their country, loved their country, and wanted the best for their country. I could list soooo many, but I want to focus on five men, 3 of whom were in the military, and 2 who are currently in the military right now.

I'll start with my grandpa, Michael Drazich. I really don't know much about his military service, except that he was in the Army in WWII. He never talked about it much and whenever the topic did come up he rarely said anything. All I know is that he was in Europe fighting during that time.

The second man that I'm thinking of is my daddy, Paul Drazich. He was in the Coast Guard in the 1980s. He loves to tell stories of the things he did, and my favorite thing as a little girl was to crawl up on his lap and have him tell me stories of his time on the ships. I could probably tell all of his stories as good as can tell them! He was stationed on the Great Lakes, as well as the Atlantic Ocean, and on Governor's Island in NYC teaching electronics.

The last of the 3 men who were in the military is my friend and hero, Aaron Williams. Aaron was a Marine, and the best of the best. Of any one person I know, Aaron was the most patriotic person in the world. He was also one of the kindest, gentlest, most loving, caring, generous person I've ever known. Aaron had NO enemies, and that's saying a lot for a person, everyone loved and cared deeply for the rough and tough Marine, with a BIG heart. Soon before he was to be deployed for Iraq, Aaron was diagnosed with brain cancer, at the age of 30. All the plans and dreams that he had came crashing down around him with a diagnosis of 6 months to live. However, instead of allowing the circumstances to get him down and ruin his life, Aaron chose to fight, and fight he did, for 3 years! But finally, after touching thousands of lives, God decided that it was time to call Aaron home to Him, and on June 22, 2007.

Next comes my dear friend Ray Pfahl. He is in the Army, and pretty close to being a big brother, without actually being one! Ray is 22 and has been in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He just got back from Iraq in August. Please pray for him, because he is not saved, and as he sees more and more pain and sorrow only gets harder and harder toward God. He is still one of my good friends, and I think I'm probably the only Christian that he allows to get close to him.

Lastly, and the most recent to come into my life is Jason Hunsicker, who is in the Navy. I know that I could go on and on and on about him… :) Anyway, well he has been in the Navy since August 2007, and is stationed in Yokosuka Japan on the USS Blue Ridge, which is the flagship for the 7th fleet. Currently he is deployed somewhere in the Pacific.

I just wanted to say thank you too all of the men and women who are or have been in the military and to their families as well.

***Aaron Williams***

***Daddy (on the left)***
***Jason***

Freedom Isn't Free!

This song was sung by the choir on Sunday night, and in getting ready for Veterans Day on Wednesday, I thought it would be very fitting to post now. I am preparing a Veterans Day post, or else I would have waited until then to post this:

We've known the gift of freedom

From sea to shining sea.

The Stars and Stripes,

Our banner still stands for liberty.

But the freedom that we know

Was bought by blood

that flowed on the battlefield,

By soldiers, brave and strong!

That's why freedom, freedom isn't free!

It costs the lives of those who die,

To make our nation free;

And each sacrifice became the price

To buy my liberty,

Because freedom, freedom isn't free!

The winds of war keep blowing

As nations rise and fall.

New soldiers in the army

Still answer freedoms call.

And they say their sad good-byes

To those they leave behind,

Separation is the price that they must pay.

That's why freedom, freedom isn't free!

It costs the lives of those who dies

To make our nation free;

And each sacrifice became the price

To buy my liberty,

Because freedom, freedom isn't free!

For every generation,

For every living soul,

The blood of Christ was gven to

Make each sinner whole.

Jesus suffered on the cross

With His own blood He paid sin's cost

That each soul might have

The chance to be redeemed.

That's why freedom, freedom isn't free!

It costs the lives of those who dies

To make our nation free;

And each sacrifice became the price

To buy my liberty,

Because freedom, freedom isn't free!

by Brett Bedwell

Thorns and Roses

"Some people complain because the roses have thorns. Other give thanks because the thorns have roses." ~Unknown

I recently read this quote and it really made me stop and think about my reactions to life, or the thorns and roses in my life. What you make in life depends on your attitude. Often it is so much easier to see the thorns and forget that God gave us roses along the way.

For me, right now my thorns in life happen to mainly be centered around my relationship with Jason. The fact that he's thousands of miles away, and right now he is underway and moving even further away with every minute. On top of that there are more difficulties with long distance relationships than most people realize, especially emotionally it can be very draining.

Sometimes I start to think on nothing but the negative, and I start to get really down. Honestly, it's hard to see the positive at times. But when I allow myself to think on nothing but the impossibilities of everything then I take my eyes off of Christ and instead I turn them onto me, and that is never a good place to be. I'll admit, I spend much time on my knees, crying out to God because I have no where else to turn, and no one else upon whom I can throw all of my struggles. When I finish praying I try to think of the positives, or the "roses." When I think about that I realize that there are so many more roses than thorns. A few of those roses are the fact that God has given me a wonderful Christian man, who wants to serve God with all of his heart. Another major rose is that as of right now my family very much approves of Jason, and his family likes me too! Also, just by looking back on everything I can see how much God has worked in everything, and how He has continually guided us.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that maybe life is hard and rough, and those thorns might try to prick you, but if you take a moment to consider all the roses that God has and is giving, then everything will look brighter!

Memorial Day

Aaron Williams - My hero!

As I sit here on my great-grandma's couch in her sun room in the heart of Michigan I'm thinking about how blessed I am that I live in America, the "Land of the free and home of the brave." I was SO blessed to be born in the United States, a privilege that billions of people do not have. The only reason, besides God, that I'm living in the freest country in the world is because of the brave men and women throughout the centuries who have stood for freedom, and truly believed in their country and everything she stands for and were and are willing to sacrifice EVERYTHING so that I, as an American, can sit in comfort, sipping coffee, and writing this post. These are the truest Americans, the ones of whom we should be VERY proud. My grandfather served in the Army in World War II, along with his brothers. My dad was in the Coast Guard for seven years in the late 70s and early 80s. I have other family who were in various branches of the military, all doing their best to serve and protect and defend the country that they love.
I also have friends who were and are currently defending my country. I'm thinking of one in particular who is in Iraq right now as I write, before that he was in Afghanistan. Ray is young, only 20 or 21, why in the world is he willing to his life on the line? While Ray was in Afghanistan, his father, Raymond, a Lieutenant Colonel (I think) was in Iraq. Their family sacrificed a LOT!
I have other friends who have also been in the Mid-East, Seth in the Navy, and Paul and Steve in the National Guard. Paul and Steve had families back home, yet they were willing to go to a foreign land and fight an enemy that they may not have heard of before September 11, 2001.
One soldier that I didn't know, David Fribley, a graduate of Warsaw High School in 1996. He was content with his job until the terrorist attacks of September 11, it was then that he decided to join the Marines so that he could fight for his country!
On March 23, 2003 David was killed in Iraq, only three days after the conflict began. He was the first soldier from Indiana to die, and one of the first to die in the nation.
There were hundreds of people at his funeral, and even more who lined the road on the way to the cemetery. Some of Warsaw's biggest corporations stopped operation in honor of David and the employees lined the streets. The schools bused students to the funeral procession route, and all were waving flags, and most were weeping. We were all sad, yes, but VERY proud.
In a letter to one of his friends David wrote:
“The greatest gift one can give to another is the gift of service. I do not know who said this but I’ve heard this saying before. The following is my gift to you; may I honor you and our fellow countrymen and women. I will earn the privilege to wear Eagle, Globe and Anchor for all those that cannot. With all the strength of my fellow Marines, we shall always provide you with the comforting feeling of safety that you have each day.”

I simply want to say a great big THANK YOU! to the men and women in the United States military! They are the ones who give us hope in these time!

Sick!

I have been absolutely LOVING the last several days! Because I have been sick I have not gone to Brooklyn for ECBF. I have been staying in the dorms all by my lonesome, but let me tell you, it has been WONDERFUL! I LOVE silence and alone time, and I've sure gotten quite a bit of it lately! SOOO wonderful! Yesterday I woke up around 6:30 cuz there was a LOT of noise, but I didn't get up until after 8:00! I know, call me lazy if you want, but that is a VERY rare treat for me, I think the last time I did that was on Christmas break.
So, I did a whole bunch of laying around and relaxing. Believe me, I still don't feel good at all! It really stinks.
I got some homework done, and did some reading and instant messaged several people. One of whom is a friend of mine who I have mentioned before, his name is Ray and he is in the Army in Iraq. Please pray for his salvation!
I also filled out some more job applications and followed up on some other applications that I had already filled out. Please pray for my job situation for the summer, cuz it's not coming along very well. Basically, nobody is hiring pretty much because of the economy.
I went to bed pretty early and that was my day for the most part.
This morning was a repeat of yesterday, only I slept until after 7:00 and woke up cuz of noise, and then fell back asleep after everyone was gone, and didn't get up until after 8:00. SOOO nice! I got some more HW done, and did more reading, etc. I took an hour in a half nap, it was WONDERFUL! I'm such a lazy bum, but who cares? I don't!
I read "Tortured for His Faith" by Harlan Popov over the last several days. It is really good, and very eye opening. I finished that yesterday and today I started reading "God isn't in a Hurry" by Warren Wiersbe. It is very convicting, cuz I like things to happen NOW! I don't like to have patience.
P.S. Please pray for finals....they start on Friday.... :(

TGIF!!!!

Some of you may remember back in January I posted about a friend who was going to Marine boot camp. You can read the post here. Today Lucas graduated from boot camp! he is now one of "The Few. The Proud." CONGRATULATIONS!!! :)
As usual I am sooooo glad that it is FRIDAY!!!!!
Classes went well today. No tests or quizzes, which was VERY good! :) For World History each one of the students has to teach a class. Today was the first day that happened and Tucker was the first one to teach. He did a really good job. I am the next one to teach and I will be teaching next Friday. I will be teaching on WWI. I want to teach that cuz I don't know as much about it as I know about WWII so it'll be a great learning experience for me. I've never taught like this before, I have spoken in front of crowds with no problem, so I don't think I will have an issue, but you never know.
I played the piano in chapel today. I played "The Old Rugged Cross." It is a piece that I played for my Senior recital, all I had to do was practice it a few times and it was good to go. :)
My other classes went well today which was good.
Work was, well, umm, BAD!!! I did nothing but clean bathrooms for four hours! I cleaned the girls dorm bathrooms and all the bathrooms in the administration building. I hate it when I have days like today cuz all the chemicals and the gloves really dry my hands out and I HATE dry cracked hands. I guess that's probably the musician in me coming out!
Today was the first day of the Christian school's candy sale. I walked out of the dorms and was instantly bombarded with kids trying to get me to buy chocolate! How could I resist?! I love a good chocolate bar!! :) I only bought one, and I bought it from the first kid that go to me, although there were quite a few!! :) LOL!
Tonight I went to my grandparents for dinner. We had beef stroganoff, corn, homemade bread, fruit salad, chocolate pudding, and homemade chocolate chip cookies. It was really good. I also threw in a little bit of ice cream too, I had to have that. :)
One thing that I forgot to mention about Christian Womanhood yesterday. This actually goes back to class on Tuesday when we were discussing who the poor were, and what ways we could help them. Somebody had defined poor as "college students." Other than money, the only way that we were able to come up with to help was FOOD!!! So yesterday Mrs. Donaghue said that she decided to practice what she had taught us and so she brought homemade muffins to class with her!! YUM!! :) :) :)

Prayer Request

This morning I was able to IM Ray for quite a while. PLEASE pray for his salvation. While we were chatting God came up. I told him that I have no idea how he makes it cuz I have a hard enough time in college, and I have God to depend on. He told me that it was good for me, but he wasn't a religious person. I told him that I knew that and it made me sad, and it made me pray for him even more. He said that maybe it would work for him someday. I told him that I knew it would work for him NOW! His response was that people just look at it differently. Then he told me that he really appreciate the fact that I knew how he was, but didn't look down on him for what he thought. I told him that I don't look down, I pray. What I didn't tell him was that I'm asking all of you to pray for him as well. He needs God BAD. He just doesn't realize his need. He is a young, strong military guy who has already been through hell on earth previous to this, and survived, why should he need God now, or at least that is his thinking. Please pray!

A friend of mine sent this to me & I thought it was so good that I'd post it for all to read:

~*~ HALF MAN AND HALF BOY ~*~

~The average age of the military man is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy.
~Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country.
~He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's, but he has never collected unemployment compensation either.
~He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old car, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away.
~He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and a 155mm howitzer.
~He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk.
~He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a chore for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it even faster...in the dark.
~He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must.
~He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional.
~He can march until he is told to stop, or stop until he is told to march.
~He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity.
~He is self-sufficient.
~He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other.
~He keeps his canteen full and his feet dry
~He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts.If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low.
~He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands.~He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job.
~He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay, and still find ironic humor in it all.
~He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short lifetime.
~He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is not ashamed.
~He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away ' those around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking. In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful.
~Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom.
~Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American Fighting Man that has kept the USA and countries all over the world free for over 200 years. He has asked nothing in return except our friendship and understanding.

I have lots to write about today...prepare for a loooong post!
To begin with I have to tell you a story from last night. After Adreonna and I did nails I tried to jokingly convince her to come to New York with me. I told her that she'd be the pet of the dorms, with 27 big sisters to mother her. Then I told her that it would be 270 fingernails to paint!! She told me no, so I thought that was the end of it. A few minutes later her mom found her sitting in the corner crying...she was trying to decided whether she wanted to stay in Indiana, or come with me to NY...she was really struggling! :( I told her that I had been joking. She wouldn't speak to me for a long time after that. I finally had to bribe her...I'm such a bad cousin!
I woke up this morning to COLD!!!!! I don't think the high got into the double digits today! BRRRR!!!! I went to take a shower, only to have mom tell me that there was something wrong with the sewer and I wouldn't be able to take a shower...I ran to a friends and took one there. Mom and I then went to the doctor for a post-op visit. The doctor was shocked at how well I was doing! He was very, very pleased. :)
The roads were atrocious! We got 4 or 5 inches of snow yesterday, and another 4 inches of snow today! It is beautiful outside...it's great to look at, but you don't want to be in it, believe me!
Tonight we went into the jail. Mom, Samuel, and 2 other kids from our church, as well as me, did music. Dad went too, but he didn't really do much. :) It went well, PTL!!! I had fun, as usual.
I have tried very hard to not get into politics on this blog, and so far I've managed, but I've got to say a couple of things.
I am a big lover of talk radio. I like the big names, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Michael Reagan, and so on. This morning I was listening to Glenn Beck, he was talking about having faith in government. He listed quite a few of the governmental offices, such as the treasury, dept. of education, dept. of labor, the CIA, Congress, even the office of the President, and asked which of those do you still believe in. I thought about it, and really, I don't believe in any of those anymore. I don't care which party controls that White House, or Congress, the government is no longer "By the People, and for the People." It is now "By the politicians, and for the politicians and the special interest groups." The ONLY thing in government that I still believe in and am proud of is our military. They are the ONLY part of government that is still by and for the people. THANK YOU to the men and woman in the armed forces who still give me, as an American, hope for our country.
Another thing that has been bugging me, all of these bailouts of companies. For goodness sake, if a private company goes under, then they go under. We don't need government rescuing these companies, I don't need my tax dollars going towards that, why don't we instead try to eliminate our national debt instead?? That might help the economy! DUH!! But then again, we've got POLITICIANS in office who are approving all of these bailouts for their own personal gain...more votes! I got an email from somebody the other day listing the sorts of facts about Wal-Mart. It told how much money people spent a day there, and all of the profits that they are making. Then the end of the email said, "Why don't we let Wal-Mart bail out all of these companies?" I lost it! Why is it that if one company is failing, then we have to make the companies that are succeeding look bad? I know some people don't like Wal-Mart for various reasons, and that is fine, but to me that is the WORST reason to hate them, just because they are making a profit in a bad economy. It's called CAPITALISM, and principle that our country was founded on! DUH!