Welcome to my "Open Window"...a place of hope, encouragement, and adventure as we journey down the road from "Closed Doors" to the new opportunities God places in our pathway. I hope you will take the time to go back and follow the trail of mixed blessings and fears, failures and triumphs from the past and side-trips in the present. Perhaps it will conjure up some of your own special memories, and be an invitation for you to share with others. I look forward to spending this time with you!
What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?
Remember: "When God closes a door, He always opens a window!" You never know what might be out there waiting for you!
This was the sunrise on 9/11/2026. A little bit foggy, but that just seems appropriate for the remembrance of this particular day.
Yesterday was September 11, "9-11", and I shared a post that I've been adding to over the past 15 years. I intentionally turned off the comments for yesterday, so I don't know if you read it or not, but that's okay. I mainly want to keep a record of current events each year at this time so see where we've been and how much has changed with each passing year of remembrance of that horrific event. For me, it is a solemn day and one that cannot be ignored or glossed over. We need to make sure our future generations are taught about what happened on that day, and we ourselves must never forget.
With that being said, I will tell you that I am not able to sit and watch the coverage of that event each year. It brings such overwhelming grief to my heart, and my emotions are just not able to bear it. So we usually try to take a ride and go someplace peaceful to help find some comfort and release of the pent up emotions. It seems our favorite go-to place is the Christian camp about 20 miles from us known as "Lake Swan Camp". If you don't remember me sharing our history with this camp before, HERE is a link to a time that we went there before and I shared the story of why it is so significant to us. Please take a moment to go back and read the whole story when you can, and you will understand more of why I love this place so much.
This is the main view that you see when you get into the grounds of the camp...this beautiful cross down by the water...
I always find myself heading straight to this spot first of all. There's just something about the cross that gives me peace, especially on a day like 9/11.
Maybe because it reminds me of this cross that was discovered in the rubble of the Twin Towers after they fell on that fateful day...
A Cross in the rubble at Ground Zero made from the steel beams
A poignant reminder that even in the midst of such horror and sorrow, Jesus Christ was there in the midst...bringing comfort and peace to others as they were reminded of His great love for us...a love so great that
"Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2
Here's the whole passage...
Hebrews 12:1-3 NKJV
"1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls."
It truly was a lovely day here yesterday...such blue skies and smooth waters...
A perfect day to just enjoy the beauty of God's creation and reflect on the good things that He has done for us, even mixed with the sorrows of this world.
Here's another link. You don't have to read them all. I just like to add them to these posts so I can find them again someday.
Of course we had to play a game of Miniature golf, which ended in a tie. We didn't make it all the way through to the end of the course, but we still had fun.
Some of these signs are a little worse for wear after the long summer. I think they are still in the process of repairing and cleaning up now that the summer camps are over.
We had fun, but then it was time to get going back home.
Oh, but first I wanted to see this newly renovated old chapel building, which was the original chapel for the camp years ago, and more recently has been used more as a recreational building because they have a much newer modern chapel for their regular services. Through a LOT of hard work by many volunteers, they have completely renovated this old building and made it now available for multi-purposes...
I would love it just for porch sitting and relaxing
Inside is so beautifully done...it still retains its rustic charm and old bead board ceilings, but it is very lovely and functional...
I love the doors with the crosses on them.
They've even added a commercial kitchen and dining area for smaller groups when they don't want to use the much larger dining hall for large groups.
This beautiful quilted cross really captured my attention:
I'm sure there are some quilters out there in blogland who may have made one like this, but I find it really really special and meaninful in this location...the blue waters of the lake behind the cross. I love it.
Well, that was our day and it was very comforting and soothing. We ended the day with a beautiful sunset...here's what I managed to capture before the sun totally sank down behind the trees around Still Waters Pond...
This song is fitting after such a day of difficult memories and emotions...
Note: This post is primarily an annual remembrance of the horrible tragedy that struck our nation on September 11, 2001. Most years, beginning in 2011, I have updated it to share current events that are happening at that particular time. So as you read it, you will be going back in history, beginning with the present. Everyone may not agree with my assessment of the "current events" each year, but let us be respectful and keep in mind the gravity of this date, and why it is important to NEVER FORGET.
UPDATE: September 11, 2026, 25 years ago today... The 25th anniversary of this attack on our nation. I haven't updated this in a few years, and a lot is going on right now, as we are in a war with Iran, the sponsors of this terror against our country and all those who dare to differ from their evil regime, namely all Christians and Jews. Our President Donald J. Trump has declared that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and our amazing military has taken steps to take out their nuclear facililties and to make sure they never get back to being in a position to rebuild them. There's a lot more to it, primarily a battle over the control of where the oil is being shipped from...I won't go into all the details here, but suffice it to say, I am very thankful for our President and his courage in standing up against these authors of terror in our world. No, the war is not over, and it hasn't been easy, but even so, our world is much safer right now because of these actions. We still have a long way to go, and we need to constantly be on the alert and keep praying for our leaders and our military. And we must NEVER FORGET what happened on 9/11/2001.
(For years 2024-2025, there are links at the end of this post to what I wrote on this date in those years on separate posts)
UPDATE: September 11, 2021...20 years ago today... The "war in Afghanistan" that began 20 years ago as a result of the attack on 9-11 is supposedly over...at least that is what the government would like us to think. We've pulled out our troops and brought them home, but we've left the country in a terrible, terrible mess, perhaps worse than it was 20 years ago. The enemy is in charge there...the terrorists that were behind the plot to destroy our country on 9-11, 2001, are now the ones in "leadership" in Afghanistan, and not only have we left the country, but we left all of our weapons and military bases there for them to use against us in the future. We've left many innocent people behind as well, who now must cower in fear under the tyranny of this evil government. It is not a good thing. Our own nation is severely divided about this and many other things. The current leaders in our government are sadly incompetent and even dangerous to the well being of this nation. If ever our nation needed prayer, it is now. When I first began this post on September 11, 2011, I ended it with this verse:
"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
2 Chronicles 7:14
We need to pray for our nation, our government, our world even more than ever. We need to examine our own hearts, and see if there is any wicked way in us, and repent and pray for forgiveness, before God can heal our land. Healing begins with each one of us, when we truly seek God's face and turn away from the sins that so easily beset us.
Dear friends, let us pray!
The Lord's Prayer
"Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever." Amen.
(Matthew 6:9-13)
Read on for what was written originally and in each subsequent year on this date:
September 11, 2020...19 years ago...and today more than ever we need to remember what happens when terror is allowed to attack our nation, our spirit and our personal lives. We've been living in a different kind of terror this year, an "invisible enemy" known as Covid 19, which many believe was in reality a terrorist attack on our country and around the world. Our people have suffered, many have died, our economy has taken a direct hit, and it may take years for people's lives to get back to some kind of normal, if ever. The attack on 9-11 in 2001 was sinister and evil, and it destroyed our sense of security and innocence forever. The attack of Covid 19 is also sinister and evil, and our lives will never be the same. But we are resilient people. We will not allow the enemies of our great nation continue to destroy us from without or within. The home-grown terrorists who continue to riot and pillage our great cities, destroying people's livelihoods and making people afraid to come out of their homes while they burn and bully and tear down businesses and statues and try to remove our history must be stopped, and they will be. We The People must not give up hope. We must stand up and fight against tyranny in all forms. And we must remember what happened on 9-11, 2001, and realize once again that we are "One nation, under God, indivisible, the liberty and justice for all."
September 11, 2018...17 years later and we will remember this day forever in our hearts. Our world was sadly changed that day...and it has affected every American in one way or another. I love this quote by our then President George W. Bush...it speaks to the heart of every American: "We will not tire, We will not falter, We will not fail. United We Stand". I pray that every American reading this today will realize that we must stand united if we are going to be able to fend off the enemies of our nation, who are still out there, chipping away at our freedoms, our way of life, and our resolve to stand strong together. I implore you today, remember 9-11, and let us stand strong and united once again.
September 11, 2016, The Fifteen Year Anniversary of 9-11. I just saw this scroll by on our TV:
This is the name of my husband's 1st cousin, who was killed in the twin towers on 9/11/2001. There is more information further down in my previous post about this. Seeing his name scrolling across our television causes us to pause and pray again for his family and the families of all those affected by this horrible tragedy. Let us never forget.
September 11, 2014
I guess I'll just keep re-sending this each year...still can't believe this ever happened. Please continue to pray for our nation, and the families that are still today hurting because of the great loss they suffered on this day. Praying for peace...and wisdom for our leaders. Things appear to be getting worse in the world...not better. Looking upward and waiting for the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...very soon.
Update again 9/11/2013:
I listened to a "9-11 Timeline" on my way to work this morning on my favorite radio station, the JoyFm, and I was not prepared for the flood of emotions that overwhelmed my soul as I listened. You would think after 12 years that it would not have that kind of effect on me, but it did. I guess it always will. And maybe that's a good thing. We need to never forget what happened to our nation on that fateful day. We need to remember those who died that day, and continue our fight against tyranny and terrorism in our nation and our world...but also be prepared to meet our God and Savior at any moment...in a twinkling of an eye...at the last trumpet (I Corinthians 15:50-58)...and also as foretold in I Thessalonians 4:16-18 ~
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them
in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Therefore comfort one another with these words."
"I Will Rise" by Chris Tomlin
9/11/2012--- I wrote this post last year to commemorate 9/11/2001 on it's 10th Anniversary.
I still feel the same way today...I still don't want to think about this day, but at our
office Staff Meeting this morning our Pastor asked us each to share where we were on that morning 11 years ago today. I was at work at my job at a technical college. When the news came to us via phone calls and radio broadcast after the first crash (we didn't have a TV in our office), I knew something very bad was happening and started to pray. Then a few minutes later when we heard the 2nd crash, my co-workers and I gathered together in a circle (in a public school!) and joined hands and prayed. No one stopped us. No one told us that we weren't supposed to be praying in a public school. As a matter of fact, people kept praying all day long. I believe that was the closest to God our country had been in many years, and we probably haven't been that close since. But every year on this anniversary, we tend to get very patriotic and in our own way, draw very close to God.
I pray for our country today. I pray for our leaders, both current and those to come.
I pray that we will turn our eyes back to Jesus and refocus our hearts and lives on Him.
I pray that we will never forget that we are
"One Nation, Under God, Indivisible,
with Liberty and Justice for All."
Amen!
"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden." Matthew 5:14
I did not want to remember 9-11 today, 9/11/11, the 10th anniversaryof the horrific tragedy that struck our nation and has forever changed the way we live in America. You may ask why I didn't want to remember...
Well, I just couldn't deal with the emotional toll of reliving all the pain, terror, sadness, anger, fear, and agony as it was shown over and over again throughout this past week. No matter where you turned, it was there. People talking about where they were when the World Trade Centers were hit by terrorists. How they felt when the reality hit that this was indeed an act of war and aggression against our nation, and that so many innocent lives were taken, leaving a gaping wound not only in the skyline of our great city, but in the hearts of all the American people.
A Cross in the rubble at Ground Zero
made from the steel beams...a poignant reminder
that God was there in the midst.
Even though I was hundreds of miles away, safe in my own little world when this took place, somehow I felt violated, raped of my innocence and feelings of protection from the horror of these things that only happened in other parts of the world. I mean, look at our history...not since the Civil War had our land been literally and physically injured in a great war. Yes, I know our grandfathers and fathers and even perhaps our brothers and close friends had fought and died in war zones throughout history (and still going on today). But those battles were fought on other soil...we didn't have to see the battlefields and hear the bombs going off and see the destruction all around us. This was America the Beautiful!!! We were isolated and protected from those acts of aggression. Those things just aren't supposed to happen here.
Like the proverbial ostrich I wanted to put my head in the sand and pretend all was well in our world. I wanted to go back to life as usual...where the birdies sing and the butterflies flutter about from flower to flower drinking in the sweet nectar of life. I wanted to forget 9-11 and the war on terrorism and get back to "normal" living again.
But 9-11 has forever changed that...especially in the lives of thousands of families across our land who lost loved ones so tragically that day. Even our own family was not untouched by this grief as my husband's first cousin was killed in the World Trade Center. Although our families were not real close and my husband had not seen this cousin since their childhood, it still struck home. It hurt deeply. This man left behind a wife and children and his parents. His father literally died of a broken heart not too long after. The sorrow was just too much for him to bear.
So this morning my first thought was I really didn't want to watch any more programs on TV about this, and I didn't even want to go to church because I thought it would be too emotionally draining. But then I had a change of heart. I thought that instead of being so self-centered I needed to stand united with my country and my church and show my support. As we sang patriotic hymns and the Star Spangled Banner, pledged our Allegiance to the Flag and bowed our heads in prayer for our country my spirits were lifted. I was proud of our nation and its strength of character in the aftermath of this tragedy. I was thankful to be a part of this great nation.
But with these good feelings is also the sober warning...our country is living on borrowed time. It is only a matter of time before some other evil force will take vengeance on our land and try again to strike us down. We need to remember that there is a much bigger battle going on here...a fight between the forces of good and evil...God and Satan. I don't care what church you may attend or what religion you may adhere to. I really don't care what political party you belong to or who you voted for. The war that is going on here is much larger and in a different plane than we can see with our human eyes. The real battle that matters here is the battle for our own hearts and souls. When that issue is settled, the world conflagrations will still rage on, but we will have peace within.
I'd like to close this with an old hymn that comes to mind that asks the question :
"Is Thy Heart Right with God?"
"Have thine affections been nailed to the cross?
Is thy heart right with God?
Does thou count all things for Jesus but loss
Is thy heart right with God?
Chorus:
Is thy heart right with God?
Washed in the crimson flood,
cleansed and made holy,
humble and lowly,
right in the sight of God?
Hast thou dominion o'er self and o'er sin?
Is thy heart right with God?
Over all evil without and within"
Is thy heart right with God?
(Chorus)
Are all thy powers under Jesus' control?
Is thy heart right with God?
Does He each moment abide in thy soul?
Is thy heart right with God?
Chorus:
Is thy heart right with God?
Washed in the crimson flood,
Cleansed and made holy,
humble and lowly,
Right in the sight of God?
(Elisha A. Hoffman 1839-1929)
No matter what Satan or the world terrorists throw at us or do to us, what really matters is where we stand in our personal relationship with Christ. When Christ abides in our souls, we need not fear what man can do to us.
I like what 2 Chronicles 20:12 and 15 says when Jehoshaphat was faced with a great enemy and did not know what to do:
"O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." (verse 12)
And the Lord answered and said, "Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's." (verse 15)
The key to peace within our hearts and our nation is to have peace with God...and to put our trust in Him.
2 Chronicles 7:14 says:
"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
Amen.
Here are a couple of posts that I wrote on this date in the last couple of years, where I didn't actually update this particular post, but still shared my thoughts on this day along with what was going on in our world:
Whatever we do today, may we pause and pray for those families who are still grieving over the loss of their loved ones, and pray for our nation and our President and our military, as they strive to make sure this will never happen again.
Amen.
Note: I have closed comments on this post for today, 9/11/2026.
I guess this week is already flying by! With a holiday on Monday it always seems to make the week go faster. Tuesday we had our quarterly labs in the morning, followed by breakfast at our local Nanna's Country Cafe' (I forgot to take a picture, but you've seen it before), and then that evening our church choir started practice back up after a summer break, so that was fun. Even more fun was that our son Benton decided he wanted to try singing in the choir for the first time ever, so he went with me to choir practice, and he seemed to have a good time. It will be interesting to see if he decides to stay. He's never done anything musical before and doesn't read music at all, but he has a nice voice and he enjoys singing congregational hymns, etc. We do a lot of songs that are a bit complicated with a lot of "moving parts", so it will be challenging, but I hope he will stick it out.
I've always dreamed of having a family quartet someday with my own family, and this gets us a little closer to that dream. Rose does like to sing also, but her work schedule is too erratic at Home Depot and she can't always have Sundays off or even be sure she'll be free to go to choir practice every week, so she's kind of given up on participating in the choir.
Well, I started this post yesterday (Wednesday), and got side tracked and busy with something else, so I thought I'd give it another try this morning, Thursday, and again I got side tracked looking for something and went down another rabbit hole...This old antique cedar wardrobe holds many treasures...
Namely...These containers are full of pretty much my whole life (and of course my family) in pictures, at least up until I got a digital camera and quit developing film and rarely ever print pictures anymore...
I was looking for a particular picture of my father, my sister Doris, my hubby and I singing together in a quartet. We used to do that somctimes whenever we came home for a visit and attended church at my parents' church. My father sang tenor, my hubby sang bass (or was it the other way around? I'm not sure), my sister sang alto and I sang soprano...or maybe that was reversed too? Over the years I've lost my soprano voice and my sister and I are both altos. We haven't sung together in many years so I don't know how we'd do it now since neither one of us can sing soprano. LOL. Anyway, I digress...I never did find the picture I was looking for, so I gave up on that idea and wanted to move on to other things, and then this happened:
Okay...I'm trying to post pictures, and Blogger is not cooperating this morning. Plus I noticed that it had not updated the the feed of all my friends' posts for a couple of days. What is going on? Is anyone else having these problems??? I finally just had to shut down and will come back later...
Here we are several hours later, and finally I am able to post some pictures.
This was my "companion" (The Lion??) this morning while I was trying to write that above...Perhaps he had something to do with the glitch in the system? He does tend to walk all over the keyboard and/or lay on top of the mouse so I can't get it without him grabbing my hand...
It seems that Blackie is always finding ways to keep me from doing my work...like yesterday afternoon, (see below) I was trying to type the minutes from our church board meeting. (I'm the board secretary). The meeting was last week, and I wanted to get them finished before another week went by and I got too busy and forgot...
He is literally laying on top of the notebook where my handwritten notes are:
I finally had to tilt the notebook to an angle so that he had to slide off and onto the floor. Otherwise I would never have gotten them done. He's such a rascal! You'd think he never gets any attention at all, but you would be wrong! Trust me, he gets plenty of attention! When I say it's like having a toddler around, I'm not kidding! LOL.
Here he is watching the world go by outside the window in "My Room With a View"...
So anyway, I'm now trying to climb back out of that rabbit hole or back through the wardrobe, take your pick...they both involve children stepping through something (the wardrobe or the rabbit hole) and ending up in a fantasy land. Sometimes life feels like that, doesn't it? Especially if you watch too much news...but let's don't go there, okay?
I prefer to stay in fantasy land for a while longer...LOL. I decided to get busy and start doing a little bit of fall decorating...
It's time to bring out the fall dishes and little pumpkins and owls and all things orange and brown and olive green instead of the summer pinks and yellows and blues...
It's time to give thanks and prepare our hearts and minds for acknowledging all of our many blessings, which we do year round, but it seems we tend to be more deliberately thankful during these autumn days...as we gather with friends and family and enjoy the change of the seasons and hopefully some cooler air (somewhere! Not here yet!)
Perhaps it's time for that tea party! I wonder where Alice is? Somewhere in wonderland, I'm sure...
She may be in search of the Great Pumpkin...apparently they are that way 🠊
There's no rabbit, but I do see some squirrels dressed up for fall, along with a ghost, a pumpkin, and of course a black cat!
OH, HERE's the Pumpkin Patch!!
Lots of interesting choices here...
Oh! I see some of our special friends from Pamela's Victorian Cottage are visiting the Pumpkin Patch! Perhaps one of them is Alice...
I believe they are contemplating how on earth they could get that huge pumpkin back home! I do believe I see someone wearing a "mad hat". LOL.
This story may have to be continued later while we figure out the logistics of this conundrum...
Meanwhile, Lily Grace and her friends have already visited the Pumpkin Patch and picked out some little pumpkins...perhaps they are planning to bake a pumpkin pie or some pumpkin muffins to have with tea for a tea party!
Lily Grace has been busy back at school these days...she just wanted to pop in and say hello to everyone. Her dog Bailey says hello too!
Wow! While I was trying to finish this crazy post with all of it's rabbit trails, we were blessed with an unexpected rain shower! So of course I had to drop what I was doing and go out on the back porch and take pictures and listen to the rain...
Can you see the water puddle forming out there on Still Waters Pond? Hooray!!
If you'd like to listen to the rain hitting on our porch tin roof, here you go!
And all the while, the skies above looked like this! I know that somewhere there must be a rainbow out there, but I couldn't find it. Oh my! Another story in fantasy land...the Wizard of Oz...made me think of the song "Somewhere over the Rainbow"
Don't you just love this song?
Well, dear friends, it's time to bring this little fantasy to an end...and get back to work. I just heard hubby say something about supper...
Just a thought for us from God's Word, for when we are feeling like we are lost in fantasy land or like Alice in Wonderland...
Deuteronomy 4:29 "29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul."
(and you don't even need to have ruby slippers to find Him!!)
Have a wonderful rest of your day...and let's all count our blessings...
I know tomorrow is a special day of remembrance. I will be back to talk about that tomorrow.
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