I Didn't Want to Remember Today - Originally Written 9/11/2011 with annual updates

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 anniversary of 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:

Link to post written on 9-11-2025 "Double Sorrow In Our Land"

Link to a post written on 9-11-2024 "Wednesday Treasures"

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.



Happy Sunday~Flag Day and Beyond~On Eagle's Wings

Happy Flag Day!  I proudly display our American Flag on our front porch every day, but today was extra special...

Just as I put the flag out, I noticed these clouds "flying" in towards the flag...and the one looked just like a giant American Bald Eagle soaring in the sky...what a perfect symbol of our very wonderful, strong, and powerful nation and American Flag.  But it's even much more than that...

God speaks to us about the Eagle's wings throughout Scripture, with messages of comfort and strength and protection for us as well as His chosen people Israel...

Isaiah 40:28-31

28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Exodus 19:3-6

3 Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

This made me think of the song "On Eagle's Wings"... 

The song is based on Psalm 91:

Psalm 91 NKJV

91 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;

My God, in Him I will trust.”

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler

And from the perilous pestilence.

4 He shall cover you with His feathers,

And under His wings you shall take refuge;

His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,

Nor of the arrow that flies by day,

6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,

Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,

And ten thousand at your right hand;

But it shall not come near you.

8 Only with your eyes shall you look,

And see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,

Even the Most High, your dwelling place,

10 No evil shall befall you,

Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,

To keep you in all your ways.

12 In their hands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,

The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;

I will set him on high, because he has known My name.

15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life I will satisfy him,

And show him My salvation.”

I don't know if you noticed it, but there is also "The Sign of the Fish" in a cloud just above the Eagle's Wings.   

I don't know about you, but I found these clouds to be quite a powerful display of God's love and power and strength today...for myself personally, and also for our nation as we celebrate "Flag Day" and all that our flag represents: 

Just prior to signing the Declaration of Independence, this was the final statement contained at the very end of the document:

"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

As long as our nation remembers that we are "One Nation, UNDER GOD, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all", "with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence," we will continue to be a powerful nation who represents trust in the One True God before the world.  But when we lose sight of that truth, we will fall captive to other world ideologies and failed systems of government, and our great nation will be doomed to destruction.

But God gives us (and Israel, as this verse was written for them, but we who are believers in Almighty God through His Son Jesus Christ are also called by His name), this promise...that if we will humble ourselves and pray and seek HIS face, and TURN from our wicked ways (REPENT), then He will hear from heaven and will forgive our sins and restore our land.

I am very thankful for our country and our flag and all that it stands for.  May God continue to bless America.

Now, onto another note, thank you all who had such kind things to say the other day regarding the loss of my friend Maura (and her husband Woody). I did indeed go to their Celebration of Life service yesterday, and it was very moving and special in every way.  I felt like God was bearing me up on eagles' wings to help me get through the service. I sat with our mutual friend, Marian, and together we cherished the sweet and special memories that we have of our dear friends.  Maura, in particular, was such a powerful witness for Christ wherever she went. She loved the Lord so much and was never afraid to share her faith with others. She was such a positive and loving person...and there is such a huge void now that will be difficult to fill.  My prayers are with her granddaughter in particular, as she now must take care of all the details of their estate, etc. by herself. May God give her the strength she will need.

I also want to thank the Lord for the good rains we've been getting the past few days.  I said I wished that I could just sleep through the storm like my kitty...right there on the porch while the rain was pouring (it's hard to see it, but it was definitely raining).  Blackie seems to be in perfect peace...not even afraid when there is thunder.  He is definitely a sweetheart.  BTW: Hubby didn't feel up to going to the funeral with me yesterday, but I noticed when I got home that Blackie had been inside the house keeping him company while I was gone...Who was it that said he didn't want a cat in the house????? LOL.

And just to close out with some extra pictures of that old house in our historical section of town that I showed you before...word has it that it has been sold. 

 We had taken a little ride past there again a couple of weeks ago, and I got out of the car to get a closer look...

I was surprised that the old porch swing was still hanging there! I didn't try to sit on it just because I wasn't sure how secure it was, but I thought this made a wonderful picture...

And since there weren't any pictures of the kitchen on the Zillow ad for this house, I wanted to look in the "open" window to see what I could see...

But there really wasn't much to see, so that's probably why they never showed it in the listing. Whoever bought this house will have their work cut out for them to put in a working kitchen...but I just saw on the listing that they closed on the house with a sales price of $125,000., so they got a good deal and hopefully they will have plenty of money to do all the restoration that needs to be done to make it a beautiful restored home.  I may have to stop by sometime and get acquainted with the new owners!

But for now it remains a "Closed Door"....

And so I will close this post on that note.

I wonder how many of you put out your flags today? How many of you put a flag out every day?  Especially as we approach our 250th celebration of our freedom as a nation, I hope everyone will find ways to show our patriotism and pride in our amazing nation!  "One nation, UNDER GOD, with liberty and justice for ALL!"  Amen.

My door is always open to you!

 

Wednesday Treasures in Pamela's Wild Kingdom

 Here it is Wednesday already! This week is just a flying on by! I guess because we had a holiday on Monday, and that always throws me off as to what day it is. It also means our garbage will be picked up a day later than normal as well.  We always have to keep track of those days since it is only once a week, and if you miss it, well, then you're stuck with stinky garbage for another week!   

Oh gee, I guess I didn't really intend to start this post off by talking about stinky garbage! LOL.  Let's see, what can I share that would be more appropriate and pleasant? How about this:

The Bluebirds continue to come visit the birdhouse every day, but so far I cannot tell that they have built any nest inside. They often stick their heads inside and look around, and sometimes even go inside, but then they come back out and think about it, but never really do anything.

And even more strange, this male decided to go check out the other birdhouse too, but then he just flew away and his mate soon joined him.  However, in a few minutes they will be back again, and go through this same routine, but without ever actually building a nest. This has been going on all spring, and for some reason they just haven't decided to settle down to nesting.   Now with these 95 degree days it is really too hot.  So I guess they're bypassing raising any new babies this year.

Speaking of nesting...this very large Florida Soft-Shelled Turtle waddled up onto the shore of Still Waters Pond and decided to lay her eggs in the middle of my butterfly garden last night! 

I was happy that our "kids" were over last night and the grandpuppies were busily watching the kitties through the sliding glass doors and therefore we saw the turtle come up on shore at the same time. 

The incubation period is 60-90 days, so I hope nothing digs up the eggs or destroys them before then. I noticed that the Sand Hill Cranes went right over there after the turtle went back in the water, and they were poking around in that area, so I hope they didn't poke the eggs.

We've had turtles come and lay eggs in our yard before, but I've never yet been able to see when the baby turles hatch and head back to the water.  

I wish I could see it happen sometime. I'll have to keep watching from about the end of July through August I guess.

There's never a dull moment here at Still Waters Pond, that's for sure!

One reason the kids came over last night was to install this RING doorbell for us.  We didn't have a regular doorbell, and it's often difficult to hear when someone comes to our door, and it's also hard to see who's out there without being obvious about it.  So we decided to try this RING doorbell so we can see who is here even if we aren't home.  It's an added security measure that I think is wise in this day and age.  How many of you already have one of these?

And here's a video of me this morning, testing it out and then trying to figure out how to download it onto my computer so I could share it with you! Hey! It works!!

The other nice thing last night was that Rose had been off from work for a couple of days, and she had cooked a delicious beef stew in the crock pot and they wanted to share it with us. I made the cornbread, and we had a wonderful evening. It even decided to thunderstorm while they were here, which was an added bonus. I didn't take any pictures, however, because I was too busy with trying to get this RING APP installed on my cell phone. Actually, Rose did it for me, but I had to watch and see what she was doing so I would know how to operate it.  They already have this at their house, and they really like it.

Speaking of rain and the fomer lack thereof,  I had mentioned once that we were thinking about putting a small swimming pool in the back yard so the wild critters could get a drink of water while it has been so dry that even the pond was drying up.  Our intention was to set our wildlife/night cam on it so we could get pictures of whatever animal showed up in the night to drink from it.  Well, so far we haven't had any night visitors, but I didn't happen to see this sweet fluffy kitty, a.k.a. "Sunshine", getting a drink.

Yes, our cats have a bowl of fresh water up on the porch that is kept refilled and fresh all day long, but for some reason Sunshine prefers to drink out of the swimming pool and before that I often saw him going down to the edge of the pond and drinking, (before it was getting so dry that he would have to walk out on the mud to get to the water).  

Isn't he sweet?  Something got his attention here for a minute...maybe he was trying to tell Blackie to come and join him.  I have seen Blackie drink from it a few times, but never when I had my camera handy.

I think I need to fill it up a little higher so he doesn't have to lean so far over to drink.  Heaven forbid if he should actually fall into the pool and get all wet! LOL.  

Speaking of things in the water...we've been taking more rides lately as it is too hot to get out and do much walking and hubby hasn't felt up to doing much anyway, and I am doing most of the driving right now, so anyway, we took a little ride down to the Kenwood Boat Ramp, where we've been many times before. 

As I was walking along the shore looking at the reflections on the water and studying the lily pads, etc., I suddenly heard a loud plunk into the water off shore just beyond where I was standing...

Thankfully I had my good camera with the zoom lens, and I was able to see what had made that fast move into the water...

Yes, a "small" alligator apparently had been resting on the shore where I was headed, and he jumped into the water just before I got too close. Shew! That was a close one for me too!!

Some of these pictures are a bit blurred, but I liked the way the reflections on the water turned out, so just enjoy the abstractedness of them with me, if you don't mind...

And be thankful along with me that this guy was probably only about 4' long and not his Mama or his Papa alligator!  Believe me, I was being very watchful just in case they were still sunning themselves along the shore where I couldn't see them among the weeds...

His reflection of his eyes in the water looks rather strange...but we won't go there...

So , all is calm, all is well out there on the canal...

Just don't go swimming in there, okay?

Okay, back to this beautiful patriotic cross that our son made, which is a lovely way to express your faith in God and support of our country, especially for the 4th of July and other patriotic holidays...

Some of you expressed interest in it.  He doesn't have it on his Etsy site yet, but if anyone is interested in buying one, you can contact him on their Ben & Rose's Country Woodshop Facebook page and send him a message, and he will be happy to talk to you about this and any other items you are interested in, like the Easter Empty Tomb that he made. If you aren't on Facebook, contact me via  my email (link attached HERE), and I will forward your information to him.  I'm not trying to sell things here, but I am sharing this only because some have expressed interest in it.   Thank you!

2 Chronicles 7:14  KJV

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

Well, I guess that's it for today's Wednesday Treasures.  I hope you enjoyed visiting here today in "Pamela's Wild Kingdom". LOL..you just never know what you will see!    Have a blessed and happy week my friends.

Friday Foto Friends~Memorial Day Weekend

Greetings Friday Foto Friends! Happy Friday!

It's been a difficult week for our country, and our hearts are still broken for those families in Uvalde, Texas. We must keep them in our prayers as the grief sets in as they must bury their beloved children.

I love what Sean Dietrich wrote in his column about these precious children:

"Homecoming". Click the link for his post. Some may ask how you can be so sure all those children entered heaven's gates?  Well, all I know is Jesus loves the little children. He says in Matthew 18:2-4 the following:

2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

And again in Matthew 19:14

14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”

You can believe whatever you want to believe, but I believe Jesus was there waiting to welcome these precious children into heaven...every one of them. 

Now, with that being said, let us move on to some pictures from the week. I really don't have anything too exciting to share, but here we go:

I scattered some bird seed on the ground for the Sand Hill Cranes, and they came right away to clean it up. 

They seemed to be quite grateful...

We've also had some young Cardinals come calling this week. I believe some of them are juveniles (not delinquents...just young birds, you understand. LOL)

The one on the chair above may be our bob-tailed cardinal.  Looks like he's missing his tail feathers.

Anyway, they like to come up on our porch and wait their turn for the bird feeder:

Not sure if this is a big family or just different ones coming and going, but it has been fun to see them up close.

The Milkweed plant is blooming in the butterfly garden. I hope it attracts some pretty butterflies:

And this Foxglove is really pretty. I hear hummingbirds like it, but we haven't seen too many this spring. I finally put my feeder away because they weren't coming and it is a lot of work to keep making new "nectar" for the feeder and changing it every couple of days so it doesn't ferment in this heat.

Foxglove

When we were out walking the other day I noticed this little wildflower blooming, and checked to see what it was:

Foxglove Beardtongue

And guess what? It is also a type of foxglove plant, only wild. They say these can be dangerous for people because they contain digitalis, which is a heart medicine of sorts. Medicine might be made from this, but it is not good for us to use it without understanding how it works or how strong it is.  

I also checked on the wild plum trees, and some have plums that look like these above...not quite ripe yet.

And others are a little more ripe than those. However, they are still small, about the size of a grape, and not sweet enough for us to eat. I suppose if you were able to gather enough ripe ones you could make jam.  However, I've found that by the time they are all ripe enough they are already dropping on the ground or the critters have found them first.

And here are some wild Paw-Paws.  There are quite a few of these plants scattered throughout the woods. And again, it's better to just let the critters have them. I tried one one time, and wasn't too impressed. LOL.

Meanwhile, back at our Still Waters Pond, Mrs. Bluebird continues to wait patiently on her nest for her new brood of babies to hatch.  She spends a lot of time these days looking out her window and breathing the fresh air. I can imagine it is pretty hot and stuffy inside that birdhouse, as hot as it is out here these days.  Hopefully we will get some much needed rain this afternoon, and maybe that will cool things off a little...(wishful thinking).

Our kids are on a little vacation trip to the mountains this weekend. They were so kind to send us some pictures of how beautiful it is there:

They are staying at an Airnb with great views and lovely accommodations.

And it sounds like it is about 20 degrees cooler there than it is here in Florida.

Of course I'm not envious. I'm just happy for them.

Their 7 a.m. phone call to tell us how beautiful it was and how fresh and cool and crisp the air was didn't bother me a bit. LOL.  

Seriously, we are very happy for them to have this little break away. They work very hard and they really deserve a rest.

So, what big plans do you have for this weekend?  We are staying inside due to the high heat and humidity, but are very thankful for the AC.  We will go to church on Sunday as per usual, and then on Monday our church is having a picnic at the church parsonage. Hopefully the weather will permit us to stay outside in the shady yard and eat our hamburgers and hot dogs. If not, we will go inside where it's cool.

We are blessed to have cool places to escape the heat. Very thankful indeed.

Okay, folks! That's it for today! I pray you and yours have a safe and happy Memorial Day Weekend. 

And let us always remember those who died in service to our country, to give us these freedoms and privileges.  May we never take these freedoms for granted. It's becoming too easy for those in leadership to take freedom away with the stroke of a pen.

May God Bless America, the land of the free!

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

II Chronicles 7:14