God Bless America And the World!

*Updated October 25th, 2004, 10:03pm
(Please check back often as we will continue to update as more stories and pertinent links come in.)

This page is dedicated to our people, our country, and our world. It is a collection of stories, photos, and webpages related to the events of September 11, 2001. The tragedies of that day have lead our nation and people across the world to come together in love and compassion, united with the purpose of creating peace in all nations, in all people. Our wish is to inspire you, encourage you, and fill you with hope.

For those whose hearts are hurting, we hope this page will provide comfort and a way to begin healing. Our love and prayers are with all those affected. If you'd like to honor someone lost in the tragedy of September 11th, 2001, please e-mail your story and a photo to: Tribute@sfpnn.com .

Our respect and gratitude go out to those heroes who have risen above adversity and come to the rescue in a myriad of ways, from the emergency crews and politicians, to the every day people giving donations of every kind, to the children of our country who are finding ways to stand tall, filling our hearts with hope for a better tomorrow.

I know beyond a doubt that God works miracles in both times of joy and tragedy. We hope to share some of those miracles with you. If you have your own story of hope and inspiration, please send it to TheBestofUS@sfpnn.com .

The following are e-mails I've received from our readers. They are the stories of those who survived. One of the many miracles that took place the morning of September 11th, 2001, is that at least 15,000 people were evacuated from the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and SURVIVED!

If you are one of the survivors or know of someone who did survive and would like to share the story, please e-mail it to Survivor@sfpnn.com .

TWO THOUSAND ONE, NINE ELEVEN (2001-911)

Two thousand one, nine eleven
Three thousand plus arrive in heaven
As they pass through the gate,
Thousands more appear in wait
A bearded man with stovepipe hat
Steps forward saying, "Lets sit, lets chat"

They settle down in seats of clouds
A man named Martin shouts out proud
"I have a dream!" and once he did
The Newcomer said, "Your dream still lives."

Groups of soldiers in blue and gray
Others in khaki, and green then say
"We're from Bull Run, Yorktown, the Maine"
The Newcomer said, "You died not in vain."

From a man on sticks one could hear
The only thing we have to fear.
The Newcomer said, "We know the rest,
trust us sir, we've passed that test."

"Courage doesn't hide in caves
You can't bury freedom, in a grave,"
The Newcomers had heard this voice before
A distinct Yankees twang from Hyannisport shores

A silence fell within the mist
Somehow the Newcomer knew that this
Meant time had come for her to say
What was in the hearts of the five thousand plus that day

"Back on Earth, we wrote reports,
Watched our children play in sports
Worked our gardens, sang our songs
Went to church and clipped coupons
We smiled, we laughed, we cried, we fought
Unlike you, great we're not"

The tall man in the stovepipe hat
Stood and said, "Don't talk like that!
Look at your country, look and see
You died for freedom, just like me"

Then, before them all appeared a scene
Of rubbled streets and twisted beams
Death, destruction, smoke and dust
And people working just 'cause they must

Hauling ash, lifting stones,
Knee deep in hell, but not alone
"Look! Blackman, Whiteman, Brownman, Yellowman
Side by side helping their fellow man!"

So said Martin, as he watched the scene
"Even from nightmares, can be born a dream."

Down below three firemen raised
The colors high into ashen haze
The soldiers above had seen it before
On Iwo Jima back in '44

The man on sticks studied everything closely
Then shared his perceptions on what he saw mostly
"I see pain, I see tears,
I see sorrow -- but I don't see fear."

"You left behind husbands and wives
Daughters and sons and so many lives
are suffering now because of this wrong
But look very closely. You're not really gone.

All of those people, even those who've never met you
All of their lives, they'll never forget you
Don't you see what has happened? Don't you see what you've done?
You've brought them together, together as one.

With that the man in the stovepipe hat said
"Take my hand," and from there he led
three thousand plus heroes, Newcomers to heaven
On this day, two thousand one, nine eleven

Author UNKNOWN

What actions are most excellent?
To gladden the heart of a human being.
To feed the hungry.
To help the afflicted.
To lighten the sorrow of the sorrowful.
To remove the wrongs of the injured.
That person is the most beloved of God
who does the most good to God's creatures.
--- The Prophet Muhammed

The following link has numerous ways through various organizations that you can make a difference in helping those who need it!

NYC.com offers visitors the chance to light a cyber candle in honor of the city's risen souls and gives information on where you can make donations to assist those in need.
Light A Candle

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This is a worthwhile effort for every man, woman and child... not matter what his/her faith. There is no fee or obligation. Just sign up and you'll receive a window decal in the mail, plus e-mail updates on the specific prayer needs of the President and his Cabinet. To sign up, go to: http://www.PresidentialPrayerTeam.org .

Every day, take one half hour to think about your children and where
they're headed. Then do all you can about it. Then do more.

From: "Bringing Heaven Down to Earth"
by Tzvi Freeman - tzvif@aol.com

The following Prayers of Peace were sent to me by a friend. Although they are listed by faith, I challenge you to click on anyone of them and read the words. Instead of being divided by religions, you will soon find yourself united with people of all faiths with one solid prayer for world peace.

If you have a prayer you would like listed on this page or know of prayerful webpage in honor of the victims and heroes of recent events, please e-mail them to: GodBlessPrayer@sfpnn.com

Message of Confidence from Allen who says:
I am a Vietnam veteran, and felt the need to do this page. I hope you find it good enough to put on your link with the others. I haven't been doing web pages very long, but all graphics and poetry in this page are done by myself. Thank you so much.
God Bless Our America. --- Allen/Midnightwolf51
http://midnightwolf51.nstemp.com/America.html

A Beautiful Tribute from Jason Powers

If you know of other helpful or inspirational webpages to include here, please e-mail them to: GodBlessLinks@sfpnn.com .

To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order;
to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order;
to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life;
we must first set our hearts right.
--- Confucius

Although there is nothing funny about the events of September 11, 2001, it has been said throughout history that both a good laugh and a good cry cleanse the soul. So many of us have shed countless tears... for ourselves, for others, for the loss of innocence and the sense of security and for many, many, varying reasons. And although we will never forget the tragedy of that day, there comes a time when the human spirit must pick itself up and begin to move on again. Laughter has always been one of the greatest medicines and it is with this in mind that we offer the following humorous annecdote(s). Please note that no offense is intended.