September 11- Ten years later

We went to church for the first time as a family this weekend- all 3 of us, including Granna. Our church always does a great job recognizing and praying for people at times throughout the year; active and retired military veterans on Veterans' Day, teachers at the start of the school year, mothers and fathers at the respective holidays, etc. On this September 11th tenth anniversary they recognized first responders and preached on how to experience triumph over terror. It was a powerful ceremony and a great way to commemorate this special weekend. At one point in the service they asked all firefighters, paramedics, and police officers to come to the stage at which point they shared their appreciation for the sacrifices these men and women make and prayed for their safety, strength, and wisdom on the job. Then Pastor Matthew thanked each one with a handshake and asked that each one of them not leave today with less that 25 hugs. Alex had been holding Matthew prior to this point so when they asked the guys to come forward Alex took Matthew, which was only fitting since he was adorable dressed in his fire chief shirt. I'm not sure if Alex got his 25 hugs, but Matthew sure did.

It was a nice moment for Alex but was really special for me as well. I got to see Alex stand on the stage in front of hundreds as a person in our community who works to help people when they need it most. After working so hard in school the past few years and dedicating himself to this profession it was nice to see him up there. Then on the other side it made my heart happy to see what a good man and proud father Alex has become- one who takes his family to church and who held his son in front of all those people. It gives me peace to know Matthew will be raised by parents who take his spirituality seriously. And I was especially at ease knowing that there are people in the church who pray for the safety of first responders every day, because Alex can use all the prayers he can get.

Here are my strong, brave boys- singing away during praise and worship