9/11, The Plane I was on.

We all have our story from September 11, 2001, which has now become known as 9/11.

Here is my story.

My day started out a little different, than my normal days. Normally I would be just getting home and going to bad after working my 3rd shift on the Medical Surgical Intensive Care Unit, at Lutheran Hospital in Ft.Wayne Indiana. However, 2 months earlier I had meet a man. This man lived south of Atlanta and I was taking a trip to go visit. It wasn't my first trip but it was a very important one for our relationship.

Flights out of Ft.Wayne were always crazy expensive so I always choose to go to Dayton Ohio and fly into Atlanta.

So I got up extra early and drove to Dayton got my luggage checked and took my time getting to my gate. Everyone was bustling around trying to make morning flights. People were laughing, kids were running, the mood was light. Security was a howdy hey how are you and a very small town feel. No one was worried or afraid just ready for their normal day. I found a pay phone and used a calling card (remember this was 10 years ago). I called my mom to tell her I made it to the airport, and then I called Ben to tell him my flight was on time. He had about an hour and forty five minute drive to the ATL airport.

Boarding had just begun so I hung up and went and got on my plane. I was seated next to a lovely couple who was headed to ATL to get married. They were so excited. Within minutes you could see things shift on our airplane. People's pagers started going off, and people started to look a little panic, but they remained silenced. I remember them locking us in the plane, and them coming on and telling us that the President of The United States has grounded all Commercial flights. As you can imagine things got a little tense. When it was our turn a crew from the airport came to our gate opened the plane door and escorted us off 1 at a time. We were told there would be no flights out today and probably not for several days. There was 1 tiny television in a barber shop in the airport, and hundreds of people were taking turns coming out of there. Every person young, old, male, and female all walked out with tears in their eyes. I made my way in and saw a glimpse of what looked like a horror movie on the television. Did I mention that September 11th is my birthday ?

I made my way to the phone again and called Ben first. He was relieved to hear my voice. He was getting ready to leave his house for the ATL airport and happened to flip on the television to see the war zone that had begun. At that time there were still hundreds of planes in the sky, and mine was one that would have been up there if President Bushes orders hadn't grounded them.

I told him I was still coming and that I was going to drive. I told him that I would call with more details after I let my family know I was okay. Between the phone call to Ben and to my mother, I noticed the couple I was sitting next to on the plane. They were clearly upset. I asked her what was wrong, and she begin to tell me since we sat on our plane for so long there was no rental cars available and she had no way to get to her wedding. So I did what anyone would do and offered for her to ride with me :) I then called my mother and told her about said strangers and how they were coming with me, and that I would be in contact with her as I could along my drive.

As we began to drive the landscape of America changed before our eyes. Suddenly red, white, and blue could be seen in directions all over the highways. On overpasses flags hung down, on business signs read "We Love America". I also got a speeding ticket which was a complete joke because the amount of traffic on the road was insane. Wall to wall cars because no one could fly. We saw the heartbeat of America at it's best. Not thru a journalist but thru the people. We made it to our destination and all was well. I realized that day Ben was for sure going to be my husband. See it was him who I wanted to be with during this crazy adventure and as much as I love my family they got trumped by him. My mother even said she knew that was the day I was going to marry him as well.

Was my plane one that was headed for CDC in downtown ATL like they said ? I will never know.

Was my life taken. No.

Did that day forever change my life ? Absolutely!

God bless the ones who gave their lives, and the families left behind.

I will never forget, nor will anyone else. I pray that on the 10th anniversary that the people who may have been scared and fearful and ran to Jesus or to a Faith for their answer that this year on the 10th anniversary they would find Jesus for who he is and for what he has done for them. My prayer would also be that they wouldn't be sacred into a relationship, but find a genuine relationship.

Praying that something like this never crosses our soil ever again.

All about me :)

Well we have been thru A LOT!!! Life has not always been easy in ministry but wow i'm so glad we fought for it!!!

Long Story in a nut shell kinda a time frame have you.

I was working for the Assemblies of God summer camps in Indiana and met my husband thru the Summer Youth Camp. He was leading worship at the summer camp.

Prior to that i was working full time as a nurse and going to school in New Orleans to get my degree in Urban Church Planting.

Ben (dh) met July of 01 and we were married in May of 02. August of 02 Baby #1 comes along. At this time we were driving two hours every Wednesday and Sunday helping with a church plant.(dh was helping prior to us meeting). I became way to sick and there were no open doors for us to move so we found a position in south Georgia.

We moved there in October of 02. HORRIBLE HELL...unraveled .Once there we were told we were not aloud to have friends because people in the congregation would loose respect for you. We were in small small mayberry town. I mean really little. So newly married, no friends, abused by horrible leaders and about to have a baby....sigh... MISERABLE. Anyways, no one ever thru me a shower i had nothing for the baby my family was all out of state and my husbands were two hours away. March of 03 Madalynne Noelle graced us with her presence but not before my parents called and told me after 22 years of marriage they were getting a divorce. It sent my blood pressure thru the sky and i had to be induced. NICE.

A week later the pastor went to my husband and basically said not sure this is working out. Mind you he was working like 75 hours a week as the secretary, video guy, music dude and basically the only other paid staff member. We lived in the parsonage so we had 1 week to get out. That was with just having a baby, parents who were in the middle of getting a divorce and having third degree tears when i delivered....

So we moved to Indiana leaving everything in storage in Georgia and lived with my mother for a month. We found a church in Greenwood Indiana. It seemed like a good fit....um NOT. We moved there in May. My first mothers day and My first wedding anniversary was spent moving. Glamourous!!! We get there to this church to find out that the senior pastors where using my husband for his music/reputation and political ladder climbing in the district... There were very ummm shall we say religious and showed not much love. I had a million list of rules that i had to follow what i was allowed and not allowed to wear. Where i could sit where i could nurse ect....

Needless to say I went into Postpartum depression. Early 20's no friends, new mom and HATING my marriage.

We decided we had to get out of there even though it was going to be another quick move. We interviewed at several places and found the place we are currently at. We visited on Dec 1 of 2003. The place was amazing!!!

We felt loved the minute we got to our hotel room. The pastors were real people. However i was so depressed and broken i had nothing in me to make a decision. So i put it on my husband. We interviewed back and forth for a few months until we decided Michigan was going to be the new home for us. We moved Feb 1 of 04. It will be 6 years this upcoming Feb.

The last 5 + years at our current church has been a place of healing, a place of freedom, and place to become us!!! We had 2 other children while we were here. Connor Benjamin came in 05 and Ellianna Rejoyce came in 08. The pastors wife is one of my best friends. She was in the delivery room with me for my last two births. she walked me thru a miscarriage, thru post partum depression and marriage hell. We have seen what real ministry is. The current church is very outreach minded but also has a core of small groups. We have seen the church grow from 500 to about 1500 currently. WE have struggled thru the horrible Michigan economy and we have made the greatest friends. I have found my comfort in speaking in front of people and using my mess as my message. My marriage is now strong and my family is healthy and whole!

We have known for two years were we are going and that god wants us to plant a church. We are so excited yet soooo sad to leave where we are!

We will be leaving Michigan November 2nd. I know God has way big things for us!

Pastors Wives have always captured my heart! I had an amazing mentor growing up and she was a true gem. I always wanted to be just like my youth pastors wife. I have seen every kind there is.

The kind that hate their husbands, the kind who hate the church, the kind who are involved in everything , the ones just trying to stay afloat, the big church the little... I have seen it all and boy there is alot to see. I have experienced the pure mean spirited women out there in ministry. I desire to see a place online and in real life where women in ministry can vent their frustrations, but not have an excuse to stay there. I want to speak life over them and pour into them not give them a reason to stay where they are at. I want to encourage women/ ladies to step up and step up. I can't wait to do a women's conf Just for pastors wives. I have gained so much experience where we currently are in loving and being like Jesus that i know someday a huge room is going to be filled with every kind of pw out there just getting loved on and filled up and excited about their calling!

I hope you now gain a better knowledge of where i've been and where we are going.

Tell me your story... girlfriendwithapurpose@gmail.com