I was living in Washington, DC, one mile from the Pentagon, on 9/11/2001. Living in DC, you are always aware of the target that area is. Before I moved to DC, I used to work 2 blocks from the World Trade Center. I would go there for lunch every now and then. I remember driving home from work after the attack, and people were waving large American Flags on the Bridge overpasses. I still remember exactly how it felt and the chills that went down my spine. Our country and society would never be the same. Three weeks after 9/11, I got married in a full dress military ceremony, in one of the most chaotic times in our history. I had not even followed up with any of the vendors, before that day, to make sure they would be there. My mind was elsewhere for sure. I can say that I was beyond tense with all of the stress going on. My relatives, that came into town, were too busy taking pictures at the Pentagon and talking about what had happened to even be mentally present for the wedding. I was numb on that day. My friend had to remind me to smile because it didn’t even occur to me to have that response. It was truly a somber time. We left to go to Scotland the next day, and I wasn’t even sure if that trip would happen, since flights were grounded for a time. Being in Scotland was no brief escape either because the people just wanted to talk to us about it all and give us support. I had dreamed about going to my ancestral homeland for decades, and this was not the trip I had desired. We couldn’t avoid watching the news either because we needed to know what was going on as well. Anthrax broke out, and there was an uncertainty as to how greatly we were going to be affected by this. It seemed like the whole world was suddenly on fire and out of control. Getting back onto US soil was long and exhausting. It all was far from a wonderful moment in my life. One thing I notice, maybe more than most probably, is that the children born around or after 9/11 only know our world in the aftermath of this destructive event. When I work with children, in my counseling practice, there is such a difference than when the previous generations were this age. The hope for a future, that is in their hands to mold and shape, has all but gone. Some kids are so lost that they appear to be on life support. They clutter their mind with distractions, and their voice speaks little about big dreams and visions for the future. I find myself resuscitating many back into believing that they do have a hope and a future. We, as a world, have faced very trying and difficult times before, and we have come through. But do we still believe fifteen years later that we will come through? It surely seems that we did not bounce back fully or completely from 2001. Dark times still loom, and hope still struggles to find our minds and hearts. “For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) ~When God’s word can no longer bring someone out of despair, we need to look at Who or What we have really put our Hope and Faith in. ~ God established the Prophetic Office at the very foundations and beginning. 50 "so that charges may be brought against this generation [holding them responsible] for the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah [the priest], who was murdered between the altar and the house of God. Yes, I tell you, charges will be brought against this generation.’” (Luke 11:50-51) Yes, Abel was the first prophet, and the enemy used someone closest to him to kill him. The enemy has no new game in town. His mission has always been to kill the prophetic. He will do whatever he can to cause you to abandon the Voice of God. Don’t be led around by a ring in your nose. I would say that Cain’s hatred for his brother went far deeper than the altar offerings. The enemy will plant seeds in your heart, and you have a choice to water them or starve those seeds until they disappear. In this hour, God is raising up a new prophetic voice that is necessary for our generations. The enemy has tried to silence God’s Voice and His chosen vessels long enough. God is sending you HOPE for a BRIGHT PROSPEROUS FUTURE! He is not winding things down, Exactly the opposite. God is coming over the whole Earth with His Power and Authority. He is Equipping the Saints with New weapons and Anointings to be the Answer to what this Lost and Dying World is suffering from. This is not time to abandon ship. We must seek God’s will to pray and declare it into the atmosphere. You are not helpless to influence the world. You are here for a divine purpose. Just think what our world would look like if Every Believer walked in their calling and destiny. We would be the unified and unstoppable force God is leading us towards. Teach your children that Hope IS Here and Here to Stay! God will answer what the enemy has done, and He will vindicate all that is owed to us. A few years ago, I started going through a season that I knew was coming but never could have imagined that it would become the most difficult or exhausting, than all prior seasons combined. I had 16 years to prepare and there were not too many months, during that 16 years, that I didn’t on some level think about what was to come. Sounds kind of heavy and to many, the weight of this would surely crush them. I didn’t know when it would come until December 2011, when God finally told me that it was time to finally end. In 2012, the enemy warred against me with an anger that I had not seen since my late 20’s. He pulled out all of the tricks, and although most tricks didn’t work, he did manage to find one that I fell hard into. The enemy caught me at a moment where my heart was completely open for the FIRST time in 20 years. I dropped my guard in one area of my life, and he went straight in to darken my heart. My logical mind could easily handle and defeat the enemy, but it was my gentle heart that he wanted to turn against God’s plan. I struggled and struggled for quite a long time. The relief that I prayed for just wouldn't come fully poured out. One day, God told me to stay grounded in laughter. Oddly, that is one thing that I am strongly known for. People have always been drawn to my sense of humor, but this was just not a side of me that I could bring out most days. Sure, I could fake it when I had to, and there were many times that I did exactly that. Sometimes, a season goes on far longer than we imagine, and for no reason or understanding that we can grasp. But the Sun will come out again, and the war will have been won in our favor. When life appears to be overwhelming and the mind does not see how the Sun will come out again, Remember God is the keeper of your days. He promises that we will love how this ends, but also that we will enjoy the journey. We must not look at what the enemy is doing in replacement of focusing on who Holds It All In His Hands. God is the answer and judge of our life. The world has had darker days than today, and God will turn it all around as He always has. 9/11/2001 ended, in a moment in time, the Chance and Opportunities for 2996 people to walk in the Destiny that God put inside of them within the womb. And yes, even those that the enemy used for evil, began their life with the potential for Good first given by God alone. As long as air still moves in your lungs, you have the Chance and Opportunity to walk in the amazing life God placed inside of you. Do not choose to fold up shop. It is time to rise up and be counted. America will come back to God. Trust that God does know what He is doing, and that He is arranging things to course correct and bring His divine order back once again. Stop and realize that the negative thoughts and viewpoints that plague your mind were planted by the enemy, as God would never do such a thing. It is okay to have fun and enjoy life without guilt. Yes, we are still in somber times in some respects, but God has not called us to remain in our mourning clothes. It is time to get out of the pit and BELIEVE with all of our hearts and minds that God is coming through. He is and will restore all that we lost! Go ahead and Be Grounded in Laughter and just watch and see what God does in and through your Unspeakable Joy.