September 11, 2014 Thursday Patriot day!

Did some kick boxing today.  Good day to kick butt on terrorism.  Go team!


Mark chapter 10 - We are a diverse religion.  The Bible speaks of many wars fought, but even though as Christians we are taught to be subservient, we are also told to put on the armor of faith.  I think the devil is unleashed right now, under a new name ISIS.  Pray for our soldiers and those around the world that are being confronted with this evil.  Now we are called to protect those who are losing the battle to terrorism.


On this day:
2005 -  Life goes on despite the many catastrophes that have happened.  At church on this day we remembered those lost on 911, and we were collecting money for the survivors of Katrina in New Orleans.  Later in the day, Mom and I went to the graveyard, my dad died on September 12, 1960.  Our lives do go on and we remember that we are still here to remember.


2001 - In the U.S., four airliners were hijacked and were intentionally crashed. Two airliners hit the World Trade Center, which collapsed shortly after, in New York City, NY. One airliner hit the Pentagon in Arlington, VA. Another airliner crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. About 3,000 people were killed.

2012 - Terrorists attacked the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Four Americans were brutally murdered and ten others were injured.  We need to forgive, but not forget.


Parenting - I was blessed with having my friend Monna drop off her grandson Abel with me yesterday.  Monna took Mom to church for Bible study with her ladies group, so I kept Abel in trade.  It was a good trade.  We played outside for a while.  When you haven't been around a 2 going on 3 year old in a while it is a reawakening.  Flip flops on a two year old can be pure entertainment on their own, especially on the wrong feet.  I haven't had a lunch of crackers, cheese and apple slices in quite a while either.  Great day!


Book Club - my book is coming along.  I have been managing to get at least an hour in every day.


Damascus Syria - Syria is welcoming our help to get rid of ISIS, but not to help their rebels that would help fight.  Understandably, they would then be armed to fight against their own government.  Let's look at some more history:

Modern[edit]

The Turkish Hospital in Damascus on 1 October 1918, shortly after the entry of the Australian 4th Light Horse Regiment

Damascus in flames as a result of the French air raid on 18 October 1925

The historical al-Merjeh square

In the early years of the 20th century, nationalist sentiment in Damascus, initially cultural in its interest, began to take a political colouring, largely in reaction to the turkicisation programme of the Committee of Union and Progress government established in Istanbul in 1908. The hanging of a number of patriotic intellectuals by Jamal Pasha, governor of Damascus, in Beirut and Damascus in 1915 and 1916 further stoked nationalist feeling, and in 1918, as the forces of the Arab Revolt and the British Imperial forces approached, residents fired on the retreating Turkish troops.
On 1 October 1918, T. E. Lawrence entered Damascus, the third arrival of the day, the first being the Australian 3rd Light Horse Brigade, led by Major A.C.N. 'Harry' Olden.^[46] Two days later, 3 October 1918, the forces of the Arab revolt led by Prince Faysal also entered Damascus.^[47] A military government under Shukri Pasha was named and Faisal ibn Hussein was proclaimed king of Syria. Political tension rose in November 1917, when the new Bolshevik government in Russia revealed the Sykes-Picot Agreement whereby Britain and France had arranged to partition the Arab east between them. A new Franco-British proclamation on 17 November promised the "complete and definitive freeing of the peoples so long oppressed by the Turks." The Syrian National Congress in March adopted a democratic constitution. However, the Versailles Conference had granted France a mandate over Syria, and in 1920 a French army commanded by the General Mariano Goybet crossed the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, defeated a small Syrian defensive expedition at the Battle of Maysalun and entered Damascus. The French made Damascus capital of their League of Nations Mandate for Syria.
When in 1925 the Great Syrian Revolt in the Hauran spread to Damascus, the French suppressed with heavy weaponry, bombing and shelling the city on 9 May 1926. As a result the area of the old city between Al-Hamidiyah Souq and Medhat Pasha Souq was burned to the ground, with many deaths, and has since then been known as al-Hariqa ("the fire"). The old city was surrounded with barbed wire to prevent rebels infiltrating from the Ghouta, and a new road was built outside the northern ramparts to facilitate the movement of armored cars.
On 21 June 1941, 3 weeks into the Allied Syria-Lebanon campaign, Damascus was captured from the Vichy French forces by a mixed British Indian and Free French force. The French agreed to withdraw in 1946, thus leading to the full independence of Syria. Damascus remained the capital. It doesn't appear that this country is ever destined for peace.


Enjoy the day!  Make it memorable!  Pray for our military.