noimnotclarence's photostream  

I can't believe it's been 10 years since the twin towers fell. I was 14 years old then. As I was sitting in gym class as a freshman in high school, I heard the announcement over the PA system by the principal that a dreadful thing has happened in our city.

As I waited for my own dad to pick me up, I watched hundreds of parents rush to the school to pick up their kids. I knew my dad was going to pick me up and my mom was alright. I couldn't help but think if... one of my classmates wouldn't have a mom or dad to pick them up.

I don't know if anyone close to me was directly affected but I'm sure there were many kids that never got that pick up by their parent or family member.

Yea, it still feels like yesterday.

Ever find yourself over-do for many post ups? I can't seem to catch up with the amount I shoot nor find a way to find freedom from needing to post all of them.

Anyways, I found this photo a special one that reminded me of some really good memories of the past year, one that had many challenging moments. Tough times, when you look back at them, can seem like only midst of faint memories as they take their block of time in life.

Being in the middle of these blocks of time though... what a whole different story.

But these stories, as tough as they may be... somehow today, they seem a little less tough. During those times, questions like "How was I able to go through it?" and "Is God even there?" may come up. Well, I asked them.

I would like to think my answers are:

I was not "able" to, not alone at least. And yes, yes he was and yes, he still is.

This summer has been a big starting point to a long journey of healing. I've been able to dig a little deeper into my past, see the hurts that I've gone through, process them, and continue to dig even deeper. I'll probably (almost certain) be digging and wrestling through these things for the rest of my life.

Speaking on freedom, a different kind, San Francisco has been know to be a very liberal place but not the kind of liberal I'm referring to. The city here seems to have indulged in too much of its freedom, resulting in a different kind of slavery. This really reminds me of quote from Tim Keller:

"Freedom is not so much an absence of restrictions as finding the right restrictions, the liberating restrictions." -Reason for God

The challenge of discovery truth and the initiative to break rules to find the principles is important but if the aspect of breaking rules to "feel" free is only goal... that is like letting someone get hit by the car because we wanted that person to do whatever they wanted to do.

(to be continued...)