9/11 – Grits with Grace

Grace, gratitude, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful

The Power of Remembering

Posted on September 11, 2025September 9, 2025 by Dewayne Taylor

“Then if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

It was a beautiful Sunday morning in December 1941…of course, almost every day in Hawaii is a beautiful day. The skies were blue, the breeze was gentle, and it was the one day when at least some of the sailors and soldiers could sleep in. Then, at 7:55 am Hawaii time, a swarm of Japanese aircraft attacked without warning killing 2,403 military and civilians. In a brief moment in time the United States was at war with Japan and was thrown into World War II. President Franklin Roosevelt famously called December 7th, “a day that will live in infamy.” The battle cry throughout the Pacific War was “Remember Pearl Harbor.”

Fast forward with me sixty years. It was a beautiful Tuesday morning in September 2001. The sky was a deep blue without a cloud in the sky and then it happened. Without warning, at 8:06 am EDT, a hijacked airliner crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. A short time later, at 9:03 am EDT, the South Tower was also struck. Unbelievably, a third airliner crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37 am EDT, with a final airliner, most likely destined for Washington D.C., crashed into a Pennsylvania field at 10:03 am. In all, these attacks killed 2,977 innocent people…more than the attack on Pearl Harbor. The cry after September 11th or 9/11, was, “We will never forget.”

Though it is hard to believe, 24 years have come and gone since that horrific morning in September. Most can remember exactly what they were doing that day as the events unfolded on national television. In a brief moment in time, our world was changed forever. As we observe what is now called Patriot Day, we must renew our vow to never forget those tragic minutes and the days, weeks, months and years that followed.

I well remember how for a brief moment in time our country stood united. While it didn’t last long, only a couple of days, it showed us, it taught us, the power and beauty of unity. But then, as always, finger pointing and blame throwing ruled the day and unity slipped through our fingers like loosely held sand. And if we are not careful, time will further rob us of the reverence owed to so many and the honor for those who gave their lives trying to save others. And that too would be a tragedy.

On this 24th observance of 9/11, I hope you will join millions of others and make sure we never forget. Take time to pause and reflect and remember. I know these are difficult days and in so many ways we are frustrated and filled with doubt and fear. But remember two things. First and foremost, the God who created all of this is greater than any circumstance that we may face. He knows our past and is willing to forgive. And He knows the future and is willing to walk with us. Don’t lose hope and don’t lose faith. He is able and willing.

Let me also encourage you not to lose hope in America. With all her warts and flaws she is still the best country in the world. Having visited a couple of dozen countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia, I can tell you there is no place like America. Rare is the country where people are free to worship and live like we do. In the New Testament book called the Gospel of John, many people decided to no longer follow Jesus. He looked at His followers and said, “Will you leave me too?” One of them spoke up and said, “Where would we go? You alone have the words of life.” That is so true and before we throw America under the bus, be sure you know the answer to the question, “Where would you go.” There is no place like home and no place like America.

So, let’s not forget. Let’s show the world we are a people that remember so we can honor. Let’s show the world that while we are not perfect, we do believe in our God and our country. God made a promise to His people, and it is one that we can claim for ourselves. He said, “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sins and heal their land.” It was true for them, and it is true for any people willing to put God first. To sum it all up, it simply means…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Grace, life, Military memories, priorities, Trials, wisdom

It’s A New…

Posted on March 31, 2025March 30, 2025 by Dewayne Taylor

“Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.” 1 Timothy 6:6-7

They say confession is good for the soul so here goes. When it comes to buying cars…I just seem to be inherently dumb. Naw…that’s probably too strong. I think I am just unwise. My first new car was a 1973 Volkswagen Super Beetle. I was so proud of that car. It was bright orange with a black racing stripe, and I had even jazzed it up some. I added exhaust headers, dual point ignition, a two-barrel carburetor, and an under-dash AM-FM radio, cassette player. Shoot that thing…it was so cool. And then…I got bored. Here’s a warning. When you get bored with your car, do not under any circumstances go to a car lot. Well, I did and even when the credit union said no, the nice man at the Toyota dealership said yes. My payments went from $83.00 per month to $135.00 per month which doesn’t sound bad till you realize I was in the Air Force and only making about $400 a month.

I think that whole deal turned out pretty good. When I met my wife Judy, I think she was impressed with my 5-speed Toyota Corona SE and later when we got orders for Germany, we were able to sell it and just about break even. I wish I could tell you I learned my lesson but sometimes, and especially when it comes to cars, I am just a slow learner. And when the car bug bites—Katie bar the door. The year was 2001. We were just beginning our ministry at a new church and getting settled into a new house and a new town. On September 11th of that year the terrorists knocked down the twin towers in New York and our country was stunned. To boost the economy President Bush encouraged the carmakers to get America back on the road again. He also encouraged people to go out and buy a new car. So, I did. Twice.

I asked Judy what she thought about buying a car and not surprisingly she was totally against it. However, we had money in the bank from selling our previous home, and so I went to the dealership and came home with a new car. It was brand-new Pontiac Grand Am and I got it with 2% financing. “Yay” I said…for a while. After owning the car for about six months or so, I noticed there was whine when the air conditioning was on. They checked it out and said it was normal. Well, I knew it wasn’t normal, so I went back…several times. Finally, the guy who sold me the car in the first place told me to come and he would “work something out.” This isn’t going to end well, is it?

I went in and I just assumed he was going to give me full credit for the car since in my eyes it was “defective.” Well, he didn’t and by this time I was up to my eyeballs with “I.Want.It-itis.” Yup, I traded my new car in, took a big loss, and bought another new car…one that was a little bigger and, of course, a little more expensive. It was a bad deal from start to finish. I felt so bad about it, and the fact I was in debt, that I depleted a chunk of our savings to go ahead and pay it off. I thought it would make me feel better. It didn’t. I told you I was a slow learner.

The really, sad, sad part of this story is that about a year later I wrecked the car and because of depreciation I could only replace it with an older used car. But…there is light at the end of this tunnel. You see, that was almost twenty years ago and while I have bought and sold cars several times…I never again made the mistake of buying a new car. I discovered that you could buy a four or five year old car for about half the price of a new one. How about that? I also relearned the important principle of BBQ grills. A long time ago, I heard a guy teaching and he said, “Don’t look for a new BBQ grill unless you are ready to buy a new grill.” That’s good advice, and it applies to many areas of life.

There’s a lot to be said for contentment. The Bible says, “True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.” One Sunday I was speaking at the church where I pastord and reached this conclusion. I said, “We need to learn two things. First, Jesus is enough. Second, the world is never enough.” That alone is worth your time in reading this story.

The truth is the things that really bring satisfaction can’t be bought in a store…they are free. And at the top of that list is a relationship with Creator God. That will cost you nothing because Jesus paid that price a long time ago. If you seek satisfaction anywhere else, it will cost you and it just won’t satisfy. Someone said there is a God shaped hole in the life of every man, woman, and child. We can try and stuff other things in that hole, but it will always fall short.

So, I hope my car misadventures will help you learn and avoid the hard way. And I hope you will give God a try. Remember, don’t confuse church and religion with a relationship with God. One of the things that makes my life worth living is that He is my Dearest Daddy, and He loves me 100%—100% of the time. He will never leave me…even when I make those less than wise decisions. And when I fail and fall…He is always there with the assurance that “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, friends, gratitude, heaven, life, loving others, Military memories, priorities, Scripture, spiritual battles, Trials, USA, wisdom

The Power of Remembering

Posted on September 11, 2024September 7, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

Then if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Though it is hard to believe, 23 years have come and gone since that horrific morning in September. Most can remember exactly what they were doing that day as the events unfolded on national television. In a brief moment in time, our world was changed forever. As we observe what is now called Patriot Day, we must renew our vow to never forget those tragic minutes and the days, weeks, months and years that followed.

On this 23rd observance of 9/11, I hope you will join millions of others and make sure we never forget. Take time to pause and reflect and remember. I know these are difficult days and in so many ways we are frustrated and filled with doubt and fear. But remember two things. First and foremost, the God who created all of this is greater than any circumstance that we may face. He knows our past and is willing to forgive. And He knows the future and is willing to walk with us. Don’t lose hope and don’t lose faith. He is able and willing.

Family, fear, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, travel, Trials, USA

Head to the Exit and Live

Posted on March 14, 2024March 11, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

Most of us have memories of that bright but dark morning in September 2001—9/11. I know for me I can remember walking into the office and my secretary breaking the limited news to me. A plane had crashed into one of the Twin Towers. “How big” I asked. She didn’t know…there was so much we didn’t know but we all learned quickly as it played out on national television.

One of the stories I remember was written by someone who was going to fly commercially in the crazy days following 9/11. Of course, for a period of time every aircraft was grounded but slowly things returned to a semblance of normal. He was sitting on the plane and he realized something was different. Before 9/11 everyone would chat and get settled in their seats while the flight attendants busily gave the safety briefing. Honestly, virtually no one ever listened to their briefing. But that morning it was different.

As the flight attendants spoke, the entire plane seemed to hang onto every word. The role aircraft played in the attack changed everything. People always needed to know but that morning they wanted to know. After all, what if it happened…again? They finally realized that it was important to know where the closest exit was…and as the flight attendant always emphasized…even if it was behind them.

As I thought about that…I thought about this. Isn’t that true when it comes to temptation and sin? Shouldn’t we listen to what the Bible says about temptations and exits? Shouldn’t we train ourselves to know where the closest exit from temptation is? The bottom line is we are going to be tempted…get used to it. But we have this amazing promise from God. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.” Wow…that is a promise.

If you pay attention to the safety briefing you can have confidence that you will know where the exit is when you need it. If you listen to God, you can also be confident an exit will be there when Satan messes with you and throws temptations your way. When you combine this promise with the power of the Holy Spirit, well, all of a sudden that temptation that seemed so impossible to overcome is defeated. How about that.

Never forget that God is so for you. He not only wants you to win…He makes your winning a priority. What we can’t do on our own…we can do with Him. But remember this…a passenger on a crashed airliner has to make the decision to head for the closest exit. If they don’t take action, they probably won’t survive. Act and live…it is that simple. So, listen to the safety briefing of life, God gives it every day, in fact it is what His Book is all about. Listen and read…and live. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials, USA, wisdom

The Power of Remembering

Posted on September 10, 2021September 9, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

Then if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Though it is hard to believe, 20 years have come and gone since that horrific morning in September. Most can remember exactly what they were doing that day as the events unfolded on national television. In a brief moment in time, our world was changed forever. As we observe what is now called, Patriot Day, we must renew our vow to never forget those tragic minutes and the days, weeks, months and years that followed.

I well remember how for a brief moment in time our country stood united. While it didn’t last long, only a couple of days, it showed us, it taught us, the power and beauty of unity. But then, as always, finger pointing and blame throwing, ruled the day and unity slipped through our fingers like loosely held sand. And if we are not careful, time will further rob us of the reverence owed to so many and the honor for those who gave their lives trying to save others. And that too would be a tragedy.

On this twentieth observance of 9/11, I hope you will join millions of others and make sure we never forget. Take time to pause and reflect and remember. I know these are difficult days and in so many ways we are frustrated and filled with doubt and fear. But remember two things. First and foremost, the God who created all of this is greater than any circumstance that we may face. He knows our past and is willing to forgive. And, He knows the future and is willing to walk with us. Don’t lose hope and don’t lose faith. He is able and willing.

Let me also encourage you not to lose hope in America. With all her warts and flaws she is still the best country in the world. Having visited a couple of dozen countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia, I can tell you there is no place like America. Rare is the country where a people are free to worship and live like we do. In the New Testament book called the Gospel of John, many people decided to no longer follow Jesus. He looked at His followers and said, “Will you leave me too?” One of them spoke up and said, “Where would we go? You alone have the words of life.” That is so true and before we throw America under the bus, be sure you know the answer to the question, “Where would you go.” There is no place like home and no place like America.

So let’s not forget. Let’s show the world we are a people that remember so we can honor. Let’s show the world that while we are not perfect, we do believe in our God and our country. God made a promise to His people and it is one that we can claim for ourselves. He said, “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sins and heal their land.” It was true for them and it is true for any people willing to put God first. To sum it all up, it simply means…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne