Thanks!

A huge "Thank You!" to all of you who wished me a happy birthday yesterday. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. It made my day.

And I totally asked for all the "You rock"s; hope nobody minded too much. <sheepish grin> For all my bravado, I still have significant need of encouragement. So, thanks for indulging me.

And while I'm thanking people, I feel like I should give a big thanks to the men and women who have served to help others after 9/11 and continue to fight for our freedoms.

I remember hearing about the "bombing" of the Two Towers while walking across my sunny college campus. It was almost two and a half years after Columbine, and I was jaded. The events of 9/11 were all anyone talked about for weeks, just like the shooting that happened a few miles from my school. Several kids from my youth group attended Columbine. So, the towers collapsing wasn't nearly as close to home.

I am grateful for the many people who gave of their lives on this day 7 years ago and in the following aftermath.

But another issue weighs on my heart today: I think of those who have recently lost children. My heart breaks for those families. I wish I had words, but I don't. These rather disjointed thoughts remind me of the passage in Romans 12:15 where we are told to rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

That can be very hard to do, especially when we have those around us on opposite sides of the spectrum. But we get to practice this all the time in the blogosphere and when we pray for each other.

So, again, thanks for all well-wishes on my birthday. It really made my day. And today I am praying for those who have lost loved ones... especially those who have recently lost a child.

I'm praying for you.

~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father