Some things need to be remembered...

...Like Hurricane Katrina and September 11th

President Bush has declared today a Day of Remembrance of Hurricane Katrina.

For those of us far away from the affected areas, this is a good reminder. It's easy to assume that things are fine now...after all, they've had an entire year to clean up and rebuild, right?

A closer look at the progress since Katrina hit should be a good splash of reality in the face of our naivete. The devastation is such that it will take years--many years in some cases--to rebuild.

As I blogged about last week, I was able to interview Don Elbourne, the pastor of Lakeshore Baptist Church in Lakeshore, Mississippi. I had heard and read that there is still much to be done, not only in New Orleans but in the hard-hit Mississippi Gulf Coast region, but my interview with Don really brought it home.

If you haven't already read the post, which includes sound clips from the interview, I urge you to do so:

Katrina One Year Later: A Mississippi church continues to rebuild

What better way to remember, on this day of remembrance, than to hear the story of one church and to be reminded of the needs that remain?

Remembering 9/11

You may have noticed this new graphic on my sidebar:

I Remember
Jean Hoadley Peterson
United Airlines Flight 93

That message is there because I'm one of 2,996 bloggers who have signed up to observe September 11th by memorializing one its victims.

The project is called, simply, 2,996. From the site: "2,996 is a tribute to the victims of 9/11.

"On September 11, 2006, 2,996 volunteer bloggers
will join together for a tribute to the victims of 9/11.
Each person will pay tribute to a single victim.

"We will honor them by remembering their lives,
and not by remembering their murderers."

On Monday, the 2.996th name was assigned, but if you didn't sign up, check the site for other ways that you can remember the victims on 9/11.

Because some things need to be remembered.