Opening Prayer for Texas Firewalkers 9/11 Memorial Stairclimb

September 8, 2013

Welcome everyone -- so wonderful to have such a great turn out for the Texas FireWalkers memorial stair climb. For those that do not know me, My name is Tom Harkins, I was a Volly in NY and here in  Texas. I have now dedicated my life to the Chaplaincy with the Texas Firewalkers,I am here for you. And a big thank you to Pee Wee for giving me this opportunity.

We gather today to honor those gave their lives so that others may live on September 11, 2001, and this year we also carry ,February 18, 2013 in Bryan, Tx,  April 17, 2013 in West, TX, May 31 in Houston, and June 30th in Yarnell AZ in our hearts.

In Romans 5:3, it reads:  

    rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God  has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

   

I believe this passage sums up today to a Tee. Let us today rejoice in our sufferings.  Let us carry in our hearts the courage, and character of those we honor, and in doing so, let us feel the hope of the future.   

This is not a race , but a time of reflection on those lost.  A time to honor bravery and sacrifice.  A time to lift up and carry and hold close the friends and families of those that have given their all.  A time to share a message of endurance, and character and most importantly hope for the loved ones of the fallen.

Capt.Patrick Brown FDNY 3 Truck once  said "When the public needs help they call us, when we need help all we have is each other".  And while the path of grief is a personal one, we are proof here today the Brotherhood is still alive. That no matter how near or far, we are but one family, and we all do grieve the losses of our brothers and sisters.  

We thank the Lord for giving us these amazing men and women, and ask for continued blessings for their families, so they know they are not walking through this grief alone.I leave you wit the prayer of Fr Mychal Judge “  Lord take me where you want me to go, let me meet who you want me to meet, tell me what you want me to say, and keep me out of your way”

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing us to all be here today to give tribute to those we have lost on September 11, 2001 in New York, and all the other LODD’S across our great country.   

We ask that you bless the bodies of those about to climb and be with them every step of the physical, mental and emotional journey on which they are about to embark.

We ask that you continue to surround the families and friends of those that have entered your eternal kingdom with your unwavering love and comfort, and let their hearts be lighter for the shared sorrow we endure.

Please stay with and help lead the way for those that are fighting disease and cancer, and bless their families with the support, courage and love that will guide them through the fight. I know, Lord, that when the hours seem the darkest, your light shines the brightest, and we pray they will find strength in your light.

And I ask that you stay with all of us today, as we go forth from here. Bless us Oh Lord, and let us carry your love and strength through today, and into all of our tomorrows.

In Jesus name we pray,

Amen

© 2013 FirefighterBattlesCancer.blogspot.com, Tom Harkins, Gina Arnold

No part of this publication in part or in whole may be used without the express written permission of the authors/owners.

Missing you my neglected friends!

It has been WAY too long since we've posted an update here -- and I can't apologize enough! Tommy is in his 2nd year of remission and we continue to pray the cancer is gone for good. We're both back at work full time (and then some) now. 

Tommy has also continued his studies and is working on becoming a (non-denominational) Chaplain. I'm so very proud of him and his work to give back all the support and love he received during his cancer treatments. He has found this is a good platform, not only to spread the good word, but also to share experiences, and help the Brothers cope in especially difficult times.

 We're making plans for another milestone... His 50th birthday. Where better for the Chappie than Sin City? Wish us luck!

 Sept 8, Tommy will be leading the prayer for the Central Texas 9/11 Memorial Stair climb in Austin. The Memorial will also be honoring those lost in the West, TX explosion earlier this year. Our hearts and prayers continue to go out to the family and friends of those lost, as well as the community of West as a whole. More information on the Texas FireWalker's Page .  Tommy's son will be participating in the stair climb this year as well.   We encourage you all to come out and show your support.

Our hearts were broken at the news of the 19 firefighter deaths in Prescott, AZ at the Yarnell Fire.  An unbelievable tragedy, and send our deepest sympathies to the families, friends and communities of those lost.

As of this writing, there have already been 63 LODD's  this year in the fire service across the United States. It has been a terribly tragic year for the fire service.  Hoping the rest of the year is safer, and we don't see any more increase in that number.

Hold your loved ones close.

Video- Firefighter Cancer Support Network 2013

Hope....

“There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something tomorrow.” – Orison Swett Marden

Tommy had his six month and things are continuing to look good, lymph nodes smaller, white blood cell counts in the low normal range.  He is still in remission!  Praying the good news continues!

Couple events that have happened recently got me to thinking about hope.  One is Tommy’s dr. telling him that while he’s in remission now, recurrence from this particular cancer, as with any, is possible.  Which, we know, but it was something about it that just struck an ominous chord with me; it felt very defeating – like a rug pulled out from underneath us.  And while the doctor tried to be reassuring, noting all the new and different treatments out there, it still left the question of not if, but when.  It took away a good portion of the hope that life will become normalized sooner or later.  That nuclear scans and the endless poking and prodding will eventually be a thing of the past, let alone the hours in the infusion chair.  Hope that the bone pain, nausea and other side effects from chemo will never have to be considered again seems to unlikely.

Psychologically, this has done a number on both of us. Physically, the ongoing stress of work and then getting knocked upside the head with this news has made Tommy literally sick. The only answers I can give him, is the fear is normal, the wondering if it’s coming back is normal.  But even in remission, especially with the low white blood cells to fight off the infections, you are going to get colds and stomach flu’s.  While vigilance for the signs is important, it is also necessary to keep perspective.

Right now, instead of focusing on the “when” and the “ifs” a perspective change and looking at the positive will go a long, long way.   The good news is he’s in remission. 

And we can start moving forward with our tomorrows that we are dreaming about, and all the positives that is being mapped out in our lives.

Hope is very powerful-- sometimes it is all a person has. We will still cling to the hope we have – that the cancer is gone, and it will stay gone.  

“Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.” – Robert H. Schuller

Remembering 9/11/01

This, like every year since 2001, is a very solemn time spent in reverence for those we lost on 9/11/01.

This past Saturday Tommy participated in the Texas Firewalkers Memorial Stair Climb.  While he was not able to do the climb since he was recovering from having his chemo port removed; it was a deep honor to help, and extends humble gratitude to those that participated in the stair climb.

Prayers go out to those still hurting, still mourning and still grieving 11 years on.

Never Forget.

Mark You Calenders

Saturday, September 8, 2012  Tommy will be participating in the Austin stair climb to honor the 343 Firefighters murdered on Sept. 11, 2001.  Information on the stair climb can be found at Texas FireWalkers .

Last year, while going through chemo, Tommy was able to complete 55 stories.  While still not back to 100% from his chemo, hoping to increase the number of stories climbed.

Please take a moment to check out the Texas FireWalkers page.

Brotherhood & Sisterhood In Action

Donate to help get Sara L. Jones the Cancer Treatment she needs! 




We've joined up with Thebravest.com to help get Sara Jones the cancer treatment she needs.  All proceeds will go directly to Sara Jones, who is fighting stage 4 cancer.  Her last PET scan showed it had spread to bones and liver.  Donate now to give her this life saving opportunity, any amount is tremendously appreciated.

Thank you!