Hurricane Sandy Hits the East Coast

Oct 30th 2012

Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast of the U.S. with forceful winds and severe flooding after devastating parts of Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Cuba. Early reports state that NY, NJ and CT are the worst hit. I just saw some footage of the aftermath and I'm in shock.

NY looks almost post-apocalyptic and the Jersey Shore is almost gone. I know what it's like to live through a hurricane and the hard weeks and months of recovery so I'm praying hard for all those affected by this mega-storm.

Update: Oct 31st 2012
Subways are still closed and power still out for most of the affected areas of New York City and the Jersey Shore looks totalled. News reports are stating that 66 people have died due to the storm in the U.S. plus the number that died in the Caribbean.

Update: Nov 5th 2012

NBC/Universal did a Sandy Relief Telethon with performances by New York and New Jersey natives, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Mary J. Blige plus Jimmy Fallon, Steve Tyler, Christina Aguilera and more. They raised more than 20 million dollars which they will donate to the American Red Cross for relief funds for the Hurrican Sandy victims. Reports now state that over 100 deaths have been directly related to the storms effects in the U.S.

Update: Nov 8th 2012
Ecclesia Church is partnering with Samaritan's Purse and Reformation Hope to raise funds for Hurricane Sandy Relief in the Northeast and Haiti. Ecclesia Church will match $1 for each $1 donated in hopes of raising 20k. To Donate go to  www.churchinhollywood.com/#/giving/hurricane-relief

9-11 Ten Years Later

9/11 And Prayer:

Mayor Bloomsberg is keeping prayer and Christian religious leaders out from the memorial ceremonies but God bless Bishop TD Jakes for posting a wonderful prayer at www.huffingtonpost.com!

9-11 was all about our need for God and prayer. I was in DC during the 911 attacks then I was blessed to have been able to provide health care to the World Trade Center survivors and first responders for 2 years in NY/NJ after 9/11. Though these first responders and survivors struggled with the horrors of what they experienced, all of those I met were Christians and they expressed their faith in and need for God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).

Many had respiratory problems and all had great emotional scars which needed attending. We arranged for them to get the appropriate medical and mental health specialty care for free but many still asked for help through our mutual faith and so I would hold their hand or shoulder and pray with them in the quiet of a small exam room.

I recited every healing scripture I could remember and held them all like family. I let them know that they were "mighty men and women of valor" and that they made me proud to be an American. I told them that I and everyone I knew had been praying for them since the first plane hit nearly a year before, though we'd never met any of them.

I told them that their experiences and heroic acts that day were the reason I had gotten over my own medical problems of chronic pain and burn-out to return to medicine and to be now caring for them in their time of need. I told them that they had inspired me to believe God for healing even more than I've ever done in my 20 years of medicine!

After some "AMEN"s and a few tears, we were all very comforted and ready to continue the fight of faith for our healing. I have since moved on from New York and New Jersey and from medicine but I still pray for these men and women even now, 10 years later. I also pray for all the families who lost love ones in the World Trade Center attack, Flight 11, Flight 77, Flight 175 and Flight 93.

I tell all who are in need of healing of any kind, "Believe in the Great Physician! Believe GOD!" and "may God bless the USA!"