September 11, 2025 • 14 mins
In this episode, I invite you to join me in a space of reflection and grief as we remember the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and process a heartbreaking loss —the assassination of Charlie Kirk at a local Utah college campus, just yesterday. This episode isn’t about politics or debate; it’s about real pain, raw emotions, and the challenge of holding onto faith when the world feels broken.
Together, we walk through the weight of shock, anger, fear, and sadness that tragedies bring, and explore how God meets us in those moments of deepest brokenness. I share comforting scriptures that have carried me—and countless others—through grief, and wisdom from voices who have faced unimaginable darkness yet found hope.
This episode offers gentle encouragement for those wrestling with spiritual confusion and pain, reminding us that grief takes time, presence matters more than perfect words, and hope anchored in God’s love is real and unshakable. You’ll hear five practical ways to turn pain into purpose today—from honest prayer to sharing your story—and a heartfelt reminder that even when the world shakes, God holds us steady.
Whether you’re remembering the lives lost on 9/11, grappling with the tragedy unfolding yesterday, or simply seeking peace in a turbulent world, this episode offers a sanctuary of compassion, faith, and hope. You’re not alone.
Visit www.hollycurby.com for more information and to sign up for the monthly Holly's Happenings e-newsletter. Holly's Highlights podcast and the opinions and ideas shared within it are for entertainment purposes only. The advice should be confirmed with a qualified professional.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hi, friend, welcome to Holly's Highlights, a podcast
designed to encourage, inspireand equip you to intentionally
live your life full of purpose.
I'm your host, holly Kirby,motivational speaker, leadership
cultivator, marketingstrategist and personal
cheerleader.
Let's check out today'shighlights.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Do you want an afternoon out with some
self-care and some exciting swagbags?
Well, my name's Camille Bauerand I own Spavia Sandy Day Spa
and I would love to invite youto our open house Saturday,
september 27th, from 10 am to 2pm.
Grab a girlfriend, come on downand check out our complimentary
(00:43):
chair massages, mini facialsand our swag bags for the first
50 guests.
We can't wait to see you andgive you an open house of our
amazing day spa.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Hey friends, thanks for joining me today.
This episode is one of thosethat's hard to do, but also one
I feel deeply called to share.
Today we're taking time topause and reflect.
We're remembering the tragedyof 9-11, and we're also grieving
another shocking loss theassassination of Charlie Kirk,
(01:17):
which happened just yesterdayright here in Utah on a local
college campus.
It hits especially close tohome in Utah, on a local college
campus.
It hits especially close tohome.
My daughter goes to that schooland someone in my family,
someone I love dearly, wasstanding just a few rows away
when it happened.
I got the text I'm okay, butthere's been a shooting and then
I called and I heard the panicin the background as it all
(01:39):
unfolded.
It was surreal, and thisepisode isn't about politics,
but it's about real life, realpain and real faith.
It's about how we carry thesemoments together and how we let
God meet us in the middle of themess.
I want to take you back for aminute.
(02:00):
September 11th of 2001.
I was sitting on my bedwatching the news planes
crashing into buildings, smoke,fire, chaos.
It looked like something out ofan action movie, and yet it was
all too real.
I went to work, trying to goabout my day and there was my
(02:21):
boss crying.
Her brother was in New York andshe couldn't get a hold of him.
We ended up closing the mallthat day and it just felt like
the world stopped.
Some things you just don'tforget, like 2,977 lives lost
that day, thousands more injured, not just physically but
(02:47):
emotionally and spiritually.
Families were torn apart, firstresponders risked everything
and life was never quite thesame again that day.
I remember many people askingwhere is God in all of this?
Well, yesterday's events wereshocking.
Charlie Kirk was killed duringa public debate right here in
Utah and, as I shared, someone Ilove witnessed it.
(03:09):
He was just a few rows away andI can't fully describe what
it's like to get that kind of amessage, to hear the fear in
someone's voice while they'restill in the middle of it.
But it did bring me back tothat 9-11 feeling.
This can't be happening, but itwas.
It's scary, it's heartbreakingand it shakes you to your core.
(03:32):
But even in that space, wheneverything feels upside down, I
do believe that God still speaks.
Sometimes it's in a whisper,sometimes it's in a whisper,
sometimes in the silence, buthe's there and when life falls
apart, here's what I lean onGod's word, some verses that
(04:00):
have carried me and many of youthrough.
Psalms 34, 18,.
The Lord is close to thebrokenhearted and saves those
who are crushed in spirit.
Psalms 46, one-3.
God is our refuge and strength,a very present help in trouble.
We will not fear even if theearth gives way.
And Romans 8, 38-39.
Nothing, not death, not fear,not anything in this world can
(04:22):
separate us from the love of God.
Martin Luther King Jr said wemust accept finite
disappointment but never loseinfinite hope.
Helen Keller what we have onceenjoyed deeply, we can never
lose.
And Holocaust survivor ElieWiesel Even in darkness it is
(04:45):
possible to create light.
Whether reflecting on 9-11 orhearing of the tragedy from
yesterday, you might be feelingshock it all happened so fast.
Anger at the injustice, at theviolence, fear, wondering what's
safe anymore, sadness for whatwas lost and what could have
been.
You might even feel spirituallylost, wondering where God is in
(05:10):
all of this.
And that's okay, that's real.
And sometimes faith starts inthat exact place where we feel
broken and we feel confused.
Here's what I know God's planscan't be thwarted.
He knew this would happen,whether it be 9 or 11 or
yesterday's attack, and we maynot understand it and it is not
(05:33):
from him, but I fully trust that, as his word tells us, he can
take what Satan has meant toharm us and God can use it for
his glory and our good.
As my brother texted me earlier, we may never know the side of
heaven just how many livesCharlie reached through the
seeds he planted and as my dadhas shared for all of my life,
(05:55):
god is not the author ofconfusion, but of clarity.
So what do we do now?
Well, I'd encourage five thingsto remember.
First, grief takes time.
There's no quick fix forheartbreak.
When I was going through apainful and wanted divorce, my
mom told me God is going to usethis, holly, but you have to
(06:17):
walk through it first and youknow what.
She was right.
The healing takes time.
So be gentle with yourself.
There is no time clock ongrieving.
Number two just being therematters Sometimes.
You don't need the perfectwords, just show up, sit with
someone in their pain, just likeJob's friends did before they
(06:39):
spoke.
Presence matters.
I've shared before.
I'll never forget my dearfriend who came and sat with me
as I picked out what I was goingto wear to my mother's funeral.
Your presence matters, myfriend.
Number three speak truth, butspeak it with love.
We can't stay silent in theface of pain, but we also don't
(07:03):
need to yell it, as I share inmy book Facelift Embracing Hope
Through your Heartaches.
Be cautious to post on socialmedia or send a text or an email
when we're tired, when we'reemotional, even when we're
hangry.
Instead, we need to bringcompassion and courage and
clarity.
Speak truth, but speak it withlove.
(07:25):
Number four don't isolate.
After 9-11, strangers becameneighbors.
People showed up, supportgroups formed.
We need each other now morethan ever.
This morning I took some timeoff to simply just be with a
friend for coffee, as she hadreached out regarding walking
through a traumatic event in herlife right now, and then I
(07:46):
spent some time with my daughterfor a drive, as we just
processed our thoughts andfeelings of what has occurred
and just how close to home ithit, as that's her college
campus.
Don't isolate.
Number five hope is our anchor.
Not empty optimism, but real,soul, deep hope, the kind that
(08:08):
believes light will come again,that love wins, that death
doesn't have the final word.
As believers we know, in theend God wins.
Hebrews 6 and 19 tells us thatwe have this hope as an anchor
for the soul, firm and secure.
The Lord, our God, is our hope.
Keep hope as an anchor for thesoul, firm and secure.
The Lord, our God, is our hope.
Keep hope as that anchor,wherever you are right now.
(08:33):
I just want to say if your heartis broken, this is a safe space
.
You're not alone.
If you feel far from God,longing is not the opposite of
faith, it just might be thebeginning of it.
And if it all feels like toomuch, take a deep breath and
then take one step at a time.
(08:53):
Five things that you can dotoday to help turn that pain
into purpose would be, first andforemost, pray with honesty.
Don't hold back.
Talk to God like he's yourclose friend.
Let him into the hurt, to theworry, to the fears, to the
concerns, to the anxieties.
Prayer is powerful andeffective, my friends.
(09:15):
And if you're not sure how topray, I'd welcome you to check
out season three, episode five,right here on Holly's Highlights
.
We'll walk you through it.
Second of all, help someone.
A kind word, a meal, a message,small things carry big weight.
And if you're not sure how tohelp, again right here, spread
light, not hate, as I tell mychildren and my team at work,
(09:56):
we're not going to always agreewith each other, we're not
always going to see eye to eyeor even get along, but we can
always treat each other withdignity and respect and always
rooted in love.
Number four plug into acommunity, go to church, join a
group, volunteer in your area, aschool, a shelter, even open up
(10:17):
your home to others.
Get plugged in.
And number five tell your story.
Even if it's messy, your storycan give someone else hope.
Hence the creation of Facelift,embracing hope through your
heartaches and even the BaptistPress reaching out to my brother
and him being so vulnerable toshare what he experienced
(10:39):
yesterday and what he witnessedin the encounter of the
assassination, witnessed in theencounter of the assassination.
Tell your story.
You never know who you canreach, who you can encourage
through simply being open andhonest.
Let me leave you with thispromise from God.
Isaiah 41, 10 says do not fear,for I am with you.
(11:02):
Do not be afraid, for I am yourGod.
I will strengthen you and helpyou.
I will hold you up even whenthe world shakes.
God is steady.
Even when we feel broken, heholds the pieces.
Even in darkness, his lightstill shines, wow.
(11:22):
Thank you, jesus.
Now, if you're listening, rightnow, take a moment, breathe,
acknowledge what you're feeling,reach out to someone.
Don't go through this alone andlet today be a day where you
live love, even in small ways.
Now to the families who lostloved ones on 9-11, we still
(11:45):
remember, we still grieve withyou.
I'm so grateful for theopportunity to have visited
where the Twin Towers once stoodwith my sister last year on our
girls' trip to pay respect tothe fallen.
To the families, you still havemy deepest respect and
condolences and each year I haveprayed and commit to continue
(12:05):
to pray for you.
May God meet you where you are.
To every service member,veteran and first responder,
thank you, the sacrifices of youand your families.
They matter.
As a parent of a daughter incollege pursuing a career in
firefighting and a high schoolson serving as a cadet with our
local police force inpreparation for his future in
(12:26):
law enforcement, my heart iswith you.
I acknowledge that I haven'tseen it firsthand, but I deeply
respect and empathize with thepath you have walked and are
walking and the strength ittakes.
Thank you To the Kirk family, tohis friends, to those who loved
(12:47):
him and knew him.
We are praying for you.
May his legacy of courage,conviction and care for the next
generation continue to shine.
Oh, that every knee would bowand every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord.
Thank you for holding thisspace with me today.
May we carry remembrance in ourhearts and hope in our steps
(13:11):
and faith in our souls, today,tomorrow, always, in the words
of Stuart Townsend in Christalone my hope is found.
He is my light, my strength, mysong, my comforter, my all in
all.
Here in the power of Christ, Istand no power of hell, no
(13:32):
scheme of man can ever pluck mefrom his hand Till he returns or
calls me home.
Here, in the power of Christ,I'll stand.
The power of Christ I'll standUntil next time.
Stay anchored, stay kind, staystrong and be of good courage.
(13:57):
Thank you for joining me onthis journey of life.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
I hope that today's highlight has been encouraging,
inspiring and equipping so youcan go out and live your life
full of purpose.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
I'd be honored if you'd take a moment to leave a
review or, better yet, subscribe.
We can also stay in touch byjoining my email list at
hollykirbycom.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
That's H-O-L-L-Y-C-U-R-B-Ycom.
Until next time.
Make it a great day for a greatday.
Hi, friend, welcome to Holly's Highlights, a podcast
designed to encourage, inspireand equip you to intentionally
live your life full of purpose.
I'm your host, holly Kirby,motivational speaker, leadership
cultivator, marketingstrategist and personal
cheerleader.
Let's check out today'shighlights.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Do you want an afternoon out with some
self-care and some exciting swagbags?
Well, my name's Camille Bauerand I own Spavia Sandy Day Spa
and I would love to invite youto our open house Saturday,
september 27th, from 10 am to 2pm.
Grab a girlfriend, come on downand check out our complimentary
(00:43):
chair massages, mini facialsand our swag bags for the first
50 guests.
We can't wait to see you andgive you an open house of our
amazing day spa.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Hey friends, thanks for joining me today.
This episode is one of thosethat's hard to do, but also one
I feel deeply called to share.
Today we're taking time topause and reflect.
We're remembering the tragedyof 9-11, and we're also grieving
another shocking loss theassassination of Charlie Kirk,
(01:17):
which happened just yesterdayright here in Utah on a local
college campus.
It hits especially close tohome in Utah, on a local college
campus.
It hits especially close tohome.
My daughter goes to that schooland someone in my family,
someone I love dearly, wasstanding just a few rows away
when it happened.
I got the text I'm okay, butthere's been a shooting and then
I called and I heard the panicin the background as it all
(01:39):
unfolded.
It was surreal, and thisepisode isn't about politics,
but it's about real life, realpain and real faith.
It's about how we carry thesemoments together and how we let
God meet us in the middle of themess.
I want to take you back for aminute.
(02:00):
September 11th of 2001.
I was sitting on my bedwatching the news planes
crashing into buildings, smoke,fire, chaos.
It looked like something out ofan action movie, and yet it was
all too real.
I went to work, trying to goabout my day and there was my
(02:21):
boss crying.
Her brother was in New York andshe couldn't get a hold of him.
We ended up closing the mallthat day and it just felt like
the world stopped.
Some things you just don'tforget, like 2,977 lives lost
that day, thousands more injured, not just physically but
(02:47):
emotionally and spiritually.
Families were torn apart, firstresponders risked everything
and life was never quite thesame again that day.
I remember many people askingwhere is God in all of this?
Well, yesterday's events wereshocking.
Charlie Kirk was killed duringa public debate right here in
Utah and, as I shared, someone Ilove witnessed it.
(03:09):
He was just a few rows away andI can't fully describe what
it's like to get that kind of amessage, to hear the fear in
someone's voice while they'restill in the middle of it.
But it did bring me back tothat 9-11 feeling.
This can't be happening, but itwas.
It's scary, it's heartbreakingand it shakes you to your core.
(03:32):
But even in that space, wheneverything feels upside down, I
do believe that God still speaks.
Sometimes it's in a whisper,sometimes it's in a whisper,
sometimes in the silence, buthe's there and when life falls
apart, here's what I lean onGod's word, some verses that
(04:00):
have carried me and many of youthrough.
Psalms 34, 18,.
The Lord is close to thebrokenhearted and saves those
who are crushed in spirit.
Psalms 46, one-3.
God is our refuge and strength,a very present help in trouble.
We will not fear even if theearth gives way.
And Romans 8, 38-39.
Nothing, not death, not fear,not anything in this world can
(04:22):
separate us from the love of God.
Martin Luther King Jr said wemust accept finite
disappointment but never loseinfinite hope.
Helen Keller what we have onceenjoyed deeply, we can never
lose.
And Holocaust survivor ElieWiesel Even in darkness it is
(04:45):
possible to create light.
Whether reflecting on 9-11 orhearing of the tragedy from
yesterday, you might be feelingshock it all happened so fast.
Anger at the injustice, at theviolence, fear, wondering what's
safe anymore, sadness for whatwas lost and what could have
been.
You might even feel spirituallylost, wondering where God is in
(05:10):
all of this.
And that's okay, that's real.
And sometimes faith starts inthat exact place where we feel
broken and we feel confused.
Here's what I know God's planscan't be thwarted.
He knew this would happen,whether it be 9 or 11 or
yesterday's attack, and we maynot understand it and it is not
(05:33):
from him, but I fully trust that, as his word tells us, he can
take what Satan has meant toharm us and God can use it for
his glory and our good.
As my brother texted me earlier, we may never know the side of
heaven just how many livesCharlie reached through the
seeds he planted and as my dadhas shared for all of my life,
(05:55):
god is not the author ofconfusion, but of clarity.
So what do we do now?
Well, I'd encourage five thingsto remember.
First, grief takes time.
There's no quick fix forheartbreak.
When I was going through apainful and wanted divorce, my
mom told me God is going to usethis, holly, but you have to
(06:17):
walk through it first and youknow what.
She was right.
The healing takes time.
So be gentle with yourself.
There is no time clock ongrieving.
Number two just being therematters Sometimes.
You don't need the perfectwords, just show up, sit with
someone in their pain, just likeJob's friends did before they
(06:39):
spoke.
Presence matters.
I've shared before.
I'll never forget my dearfriend who came and sat with me
as I picked out what I was goingto wear to my mother's funeral.
Your presence matters, myfriend.
Number three speak truth, butspeak it with love.
We can't stay silent in theface of pain, but we also don't
(07:03):
need to yell it, as I share inmy book Facelift Embracing Hope
Through your Heartaches.
Be cautious to post on socialmedia or send a text or an email
when we're tired, when we'reemotional, even when we're
hangry.
Instead, we need to bringcompassion and courage and
clarity.
Speak truth, but speak it withlove.
(07:25):
Number four don't isolate.
After 9-11, strangers becameneighbors.
People showed up, supportgroups formed.
We need each other now morethan ever.
This morning I took some timeoff to simply just be with a
friend for coffee, as she hadreached out regarding walking
through a traumatic event in herlife right now, and then I
(07:46):
spent some time with my daughterfor a drive, as we just
processed our thoughts andfeelings of what has occurred
and just how close to home ithit, as that's her college
campus.
Don't isolate.
Number five hope is our anchor.
Not empty optimism, but real,soul, deep hope, the kind that
(08:08):
believes light will come again,that love wins, that death
doesn't have the final word.
As believers we know, in theend God wins.
Hebrews 6 and 19 tells us thatwe have this hope as an anchor
for the soul, firm and secure.
The Lord, our God, is our hope.
Keep hope as an anchor for thesoul, firm and secure.
The Lord, our God, is our hope.
Keep hope as that anchor,wherever you are right now.
(08:33):
I just want to say if your heartis broken, this is a safe space
.
You're not alone.
If you feel far from God,longing is not the opposite of
faith, it just might be thebeginning of it.
And if it all feels like toomuch, take a deep breath and
then take one step at a time.
(08:53):
Five things that you can dotoday to help turn that pain
into purpose would be, first andforemost, pray with honesty.
Don't hold back.
Talk to God like he's yourclose friend.
Let him into the hurt, to theworry, to the fears, to the
concerns, to the anxieties.
Prayer is powerful andeffective, my friends.
(09:15):
And if you're not sure how topray, I'd welcome you to check
out season three, episode five,right here on Holly's Highlights
.
We'll walk you through it.
Second of all, help someone.
A kind word, a meal, a message,small things carry big weight.
And if you're not sure how tohelp, again right here, spread
light, not hate, as I tell mychildren and my team at work,
(09:56):
we're not going to always agreewith each other, we're not
always going to see eye to eyeor even get along, but we can
always treat each other withdignity and respect and always
rooted in love.
Number four plug into acommunity, go to church, join a
group, volunteer in your area, aschool, a shelter, even open up
(10:17):
your home to others.
Get plugged in.
And number five tell your story.
Even if it's messy, your storycan give someone else hope.
Hence the creation of Facelift,embracing hope through your
heartaches and even the BaptistPress reaching out to my brother
and him being so vulnerable toshare what he experienced
(10:39):
yesterday and what he witnessedin the encounter of the
assassination, witnessed in theencounter of the assassination.
Tell your story.
You never know who you canreach, who you can encourage
through simply being open andhonest.
Let me leave you with thispromise from God.
Isaiah 41, 10 says do not fear,for I am with you.
(11:02):
Do not be afraid, for I am yourGod.
I will strengthen you and helpyou.
I will hold you up even whenthe world shakes.
God is steady.
Even when we feel broken, heholds the pieces.
Even in darkness, his lightstill shines, wow.
(11:22):
Thank you, jesus.
Now, if you're listening, rightnow, take a moment, breathe,
acknowledge what you're feeling,reach out to someone.
Don't go through this alone andlet today be a day where you
live love, even in small ways.
Now to the families who lostloved ones on 9-11, we still
(11:45):
remember, we still grieve withyou.
I'm so grateful for theopportunity to have visited
where the Twin Towers once stoodwith my sister last year on our
girls' trip to pay respect tothe fallen.
To the families, you still havemy deepest respect and
condolences and each year I haveprayed and commit to continue
(12:05):
to pray for you.
May God meet you where you are.
To every service member,veteran and first responder,
thank you, the sacrifices of youand your families.
They matter.
As a parent of a daughter incollege pursuing a career in
firefighting and a high schoolson serving as a cadet with our
local police force inpreparation for his future in
(12:26):
law enforcement, my heart iswith you.
I acknowledge that I haven'tseen it firsthand, but I deeply
respect and empathize with thepath you have walked and are
walking and the strength ittakes.
Thank you To the Kirk family, tohis friends, to those who loved
(12:47):
him and knew him.
We are praying for you.
May his legacy of courage,conviction and care for the next
generation continue to shine.
Oh, that every knee would bowand every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord.
Thank you for holding thisspace with me today.
May we carry remembrance in ourhearts and hope in our steps
(13:11):
and faith in our souls, today,tomorrow, always, in the words
of Stuart Townsend in Christalone my hope is found.
He is my light, my strength, mysong, my comforter, my all in
all.
Here in the power of Christ, Istand no power of hell, no
(13:32):
scheme of man can ever pluck mefrom his hand Till he returns or
calls me home.
Here, in the power of Christ,I'll stand.
The power of Christ I'll standUntil next time.
Stay anchored, stay kind, staystrong and be of good courage.
(13:57):
Thank you for joining me onthis journey of life.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
I hope that today's highlight has been encouraging,
inspiring and equipping so youcan go out and live your life
full of purpose.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
I'd be honored if you'd take a moment to leave a
review or, better yet, subscribe.
We can also stay in touch byjoining my email list at
hollykirbycom.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
That's H-O-L-L-Y-C-U-R-B-Ycom.
Until next time.
Make it a great day for a greatday.
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