Memorial Day

What a day!!! I could not get on the internet it was discovered that the internet button on the bottom of my comptuer had that type a button?  Joyce, my friend.  Anyway now I know where the little bugger is and how to turn it on.  This is a memorable day, but not what it was meant to be.

I watched speeches, a concert and celebration by Gary Sensis (sp), the actor, on the Capital grounds.  The concert needed to close due to bad weather.  Today, the President spoke, along with Panetta, and other dignataries.  This, for me, is always solemn as I remember my family members who served and were in harms way during WWII and WWI.  My Uncle Charlie, was a Captain in the Merchant Marines.  He turned grey watching the waves of our boys go onto shore and being mowed down.  Neither of my brothers who served ever talked about their time in war outside of a couple of occasions.  One came home with malaria, and I believe some of my other brothers relational problems may be because of the war as well as probale undiagnosed ADHD.  Looking back I belive this was inherited from my father and possible great-grandfather on my mom's side.  I know this is not a traditional diagnosis, but recalling behavioral traits, a pretty fair assessment.

I can rememeber when Pearl Harbor was bombed, the war itself, and all the magazines and movie newsreels in between shows.  Yes, belive it or not they were all double featured, popcorn was 5 cents, the cost of the movie was 5 cents and then 10 cent, then a quarter and on and on until today you need to take a morgage out on the kids to go.  On Saturdays you could also see a serial, like Tarzan, Superman, Lone Ranger etc...  Our small town, population 1500, thearter was limited in its showings and did not show serials.So, my friend Beverly and I would take the bus to the neighboring town, population 5000, to see the movies plus the serial.  r neighborhood friends put together song and dance show and wrote to the Red Cross to see if they would let us perform for the boys in uniformed, but they turned us down.  So, I serve in the local USO, keeping it clean and serving coffee.  Mom, joined the civil service of our town to watch for enemy planes , we had sand collected on our back porch in case of emergancy.  The ladies in m neighborhood collected aluminum from gum wrappers etc..including a drive for aluminum cookware.  We had food stamps, shoe stamps, gas was rationed and needed a stamp as well.  Sugar and fruit like bananas were very scrace.  My dad worked at the Kirkand Ship Yards in Kirland, Washigton as a welder.  Had the thrill of seeing saw a ship commissioned and christened and then a big bottle of champagne whacked acrossed its bow.  The music of this era was wonderful.  It was melacholy, had a messgae and sometimes funny like Doing What Comes Naturally, which by the was taking off the air for being too inappropriate.   How times have changed!  By the way, I knew all the songs and lyrics to that time.  Still do most, scary huh?

My Grams, belonged to both the Veteran of Foreign War (VFW) and Americon Legion (AL), I joined the the Al Juniors.  I remember the end of WWII.  I was in my kithchen, listening to the radio (no TV) doing the dishes when it was annouced.  I left the dishes ran to where Mom worked, They closed up the whole town and the adults went to clebrate.  I went to a neighbors house. 

Patriotism is embedded in my heart and soul.   But, patriotism cannot replace by how God see memorials.  He placed memorials along the journey of the Israelites, so did the Patriots.   Communion is a Memorial for all belivers to "remember" what Christ did for His Church and for those Jew's who come to Him now.  Why do we go to Isreal, well at least some were fortunate to have that privelege.  To see and remember the places Jesus walked, preached, died and rose again.   It ought to be a ime of somber contemplation both for the beliver and the American Patriot.  For memorial is defined as and object or structure in memory of a person or event.  I believe this Memorial Day along with Communion accomplishes both premises. 

Our testimonial is not about what Christ brought us out from, but what has transpired in our livessince that eventful day.  Have we grown to be more like Him?  Have our values and belifes been solidified deep within so we will not compromise, but fight those that would try to take this away from us.  I would die to protect the faith and this country.  Both offer freedom, one from sin, the other from tyrany.  One transformed us into a new creation; the other transformed a nation to serve God and man.  One calls to love all  men; the other to free all men so they may live, worship and live as they desire; both would bring no harm to man as long as it is within our power to do so. 

Just my thoughts and tears on this day.  I thank God for my forefathers who fought in with Washington, the civil war, even though they some was on the Confederate sides. Thank the men and women who gave their all so I can sit here, at least  for now, and say what I want without fear of retribution.  I thank the families of the fallen heros who paid my price for freedom.  I thank Christ for the freedom He won at the Cross on Calvary.  I pray for our nation, whi is under fire, not in a declared war, but war none the less.  This is the war against hoilness and righteousness, faith and our Constitution.  May God have mercy and grace upon this country and may His people rise to the call to vote in men and women who believe in truth, justice, and morality.  II Chronicales 7:14

I close with htis thought, Christ did His job, our soldiers do theirs, let God's people now do theirs.

Thank you Lord for allowing me to be in country where I could here Your Word and the salvation call.  Thank You for the faith to believe that call.  Thanks for the seal (Ephesians 1:13) I carry until I come home to you when my sanctification will be completed by my glorification.  Totally undeserved, but so appreciated.  May You and Your Word again be lifted up and revered in this country You allowed to be born.  Who and What do you love and are committed to?