MEMORIAL DAY USA. Hamburgers, hot dogs, parades, homemade ice cream, a long weekend. We can do it up right when it comes to a 3 day weekend. We open up our pools, we get the boat out, we go camping, we enjoy some rest and relaxation. But do we actually take time to remember?
Do we remember what we are celebrating and honoring on this weekend?
An Army helicopter lost. Two Marines go into their foxhole but don't make it out. An Air Force fighter plane shot down. A Coast Guard ship sunken. Lives lost. Not just anybodies life..but someones husband, someones wife, a son, a daughter, a brother - maybe a sister. A child's mother or father taken.
Lives given sacrificially so you and I can live in freedom. Free to enjoy a 3-day weekend. But with all of the hustle and bustle of the holiday weekend, so many of us forget and we don't take time to recognize the lives given. We forget the spouses, the parents and the children that have been left behind.
Today, on this THANKFUL THURSDAY, the eve before the start of another Memorial Weekend, I give thanks and praise to all the men and women who have served our country! On a personal note: I am so proud of my own son, who has served the past 4 years in the Air Force, spending a year apart from his bride ...thank you son for your sacrifice! I will always remember your bravery and sacrifice!
PSALM 33:12 "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance."
This weekend, take a moment of silence, in honor of those fallen brave men and women. What a great way to remember such a sacrifice!
Dear Lord: May we never forget the great sacrifice of the men and women of our great country who have given their lives so we can be free. Most importantly God, we thank YOU for the greatest sacrifice given ...Your Son, Jesus Christ ... so we can be forgiven! - AMEN
Next week, find us over at Iris's place as she will be our TT hostess for the month of June! Today, you can join your grateful heart with ours below, link up your TT post in Mr. Linky. HAPPY TT!
Hi Laurie,
ReplyDeleteThank God that your son is able to serve in the Air Force. Thank God indeed for the many people who have served our countries and especially those who have give their lives so that we may live in peace. A peaceful nation is truly a mercy from God. Thanks for sharing with us. Take care and happy TT.
Warm regards,
Nancie
Thank you Laurie for being our having Thankful Thursday this month.
ReplyDeleteYour post reminded me to remember also our own soldiers who are giving up a lot just for the sake of our country.
have a nice Thursday!
Yes! This is a holiday that many don't often remember to take that time to be thankful for all the men and women who are keeping us free and safe! Thanks for this great reminder to show our gratitude to them as well as God!
ReplyDeleteWhat a timely post of appreciation...I add my thanks to all these heroes...including your son...we are forever indebted to them for all their sacrifices and bravery....
ReplyDeleteAmen Laurie....
ReplyDeleteThank you for reminding me and I give thanks too. Hugging you and have a wonderful long weekend. Hugs. Lynn
Super reminder of the true meaning of the upcoming holiday!
ReplyDeleteAmen. It's so easy to focus on the celebrations and forget the reason why we celebrate. So many men and women have given themselves to serve us. At the very least, they should be in our prayers.
ReplyDeletePlease thank your son from me for his service.
Please thank your dear son for me, love you.
ReplyDeleteThank you Laurie for hosting TT. Your posts are always thought provoking. I thank you for pointing us to Jesus every time. God bless your son, and daughter in law, and all the service men and women!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Julie
I am currently typing my dad's Vietnam memoir and find I often pause to pray for the comrades he speaks about in it. So many have served so willingly for us! So many continue to... Let's all join together in prayer for them as you suggested.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it is a wonderful weekend to honor our own family and friends who have gone onto to heaven. My folks always go "grave visiting" this weekend. In doing so, they have actually befriended other regular Memorial Day folk who they pray, talk with and enjoy fellowship with. It's beautiful!
On a side note - sorry for my gaffe! I went to link my wonderandwill.wordpress.com post to Linky and accidentally clicked the save/link button when trying to delete a typo I made instead of the close bracket. An unrelated traininghappyhearts.blogspot.com post had been auto-filled, so the link is erroneous this week on the first Wonder and Will post. Feel free to delete it if you know how. I don't. then, again, maybe it is a happy accident, as I am also grateful for rich resources and the THH post is about an SPD book I recently read and found quite useful!
Have a blessed weekend!
I really enjoy your blog!! Thank you for your faithfulness to Christ!!
ReplyDeleteAmen! I know how proud it makes you to have a son willing to do what he has done! God Bless him and his family!! Love ya Laurie!!
ReplyDeletethanks for hosting. God bless you!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the great reminder. It's so easy to get wrapped up in our holiday activities and forget what it's really all about.
ReplyDeleteAs the wife of a Marine, I do remember and I thank you so much for your post!! Although I have posted several TT posts, today was the first day I was able to make grabbing the button work!! yay for me! I came over through Melanie's blog--thank you again!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for remembering, Laurie. My son also has served our country over the last 4 years. I am so thankful for the sacrifices he and his "buddies" have made...some of whom made the ultimate sacrifice and gave their life for another. I pray that God blesses those brave men and women who are at this very moment defending freedom. And I also pray for the families who have lost loved ones in the line of duty.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this reminder, Laurie. I think I was so caught up in all that happened in our lives this week that I pushed it aside. Of course I would have remembered to be thankful for all our servicemen this weekend as we celebrate this holiday with family by our daughter's pool.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful tribute. As Americans, we have so much to be thankful. We need to honor those who have died for our freedom. We can also remember our loved ones and all that they did for us on our earthly home. God bless!
ReplyDeleteAfter being away from home and computer all day today, and suffering from an ear infection, I wasn't sure I was going to do the Thankful Thursday post today. Posting at the "11th hour", I'm not sure I got in under the wire, but wanted to say thank you so much again for hosting, and posting! I read a few posts just now: your Memorial Day post, (I add my gratitude to yours!) and about the police officers killed "in your backyard", so to speak...profoundly sad things to think about--I will pray for the officers' families. I appreciate your tender heart for God and others. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Wendy
Faith's Firm Foundation
www.wendygunn.net
Laurie,
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting thankful thursday.
God bless!