Memorial Day...

A day of remembrance for all the servicemen and women who have lost their lives while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

This weekend marks the official start of summer with cookouts, family gatherings and visits to cemeteries across the United States.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the servicemen and women who are across the ocean fighting in wars and protecting the country.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of these servicemen and women. All the waiting and uncertainty that you face each day. Not knowing if your loved ones are safe, and patiently awaiting their long overdue arrival. 

War is a necessary evil that we must endure. At times necessary and seems like other times, you can't help but wonder, why?

Whether we agree or disagree with war. We must remember the ones who gave their lives for us.  These servicemen and women are our fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, nieces, nephews. Some experienced, some still in their teens. But they're out there on the front line for you.

Take a moment out this weekend and offer up prayers, write a letter, or offer support to the families.

No, Freedom isn't free

-written by-

CDR Kelly Strong, USCG (Ret)

I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of taps one night,
When everything was still
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That taps had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.

Why do you do what you do?

The dinner guests just raved about how good that ham tasted. Finally, one of the guests asked her host what her secret was to preparing such a succulent tasting ham!

She replied that her special secret was that just before cooking, she trimmed off both ends of the ham. "And why do you do that," the inquisitive guest asked?

The proud host then explained, "Well, that's how my mother taught me to cook it. That's the way I have been doing it for years, and it always comes out delicious."

Not satisfied, the curious one pressed on. "But why did she trim off both ends of the ham? How in the world does that make it taste so good?"

"I really don't know," the host replied. "I've never thought about it. But I'll ask her, and I will get back with you."

The next day she called her mom and asked why she trimmed the ends off the ham before cooking, hoping to get some secret cooking answer. But her mom was no help at all. "Why, honey, that's just how your grandmother taught me. She always did it that way, and her ham was always delicious," she answered. "Why don't you ask her?"

Feeling like she was now on a quest for something very important, she indeed called her grandmother and asked the same question. Much to her dismay, she got the same answer. Grandma simply said, "Oh my dear, that's just way my mother taught me."

Now desperate for an answer, she called her great-grandmother and asked, "Why did you trim both ends off of a ham before cooking it? Does it cook better that way? Does it have something to do with the juices?"

The wise old lady replied, "Oh sweetie, cutting the ends off of a ham has absolutely nothing to do with any of those things."

"But then why did you cut the ends off?" the young lady asked, now very puzzled.

She answered, "I trimmed the ends off so it would fit into my pan!"

Why do you do what you do?  Have you ever thought about it?
When you prepare your holiday dinners, are you preparing the food the same way as your mother or grandmother prepared it?  For me, some dishes are the same as my mother's. Others I've tweaked or created my own version.

What about running your household, or raising the kids. Are you mimicking your mother's ways?
What about your attire? When you go shopping for clothes, have you ever put something back on the rack after thinking your mother would never approve of you wearing something like that? :)  I've not done that, but I was once friends with a woman who would.

I'd picked out a pretty red dress for her to try on, and she refused to do so, based on the color. She said she was taught proper ladies do not wear the color red. So, of course I asked why.   I later found out that meant, no red lipstick, nail polish, no red anything! She said her mother nor grandmother have never worn the color and it means you're a loose woman! LOL!  I was thinking, well maybe it just wasn't their color? Not everyone looks good in red.

I think you have the right to wear, eat, do whatever you want. But there are times when I hear about certain traditions or ways of life.  I just can't help but wonder.

Why do you do what you do?

Happy Mother's Day!!!

To all the mom's out there!! Happy Mother's Day!!

I'd like to wish my mother a very special mother's day! She's 84 years young! 

 

 

"No Love Like a Mother's Love"

Jill Lemming

 

There is no love, like a mother's love,

no stronger bond on earth...

like the precious bond that comes from God,

to a mother, when she gives birth.

A mother's love is forever strong,

never changing for all the time...

and when her children need her most,

a mother's love will shine.

God bless these special mothers,

God bless them every one...

for all the tears and heartache,

and for the special work they've done.

When her days on earth are over,

a mother's love lives on...

through many generations,

with God's blessings on each one.

Be thankful for our mothers,

for they love with a higher love...

from the power God has given,

and the strength from up above.

Blessings!!

Judging People...

This afternoon I sat down on the couch next to my husband, enjoying a delicious meal that he had prepared. He was watching a movie, so I started watching it with him. But the movie was probably halfway through when I started watching.

I sat there trying to figure out why this character was behaving in that manner. Why he seemed to care so much about certain things so strongly. Why he reacted the way he did to certain situations. After watching I realized the reasons that I came up with were totally wrong.

I'd judged him solely based on watching a portion of his life.

I find that we do this in real life. We judge people based on a portion of their life. We can sometimes think we know someone really well just by what we've witness while being with them during work hours. Going out to dinner with them from time to time. We judge people by where they live, what they wear, and drive. We think people are unable to relate to us based on where they live, what they wear and drive. 

 The truth is, we don't know the full story. You could work with someone for 20 years, been raised up in the same household, or even married to them and still not fully know them. I've learned through life experiences people will show and tell you only what they want you to know. Even if you think they're telling you every detail about them, or what they've been through. It's never the full story.

Why?

Because we judge, and sometimes harshly.  Even in churches people are not honest about their struggles, leadership included. Why? Because they're afraid of being judged unfairly. But sadly,  if they hear of your struggles, these are some of the very people that will judge you unfairly.

We should all take a good look at ourselves in the mirror and take inventory of our own struggles and issues. Yeah, I know as quiet as it is kept, you want people to think you have no struggles or issues. But you can at least be honest with yourself and admit that you're a mess!

What if people could hear your inner thoughts? Would what you're thinking match the image you're projecting? Hmmmm....

Don't be so quick to judge people based on a snippet of their life. God is still working on them, just as He's still working on you. Just like in the movie that I was watching, and in my own mind came up with the reasons that I thought was wrong with him and I was dead wrong. Sometimes you just gotta re-wind to the beginning to see how it started out, what were the events that happened at the beginning. The things that formed and shaped them up to this point.

Then you still shouldn't judge, cause you don't know how it will end. It may all turn around for the good! Besides, no one should have time to pick apart and judge someone else's life, because you have enough stuff going on in your own life to fix. That alone should keep you plenty busy.

Blessings!!