Last night was the annual National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, D.C. . It is always a moving performance...with music of all kinds, speeches, stories of soldiers who have survived and died, big screen pictures of war, gore and tribute...they highlighted soldiers who have triumphed from injuries sustained in battle and how they have overcome insurmountable odds to go on with life...a new normal..."It is what you do with what is left..." Thank You...
As a Christian, we have sooooo very much left...to look forward to...we forget sometimes...we get caught in the everyday mundane, the earthly losses, the politics of life here on earth...but we need to meet those insurmountable challenges..we have it so easy here in the U.S....we have soooo much to be thankful for...even when times look dim...we are blessed with abundance, freedom...and I take it so lightly...
What am I doing with what is left...? Meeting the challenges of widowhood? Meeting the challenges of Christianity? Moving forward with purpose? Asking God for direction? Following His path? Finding out what is important and not just fluff or stuff?
We commemorate Christ's life with communion..Matthew 26:26-30 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
1 Corinthians 11:23-28 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.
A remembrance as well..of our savior and Lord...His life, his sacrifice for us for our freedom, our salvation...thank YOU...
"Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country's armed forces. The holiday, which is observed every year on the last Monday of May, originated as Decoration Day after the American Civil War in 1868, when the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans — established it as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. By the 20th century, competing Union and Confederate holiday traditions, celebrated on different days, had merged, and Memorial Day eventually extended to honor all Americans who died while in the military service. It typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end.
Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in military service. Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries.
Annual Decoration Days for particular cemeteries are held on a Sunday in late spring or early summer in some rural areas of the American South, notably in the mountain areas. In cases involving a family graveyard where remote ancestors as well as those who were deceased more recently are buried, this may take on the character of an extended family reunion to which some people travel hundreds of miles. People gather on the designated day and put flowers on graves and renew contacts with relatives and others. There often is a religious service and a picnic-like "dinner on the ground," the traditional term for a potluck meal in which people used to spread the dishes out on sheets or tablecloths on the grass. It is believed that this practice began before the American Civil War and thus may reflect the real origin of the "memorial day" idea.
Memorial Day is not to be confused with Veterans Day; Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving, while Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans." Wikipedia
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