"The Land of the Free...Because of the Brave"

Memorial Day.

It is the national holiday set aside for those who have fallen in defense of the United States of America.  Today is marked in remembrance of every person who has given their life for ours.  They loved us so much that they were willing to die for us.  They knew that the price for Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of happiness was no small fee.  They understood that the second they put on their uniform, they became an open target for all enemies who stand against the noble cause of Independence.  The stood for our freedom, and they died for our liberty.  We must not forget those that have paid the price for our lives.

How do we repay them?  How is it that you acknowledge their sacrifice?  Is it once a year?  Do you visit the grave site of a fallen soldier and leave flowers? (Not that there is ANYTHING wrong with that! Every soldier must be remembered!) But is that the extent of your regard?  Do you walk a cemetery in solemn remembrance, then leave and forget why you had even visited? Is that the depth of your appreciation?  

These men and women did not die for flowers.  They died so that you wouldn't need to.  They died so that you are free to live your life without worry-without care- without the knowledge of every horror that comes with standing for a cause that is bigger than yourself.  They gave their lives so that we could go about our business, everyday, and have no concern for our safety.  And how do we repay them? How do we repay Him?  We spend our time idly.  We laugh at those who need our compassion.  We mock the people that we call our "friends".  We use and abuse the people around us.  The people that have received the self same sacrifice. 

Is not this the cause that they were fighting against?  The very evil that we are at war with? Are these the actions for which soldiers, young and old, gave up their families, their joys, their pains, their lives, for?  Is this how we repay them? By taking their sacrifice and dragging it through the mud?

Is this how we repay our Savior? We set aside a couple of days every year in remembrance of those who died for us.  We celebrate Easter, Memorial Day, etc. and glorify that single day.  Yet, we forget what it means to sacrifice. We forget them every other day of the year. Unless we have been directly affected by the death of a loved one, do we remember those that sacrificed their lives for us?  Do we always remember our Lord? Do we live to honor those who died that we may have the freedom to live? Do we improve the world around us? Let this Memorial day change you if you do not already strive to honor these sacrifices. 

Act with the hope that maybe, just maybe, you can give a little back to a troubled world. With the hope that their lives were not given in vain. Honor those who died for you. Acknowledge their gift.  Respect their resting place.  Remember them. 

Do not forget that they died for you.  Do not forget that He died for all of us- every person "great" and "small".  He gave His life in the battle for your soul. And He took up His life again in the sweet victory of a far greater battle.

Do Not Forget.

Something from Nothing

Have you ever had a garden?  Have you ever worked so hard for that garden to become something wonderful, and it doesn't? Have you ever tried every method that you could think of, or find, and the plants just won't produce?  Have you ever given up on your little garden, and come back the next year to start a fresh, and seen the plants that you had given up on growing, viable, producing?  Have you ever felt that pure excitement when you see the little green buds on your sticky blueberry plants?  The flowers on the chives you abandoned?  The sprigs on your "dead" rosemary?  The blossoms on the cherry tree that you thought had died in the harsh winter frost? 

Is that not how the Lord feels?  Is He not excited when one of His children finally accept his care and start to become something wonderful?  He sees them face adversity, trials, storms, freezes, extreme heat, and watches as they are about to break.  Then, all of a sudden, a choice is made.  The choice to continue onward.  The choice to thrive in a world that graciously provides every cause for defeat. How great is the joy of those that watch those that they care about overcome the tribulations of life. 

Are you one of those that are an aid gardener, or are you one of the beautiful plants that produces after hope has been lost?  It does not matter under which category it is that you fall.  It does not matter if you are wandering, if you are in pain, if you feel as though you will never amount to anything.  He loves you.  You are wonderfully and perfectly made.  The Lord will welcome you with all of His wonders.  He will bless you for coming to Him.  He will succor your broken heart.  However, He can only do that if you first turn to Him-give Him your heart to mend.  It is only through the act of fully turning your life over to Him, that all of the hurt, the fears and the insecurities can be healed.  Do Not give up hope.  He is ever present to lift you up.

Be cautious however.  He will not let you abuse His grace and mercy.  It doesn't work like that.  You cannot be fairweather.  The Lord will not tolerate a hypocrite.  If your intent is pure, it will be honored.  If you are not sincere- If you do not show Him that you are true- Take heed.  The Lord will succor His people.  But they must come to Him in earnest.  They must be trying to change.  That change will not happen overnight, but the efforts must be strong in desire and action. If you have experienced this change of heart, you will understand.  If you have been truly reborn, you will understand the depth of this process.  If you have not, do not be discouraged.  Father wants you to come to Him.  If there is an inkling of desire- just as with the small sprouts and buds in the "dead" garden- the Gardener will take that life, that desire, and will magnify it.  He will make weak things strong.  He will give life to the lifeless. He is the Well.  He is Life.  Without whom, we are nothing.  He is the breath we breathe, the inexplicable joy that comes when one lives in righteousness. 

So many might be thinking, "Um I don't have that problem.  I have faith, I try my best to be what the Father wants me to be.  I try to do more good than bad, what about me? I haven't wandered."  There are so many good and righteous people in the world.  They feel alone because they feel as though their efforts are futile.  If others can wander, and be accepted back into the fold, then why do they continue in their actions?  If people can have friends, fit in, sin, and still come back, why is it that I am alone?  Why is it that I'm told to be strong if it's okay for everyone else to be rescued.  Where is my rescue?  To those of you that feel this way, please do not let go of the rod.  Do not fall away.  He is proud of you because you never let go.  You never falter.  You are the ones that are the beacons bringing His children home.  Then you may ask, "Why would God let me take the abuse that goes with being a beacon?   Why must I be in pain for those who are lost to find joy, love, friendship, peace?   Why would he use me like that?"  Have any of those thoughts passed through your mind?  If they have, don't give up.  He loves you differently.  If you can endure your trials, you will be blessed.  Those that stay strong through adversity, His "shafts in the whirlwind", will receive the endless blessings of the highest degree.  If you can manage to continue in your strength, even when you are alone, even when you are scorned, mocked, ridiculed, bullied, hurt, scared, even when you bury your pain so deep down that it becomes a part of you-when it hurts so bad that you forget that it exists- when you have needed to plaster that smile on your face for so many days that you are past the point of feeling that pain that you have hidden, do not stop.  DO NOT forsake the Lord.  The pain that you feel, or don't, He will take away.  You are one of His chosen.  You are His child.  His hero.  You are one of the great ones.  You are the valiant, the elect, the only one that can completely and eternally fulfill your role.  The Lord loves you.  He will sustain you, and He will heal you. 

Whether you may be one of those that need to redirect your course, or you are one that needs to continue in righteousness, turn to the Lord.  Give Him your heart.  Become washed in His blood.  Find what it means for you to be reborn. He is the bread of life, the living water.  He the GREAT I AM.  Turn over your emotions to Him.  He will take away the hurt, and magnify the joy.  Let Him.

May you let the Lord bless your day. When He does, let His blessings do good for those around you. 

Praise Him in all that you do.

What have you learned?

Knowledge is something that you can't give to people.  You can talk to them and try to teach them, but if they don't want to listen, you can't force it upon them.  What you have learned is specific to you.  There is not one person who has learned exactly what you have learned in the exact way that you have learned it.  Your special combination of experiences is unique.  Yes, the world says that you are another digit in the system, but each person has their own story to tell; their own knowledge to share.  For that's the purpose of knowledge.  It is to mold each person by their thoughts, actions, and works.  The knowledge that God gives us is a special blessing.  We choose to live each day because of what we have learned.  Both our good choices and our bad ones are a product of our learning. 
What we know and treasure here, during this probationary period, will stay with us when we are with Him above.  Our personalities, our thoughts, our habits-none of them will change.  It is our job to take what we have learned through our experiences and apply them to our lives.  We can choose to be destructive, or we can choose to build up His work.  It is a choice that we must make based off of the knowledge that we have.

What will you choose?

So, You've Been Put Through the Wringer?

 Sometimes life is hard.  Sometimes you feel like you can't take anymore trials.  But if you prove to the Lord that He is your focus, that He is your Life, you will overcome your struggles.  Whether they are physical or emotional, if you rely on Him, your burdens will be made light. 

Our God is a fourth watch God.  He gives us our instructions and will wait until it is time for Him to step in and protect us.  He does this for our own good.  We must pass the test before we can be rewarded- but we can't pass His tests if He does not give us time to try.  Everything is made possible through His Grace.  We cannot loose sight of that.  Even in our most difficult moments, He is always there; always watching; always ready to help us through our challenges. 

Remember that even when you feel like you are being put through the wringer, He is there.  He may even be the one turning the crank.  But do not loose hope.  Do NOT give up. 

Just as dirty clothes need to be scrubbed and wrung out, so do we.  We are already beautiful, but He knows what needs to be cleaned and polished before we can return to live with HIM.

Feel your Father's love.  Feel your Savior's love.  Let that Love consume you.  Rely on it and trust in it.  He will sustain you- Through the good and the bad.  He will never forsake you.

May you see the blessings of the Lord in your life today.