Category: Holidays

This post first appeared here several years ago, but I found the words still pertinent today and I thought I would repost.

Tomorrow we celebrate Veteran’s Day in the United States. It was first commemorated on November 11, 1919 because an armistice or a cease-fire in World War I occurred in the eleventh hour, on the eleventh day, in the eleventh month. World War I was known as the war to end all wars. The day was set aside to honor the soldiers who fought in that war and to honor the day that peace had been secured.

Sadly, in 1939, World War II began and the Korean Conflict occurred after that. World War I was clearly not the war that would end all wars. In 1954, President Eisenhower designated November 11th as Veteran’s Day, where all American veterans of all wars would be honored for their service to our country.

According to the U.S. Census, there are currently 21.2 million veterans living today. That seems like a lot, but it breaks down to only about 13% of U.S. adults. That’s a small amount of people who have done a huge amount of work to guarantee our freedom and safety.

I attended a Veteran’s Day Celebration yesterday at my son’s middle school. I have to say that I was moved to tears as the students called out statistics of those who paid for our freedom with their lives. The band played songs of all of the military branches. The chorus sang patriotic songs. Two students read essays. One of them was an Indian immigrant. He pointed out how safe he feels in America. He said in America, when a hundred people die of swine flu, the U.S. goes on alert. Everyone is upset and they make sure no one else dies. In India, a hundred people dying is no big deal. He believes that we value life in this country and that’s due to the men and women in the military who keep us safe and help allow life to have such a high value here. I never thought about it that way.

The guest speaker was a man named Colonel Robert Guy. He is a retired teacher from the school and beloved. He is a West Point graduate and served two tours in Vietnam among many other accomplishments. When he spoke, it was pin drop silent, which in a middle school gymnasium, is pretty amazing.

He said an 8th grader once asked him what the Army taught him. He said he had to give it some thought, but came up with five of the most important things he learned from the Army.

The first was duty. He said that was nothing more than doing your best work to the best of your ability, every single day, no matter what. What would the world look like if we all lived like that?

The second was concern for others. He said you always had to be willing to do more than your part to keep others from falling into the hands of the enemy. In other words, “It’s not about you.” Those are wise words for sure.

The third was trust. In the military you have to trust others to do their job and they must be able to trust you. In life or death situations, this is a no brainer, but what if we lived our civilian lives in that manner?

The fourth was respect, respect for the flag, respect for superiors and respect for other service members. He said if we all respected one another, there would be no bullying and everyone’s self-worth would be in good shape.

The fifth was be creative. No one in any military situation ever felt like that had enough people or time, but they had to figure out a way to get it done and they did. What if we all took that attitude?

I left the ceremony with many points to ponder. I’m so very thankful that these children got to hear such wise words from a true American hero. I’m thankful this day for all of our veterans. Their sacrifice is something we can never truly repay. Let’s all take a moment and say a prayer of thanks for their service. They are real life heroes.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Today is Memorial Day. For most of us, it’s the kick off of summer. The banks are closed and the mail won’t run. Lots of folks have headed out of town to the beach or the lake. Many people will be grilling hamburgers in their backyards. Americans will take this day to enjoy what it means to live in the United States of America.

We can take the day off. We have that right. We can travel anywhere we want. We can wear whatever we want to whatever place we are going. We can say whatever we want when we arrive. We can criticize our government. We can marry whomever we please and divorce them, for that matter. We can worship whomever we want, in whatever way we want.

We have more freedoms in this great land than most any other place on the planet. We are so accustomed to them, that we often take them for granted. Memorial Day is a day to remember that our freedom comes with a heavy price tag.

Unlike Veteran’s Day, which is set aside to honor all of those who have served, Memorial Day was set aside to honor those who have died defending this great nation.

The beginnings of Memorial Day go back to 1868, three years after the Civil War when Major General John A. Logan declared that Declaration Day should be observed May 3oth. It was to be a day when those who died in the war were to be remembered with flowers on their graves. The story goes that May was chosen because there were so many flowers already in bloom.

Many different  types of ceremonies took place all over the North and South who still weren’t very united at the time. There is a story that in Mississippi, near the Battlefield of Shiloh, there were women putting flowers on Confederate graves and they were so disturbed by the bare graves of the Union soldiers, that they placed flowers on their graves as well. It seems at least a small amount of healing had begun.

The ceremonies went on for many years in various areas with various differences until after World War 1. After that war, the day was expanded to include all Americans who had died in wars. It was made a national holiday by Congress in 1971.

So, as we take this day to enjoy everything that we get to enjoy about being Americans, let’s take a moment to remember those who fought and died to bring us where we are today. Let’s thank God for their service. Let’s thank God for their sacrifice. Let’s thank God for His hand in shaping this great nation. Let us remember, Ronald Reagan’s quote, “If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.”

May we never forget.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

I just wanted to take a moment to wish all of my readers a Happy Thanksgiving! We have much to be thankful for in the U.S. Even in our darkest times, we are much better off than the vast majority of the world.

A Google search showed that some version of the word thanks or thankful turns up 139 times in the Bible. As Christians, no matter our circumstances, we can be thankful because we know what eternity holds for us. Whatever we are going through here on earth is temporary. We know that we are treasured and loved by the One who called the universe into being, the One who calls the stars by name. We know that one day we will be reunited with those we have lost, those who we may have celebrated Thanksgiving with in times past. Knowing that gives us peace.

Before you sit down for your Thanksgiving feast, please join me in a prayer for those who are struggling this year for whatever reason. The holidays can be really tough for those who have suffered a loss of a loved one. Please remember those members of our military who can’t be home with their families because they are fighting to keep us safe. Remember their families who miss them terribly. Please remember those doctors and healthcare workers who are still in Africa fighting Ebola as well as all of the medical and law enforcement personnel here at home, who can’t be with their families because they are keeping others safe.

If you are struggling this year, please know that you are loved beyond your wildest imagination and that God has big plans for you. The Bible tells us so. Just lean in close and let Jesus cover you with grace and healing and peace.

If you are entertaining a bunch of family today, remember that everyone carries a certain amount of baggage with them. It’s usually best to let any offhand remarks go. Peace is a choice and usually a good one. Pray about the fruits of the Spirit today, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Sometimes you may need a double helping. I feel like God understands that and He sends it to us when we need it.

I’m so thankful that you join me here each day and take the time to read my words. I’m thankful for all of your comments and all of your kind encouragement. I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. I hope your day is truly fabulous!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Today is July 4th, American Independence Day. Americans have been a patriotic people from the very beginning. In May of 1776, three secret delegates from the Second Continental Congress, paid a widow named Betsy Ross a visit. The men were George Washington, Robert Morris and George Ross. They were interested in creating an official flag for the new country of the United States of America. Betsy worshiped at the same church with George and Martha Washington and her pew was right next to theirs. She had also done some seamstress work for General Washington. He produced a rough sketch of what they had in mind. Betsy, who was a gifted seamstress, reportedly, “demonstrated how to make a five point star in a single snip.” She was hired on the spot and in late May or early June, the flag was finished.

Meanwhile, the Declaration of Independence was being written, mostly by Thomas Jefferson. There seems to be debate about the date it was signed by everyone, but Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams signed it on July 4th, 1776. Franklin was seventy years old at the time.

It was read aloud for he first time on July 8,1776 in Independence Hall. The Liberty Bell rang, summoning everyone to come and hear it. It was printed in newspapers all across the thirteen colonies very soon after it was written. Freedom of the press has always been very important to this country. It was also translated into German by July 9th. Immigrants have always played a huge role in our country.

On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed a flag resolution which stated, “Resolved, that the flag of the 13 United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” Americans have always been serious about our flag.

On July 4, 1777, Philadelphia celebrated the first commemoration with the reading of the Declaration and fireworks. Early fireworks were re-purposed military munitions. Other cities followed suit. In 1781, Massachusetts was the first state to officially recognize Independence Day. Congress made it a federal holiday in 1870.

In 1778, George Washington gave his soldiers extra rations of rum to celebrate the day. Now you know where the 4th of July cocktails come from.

While the Revolutionary War officially lasted from 1775-1783, there were many tensions that remained with Britain and unresolved issues, which resulted in the War of 1812 which lasted for two-and-a-half years. After that, our relations with Britain headed to where they are today. It was during that war that Francis Scott Key penned the “Star Spangled Banner.” He was captive on a ship in the Baltimore Harbor all night long with the constant sights and sounds of gun and cannon fire. The fight lasted for 25 hours. He thought the fort was doomed for sure. But, he was wrong. “Oh say can you see, by the dawn’s early light.”

That flag was still proudly flying, representing a fierce American spirit that simply refused to give up. There really isn’t a reason in the world that the rag-tag Americans should have beaten the powerful British, twice. Yet, they did. It’s a feat we are still proud of to this day and that’s why on this day, some 238 years later, we still celebrate the 4th of July and all of those who made it possible.

We fly flags and have barbecues and picnics. We watch fireworks and sing the “Star Spangled Banner,” which by the way, always gives me goose bumps. We spend time with family and friends and celebrate all of our freedoms and what it means to live in this great country and we pray for God’s continued blessings on us. Happy 4th of July!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

This weekend is Mother’s Day. As I think of this day set aside to honor all the world’s mamas, I think about the unique gift of mother love. Mothers and fathers love their children in entirely different ways. Both are equally important, but they are different.

I kind of think of the Old and New Testament in the Bible, as father love and mother love. The Old Testament has rules, punishment, wars and justice. We get a picture of the nature of God. He loves His children dearly, but there is punishment for disobedience. Think about Jonah. God forgives, but the Old Testament is the tougher side of God.

The New Testament is about Jesus and grace. It’s still a part of God, but a loving, softer side. It’s more representative of mother love. You can’t read one part without the other and get the entire picture. You need both.

Mother love isn’t a gift just given by a mother to her biological children. There are many women out there who have loved those who God has put in their path, with the love of a mother for a child. There are many grown women who could readily give you the names of mother figures in their lives, who have nurtured them along the way.

I have an awesome mother, but I also had several surrogate grandmothers that I cherish. I have had teachers who have mothered me as well as some church mamas. Take a moment and say a prayer of thanks for all of  those women God has sent into your life, whether they share your blood or not.

Then ask yourself, who all have you played a mother to? Where are they today and how are they doing? Take a moment to thank God for those people He sent you, to give some mother love. Ask Him if there’s someone who might need you today.

Ask yourself if you know any mamas out there today who may be missing their children or children who may be missing their mamas. (You never outgrow the need for your mother.) Maybe you could give that person a call or send a note or invite him/her for lunch.

Mother’s Day is really a celebration of all women. We are all mothers in some way, whether we ever actually give birth or not. God made us that way. We are different from our male counterparts. God made us different and that’s a good thing.

So, Happy Mother’s Day to all the ladies reading this, and to all the men, be sure to tell the women in your life how much you love and appreciate them. I hope you have a fabulous day.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂