To all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and have given the last full measure:
We owe a debt of gratitude beyond measure for your service to this country; to your belief in the ideal that all men are created equal and that freedom must ring throughout the world. Our lives today are a testament to your sacrifice. Your bravery, dedication, and diligence secured for us a greater America. You forsook comfort, security, and family to defend and blaze a trail of freedom. You were called by an era to become more than you thought you could be. Many of you viewed British fleets. Some of you saw the barrels of German tanks. Others have faced hidden guerillas and terrorists. You have all looked into the eyes of evil and not blinked. You stood in formation, jumped in fox holes, forded jungles, and walked streets, creating a climate of cooperation for the common good to sustain our freedom.
Your selflessness may have cost you your life, but it endures today, a beacon continuously lighting the way to hope; hope for peace, hope for harmony, hope for something better. Hope! All Americans and freedom-loving people around the globe keep your memory alive. The spark ignited 231 years ago lives today. You instill pride. You inspire honor. You encourage valor. May we never forget or ignore you, allowing the flame to extinguish. May we all recognize our own required sacrifice to carry on what began and has continued in you. We all should serve such.
Thank you for your service!
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Levi's Antics-The Spiritual Application
I still have the ability to jump over a fence without killing myself and climb a tree without slipping and breaking my leg. I thought that was self explanatory. Sorry for the two slow ones who read the last post.
The spiritual application is obvious. God, our Father, is always there to pick us up and love us. Even when the predicament in which we find ourselves may be of our own making. When we make dumb mistakes and choices, God will be there when we cry for Him. He doesn't blame or tell us how dumb we are. He does want us to learn from those mistakes and is always willing to hold us and tend to our needs. I am struck by the fact that in both of the incidences described, Levi cried and called for his father. I am more struck by the fact that I would immediately forget all I was doing to run to him to comfort and ensure he was physically ok.
More than that, I am concerned that his and Anna Clair's spiritual conditions are what they need to be. My aim is to teach and model for them the proper character. I fail at times but my prayer is that they are learning more from what I do right than what I fail to do.
The spiritual application is obvious. God, our Father, is always there to pick us up and love us. Even when the predicament in which we find ourselves may be of our own making. When we make dumb mistakes and choices, God will be there when we cry for Him. He doesn't blame or tell us how dumb we are. He does want us to learn from those mistakes and is always willing to hold us and tend to our needs. I am struck by the fact that in both of the incidences described, Levi cried and called for his father. I am more struck by the fact that I would immediately forget all I was doing to run to him to comfort and ensure he was physically ok.
More than that, I am concerned that his and Anna Clair's spiritual conditions are what they need to be. My aim is to teach and model for them the proper character. I fail at times but my prayer is that they are learning more from what I do right than what I fail to do.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Levi's Antics
We have been busy with ball and work and Relay for Life and a host of other things. I just have time for two quick stories of antics Levi has provided this week.
First, we took the kids to Relay for Life Friday evening and was to be there until noon Saturday. We left at 7:00 AM as our team made up about half of the entire relay at that point. Of the 15 or so teams that began the evening on Friday, most left. Maybe it was the 37 degree temperature. The kids made it until about 2:30 AM but went in the tent and snuggled inside warm sleeping bags. We adults froze to death in our "comfortable" lawn chairs. Anyway, Levi was passing ball with a college student from church and threw the ball over the 8 foot fence. The only way to get it was to walk around the fence. While Danny walked around, Levi decided he could scale the fence and beat him to the ball. I was about 25 feet away talking when I looked up and saw Levi laying on the other side of the fence and then I heard him crying hysterically. I proceeded to take my camera from my neck and lay it down, sprint to the fence and hurdle over it. I don't know if I even touched it. My concern was that this was an old fence with the barbs at the top. After crying for 15 minutes and finding no sign of injury except a scrape on his chin, I asked him what he was thinking. He didn't realize that the ground was so far away from the top of the fence. Those watching were very impressed with how quickly I made it over the fence. I still got it.
Yesterday I was changing clothes to go to AC's ball game when I hear the neighbor girl holler for me. She said, "Come and get your son." Then I heard the hysterical crying again. I went across the street and found Levi about 15 feet up in a tree barefooted and stuck. He was frantic. I quickly scaled the tree and grabbed him before he let go and fell. When we were walking back home I asked him why he climbed the tree. He said the other kids told him to. What!? The kids were impressed with how quickly I climbed the tree seemingly without effort. What they don't know won't hurt them.
Levi is starting out early this summer in being a boy. I look forward to many such antics. Hopefully neither of us end up in the ER.
First, we took the kids to Relay for Life Friday evening and was to be there until noon Saturday. We left at 7:00 AM as our team made up about half of the entire relay at that point. Of the 15 or so teams that began the evening on Friday, most left. Maybe it was the 37 degree temperature. The kids made it until about 2:30 AM but went in the tent and snuggled inside warm sleeping bags. We adults froze to death in our "comfortable" lawn chairs. Anyway, Levi was passing ball with a college student from church and threw the ball over the 8 foot fence. The only way to get it was to walk around the fence. While Danny walked around, Levi decided he could scale the fence and beat him to the ball. I was about 25 feet away talking when I looked up and saw Levi laying on the other side of the fence and then I heard him crying hysterically. I proceeded to take my camera from my neck and lay it down, sprint to the fence and hurdle over it. I don't know if I even touched it. My concern was that this was an old fence with the barbs at the top. After crying for 15 minutes and finding no sign of injury except a scrape on his chin, I asked him what he was thinking. He didn't realize that the ground was so far away from the top of the fence. Those watching were very impressed with how quickly I made it over the fence. I still got it.
Yesterday I was changing clothes to go to AC's ball game when I hear the neighbor girl holler for me. She said, "Come and get your son." Then I heard the hysterical crying again. I went across the street and found Levi about 15 feet up in a tree barefooted and stuck. He was frantic. I quickly scaled the tree and grabbed him before he let go and fell. When we were walking back home I asked him why he climbed the tree. He said the other kids told him to. What!? The kids were impressed with how quickly I climbed the tree seemingly without effort. What they don't know won't hurt them.
Levi is starting out early this summer in being a boy. I look forward to many such antics. Hopefully neither of us end up in the ER.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Disposable World
I didn't realize that I hadn't published in more than two weeks until I read John's only somewhat humorous comment about my blog rivaling Gettysburg itself in age.
I was talking to a lady at work today who is spending her second visit to Scioto in the past year. She has been demonstrating some cognitive deficits and I was asked to see her to help her get back on track. As we visited today, I was attempting to orient her to where she is and the date, etc. As I talked about the date today, I noticed her eyes reddening and watering. When I inquired as to what was bothering her, she stated that she was aware of the date and that tomorrow will be the 3rd anniversary of her husband's death. They were married 62 years. Our discussion followed many paths but we settled on the fact that we live in a 'disposable world'. Those are her words and I tend to agree with her. She mentioned that growing up in the 30's and 40's that they just didn't waste anything and that nothing was disposable. She wasn't speaking of the physical things you buy at the store. She spoke of the moral value system under which the world operated. She stated that divorce was a dirty word. I told her I know people my age who are already on their third marriage. I know people who don't value any relationship and feel they are an island. Ashamedly, I am, at times, not much different. We continued our conversation and decided that without faith in God and without being ready when Jesus comes again, a person has no hope.
Because of the cross of Jesus and what that means, life for a Christian is full of hope and promise, even in the midst of a crooked and depraved generation. How important is it that Christian parents teach and model the proper behavior? We must carry greater influence on our children than the world, lest they learn that things and people are disposable.
I was talking to a lady at work today who is spending her second visit to Scioto in the past year. She has been demonstrating some cognitive deficits and I was asked to see her to help her get back on track. As we visited today, I was attempting to orient her to where she is and the date, etc. As I talked about the date today, I noticed her eyes reddening and watering. When I inquired as to what was bothering her, she stated that she was aware of the date and that tomorrow will be the 3rd anniversary of her husband's death. They were married 62 years. Our discussion followed many paths but we settled on the fact that we live in a 'disposable world'. Those are her words and I tend to agree with her. She mentioned that growing up in the 30's and 40's that they just didn't waste anything and that nothing was disposable. She wasn't speaking of the physical things you buy at the store. She spoke of the moral value system under which the world operated. She stated that divorce was a dirty word. I told her I know people my age who are already on their third marriage. I know people who don't value any relationship and feel they are an island. Ashamedly, I am, at times, not much different. We continued our conversation and decided that without faith in God and without being ready when Jesus comes again, a person has no hope.
Because of the cross of Jesus and what that means, life for a Christian is full of hope and promise, even in the midst of a crooked and depraved generation. How important is it that Christian parents teach and model the proper behavior? We must carry greater influence on our children than the world, lest they learn that things and people are disposable.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)