Tag: sacrifice

The Valentine that Keeps on Giving!

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I love this Valentine and keep sending it each year as the message is timeless and the graphics so true.

The cynic might say Valentine’s Day is the day for florists, candy and card makers to earn a great deal of money.  I walked into a local supermarket yesterday, and I was overwhelmed by the amount of flowers, cards and candy that were on display.   On the love side, Valentine’s Day is a day when we can express our love for one another freely and not be thought of as sentimental or mushy.  How about God?  How does God express His love for us?   Here is a familiar verse that gets right to the heart of God.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that who ever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For He did not sent his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”  John 3:16-17  

How much more love could God show towards us than sacrificing His only Son on our behalf?  He loved us that much.   He sent Him so that through faith in Jesus we could be saved and not condemned.  Only sinless Jesus could erase our sin and present us whole and perfectly clean before our Holy God.

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When you say ‘thank you’ today for a Valentine gift you receive, a card, note, flowers or someone simply saying ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’, think about thanking God too.  Thank Him for sending Jesus.  Thank Him for making a way for your salvation and eternal life with Him.   That is the best Valentine I can think of that is filled with all of God’s love for now throughout eternity.

Blessings on this Valentine’s Day.

Linda

Sacrifice and Service, Remember them today!

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Today is the anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor – December 7, 1941.  It began 81 years ago at 7:55 am.  If you have visited the Memorial over the sunken Arizona where the sailors are still entombed, you are sobered by their sacrifice.  War is a terrible thing yet through it men rise to honor and sacrifice for their fellow men.   Over 2,400 were killed and 1,000 wounded that day.  The most causalities occurred on the USS Arizona as it was hit 4 times by Japanese bombers.  A piece of trivia- 37 confirmed pairs or trios of brothers were assigned to the Arizona and this battle cost 62 of these 77 men their lives and 23 sets of brothers died.  I can’t imagine the grief those families suffered all in one day.   President Franklin D. Roosevelt described it as “a date that will live in infamy.”  Just like September 11, 2001 will live on in our minds so should December 7th.

05 Duty, Honor, Sacrifice

Say a prayer of gratitude today for the sacrifices of the men who died this day so long ago and for the men and women who continue to sacrifice their lives, time, talents and family time for our freedom.

Seeking to honor their sacrifice and service.

Linda

Why We Remember on Veteran’s Day

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November 11, 2022

Today is Veteran’s Day in America. It is a day to remember those who have died fighting for freedom for our country and for those that are living and serve or have served in the military. It is a day of remembrance and thanksgiving for the end of a brutal war, WWI. The armistice was signed ending the war on the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour in 1918. It was originally called Armistice Day but the name was changed by Congress in 1954 to Veteran’s Day.

This year I have been doing some reading of books written by a former Navy Seal, Jack Carr. He writes a great thriller as he uses his experiences in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and the Seal teams to enhance his writing. Even though the technology of war has changed dramatically since the war for Independence in 1776, the Civil War and even WWI and WWII, the hurt and brutality of war has not changed. The sacrifices made both physically and mentally by our service men and women is worthy of honor. We have begun to realize in more recent years the tremendous and lasting effects war has upon soldiers as conditions like PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) are studied more thoroughly. Our medical technology has allowed many with former life threatening wounds to survive. Learning to survive with amputated limbs is a constant and lasting struggle. Many are victorious over these conditions brought on by war but many are not. Suicide among veterans is very high. We can never thank our soldiers enough for putting themselves in harms way on our behalf.

Why remember? Throughout scripture we are told to remember the things God has done so we don’t forget His goodness. That way we can be more diligent about our faith and the way we live, and we can have a greater appreciation and love for God and His faithfulness towards us. The same could apply to remembering our brave veterans. Jesus said in John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” We owe our Veterans, both the living and the dead, a debt of gratitude and thanks for their sacrifices on our behalf. They do not even know me and are willing to put their lives at risk for me so my freedoms can be preserved. I am humbled by their service and dedication.

Who do you know that you can thank and honor today? Maybe a friend, a neighbor or relative has served in the military. Take time to send them an email, a note, a card of thanks or give them a call. Let them know how grateful you are for the time they sacrificed defending your freedom.

Linda

Lent 2021. Please join me as I journey through Colossians

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This year the Lord has led me to the book of Colossians for my meditations and writing. This New Testament Letter is short, only 4 chapters, but is powerfully packed with words of strength that we so desperately need in our daily walk with Christ. The passages will give us assurance of our salvation, the work and person of Jesus Christ and the sovereignty of God. This letter was penned by the Apostle Paul and was believed to have been written during his first imprisonment in Rome. He wrote all of the Prison letters (Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians and Philemon) during this time.

Where was Colossae? This town was located in Asia Minor in present day Turkey. It was a smaller town on a river and lay on the trade route between the Aegean Sea and the Euphrates River. The neighboring towns of Laodicea and Hierapolis were larger. You might remember the church in Laodicea is mentioned in Revelation. It was the church chastised by Christ as being lukewarm-neither hot nor cold in faith. (See map at the bottom)

Why a letter? When Paul was in Ephesus, he lead a young man named Epaphras to know Christ. Later, Epaphras left Ephesus and went to Colossae. He led several people to the Lord and began a church plant there. Later, the Colossian Christians were struggling and were under theological attack so Epaphras journeyed to Rome to see Paul. Paul, who had never been to Colossae, wrote this encouraging, insightful letter seeking to ‘set their thinking right’ and point them to the one and only Lord Jesus.

I pray that our journey through Colossians will help us to focus on the cross, the sacrifice and the hope we have in Jesus. Also, that the scripture will cause us to pause, think, meditate and pray about our own need to repent and walk daily with Jesus. Here is a key verse in Colossians 2:13 for us to look forward to that shows us what Christ did for us! You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.

Thank you for coming with me. I look forward to the lessons and truths that we will uncover in scripture that will enrich our lives and walk with Jesus. Because Christ died on the cross and rose again, I have the ability to repent and be forgiven! Praise God and thank you Jesus!

Linda

Pearl Harbor, Always Remember Their Sacrifice

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Today is the anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor – December 7, 1941.  It began 79 years ago at 7:55 am.  If you have visited the Memorial over the sunken Arizona where the sailors are still entombed, you are sobered by their sacrifice.  War is a terrible thing yet through it men rise to honor and sacrifice for their fellow men.   Over 2,400 were killed and 1,000 wounded that day.  The most causalities occurred on the USS Arizona as it was hit 4 times by Japanese bombers.  A piece of trivia- 37 confirmed pairs or trios of brothers were assigned to the Arizona and this battle cost 62 of these 77 men their lives and 23 sets of brothers died.  I can’t imagine the grief those families suffered all in one day.   President Franklin D. Roosevelt described it as “a date that will live in infamy.”  Just like September 11, 2001 will live on in our minds so should December 7th.

05 Duty, Honor, Sacrifice

Say a prayer of gratitude today for the sacrifices these men. We also need to remember those brave men and women who serve today and continue to sacrifice their lives, time, talents and family time for our freedom. Seeking to honor their sacrifice and service.

Linda

Sacrifice then…let us continue the fight for freedom

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Today is a day that will live in history and always be known for the great sacrifice of so many for the cause of freedom and justice.   June 6, 1944  was the day of the “D-Day” invasion of Europe in 1944.   Known as Operation Overload it was cloaked in secrecy and

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Today the Allied flag still fly in memory.

various rumors were spread to mislead the enemy as to when the attack would take place.  General Eisenhower had originally chosen June 5 for the invasion but bad weather made that impossible,  so they moved forward as weather cleared on June 6.  It was the largest amphibious attack in history and some 156,000 plus troops from Great Britain, Canada and the United States landed on various beaches.  When I visited Normandy, I realized how great the coordination had to have been to attack simultaneously the different beaches.  The British and Canadians captured beaches code named Gold, Juno and Sword.  The Americans captured Utah Beach but faced heavy resistance on Omaha Beach where over 2,000 Americans died.  Some historians estimate that more than 4,000 Allied troops lost their lives in the D-Day invasion, with thousands more wounded or missing.

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Today it is beautiful and serene, but that day the beaches were covered with barbed wire and obstacles to stop the troops from landing.

 

 

 

By the day’s end, some 156,000 troops had landed successfully and led what is thought to be ‘the beginning of the end for Germany’.  By the end of August, northern France had been liberated and by the Spring of 1945 the Germans were defeated.   The coordinated efforts of all the commanders were lead by General Dwight D Eisenhower.  They successfully adapted and overcame to defeat the enemy.

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The Rangers attacked under heavy fire from the Germany guns in these bunkers on top of the cliff.

 

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This beautiful beach cliff was the setting of the American Rangers’ attack that morning.

 

As we ponder this day in history, let us give thanks to those who gave their lives and those who fought bravely in the face of grave danger and survived.  Thank you to those who came home and lived lives of honor and courage after having experienced the horrors of war and to those who did not return.

IMG_0826Normandy, a place of remembrance.  Let us remember their sacrifice for our freedom and not take it lightly as the cost was great.

Proverbs 10:7 “The memory of the righteous is a blessing,
May the memories bring you blessings today.

Linda

 

Their Sacrifices are right and just on our behalf …. Semper Fi (Always faithful)

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Memorial-Day-1For this holiday- Memorial Day- the greeting, “Happy Memorial Day” just does not express the appropriate sentiment.  Memorial Day is a day to remember the sacrifice of soldiers who have died in war.  It began after the Civil war and was originally called ‘Decoration Day’.  It was later extended to honor all fallen soldiers in any war.  Jesus told us in John 15:13  “Greater love has no one than his, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Anyone who joins the military knows they might be called to go to war and fight.  Believing in life, freedom and the independent pursuit of happiness is declared in our Constitution’s Bill of Rights and gives motivation and heart to their call to defend our nation.  It is an honorable calling that is worthy of our acknowledgement and remembrance.  Proverbs 10:7 “The memory of the righteous is a blessing,
 but the name of the wicked will rot.”   Who will you remember today that has answered the call and given their life for their friends?  You and I need to consider ourselves their friends and it is our obligation to their sacrifice that we remember them.  Scripture teaches that remembering will be and is a blessing to us.  Remember both the living and the dead, as both made or are making sacrifices on our behalf.

Will you attend a parade, a breakfast, have a time of prayer, watch a war movie?   Any of these things can be a cause to remember those that have fallen and give thanks for their sacrifice for you and for me.  Have a blessed Memorial Day!  I think that would be the proper greeting and I send it to you!

Linda

Arlington Cemetary
Arlington National Cemetery

Prayer:  Thank you Lord, for those brave men and women who have given their all- their lives- so that I can enjoy the freedoms our country provides.  Help me to be honoring to their memory and sacrifice knowing they laid their lives down for me, someone they did not even know.  Give me an attitude of thankfulness for those Veteran’s that are still living and help me to honor them.  Lord, give our leaders wisdom and a sense of unity in working to preserve that for  which so many have died.  Amen.

Being real imitators = Life filled with Love

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Paul begins Ephesian Chapter 5:1-2 having arrived at a conclusion as to how believers ephesians 5 1-2in Jesus should act.  “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us  and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.”   He exhorts us to imitate God.  What does that mean to you?   Think of God’s attributes and consider the ones that He desires we have – like being forgiving, loving, kind, gentle, compassionate, thankful, pure, holy, ….  God desires that we follow Christ’s example and imitate Him because He dearly loves us and we are His children.  Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross pleased God as it redeemed all mankind from death and enabled us to come before Him.   Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, we can be imitators of Jesus and have lives filled with love.

Where do you need to imitate Christ in your life?  With your family, at work or school, on committees or groups you belong to??   Living a life of authentic Christianity is a call to sacrifice, humility and openness before God.  I love Philippians 1:6 because it assures me that I am not in this struggle to live for Christ alone,  “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”  Philippians 4:19  assures me that He has what I need to live for Him, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”   We can have hope that God Jesus-likewill finish what He started in us when we became believers.  He always completes what He starts!  We can do this because God has the resources for all our needs.  We just need to ask and be willing to serve Him.  Be imitators of Christ today and experience His love in your life.

Linda

Time to remember with Gratitude

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Today is the anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor – December 7, 1941.  It began 78 years ago at 7:55 am.  If you have visited the Memorial over the sunken Arizona where the sailors are still entombed, you are sobered by their sacrifice.  War is a terrible thing yet through it men rise to honor and sacrifice for their fellow men.   Over 2,400 were killed and 1,000 wounded that day.  The most causalities occurred on the USS Arizona as it was hit 4 times by Japanese bombers.  A piece of trivia- 37 confirmed pairs or trios of brothers were assigned to the Arizona and this battle cost 62 of these 77 men their lives and 23 sets of brothers died.  I can’t imagine the grief those families suffered all in one day.   President Franklin D. Roosevelt described it as “a date that will live in infamy.”  Just like September 11, 2001 will live on in our minds so should December 7th.

05 Duty, Honor, SacrificeSay a prayer of gratitude today for the sacrifices of the men who died this day so long ago and for the men and women who continue to sacrifice their lives, time, talents and family time for our freedom.

Seeking to honor their sacrifice and service.

Linda

11/11 Veteran’s Day- a day to remember our patriots with Thanks!

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This year I have read several novels set during WWII.  They all describe the horrors of war and the tragedies inflicted on human beings surrounding war.   On one occasion one of my high school students and I went to see the movie, They Shall Not Grow Old, which was about WWI.    It was a moving account told through the eyes of the British soldiers.  I did not realize until the ‘after talk’ by the producer that the narratives read during the scenes were actual accounts from soldiers who served in the pictured battles or areas.  That made the scenes all the more moving and real.  Although the film footage was very old and not at all what we usually experience in high definition, it was authentic and gave you a real vision of what the conditions were really like.  I did not have a true concept of what the trenches actually were.  When I saw for real the conditions, the extent and size of the trenches I was amazed.  The film was a tribute, by the producer, to honor his relatives who served during that war.

Nothing adequately describes the horrors of war and its aftermath in the mind and soul of the individual.  November 11th is set aside for the specific remembrance -the 11th month, 11th day at the 11th hour the armistice was signed ending WWI, named the war to end all wars, and yet it did not.  Scripture tells us there will we wars and rumors of wars until the end of time.  Today we remember those who served and those who died in any war or conflict with grateful hearts.

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words.  Here are some pictures of the beaches and cemetery at Normandy.  This was a place of great sacrifice during World War II.  Thank you to each Veteran on this Veteran’s Day for your service and the sacrifice of all those who have died to preserve our freedoms.  I am most grateful.

veteran's dayIn John 15:13 Jesus says, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends”.  These brave men and women paid the ultimate price, and they did not even know me.  I am humbled by their patriotism and sacrifice on my behalf.

Gratefully,

Linda

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