Remember, the Lord cautions us.  Remember the wondrous works He has done for us.  Let there be markers in our life where we pause, reflect and share with our children the meanings behind the recollections.  Why do we spend time remembering?
     In Joshua 4:4-7, the Lord commands the Israelites through Joshua, to “Go over (the river) before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan.  Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you.  In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean? tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord….These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.'”
     In remembering, we stop our dizzy activity and allow our hearts to reconnect with an awesome moment when the Lord touched our lives.  In the remembering, we relive the intricacies, the emotions, the presence, the power, the magnificence–we focus our attention and consideration on the meaning of the memorial and honor the One who gave us life. Because of the remembrance, we move forward with more trust, hope, and love.
     In the same way, today, we remember those who have served us by fighting for our country.  They have given their lives so that we may live in freedom.  This heritage we have is to be commemorated, talked about, and passed on to our children that they may understand the meaning of this Memorial Day.  And with gratefulness in their hearts, they will move forward with faith, hope, and love to fight for and defend the principles that men and women have been fighting for throughout our country’s history.
     Let us be proud to be Americans, proud of those who gave their lives, proud to recognize their heroism, proud to memorialize them.

     “What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?…Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip form your heart as along as you live.  Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” Deuteronomy 4:7 & 9 NIV

     Giving thanks for family members who have fought for our country’s freedom: My Dad, my husband, my cousins Eddie, John, Greg, and John.  In what ways do you memorialize this day?  In what ways do you remember the moments when the Lord has reached from heaven to touch your life on earth?