Freedom

Because I am a regular fan of the hit television show called Army Wives, I have a whole new appreciation & understanding for this holiday and what it truly signifies for me.

I am thankful for this day ... Memorial Day ... for several reasons.

I love this day because it is a "kick off" to summer and there is a lot of excitement and fun in the air. We, in the Midwest, are desperate for sun and warmth :) The weather has gotten better (a bit 'odd' I might add!), the flowers have popped out of the earth, our neighbors are starting to come out of their winter hibernation ... we are pulling weeds and dropping mulch in the flower beds and getting our summer yard ready for the kids we know are coming~

Yet, this day also brings feelings of sadness for me along with the good.

Army Wives has done a very nice job of blending important issues involved with military families. There is this nice mixture of family, friendship, love, morals, American pride, but then also, the tough issues like death, loss, grief, and PTSD are also bravely addressed.

The real issues facing our military and their families.

The issues that I like to ignore or push aside for another day. The hard stuff of life. The reality of our war. It is why I tend to turn off the radio or news when I hear that yet another one of our soldiers has paid the ultimate price.

I turn away because I don't want to feel sad ... because it is sad. But then our Flag reminds me that I have the right to stand proud.

Unfortunately, I've learned how easily it is for me to take what I have and what I've been given for granted.

With all of my mixed emotions of sadness yet 'fun in the air' feelings, I also feel a whole lot of pride. A good pride.

The pride of being able to say I live in America and I am free.

After all, my dad served in the Navy. Mark served in the Army; he was stationed in Germany. We do have 2 boys who have like this gun 'obsession' and as their mom, my mind & heart do go to that place of What if? when I think of their future choices.

We, also, have dear friends who currently serve and sacrifice and give for our country in some fashion or another. We know of families where this day brings only sadness.

I choose to pause now a moment longer when I see the American flag flying -- the Red, White, & Blue colors -- and I stop to remember what I have and what I've been given and what others gave for me ... for all of us.

What our soldiers sacrifice every single day to keep our freedoms in place. 

War or not.

I pause to Remember. 

I pause to give Thanks.

I pause to give Honor where it is due. 

For me ... my rights ... my freedoms. 

And, honestly, I have taken it all for granted. 

I have "skipped" voting day because I didn't 'feel' like it or figured I didn't know enough to make the best choice anyway. I figured one vote -- my vote -- didn't matter. Recent elections have taught me that one vote really does matter ... my right to vote.

I have the "right" to go to any single church I want, when I want, and openly speak about what I believe - without fear for my life.

I don't have to "hide" to worship and praise my God or even hide my bible from view ... my freedom of religion.

I had the "right" to start this blog and I have the "right" to continue it and write about anything my heart desires ... my freedom of speech.

I had the "right" to walk into any gun shop of my choosing a few months back; simply fill out a few forms; hand over my driver's license; learn how to use & operate my new firearm. And within 48 hours I was another proud gun owner in America ... my right to keep and bear arms. 

Hmm ... my mind shifts to other countries - to those much, much less fortunate than I. I think about what people are willing to do to get what I have ... my rights ... my freedoms ... the gift of my tomorrows.

The gift of just being able to live in America. To just be standing in the space I stand in.

What was sacrificed for me.

Today, on this Memorial Day, I choose to stand in a place of thankfulness and gratitude.

I will end on this note: Because I am a 'visual learner' and I love 'word pictures,' I just had to copy/paste this e-mail that you see below because pictures really do speak a thousand words. 

My wish for you Today is that you also take it all in ... the fun and sun and cookouts and parades and family time ... and Enjoy! but also to give pause like I am and remember.

To give Honor and Thanks to whom it is due.
Happy Memorial Day!
 

 

 

 

 

It is the
VETERAN,
not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is
the VETERAN,
not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial. 

It is
the VETERAN,
not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the
VETERAN who
salutes the Flag.

It is
the
VETERAN
who serves
under the Flag.

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

Friendship

In the past few days while I have been "chauffeuring" the kids here and there in our last lovely Wisconsin April snowfall/hailstorm {I already know what you Wisconsinites are thinking!}, I was listening to one of my favorite radio stations called k-love.

I love this station because they only play positive and encouraging music.
And I definitely need to fill my mind and heart up with that, especially while I'm driving~

I, particularly, love listening to the conversations the DJ's get into with each other, and of course, the people 'out there' who are listening.
Many times they encourage and challenge me to really think about something in a whole different way. 

They were naturally discussing Jesus and Easter because we are in what Christians call Holy Week.
The radio DJ's were discussing just what Jesus all endured
in just one week's time!

Of course, we all know about His Death & Crucifixion & Resurrection, but what they got me thinking about on a much deeper level was this idea of Friendship.

Naturally, my mind and heart did go to that place of what Jesus must have really truly felt when his closest, dearest friends betrayed Him in the worse possible way...at the worst possible time.

I've been there, too, and I highly doubt that I'm alone in that.

Ouch!

The first betrayal involved the “worst” of the disciples as some might say: Judas, who betrayed Jesus with a "kiss" for thirty pieces of silver for his execution. The second involves Peter, who would deny his connection to Jesus 3 different times out of shame or embarrassment or fear
{who knows right?}

I guess I don't blame them. I would like to think I would've been the bold, brave one to stand up for Jesus, and do the right thing.
Yet, I am now all too familiar with my own shortcomings and weaknesses; areas I need to grow in.

I will admit that I, unfortunately, may have done the exact same thing as them...in those circumstances...at that time in history.

Yet, He was Jesus, God's Son, and therefore, Perfect and showed us how to do it the 'right' way.
Yet He did it so well! I think, and It is so hard to do!

First off, I know Jesus probably did what I would've done, and I have many times when I have felt that all too familiar "sting" of judgment, betrayal, or rejection... and that is to just simply cry.

I imagine it to be like one of those gut-wrenching cries that we would never let anyone see.

Yep! Been there, done that. One too many times.
And it is a tough place to be in.

I realized that I, unfortunately, have gotten stuck in that place; that hasn't served me or others well at all. 

I can so easily imagine and go to "what Jesus must have felt like" when I read what His friends did to Him, but when I look at it from a different vantage point, that being... not my own...

I think, How many times has it been me doing the wounding? {gulp!}

 Yes...I remember how many times it has been I, Lori, who did the 'stinging'...with my words, or the tone of my voice, or just simply my body language.

But what Jesus did so easily and so freely and so Amazingly Well was to simply Forgive.
And He didn't even need to ask Why? a thousand times, like I've always felt the need to.

Jesus just kept on forgiving over and over...as many times as it took... 

In fact, He says we should forgive 70 X 7 times, which if my math skills are serving me correctly, then that means 490 times! Yikes! That's a lot of times.

Now that is hard to do, especially when the wound cuts very, very deep...
and especially when it is from the same person.

With that being said, Jesus never promoted being a "doormat", either. He taught about Balance.

I've had to learn the hard way about this ... there is always a balance to everything.

And what simply Amazes me again - is that when Jesus came out of the grave, when He rose again, He told Mary to go tell His disciples and Peter! Yes...Peter - His friend who denied even knowing Him.

Now that is Forgiveness.
Now that is Love.
Now that is Friendship.

And I think Peter could simply not resist the pull of  Jesus' Love - it was just too hard  to resist! :)

Anyway, when I think back over my Life - to all of my Friends that have come and gone...some already in Heaven... many have stayed awhile... and have taught me lessons that I never would've learned otherwise...
Some I've had to let go for one reason or another; I will always treasure the memories.

Then my heart returns to the present moment, the Here and Now, and I think of all of the people in my Life currently who I like to call Friend...

Or I call them my kindred spirits...or my "team"...my Best Friends...
{male and female alike...young and old...wearing skin or fur...blood relatives and not...'blasts' from the past...wearing white lab coats or not}

And I realize that just like Jesus, they have loved and accepted me for "me"...unconditionally, without judgment. They have extended mercy and grace to me when I didn't deserve it.

They were silent, even when they sensed I may be walking straight into a mistake, yet knew "me" and my heart's intent well enough to know that it was my mistake to make... and my mistake to learn from ... and then my mistake to hopefully grow from.

They forgave me for the times I hurt or disappointed them because they loved me so much.

It is as simple as that.

And I like to call that Friendship.

The real kind. The kind that you can trust wholeheartedly in. The kind where it is safe to share your heart.

The kind that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

I like to think of them all as "gifts" - straight from God Himself from Heaven above straight to me, Lori...
my Friends...

I would like to end this post with this note to my Friends...
{I hope you know who you are!}

Thank you...

Thank you for showing me what true Friendship looks like, and for showing me how to do the job of Friend well.
The kind of friend that I want to be and
the kind of friend I continue to strive to be.

P.S. If you've never tuned into the television show that airs on Lifetime (or you can get past seasons at the library) called Army Wives...then you are truly missing a "gem" of a show about Friendship, plus much, much more!
And yes...I'm talkin' about the real kind!