Remembering

"In the world, you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world."

Today is a day for remembering the people that have made your life what it is today. As I get older, my list of people that I have to remember becomes longer and longer.  I look at the tragic circumstances that took some of these people from me.  For example, there was a boyhood acquaintance, not a close friend, but a classmate, who was hit by speeding train. I remember to this very day his young body laying in that casket.  I remember going to the funeral of my father's "Uncle George."  He was found alone in his apartment laying on the floor.  And of course I remember with great sorrow the death of my mother who was a victim of the medical arts, a victim of a doctor who just did not care.  Then there was my father, a victim of R.J. Reynolds, who died gasping for breath after a lifetime of smoking. 

I am sure that you can remember the deaths of people in your family, or people that you knew.  Take your car and drive into the country and you will see evidence of tragedy everywhere as large plots of land have been set aside for the burial of ourselves, our relatives, and yes, even ourselves.  So what is this nonsense that Jesus said that he had conquered the world? 

Thank heavens, Jesus HAS conquered the world.  Part of this is, of course, that he has conquered sin and death. Before Christ, death and the devil laughed at the plight of the human race. After Christ, it is us that do the laughing because when death stung Jesus, death stung itself to death! 

On this memorial day, take a few moments and remember those that died before us.  They are now in heaven enjoying the Beatific Vision, being with God and the saints forever.  They are in a place where there is no pain, there is no suffering.  They know everyone and everyone knows them. 

Take a few moments as well to remember those who died so that you can be free to worship as you want to.  This year I will remember in my prayers in a special way a local man who gave his life for his country:

Army Spc. Wesley R. Wells 

Died September 20, 2004

Naka, Afghanistan 

Memorial Day - Honoring those that have kept us free

1ST LT THOMAS GORDON EDGREN

198TH LIGHT INFANTRY 

UNIT COMMANDER

1945 - 1970

25 YEARS OLD

KILLED BY SMALL ARMS FIRE 

REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM 

AUGUST 8 1970

First Lieutenant Thomas Gordon Edgren

Heavenly Father, I lift up the name of 

Thomas Gordon Edgren

of Libertyville Illinois

Whom you called home in 1970

Father, he died far away from home

In a foreign land torn by civil war and death.

I pray Father, that Thomas is with you now and

that his happiness knows no end. 

There are thousands of men and women just like Thomas

O gracious Father, each has given their all so that we might enjoy freedom in this great land.

My Father, today we are engaged in yet another war.

Men and women in our armed forces are in foreign lands.

Protect them we pray, 

Bring them home to their friends and relatives 

Safe and Secure

For the wounded Lord, melt the hearts of stone we 

in our leaders in Washington, 

Let them move heaven and earth to see to it 

that the wounded in body and mind get nothing but the best of care.

Father, move your hand I pray. 

Your children are weary of war and long for peace.

We need your help, Father to end the violence.

Grant us peace dear Lord, Grant us peace 

Thank You To Our Soldiers

God has blessed America with many great gifts and the range from sea to shining sea just as the old patriotic hymn proclaims.  In this country we have the freedom to be free.  We have the freedom to be allowed to worship the Lord in the way that seems best for us.  We have the freedom to make something of ourselves.  We have the right to speak our mind, voice our opinion, and petition the government.  We have abundance and plenty.  All of this came at a cost. That cost has been paid for by those that put their life on the line to secure freedom for us all, proud members of the United States Army, Navy, Marines,Coast Guard and Air Force. 

At the beginning of our country a shot was heard around the world, and the bells of freedom tolled and there was the Minuteman, a citizen soldier serving to bring freedom and justice to a people under the yoke of a tyrant king.

We fought against England again in the War of 1812 when they sought to suppress free trade and were kidnapping and forcing American sailors to duty in their navy.  Again soldiers and sailors bled and died for America.

Then America fought itself in the War Between the States, a war that pitted brother against brother and sometimes son against father.  Thousands upon thousands of soldiers died to preserve the Union.

We fought in the Great War, the First World War the war that was billed to be the War that ended all wars.  Americans came together once again and soldiers, sailors, and airmen were martyred for liberty.

The Second World War brought our brave service people into battle of not just a people but against a philosophy of hatred and evil. Our uniformed people answered the call and from Pearl Harbor to Iwo Gima and beyond our people proved their loyalty by fighting and dying so that their children could be truly free.

Next we fought in Korea.  We protected the South from the evil of communism spreading like a cancer from the North.   Our people bled and died so that others could be free.

In Viet Nam our soldiers, sailors, and airmen fought and died in an attempt to plant the seeds of democracy in that war torn land.  Alas, the political will to win this war was not there and our valiant troops fought for naught.

A  despot in the middle east decided to attack his neighbor and our country saved the small country of Kuwait and decisively turned the invader around scurrying back to their home country but without the equipment they brought.

Then years later, this same despot threatened us once again.  This time we invaded and finished what we started, deposing and eventually capturing an executing that Madman of Iraq.  We then helped start the rebuilding process and left after turning the country back over to those that lived there.

Meanwhile we are still embroiled in Afghanistan, a country infested with the evil of Islamic Terrorists.  Our people in uniform continue to fight the Taliban and the other terrorists and they do not count the cost as they continue to bleed and die so that an alien people can eventually choose their own destiny.

In all of these conflicts our military has protected us from tyranny at a great cost but generously given.  

So God Bless the American Military man and woman and God Bless the United States of America.