Time to Remember

 

 

 

 

We're approaching the Memorial Day holiday, which many view simply as a kick-off to the summer vacation season.  But Memorial Day is so much more than that. This is a holiday which has its roots in the days following the Civil War and which began as a way to honor and remember those who had died in that war.  Although in recent years it has been observed much like other patriotic holidays (Independence Day and Veterans' Day) as a way to honor all the men and women who serve in our nation's military, I believe it is important to remember why we have this particular holiday. 

 

This day is so much more than just a kick-off to summer, and it is so much more than a day to honor the military, as important as that is.  We have Armed Forces Day (the third Saturday in May) to honor those who are now serving in our nation's military.  Sadly, unless you are part of a military family or you live in a community near a military base, you may not even be aware of this holiday.  We have Veterans' Day in November to honor all those who have served in our nation's military.

This holiday, Memorial Day, is a day set aside to remember those who have died in service to our country.  To remember that freedom isn't free.  To remember that all those who went off to war didn't come home.  Memorial Day is a day to remember.

In places like Gettysburg and Vicksburg.  At Bull Run and Bunker Hill. In faraway places like Normandy and Argonne. Korea and Vietnam. Baghdad and Mosul.  Kabul and Kandahar. In all these places and many more, somebody died for you. Memorial Day is a day to remember that.  Somebody died for you.

As you're celebrating Memorial Day with family and friends, remember.

This weekend, while you're enjoying your day off from work, or your day at the beach, or your barbecue, or your ball game, take time to remember.

Freedom isn't free. 

Remember.

Somebody paid the ultimate price so you can enjoy all these things.

Remember.

Somebody died for you.

Remember.


"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."  (John 15:13 ESV)

Life On The Road. Focus.

We are midway through our fifth week of life on the road. Five weeks of sleeping in hotels. Five weeks of loading and unloading as we travel from one hotel to the next. Five weeks of living out of a suitcase. Five weeks of restaurant food, some of it really good, and some not so much.

Five weeks away from home makes one weary. After this length of time, even little inconveniences get magnified into big irritations. Being away from home and family and friends for this length of time finds us longing for home, which makes this a good day to make a determined effort to focus on the positive.

Whether you're on an extended road trip or not, fatigue has a way of dragging us down, causing our focus to shift from the positive to the negative. That makes this a good day to shift my focus. To focus my attention on the positive. To remember all the reasons I have for being thankful.

Let's just start with this: yesterday marked six months since my stroke. Six months ago life changed, not just for me, but for my husband as well. Six months ago I was in the ICU, with family and friends wondering if I would wake up. Today I am so much improved that most people don't even realize that I had a stroke! Yes, there are things I can't do as well as I once did, but I am alive and healthy! I am a very blessed woman, and so thankful for how God has brought me through this challenge!

When I finish this post, I am going down to the gym to walk off some of the delicious food I have eaten over the last few days. A few months ago, I wouldn't have been able to do that, but now I can!

While we have been on this trip, I have been reading. Yes, reading! I never thought I would be able to do this again, but I am actually reading a book and enjoying it! It's a very slow process for me. In my "previous life", I probably would have read this book in 2 or 3 days. Currently, I have been working on it for about 5 weeks, and I'm about halfway through. If I let it, that could really frustrate me, since in the past I probably read about 10 books a month. But now, I am so grateful to be reading again and enjoying the process, something I never really believed would happen.

We have seen some beautiful countryside on this trip. We have eaten some delicious food. We have experience all kinds of weather.  It is a warm, sunny morning here in Ohio, which I'm very thankful for after almost three weeks of cold and gloom and rain.

One of the things I am most thankful for today is a change in our travel schedule, which allows us time to go home for a few days before we finish the trip. I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed. I'm even looking forward to doing my own laundry in my own washing machine!

Life on the road can be challenging.

But there is always something to be thankful for!

How Do You Spend Your Time?

How do you spend your time?

A few weeks ago, during a visit with the neurologist, I was asked that question. How do you spend your time? When she asked me that question, I had to chuckle a little bit. At the time, I was still in speech therapy, so my answer went something like this:

On Monday I do laundry, and I have a nap. On Tuesday, I go to Therapy and then to the gym, and I have a nap. On Wednesday, I do my therapy homework, and I have a nap. On Thursday, I go to therapy and the gym, and I have a nap. And so goes the rest of the week.

During our previous road trip a couple of years ago, the question was "Won't you get bored?" My answer at the time was no. At the time I occupied myself in hotels with reading and writing, and while we were driving, I took lots of pictures.

On this trip, the question is a little different. I'm more often asked if I'm doing ok. I'm sure the question relates to being on the road so long while still recovering from my stroke. I spend my time a little differently than I did on the previous trip. There is much less reading than before, because reading is still very slow for me. But I am enjoying reading Joel Rosenburg's Without Warning. I began the book as we began our journey and have read 125 pages so far. In my "previous life", I would have read this and several other books by now. But that's not how things work in my new normal.

The difference between this trip and the previous one, is that a daily nap. Whether I'm here in the hotel while Al is working, or we're driving from one place to the next, the afternoon nap is a necessary part of life, whether on the road or at home.

Over the last few months, the question How do you spend your time? has often been asked, whether by doctor's or therapists or concerned friends. I answer the question these days differently than I might have answered it a few months ago. These days, I'm much more careful about how I spend my time. I give more careful thought to the choices I make, knowing that I have much less energy than I had before, and wanting to spend my time wisely.

Even for those of you who have never had a stroke, it's a good question. How do you spend your time?

How do you choose to spend your time? What is the value system that controls the choices you make? Are the choices you make about how you spend your time consistent with the values you profess? For example, as a follower of Christ, how much time and energy are you giving to the Word of God? Have you read your Bible today? Have you spent time in prayer?

Or are you just busy being busy?

Something to think about.

"As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God."
(Psalm 42:1 NASB)

On the Road Again. The Journey Continues.

The second week of our road trip found us in South Florida. As the week ended, we began making our way to the middle of the map. The first week of our trip included some time with family; this last weekend included time with some precious friends.

As we were driving north, making our way from Florida to Missouri, we stopped in central Georgia for lunch on Friday with two precious friends. Then on Saturday night, we spent some time in Tennessee with more special friends. Friends like these are among life's greatest blessings!

Whether you are on a road trip or just "traveling through life", there are some highs and lows. We experienced some high points this week as we spent time with friends, but there have been some low points as well. In this trip around the country we have made some interesting observations. Among them, that there are bad drivers every where you go, and the disturbing reality that this country's infrastructure is falling apart! Roads and bridges everywhere are crumbling!

When we arrived here in St. Louis, we were upgraded to a suite. This is a special blessing, since we are here for the entire week. We have two rooms, which gives us plenty of room for our "stuff", plenty of room for Al to work, and a separate room for sleeping.

We left a drought in Florida to come to Missouri, where they have had too much rain, and a number of roads are flooded. Besides the rain, it is much cooler here than I expected, which makes me very glad I thought to pack jeans and a jacket!

As we begin this third week of our trip, I have three conclusions:

• Expect the unexpected. No matter how much you plan and prepare, no matter how many times you check the weather forecast, things won't always turn out exactly as you expect they will. Be flexible. Make adjustments where necessary. And enjoy the journey.
• Sometimes the "unexpected" is a special gift. Like our suite, for example. "Unexpected" is not necessarily a bad thing. Be thankful. And enjoy the journey.
• Friendship is one of life's greatest blessings. Over the years we have been blessed to have many "forever friends" come into our lives. Friends with whom we share a special connection. Friends with whom we have enjoyed the journey of life, and with whom we enjoy every moment we get to share together.

We're in our third week of living on the road. We've seen some beautiful parts of the country. We've eaten some good food. Even so, I confess there are days when I long for home! But until we make our way there, the journey continues!


"In everything give thanks."  (1 Thessalonians 5:18)