Tag Archives: Memorial Day

Freedom

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I wonder if you are old enough to remember your parents or grandparents talking about Decoration Day? It was the predecessor of Memorial Day, a day set aside to decorate the graves – and commemorate the lives – of those who  passed before us, most especially the fallen heroes who died defending our freedoms.

 

How often do you think about your freedoms?  Freedom of speech, freedom of worship,  freedom of press, freedom of assembly, freedom to petition government. All these are guaranteed under the first amendment of our constitution in the USA.  In some countries, these freedoms are not allowed and attempt to pursue them can result in severe and painful consequences, including imprisonment, torture, and death.  Even in the USA, these freedoms seem to be under constant attack.

 

There are also other freedoms that govern our lives:

  • The freedom to say NO to thoughts and habits that steal our joy and that of those around us.
  • The freedom to escape the imprisonment of self-effort and to become our best as God intended.
  • The freedom to accept and belief truth and say NO to lies.
  • The freedom to put others’ interests ahead of our own.
  • The freedom to forgive.
  • The freedom to not be controlled by circumstances.
  • The freedom to choose not only what is permissible but also beneficial.

 

But don’t we so often find ourselves in bondage when it comes to living out these freedoms? I mean we try and try in our own effort to realize these freedoms in our lives, only to find ourselves held back by chains that bind us. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians:3:17, “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Why is that our only path? Because the Spirit of the Lord is our wisdom and our strength. He is our power to experience freedom in our lives and to bless others with that same freedom. 

 

This Memorial Day, let’s set aside time to reflect on the freedoms provided to us by those who have gone on before; those who have taught us to embrace them, those who have defended it with their lives. And let us choose to live free in our thoughts and actions.

 

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians:5:13).

 

Path to Peace – Recreation

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How was your Memorial Day weekend? (Note to our international readers: Memorial Day is a national day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service, our fallen heroes. It was declared a national holiday in 1971.)

Was your day meditative as you reflected on those who have given their lives to secure and preserve the freedoms we enjoy today? For many it is much the same as any other day. But for millions of Americans it is a time to reunite with family and friends.

You might be surprised to know that one of the paths to peace is through recreation. What comes to mind when you think about recreation? Watching or playing sports or music, attending art events, watching a movie, playing games, reading, shopping, partying with friends and family, or vacations to favorite destinations? I wonder how many times we miss the intent of recreation because we ‘mispronounce’ the word. If you’ve ever come back more worn out and frustrated from a vacation or family reunion than when you started, you understand the meaning of “wreckreation.” If you’ve watched a movie to “veg out” and find you’re not more relaxed than when you began, you understand too. Americans are famous at ‘wreckreating’. We are a ‘wreckreation nation’. But recreation (re-creation) involves participating in those activities that recreate us and restore our soul. They lift us emotionally, physically, and spiritually to a higher level than we were before. They recharge our batteries. It’s possible you might find ways to recreate in the same ways others ‘wreckreate’.

Here’s a practical way to apply this principle of restoration:
Take a sheet of paper and make three columns. In the first column make a list of things you do to ‘wreckreate’ that actually drag you down. In the middle column, list the things you already do that lift you up. In the last column, add to your list new things you might consider trying for thirty days to expand your re-creation skill set. For example:

  • Take a walk by yourself or with a friend
  • Start a daily journal of your thoughts and insights
  • Plant a few flowers and take care of them
  • Watch only uplifting movies
  • Read an inspirational/encouraging book
  • Read the Gospel of John
  • Take your spouse or child to a restaurant where you have to look down, not up, at the menu 😉
  • Have a normal conversation with God once (or throughout) the day

You get the idea. Enjoy some time investing in your (and your family’s) recreation on your path to peace with God.

“Come to me all you who are weary and I will give you rest.” – Jesus, Matthew 11:28