Memorial Day 2024 * Times of Uncertainty
PASTOR CORY SMITHEE
Posted on BRIGHT-FM: When life feels uncertain, it’s easy to doubt that God is really with us. But the same God who is with us during the good times is the same God who is with us during the uncertain times. All throughout the Bible, the Lord has shown that He doesn’t abandon His children, and you can be sure He won’t start now.
Karen Del Tatto- We may live in uncertain times, but for those who are in Christ Jesus, our future is certain and secure. If we can trust God with our eternal future, we can certainly trust Him with our lives here on earth.
Penned Truth: There is a strong temptation to trust in material things, pleasurable things, mind numbing things, and human power instead of in God.
Proverbs 3:5–6 (ESV) 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
1. Make God a priority. – Whatever happens in rest of 2024, we must make God a priority.
Penned Truth: We must trust Him every day, all day long, 365 days a year all day long.
2. Live a life of dependence on God.
Collins Dictionary: Your dependence on something or someone is your need for them in order to succeed or be able to survive.
Psalm 62:5–8 (ESV) 5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 7 On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. 8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.
Penned Truth: Guided and grounded in the promises in His Word, we can be humbly confident and fully assured that God’s got it.
Final Word: As Christians, we must trust the Lord when considering what we hear in the daily news and seek to discern His will and purposes. We must also ask for His wisdom to see events in the world and our lives from an eternal perspective. We must remind ourselves that our God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving. Even though we often do not understand His ways, we can always trust Him.
ASSOCIATE PASTOR COLLIN GREGORY
Thomas Campbell once said… “The patriot’s blood is the seed of freedom’s tree.”
Many celebrate the long Memorial Day weekend with barbecues and family get-togethers, but Memorial Day is so much more than a chance to kick off the summer months. Memorial Day commemorates all men and women who have died in U.S. military service. It’s not to be confused with Veterans Day, which celebrates the service of U.S. military veterans, or with Armed Forces Day, which honors men and women currently in service.
Memorial Day began a few years after the Civil War, in 1868. An organization of Union veterans established the holiday, then known as Decoration Day, as a time to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers. From then until the present day, the solemn holiday has been formally observed at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
In 2000, Congress passed the National Moment of Remembrance Act, which encourages Americans to observe a moment of silence at 3 p.m. local time to remember those who have died in service.
Memorial Day is seen by some as just a long weekend, to kick off the summer and enjoy the good weather.
…. But Memorial Day is something so much more. Memorial Day is a day to remember commitment, selflessness, dedication and the sacrifice of life, so that we can enjoy the freedoms we so desperately cling too.
My Fellow Americans,
We do not forget.
Whether it’s an hour ago or a century ago, we remember. Just ask the family of Private First Class HAROLD C. AGERHOLM, who, while serving with the 4th Battalion, 10th Marines, 2d Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Saipan in the (MARINE-UHS) Marianas Islands, on July 7, 1944. Who, immediately volunteered to assist in the efforts to evacuate American and Allied forces wounded when the enemy launched a fierce, determined counterattack against their positions and overran a neighboring artillery battalion. Locating and appropriating an abandoned ambulance jeep, Pfc. Agerholm repeatedly made extremely perilous trips under heavy rifle and mortar fire and single-handedly loaded and evacuated approximately 45 casualties, working tirelessly and with utter disregard for his own safety during a grueling period of more than three hours. Despite intense, persistent enemy fire, he ran out to aid two men whom he believed to be wounded Marines, but was himself mortally wounded by a Japanese sniper while carrying out his hazardous mission. Pfc. Agerholm’s brilliant initiative, great personal valor, and self-sacrificing efforts saved the lives of multiple brothers in arms. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
We are here today for heroes like HAROLD C. AGERHOLM, who have given their all they can so that others can enjoy freedom.
Quantico National Cemetery holds profound significance on Memorial Day. As the nation pauses to reflect on the cost of freedom, Quantico National Cemetery becomes a focal point for commemorative ceremonies, solemn rituals, and heartfelt tributes.
On Memorial Day, the grounds of Quantico National Cemetery come alive with activity as visitors from all walks of life gather to pay their respects. Families, veterans, and community members converge to honor the fallen, decorating graves with flowers, American flags, and personal mementos, transforming the cemetery into a sea of red, white, and blue.
The haunting strains of “Taps” echo across the grounds, serving as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by the fallen and stirring emotions among those in attendance. Memorial Day at Quantico National Cemetery is also a time for personal reflection and contemplation. Visitors stroll along the pathways, pausing at gravesites to read the names etched into the white marble headstones, each representing a life lost in defense of freedom. It is a time to reflect on the courage, honor, and selflessness of those who served, and to express gratitude for their sacrifice
For many families, Memorial Day at Quantico National Cemetery is a deeply personal experience, offering an opportunity to …visit loved ones who never made it home. (PHOTO). It is a day to share stories, memories, and tears, finding solace and comfort amid the solemn beauty of the cemetery’s surroundings.
As the sun sets on Memorial Day at Quantico National Cemetery, the echoes of remembrance linger in the air, serving as a poignant reminder of the enduring legacy of those who gave their lives for their country. Though they may be gone, their spirit lives on in the hearts and minds of a grateful nation, ensuring that their sacrifice will never be forgotten.
We honor these heroes by remembering their sacrifice and supporting those currently serving in our armed forces. Their sacrifices are felt here and you can rest assured, it will always be painfully felt by the Gold Star families who will mourn them for the rest of their lives.
Rosanna Powers is a Marine Corps veteran. On August 17, 2004, her brother, Lance Corporal Caleb Powers, was killed in Iraq. The very next day, Rosanna’s fiancé, Marine Sergeant Richard Lord, was also killed there.
In a Fox News commentary, Rosanna wrote,
Quote “We can debate the war’s legacy and what it means for the future of American foreign policy. But remember who stands ready to protect our freedom to have those debates and remember those who died to keep that freedom safe. It’s up to us to honor them, in our own way, by trying to make the country they died for a better place.” End quote
The men and women who died for our freedom represent the diverse patchwork that is the United States of America. They were rich and poor; Black and white; male and female. They were from cities, farms and suburbs. They came from every ethnicity, background and political spectrum. In short, they looked like each-and-every-one-of-us.
Their one common characteristic is that they all took an oath to die for America if called upon.
We can ensure that the memories of these heroes and their sacrifices are not in vain. We can ensure that future generations understand the importance of service, sacrifice, and honor. We can ensure through our own community service that our country remains strong, free and prosperous.
Memorial Day is a time for Americans to celebrate and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the military. Memorial Day commemorates the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. In other words, the purpose of Memorial Day is to memorialize the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
You’ll find that some veterans find it dismaying when they are thanked on this day. It’s a time to remember those who lost their lives and could not come home. To us veterans who came home, they were our brothers and sisters in arms, they were our family.
To those they left behind, they were fathers, mothers, siblings, aunts, uncles, godparents, friends, neighbors, teachers, police officers, firemen, caregivers, and postal workers… they were Americans… they are the reason why we—the living—have the luxury and freedom that we enjoy today.
As we gather here today, we are reminded of the words of President Ronald Reagan on Memorial Day in 1982:
Quote “The United States and the freedom for which it stands, the freedom for which they died, must endure and prosper. Their lives remind us that freedom is not bought cheaply. It has a cost; it imposes a burden. And just as they whom we commemorate were willing to sacrifice, so too must we—in a less final, less heroic way—be willing to give of ourselves.” End quote
Today, we are the living, and we are dedicated to continuing the work of those who have gone before us. We are dedicated to preserving the memory of our fallen heroes and declare our unending gratitude and support for their families.
So let us take this time to remember and honor the men and women who have given their lives for this great country. Let us reflect on their courage, their sacrifice and their dedication to a cause greater than themselves. And let us recommit ourselves to the cause of freedom, justice and democracy, so that the legacy of our fallen heroes will live on for generations to come.
We continue to mourn their loss, but most of all, we celebrate their lives.
Thank you, God bless America and God bless those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
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