Memorial Day Honor for Our Hero

Monday, May 28th marks the national observance of Memorial Day.  Most families celebrate this weekend as the beginning of summer ... a long family-oriented weekend ... an extra day of rest.

But Memorial Day originated to pay tribute to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in serving our great country.  Numerous websites give vast information of this holiday.  I strongly suggest just searching/googling, etc "Memorial Day" and see how much information you can find -- and read about what Memorial Day truly means to our country.

Our family is somewhat like other families ... getting prepared for Memorial Day weekend.  But this year it's taking on a much different tone for us ...

'Joe gets  a home-pass to actually come home for this Memorial Day weekend!

So we are preparing ... Grandad & I ... to have our house filled again with everyone ...

for the first time since ...

well, for *the* very first time ever!

'Joe was overseas when his son Tag was born on February 9th. 

"The" phone call came in on February 20th of the explosion.

'Joe landed state-side on February 26th.

The Fisher House has been "home" to the 'Joe's ever since.

But for this weekend ...

Albeit a long yet short weekend ...

Everyone will be home ...

Together.

As you go about your Memorial Day weekend, please pray for our military who have given their ultimate sacrifice in serving our great country.

And their families who are left behind to move forward day by day without their loved ones.

And those who are recovering, rehabilitating, and adjusting to a new way of life after suffering life-altering injuries.

We as a country have so much to be thankful for this Memorial Day weekend.  I pray that we reach out to those who put everything on the line to serve in our military.  I pray that their families know how much they are supported and cared for.  Not only hearing "I'm praying for you" ... but actually hearing "I'm here to help you, what can I do?"

A simple "Thank You" just doesn't seem enough ...

Catching Up ... at the Beach

Life is grand ...

A few weeks ago our family took a much needed break.  'Joe had gotten a few days pass from Walter Reed & everyone hit the road ... 
to the beach!

It was 'Joe's first time away from a hospital since the explosion on February 20th.  
He had either been in the "hospitals" close to his duty-station ... 
or in Germany ... 
or at Walter Reed ... 
since February 20th.

And normally after Grandad's busy time at work, we would be hitting the trails to Disney World, but we decided we would go to the ocean.  

It was good ...

Cool & windy ...

But good.

Hands in the sand ... even on a cool, windy day

Perfect balance ... against the wind

Grandad with his pride & joy

Little Princess & her Grandad

Little surfer girl

Eeeeehhhhhhhhh ...... IT'S COLD!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enough fun for the day ... 

Yes, our beach family vacation was good.  We're very thankful to have had some time "away" & enjoy our family.

God is so Great!

 

Our 28 Year Adventure

Yesterday Grandad & I marked our 28th anniversary! Sure doesn't seem like 28 years since I "called in sick" to work ... and hit the road to elope with my groom-to-be.  We knew who each other was in high school (he was the "new guy" at school during his junior year -- and I was a freshman), but never spoke one word to each other.

 He asked me out on a date 4 1/2 years later in Sept '83.  Then we eloped on May 16, 1984 ... no wedding pictures, but a lifetime of memories of our wedding day.  Down to even remembering the pizza place we ate at after our ceremony ... and the couple eating at another table who thought they had all the time in the world before the church pastor left for the day. So glad we put our "wedding" as priority before food!

God's blessings has far exceeded anything we dreamed of 28 years ago:

 

our family has grown with our daughter, son-in-law & grandchildren ... 

our love for each other has matured & grown deeper ...

Our life-long adventure together began May 16, 1984 as we journeyed into basically unknown territory of marriage ... 

And our adventure continues everyday following the road that God has laid out for us to travel down together.

We look forward to many more years of God's blessings on our marriage.

 

 

The Power of Words ...

(Photo rights Love, Granny)

Sticks and stones may break my bones, 

but words will never hurt me.

(Says the world.)

Death and life are in the power of the tongue:

and they that love it will eat the fruit thereof.

(God breathed Proverbs 18:21) 

  

 Have you ever been in a position where your words truly mattered to the person 

you were talking to or corresponding? 

Have you thought about how much of an impact the very words that come out of your mouth or that you write will have on another person?

Have you ever been in a position yourself that you were the one who needed encouragement and support to get through a crisis or a challenging time in your life?

I may be alone in answering YES to all the above, but for some reason I think I may not be the only one.  Every single person who is on this planet Earth will at one time or another need encouragement ... need support ... need a friend to lean on.  

Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.

(God breathed Job 14:1)

Our little grandson Tag can attest to this.  He made his grand entrance into our world while his Daddy was overseas supporting our country in his military position.  'Joe had emailed our daughter saying that he was counting down the days to when he would be home to meet his son and reunite with his wife & daughter.  Then, within hours of the email ... the phone call came through that 'Joe had been in an explosion. 

Throughout this process -- situation -- challenge (however to word it), we have had so much support and encouragement from family & friends.  They have prayed for us, sent us cards, emails, text messages ... all to say that we are being thought of.  What a blessing this has been to us!  It's been these that have pulled us through these past 2 1/2 months ... well, actually since last year when 'Joe was preparing for his assignment, and our daughter & little princess were adjusting to their new assignments of holding down the home-front while their soldier was "at work" (this is the way Lucy relates her Daddy's career).  Then preparing for Thomas Alexander ... his birth ... the explosion ... the recovery ... the ongoing rehabilitation ... the traveling back & forth with Lucy as she spends time with her parents & brother, and then coming home to her grandparents. 

Every step of this journey has been met with those who have lifted us up before our Heavenly Father.  It's our prayer as well that each of us will be an encouragement to others who are going through challenges in their lives.  Unfortunately I'm sure in my past that I have not always encouraged but I have actually discouraged ... 

I do not want to be that person.

God breathed His word in II Corinthians 1:3 & 4 ... 

Blessed be God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in our tribulation, that we would be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

It's God Who ultimately brings us comfort through our crises and challenges, but ... 

we have a responsibility to each other to be the bearer of God's comfort to those who are hurting.  I will ashamedly admit that I have not always brought comfort to my hurting family or friends.  It is not something that I am proud of, but I have learned and continue to learn how to bring comfort (and how actions will have the opposite affect).  

It might do me more good to say a little prayer before opening my mouth or typing my words ... 

Lord, breathe YOUR words into me that I might be an encourager and not a discourager ... 

that I will be Your light & comfort to those who need my support.

Although this little nursery rhyme may say that words can never hurt us, why take the chance that they will?  God tells us that we have the power of breathing life into the hurting ...
of showing them that He will lead them through their times of trouble ...
that He cares & loves them. 

 None of us knows what the next moment will bring into our lives.  But each of us have the power of breathing life or death to those in need ...

 Which will we choose?



(Photo rights Love, Granny)