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Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

A Prayer for Our Troops

Dear Heavenly Father,

As we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, we think of how they have followed in the footsteps of your son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Please hold our service men and women in your strong arms. Cover them with your sheltering grace and presence as they stand in the gap for our protection.

We also remember the families of our troops, and ask for your unique blessings to fill their homes and your peace, provision and strength to fill their lives.

May the members of our armed forces be filled with courage to face each day and may they trust in the Lord's mighty power to accomplish each task. Let our military brothers and sisters feel our love and support.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

A History of Memorial Day

H/T: usmemorialday.org

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

We cherish too, the Poppy red That grows on fields where valor led, It seems to signal to the skies That blood of heroes never dies.

She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms.Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.

Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.

There are a few notable exceptions. Since the late 50's on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing. In 1951, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis began placing flags on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery as an annual Good Turn, a practice that continues to this day. More recently, beginning in 1998, on the Saturday before the observed day for Memorial Day, the Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts place a candle at each of approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park on Marye's Heights (the Luminaria Program). And in 2004, Washington D.C. held its first Memorial Day parade in over 60 years.

To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."

The Moment of Remembrance is a step in the right direction to returning the meaning back to the day. What is needed is a full return to the original day of observance. Set aside one day out of the year for the nation to get together to remember, reflect and honor those who have given their all in service to their country.

But what may be needed to return the solemn, and even sacred, spirit back to Memorial Day is for a return to its traditional day of observance. Many feel that when Congress made the day into a three-day weekend in with the National Holiday Act of 1971, it made it all the easier for people to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day. As the VFW stated in its 2002 Memorial Day address: "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."

Happy Memorial Day!

Prayers for today

Prayer for our Nation
God our Father, Thou guidest everything in wisdom and love. Accept the prayers we offer for our nation; by the wisdom of our leaders and integrity of our citizens, may harmony and justice be secured and may there be lasting prosperity and peace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for the conversion of Barack Obama
"I place Barack Hussein Obama under the Cross of Jesus Christ and cover Barack Hussein Obama with the blood of Christ. I surround Barack Hussein Obama with the Light of Christ and I say in the name of Jesus that nothing shall block the Lord's miracle work in Barack Hussein Obama's life.

In the name of Jesus Christ I bind all spirits of air, the atmosphere, the water, the fire, the wind and the underground. I claim the blood of Jesus on the air, the atmosphere, the water, the fire, the wind and the underground.

In the name of Jesus Christ I break and dissolve every curse, hex, seal, spell, bond, snare, trap and spiritual influence coming against Barack Hussein Obama. I break and dissolve every disease of body, soul, mind, or spirit placed upon Barack Hussein Obama or brought on by Barack Hussein Obama's own mistakes or sins. Any territory Barack Hussein Obama handed over to Satan I now reclaim, in Jesus' name.

I place the Cross of Jesus Christ between Barack Hussein Obama and all generations in Barack Hussein Obama's family line, and separate Barack Hussein Obama from any negative family influences.

I ask now that the waters of Barack Hussein Obama's baptism flow back through the family line to remove unholy influences.

Heavenly Father, please forgive Barack Hussein Obama for permitting any unhealthy influences. Let this be the time of new beginnings, and a time of miracles.

Than You Heavenly Father.

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

c/f Spreading Joy

My Two Cents on the Elections

Okay, I know I am tired of hearing about the elections, so you probably are too, but I thought that I would just put up my two cents on this whole thing.
Ahem.

First off, I think that if anyone out there was in depression yesterday because of President-Elect Obama's victory - you should be done with it. I can understand the let down, but we can't wallow in our grief and disappointment. I have heard people say that Obama is the anti-Christ and that these must be the last days. Well that may possibly be so, but if it is then we should face it as smiling and joyful soldiers of Christ! The hard times ahead will be much more bearable if we cheerful disposition and gladly carry our cross, we will be nothing except miserable and despicable if we pout and lose hope. To lose Hope is to despair, and to despair is to sin.

We will survive. And we will do more than survive, we will conquer! They have not won! God has heard our prayers, and good will come out of this. We have not lost the fight, we have just taken a hard knock.

And this is 'victory' of the enemy may indeed be a good thing, believe it or not. How many people do you think would keep praying, repenting and converting if McCain had won? Zero! We would have just sighed with relief and gone on living our lives as before. But this seeming defeat ironically gives people a reason and an inspiration to "change"! Yes, to "change"! To change their hearts and the way they have been living their lives and turn back to God! This may indeed be the opportunity our country needs to become once again, a Christian nation.

As President of the United States, we do owe Barack Obama our respect as citizens of the United States. We may disagree with what he stands for, we may decided to battle the laws he tries to pass, but we may not- especially as followers of Jesus Christ - be disrespectful. Calling Obama names and flaming at him will not do anyone good. Love your enemies. Forgive those who persecute you.

So what should we do? Like I said before, we ironically follow Obama's own motto and change... for the better. And while we are at it, we can pray for him, for his safety, his conversion and for his soul. We can bring our hearts back to the straight and narrow. We can bring our families and friends back to the truth. We can bring our country back to God.

We can still win.