Posted on May 14, 2015
What are you thankful for this Armed Forces Day [2015]?
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May is a month which is chock full of reminders about military service for those serving, those supporting the people who are serving and those who died while in the service of this nation.
We are living in turbulent times yet I believe we have much to be thankful for. I am thankful:
1. that our armed forces are still attracting highly qualified, conscientious, and motivated soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines.
2. that this nation is still generally the land of the free and more certainly the home of the brave.
3. for the privilege of serving this nation for so many years and getting to work with and know so many of those who served with me.
4. for the love of my wife and sons.
5. for my daily and eternal salvation through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
TSgt Scott C. Brammer .
SPC P K. .
SGT Larry "Teruji" Sakai '
We are living in turbulent times yet I believe we have much to be thankful for. I am thankful:
1. that our armed forces are still attracting highly qualified, conscientious, and motivated soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines.
2. that this nation is still generally the land of the free and more certainly the home of the brave.
3. for the privilege of serving this nation for so many years and getting to work with and know so many of those who served with me.
4. for the love of my wife and sons.
5. for my daily and eternal salvation through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
TSgt Scott C. Brammer .
SPC P K. .
SGT Larry "Teruji" Sakai '
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Responses: 77
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This is SUCH a great topic and I just absolutely LOVE the responses. Makes me proud to be a Veteran and an American.
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I am thankful to be alive after an ied attack in 2006 so I can spend this time with my kids
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LTC Stephen F.
CPL Ron Williams, thank for letting us know. I am very glad to learn that you are able to spend time with your kids after you have given so much as part of your service to this nation.
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I'm always eager to restore meaning and reverence to holidays that have been stripped bare of their true and deep significance by a flood of hot dogs, parades, auto races and department store sales gimmicks. Memorial Day is, in my opinion, one of America's true hidden spiritual gems.
It is truly a splendid thing that Americans have designated an annual Memorial Day in which we call to remembrance the great sacrifices of those before us who fought and suffered (and often died) for our nation to preserve its freedom. Without them we would not be here today, and it is fitting that we remember them.
I would like you to consider, what I believe to be two towering spiritual truths of Memorial Day.
The first Memorial Day Spiritual truth, is that America is bigger than us. America is not just a geographical location, America is also an Idea and that idea is freedom. The cost of this idea is steep and always in ever present danger. There are those however who choose to serve and be a part of something bigger than themselves, enabling this idea of America and Freedom to survive.
I submit that we do not have freedom. We were bequeathed freedom by the service and sacrifice of our honored dead and those whose bodies and/or minds are now torn or scarred. Let us not forget the military family members who also pay a price, which bears remembrance, for they endure the terrible stress of loss and uncertainty as their lives have been turned upside down during and in the aftermath of the sacrifice made.
This holiday weekend we celebrate the sacrifice of soldiers' lives for the sake of our freedom. These brave men and women are not merely victims though, each soldier has taken an oath of service which includes willingly laying down his or her life for a greater cause.
The idea that anyone could give up everything - for people he or she doesn't even know - especially when a sacrifice seems so final, is hard to process. Or is it?
This brings us to the second spiritual truth of Memorial Day, that God is bigger than America. God is bigger than America is best evidenced in “John 3:16”, which says “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him, shall not perish, but have eternal life”.
Have you ever meditated on Christ's sacrificial love? Christ's willingness to spill His blood for our sake.
I thank Him with my words, but do little to change my life. Yet this is what God desires of us. We call our soldiers "service men / women" yet that term should describe Christians as well.
Just as sacrifice is required to secure our freedom as Americans, freedom does not exist independently of sacrifice in the life of a believer.
Yes, the gift of faith brings us freedom. - freedom from sin, freedom to be who God made us to be and to know God more deeply. But that freedom came with a price. Our gift of freedom should be used for service. I will close with Galatians 5:13, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love”.
It is truly a splendid thing that Americans have designated an annual Memorial Day in which we call to remembrance the great sacrifices of those before us who fought and suffered (and often died) for our nation to preserve its freedom. Without them we would not be here today, and it is fitting that we remember them.
I would like you to consider, what I believe to be two towering spiritual truths of Memorial Day.
The first Memorial Day Spiritual truth, is that America is bigger than us. America is not just a geographical location, America is also an Idea and that idea is freedom. The cost of this idea is steep and always in ever present danger. There are those however who choose to serve and be a part of something bigger than themselves, enabling this idea of America and Freedom to survive.
I submit that we do not have freedom. We were bequeathed freedom by the service and sacrifice of our honored dead and those whose bodies and/or minds are now torn or scarred. Let us not forget the military family members who also pay a price, which bears remembrance, for they endure the terrible stress of loss and uncertainty as their lives have been turned upside down during and in the aftermath of the sacrifice made.
This holiday weekend we celebrate the sacrifice of soldiers' lives for the sake of our freedom. These brave men and women are not merely victims though, each soldier has taken an oath of service which includes willingly laying down his or her life for a greater cause.
The idea that anyone could give up everything - for people he or she doesn't even know - especially when a sacrifice seems so final, is hard to process. Or is it?
This brings us to the second spiritual truth of Memorial Day, that God is bigger than America. God is bigger than America is best evidenced in “John 3:16”, which says “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him, shall not perish, but have eternal life”.
Have you ever meditated on Christ's sacrificial love? Christ's willingness to spill His blood for our sake.
I thank Him with my words, but do little to change my life. Yet this is what God desires of us. We call our soldiers "service men / women" yet that term should describe Christians as well.
Just as sacrifice is required to secure our freedom as Americans, freedom does not exist independently of sacrifice in the life of a believer.
Yes, the gift of faith brings us freedom. - freedom from sin, freedom to be who God made us to be and to know God more deeply. But that freedom came with a price. Our gift of freedom should be used for service. I will close with Galatians 5:13, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love”.
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LTC Stephen F.
SFC(P) Aaron Fore, thank you for providing such a well-thought out response. I am eternally thankful for what Christ did for me especially while I rebelled against Him for so long. We are brothers in Christ first and brothers who served this nation at different but overlapping times.
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SGT (Join to see)
SFC(P) Aaron Fore, that was one of the best replies I have read. I was coming home this morning and thanked God for allowing myself and my wife to endure the freedoms we have. I also thanked him for helping us financially, when we need it most. I pray everyday for all the young men and women in harms way, sick friends to be healed, families in distress to be helped, and for the entire world to be a safe place to live in. Whenever I feel down I pray the Lords Prayer and I always feel better afterwards. I'm so thankful for the country we live in. We have problems, yes, but nothing when you compare other countries problems. Especially those countries racked by illness, Aids, hunger, and fathom. Those poor kids don't stand a chance, but somehow America continues to give hope to those nations. If all the wealthy countries could contribute money, physical help, and medical help, maybe some of those kids will have a chance. I'm very thankful we have the freedom to say what we want without fear of being killed. A lot of people say those Holy wars have been going on thousands of years, and they will always be at war. As our earth changes, maybe one day those wars will cease. You just can't say it won't when you really don't know. I am thankful that my kids are healthy and smart. We lost one of the boys in 1994, but that just made us appreciate more, the ones we have. I'm thankful for all my grandchildren. They always make me feel so good. I just can't have a bad day when I'm with one or all of them. I'm tankful I can fly my flag without someone ordering me to remove it. Every day there is something to be thankful for. I'm thankful for getting to know my buds I was in Nam with. I'm also thankful there is a place all 58,000+ can be recognized and not forgotten. I'm thankful I am on RP, Where I get to express myself and be accepted for who I am. I'm thankful for so many things in my life. One thing that perturbes me is when someone tells me happy Memorial Day. I think of all my friends on that wall and I'm not happy about it.
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1SG Kenneth Talkington Sr
Thank you SFC Fore. Your comments are well worth reading and remembering. It makes one wonder why our so many people in our government are trying to do away the the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. I also makes one wonder why these kind of thoughts are not taught in our schools anymore.
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