Waterloo. It sounds ironic, but it was in Waterloo, NY on May 5, 1866 that the first Memorial Day observation took place. Originally known as Decoration Day, this holiday was set aside to honor the soldiers who had died in the Civil War.

While Memorial Day is the day we pause to remember the lives of our fellow citizens that were sacrificed while serving their country, it also has become the opening weekend of the summer season. As we enjoy the Indy 500, golf, tennis and a day at the beach, we shouldn’t lose sight of the simple rituals of earlier celebrations – the shops were closed, the flags flew at half mast, while family and friends decorated the graves of their loved ones.

What does Memorial Day mean to your business? For many of us its a time to take a day off and enjoy the first long weekend of the summer season. For those in the recreation industry its an opportunity to work for the first big payday of the summer.

But for all businesses, as we remember those who gave their lives for our country, it’s a good time to think about those who dedicate their lives to their work.

Work is important to us. It is not merely our means of support, it is, to a large extent, how we see ourselves in the world. I don’t mean that our work rivals God, family or country, but it is a way in which we differentiate ourselves from others. It is largely the way in which the world views us.

If you are skeptical, read the obituary column. “John Doe, banker, writer or salesman.” Even on the exit end of life we are seen through our work.

Despite all the denials, a job is always more than “just a job”. The powerful implication of the frequency of the question, “What do you do?”, is that work is important to us. Regardless of how much talk is directed at waiting for lunch, waiting for the day to end, waiting for the weekend, waiting for vacation and finally waiting for retirement, our work is far more important to us than just a means of support.

This simple fact of the importance of work is what forms the basis for all of the “make work meaningful” theories of management. Forget all the bells, whistles and window dressing that accompany these management theories. To better manage your business, just understand the basic fact that supports these theories. Despite all the grumbling and the moaning, our work is powerfully important to us all. More than we ever outwardly admit.

That’s what “Semper Fidelis” is all about. Nobody complains more than a Marine. The food, the mission, the equipment and the pay. It’s all the worst is what you hear. But it’s seldom that the question, “What do you do?”, is not answered with pride when the response is “I’m a Marine”.

Time after time studies have indicated that the most difficult jobs, in the most arduous circumstances have the employees with the highest morale. There aren’t more difficult jobs than being on the emergency repair crew for a utility company or being the hammerman in the forge shop, yet the people that hold these jobs take great pride in them. Why? Because the feeling of doing something important makes the work meaningful.

Give your employees an opportunity to be proud of what they do and they will do it better. Show them that even the smallest task that they perform is important. You’ll still hear the talk, “I can’t wait for the day to end” and “I need a vacation”. But remember, when they are on that vacation and somebody asks, “What do you do?”, they will respond with pride that they work for your company! You can’t give another human being a greater gift than pride and self respect in what they do.

On this Memorial Day we pause to mark the sacrifices that our fellow citizens have made over the years in defense of our Nation. There are few that have not been touched by the personal loss of a friend or relative.

What would our world be like today if our fallen comrades had returned with us to toil in our “real world” jobs? It is safe to imagine that the example they set, the dedication and self-sacrifice that first caused them to serve their country, and to eventually die for it, would have been the gift that they continued to give.

The causes that our fallen heroes sacrificed their lives for enabled the development of the free economy which we enjoy today. While most of our businesses are closed to commemorate this Memorial Day, the businesses that we build today and the dreams we have for tomorrow would not have been possible without their defense of our freedoms during the past century.

While our very existence gives testimony to our benefits from their sacrifice, we can profit further from their ideals. If they were still with us, I doubt if many of those we are honoring today would have been so selfish to be involved in the recent Wall Street scandals, employee theft or declining productivity. They had higher standards.

The men and women that didn’t return from our nation’s battles would have been our been our best leaders and most loyal employees. Strong business leadership would not have been so difficult to find had we not lost these precious resources along the way. The need for dedicated employees would not have been so great had the cause of freedom not been so costly.

I bet if they had returned to build their own business in the free economy that they made possible, it would be a great place to work. They would take a personal interest in their employees and recognize them for their contributions. They would understand the importance of the sacrifices that are made by the ordinary people that routinely meet their responsibilities on a daily basis.

They would create an environment in which people can have pride in their work. They recognize that even the lowest ranking foot soldier takes pride in a job well done. When everyone knows that what they are doing is important and worthwhile, battles are won and businesses can be built. Those we honor today understood that pride is a powerful force. They understood that it was the foot soldiers that really won the battles.

The hardships encountered by our military personnel over the years showed no favorites. Those who have battled obstacles together learned that discrimination and favoritism have no place on a winning team. Equality and fair treatment for all, men and women, young and old, black and white, brings out the best in all of us. When there is a job to do, it’s performance not pedigree that counts.

The men and women that we honor today had a sense of belonging. They experienced the “esprit de corps” that came with being part of their platoon, squadron or group. They would have cultivated that sense of belonging amongst their employees. They would let them contribute to and share in the success of the business.

If yesterday’s soldiers were today’s managers, they would be good listeners. Yesterday’s soldiers know better than anybody that there are tough problems that you have to endure, but having a boss who understands the hardships can make all the difference. While you may not always be able to do something about them, it is always important to listen to the gripes of an employee.

While those we honor today are gone, their comrades remain. Its a prejudice that I willingly admit to having practiced over the years. But when I look over the record of an individual, I keep an eye out for those who had the opportunity of having served their country. Because its your business, keep an eye out, some others might still need the chance to get their feet on the ground.

Ingredients:

• 1  (9-oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach
• 1  (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 2  cans green chiles, minced
• 4  (8-inch) flour tortillas
• Roasted red bell pepper (from a jar), cut into 4 (8-inch) strips

Preparation:

1. Cook spinach as directed on package. Place in colander or strainer; rinse with cold water to cool. Squeeze spinach to remove as much moisture as possible.
2. In food processor bowl with metal blade, combine cream cheese and chiles; process until smooth. Add spinach; process just until blended.
3. Place 1 tortilla on work surface. Spread 1/4 of spinach mixture over tortilla, leaving 1/2-inch border on one side.
4. Place strips of roasted pepper, piecing together if necessary, across middle of tortilla.
5. Roll tortilla toward border, making sure beginning is tightly rolled, but easing pressure as rolling continues to avoid forcing out filling. Wrap in plastic wrap; repeat with remaining tortillas, spinach mixture and roasted peppers.
6. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
7. Remove plastic wrap from tortilla rolls. Cut each roll diagonally into 8 slices, trimming ends

Ingredients:

• 1 C White Corn Syrup
• 1 C Sugar
• 1 C Peanutbutter
• 5 C Rice Krispies
• 1 pkg Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 pkg Butterscotch Chips

Preparation:

1. Mix 1 C White Corn Syrup with 1 C Sugar; Bring to a boil- remove from heat.
2. Add: 1 C Peanutbutter
3. In a large bowl mix 5 C Rice Krispies and the above mixture ; stir until all are coated.
4. Spread mixture in an 11X15 pan lightly sprayed.
5. Melt 1 pkg Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips & 1 pkg Butterscotch Chips
6. You can melt in the microwave (takes about 3 min-stirring every minute) or you can melt over a double boiler.
7. Spread Chip mixture over the Krispies.
8. Let Cool about an hour. Cut in squares and serve.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup flour (sifted)
• 1 cup (1/2 pint) whipped heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preparation:

1. Sprinkle nutmeg
2. Combine first 5 ingredients mix well
3. Pour into deep dish 9″ crust
4. Drop small pieces of butter on top w/nutmeg
5. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes
6. Reduce to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs chicken, cooked and shredded/sliced into smaller pieces
• ½ cup of sour cream
• ½ cup of green salsa – mild, medium, or hot
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 10 – 8-10 inch tortillas
• 2 cups mozzarella

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cook chicken and set aside.  Mix sour cream, salsa, and water, and pour on a large plate.  Coat the tortillas in the sauce mix.  Add chicken and small portion of cheese to the tortilla.  Roll and place in pan.  Repeat 10 times.  Put remaining cheese on top of the enchiladas.  Cook at 400 for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges are brown.  Add chopped jalapeno for additional heat.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground beef – brown and finely chopped
• 32 oz spicy chili beans
• 32 oz kidney beans
• 12 oz can of tomato soup
• 64 oz tomato juice
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• Chili powder to taste

Preparation: 

Combine all ingredients in a crock or a large pot.  Cook 4+ hours or until desired thickness is achieved.  Season with cayenne pepper and chili powder to taste.  Chopped onions can be added for additional flavor.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs potatoes (Use one bag of Ore Ida diced hash browns)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 2 cup shredded cheese
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup butter

Preparation:

Stir together all ingredients and pour into 9×13 inch baking dish.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour, or until edges are crispy.

Ingredients:

• Two bars of cream cheese (or more if you want it bigger)
• Carl Budding Beef – cut into little pieces – one package
• Sharp cheddar shredded cheese – about 2 cups but you can’t really go wrong
• Worscheschire sauce – about 6 tbsps but taste it as you go.

 Preparation:

Combine ingredients and shape into a ball.  You can add nuts if you want, but definitely not needed.  Serve with your favorite crackers and summer sausage.

Ingredients:

• 2 16-oz sourdough bread rounds (about 6” diameter), divided
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup milk
• 1 can (14oz) artichoke hearts in water, drained
• 1 1.4oz envelope or 1.8oz box (2 envelopes) vegetable soup mix
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 1 lemon
• 1 container (8oz) sour cream
• Grated fresh parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice off top of one bread round to create lid. Carefully remove center of bread round to form a 4 ½ inch wide and 2 inch deep well for dip. Slice center of first and entire second bread round into 1 inch cubes. Place bread bowl and cubes on cookie sheet.
2. Whisk cream cheese until smooth. Add milk to cream cheese; whisk until smooth. Chop artichokes and add with soup mix and garlic to the milk and cream cheese. Mix well. Microwave on high for 5-7 minutes or until hot (do not boil). Juice lemon to measure 2 tbsp juice. Stir juice and sour cream into hot artichoke mixture; pour into bread bowl.
3. Grate parmesan cheese over bread bowl and bread cubes. Lean lid against bread bowl. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until bread cubes and top of dip are golden brown. Remove from oven; serve immediately.

By Chris Sullins (November 16, 2009)

“This is going to sound kind of funny,” began my wife as she massaged my bare feet as I lay stretched out on the couch, “but your feet smell kind of sweet.  Did you put some lotion on them today?”

“No,” I replied as I reflected first on a rather long day before thinking back over our nearly too decades together and the fact I’d never heard her make a comment like that.  Truth be told she had sometimes stated the aromatic qualities of my feet were quite the opposite.  However, much had been on my mind over the last few days and I added out loud “Maybe they’re sweet for a reason.  I’ve been walking through this life with one foot in the spirit world.  Maybe more so than usual recently.”

“Why?” she asked as my feet rested on her lap.  “Is something the matter?”

“No, it’s nothing new,” I said.  “Not something that’s bothering me or burdening me.  It’s just this time of year.  It’s when I remember the medic I worked with who was killed in Iraq, then coming home only a couple weeks later and demobilizing over Veterans Day weekend.  Just a lot of things I remember and how I see things differently now.  How I know our world could be different for people if they saw things –if they really saw things — and simply chose to act differently from that next moment on.  But then I realize that few things have really changed, that the majority of people haven’t had life changing moments of true insight, and the changes that I wish for will probably not happen in my lifetime.”

My wife was silent.  It occurred to me a few seconds later that I had probably missed her intent for a conversation that was standing more stationary in the present.  But, I had noisily wandered off on one of my introspective and well-traveled footpaths in the fallen leaves of the past while searching for the distant mountains of the fabled future.

She had sat through many of my longer rambling monologues, especially with my far less than sweet feet on other occasions.  My wife’s patience has been both a true testament of tolerance and a direct benefit to the longevity of our marriage.  If we could somehow bottle how this marital chemistry has successfully worked and give it to other couples, it might lessen the divorce rate of 85% for military officers and recent veterans currently being suffered nationwide.

Many soldiers continue to wear their combat boots for weeks or months after returning home.  I did so as well until the following summer when the boots looked too out of place at the civilian office.  I still wear them when I hunt, target shoot, do outdoor work, or just to go around town.  Some recent veterans also wear a military belt with their civilian clothes, but you don’t see the military outdoor jackets worn by this latest generation of demobilized soldiers like the Vietnam generation did.  But, it’s quite possible over the next few years that economic conditions may force this nation’s former service members, and who find themselves increasingly homeless, to make expedient use of their issued clothing rather than worry about a possible fashion faux pas.

Veterans Day and Memorial Day were set aside for public remembrance for this nation’s military service members.  One day dedicated to the living still among us, the other day reserved for our honored dead.  However, for veterans and surviving family members, both days trigger recall of those who have fallen beneath the thin black line into the shaded place of memory.

Stored feelings are often shaken back into daylight and stirred with pain on those days.  But another long drag across the slow passage of time and the sharpest points on the serrated edges can be dulled again.  The veteran who has learned to adjust grit and spit on the whetstone can fall back on the familiar sense of stony fatalism; but we too still wonder how family members who suffered losses cope in the dark valleys between the sunny peaks on their personal roller coaster ride.

On those days, we speak or write our words, march together, and light our candles often alone in the silent evenings.  Whatever symbols or rituals we used were all important, but may change over time as well.  I remember the wreath I made from evergreen boughs tied with rawhide strips which I gave to a tribal elder to lay in the waters of the river.  It was helpful for me both to make and to give away, but just as helpful for the elder to place it in the water.  Everything had its place and everyone their role.  All of this was connected.

The veteran more than many others understands the connection between cause and effect when it comes to human life –that decisions can have fatally permanent consequences.  The separations and losses, both downrange and at home, while on a long deployment cause irrevocable changes physically, mentally, and emotionally.  People who have recently returned from a deployment often have yet to realize their idealized home of the not too distant past has vanished like smoke from yesterday’s campfire.

Today’s veterans and family members are actively encouraged to step into what is called the “new normal”.  If they try to crawl back for a lost past, they may soon find themselves shackled by an ankle on an increasingly shortened chain.  They have yet to learn there is no way to go back and recycle the old normal.  More pain will be in store if they can’t move forward.

The Native Americans and other tribal societies from around the world once had purification ceremonies for their veterans upon return home from war.  It was understood and acknowledged that a change had taken place.  Modern psychologists research this and try their own version of collective reprogramming and community reintegration, but they will miss many of the necessary symbolic elements.  It’s not that they fail to listen to the modern warrior, but that the modern warrior like those from the past may have little to say at first.

But what can a veteran say when wars have yet to end and evil continues to evade justice.  The youthful veteran who asks what more can be done may continue to serve in uniform, put an individual life on pause, and if necessary sacrifice that life.  The aged or weary veteran who has meditated upon personal revelations and seen historical cycles repeat may do little more than wonder what his society as a whole has learned and fear for its future.

Many veterans have been far too humble to ask tough questions in public.  Likewise, many civilian leaders don’t ask them either as they hit one easy softball after another in the mainstream media.  Unfortunately, there are times in history when asking hard questions, seeking real answers and making the cold-blooded decisions necessary to unconditionally vanquish an enemy can be misinterpreted by a pampered public or purposely maligned by internally corrosive political factions.

War was not, is not, and will never be glorious in any storybook sense.  Its description can never be entirely caught between the writers’ worn pendulum of boredom and terror.  The use of mass physical force, though applied in varying combinations of science and art, always approaches the vulgar rather than the eloquent in its display.  One who has seen both slaughterhouse and surgery in action understands the difference between monstrous tools, monsters, and the necessary actions of good people.

At some point in our journey though we ask what was this all for?  This was not asked in the sense of the expenditures of “blood and treasure” on the kingdom’s balance sheet.  That was never the sort of knowledge we as veterans and our associated family members sought.  At the end of it all when some sage puts pen to scroll or keystroke to screen, we just wanted to know if we made a difference and someone gave a damn about it after the last of us are gone.

What frustrates the hell out of us, though, is seeing the same tired patterns repeated of political games and infighting in the present tense.  Observers then act surprised when the rug is pulled out from under soldiers during the war and again later for veterans.  And sometimes living veterans and their recent wars can fade from public memory faster than the flags do at the military cemeteries.  More times than not someone who had no “skin in the game” (their words not ours) decided that the conditions needing security had changed and it was simply time for a cessation of active force.  There will be some inside talk of how the tools had served their usefulness when it comes to the soldiers and later this will turn to those same tools exceeding their productive service life when it comes to veterans.

Note that I did not use a phrase to imply an end of war or a beginning of peace.  Anyone around long enough knows there is no such thing as lasting peace when it comes to our worldly governments built upon the current human minds which want to play king of the hill.  Periods in human history known as peace have simply been lulls in hostilities as one or more sides re-equip their people with better arms.  The sides then re-engage from perceived positions of superior strength and try again to win more battles.  The best that might be achieved is a temporary sense of victory during that generation’s time of war.

Given what sounded like my earlier ethereal call for peace and understanding, it may now seem that I took you the reader in a circle of roulette with a bouncing ball of personal paradox.  The main reason for this is that I have yet to see anything which indicates a real lasting change in collective human attitude; although I honestly long for it as indicated at the very beginning of this essay.  But, if you were looking for that warm fuzzy feeling seed planted by today’s green crop of sound bite motivational speakers, be advised you already slipped off the gore-spackled edge and planted yourself into what you might consider my mentally contradictory mix of crunchy charred bones and sticky squishy flesh.  Please wade with me a bit further.

I will try to illustrate this deep dimly lit place using an actual dream that I had a few nights ago right after Veterans Day.  Telling you the dream will be more important than me having the dream.  The dream doesn’t hold any mysteries for me.  I painted it.  However, it will explain the perspectives of a veteran, the struggle between generations over understanding the cycles of time which includes war and peace, and why in many ways the passage of time and the death of memory itself has been humanity’s main problem.

The dream goes like this:  You are sitting in a very dark room, but you can still see the floor around you and the chair you’re sitting in.  Your frail elderly father is resting on a couch not far away.  In the hazy light you see a scorpion slowly crawling on the floor toward you from the side.  Your first thought is to stand up and step on it with your boots, but you immediately find your wrists are securely tied to the chair.  The chair itself is also firmly bolted to the floor.

The scorpion continues to slowly move toward you.  You yell to your father warning him there’s a scorpion in the room.  You advise him to immediately come over and untie your hands before it gets any closer.  There’s still time for you to safely stomp on the scorpion if he does this right now.  However, your father replies that he can’t even see you in the room let alone the scorpion crawling around somewhere on the floor.  Your father has sat up, but really can’t see his way and won’t leave his couch.

Just before the scorpion disappears from your view on the floor to your left, you try to reach over with your foot.  The scorpion is too far away and leaves the edge of your view somewhere beneath the chair.  You and your father sit silently in your respective places for another minute.  You then see the scorpion crawling up your left bicep.  At that point you wake from the dream.

The understanding of that dream comes from walking with one foot in the spirit world.  If it’s possible for both of us to take the journey together without pain, then I would like to do that.  However, I suspect one of us may have to suffer the sting of the scorpion as long as one or both are unable or unwilling to take action at the right moment.

The collection includes ephemera and broadsides.

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.

People everywhere set aside days of remembrance of those who have died, by cleaning cemeteries and decorating graves.  Memorial Day (Decoration Day) started to become a national celebration in the decades after the Civil War.  Spontaneous days of remembrance seemed to spring up on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line in towns at different dates – the South held events earlier in May, the North leaned toward the end of May.  One of the last events of Memorial Day was a final trip to the Monument after church services, family gatherings, and parades where speeches were given.  The Monument was decorated with bunting.

TEXT: John 15:13

MAIN POINT: Our values determine our course of action.

TALKING POINTS:

What makes a man willing to lay down his life for another? Consider these three examples:

Richard Antrim, a native of Peru, Indiana, was a naval officer and POW in the Dutch East Indies during the Second World War. In April 1942 he attempted to intervene in the harsh punishment of a fellow naval officer. When the officer lost consciousness Antrim stepped in and offered to take the remainder of the punishment. His Japanese captors were stunned. The beating stopped and Antrim was spared.

David Bleak, a native of Idaho Falls, Idaho was an Army medic with the 40^th Infantry Division in Korea. In June 1952 he volunteer to go with a reconnaissance patrol. During the patrol he both administered medical aid to the wounded and engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy at several points including, while wounded, as he evacuated a wounded comrade.

Thomas Norris, a native of Jacksonville, Florida was a Navy SEAL officer attached to the US Military Assistance Command Headquarters in Vietnam. In April 1972 Lt Norris lead a 5 man patrol deep into enemy controlled territory in Quang Tri Province to rescue two downed pilots. He was able to locate and rescue one of the pilots but not the second. Two days later, the second pilot was found, and Norris, dressed in disguise as a fisherman, took a sampan, and with 1 Vietnamese aide, traveled all night to locate and rescue the second pilot. All returned safely to base but not before coming under heavy fire as the reach their FOB (Forward Operating Base).

What makes a man willing to do this? There are some here this morning that understand this because they were in situations like these. And we are here this morning to honor them and thank them.

There are also others that we honor today because we have been tragically reminded of the danger they face on a daily basis as they respond to a call or a fire not knowing what they will find. They do it daily in places that are familiar and not far away. And to them we also say “thank you.”

As our main text says “The greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends.”  Those here today who have fought in battle on ridges and trenches or fought a fire alongside a fellow firefighter or fought someone who refused to be arrested by fellow officer understand the deeper issues and the deeper bond of this verse. Love of fellow human beings, love of country, love of family, or love of democracy, or all of these motives are motives that make men, and women, take risks on the battlefield and in the streets and roads of our country.

Today is a day of memory. It is a day for memories. Memories that make us laugh, make us cry, or make us remember individuals that we respected and who made a difference in our lives. My late father was a Korean War veteran, a member of the 2^nd “Indian Head” Infantry Division. He saw much. He spoke of it little.

One of his favorite stories that he liked to tell concerned his first encounter with a Tamale, Puerto Rican style. There was a member of his unit of Puerto Rican descent who received some hot tamales and dad took a bite of one. It was bite that he never forgot. He began looking for some relief and was told; “don’t drink water, that will make it worse.” Eventually, he recovered but never forgot.

One of things that I believe we need to reflect on this Sunday and this Memorial Day Sunday, 2002 are the values that we live by. We have spoken of love already, but there are other values, especially as it relates to what we celebrate and remember this week. The cover of our bulletin speaks of three such values. It directly speaks of sacrifice and selflessness, and indirectly it speaks to the value of service.

Probably the most important of these three values we remember on this holiday is sacrifice – The greatest sacrifice we remember on this Memorial Day weekend is that of a life. The three men whose stories I shared at the beginning of this sermon all have something in common; they were all Medal of Honor winners. They were willing to sacrifice their very lives to saving others.

What does it mean to sacrifice? One of the interesting definitions of sacrifice is “to accept the loss or destruction of for an end, cause, or ideal.” Over the centuries of human existence people have been willing to accept loss or destruction for all sorts of causes and ideals. Some of these causes and ideals have been noble and some of them have not.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to sacrifice. For some, that means death. I am reminded of the story of four young men who over 40 years ago went to the jungles of South America to reach a people called the Aucas for God. All four were murdered soon after their arrival. However, that hostile group was not given upon, because others went and over the next several decades the power and love of God did its great work in this people group and soon Christ was proclaim freely and openly throughout their region.

In Luke 9 and verse 23 and following we read: “Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process?”

What did Jesus mean when He said that if you are going to be my follower, you must shoulder your cross daily? We need to look the phrase that appears before He speaks of the cross: “you must put aside your selfish ambition.” In other words what Jesus said was, if you choose to follow me, then you have to give up your agenda for mine.

Those who have served in our country’s service understand that. When you drive through the gates for basic training, you go not get to wear what you want, nor look like what you want to look like.  You do not get up when you want to or go to bed when you want to. Your life is no longer your own. It is the military’s!

If we have sought and accepted the forgiveness of Christ then what Jesus says to us as His followers, His soldiers, is “you are mine. Follow me. Do what I tell you to do.” In other words, we give up for a great cause, a greater deal, a great mission that our own – HIS!

This day is also about the value of selflessness. It is the opposite of what seems to be in abundance these days – selfishness – a “me first and you second” attitude- that seems to be everywhere.

What if that had been the case on September 11^th in New York? Reports of that tragic day indicated that those who were attempting to get out of the twin towers did so as they helped others to escape. The selflessness of some cost them their life.

Have you heard the Fireman’s Creed? This is what it says:

When I’m called to duty God, wherever flames may rage
Give me strength to save a life, whatever be its age.

Help me to embrace a little child before it is too late
or save an older person from the horror of that fate

Enable me to be alert to hear the weakest shout
and quickly and efficiently to put the fire out.

I want to fill my calling and to give the best in me
to guard my neighbor and protect his property.

And if according to your will, I have to lose my life
bless with your protecting hand my children and my wife.

“Help me embrace a little child before it is too late or save an older person from the horror of that fate.” On daily basis, in our community, and all across this country, the men and women of our fire and EMS departments rush into situations that they have only partial knowledge of. They have only 911 information to go on when they get to a scene. They don’t know what they are going to find. And when they find a fire or a medical emergency, they forget about themselves and concentrate on insuring the safety and survival of any and all persons concerned through their acts of selflessness.

Some here today know that the church I served in Michigan, the Orchard View Church of God in Grand Rapids, burned to a total loss on December 6, 1999. Two things I found out that night: 1. Firefighters do not like to lose to fire. 2. While the building was burning they were all around that building and in the building trying to put it out with minimal damage.

In Philippians 2 Paul speaks of the attitude that Jesus Christ had in coming to this earth. Verses 7 and 8 read, “He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross.”

It is my understanding that crucifixion was a very public event and took place along side the roads of that day. So the thought has occurred to me that Jesus walked those same roads that he would later hang alongside of on a cross. He knew what was coming. He had come to earth for this very purpose. God wanted his greatest creation – us – back and went to this great length to make it possible. It was the greatest act of selflessness the world has ever known and it has brought about such great freedom for humanity. What if Jesus would have decided in those agonizing moments of Gethsemane to not go through with the plan? You and I would not be here today.

Behind sacrifice and selflessness is service for without service sacrifice and selflessness cannot happen. But without sacrifice and selflessness service is hollow.

One of my favorite TV shows is “Cops.” It is an honest and realistic portrait of Law Enforcement across this country. Probably my favorite episode takes place in Southwestern Florida around Fort Myers.

Two sheriff deputies are called to a very nice mobile home park to investigate a situation involving an alligator. When they arrive they find a small alligator underneath a car. So the officers set about capturing the small gator, tying its nose with duct tape and its four feet together. Then they are off to a local pond where they release the reptile back into the wild.

One aspect of the show takes place in the opening segue to the location where the officers being filmed share a little bit about themselves. Without fail, most all of the officers talk about serving, giving back something to the community, trying to make a difference.

In the closing days of his ministry, James and John ask Jesus for places of honor next to Him in God’s kingdom. This gets the other ten ticked off at them. So Jesus, as recorded in Mark 10:42, has a chat with all the twelve So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them. But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many.”

As followers of Christ, we are servants. And service is just plain hard work at times. We are called to serve people that sometimes are hard to serve. They are difficult. They are ungrateful. They are demanding. But, we are called to serve, to care, in Jesus’ name. It is a part of our mission and ministry. It is central to our mission and ministry. And remember this; there were people who were served through healing by Jesus who did not say, “Thank you!”

Ask any Law Enforcement person and they will tell that there are people who they would like to escort to the end of the earth, or at least the next county, and say, “Have a nice life! Good-bye!” But, they still go out and patrol the streets of our towns, cities, counties, and highways to keep us safe and to protect us and we thank them for that this day. Amen.

This morning, we are going to conclude with some moments of silence as we remember both those living and dead who have served our nation in both peace and war sacrificially and selflessly.

Then we are going to honor both our vets and our public safety personal present this morning with a small gift that cannot do justice to their acts of service but hopefully says, “thank you and we love you.”

As we are able let us stand for a moment of silence. (Playing of “Taps”).

When a play is performed at a theater,  the play usually has more than one act. Between the acts, there is an intermission.  While the audience is taking a breather, stretching their legs, and wondering what will happen next in the play, behind the closed curtains of the stage, things are being completely readjusted for the next act.  the stage manager says”strike the set”, and the assistants take the set apart.  Let’s say that the first act of the play takes place in San Francisco, and so part of the set is a window from which the audience can see a small portion of the Golden Gate Bridge, to indeed allow them to believe that this story is taking place in San Francisco.  Now, imagine that the next act of the play is to take place in New York, and so the window may remain in the same place in act two, but the bridge shown through the window would be switched to be the Brooklyn Bridge. that way, when Act Two begins, and the curtain opens, the audience can get  the illusion that the events  depicted on the stage are taking place in New York. During the intermission though, behind the scenes…the stage may look like chaos, even if it is organized chaos, when the first set is being torn down and the second set is being set up. It reminds me of what one would see if they could look into a cocoon to see what a caterpillar looks like as he is being transformed into a butterfly. Even though this transformation is in divine order,(it may seem to look like organized chaos) I don’t think I would want to look at it and concentrate on it. I would rather want to focus my attention on  the emergence of the butterfly.

Now, think about THIS for a moment. What if the stage hands established the set for Act Two in perfection, but they forgot to remove the  prop of the Golden Gate Bridge, and replace it with the  prop of the Brooklyn Bridge. Members of the audience would see that the image of the Golden Gate Bridge in a set that is supposed to be a new location, New York City,  is definitely out of place.  It is not supposed to be there, and it, in fact, might keep the energy of some of the members of the audience in remembrance of Act One, so that they are not paying attention to  what is happening in Act Two.

This same experience  of can happen to us in our lives. When God “strikes the set” on an “act” of our lives, we often tend to hang on to the props of the act that has just finished….or even we may be hanging on the props of many acts that have already happened.  We may even have a house full of props from our parents’ and grandparents’ lives as well. hanging on to all these props is confusing for us. It keeps us in remembrance of all these things( these acts) that have happened in the past, and steals our energy for the act we are in now. Now i am not telling you to get rid of ALL the things that once belonged to loved ones who have passed over. But what I am saying is to take a look at the ratio of possessions that you have in your life.  How many things in your home do you have that are actually yours and represent the “act” you are in now. How many things in your life do you have that are props left over from your past, or the past of your loved ones? If you have more things that are from the past, than are for the present, then perhaps you should think of re-dressing your set, so that it is current.  Go through the things that once were the props of your loved ones, and chose just a few of those props to keep, and do not keep them in front of your nose all the time, but bring them out on the anniversary of the birthday of your loved one, or during the holidays, or set up your own personal “memorial day” for yourself to walk down memory lane once a year for a visit.  The rest of the year, keep the stage of your life  set  with current  props that reflect what  is happening now in your life, the “act” you are in now.

If you can work towards doing this for yourself, to release  yourself from living in a museum of things past, you will notice a greater amount of energy within yourself for you to do what needs to be done today, right now.

I thought this was a very well written and touching poem by one of our U.S. soldiers so I wanted to share it with everyone.

Why We Fight

The protesters asked me,

when I put my bags on the plane.

“Why do you fight? All soldiers are the same!

There is no reason to go to war,

we think it is unfair.

There is no reason to go and die,

No reason for us to pretend to care.”

Their words strike me to the bone,

as I turn and look them in the eyes.

“I would love to be at home,

but I fight so you can believe in your lies.”

They stared at me shocked,

their flags dropping low,

as I told them a story,

One that very few people know.

I fight so they can say those things,

Their words that hurt me so.

Because if I don’t play my part,

who else will have to go?

I don’t do it for the glory,

because there is none to be found,

I don’t do it for the money,

I do it for my friend on the ground.

A bullet has punctured his shoulder,

he holds out his trembling hand.

He asks me to write home,

and slips me his wedding band.

We fight so you don’t have too,

as you all go about your way.

We fight so you can go to work

and sit in an office all day.

We fight for all the mothers,

who’s children lie in the Earth.

We fight for all the children,

who’s fathers missed their birth.

War is never pretty, and it is seldom ever kind.

But I’ll grab my gun and fight,

to protect any friend of mine.

So before you say that you don’t care,

that all soldiers are the same,

think about what you do,

before you place the blame.

You think that we shouldn’t be here,

that nothing will ever change,

look into a soldier’s eyes,

as they point their weapon down range.

We do it to protect you,

because there are things that you don’t know.

There is more than things that bump in the night

and that is the reason why I have to go.

By Lady Wolf

“Those who expect to reap the blessings of liberty must undergo the fatigues of supporting it.” -Thomas Paine
It is November and with this month comes the outpouring of people telling that of which they are most thankful. Many common answers, and good ones at that, are family, friends, health, etc. But one that I don’t see much on my browsing of social networks is gratitude for the freedom and liberty that we as Americans are fortunate to enjoy. I also do not see much in the area of gratefulness for the hard work and sacrifice of our current and past American soldiers. It seems the pride in our country is eroding along with the realization of the gift that comes with being U.S. citizens.

Liberty by definition means the immunity from arbitrary exercise of authority, or in other words, the freedom to think or feel or do just as one pleases. We must understand the unique privilege that Americans possess. It is a gift from God. Of course we must teach the morally correct way to live one’s life, but above all it is up to each of us to live the way we choose. This is where the idea of unalienable rights from the U.S. Declaration of Independence, “that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” may have come from. Yes, the majority our Founding Fathers were in fact God-fearing men. Most of the world today and throughout history has not enjoyed the vast freedom that we as Americans have been allowed. The government placed in America was inspired and unique to provide a place free of a tyrannical rule. No other country on earth in the present time or in the past has ever gone to such great lengths to ensure the preservation of liberty as the United States of America.

Knowing this great blessing that comes with being an American over the past centuries has been the foundation of courage, pride, and selflessness for the many men and women who have served in the armed forces. From the Revolutionary war to the War on Terrorism our veterans and current soldiers have understood the unique freedoms that they fought to keep for their loved ones. A friend of ours said in response to a women asking why he was proud to reenlist and fight after 9/11 replied with, “I would rather fight terrorism overseas away from my family than to see it ever happen here again.” It is to protect the families of America and the freedom and privileges that they defend to ensure that future generations have the same equal opportunities that our soldiers continue to this day to selflessly give their time and sometimes their lives.

Though any words I write feel completely inadequate, I want to say that I am so very grateful for the sacrifice that all our soldiers and their families have made. Thank you for keeping us free and safe. Thank you for believing in our country. I know that many do not view themselves as heroes, but you are in so many ways. You not only defend our country, but bring justice to those who have brought threats against us. Having never served in the military myself, I can not understand fully the meaning that this Veterans’ Day holds for those who have. So I think it is most fitting to try to see it from their perspective. Here are famous and not so famous quotes and thoughts on the wars throughout American history. (Not all quotes are from soldiers. The older wars are the more difficult ones to find soldier quotes.)

“I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”
Nathan Hale, before being hanged by the British, September 22, 1776

“Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”
Patrick Henry, speech in the Virginia Convention, 1775

“To have shrunk, under such circumstances, from manly resistance, would have been a degradation blasting our best and proudest hopes; it would have struck us from the high ranks where the virtuous struggles of our fathers had placed us, and have betrayed the magnificent legacy which we hold in trust for future generations. It would have acknowledged that on the element which forms three-fourths of the globe we inhabit, where all independent nations have equal and common rights, the American people were not an independent people, but colonists and vassals.”
President James Madison, November 1812

“I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than a dissolution of the Union. It would be an accumulation of all the evils we complain of, and I am willing to sacrifice anything but honor for its preservation.”
–Robert E. Lee, from a letter of January 23, 1861.

“I, too, am doing my little bit in this big task for you. For you are my America and embody all the ideals that our great country stands for. Maybe if America had let her task slide by undone it would not have affected me or you materially, but we would not have upheld the ideals that our country was founded on and sooner or later the effect would have been tremendous and America a mere puppet to some gross power built upon false ideas. So what am I that I should not go and fight against the evils before us. If I should fall, there certainly could not be anything nobler in my short lifetime to fall for.”
Sergeant Lloyd Maywood Staley, Excerpt from a letter to his sweetheart Mary on July 5, 1918.

In the words of returned serviceman Joe Cook, “Freedom is always worth the price.”

Veterans Day Lesson Plans
We can take a moment to recognize the soldiers who served and protected our country with Veterans Day lesson plans.

Farr-Out Links to Learning » Blog Archive » Veterans Day Resources …
I recently created a portal site of resources that can be used to help students understand the importance of Veterans Day. The site includes links to multimedia, lesson plans, history links, reproducibles, and more. …

Free Printable Lesson Plans: Free Printable Veteran& Day and …
Posted by marilisa at 2:14 PM. Labels: activities, american history, armistice day, coloring pages, crafts, free printables, history, lesson plans, patriotic, puzzles, us history, veterans day, vocabulary, world war, WWI, wwII …

Highland Park, school to mark Veterans Day :: News :: PIONEER …
To prepare for the event, Braeside teachers have focused lesson plans on the history of Veterans Day and the different units and roles of each military branch using textbooks and videos. Students interviewed local veterans or servicemen …

On Veterans Day, Remembering One Woman& War | Women& Voices For …
Though Vacirca Quinn imagined she would learn motor vehicle repair or cooking while in the Army, the Army had different plans. After completing basic and advanced training as an administrative specialist, she was back on a train—this time bound for San Antonio, Texas, …. It remains to be seen, this Veterans Day 2009, if or when Secretary McHugh — having just survived a long confirmation process in the U.S. Senate — will bestow the honor on this 93-year-old veteran. …

Black Hills Weekly Group – Northern Black Hills News | News …
Meade schools make plans for Veterans Day activities … Each fourth-grade teacher is in charge of a different activity, all dealing with some aspect of Veterans’ Day, so the students will rotate from class to class until all students have completed all activities. A walk through the Sturgis Elementary fifth grade hallways during the week of Nov. 11 will lead one down the same path many of the U.S. soldiers traveled during their tours of duty. …

Schools Plan Veterans Day Programs : NorthEscambia.com
Local online newspaper for North Escambia County Florida, Walnut Hill, Bratt, McDavid, Molino, Century, News.

All U.S. flags at half-staff until Veterans Day, Obama orders …
President Obama issued a directive ordering all federal facilities to fly the national flag at half-staff from now through Veterans Day (November 11), to honor the soldiers and civilians felled at Fort Hood, Texas. ….. Learning (24), Learning styles (9), Legislation (12), Lesson plans (118), Lessons of history (16), Lessons of Vietnam (10), Libraries (36), Life (36), Linguistics (1), literacy (8), Literature (47), Little Rock Nine (2), Lyndon B. Johnson (6) …

Veterans day – surchur
We can take a moment to recognize the soldiers who served and protected our country with Veterans Day lesson plans. [view original]. Veteran’s Day 5K Run/Walk on Wednesday. In Wayne Joseph’s Blog on November 6, 2009 at 12:00 pm. …

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds pork sausage
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk baking mix
• 16 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Combine the sausage, baking mix, cheddar cheese, onion, celery and garlic powder. Mix well and form into 1 inch balls.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet 1/2 inch apart. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups ketchup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 dash garlic powder
• dash cayenne pepper
• 2 1/2 pounds frozen fully cooked meatballs

Preparation:

In a Dutch oven, combine the first nine ingredients Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, thaw meatballs in microwave according to package directions. Stir into sauce; heat through.

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon onion juice
• 1 tablespoon grated onion
• 1 (1 pound) loaf white bread, crusts trimmed
• 1 (22 ounce) jar baby dill pickles

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, onion juice and grated onion.

Spread the mixture thinly on the white bread slices. Roll 1 baby dill pickle in each slice of bread. Place in a medium glass baking dish with the seam side down. Cover and chill in the refrigerator 8 hours, or overnight.

To serve, slice each bread roll into 1 inch slices.

Ingredients

• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cooked and cubed
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 (2 ounce) bottle hot sauce
• 1 (8 ounce) bottle blue cheese salad dressing
• 1 (16 inch) prepared pizza crust
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

In a medium bowl combine the cubed chicken, melted butter and hot sauce. Mix well. Spread whole bottle of salad dressing over crust, then top with chicken mixture and sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Bake in preheated oven until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly, about 5 to 10 minutes. Let set a few minutes before slicing, and serve.

Ingredients:

• 3 large cucumbers
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/8 cup water
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• Peel the cucumbers and slice wafer thin. Sprinkle with salt. Let stand 30 minutes, then squeeze cucumbers to release moisture.

Preparation: 

In a medium size bowl mix sugar, water, vinegar, celery seed, and onion. Add cucumbers to mixture. Mix well. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sliced bacon
• 1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup sliced green olives

Preparation:

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni pasta, and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Add the bacon, pasta, tomato, cucumber, egg, and celery. Gently fold until the salad is evenly covered with the dressing. Sprinkle with the sliced olives to serve.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound bacon
• 1 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms, drained
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 (16 ounce) cans baked beans with pork
• 1 (15.25 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can butter beans, drained
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large casserole dish.

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown; drain. Reserve 3 strips whole, crumble remainder and set aside. Add the mushrooms and onions; cook until tender.

In a large bowl, combine the crumbled bacon, mushrooms, onion, pork and beans, kidney beans, butter beans, ketchup, brown sugar, dry mustard, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper. Scoop bean mixture into prepared casserole dish. Place 2 or 3 strips of bacon on top of the bean mixture, if desired.

Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven until thick and bubbly, about 2 hours.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 2 cups sour cream
• 3 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 3 teaspoons dried dill weed
• 1 tablespoon white sugar

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, chopped onion, seasoning salt, dill weed, and white sugar. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving to blend flavors.