Jack’s Winning Words 5/28/19
“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.”  (Dr. Seuss)  There’s no doubt about the last Monday in May.  It’s a day for remembering.  It began as a way to honor those (both blue and gray) who had died in the Civil War.  It has become a time to honor all military veterans…and now all loved ones.  At our community’s observance at the local cemetery, I’m moved as I see people standing by tombstones - remembering.   ;-)  Jack

FROM WALMART REV:  "lest we forget, God sent forth His Son!" 0;-)===JACK:  "Lest we forget" ...(the passage continues)..."that ALL the world.." amd that has a need for interpretation.===REV:  ...didn't I adequately cover that???? 0;-)===JACK:  I guess, as a Lutheran, I was trying to emphasize that ALL are saved by grace, not by our works (or even by our words).===REV:  My first thought centered around a couple of the popular "mega church" and nationally known media leaders declaring "all" are saved and teaching of a literally hell as a place of eternal judgement is no longer "en vogue". ===JACK:  "Saved by grace" means to me that salvation is up to God and (somehow) there will be a judgment where ALL will be dependent on "mercy."  I'll let God deal with the mega churches.  What I'm most concerned about is how God will deal with me.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  we had a very wet and windy day here but there were still a lot of folks who went to the cemetery to remember===JACK:  Memorial Day was a beautiful day in Michigan.  But those who want to remember are not encouraged or discouraged by the weather.  Tears are like raindrops.

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  nearly every grave at davenport’s memorial park had flowers on saturday when i went to visit. due to all the rain, the grass was electric green... what a beautiful sight! ===JACK:  There's an Arabian Proverb..."All sunshine makes a desert."   Some people don't like cemeteries.  A walk among the tombstones helps me to remember.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  It is a good day.  Good in the sense we remember!  This world is so full of distractions and we sometimes get too involved with ourselves.  We forget the people who enabled us to have this life.  God bless the men and women of the service!===JACK:  Memorial Day is part of a 3-day weekend that allows us to make some choices.  What are we going to do??

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  My childhood memory of Memorial Day is marching with a great band of people with our floral bouquets &  flags, from the Franklin Grove town square to the cemetery, and laying our flowers and flags on a veteran's grave, then hearing "taps" played by my uncle Ted on his trumpet, echoing throughout the cemetery. followed by an address by some orator. Then all the people visited right there at the cemetery, and had lemonade, cookies and ice cream!  We'd already come with my Mom to decorate all the family graves with roses, iris and peonies.  Jan  and I loved Memorial day, and felt so important running to find undecorated soldier's graves, and laying our flowers and flags to thank them for their service!  Franklin Grove was my beloved Grandpa Phillips home town, and where my mom was raised. The cemetery looked so festive decorated with all the fresh flowers and flags! :-)===JACK:  Yesterday my sister and I shared our memories of Memorial Day when we were children.  Peonies was one of them.  Trimming the grass on the gravesite.  Our dog chasing the gophers.  Going to the parade.  The sound of gunfire by the veterans' honor guard, and rushing for the empty shell casings as they fell to the ground...and a picnic afterward.