Archive for May 2009

Memorial Day

Since today is really the traditional Memorial Day as opposed to the day off this past Monday, I will post my tribute today. This is an email I received from the director of the organization where I work, and I also received a copy of it from a friend.

In alphabetical order, just Europe …..

1. The American Cemetery at Aisne-Marne, France. A total of 2289 of our military dead.

aisne-marne

2. The American Cemetery at Ardennes, Belgium. A total of 5329 of our dead.

We are arrogant.

ardennes

3. The American Cemetery at Brittany, France. A total of 4410 of our military dead.

Excuse us.

brittany

4. Brookwood, England American Cemetery. A total of 468 of our dead.

brookwood

5. Cambridge, England. 3812 of our military dead.

cambridge

6. Epinal , France American Cemetery. A total of 5525 of our Military dead.

epinal

7. Flanders Field, Belgium. A total of 368 of our military.

flandersfield

8. Florence, Italy. A total of 4402 of our military dead.

florence

9. Henri-Chapelle, Belgium. A total of 7992 of our military dead.

henri-chapelle

10. Lorraine, France. A total of 10,489 of our military dead.

lorraine

11. Luxembourg, Luxembourg. A total of 5076 of our military dead.

luxembourg

12. Meuse-Argonne. A total of 14246 of our military dead.

meuse-argonne

13. Netherlands, Netherlands. A total of 8301 of our military dead.

netherlands

14. Normandy, France. A total of 9387 of our military dead.

normandy

15. Oise-Aisne, France. A total of 6012 of our military dead.

oise-aisne

16. Rhone, France. A total of 861 of our military dead.

rhone

17. Sicily, Italy. A total of 7861 of our military dead.

sicily

18. Somme, France. A total of 1844 of our military dead.

somme

19. St. Mihiel, France. A total of 4153 of our military dead.

stmhiel

20. Suresnes, France. a total of 1541 of our military dead.

suresnes

IF I ADDED CORRECTLY THE COUNT IS 104,366

Remind those of our sacrifice and don’t confuse arrogance with leadership

The unit to which I was assigned during my time in England held Memorial Day services annually at Madingly American Cemetery near Cambridge. That’s #5 on this list. I only attended one during my last year active duty, and it was a humbling experience.

John 15:13 (King James Version)

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Never forget.

All photos from American Battle Monuments Commission.

I’m having a bit of writer’s block

Oh I have plenty to say, but I just can’t seem to get started on anything. For one thing, I am worn out mentally. I’ve been doing quite a bit of brain-intensive work at work, and when I get home, I’m just kind of done. But, I am close to wrapping up a project at work, and maybe I won’t be so tired after that’s done. I finally finished a book that I started reading at the end of March. It wasn’t a long book, either. I think I’m quite due for vacation…

Remember

I had intended to write something last week after the OTA Post, but circumstances were not favorable.

While today is “Observed” Memorial Day, I will not be posting my Memorial Day post until the 30th which is the actual Memorial Day. However, I ask that you do not forget those who have gone before us to give us the freedoms that are slowly slipping away from us, little by little.

Psalm 28 (New American Standard Bible)

A Prayer for Help, and Praise for Its Answer.
A Psalm of David.

1 To You, O LORD, I call;
My rock, do not be deaf to me,
For if You are silent to me,
I will become like those who go down to the pit.
2 Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help,
When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked
And with those who work iniquity,
Who speak peace with their neighbors,
While evil is in their hearts.
4 Requite them according to their work and according to the evil of their practices;
Requite them according to the deeds of their hands;
Repay them their recompense.
5 Because they do not regard the works of the LORD
Nor the deeds of His hands,
He will tear them down and not build them up.
6 Blessed be the LORD,
Because He has heard the voice of my supplication.
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart exults,
And with my song I shall thank Him.
8 The LORD is their strength,
And He is a saving defense to His anointed.
9 Save Your people and bless Your inheritance;
Be their shepherd also, and carry them forever.

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OTA

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OTA Monday Returns

A few things are returning, like posts. LOL But, the “new” OTA posts are going to be slightly different from the copy/paste method I used to do. Now, I’m actually going to make some semblance of an effort to write something. Given that I do the OTA post on Mondays, I will endeavor to post something encouraging.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve felt rather overwhelmed with problems and issues and worries. Sometimes I wish God didn’t think I was so strong. But patience has never been one of my strong points, and God is probably teaching me patience by forcing me to be patient. I have to continually remember that God works in his time, not mine, and his time is the perfect time.

Psalm 121 (New American Standard Bible)

The LORD the Keeper of Israel.
A Song of Ascents.

1 I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun will not smite you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
8The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in
From this time forth and forever.

OTA
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So what’s going on?

Really, I hadn’t intended on an extended hiatus, but April wasn’t such a good month. I reached a point about a week and a half ago that I was just mentally and emotionally drained. I had to let go of a stresser, and that ended up being school. I am once again a grad school dropout, only this time for good. I also quit drinking coffee, and I’m not crashing after lunch anymore.

I spent all day Saturday working in the yard. I got the entire yard mowed, and did some weed eating out front. Oh, and got a sunburn. I was so sore Sunday though mostly muscle sore rather than burn sore. Yesterday I was burn sore. This weekend I plan on planting another small container garden.

And that’s about it. I was up a little late last night, and a little early this morning, so I haz a tired. But I plan on getting back into the swing of blogging now that I have a little bit of “free time.” :cheesy:

I’m still around

I wrote out a big long comment at Traci’s Christian Cottage ™ today, which was lost when I hit submit because our network sucks at work. I was writing about how my best friend and I met, and how I believe God put her in my life and me in hers. This evening I have come to realize that everyone I have come into contact with was put in my life for a reason, and I have been blessed.

Nothing happens by chance. It was no accident Hazel questioned the books I was checking out from the library when I was in 1st grade. 4 years later when our paths crossed again, she remembered me, and became my first mentor (aside from my parents, of course). It was no accident that Brenda and I were assigned seats together in Algebra II in 10th grade despite Mrs. Shaw’s random seating method. I also don’t think it was an accident that her dad delivered our LP gas when I was little, literally years before Brenda and I met.

Today has certainly been an interesting day. Seemingly random encounters. A “gut feeling” to pick up the phone and make a call. I had a prayer answered today.

I know this is all over the place. I guess I just needed to express some half thoughts and ramblings. 🙂

Romans 8:28 (New American Standard Bible)

28And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

1 Peter 1:6-7 (New International Version)

6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.