{"id":1640,"date":"2013-05-27T12:47:18","date_gmt":"2013-05-27T12:47:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/?p=1640"},"modified":"2013-05-27T12:47:18","modified_gmt":"2013-05-27T12:47:18","slug":"memorial-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/?p=1640","title":{"rendered":"Memorial Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today is the day we Americans set aside to remember the men and women who fought and died in our military forces. From the Revolutionary War to the war against terrorism, those who have fallen are remembered on this particular day.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>This day allows us to remember the bravery of those who have served in the armed forces. To reflect upon what their service meant. To ponder what might America might have looked like had these men and women neglected their call to duty. To beam with pride for our America.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Patriotism in our early nation meant giving of oneself for the better of the whole. Sometimes it meant loss of livelihood. Sometimes it meant death. Today, we seem to believe we are patriotic if we fly our flag. But patriotism goes much deeper than that.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It is who we are as Americans. It is what we believe in. It is what we are willing to do to protect our values and our families. It is knowing that fighting for what is right is better than not fighting. But most of all, it is knowing that we live in a land where we are free.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Unfortunately, we take all of this for granted on most days of the year.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

One of my favorite patriotic gospel songs is ‘Statue of Liberty.’ In this song, a comparison is made between our American freedom and our freedom in Christ. Here are the lyrics to this song and if you\u2019d like to listen and see a beautiful slide show, you can click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In New York Harbor stands a lady,
\nWith a torch raised to the sky;
\nAnd all who see her know she stands for
\nLiberty for you and me.<\/p>\n

I’m so proud to be called an American,
\nTo be named with the brave and the free;
\nI will honor our flag and our trust in God,
\nAnd the Statue of Liberty.<\/p>\n

On lonely Golgotha stood a cross,
\nWith my Lord raised to the sky;
\nAnd all who kneel there live forever
\nAs all the saved can testify.<\/p>\n

I’m so glad to be called a Christian,
\nTo be named with the ransomed and whole;
\nAs the statue liberates the citizen,
\nSo the cross liberates the soul.<\/p>\n

Oh the cross is my Statue of Liberty,
\nIt was there that my soul was set free;
\nUnashamed I’ll proclaim that a rugged cross
\nIs my Statue of Liberty![i]<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I believe these lyrics show how our Christian faith is intertwined with our American lives. Where religious freedom meets political freedom. As a Christian, my faith must be seen in all areas of my life.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In Scripture we see that our spiritual freedom comes through living by God\u2019s teachings. David knew how to be free. \u201cI run in the path of your commands, or you have set my heart free.\u201d <\/em>(Psalm 119:32 \u2013 NIV) Isn\u2019t this what we are all seeking? A heart set free? David shares the secret. It\u2019s up to us to accept it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jesus also spoke of the freedom by following His teachings. \u201cIf you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.\u201d<\/em> (John 8:31b-32 \u2013 NIV) As we study and implement Jesus\u2019 teachings, truth will become clear. It is the truth that will set us free.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And one more passage from 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV) that tells us where freedom can be found. \u201cNow the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.\u201d<\/em> When the Spirit of the Lord resides within us, freedom is abundant.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I am called to live a life that honors God because of the freedom given in America and through the cross of Christ. I cannot take either lightly. Too great a sacrifice has been given for each.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Revolutionary War soldiers fought with great courage for what they believed in order to establish a nation that offered freedom and liberty to its citizens. Each military member since that time has fought for that same reason.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jesus gave His life so that I might know true freedom and liberty. Spiritual freedom. Everlasting liberty.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Today I remember both. If you have not already enjoyed Christ\u2019s freedom, why not do so today? It will be a day to remember!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Donna<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If you’d like to leave me a message, please click here <\/a>to do so.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n
\n

[i]<\/a> Statue of Liberty, \u00a9 Words & Music by Neil Enloe, 1974<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today is the day we Americans set aside to remember the men and women who fought and died in our military forces. From the Revolutionary War to the war against terrorism, those who have fallen are remembered on this particular day.   This day allows us to remember the bravery of those who have served […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_s2mail":"yes","_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,296,27,30],"tags":[684,682,152,680,683,681],"class_list":["post-1640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-believing-god","category-experiencing-god","category-remembering-god","category-worshiping-god","tag-2-corinthians-317","tag-freedom","tag-john-831-32","tag-memorial-day","tag-psalm-11932","tag-statue-of-liberty"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1640"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1640\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1654,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1640\/revisions\/1654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}