So much more...

I completely understand getting excited about a three day weekend. Getting to spend time with family and friends around a picnic table, or campfire, or riding down the road on the bikes. Not having to set the alarm clock for three days. Not having demands on our time for three days.

There is so much more...

There needs to be time spent remembering the reason we have this three day weekend. All the men and women who died defending our great country. Some willingly went to battle while others went only because they had to. Regardless of how they came to wear the uniform, they are still dead. Their lives were taken in order for us to be able to enjoy the freedoms we have.

Please check your area and find a program honoring our service men and women on Monday. In my little town, we have a parade followed by a service at the cemetery. It is the same every year, and I wouldn't think of missing it! The parade starts at the Methodist Church, stops at the Veteran's Memorial on Main Street, and ends at the cemetery. The parade is led by the VFW followed by the Ladies Auxiliary. After that are the various Girl Scout Troops ending with Cub Scouts and then Boy Scouts. Years ago, when my little town had its own school, the Marching Band would also take part. We stop at the Veteran's Memorial and the Ladies Auxiliary does a reading. We then proceed to the Cemetery for the ceremony put on by the VFW. The whole parade is about three blocks long, but it is a solomn walk.

I was raised going to the Memorial Day Parade and so were my children. It's not big, it's not fancy, there are no floats or candy throwing. It is however just a very small way we are able to pay respect.

So this weekend, enjoy your picnics and camping and motorcycle riding, but remember to take some time to show your respect and pay honor to all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Do you Ash Wednesday?

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Today, Ash Wednesday, is the first day of Lent.


For many Christians, now is the time of fasting and repentance. The time to let go of bad actions and concentrate on becoming better. The time to 'give up' something that is difficult to go without (think chocolate, coffee, internet...). During times of cravings of the given up something, remember the sacrifices Jesus made for us. In comparison to that, [insert your given up something] doesn't seem like such a difficult thing to go without for 40 days (plus Sundays).

Lent is also a great opportunity to spend more time in God's Word. Spend time in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...first four books of the New Testament) and learn how Jesus lived His life. How did he deal with conflict, with demands on his time, with haters? Is it possible to learn to live a better life by reading about His? I do believe so.

You don't need to be affiliated with a church/denomination to practice Lent. It's a personal journey.

Fat Tuesday: how will you observe the day?

Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, is being celebrated around the world today as Lent draws near. This holiday, however, has two very different observances leading up to Ash Wednesday. While many enjoy Mardi Gras, French for Fat Tuesday, as a time of indulgence and possible gluttony, others spend the day in prayer, preparing their hearts and minds for the upcoming period of Lent. But where did this holiday get its start, and why are there such different means of observing the day?

Mardi Gras marks the period of time between Epiphany, the revelation of Jesus as God's son, and Ash Wednesday. Many use the final three days as a time of pure indulgence and celebration before Lent. Celebrations throughout the world include parades, sporting competitions and dancing. One of the most well-known parades, at least in the United States, takes place in New Orleans.

According to the American Catholic website, "Mardi Gras, literally 'Fat Tuesday,' has grown in popularity in recent years as a raucous, sometimes hedonistic event. But its roots lie in the Christian calendar, as the 'last hurrah' before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday."

Some, however, take a more solemn approach to Tuesday and spend the day in prayer. Fat Tuesday is also known as Shrove Tuesday, which means, "to confess." People in primarily English-speaking countries often pray and confess their sins as a way to prepare for Lent.

Pancakes are traditionally eaten on Tuesday, as they are made of simple ingredients most already have in their homes. In fact, pancakes have become so popular for the day that there are pancake races held in Buckinghamshire. Kansas and Buckinghamshire have held International Pancake Day races as part of a tradition dating back to 1950.

Tomorrow's observance of Ash Wednesday will lead Christians and believers into the period of Lent, which is a time of fasting and giving up as a reminder of the time Christ spent in the desert. But the question remains: How will you observe today? Will you spend it celebrating and indulging? Will you spend the day in prayer and confession? Or will you work to combine the two?

[copied from World]

Love my Bear

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Today is the day for love. Mmmmm...I sure do love Papa Bear.

He's my rock. He's my calmness in a storm. He's my grounding. He knows my good sides, my bad sides and my weird little quirks, and loves me anyway. The Lord definately blessed me when He put Papa Bear in my life.

Happy Valentine's Day Honey, I love you!

What season is this?

"Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la, la la la la"

Turn on the TV and there are Christmas movies and commercials all over the place.

Drive around town and houses are all decorated up with lights and such.

Children are having Christmas parities at school.

Santa Clause has been making appearances at Malls and stores.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all into Santa and decorations and watching the grandkids open their gifts on Christmas morning. I only wish there was a little less emphasis on Santa and the commercialization and a little more on it being Jesus' birthday. More on the season of Advent leading up to Christmas morning.

For many people, by the time Christmas finally gets here, they are so ready for it to be over. I guess that is what happens when Christmas starts being forced on us in October!

If more attention was paid to Advent and Jesus, I don't think this would happen. The weeks of Advent are as follows:

Hope
Love
Joy
Peace

Hope for good things to come
Love for what we have
Joy at good things delivered
Peace in our hearts

How is it possible to ever get tired of this? By celebrating Advent, and not just Santa, we are filling our minds, and hearts, and lives with the goodness of Jesus...and that is way better than movies, and decorations, and presents any day!

Define Necessity

Decorating Time

I very much enjoy decorating up the house for Christmas. Getting out the tree, hanging the ornaments, setting items around, listening to Christmas music, drinking hot chocolate. It's a magical time of year.

I'll admit, I do miss having a real tree. I have wonderful memories of going to pick out just the right one with my boys. We would walk all around inspecting about every tree available. We would have to check the height, the width and the smell (don't even ask). Getting it into the house on the other-hand leaves me with a whole different set of memories. Imagine, if you will, myself (with no muscles) and two children. First was getting it off the roof of the car, then up the stairs and around the corner to get into the door, which just so happens to be smaller than the tree. Getting it set into the stand was something that should have been video taped...I'm sure we would have won the $10,000 prize on Funny Videos.

Since putting the wood burner in the living room several years ago, for safety reasons we made the decision to no longer have a real tree. Now that I think about it, since Papa Bear and I are empty-nesters, the whole Christmas Tree picking out probably wouldn't be as much fun, and I'm pretty certain I couldn't get him to do the 'smell test' with me.

This evening I will be doing the annual decorating. Christmas music will be playing, hot chocolate will be consumed, the tree will come out, and pine scented candle will be burned. It may not be the same as when the boys were small, it's still a most enjoyable magical time.

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Keep it to yourself

DO NOT ANNOUNCE YOU ARE GOING TO BE GONE

Yesterday I said it was the season to be jolly...it's also the season for a rise in break-ins. Thanks to social media sites, our comings and goings are being made public for the whole world to see. This includes people who might have a bit of a dishonest side to them.

I know we are all excited to go over the river and through the woods to grandmas house, keep it to yourself until you are home. Once home, feel free to blow up Facebook and Twitter with the fun times. If you announce it before-hand, you are announcing to the world of your home being left unprotected. You are announcing to the world to please come break in and take everything that is important to us. By the way, since we are gone for a few days, feel free to sleep and shower, I'll leave food in the fridge for you.

If you can, it's also a good idea to put some lights on a timer making it look as if someone where home.

Take all the precautions you can while gone, it would sure ruin the trip to grandmas if you came home to a break-in.

Happy Autumn!

"It's the most, wonderful time, of the year...."

Yeah, I know, that song goes with winter, but I believe Autumn is the most wonderful time. I love the little bit of chill in the morning and evening with beautiful days. Colors will soon begin to pop in the trees. Farmers are in the fields. Time is spent with good friends around a fire...which means marshmallows!

Papa Bear was busy last night so I sat outside at the fire ring by myself. Mind you, there was no actual fire in the fire ring, but I sat there in the cool darkness just in awe of how beautiful and still the night was.

So, dear reader, I wish to welcome you to the first day of Autumn.

Memorial Day Video

I'm asking that you take a few moments out of your day and watch this video. Let us never forget the men and women who put their love of country before self.