LEST WE FORGET! This Memorial Day weekend, Americans will take to the roads to head out somewhere, anywhere … for a weekend away from work … just to get away from it all Uppermost in our minds is the desire to just “forget it all” in our quest to find relaxation and a bit of peacefulness. We want to leave behind the stress, the deadlines, the pressure. And we don’t want any of that invading our minds during “our time away”!!! But there ARE things we need to remember … and there ARE times we need to be focused on remembering. In can be “too easy” to forget. Looking up the word “forget” on the internet, there are some poignant explanations of what that word really means. It helps us understand what all surrounds that state of mind … like: to lose remembrance of ... to treat with inattention or disregard … to disregard intentionally … to give up hope or expectation of … to cease remembering or noticing … to fail to become mindful at the proper time. Some of our elderly sadly lose their ability to remember, and certain levels of memory loss have stolen what they would have wanted to remember forever. But many others, who have no memory loss, choose to forget – whether it be happenings in their lives, people in their lives, or specific things - that should never be forgotten. And that’s so sad! There are a few things that come to mind, generally, that people in our nation have become all too comfortable with forgetting. One is the recognition that our Vietnam vets returned to America carrying a deep pain of having been forgotten while they were thousands of miles away half way around the world – fighting what became an unwinnable war … forgotten. Putting their lives in extreme danger from a type of enemy they had never before encountered, in a terrain they had never before fought in, they laid their lives on the line every single day … for the sake of freedom for others. Yet they came back to this “land of the free” … and no one much seemed to notice, or care. I cannot imagine what a disheartening, sinking feeling that had to be. To think that they had been willing to give their very life (and thousands had) … and to be forgotten, had to be the ultimate disappointment. It had to feel like the ultimate act of disrespect by their own countrymen. How is it that we can “treat with inattention and disregard” the sacrifices of our soldiers and veterans, regardless of what war they engaged in? We MUST remember, and we MUST honor! It should be not only a choice we make, it should be considered by us a great privilege … to remember! Then, there’s the elderly population of this great nation of ours, who in big part, made it what it was (not, perhaps what it has become!). You get what I’m saying, right? They are the ones who paved the way for opportunities unlimited, they are the ones who forged the trails through the yet untamed places of our land, bringing development and invention and accomplishment, ever expanding the horizons of “what could be”! They are the ones who persevered and never gave up. They didn’t shrug their shoulders and say, “Oh, just forget it!” They found a way; they made a way! But sadly enough, so many of them have been forgotten – set aside – left alone in their aging years. Now, not as full of vitality and life as they once were, people assume they have no more to offer. Wrong assumption! Given some respect and honor, given some attention and remembrance … they still have much to give. Their remaining memories, their still intact gifts and talents, will continue to enrich the lives of everyone who makes the choice to invest some time in their lives. We need to pay attention, to regard, to remember, to notice, to be mindful of those we love who are aging! We MUST never forget all the love we’ve been given, all the care, all the shaping … at the hands of our parents and others who were instrumental in teaching us about this life we’re now living. I know that every time I think of our nation’s freedom, I remember our servicemen … in particular, my dad, our son, and our nephews who have served in danger’s way. I remember … I will never forget! I know that every time I go back home to North Dakota, I cannot leave without stopping to sit at the headstone of my dad’s grave, and my husband’s dad’s grave. I remember, with gratitude and love. I will never forget! I purposely take notice of my grandparents’ graves, and others … and I remember fondly. I will never forget! This Memorial weekend, we challenge you to stop everything long enough to take notice of who and what is important in your life … lest you forget!
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
- OUR SPECIAL THANKS to Justin who shared the impacting message last Sunday in our absence, to Isaac who spearheaded the set-up and took care of Power Point and sound, and to those who willingly shared their personal, powerful testimonies about answered prayer! You are all appreciated and loved; we would have loved to have been there, but we are loving our week away to attend our nephew’s graduation in IL and our grand-daughter’s graduation in MI!
- WE WELCOME Tony and Anna who worshipped with our Elevation North church family for the first time this past Sunday! We hope you were blessed & that you will join us again soon!
- WE WANT TO WISH Mitch (in Michigan) a belated birthday from this past Monday on the 24th, and special wishes to Clint & Kristina (in Michigan) on their upcoming anniversary this week!
- OUR PRAYERS & SYMPATHY are with Hazel on the passing of her brother, Lawrence, this week. May God be with her and the entire family, bringing comfort and peace to their hearts.
- LOOKING AHEAD . . .
- THIS SUNDAY, MAY 30th:
- 10:00 A.M. – WORSHIP & PRAISE & COMMUNION, with Pastor Doug preaching a message for Memorial Day that will stir your hearts and take you into God’s Word to seek out what God teaches us to memorialize.
- 11:15 A.M. – SUNDAY SCHOOL – with compelling classes that will continue on into the summer even though school is coming to a close for our students! Come and be learners of the Word!!
- 6:00-7:30 P.M. – NO RE: FUEL YOUTH for this Memorial Day weekend; enjoy the time with your family!
- NEXT SUNDAY, JUNE 6th: WORSHIP/SUNDAY SCHOOL/POTLUCK LUNCH/SING-YOUR-HEART-OUT EVENT! Everyone is invited & encouraged to bring some friends! Meat/beverages/table service will be provided; bring a favorite dish to pass for everyone to enjoy!
- SUNDAY, JUNE 13th, CHILDREN’S SUNDAY … MID-JUNE, FATHER-SON TWINS GAME … MID-JULY, RELAY FOR LIFE … MID-OCTOBER, WOMEN OF FAITH! How will YOU be involved??
- PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . .
- OUR GOD CARES SO MUCH ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS to us every day of our lives! And we want to care for each other through prayer support! Let’s hold up Hazel and family in the loss of her brother, Tina with more testing, Julia and her brother, those in the path of dangerous summer weather, those we support in missions and evangelism, our church family, a “home” for Elevation North, and a return to God by our nation! God hears!
- THIS WEEK … Remember, “We must peruse the past, pursue the present, and proclaim the future!” ~ Debbie Jones
Serving Christ Joyfully . . .
Pastor Doug and Debbie
