How we shall then remember...

Even the Bible tells us not to forget those who went before us.  

This Memorial Day we remember particularly those who gave their lives for our freedoms. 

In grade school, this was one of the many poems we read. 

I still remember it to this day. You may notice a difference between the two - 

for one says grow and the other blow. 

To fully appreciate who John McCrae was and

 the original meaning behind this poem check out 

John McCrae

'Flanders Fields' On Memorial Day 

For My Uncle Dude (1923-1942)

Published in this weeks Huffington Post, a tribute to those men and women

(esp. Uncle Dude) and the significance of the red poppy  

John McCrae was a poet and physician from Guelph, Ontario
wrote it as grow yet at some point it was changed. 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
      Between the crosses, row on row,
   That mark our place; and in the sky
   The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
   Loved and were loved, and now we lie
         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
   The torch; be yours to hold it high.
   If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
         In Flanders fields.

These word were penned on May 3, 1915 
while still at the battle front in Ypres, Belgium 

simply put -- Happy Mother's Day

Mothers --- who would we be without them.
So today - this post is for all my mom's out there. Be they mother, grandmother, great grandmother, great great grandmother.
Our mom's are the ones who shaped our lives, they after all were our first teachers.

My mom would be 93 this mothers day.

Mrs. James (Lucinda Klock) Roberts

Mrs. John (Georgianna Alger) Roberts
Georgia - 2nd from right

Mrs. Frank (Jane Jennie Owen Williams) Roberts

Jennie Williams Roberts                                                              Nettie Heirholzer Heinrich

 

       Mrs. Raymond (Eleanor Roberts) Heinrich

Mrs. Robert (Kathryn Benson) Bond

Mrs. Douglas ( Christine Heinrich) Benson

 But these pictures of the mom's in my life isn't what I really want to say. 

I want to introduce you to two remarkable mom's.

This mom, a strong believer in Jesus Christ, was lead to tell a lie, the first lie she had ever told in her life in a final attempt to save her unborn child. The child she and her husband had tried desparately for years to conceive. She went into labor at 21 weeks but when she got to the hospital, she told them she was 24 weeks pregnant – why, because at less than 24 weeks the drs would not attempt to save the baby if in fact it was born alive. So at 22 weeks, she gave birth to a precious 10 ounce girl. That baby survived and is a healthy child today because of a mother's love for her unborn baby.   

The tiniest survivor That unwavering faith has fueled the Homestead, Fla., couple through an intense eight months  - reports People Magazine. Says dad, Eddie, "I put my faith in God," said Amillia's father, Eddie Taylor. I didn't worry a lot. I just made sure to get here to be at her side                        

And there is another mom we should take a lesson from - Mrs. Zebedee - as my pastor called her this morning.  (taken from Hope Christian Fellowship's Mother's Day message)

We first learn about her two sons - James and John - sons of Zebedee - they were fisherman, probably learned all they needed to know about fishing from their father Mr. Zebedee in Matthew 4:21 - Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. 

And that's all we hear until their mother comes forward, Mrs. Zebedee.  And she asks something for her sons. 

                                      

20Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

21“What is it you want?” he asked.

She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”

22“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”

“We can,” they answered.

Mrs. Zebedee did five things

1. Approach - She came with her sons

2. Attitude - She knelt and asked

3. Appeal - She knew what she wanted to ask

4. Awareness - She knew what she was asking.

5. Acceptance - She accepted what Jesus said

Mr. Z taught his sons to fish, to make a living, to provide.
Mrs. Z taught here sons about Jesus.  

So.....what do we learn from Mrs. Zebedee.

1. We learn that it is important to have out children with us when we approach the Lord. Many   times Jesus say -"Come" This is what she did. 

2. She shows respect to Jesus by kneeling before him  - she also taught her children this because she had them with her.

3. And then Jesus says - What do you want (What do you REALLY want)  Jesus already knew what she was asking for BUT he wanted to hear her say it. And Mrs. Z was honest in her request.
4. She knew, She knew who this Jesus was. She knew what she wanted for her sons. Did she know what  would be required of her boys if she were to attain this request for them.  When Jesus said You don't know what you are saying - she quieted.  And Jesus turned to James and John for the answer.  Because of the teaching she gave her sons,  they readily had the answer.... Yes.
5.  They knew it was God's will for their life and mom didn't argue.  She accepted what Jesus said as truth.


And that is all we hear about James, John and their parents - or is it.
Did Mrs. Zebedee have a first name? Do we learn anything more about her.

Read further in Matthew 27:55
Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph,^f and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
It isn't until we read in Mark 15: 40  
Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph,^d and Salome. 41In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.
                           

You see, Salome, the mother of James and John, had an encounter with Jesus.  It changed her life and she was never the same.  She followed as many women in Galilee had done ministering to Jesus and caring for his needs.  And her sons ? James was the first to be martyred of the disciples and John....after attempting to kill him many times.... was finally exiled to Patmos (but that's another story)

Have you had that encounter with Jesus?  

Once you have you too will never be the same,  You too will be changed. 

And lastly  A nice photo essay of moms through the ages. 

That's my baby.

5-year-old Kentucky boy fatally shoots 2-year-old sister

A tragedy to be sure. (From Leigh Remizowski, CNN updated 10:53 AM EDT, Thu May 2, 2013)
A young boy will forever know that he is responsible (no matter what adults will tell him) for the death of his sister.  WHY? because the child's rifle he received wasn't put out of reach from his hands until an adult could supervise his use of it.

I am not anti guns or rifles so don't be mislead.  My dad, who died when I was ten, had already taught me to shoot a 22 rifle.  And along with that teaching came the responsibility of my parents to make sure I wouldn't use it when they were around.

The man who taught me to shoot. 

So, how young IS too young to be responsible for a firearm? Well, you know that is up to the parents to decide based on maturity of the child but as a grandparent to a 4.5 yr. old, I can safely say, he isn't old enough.  Reality isn't a part of his "play".  He doesn't grasp what death is.  That it is permanent.  That it isn't a pretend game like he plays daily.

The woman who continued to allow me to shot that rifle 

and also to have a bow and arrow ( I later shot on my college's archery team).

She is my forever hero - a strong lady who raised her children as a single mom. 

So, parents, as you read this sad sad news story,  remember, to stow that unloaded firearm preferably locked because you never know what an adventurous child will do.  To much occupies our mind these days, the media is constantly on in most people houses, mom is doing house chores, kids are playing quietly and then ......

I still remember just how sharp my dad's hunting knife (kept in the glove compartment) was and that was 50 years ago.  My mom still doesn't know about that little bit of exploration.

Where it all started