Welcome to another week! God has blessed us with gorgeous weather in the Atlantic community. I love seeing gorgeous blossoms on crab trees, dogwood trees, quince bushes, and lilacs. The purple, white, and pink of spring are matched only by the red, gold, and orange of fall.
Last Thursday, May 7, was the National Day of Prayer. This day serves as a reminder to pray for our leaders and our country. I regularly pray for national revival and for our military. I pray for their salvation and safety, and that God will provide for their families.
We have an opportunity to honor our military on Saturday, May 16. This is Armed Forces Day. Armed Forces Day began under President Harry Truman’s leadership in 1949.
Don’t forget to vote on Tuesday, May 19. This is another chance to think of and thank God for our military. We might not have the privilege of voting if not for their brave service to our country.
You can honor our military dead at two local Memorial Day services. The first is at Stevenson Cemetery on Sunday, May 24, at 1:30 p.m. Rocky Glen Cemetery also hosts a Memorial Day service at 2 p.m. on Memorial Day, May 25. Look for United States Flags on graves. These identify military service members’ graves.
You will certainly see flowers adorning graves on Memorial Day weekend. This is a continuation of the tradition of Decoration Day, observed as early as 1866. Mourners decorated graves of Civil War soldiers with flowers. Many people still plant flowers on loved ones’ graves, military or civilian.
This Memorial Day we can praise God for the renewal of trees and flowers while we honor the memory of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
Have a wonderful week. Blessings!