Do Not Forget

General Order
No. 11

Headquarters, Grand Army of the Republic
Washington, D.C., May 5, 1868

I. The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form or ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.
We are organized, comrades, as our regulations tell us, for the purpose, among other things, "of preserving and strengthening those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together the soldiers, sailors, and marines who united to suppress the late rebellion." What can aid more to assure this result than by cherishing tenderly the memory of our heroic dead, who made their breasts a barricade between our country and its foe? Their soldier lives were the reveille of freedom to a race in chains, and their death a tattoo of rebellious tyranny in arms. We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. All that the consecrated wealth and taste of the Nation can add to their adornment and security is but a fitting tribute to the memory of her slain defenders. Let no wanton foot tread rudely on such hallowed grounds. Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and found mourners. Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten, as a people, the cost of free and undivided republic.
If other eyes grow dull and other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain in us.
Let us, then, at the time appointed, gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime; let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved from dishonor; let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us as sacred charges upon the Nation's gratitude,--the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan.

II. It is the purpose of the Commander-in-Chief to inaugurate this observance with the hope it will be kept up from year to year, while a survivor of the war remains to honor the memory of his departed comrades. He earnestly desires the public press to call attention to this Order, and lend its friendly aid in bringing it to the notice of comrades in all parts of the country in time for simultaneous compliance therewith.

III. Department commanders will use every effort to make this order effective.

By command of:

JOHN A. LOGAN,
Commander-in-Chief.

N. P. CHIPMAN,
Adjutant-General.

"If other eyes grow dull and other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remains in us." - that sentence always gets me. Eyes have dulled, hands have grown slack, hearts have cooled. Memorial Day is now, for far too many Americans, just another holiday. A three-day weekend off work and school, an excuse for stores to flood your inbox with "patriotic" sales - which are the same as "Cinco de Mayo" sales, but with a slightly different color scheme -, a day wherein following tradition means one merely hangs out a flag and hosts a big barbecue. What has happened to the noble purpose of Memorial Day? Too many have forgotten. Let us not forget.

I praise my King who has bestowed upon me the gift of growing up in such a country. On this day, I honor the men and women who have fought so desperately, so sacrificially, to defend and protect this land.

God bless America, land that I love!

Source: http://www.suvcw.org/logan.htm
Photo Credit

I Saw God Today

The line of crowding, hungry people stretched as far as the eye could see. Little ones whimpering for their dinners, women calculating how many mouths they had to fill, men impatiently shuffling from one foot to the next - all waiting for the food, wherever it was coming from, to materialize before them.

At the front of the line, standing tall and resolutely behind the three food tables like so many soldiers - and in truth, they were soldiers - the servers cast apprehensive glances, one to another, each reminding his neighbor to be frugal with the helpings. The meal was far from plentiful.

Scurrying around in the kitchen, the cooks were a smattering of mixed emotions. While some bemoaned the lack of food and the surplus of people, most reminded each other, in hopeful tones, that God would provide.

And they knew He would. For there, standing in a corner of the gym; and there, stirring a crock pot of gravy in the kitchen; and there, peering through the doors at the thick, unyielding line of hungry individuals; were the prayer warriors. As their eyes roved to and fro over the crowd, these faith-firm soldiers prayed blessing after blessing down on those who came seeking food. They asked that those lining up for dinner would come to crave the true nourishment of the Word. They asked that those being offered a free meal would have their ears opened to hear the ultimate offer of free and eternal life. And they asked that, if it would be to His glory, the Lord might provide for all 300 people who sought their evening fare at the "Lord's Gym" that night.

And provide He did. It was with amazed and awestruck giggles of pure glee that I, after helping prepare only two-thirds of the normal dinner amount, and serving it to nearly twice the typical number of guests, filled and set aside seven spare containers of chicken-and-gravy. Yes, the stuffing, salad, bread, and dessert were gone, but we still had leftovers. Leftovers. Left. Overs. Extra.

"Well," said Grandma Vi, Queen of the Kitchen, and one of the many people I must do a post on one of these days, "I asked the Lord what to do about having too little chicken, and he told me to put in extra gravy, and that it would all work out if I did. And it did."

God provides in miraculous - and such amazingly cool - ways! It boggles the mind to think of how He intervenes for us, doing it in such a way that we know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it was His hand which saved the evening. Not our foresight. Not our ability to collect resources. Not our hard work. Not our time spent. Not our ingenuity.

It was our King, the Ruler and Creator of the universe, interposing His will on our circumstances.

I saw God today.

Dear Blogger,

There is so much I would say about--
But I can't.

I want to tell you--
But I can't.

I was thinking--

I agree with--

Nice job on--

That's so cool that--

Interesting info on--

I really wish that--

Please let me--
Comment.
Soon.

Your Patient User,
SarahJayne

Photo Credit

Watch-It Wednesday: A Picture of Faith

Have you ever found yourself sitting, minding your own business, when suddenly the urge to do something rather ridiculous...or at least unconventional...pops into your mind? Go buy that well-dressed lady's coffee for her. Run over and see if that young mother will let you bounce her fussing baby. Ask the older lady if you can walk her to her car. Sometimes the urge makes sense - Is the mother clearly frazzled by her Little's inability to calm down? - and sometimes it doesn't - Why would that designer-dressed lady need me to buy her coffee? This short video (stollen copied from mama's blog) convicted me heavily for ignoring the seemingly "random" promptings I am given. No matter how strange or insignificant the prompting may appear, stepping out in faith always brings glory to the King.

"To hear with my heart,
To see with my soul,
To be guided by a hand I can not hold,
To trust in a way that I can not see,
That's what faith must be." - "That's What Faith Must Be", Michael Card

This is Me Right Now...

No, I do not have a bald spot - it's just my fingers showing through my uber-thin hair.

...because playing around with skirt designs is a frustrating pastime. Actually, because I hate when things don't turn out exactly how I planned them...even when a potentially cuter alternative comes along. "Maybe," mama said with a grin, after listening to my lamentations, "God wants you to get used to it - remember Benjamin Franklin?"
"It was Thomas Edison!" I burst out, after a moment of surprise, and so I laughed which makes many things better - mostly. But I still needed some help, so I had some comfort food....


Fresh sourdough bread!

And smelled these lovely roses my students gave me...

They've been perfuming my room all weekend!


And got out this movie to watch as I finish the ironing...


Pretty much my all-time favorite animated movie

And remembered that, in the big scheme of things, it won't matter a whit if it takes me a couple more days to work out the quirks on this skirt. In the big scheme of things, it will simply matter that I stopped and smelled the roses, tasted the sourdough, laughed at the silliness, and learned the patience and flexibility I tend to so not have time for! in my own mind.

O, to patiently learn patience...