Tag Archives: John F. Kennedy

How do YOU Give Thanks?

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As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John F. Kennedy

This year it seems I am missing nostalgia. I long for the days when our country honored Jesus Christ, when we weren’t intimidated by others that want to squeeze God out of our lives and when everything that we do or say is not scrutinized by P.C. police. 

Even though those days may be behind us, there is NOTHING and NOBODY that can stop The Church of the Living God! They can pass laws, call it hate speech, put us in jail, persecute, prosecute and anything else they can come up with to shut us up but His Truth always, always marches on. 

The Church has seen persecution before and it will definitely see it again in these Last Days. But the Good News, the Gospel, has always prevailed and this hour will be no different.

The following is from Thanksgiving, 1963, from President John F. Kennedy. You can read the entire address here. I thought his words were fitting. We can still, as the Body of Christ, Give Thanks where it is due!

“Now, Therefore, I, John F. Kennedy, President of the United States of America, in consonance with the joint resolution of the Congress approved December 26, 1941, 55 Stat. 862 (5 U.S.C. 87b), designating the fourth Thursday of November in each year as Thanksgiving Day, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 28, 1963, as a day of national thanksgiving.

On that day let us gather in sanctuaries dedicated to worship and in homes blessed by family affection to express our gratitude for the glorious gifts of God; and let us earnestly and humbly pray that He will continue to guide and sustain us in the great unfinished tasks of achieving peace, justice, and understanding among all men and nations and of ending misery and suffering wherever they exist.”

how do you give thanks

How do YOU Give Thanks?

In 2013, I asked for readers to respond to a few questions I posed and thought I would do something similar today. Then on Thursday, and maybe Friday if there are many, I would share YOUR responses! Let’s give it a try.

  1. Thanksgiving is one of the most loved holidays we celebrate as a nation. How do YOU and your family give Thanks? (For instance, aside from saying a prayer, do you go around the room and tell what you are thankful for that year?) Be specific!
  2. Has God performed a miracle in your life or your family, a friend, coworker, something that would be encouraging to others?
  3. How could we show this THANKS all year long and not just on the fourth Thursday of November?
  4. What would you do differently in the coming New Year to share the Gospel with those you know and love?

I would be thrilled if you would take a minute and answer any or all four of these questions. It is so much more enjoyable and strengthening when others are involved at Hope in the Healing. If it’s just me all the time, trust me, you get bored real fast. But when there is interaction and sharing, it truly does bless the Body of Christ.

Wishing you a wonderful week with your family and friends. Be blessed!

Kingdom2

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O God, thy sea is so great, my boat is so small!

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Happy New Year! Beginning today with last year’s most clicked post. I am just a little drop of water in a magnificent ocean, I am so small. But He is so great!! Be blessed with this beautiful story.

An Old Breton prayer was inscribed on a block of wood on the desk of President John F. Kennedy. Admiral Hyman Rickover would give it to new submarine captains and also presented one to the President. Kennedy loved the quote and used it in his dedication of the East Coast Memorial to the Missing at Sea, May 23, 1963. He always kept in on his desk in the Oval Office and it is now in the JFK Presidential Museum and Library.

Here is the poem in its entirety:

Thy sea, O God, so great,
My boat so small.
It cannot be that any happy fate
Will me befall
Save as Thy goodness opens paths for me
Through the consuming vastness of the sea.
 
Thy winds, O God, so strong,
So slight my sail.
How could I curb and bit them on the long
And saltry trail,
Unless Thy love were mightier than the wrath
Of all the tempests that beset my path?
 
Thy world, O God, so fierce,
And I so frail.
Yet, though its arrows threaten oft to pierce
My fragile mail,
Cities of refuge rise where dangers cease,
Sweet silences abound, and all is peace.
~Winfred Ernest Garrison
 
So much goodness in these words! What a Mighty God! I am frail, I am small, I am even weak. Sometimes LIFE overwhelms me and “unless thy love were mightier than the wrath of all the tempests that beset my path”, I could never make it through those storms.
 
O God, thy sea is so great and my boat is so small.

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I love the ending, “Cities of refuge rise where dangers cease, sweet silences abound, and all is peace.”

In the Old Testament there were Cities of Refuge. When the Promised Land was divided up among the twelve tribes of Israel, only one tribe did not receive land: the Levites. They were given the care and upkeep of the Tabernacle and to be the priests of the Lord.  Part of their inheritance consisted of 48 cities that were spread throughout the land and six of those were Cities of Refuge.

If someone committed a murder, for example, under the Mosaic Law, they were to be put to death. Exodus 21:14. But if it was an unintentional or accidental death, he could flee to a City of Refuge and be “safe” from his avenger until a “trial” was held to determine his guilt or innocence. As long as he stayed in the City of Refuge, no one could touch him. If he left the city for any reason, and there were people seeking his life, he was no longer under that protection.

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Aren’t you thankful for a place of refuge in Jesus Christ! We can run to Him in our distress and be protected, even forgiven, from the accuser of the brethren, Satan himself. No matter what he wants to charge us with, Jesus has already paid the price and we can find comfort and safety in His everlasting arms.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.” Psalms 46:1-3.

Yes, the sea of life is so big, sometimes scary and even overwhelming. But our God is so GREAT and able to carry us through anything if we take refuge in Him.

Rest in that hope today!

Have you received your copy of The Daniel Fast – A Devotional yet? Get prepared for the New Year with the paperback or kindle version now!DF-cover-side-view

Be blessed!

Kingdom2

 

Hearts for Home,  Thriving thursday, Growing in Grace

We remember…

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In honor of Memorial Day, I want to give a little history. I stand with you and honor your loved ones who served and gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, was set aside to remember and honor those military veterans that gave their lives for our country, those that gave everything to protect the freedoms we enjoy today.

The first official proclamation for a Memorial Day was made by General John Logan, National Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, on May 5, 1868. The first official observance was on May 30 of that year. Flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington national Cemetery. Here is the “General Order No. 11” that General Logan wrote:

 “. . . 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 fond mourners . . .
Let us, then, at the time appointed gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with the choicest flowers of spring-time;
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 a sacred charge upon a nation’s gratitude, the soldier’s and sailor’s widow and orphan. . .”

Today, Memorial Day has transformed into a day to honor and remember all those who have died. People decorate the graves of their loved ones and visit the cemetery in their honor. There is nothing wrong with that but let us not forget the reason for this day of remembrance! Help us to not pass by the grave of a soldier without proper decoration! This is what the holiday is all about. It is more than hot dogs, hamburgers and apple pie. More than ball games, get-togethers and visits to the lake. These are all good time spent with family and friends, nothing wrong with that either!

But can we take time to pause this Monday and remember?

December, 2000, Congress passed The National Moment of Remembrance Act, P.L. 106-579. This was to “encourage the people of the United States to give something back to their country, which provides them so much freedom and opportunity”. Congress wanted our heroes to not be forgotten so on Memorial Day, no matter where you are, or what you are doing, could you pause at 3 p.m. to “…voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of Remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to “Taps”. 

Memorial Day has also evolved into a day to honor those that ARE serving. So, yes, I know Veterans Day is set aside for that, but I don’t have a problem with honoring our veterans ANY TIME. Two times per year is not enough! We can “remember” all that they have given when they committed to protecting our great country.

Last year I honored my grandfather, James L. McCammon, for his service, and yet, he did not die in battle. I personally do not know anyone who has and have chosen instead to honor someone I know who served in Iraq.

Today I am sharing a special picture with you of my nephew, Justin Turner.  Justin served four years of active duty in the Army and one tour in Iraq.  He now serves as a combat medic in the National Guard while pursuing a career in nursing. Justin and my niece, Megan, also serve as youth pastors in their church in Ohio.

Thank you, Justin, for giving, for serving and for continuing to serve our great country. We appreciate you and the thousands of others like you who sacrifice every day for our freedoms. We are forever in your debt!

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This picture below, of Megan and Justin, is just the epitome of the way we feel on Memorial Day. We honor our flag, our country, and those who gave EVERYTHING. We thank you.

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We walked among the crosses
Where our fallen soldiers lay.
And listened to the bugle
As TAPS began to play.
The Chaplain led a prayer
We stood with heads bowed low.
And I thought of fallen comrades
I had known so long ago.
They came from every city
Across this fertile land.
That we might live in freedom.
They lie here ‘neath the sand.
I felt a little guilty
My sacrifice was small.
I only lost a little time
But these men lost their all.
Now the services are over
For this Memorial Day.
To the names upon these crosses
I just want to say,
Thanks for what you’ve given
No one could ask for more.
May you rest with God in heaven
From now through evermore.

C.W. Johnson

Enjoy a wonderful Memorial Day holiday with your family and friends!

May God continue to bless America.

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