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Archive for May, 2011

Feeling blessed today to be part of a community of military families that spans the globe…from east coast to west coast, Japan to Europe…it’s a privilege to know all our Blue Star and Gold Star friends!

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Honor a Fallen Hero this Memorial Day by dedicating a Bible in their memory at Operation Worship. Go to http://www.operationworship.com to Sign Online and your message will be transcribed into a Bible and sent to a Chaplain for distribution. Choose from Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard or send it to a family member on the home front. This is a free service for you but will mean so much to our service members and their families.

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If you ask a group of children what Memorial Day is about, you’ll probably receive a variety of different answers. Some may tell you it’s a day off of school, or that it’s the weekend the neighborhood pool opens and others will tell you it’s when there are lots of big sales at the stores. It is important to teach the next generation the importance of honoring our military who defend and sacrifice to keep us safe. For that reason, below you’ll find a list of suggestions to help your family bring the true meaning of Memorial Day into your home this year.

1. Teach the history of Memorial Day:
Memorial Day started as Decoration Day in Waterloo, NY in 1866 as a ritual to honor Union and Confederate soldiers after the American Civil war. In 1868 General John Logan declared May 5th as a day when flowers were to be placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. It wasn’t until 1882 that the name Memorial Day was used as a day of remembrance to all service members who had died defending our country. President Nixon declared Memorial Day a federal holiday in 1971 and established it on the last Monday of May. In December, 2000 the National Moment of Remembrance resolution was passed to help remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day. The resolution asks that at 3pm on the last Monday of May, all Americans stop for a moment of silence to reflect on those who have sacrificed everything in honor of their country.

2. Fly an American Flag
Together as a family, fly your American Flag and teach children about flag etiquette. Memorial Day is a perfect time to explain to children why Americans fly the American flag at half-mast. If you don’t have an American Flag, help your children make one out of construction paper and display it in your front window or on your front door.

3. Visit your local National Cemetery
Many National Cemeteries will host special ceremonies to pay tribute to our fallen veterans. This is a great opportunity to teach kids that these National Cemeteries are reserved for those who sacrificed for their country and were very brave while protecting others. Check your local National Cemetery at http://www.cem.va.gov for more information.

4. Send encouragement abroad
Many service members are still deployed and would love to know that their fellow Americans are thinking of them this Memorial Day and remembering those who gave their lives for our freedom. Help kids write a thank you letter to send to a service member, color a picture or make a care package. There are many organizations that will help you get your items into the hands of our deployed Armed Forces. If you’d like suggestions on where to send your package, leave a comment below and we’d be happy to assist you.

5. Celebrate with a parade
Taking your children to a Memorial Day parade is a great time to answer a lot of questions about Memorial Day. It’s also a great opportunity to explain that it’s a day to honor and celebrate those who have given the ultimate sacrifice by defending our freedoms and protecting others.

6. Organize Memorial Day Activities and Crafts
There are many web sites that can give you great ideas on crafts and free printables to help your kids get creative for Memorial Day. The time while they are working also serves as a wonderful opportunity to tell kids the history and meaning of Memorial Day. After you’ve finished they just may be inspired to send their creations off to the troops overseas to say thank you! You can find some great ideas at http://www.familyeducation.com

Did you find this article useful? Feel free to send to a friend, post to Facebook or Retweet!

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How do you teach your kids the true meaning of Memorial Day? Leave a comment here, on Facebook, or respond on Twitter and we’ll publicize a list of ideas for everyone to benefit from!

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The United Through Reading Program helps ease the stress of deployment for families by having deployed parents read stories on DVD for their children to watch while they are away. The program is available to all deploying military units and at select USO locations. For more information see http://www.unitedthroughreading.org/military/

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Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7

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On August 31, 1949, President Harry S. Truman established a holiday for Americans to come together and thank our military members for their service in support of our country. Armed Forces Day followed the consolidation of the services under one umbrella known as the Department of Defense and was to replace separate days for the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.

If you are currently serving or have served our country, A Hero’s Home recognizes the patriotic service and sacrifice you and your family have given so that we may live in a free country. Thank you.

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Lifeway Christian Stores are working with Operation Worship to distribute Bibles to our service men and women and their families. Either on-line or in one of their stores nationwide. You can choose to send your purchased Bible directly to a service member, or send it to Operation Worship for distribution to any service person. The low-cost of these Bibles makes it affordable to individuals, churches, and other organizations to reach many with the Word of God. The Association of Christian Retail has set a goal of sending 500,000 Operation Worship Bibles in 100 days!

Bibles contain the New Living Translation with devotional and other material written to help service members and their families get the most out of their Bible. The compact size is ideal to take along on deployment and the covers are designed specifically for each branch of the Armed Forces.

You can also visit Operation Worship online and compose an encouraging message to be sent in a Bible to Military Chaplains for distribution or make a donation to assist them in shipping Bibles.

For more information see Lifeway Christian Stores and Operation Worship

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It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.
Deuteronomy 31:8

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