Because I Live: Part 5

I thought that in honor of Memorial Day this coming Monday, I would post some thoughts on the freedom we have in life, by the grace and mercy of God in His goodness, which has been defended by many men and women for so long.

To begin with, a few well-known words about the freedom we enjoy in this nation....
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (May 30 in 2011). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates men and women who died while in military service to the United States. First enacted to honor Union and Confederate soldiers following the American Civil War, it was extended after World War I to honor Americans who have died in all wars.
Memorial Day often marks the start of the summer vacation season, and Labor Day its end.
Began as a ritual of remembrance and reconciliation after the civil war, by the early 20th century, Memorial Day was an occasion for more general expressions of memory, as ordinary people visited the graves of their deceased relatives, whether they had served in the military or not.
By 1865 the practice of decorating soldiers' graves had become widespread in the North. The first known observance was in Boalsburg, Pa on October, 1864, and each year thereafter. The friendship between General John Murray, a distinguished citizen of Waterloo, and General John A. Logan, who helped bring attention to the event nationwide, was likely a factor in the holiday's growth. On May 5, 1868, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic – the organization for Northern Civil War veterans – Logan issued a proclamation that "Decoration Day" should be observed nationwide. It was observed for the first time on May 30 of the same year; the date was chosen because it was not the anniversary of a battle.
There were events in 183 cemeteries in 27 states in 1868, and 336 in 1869. The northern states quickly adopted the holiday; Michigan made "Decoration Day" an official state holiday in 1871 and by 1890 every northern state followed suit.
   As we live our lives under the blanket of the freedoms that these men and women provided and protected for us, let us not also forget that God our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) have given us true freedom in our lives--freedom from sin, death, and Satan.  As we honor this weekend those men and women who have served our nation, let us never forget to honor and serve the Lord our God in all things!
Thanks for reading!  God bless you and yours!  And happy Memorial Day!  God bless the USA!