Sunday Celebration

Yesterday, June 29, we decided to visit our old church and watch as they performed their annual Summer Freedom Celebration. The First Baptist Church of Springdale AR has hosted a number of absolutely incredible services and events in the past, ranging from past patriotic celebrations honoring war veterans and our nation's independence to the life of Jesus, complete with live animals and large background sets to it's (arguably) most famous productions of the Living Christmas Tree.

In years past, when we attended that church, I was involved in some of these productions, doing anything from singing in the choir to narrating a script to even portraying the disciple Peter. However, yesterday, my family and I were just visitors and we were really looking forward to seeing this service.

I think that whenever you leave a place where you'd really served for a few years and then you go back for a visit, there's always a sense of apprehension. Are people going to be friendly or cold to us? Will we feel welcome or shunned? Will we even enjoy the service and most importantly, is this the right thing to do?

Well, our questions were quickly answered as we walked in and found our seats. The music and presentation were just fantastic! The old saying goes "you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone" was never more apparent for me like it was yesterday morning. The choir and band were full of life, energy and purpose. The portrayals of the soldiers from our country's history were solemn and respectful.

The interview of an actual Marine who'd just returned from duty was so moving and uplifting, it brought the entire room to it's feet in thunderous applause.

I think I lost count of how many times we gave standing ovations yesterday. Regardless of the times though, they were all well-deserved. Not so much for the choir & orchestra but for the men & women who were honored for their time of service in the armed forces.

Past & present members of all branches of the military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and the Marines) were all recognized in song and in video tribute, enough so that it brought many a tear to the eyes of audience members.

Through it all, I could really feel the presence of God there as well as a real spirit of respect & honor for those who'd paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.

I really got a lot out of that performance and even more out of Pastor Floyd's brief yet poignant message about the state of America.

Like it or not, we are a nation who's moral fabric and the very ideals we were founded on are being eroded away by a carniverous cancer. A disease that seeks to tear down any and all value on the sanctity of human life and common decency. How utterly tragic it is to see the values and principles that our founding fathers established become mocked, torn down, bastardized and ingrained with a level of depravity few could truly imagine.

Our great country is indeed at a crossroads and unfortunately with the upcoming elections very soon upon us, I truly believe many of the freedoms and blessings we've lived under for generations are going to be stricken from us, plunging us further into a wasteland of immorality.
The sad thing is...I believe we've done it to ourselves while turning our backs on the very One who bestowed His blessing on us in the first place.

Pastor Floyd mentioned how we, as believers, need to engage in a radical commitment to prayer in hopes that God Almighty would somehow intervene as only He can. We need to start this commitment this very day and put our hopes & trust on Him, believing that Jesus can still offer this sinful, sick and divided nation an eternal cure of salvation.

It's got to be more than just lip service too.

We've got to start living that life and acting on that belief. It's time to start showing how deep our faith is in Him, trusting the Lord at all times and seeking His will for our lives.

The time for "it's all about ME" needs to end. It's time to put our focus on real JOY, not some temporary, fleeting pleasure.

As my daughter pointed out yesterday on our way out to the car, real JOY comes when we focus on:

J - Jesus
O - Others
Y - You (or us)

Out of the mouths of babes, huh?

The rest of the day was truly one of great relaxation and togetherness. We spent almost 3 hours out by the athletic club's pool, during which time I burned half my stomach by not effectively applying sunscreen evenly over my entire torso. I hate it when my ADD comes back into play. Now, instead of hoping for a nice even tan, I can expect in a couple of days to look like a marshmallow someone left on a stick in the fire about 20 seconds too long.

Nice.

We ended the day by driving up to the Church at Pinnacle Hills and watching their incredible fireworks display. We got up there about 10 minutes before they started shooting them off, just enough time to find a spot to set up 4 lawn chairs and swat a few hundred skeeters away. After about 20 to 25 minutes of non-stop fireworks excitement, we folded up our chairs and made a bee-line to the truck, hoping to beat the throng of people racing to their vehicles.

I guess my wife's urgent prodding and me running like a pack-mule made a difference because from the time the last firework went off to the time we were back on the interstate, it was only about 10 minutes.

In all seriousness, I hope this holiday season as we all take some time off and celebrate with family & friends, let's be sure to remember those men & women who are still on the front lines tonight.

The ones who continue to fight a battle that may never see it's end.

The heroes who willingly remain in the trenches and bunkers, who amidst the bombs & explosions and who remain surrounded by death, can still hear the faint strains of their children's voices and laughter.

The ones who will never make it back to see those children, to hold their beloved spouses and finally return to a place called "home".

Let us never forget their sacrifice.