In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.

The In Flanders Fields poem was written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae on May 3 1915. He wrote it after witnessing the death of his friend on the battlefield the day before. It is a solemn reminder of the atrocities of war and an admonishment to steadfastly remain vigilant even when faced with terrifying adversity.

On this day we honor those who bravely fought for freedom and justice, and many of whom bravely gave their lives for the noble cause. It goes by different names in different places, including Remembrance Day, Veteran’s Day, Poppy Day, and Armistice Day, but the sentiment is the same: Not to glorify the tragedy of war, but to commemorate the valor of those who fought to defend their country.

Brigadier General (ret.) Robinson Risner, a veteran pilot who fought in World War 2, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, is one of those brave military soldiers who we should remember today. Despite being shot down twice over enemy territory, and being captured and tortured, each time it happened he wasted no time taking to the skies again, ready to serve his country. Read his story: Enduring Torture in a POW Camp

Please feel free to share your own stories of remembrance or commemoration in the comments below. If you feel the need to speak with someone in private, our online mentors are always available to listen.

“Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good” Deuteronomy 8:5, NLT

I can remember being deployed in military service and having marriages issues. Many nights I cried and said why Lord, why did you separate me and my wife? Finally after wrestling with the Lord, I submitted and understood what he was doing.

I was leading my marriage down the wrong path. I had allowed sin to warp my thinking and cause issues in my marriage. I thought I could handle it on my own, but God had a better plan. He brought me on the deployment to take me into the wilderness and discipline me and fix the issues in my life, HIS way. I learned so much being out there and it was only when he separated me from all the sin I was involved in that he was able to do his work.

As a matter of fact, I am writing this very devotional from the wilderness here in Kuwait. I have been used mightily in helping, praying, and ministering to other people. He used me in ways I never ever would have imagined.

So know this, if you are in situation and you really wonder why, seek the Lord and ask him. I guarantee he has a plan for your situation or a plan to get you out of the sin and put you in a better place! Yes of course discipline hurts sometimes, but in the end, we learn to not make those same mistakes again. Isn’t that the whole glorious point? Praise God, we have a Lord that loves enough to show us our mistakes and put us on the right path!

“ ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the LORD. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’ ” Jeremiah 29:11

I’ve grown to enjoy the day when we celebrate another year in the history of our nation.  I like walking down to the park, listening to the music, watching the multitude of flags flying from car hoods and childrens’ hats and marching bands.  I like watching my kids run around while the band plays our national anthem.

I especially love the giant flag cake.

It’s a big deal when the cake arrives.  It arrives on its own special car, at the end of a parade of old-fashioned cars, and is big enough to feed several hundred patriots.
There’s something special about celebrating the place where you live.  It’s a small portion of a day where one can proudly say “this place is a good place to live. And for that, I’m thankful.”  This is what we call patriotism.

Patriotism: The academic edition

In our current reality, patriotism has become closely intertwined with images of battle, conflict, and supporting our troops.  Being a patriot conjures up images of flags waving in the background, with immaculately-trained troops going to battle against an invisible enemy.   I can admit it, I’m a war aficionado.

Given the choice of learning about history, or the history of warfare, I’d default to the latter.  I enjoy learning about the weaponry and the political maneuverings of warring states.  I’ve even spent time in Israel studying the details of modern and historical warfare.  Not that I’m a gun nut (or even remotely so), but the details of history are fascinating to me.

Call me a war geek.

It’s not my fault, really.  As a young child of about eight, my brother and I discovered my grandfather’s naval uniform in a trunk, tucked away in the basement of his house.  Inside this trunk were things we had never seen in real life.  A naval uniform, complete with a hat, sat neatly folded in the bottom of the trunk.  A few bullets, the size we had never seen, had been collected.  There were newspaper clippings of men in uniform standing aboard a ship, saluting perfectly.

It was as if we had stumbled across a family treasure.  What had my grandfather done while in this very uniform?  What lands had it seen?  What sort of battles had it been a witness to?  How had my grandfather felt while he was wearing this uniform?

It wasn’t until later in life that I rediscovered this passion for history.  In university, I was forced to take a class called The Violent Century: a Look at Historical Warfare.  I begrudgingly sat for three hours as a professor ranted about the details of modern combat between nations.  However, as the semester wore on, there was a growing problem.

I was hooked.

The brilliance of my professor was found in his recounting of the historical record.  It wasn’t about dates.  It wasn’t about accomplishments.  It was about the humanity behind the history. What were soldiers thinking when they first donned their gas masks and engaged the enemy?  What kind of emotions took hold when a fellow soldier was killed by an invisible sniper?  How did it feel to live in the trenches of the Second World War?  Even more recently, how does our country engage in conflict and how does it affect the family life of soldiers?

My experience with guns and conflict and war have been limited to two venues: an exercise in academics and through the lens of CNN.  I am limited to the snapshots of war – another soldier killed, a military exercise over there, a soldier returning home.

Patriotism: The human edition

I recently had the experience of encountering a soldier in full uniform.  On the news that night, I had seen that one battalion had returned home after serving on a tour in Afghanistan.  Immediately, I wanted to approach him and thank him for what he had done for my country.  I mean, when we’re talking about patriotism, these people are on the front lines of the definition.

Being a patriot is literally defined as one who loves and defends his or her country. Regardless of your opinions on the current wars raging across our world, there are men and women, fellow human beings, fighting in the wars that we watch on our television screens.

I walked past the soldier.

Either out of embarrassment or timidity, I didn’t say anything.  I’m not sure I would know what to say, except a stumbling “thank you.”  This has been the extent of my experience in patriotism.  And yet the news has brought to me an entirely new perspective on patriotism and war.  Recently, on a few major news sites, there have been a regular occurrence of men and women returning home from the war.  Soldiers returning to their families.

The best images have come from inside classrooms.  Dads and Moms, dressed in fatigues, surprising their young children by coming home early.  Inevitably, the child breaks down in tears, runs to Mommy or Daddy, and weeps uncontrollably into the uniform of their country.

Well, color me patriot.

Strip away the flag-waving politicians and the loud military music and our nation is about people.  It’s people with families and friends, individuals who have chosen to serve in a way that our country calls them to.  Dads who have daughters and sons waiting at home — daughters with bright futures and sons with developing potential.  Mothers who have the invaluable gift of nurturing and loving.

If becoming a patriot is to love one’s country, despite its flaws and mistakes, then by extension, it means loving the people that are part of that country. And, despite the fact that some of those citizens cut me off on my way to work this morning, there is something great about being able to celebrate our nationality together.  It is wonderful to be free to let our kids run around while our national anthem plays.  It is a gift to lay in a park, listening to music play from a community band, to enjoy the celebration of another year in our nation.  It’s incredible to be able to wave our flag and think about the blessed life that we are able to take part in, to say ‘thank you’ to those soldiers in uniform that pass us on the street.

And, of course, to eat flag cake.

Related reading:
Military Lives – The amazing life stories of patriots who fight for their country
Confronting Giants – An online interactive life study on finding strength to face life’s challenges

Are you confused and not sure what to do or where to turn?

I’m a military brat. I grew up with free movies, swim lessons and coast-to-coast moves. One might argue relocating nearly every year is detrimental to a child. I lump the experience into the benefit category because God placed me in specific circumstances to uniquely mold me. I am blessed to have been a military child.

Growing up in the military gave me a wide scope of the world. Every time my father received transfer orders, the family planned stopping points during the move. I appreciated the variety and splendor of forests, parks and seashores. I learned the difference between the ear tassels of the Kiabab squirrel and the ear-tufted Abert’s squirrel of the Rocky Mountains. I explored the waters of the Blue Ridge that ran cold and clear and the Mississippi that ran dark and muddy. I have seen the red mud of Louisiana and the sandy soils of North Carolina. I discovered the difference between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. Each experience shaped my personality and emotions.

I’ve learned to make friends easily and say goodbye when necessary. Each time we’d move, I’d wave goodbye to a best friend but look forward with the excitement to making new friends at the next location. I learned to converse easily, became outgoing and grew comfortable talking to anyone, no matter how different.

That’s why I don’t mind walking over to say hello to a new visitor at church. I know how they feel. I’ve learned to bring a person into an established group by introducing her to a third person. There’s nothing worse than entering a room of strangers and not feeling welcomed.

When my father retired from the Marines in 1968, I admit part of me was saddened. No more safely hopping on my bike to explore the military base with friends. No more walks to the outdoor theater a few blocks away. No more cross-country trekking with stops at state and national parks. No more neighbors who weren’t afraid to tell you “stop that” when you were up to no good. On base, no mother hesitated to step out her front door and tell you to stop throwing a football around the cars. Okay, maybe that wasn’t a benefit at the time. But as an adult, I see it that way now.

It wasn’t until I went to public school that I realized there were people with different colored skin. There, I saw segregation. Black children sat together at lunch. Asians hung together at recess. That was an odd thing for me after growing up on bases where this didn’t occur. It wasn’t that everyone was one ethnicity on base. I just never noticed the difference. We were all kids, all friends. There was no separation. I’d learned to accept others’ uniqueness, recognizing that I appeared different to them. It never mattered. One hung out with another kid because they were fun or had a similar interest. Race was not part of the equation of friendship on military bases.

We are all different. We may think we’re the norm, but we’re not. No one is. God made each of us unique – physically and emotionally. He chose a specific nation, region, state, city, school and family for each of His creations. Every choice He made for my life makes me unique for His glory.

Questions: What experiences contribute to your uniqueness? What event in your life does God plan to use for His glory?

About the Author Gail Morris

I was on the verge of killing myself. But something brought me back from the edge of death. This is my story.

Although I grew up in a Christian family in the Middle East, Christianity meant very little to me. I was not satisfied with my life. Even though I went to Sunday School and learned about the Bible I only had knowledge about the Christian faith, I didn’t really know God.

As a young man I joined the army. I was actually forced into it. And I was treated almost like a slave because people knew that I was a Christian. We were in the middle of fighting a long war against another country and I wouldn’t be able to leave until the war was resolved. I probably would not be able to go back home for many years, and I felt that life was not worth living. I started contemplating suicide.

The thing that helped keep me sane was playing music. I would be paid to play music at special events and businesses. This way I could make a little extra money, since the army paid hardly anything at all. But then my only set of civilian (non-army) clothes was stolen, so I couldn’t even do that anymore, because I couldn’t wear my army clothes when I was out performing!

One night I was on guard duty, and had already been up for 48 hours without sleep. I was so tired and depressed and frustrated. I decided that I’d had enough, and this would be the night I finally would commit suicide. I was given my gun and went to my guard post.

After about 15 minutes, I convinced myself to go through with it. I had my finger on the trigger, ready to end my life. If I pressed it, 36 bullets would instantly fire and surely kill me. But just then I heard a voice calling my name. My supervisor was approaching me, and asked me to give him the gun. I protested, asking why he wanted it, and asked how was I supposed to guard the troops without it? But he insisted, and took the gun, and walked away.

As he left, I wondered why he had come to take the gun away right at that moment. I was very sad. I couldn’t even die like I wanted to! I turned my head towards heaven and cried out to God: “Why am I still here? Why have you saved my life? I am a sinner! I don’t really even know you!”

But when my supervisor took the gun and went away I felt a question being asked inside of me asking: “How do you feel about the people around you?” (I realized it was the Lord asking me.)

I answered: “These people don’t love each other, they hate each other! They steal, and take advantage from each other.” Then another question immediately came to me: “Why don’t you try ME?”

It was then I realized, for the first time, that God really loves me. Many of the verses from the Bible, that I learned many years before but had forgotten about, came pouring back to me. I realized that, even though I was in many ways a “bad” person, that God loves everyone, even “bad” people. If only good people went to heaven, no one would be allowed in! But by trusting God, He would accept me. Jesus, on the cross, took the punishment for us that us “bad” people deserve. So by trusting in Him, God would accept me.

After that day my life began to change. Many people around me noticed the changes in me. I was no longer swearing and treating people unkindly. At first they were skeptical of the changes, but eventually they realized that something powerful had changed in my life.

I later found out that the supervisor who took my gun was not concerned about me, but was concerned about himself. You see, one of his other soldiers had recently killed himself because of the mistreatment he’d received, and my supervisor was worried that if it happened again he would be in trouble. I also learned at that time that this same supervisor was the one who took my civilian clothes!

But when I found out I was not angry, like I would have felt before. I told the supervisor the clothes were a gift to him. I realized God had given me so many free gifts (first life itself, and then eternal life with Him) that I wanted to respond to His love by sharing this love to others! What an amazing turn-around God had worked in my heart, from wanting to die to wanting to share life with other people!

Take a look at your life. How would you describe it? Contented? Rushed? Exciting? Stressful? Moving forward? Holding back? For many of us it’s all of the above at times.

There are things we dream of doing one day, there are things we wish we could forget. You are embarking on a whole new life, maybe this is the time to invite God to be a part of it. In the Bible, it says that Jesus came to make all things new. What would your life look like if you could start over with a clean slate?

Living with hope

If you are looking for peace, there is a way to balance your life. No one can be perfect, or have a perfect life. But every one of us has the opportunity to experience perfect grace through a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer. Praying is simply talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Here’s a suggested prayer:

Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? You can pray it right now, and Jesus Christ will come into your life, just as He promised.

Is this the life for you?

If you invited Christ into your life, thank God often that He is in your life, that He will never leave you and that you have eternal life. As you learn more about your relationship with God, and how much He loves you, you’ll experience life to the fullest.

Image credit: CharlesFred

Is your world coming to an end? Is there life after divorce? We want to pray with you.

“Peace on earth, goodwill toward men” As the Christmas carols waft through the air and you find yourself singing along, but a nagging in the back of your mind whispers – it isn’t true.  There is no peace on earth.

Among your friends, perhaps within your own family, couples are splitting apart, marriages of more than twenty years are disintegrating, siblings aren’t speaking to one another.  Children are walking away from God.  How do we find this peace that everyone is singing about?

Thousands of years ago, in the land of Israel, the Sons of Korah wrote a psalm that gives insight into that question.  Their days were also filled with turmoil, but they refused to give into fear. In Psalm 46 they include a phrase as if from the very mouth of the Almighty.

“Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10, NIV)

I believe peace comes not from family unity, financial security or a large military. Real peace comes from knowing that God is the Lord of Heaven and Earth. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere-present AND He loves us.  Because God is both powerful and loving, we can rest secure in spite of events that are beyond our control or understanding.

Jesus reiterated that message. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27, NIV).

Paul also instructed us to look to God for the peace we seek. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6-7, NIV).

Thank you, Holy God, for revealing Yourself to us. Show me how to be still, to acknowledge that You are Lord and to find peace in You.  Amen.

Questions: When have you experienced the peace that transcends understanding? Why is it important to be still?

About the Author Suzanne Benner

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.

- Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, May 3 1915

November 11 is the day traditionally set aside to remember those who bravely sacrificed during wartimes, both military and civilian, in particular but not limited to World War I & II. It goes by different names in different places, including Remembrance Day, Veteran’s Day, Poppy Day, and Armistice Day, but the sentiment is the same: Not to glorify the tragedy of war, but to commemorate the valor of those who fought to defend their country. At the same time, we trust in God’s promise that someday such noble sacrifices will someday cease as they become unnecessary at Jesus’ return and the end of “death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4)

Please feel free to share your own stories of remembrance or commemoration in the comments below. If you feel the need to speak with someone in private, our online mentors are always available to listen.

Image credit: striatic, used with permission, Creative Commons 2.0 License.

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Image credit: CharlesFred, used with permission, Creative Commons 2.0 License.

The shooting began at about 1330 (1930 GMT) on Thursday at a personnel and medical centre at Fort Hood – the largest US military base in the world, home to about 40,000 troops.

The commander of the base, Lt Gen Robert Cone, told NBC News that, according to eyewitnesses, Mr Hasan had shouted the Arabic phrase “Allahu Akbar!” [God is great] before opening fire.

He was shot four times during the attack and is currently being treated in hospital under armed guard.

Reports suggested that he had been increasingly unhappy in the military and that his work at his previous post – Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC – had been the subject of concern.

The New York Times said the FBI had been investigating internet postings by a man called Nidal Hasan that appeared to back suicide bombings – but said it was not clear whether it was the suspect.

How can we respond to such acts of terrible violence? Recently, Gary, a young man with a family living in Canada, faced an attack of his own: A package bomb left on the back steps of his home. Not knowing what the package was, he picked it up, and it exploded in his hands. Read Gary’s story of his survival, and how he was able to respond to an act of senseless violence.

If you are grieving or dealing with disappointment or despair, please contact us today to talk about it, we’re always here to listen.

Image credit: Daniel Greene, used with permission, Creative Commons 2.0 License.