While many countries celebrate their Independence Day marking the date that the particular country became “independent” of whatever ruler had previously been in control, July 4th is the date that the United States of America will celebrate it’s 234 year of “independence”. It all began, “In Congress, July 4, 1776″ The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America was signed by 56 men representing the individual states. The closing paragraph of the document read:

“We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

As we diligently teach our children the ‘apologetics’ of our faith, it is important that we take the time to learn the ‘history’ of our country and pass that on to our children and grandchildren. People gave and continue to give all they have so that we the people, may continue to live in this country that still permits us freedoms that others only dream about … The following is a portion of an article written by David Barton of Wallbuilders, we would also encourage a visit to “The Charters of Freedom”.

Blessings,
Gary & Anne Marie
1 Timothy 2:1-2

Related: 233 Independence Day.

Used with permission from the Forever Young blog

While GKGW covers many aspects of fatherhood in the “Father’s Mandate” thought it might be interesting to find out how and why the practice of celebrating Father’s Day began. In reading through the history, you will see the father that prompted the day, at least in recent history, reflects the heart of our eternal Father … love, care, sacrifice, provision. Dads in a day and age where your role as both husband and father is often belittled and mocked please remember, in our Father’s Kingdom your position is of the utmost importance. Thank you for being a godly Dad not only for your family but also for all those around who observe the love & devotion given to your family.

Happy Father’s Day …

Love,

Gary & Anne Marie

The Brief History of Father’s Day in the United States

There are two stories of when the first Father’s Day was celebrated. According to some accounts, the first Father’s Day was celebrated in Washington state on June 19, 1910. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd came up with the idea of honoring and celebrating her father while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon at church in 1909. She felt as though mothers were getting all the acclaim while fathers were equally deserving of a day of praise.

Sonora’s dad was quite a man. William Smart, a veteran of the Civil War, was left a widower when his wife died while giving birth to their sixth child. He went on to raise the six children by himself on their small farm in Washington. To show her appreciation for all the hard work and love William gave to her and her siblings, Sonora thought there should be a day to pay homage to him and other dads like him. She initially suggested June 5th, the anniversary of her father’s death to be the designated day to celebrate Father’s Day, but due to some bad planning, the celebration in Spokane, Washington was deferred to the third Sunday in June.

The other story of the first Father’s Day in America happened all the way on the other side of the country in Fairmont, West Virginia on July 5, 1908. Grace Golden Clayton suggested to the minister of the local Methodist church that they hold services to celebrate fathers after a deadly mine explosion killed 361 men.

While Father’s Day was celebrated locally in several communities across the country, unofficial support to make the celebration a national holiday began almost immediately. William Jennings Bryant was one of its staunchest proponents. In 1924, President Calvin “Silent Cal” Coolidge recommended that Father’s Day become a national holiday. But no official action was taken.

In 1966, Lyndon B. Johnson, through an executive order, designated the third Sunday in June as the official day to celebrate Father’s Day. However, it wasn’t until 1972, during the Nixon administration, that Father’s Day was officially recognized as a national holiday.

Father’s Day Around The World

Other countries also picked up on the idea of Father’s Day. While many followed suit by celebrating it on the third Sunday in June, some decided to honor dad on different dates. So, no matter where you live, be sure to honor & remember your Dad. [used with permission from The Art of Manliness – A Brief History of Father's Day by Brett & Kate McKay]

Sleep props come in all shapes and sizes.  You’ve done a wonderful job making sure that your baby hasn’t become dependent on being rocked or nursed to sleep.  Now use those same ideas when thinking about “where” he sleeps.

For those with younger infants, it’s helpful to begin early putting baby down for naps in different rooms of the house, once or twice a week.  If you have a portable bassinet or portable crib, that’s great, but a playpen works well too, as well as a stroller that can fold down flat for napping.  Once baby is too big for the bassinet, you can still use the playpen for this purpose.

Once your baby is about 6 months old or older, there will be a bit more re-training involved.  Some find it helpful to start with the nighttime sleep in the playpen, others choose naps – the idea is to pick what suits your family best and begin to help your little one work through learning this new skill of falling asleep elsewhere besides his crib. Try starting by placing his playpen or portable crib in his room next to his crib and using it for sleep for a couple of nights or naps in a row.  Once he’s got that down, try moving it into another room of the house, for his naps for a day.  Once he’s fine with napping in it where ever it happens to be, he can move back to his crib, but have him take a nap in the portable crib now and again (once or twice a week) so that it will still feel familiar to him when you do need to use it away from home.

What are you celebrating this Memorial Day weekend? I am sure that you will be celebrating a three day weekend. You will probably be celebrating the coming of summer (at least those of us in the Northwest.) What I am wondering, is when I mention Memorial Day do you think of the purpose for this holiday?

Memorial Day, formerly called Decoration Day, dates back to May 30, 1868 when it was enacted to honor Union soldiers that died in the Civil War. The 30th of May was set aside as a time to visit and decorate the grave to honor those that had fallen. “Many people observe this holiday by visiting cemeteries and memorials. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Another tradition is to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. Volunteers often place American flags on each gravesite at National Cemeteries. Many Americans also use Memorial Day to honor other family members who have died.” (www.wikipedia.com, Memorial Day)

It was after World War I that the commemoration was expanded to include all fallen soldiers from any war or military action. The alternative name, Memorial Day, was first used in 1882 and would be more commonly used after World War II. It became the official name by Federal Law in 1967. The Uniform Holiday Bill passed on June 28, 1968 moved Memorial Day (President’s Day and Veterans Day) to a fixed Monday to allow for a three day weekend. Memorial Day has been celebrated on the last Monday of May since the law took effect in 1971.

As we consider the significance of Memorial Day (and several other National Holidays) for the follower of Jesus, it is hard to find a Biblical parallel; however, the Scripture do have much to say about “remembering” the past. In each of the passages that come to mind, we are called to remember God’s provision and deliverance (Deuteronomy 8 and Psalm 106), and even the leaders who have modeled a Godly life (Hebrews 13:7). We also know that all of the Old Testament Feasts served as a reminder of Jehovah’s provision in the past while pointing to a future fulfillment in the coming Messiah. Even the New Testament celebration of the Lord ’s Table (based on the Passover feast) remembers the work of Christ on the Cross while looking forward to His return (1 Corinthians 11:26). And in the seventh verse of Romans 13 the Bible also speaks of the importance for you as a follower of Christ to participate in holidays like Memorial and Veteran days. “”Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” Romans 13:7

The purpose for this three day weekend is not to celebrate the beginning of summer, or even a time to get away, but to remember those whom have given their lives for our great country. You can honor those whom have given their lives by offering a prayer of thanks at one of your family meal times. It would be appropriate to send an email to a military widow(er), or parent, thanking them for the sacrifice of their spouse/ child. It would be even better to take a family field trip Monday to visit a local veterans’ cemetery. Memorial Day is a time to remember those that have given their lives for our country.

-Pastor Joe Parkinson