Image Courtesy of Nick Schneider, NJS Photo Images

Greetings:

Today, on this national holiday - Memorial Day - we pause and honor our military dead. We remember those brave heroes who gave their lives for this country so we might have and maintain the many freedoms and liberties we enjoy each day.

This is a solemn day of reflection and sincere thanksgiving for the ultimate price each paid so we can retain and enjoy the freedoms that the framers of our Constitution intended.

This is a day for us to pray for all of our military personnel - deceased, retired and active duty.

This is a day we pray for the families of those who died in military conflicts and wars while serving our nation.

This is a day to remember our own family members, who answered the call to duty, and fought for the cause of freedom, justice and simply the right thing to do.

This is a day for us to unite and pray for our governmental leaders - especially for our president, who bears the weight of the nation every day in every decision that he makes. Regardless of our political party, we ought to pray for this nation to succeed, prosper and lead around with power and respect every day.

This is not the day for envy, hatred, strife, jealousy, dissensions, selfish ambitions directed in anyway to our country's president, executive decision-makers lawmakers or anyone - friends or enemies. Instead, let us be a nation of believers that pray together to let the 'Fruits of the Spirit' - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control - shine in our daily lives.

This is a day we remember the wars this nation has fought and pray that someday we can bask in freedom without having to fire a bullet, detonate a bomb or release a high-tech missile weapon on any foe or rival.

On this Memorial Day, we are reminded in scripture that “The memory of the righteous is blessed” (Proverbs 10:7) and “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13).

Be blessed.

Nick J. Schneider

Greene County Journalist Nick Schneider, now retired out of Greene County's newsrooms after writing our stories for over 30 years, is an author and photographer who graciously provided the featured photos for GreeneStreets and currently writes an inspirational devotional that's posted on Facebook early each morning. To follow his devotionals, visit Nick John Schneider on Facebook, or his photography page on Facebook. His book Faith Now is available on Amazon.