It's always good to remember and thank God for those who gave their all that we might be free.

Good morning. It is Wednesday, June 6, 2012, and I am off and running. Probably more off than running but doing a little bit of both on this brand new day. Today marks the 68th anniversary of the allied invasion of Normandy, France in 1944. The 'D', by the way, refers to day and is a military designation for an action planned for a specific day. It was not a designation for Doomsday or Deliverance, as some have reported. This was a turning point invasion. Within five days over 300,000 American and Allied troops were landed. Many casualties, including deaths and serious injuries, were encountered, on both sides. (Source UK Museum: Over 425,000 Allied and German troops were killed, wounded or went missing during the Battle of Normandy.) Like Pearl Harbor, this pivotal event is one that is revered among those who stood together for freedom against the tyranny of Nazi Germany. Some 850 or more WWII veterans pass off the scene each day. Let us all pause to remember their sacrifice on this day of remembrance. Many of these proud warriors still carry emotional scars from what happened on the beaches that day long ago. We see them as our heroes. They see the faces of their buddies who were gunned down. May God bless these brave troops, at Normandy, and throughout that war, those wars that preceeded it, and those that have raged since. I heard the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff say in a recent speech that some 2,500,000 of our finest have given their lives on the battlefield since the founding of our Republic. We remember. Their sacrifice was not in vain. We thank God and we pray for His protection over this great nation. Amen.

Cell phones. Smart phones. I-Phones. Tablet phones. They have become ubiquitous in our society. Very few people, at least here in our country, do without one. Sometimes you find yourself in a place where several folks are engaged in conversations simultaneously. It sounds like a symphony tuning up for a performance. A cacophony of sound, if you will. Last Saturday I was at the oil change place. A young lady, maybe in her early twenties, sat down beside me and she took out her phone and made a call. She talked pretty loud and ignored everyone like maybe she had an invisible cone of silence over her head. She didn't have a cone of silence. There were many areas she could have moved to where she could have talked privately. She didn't choose to do that. She started out by telling her dad where she was. She had chosen the blended option, standard and synthetic, for $55, because that seemed to be a reasonable compromise between the standard $35, versus the $75 synthetic. She began to explain why she couldn't be home on the dates he had wanted her to come. She was signed up for some workshops based on her selection by the principal of her new school. She had to go. They were very pleased with her work. She answered a question about 'him'. He was at a car show. He could not, if his life depended upon it, make a compromise on the use of his own time. She wasn't sure how much longer she could put up with that. Then it was back to the $55. She knew that was quite a lot of money but she believed it to be a wise choice for her car. There was a television show going in the waiting room. It had a cooking show on. I like cooking shows but the little live performance sitting next to me seemed more interesting, and, after all, she was intent on sharing it all with everyone there.

I know. I could have gotten up and moved. Why didn't I? I was trapped, in a way. I had no remote so I couldn't fiddle with their television channels. I didn't bring any reading materials with me. The place was crawling with people and I did try to close my eyes and nap a little. No nap with all that yapping going on beside me. I wonder what she would have done had I asked her to let me talk to her father. The questions he was asking sounded all reasonable to me. He likely was on the hook for the car and still helping her out financially, therefore, it was only right for him to get the straight scoop on what exactly was going on. We dads have to stick together, don't you agree? As for the 'him' fellow, I was ready to chime in that she should cut him loose right away. But, I suppose that would not be any of my business except for the fact that she was broadcasting it right into my ear. I notice people reading and sending text messages during services at our local fellowship. Passing notes during service was a cardinal sin where I grew up. Of course many have their Bible on their smart phone, therefore, they might just be keeping up with the sermon. Right? Maybe. I don't think you do a lot of keying into the little smart device when you are reading your Bible. But that's just my observation. Know what I mean? I know some of you do. Have a great day. Don't forget to remember those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedoms and for those who wear the uniform of our nation and are in harm's way even as we go about our daily affairs. Amen.   ....More later.