As much as this past weekend was one of the best I can remember for quite a while, it was also really tough for me as far as emotions go. Now, I may be an emotional guy, but it tends to be the same emotion consistently at a high level: intensity. But this weekend was more of a roller coaster ride.
For starters, Josie got married! Over the years, I've gotten really close to Josie, as she worked with me at Camp Victory and was a volunteer for me when I was a youth pastor. Once I got married, my wife fell victim to Josie's infectious bubbly personality, and she is now one of our favorite people. In fact, we may or may not be naming one of our daughters after her. To sum it up, Josie is very much like a little sister to me, so you can imagine what I was going through at the wedding, especially when I don't know Stephan very well. (So, Nissa, if you're reading this, expect me to be a bumbling mess at your wedding. Maybe as bad as Dad.) It turns out, however, that Stephan is the complete opposite of Josie which is great! His weaknesses will be her strengths and vice versa. He also loves Jesus which shows in how he spends his time.
Thanks, Josie, for a great party at your wedding and Enjoy your life with Stephan!
Since the wedding was in Caledonia, Jess and I drove through a part of Minnesota that apparently means a lot to us. When we were first married, I was a youth pastor in St. Charles and while we were dating, I was working full time at Camp Victory in Zumbro Falls. In case you were wondering, a simple drive can bring back a flood of memories. It was a lot of fun for us to drive along the Mississippi and reminisce about the kids in our youth group and the adventures we had while living there.
Finally, on my last few miles of gas, I stopped by Snelling National Cemetery to say "thanks" to Grandpa Lund. Although we were never very close (not his fault, there are like 4.78 million in our family and many places on our family tree look like a tangled mess of spaghetti), I've always looked up to him, especially as I got older. He faithfully served our country, loved his wife, raised seven children, remarried and loved his second wife and step-fathered six more, and was a grand father to countless.
Here's what I find cool: To my knowledge, he never looked for recognition for all he did. In fact, he downplayed his military service. I was always under the assumption that he was a cook in the Philippines during the Korean war, which I think is admirable enough, but I came to find out that he served in WWII in Military Intelligence. Knowing Grandpa Lund, he very well could've liberated a concentration camp Jack Bauer style and not tell a soul. I cried at his grave site, thinking about the sacrifices he quietly made during his life and hope that right before he left us here on earth, that Jesus allowed his Alzheimer's to lift so he could remember and reflect on the legacy that he left for so many.
After leaving the cemetery, is when my emotions went nearly to blind rage. There was a small protest going on outside the cemetery, with one sign saying "Memorial day is for war worshipers!" and another saying "These men died for nothing". Even now, I'm having to fight back the tears thinking about how my Grandpa, and so many others, were willing to give up their lives so these people can have the freedom to hold signs like that. I had to pull over to compose myself before I continued driving, or to keep from doing my own Jack Bauer impersonation.
With all this said, right now I want to thank those that I personally know, or as many as I can remember, who served us as a country. Thank you for allowing me to enjoy the freedom that I do. The only way that I can think of to repay you is to enjoy it to its full extent and publicly say thank you. So, here goes.
Thank you:
Elmer Curtis Lund
Bob Krueger
Roger Krueger
Ronnie Krueger
John Lund
Terry Krueger
Micheal Krueger
Shane Hollenbeck
Joel Hare
Dave Shoen
Chad Robinson
Tanner Paulseth
Jerrick Lien
Andrew Kosivich
Pat Peterson
Monica Nelson
Jon Butler
Adam Tippery
R. D. Evitt
Dina Hougen
and anyone else that I may have forgotten. God Bless you all.
