Honoring our Fallen Heroes
To the men and women who served our country and lost their lives, we salute you and your family, and remember you not only on this day but everyday with gratitude. Thank you for helping us maintain the freedom(s) that we often take for granted in the U.S.
Let us observe, honor and remember the true meaning of why Memorial Day was established and for whom it was established for. Read more…
Tōrō nagashi
When my husband and I visited Maui, Hawaii for our honeymoon, we were so mesmerized by the beauty of the people, as much as we were of the island. There are many cultural flavors integrated in the islands of Hawaii, particularly from Asian and Polynesian influences. There is a traditional ceremony I wanted to witness while we were there, but it was not being celebrated during that time. No it was not a luau, but a Tōrō nagashi or Floating Lantern Ceremony. Hearing about this ceremony made me curious to learn more about its origin.
Tōrō nagashi is a Japanese ceremony where participants place paper lanterns called “chōchin” on a river and watch them float atop the soft ripples of the water. Tōrō is another word for lantern and nagashi means “to cruise or flow.” This ceremony is primarily celebrated on the last evening of the Bon Festival based on the belief that these lanterns guide the spirits of the departed back to the after world. The Bon Festival takes place on July 13-16 or August 13-16, depending on the calendar you go by. White lanterns represent those who died within the past year. Names of the dearly departed are written on these lanterns along with messages if preferred.
If you have never seen the tranquil, yet emotional presentation of what a Floating Lantern Ceremony looks like, then check out excerpts in this video.
In the ever-evolving world of inbound marketing, article and content marketing are becoming synonymous in building a long-term relationship with your customers. What are you writing and why are you writing this content? How frequently are you submitting articles for RSS feeds? Some marketers think that the more articles they produce in the social media sector, the better it is. All too often, quantity without quality and generating a buzz or interest in your products or services retards your purpose. To be an effective article marketer you have to produce and distribute quality, compelling, thought-provoking and appealing content. Read more…
www.kymgmoore.com
This month photographers, artists, crafters and advertisers will be engaging in projects to commemorate National Photo Month. So, writers what are you going to do? We need to utilize our craft to join in with this photographic celebration. How? Well I’m glad you asked.
I will share with you an article I did a few years ago, “Make One Picture Worth A Thousand Words Using 5 Easy Steps” that will give you some useful tips to jumpstart your creativity and make your writing pop. See what you can do with these simple steps and happy writing!
http://ezinearticles.com/?Make-One-Picture-Worth-A-Thousand-Words-Using-5-Easy-Steps&id=301842
We cannot ask God to bless America if we do not acknowledge and allow God in. Today, we celebrate National Day of Prayer. Although I will be among the thousands of people engaging in a day of prayer, we must not resolve to celebrate this day only on one day of the year. Can you imagine if the hundreds of thousands of people who are participating in some type of service, ceremony or event on today commit to seeking God’s guidance and obeying His statues every single day of the year, I truly believe that our country would be able to overcome many of our trials and tribulations that we are facing today.
Here is a little bit of history behind this designated National Day of Prayer:
Since the first call to prayer in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation, the call to prayer has continued through our history, including President Lincoln’s proclamation of a day of “humiliation, fasting, and prayer” in 1863. In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress, signed by President Truman, declared an annual, national day of prayer. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Reagan, permanently setting the day as the first Thursday of every May. Each year, the president signs a proclamation, encouraging all Americans to pray on this day. Last year, all 50 state governors plus the governors of several U.S. territories signed similar proclamations.
As a child of God, and believer in Jesus Christ, prayer is a vital part of our heritage. Let us pray for all of our leaders from the President of the United States to the pulpit. Let us pray for our children, families and friends. Let us pray for our local, state and global neighbors. Let us pray for the homeless and destitute. Let us pray for the abused, falsely accused and the wayward. Let us even pray for our enemies and believe that God will have mercy on them and that they will convert to doing the will of God Almighty. There are many who do not believe that there is a God of Creation and of this Universe. For these individuals, we will pray for you too.
The National Day of Prayer belongs to of us. It is a day that transcends differences, bringing together American citizens from all backgrounds. There will be those who will protest against this day of observance, but those of us who commit to daily prayer must make our voices resound even louder. Make every day a National Day of Prayer! God Bless!
Has the May Day celebration become extinct? May 1st is designated as May Day. I do not know if kids still celebrate May Day by wrapping ribbons around the May pole like the one we used to do when I was growing up, but the nostalgia of the event was unforgettable. It also gave us the opportunity to get outside and enjoy the weather.
The original purpose of May Day, the Maypole and rituals surrounding it was to celebrate the fertility of the new season’s crops. Trees are linked to a part of the celebration and have always been symbolic of the great energy and fertility of nature. Some people took the word “fertility” literally and the holiday became a time of reckless sexual behavior. Over time, the emphasis on agriculture in which May Day was initially observed and celebrated, began to diminish rapidly.
In many cultures, May Day is remembered differently and for a variety of reasons. In some countries, it is a national holiday, while others commemorate the day as a celebration of spring, a saint’s feast day, a day for organized labor or used for political protests.
The tradition of celebrating May Day entailed dancing and singing around a maypole that was tied with colorful ribbons or streamers. We celebrated May Day by moving around the pole, holding our end of the colorful streamer and singing. The top of the Maypole was adorned with flowers or some type of decoration indicative of the celebration. Typically a May Queen is chosen and sometimes a May King. Although our reason for celebrating May Day escapes me right now, we were just ecstatic about having a reason to get outside and celebrate the essence of spring.
Happy May Day!
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