65 Years Ago in WWII History

June 30, 1944: US P-47 Thunderbolt in Air-Sea Rescue shoots down a German V-1 buzz bomb over the English Channel.

65 Years Ago in WWII History

June 29, 1944: Soviets trap 70,000 German troops in Bobruysk pocket in Byelorussia.

65 Years Ago in WWII History

June 28, 1944: Last Japanese planes leave New Guinea as Allies advance.

65 Years Ago in WWII History

June 27, 1944: US First Army liberates Cherbourg, France, a vital port.

65 Years Ago in WWII History

June 26, 1944: Republican convention opens in Chicago. Thomas Dewey of New York will be nominated for president, with John Bricker of Ohio as his running mate.

On the Road with Trash-Talking Geckos

"Trash-talking geckos go in the glove compartment."

I never thought I'd say those words, but as a mom, I say lots of things I never thought I'd say.

Last summer I was driving with my three children from the Bay Area to Oregon to visit my husband's parents. After ten hours on the road, the kids got punchy. Ten-year-old Matthew set the stuffed gecko he'd just gotten in Hawaii on the seat between him and his sister Anna, then twelve. Except the gecko couldn't sit still. He climbed on Anna's lap, shoulders, head.

"Mom," Anna said with a giggle. "Make Matthew stop."
"It's not me. It's the gecko."
"Well," I said, eyes on the road. "Tell your gecko to sit properly in his seat."
Silence for a minute, then whispers, then more giggles. "Mo-om, Matthew said I was stupid."
"It wasn't me. It was the gecko."
I changed lanes, careful to check my mirrors. "Tell your gecko to be nice."
A minute later: "Mo-o-om. The gecko said he was going to hit me and send me to Australia."
Australia? "Matthew, tell him to behave or..." Then I said it: "Trash-talking geckos go in the glove compartment."

Laughter bubbled up and spread throughout the car. Have you ever seen those words strung together? Have those seven words ever been strung together before in the history of the world?

No deep lesson here. No great spiritual connection. Just a simple reminder that we are all unique, that every day presents something fresh, and that we can contribute something never seen or heard before.

And watch out for those geckos. They look cute, but talk trash.

65 Years Ago in WWII History

June 25, 1944: US Eighth Air Force flies first "Zebra" mission. B-17s drop supplies and arms to French resistance fighters.

65 Years Ago in WWII History

June 24, 1944: French Resistance blows up hydroelectric plant near Limoges.

65 Years Ago in WWII History

June 23, 1944: US Eighth Air Force establishes Project Aphrodite, which will attempt to use remote control to guide unmanned, war-weary planes loaded with bombs at targets.

65 Years Ago in WWII History

June 22, 1944: President Roosevelt signs GI Bill of Rights. Soviets launch Bagration offensive in Byelorussia, which will lead to the heaviest German losses in the war.

65 Years Ago in WWII History

June 21, 1944: US Eighth Air Force flies first "shuttle" mission to USSR. B-17s leave bases in UK, bomb targets in eastern Europe, and land at Poltava. That night the Luftwaffe bombs Poltava, destroying 44 of 72 B-17s.

Only One Thing

What comes between me and Jesus? Do I let money, time, my to-do list, or the opinions of others stand in the way?

Today I read three related Bible stories: when Mary anoints Jesus (Matthew 26:6-16, Mark 14:3-11, John 12:1-8), when the sinful woman anoints Jesus (Luke 7:37-39), and the account of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42).

In each story, someone can't see beyond the things of this world.

• Judas Iscariot only sees the money. How could anyone waste so many denarii?
• Simon the Pharisee only sees the reactions of others. What will people think if they see a sinful woman in my house?
• Martha - dear, much-maligned Martha, who really did love Jesus - only sees the mountains of food and dishes. How can anyone sit still when there's work to be done?

Oh, what a contrast with those who can only see Jesus!

• In Mary's eyes, no cost is too great to anoint her Savior and prepare Him for burial.
• The sinful woman doesn't care what anyone thinks when given the chance to express her gratitude for Jesus' forgiveness.
• To Mary, no time is better spent than time at the Master's feet, drinking in His teaching.

I want to be like these women. I want to be so devoted to Jesus that money means nothing compared to the joy of giving to Him, that I prefer the favor of God to the opinion of man, and that I never begrudge a minute spent serving Him or sitting in His presence.

Jesus told Martha, "'But only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her'" Luke 10:42 NIV.

Every minute of every day, I want to choose what's better. I want to be completely devoted to my Lord. He deserves nothing less.

65 Years Ago in WWII History

June 20, 1944: US First Army besieges Cherbourg, France.

65 Years Ago in WWII History

June 19, 1944: The Battle of the Philippine Sea begins - US Fifth Fleet sinks three Japanese aircraft carriers, and the Japanese lose over 450 aircraft in the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot."

65 Years Ago in WWII History

June 18, 1944: German V-1 buzz bomb hits Guards Chapel in London during service, kills 119.

65 Years Ago in WWII History

June 17, 1944: French troops land on Elba off coast of Italy.

65 Years Ago in WWII History

June 15, 1944: US Marine and Army troops land on Saipan in Marianas.

65 Years Ago in WWII History

June 14, 1944: US and Chinese troops besiege Japanese-held Myitkyina, Burma.

65 Years Ago in WWII History

June 13, 1944: Germans launch first V-1 buzz bomb at London.

65 Years Ago in WWII History

June 12, 1944: Allies consolidate all five landing beaches in Normandy.

65 Years Ago Today in WWII History

June 11, 1944: US Fast Carrier Attack Force begins bombing Marianas in preparation for invasion.

Graduation

A graduation makes you stop, look around, and see where you've come from and where you hope to go.

This week my youngest son finishes elementary school, my daughter finishes middle school, and my oldest son, a high school junior, will serve in the honor guard at graduation - a dry run for next year.

Like all transitions, bittersweet.

We leave behind good things we will miss. My youngest is already mourning recess, and I will miss the atmosphere of elementary school - the glue sticks and finger paints, the tiny chairs and apple decor.

But some things we leave behind gladly. Anyone want to return to the days of middle school insecurity or high school drama? Anyone? Anyone?

Transitions also can produce worries. The First Locker in middle school. Entering high school and knowing your grades really count now. College Applications. Will your friends leave you behind? Will you ever make new friends? Will you spend the next three years upside-down in a trash can?

But oh, the joy of a fresh start, a clean sheet of paper before you to fill as you will. The chance to improve yourself, to make deep friendships, and to take steps toward the future.

That's what we celebrate - the joy, the hope, and the opportunity of a new start.

65 Years Ago Today in WWII History

June 10, 1944: German SS troops massacre 642 civilians in Oradour sur Glane near Limoges; 10 survive.

65 Years Ago Today in WWII History

June 9, 1944: US First Army takes Ste. Mere Eglise, France.
Soviets launch offensive on Karelian Isthmus to take land lost to Finland in 1941.

65 Years Ago Today in WWII History

June 8, 1944: British RAF uses 12,000-lb "Tallboy" bomb for first time, against train tunnel in Saumur, France.

65 Years Ago Today in WWII History

June 7, 1944: Allies begin sinking old ships off Normandy to form artificial "Mulberry" harbors to allow more supplies to be delivered. (Some Mulberries remain to this day - see picture).

65 Years Ago Today in WWII History

June 6, 1944: D-Day - Allies land on the beaches of Normandy. In the biggest amphibious operation in history, 155,000 troops invade Nazi-occupied France.

65 Years Ago Today in WWII History

June 5, 1944: First combat mission flown with B-29 Superfortresses. US 20th Bomber Command sends 98 B-29s from India to bomb Japanese-held Bangkok.

65 Years Ago Today in WWII History

June 4, 1944: German troops evacuate Rome as the Allies advance in Italy.

65 Years Ago Today in WWII History

June 3, 1944: German troops evacuate Rome as the Allies advance in Italy.

Something New

To commemorate the coming 65th anniversary of D-Day, I will be starting something new on my blog. In addition to my usual weekly posts, every day I will make a short post entitled "Today in World War II History," which will highlight events that happened 65 years ago. On September 1, which will mark the 70th anniversary of the start of World War II, I will add entries from 70 years ago.

I hope you enjoy this!

Never Forget

On Saturday, we will commemorate the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings. On June 6, 1944, the Allies landed on the beaches of Normandy to liberate Europe from Nazi power.

In August 2007, I was privileged to stand on Omaha Beach on a misty, overcast morning not unlike the men faced that historic day. As I stood on that long stretch of sand and gazed at those high bluffs which once bristled with machine guns, I was moved deeply. We've all seen the movies and watched the footage - men dashing with rifles in hand, stumbling in the waves, beckoning their buddies onward, sheltering against debris - falling to the sand. But being there and feeling that sand beneath my feet gave me another level of understanding.

Today the Normandy beaches bristle with people on holiday - those who come to remember, and those who come to play. Children laugh and chase the waves and build sand castles. Tourists stand in silence, wipe tears, take pictures. This is as it should be.

Sixty-five years ago, 155,000 American, British Commonwealth, and Free French troops landed in the biggest amphibious operation in history, along with free people from many other occupied nations. On Saturday, take a moment and remember those who risked their lives, who gave their lives so we can live in freedom.