Blogs - Chief of Pray Blog

I am a flag-flying supporter of the U.S. military. As a citizen, I’m extremely grateful for the safety and security I enjoy because of the world’s strongest defense forces. Today, as I reflect on my personal connection to Memorial Day, I have to say, it is a weak one. My three sons, Craig, Howie, and Mike, and my daughter Rachel, are past enlistment age. My grand-kids, Jake, Max, and Rosie, are too young. My dad, Lorry, is a WWII veteran, caught the tale-end of the big war in Waukegan, Illinois at Great Lakes Naval Training base. My oldest brother, Howie caught the tale-end of the Vietnam War reporting in for National Guard training in Portage Park, on the northwest side of Chicago. The Zimmerman-Diamond family considers ourselves very lucky to have not been directly touched by war.

As the publisher of an online prayer site, I do a lot of research as to what key words and phrases people look for on the Internet. “Soldiers and Military” is searched by thousands with “poems and prayers for…” as a significant portion of those searches. When we developed the structure for the Prayables website, we made “Soldiers Prayers” its own prayer category. To date, we have only a few prayers for soldiers—and that needs to change.

Enter Amanda Kunz. Amanda is the new Assistant Editor for Prayables. Along with her literary expertise, she comes with very strong ties to a certain soldier, serving overseas. Amanda’s boyfriend, Tommy, is a Combat Medic currently deployed in Iraq, along with the many other heroes of America. Among her many responsibilities in her new job, is to reach out to the women in the military community and get them involved in Prayables. We’re looking for contributions from poets and prayer writers who have just the right words to bring comfort, cheer and support to those serving in the military and their families. Add some pray today for the soldiers. Happy Memorial Day!

A Stripe and a Star

I am a stripe,
I am a star,
I am red, white and blue.

Although we have never met,
I will always pray for you.
I wouldn’t know your name
if I saw you in a crowd.
I would pass you right by,
yet we are both Americans.

I spend time with my kids,
I sleep undisturbed.
My home is safe
because of what you do.

You, who know
these men and women,
You, who know
who will return from war
and who will give their lives—
be with them all
in their hour of need.

Bless them,
bless their families.
Let them feel the love
I send out to them.
May they know
how I feel:
There but for Your grace go I.

-Heidi Haller

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