05/25/2026
Memorial Day is more than a long weekend. It’s a moment to pause. A moment to slow down, remember, and live with gratitude because freedom always costs someone something.
Today I’m thinking about Capt. Jason Jones. Jason was a great kid to coach. Tough. A hard worker. Good teammate. Kind. Respectful. Full of character. The kind of young man you were proud to know and coach. He came from an incredible family that continues to carry both grief and strength with incredible grace.
Not long after Jason’s funeral, I had the honor of spending time with his dad, Jay, on the streams of northern Maine. There’s something about quiet water, conversation, and shared memories that stays with you. I remember thinking then, and still believe now, that the impact of a life isn’t measured only by how it ends, but by the kind of people it shapes and the legacy it leaves behind. So many, like Jason, have left such a legacy and impacted so many lives. I pause today to remember them and to think about and say a prayer for their families.
So today we remember.
We honor.
We give thanks.
And as followers of Jesus, Memorial Day also points us toward the greatest sacrifice ever made. Jesus willingly laid down His life so we could experience true freedom. Spiritual freedom.
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:13
May we never take sacrifice lightly.
May we live grateful lives worthy of it.
- Joshua Ott
