Warning: Soap Box Post

We absolutely LOVE patriotic holidays!

Frank has instilled a deep respect in our girls for the military and veterans. We proudly fly our flag. We put our hands over our hearts during the national anthem and often wipe tears from our eyes. And if you dare not to vote - don't tell him! As this family sees it, if you want to be a citizen of the United States you'd better be an appreciative, participating, patriot. End of story!

(I'm aware that our Canadian neighbors are just as proud of their service members and veterans and with good reason. We should all be appreciative of men and women who chose to "bear arms" on behalf of our homeland!)

Our day is planned and will be a joyful day celebrating family. We'll all spend time at the lake with some of Joy and John's friends; I'm pretty sure a boat and some jet skis will be involved. (Rest assured, Mama is already searching for the life vests and sun screen.) Then there will be the marvelous cook-out; John is a grill master extraordinaire, just like his dad. And yes, I will choose to eat watermelon for dessert! Public accountability stinks. Smile.

Frank and I sat quietly together last night and watched the PBS special Memorial Day Concert which was held on the mall in Washington. Beautiful and moving! We find it especially interesting that although so many in our country want to remove any mention of God from patriotic matters, it's just impossible to do.

The intervention of almighty God (Benjamin Franklin's words, not mine) is woven intricately throughout all of our history. Some may simply try to skip over that truth or even rewrite it. But truth has a way of reappearing whether we want it around or not.

And it seems to be that any time a human being is faced with a"life or death" moment, they reach for an understanding of who God is. As we listened last night to actors who were reading letters and journals of military men and women, this became abundantly clear.

Intellectuals sitting in the comfort of their offices on Main Street may consider God a "non-essential". But for the "boots on the ground" who are faced with bullets and bombs, God is an ever present help; their shield; their source of courage. (Their words, not mine.)

Yep, the Creator just seems to have a way of continuing to show up in the lives of the ones He created - whether we choose to acknowledge Him or not. I love that about God! He has the best sense of humor.

"Okay," He says. "You want to act like you don't see me? That's no problem, I still see yooooouuuuuu!" Yep, great sense of humor!

So, at some point today in our playing and laughing and eating, we will stop and spend a few minutes praying together. We will thank God for our country with its freedoms. We will pray for the military men and women serving faithfully all around this world. And we will ask for God's favor and blessings to continue to rest upon this land. Because the truth is, we need to experience His grace "from sea to shining sea"!

Thanks for standing on my soap box with me for a few minutes. Blessings on your Memorial Day !


P.S. Thanks to everyone who commented on my "weighty post" from Friday. Smile. Judy and Ann were also wondering how Meagan is doing since her corrective jaw surgery. Just fine, thank the Lord! She is able to eat again. And although steak and nuts are off the menu still, she is able to handle chicken fingers - the staple of all young adults today. You also asked about weight loss during the liquid diet days. Kristin lost quite a bit of weight but we learned some things during her recovery and fortunately Meagan was able to keep hers steady.

Thanks again, your comments really are a delightful treat and a source of encouragement!