Some really amazing things happened to allow our country to come into existence.  Many men and women laid down their lives for a dream that they believed God was calling them to be a part of founding.  Our country was a battle away from death many times.  If we weren’t fighting the British, we were fighting each other, the elements, the need for men and money, battling despair and a desire to quit. 

Sometimes we glorify the events and put a rosey glow on them, not realizing that ordinary men and women like you and me, accomplished a truly extraordinary goal that was to be for God’s glory.  There’s a book that I highly recommend called "The Light and the Glory" by Peter Marshall and David Manuel that you can find on www.Amazon. com and other book outlets.  I read it years ago to myself and then to my children as they came of age.  The picture below is a clickable link to amazon’s selection of these books.

Peter Marshall and David Manuel researched the stories of God’s providence in the founding of our nation in detail and present them in a totally captivating manner.  There is a follow up book as well titled, "From Sea to Shining Sea."  Also, each book is available in a children’s coloring book format as well as a children’s reader format.  These books were part of my children’s education process and helped to form a love of history in them.  The books made history come alive and not simply be about facts and figures and memorizing dates.

I spent some time in South Africa some years ago.  Part of the time was on September 11th, 2003.  It was hard to be away from home on the anniversary of such a devasting experience and to be with people that hadn’t experienced it.  At lunch that day with a group of South Africans we discussed the founding of America and of South Africa.  It is one of my treasured memories knowing more of how they felt about their country and how the respected how I felt about mine.  I know that I have many readers who are not from America, and perhaps don’t understand the emotional nature of our pride in our country and what we feel our purpose and calling as a nation is.  So Please bear with us today as we wear our hearts on our sleeves!

My country makes mistakes and often take positions and sets policies that I do not believe in, as does any country and any particular leader.  But we also live by a creed that freedom is worth dieing for and our young men and women will put their lives on the line for the weak, the cowering, the helpless anywhere in the world.  These young people value life and liberty, they make us proud and today is a day to honor their service not just to our country but to a better world.

If you have children, today would be a wonderful day to have them make cards to send to our troops.  They would truly touch the heart of a soldier and be a blessing to both your child and someone else’s child who is away at war.  Or perhaps today would be a great day for you to make a card to send to someone else’s son or daughter to honor their service on your behalf.  There are many organization that send cards to the troops, but if you can’t find one, our church sends care packages and cards each month.  You can send them to: Mountain Vally Community Church 30598 East King’s Canyon Road, Squaw Valley, CA  93675, ATTENTION: Sue Graff and we’ll be certain that they get to a soldier somewhere in the world.

Have a wonderful holiday with your family, say a prayer for a soldier, for the people of Iraq and that God would lead us to a true peace in the world.

THE PROVERB OF THE DAY:  Proverbs 4:3-9  When I was a boy at my father’s knee, the pride and joy of my mother.  He would sit me down and drill me: "Take this to heart.  Do what I tell you — live!  Sell everything and buy Wisdom!  Forage for Understanding!  Don’t forget one word!  Don’t deviate an inch!  Never walk awy from Wisdom — she guards your life.  love her — she keeps her eye on you.  Above all and before all, do this: Get Wisdom!  Write this at the top of your list:  Get Understanding!  Throw your arms around her — believe me you won’t regret it; never let her go — she’ll make your life glorious.  She’ll garland your life with grace, she’ll festoon your days with beatuy."

Audrey Jeanne Roberts