Tag: United States of America

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Memorial Day 2019

This is the day we celebrate those that gave their lives so we could have our lives. Yes, I said celebrate, we mourn, then we celebrate lives well lived. When an individual signs up for military duty they are giving their lives and those lives are well lived.

There has been a member of my family in one of the branches of military since 1774. I am proud to say that, I am proud of all of them.

During WWII all of my uncles enlisted, all 5 of them, I cannot imagine what went through my grandma and grandpa’s minds. Their hearts must have been leaping into their throats every single time they heard a news report.

All 5 of them came home, I have never really sat and thought of the ramifications of that happening. How incredibly blessed they were that all 5 of their sons came home.

One did pass later from a brain tumor that we are pretty sure he got while in the war. Chemical warfare is a real thing, and there are consequences of that.

But all 5 came home, J.H., Walter, Albert, Wayne and Laverne, my uncle Laverne passed before I was born so I never got to meet him.

I was raised on a steady diet of patriotism and giving back to a country that gave our family so much.

My grandfather talked about General Washington so much that I didn’t learn he was our first President until I was in kindergarten.

I learned of my family’s sacrifices over the years to this amazing country that I get to live in from my dad and my grandfather. I learned of heroism, sacrifice and yes, blessings, to this family.

On this day, especially, I am proud to be an American, I am proud of all of the men and women who sacrificed the ultimate price so we could enjoy our freedoms here at home.

The freedom to say what we want, when we want, not freedom from consequences, but freedom not to be killed over our beliefs. Freedom to Worship God and say the name of Jesus without fear of beheadings. Freedom to marry who we want, freedom to divorce if they turn out to be not so nice. Freedom to raise our children, to teach them the sacrifices of our forefathers.

So, on this Memorial Day I leave you with this thought, pray for the families who have sacrificed their sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, husbands, wives and lovers so we can enjoy the bounty of our country. The United States of America.

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Opinion

Apparently in the United States of America, no one is allowed to have an opinion or religious belief that differs from anyone else’s, apparently that is cause for ridicule, bullying and outright vicious attacks.
Apparently, if you are a born again Christian in the United States of America, you do not have the right to answer a question honestly when asked, nor do you have the right to practice said religious beliefs.
Oh, wait, we have several amendments to our Constitution that allows for this:
Freedom of Speech and Religion:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Interesting, we have these inalienable rights, however, in the current climate of the country we are vilified for stating our opinions unless we are agreeing with the current climate of the country.
I am horrified by what is happening to people in this country, especially in the press, news reporting is gone, it is someone spouting their views, not just straight news reporting. Interviews are a joke, when a “reporter” purposely chooses a person of interest that they know has strong religious beliefs and purposely baits them with a question about homosexuality and then eggs them on to give a radical response then in the article says that person has to repent. This is not a reporter this is someone trying to make a name for themselves as controversial. This was not controversial, he got the answer he knew he was going to get.
The same goes for the Chick-fil-a CEO, a born again Christian with strong views on homosexuality, question asked, question answered. Everyone was shocked at the answer? Seriously?
Why is everyone pretending to be shocked and then vilifying these people? When did this happen to the United States of America? Since when is no one allowed to have an opinion? A religious belief? Stop the insanity, Phil Robertson’s words were taken out of context and the quotes that are going around are soundbites. A snippet of what was actually said, here is a direct quote:
“We never, ever judge someone on who’s going to heaven, hell. That’s the Almighty’s job. We just love ’em, give ’em the good news about Jesus—whether they’re homosexuals, drunks, terrorists. We let God sort ’em out later, you see what I’m saying?”
He said he doesn’t judge, he does view sin as sin, as does God, the bible is pretty clear on that, it says God sees all sin the same. All in all, this person was being judgmental and rude. I went to the gq website and read, well tried, to read the whole thing.
The author who penned this claptrap has no real talent as a writer, the whole thing reads like verbal diarrhea, yes, I said it, the thoughts are disjointed and the whole thing is dripping with disdain towards these people.
I want to be able to spout my views, practice my religion without fear of being attacked, unfortunately in today’s United States of America, that is not possible. So, I will just endure the attacks, the viciousness of others and continue to pray that God protect me.

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Veterans Day

Today is Veterans Day here in the United States of America; it is a day we set aside to recognize the sacrifices that our men and women in uniform have made. Not just for us here in the United States, but around the world, we are known as the defenders of the downtrodden, the keepers of the gate, the ones that go where no one else goes and defends the defenseless.
Many of my own family have served this great nation; they have put on the uniform of the Navy, Army, Air Force and Marines. They have given of themselves and in a couple of instances, their very lives to stand up for people who could not stand up for themselves.
I am proud to come from a family that recognizes service, servitude really, that gives of themselves so others can live free.
It all started with Thomas Testerman and just continued through the generations, I am a proud descendant of a brave man. One who gave his service to form this country, I often wonder if God grants him the vision to see the generations that came after him who have gone into service for the country he fell in love with.
If he knows that his beliefs have gone on, generation after generation.
I am in awe of the sacrifices that must be made to be a soldier, the sacrifices that the whole family makes. Some make the ultimate sacrifice with their life, I stand up today and salute the men and women of this country that put on a uniform and defend the defenseless. You are my true heroes, I might go on about Thor and Superman and all of the others, but you are bigger than they are. You have no magical powers other than your desire to serve.
You are truly appreciated by this family, one who understands honor, service and sacrifice. You exhibit those qualities daily, you and your families, the ones that are often forgotten.
On this day, I want to say a simple thank you, it doesn’t seem enough, but it is all I have to give you.

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Heavy but Hopeful Heart

I sit here gathering my thoughts on the events of Monday, April 15, 2013, not because it was Tax day but because of what happened in Boston, Massachusetts. I feel the need to spell the state not abbreviate, because what happened there deserves the full weight of the name. To bomb an event such as the Boston Marathon, where not only are Americans participating, but people from all over the world come and join in the festivities. They run side by side, friendly competition, from what I have seen and read, the runners encourage one another when they are having difficulty finishing. It is an incredible event that is given world-wide attention, which could explain why someone felt the need to plant explosive devices and set them off. To get attention, media attention, they see how these murderers and rapists and really horrendous criminals are getting the attention. So, what do they do, choose a highly publicized event and make their mark.
My fervent hope is that the media outlets pay attention, that they do not give these people, or person, the attention they crave. I hope they focus on the people who were the victims, focus on how people rushed to help the wounded, how Americans and the world sent messages of hope and prayer to the city of Boston.
If we do not give attention to the monsters hopefully that will keep them at bay, I do hope that they find whoever did this and prosecute to the full extent of the law.
For now, my thoughts and prayers are with the people of Boston, with the participants of the Boston Marathon no matter where they were from and with the families of the victims. I remain steadfast in my love of my country, the United States of America, we have our issues, but we are working on them. Side by side, one issue at a time, we face things head on and resolve any conflict.
I love this land, I love this country and I pray for our leaders, no matter the political party, on a daily basis. We should all be doing that, think of what we could do if we all lifted our leaders up in prayer and asked God to bestow wisdom upon them. What an awesome thought.