Gratitude for Courage

COURAGE

Above all, we must realize that no arsenal,
or no weapon in the arsenals of the world,
is so formidable 

as the will and moral courage
of free men and women.  

It is a weapon
our adversaries in today's world do not have."  

Ronald Reagan

I come from a family of military people.  The above picture is my sister and brother in their respective uniforms.  Today, I just wanted to take a moment and thank all those who have served as well as the ones who are currently serving in the military.  I am so grateful for their courage and values in our world today.   I am thankful that I enjoy freedom and liberty because of all those who have defended our rights and privileges.  

I love the above quote by Ronald Reagan.  I think it says a great deal about the young men and women who serve our nation.  I lived on a military base for years and will forever be grateful for that experience that taught me so very much.  I know of their personal sacrifices.  I know of their hardships and difficulties.  

Most of all, I am very aware of how much they have given and continue to give to bring peace and freedom throughout the world today.  May we all recognize and be grateful for that unselfish gift in our behalf.  

So, in between the cookouts and the errands today.  Let's give all our military the honor that they so richly deserve.  May they know how grateful we really are for their sacrifice and service.  

What You Leave

The measure of a woman's Character

Is not what she gets from her ancestors,

But what she leaves her descendants.

I have ancestors that traveled on the Mayflower and ancestors that came from foreign lands and ancestors that traveled across the plains and even helped to settle the current State where I live.  I have ancestors that are vikings and ancestors that are royalty.  I am sure I have some unsavory characters in there somewhere too.
Some of my ancestors embraced the faith that I carry on today and some did not.  But they all struggled and they all worked and toiled and survived all manner of trials.  My character is not built on what my ancestors have done.  I had nothing to do with those things.  I have never worked at a blacksmith shop, or collected dolls, or traveled on a ship across many waters.  I have never had to deal with the exhaustion of a long journey by wagon, or the roll of the sea beneath booted viking feet.
What happened in the past gave me opportunities today (or not) but it doesn't define who I really am.
My character is developed by me.  By the choices I make and the way that I live.  It comes from the changes that I make and how I overcome my own trials.  My character is determined by the values that I keep and the way my posterity thinks of me.  I suppose it depends a lot on what they remember me for.
I know what I want them to think of when they think of me.  I hope it is always with love.  As much as I remember and love the Lord in my life, I want them each to know that they are loved.  No matter what choices they have made or will make, I will still love them.  I cherish them in my heart and in my very soul.
I would want to leave them a legacy of love.  I would want them to know that we can change anything we want to change.  We can become whoever we want to become.  I have overcome many trials and even life altering events in my life.  I have been a better woman and a better mother because of those things.  I have tried to teach my children that their life is simply a reflection of their own choices.  No matter what happens to us in our journeys, there is nothing that damages us more than the atonement can heal.  There is nothing that can take God's love away from us.  So, reach out your hand and your heart and know that you will always be loved.