HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA July 4, 2010

I mended her yesterday.......this sweet little flag that flies proudly from a little pole that is stuck into the fence post at the end of our driveway. My husband insisted that I mend her first thing...I love how he loves her, this "other woman". That comes from living the first 18 years of his life in East Germany, and going through the sacrifices necessary to come to America for all the freedoms that she has to give.

I am happy that I was brought up loving my country. Every day of my schooling from Kindergarten throught high School, I stood with the entire student body, hands over hearts reciting the Pledge of Allegience, sometimes in student assemblies, generally in individual classrooms. When we studied about the Founding Fathers, we knew of their love for, and dependence on, God. There was never a question about that. Every school day began with prayer....it did not matter what religion you were.....one by one, we children took our turns, going down the roll book, saying the prayer at the beginning of the school day.

As a small child, I had no comprehension about the loss of life, and the other sacrifices that took place to make America what she is . I knew I got a new cap gun and a new squirt gun on the 4th of July. There was a feeling of pride and happiness throughout the neighborhood as we decorated our bicycles, participated in parades, had picnics, wore the colors of our country, and displayed the flag, and held our sparklers, generally writing our names in the air after dark. When I was older, and my family owned a car, we would go to Murray Park for the BIG fireworks, but, in addition, we still did the little celebration at home.

As I got older, I learned about the wars. Then it was my classmates, and friends who died in Vietnam. Soon my little children were participating in patriotic programs at school. By then, my experiences had brought me to a new place. When Randy's 5th grade class sang the songs about America that I had never heard before, I stood there in tears, watching those children, and listening to their voices raised in song, and praises to America. I experienced that with all six children, and now, several grandchildren. I seem to cry more at every performance,

because of history and current events, teaching me a new appreciation for what we have here.

Today, my memories take me to a number of places, one in particular....the last 4th of July that my dear mother had here on this earth. I can clearly see her arthritic shaking hands as she pinned her sparkly flag pin to her blouse. She didn't want any help with it. She was so appreciative of the little fireworks display that Ralph put on at the edge of our driveway, late at night. I can visualize her waving her sparkler. She was so patriotic. She knew what was being discussed in national venues. She watched the captioned TV stations that showed our senators and congressmen and women, in Washington, as they went through all the processes of government, changing or adding laws etc. Every day, her prayers included those who were speaking or working toward something good in Washington. I learned about what was going on, NOT by reading the newspaper or watching TV........up until a couple of years ago, I learned it from listening to my mother pray. How I miss that! Now most of my information comes from emails. I need to do better, and be better informed. Mom would hate what is going on today. She was fiesty...sometimes I hear in my mind, what she would say about some of the things that are happenng in the USA today.

I am angry that some of our hard won freedoms are threatened.....that our sacred roots, Faith in God, and the importance that He was in the lives of our Founding Fathers, is being challenged today. Even the words, "Under GOd" in the Pledge of Allegiance, and, "In God We Trust", on our money, is under attack. It puts me in a fighting mood today to stand up and speak up for what I know to be true and right.

Today, I thank God for America, for the freedoms established here that give us freedom of religion, the freedom to praise God, and teach of His love, and his commandments. I am so grateful that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth in these latter days, and can be preached and lived throughout the world.

Let us do everything in our power to elect righteous men to public offices, and most of all, to make our voices heard....gone are the days when we can sit idly by, and let what happens, happen . It is time for good people everywhere, men, women, and children , to learn from the past, and to stand up for what is true and what is right!

GOD BLESS AMERICA, today and every day!