&amp;#65279;From a sermon by John Hagee:<br><br><br>I want you to close your eyes and picture in your mind the <br> <br>soldier at Valley Forge, as he holds his musket in his bloody <br> <br>hands. He stands barefoot in the snow, starved from lack of <br> <br>food, wounded from months of battle and emotionally scarred <br> <br>from the eternity away from his family surrounded by nothing <br> <br>but death and carnage of war.<br><br>He stands though, with fire in his eyes and victory on his <br> <br>breath. He looks at us now in anger and disgust and tells us <br> <br>this...<br><br>I gave you a birthright of freedom born in the Constitution and <br> <br>now your children graduate too illiterate to read it. I fought in <br> <br>the snow barefoot to give you the freedom to vote and you stay <br> <br>at home because it rains. I left my family destitute to give you <br> <br>the freedom of speech and you remain silent on critical issues, <br> <br>because it might be bad for business. I orphaned my children to <br> <br>give you a government to serve you and it has stolen <br> <br>democracy from the people.<br><br><br>It's the soldier, not the reporter who gives you the freedom of the press.<br><br>It's the soldier, not the poet who gives you the freedom of speech. <br> <br>It's the soldier, not the campus organizer who allows you to demonstrate. <br> <br>It's the soldier, who salutes the flag, serves the flag, whose coffin is <br>draped with the flag that allows the protester to burn the flag!!!<br><br><br>&quot;Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. <br>Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in <br>our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.<br><br>Amen.<br><br><br>Prayer Wheel: When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a <br>prayer for our U.S. forces in Middle East, AND all around the world.

 

Amen to that!

 

AMEN.<br><br>Excellent post.

 

great post.<br>DM01

 

I agree with that. Amen

 

I think about them every day: <br>when I wake up to a quiet morning'<br>no shells going off or bombs dropping, <br>when I get in one of my many vehicles and drive to work, <br>when I drive home in the evening after a safe day at work,<br>when I get in the shower in the evening and clean hot water comes out of the nozzle,<br>when I go to the grocery store and see rows and rows of fresh food there just for me, <br>when I drive half way across country just because I want to and because I can,<br>the countless times I see it on the news, <br>and every night when I lay down to sleep.<br><br>Been there, done the time (even though it was only in the squid club), and never forget. We have a lot to be thankful for all the time. Don't take it for granted. <br>Now some may say that we are owed that but that is not the case. I've said it before and I'll say it again, a lot of people have given their lives and a lot of people are laying their lives on the line right now so we can do what we want to do and when we want to do it (within reason). Think about it and be grateful and do someone a favor today no matter how small.<br>Thanks to every one of you and God bless and keep you safe.<br>Joel