"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." Matthew 5:14-15

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it." Matthew 13:45-46

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Day Thirteen - Thankful for Freedom

Today I am thankful for the freedom that we have in the United States. Although there may be some things that we don't like, we still are a nation that has fought to maintain it's freedom. On a personal level, I am thankful that I had the freedom to take the next two days off of school work, so we could just spend some time together. What a blessing.

On a deeper level though, I am thankful for the men and women who daily put their lives on the line to maintain our freedom. I remember the years that my husband served in the Army. When we were stationed in Germany for three years, it was difficult being away from family and friends.

I remember traveling on Thanksgiving day on two occasions while we were in Germany. The first time, I was joining my husband who had already been sent overseas. It was a joyous reunion for us. The next year I also traveled on Thanksgiving day. It was a bittersweet day. I had been home to the US to visit my parents. As I boarded the airplane that day to head back to my dear husband in Germany, I was excited to see him again. But I also was sad. I had said what would be my last farewell to my Dad, who was dying of lung cancer. A month later when he passed away, I was unable to return to US for the funeral since I was six months pregnant with our first son, and our nation was just on the brink of fighting in Dessert Storm.

So as we approach Thanksgiving day, I am thankful for those serving in the military. If you know someone today that is serving or has served, be sure to let them know how grateful you are for their service to our nation.

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