Happy Memorial Day!

As the holiday has approached I've found myself particularly emotional (even more than normal) about everything patriotic. Then last night I was reading in Gordon B. Hinckley's Standing for Something and I read this quote by Henry Van Dyke.

"Tis fine to see the Old World, and travel up and down
Among the famous places and cities of renown,
To admire the crumbly castles and statues of the kings,--
But now I think I've had enough of antiquated things.
So it's home again, and home again, America for me!
My heart is turning home again, and there I long to be,
In the land of youth and freedom beyond the ocean bars,
Where the air is full of sunlight and the flag is full of stars."

I love America. I believe our founding fathers, though flawed and human, were inspired of God. We live in the greatest nation on the planet and while I'm concerned for her future, I marvel at her history. I'm so blessed to be here.
My most sincere gratitude goes to those in uniform who give me my freedom and liberty, and those now gone who did the same. And especially to the Soldiers and Marines in my life, I love you!!!

I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease..
I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil
How many mothers' tears?
How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.
I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still,
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.

Of all the gifts we can give our troops, a prayer is the most powerful. Please pray for them.