Happy Memorial Day

Hello Y'all!!!!     I hope and pray that this weekend has been a great one for all of y'all.    For us here in the United States of America, today has been set aside as a day of Memorial, remembering the ones who have fought and shed blood and given the ultimate sacrifice, their lives, for us to be free.    Freedom isn't free and never let us forget that.    I am sure that every family in the United States has been touched by either service to their country or sacrifice for their country.    Service and sacrifice comes at a great price.    We have the right to to burn the flag of the United States of America.     For the life of me, I can NOT imagine why anyone would want to, but the same men and women that has fought and died for my freedom also fought and died for the same freedom that allows someone the right to burn the flag.    Yes, we have the freedom to do a lot of things.    Just because we have the freedom to do some things, doesn't mean we should!!!!!!     It has been said that Christ died for our souls and American soldiers died for our freedom, I can't imagine why we would want to take either one for granted.

I was having my hair cut at a local establishment a couple of years ago where the employees were young enough that they could have been my grandchildren.   They were just out of school and I just happened to walk in on a conversation they was having and none of the older people was saying anything.    They was really talking down about our country.    I set there as long as I could and kept my mouth shut till I could keep it shut no longer.    I finally asked them where they had went to school at.     One of the little gals spoke up so proudly and said the local high school.    I told her to go home and tell her parents to ask the school system for their tax money back that was spent on her education, because the school system had failed her miserably.    Because they had not taught her that men and women had died for her freedom to have such a poor attitude and misunderstanding of American history and World history.    I even asked her what they taught her about the Holocaust and she said not much and that she didn't even believe what she had heard about it.    I told her to go home and if she had any grand parents or great grand parents alive, ask them what they thought about her attitude and mindset and if they knew any survivors or even anyone who had served in WW 2.    I told them that their school system had failed them miserably and they should be very upset at not having been taught to take pride in their country, because if they had been, their speech would be totally different.    When I finally shut up, all the older people that was in there clapped at what I had just said.  

I left there fuming mad and went to the Dollar Tree and as I was leaving the store, I was still fuming mad over that situation and I almost missed an opportunity to hug a soldiers neck!!!!!!    I was coming out of the store and he was going in the store, I walked passed him, and then all of the sudden I realized that I had just caught a glimpse of uniform fatigues.    I wheeled on my heel and ran back inside and walked the aisles till I found him and he had his back to me and I said "Excuse me sir", while I was tapping his shoulder.   He turned around and looked down at me and I looked up at him, I already had tears in my eyes and I said "I just want to thank you for your service to our great country and for my freedom as the tears fell from my eyes."    His face lit up like a Christmas tree with the most awesome smile, and he took my hand and shook it and said, "It is an honor to serve my country and help keep America safe".     I gave him a hug and I walked away from him and something told me to look back, and I did, and people was lined up to do exactly what I had done.    I don't know how long he stood there and shook hands and hugged the public, but he was due that and much more from all of us.    Had I not just been in that situation earlier, I might have missed that opportunity.   So, I can truly say that something good does come from every situation.     I hope you have had the opportunity to thank a soldier or a veteran this weekend, they will appreciate it.

So, if there are any soldiers or veterans who actually read my blog, to you, I say, "Thank You!!!   God bless you with His hedge of protection.    I also pray that He protects your heart from the harshness of what you may have seen.    We are proud of you!!!!     We pray for you!!!!     And we will continue to remind those who may have forgotten about your service and sacrifice!!!!!!

My husband and I got out today and went for a drive over to Clarksville.   It was such a pleasant drive and we seen many flags flying and lots of picnicking and fun everywhere.    We had a very nice meal and then we drove over to the Cumberland river and found a good parking place and just watched the water, boaters, and some of the personal water crafts and the like.    It was a very pleasant hour or so. We have had so much rain here that the river was up quite a bit and it was really muddy and murky and lots and lots of debris floating in the water.    It was actually dangerous, or certainly could have been.    My husband brought his good canon camera and took some pictures.    I just wanted to share some of it with y'all today.

This was a tug boat coming up the Cumberland River with a bunch of coal, going to the Old Hickory power plant on up the river several miles.   It was a pretty huge barge of coal.    I really enjoy watching these barges of coal or rock or sand, whatever it may be, come up the river and go out of sight.

This one is better shot.   It is a brighter picture and you can really see the coal on the barges and just how large this single load is.

This is my fav of the barge pictures.     My hubby had gotten out of the car and was standing under the tree and it made the perfect forefront for this picture.     We was parked in front of a small boat dock, you can see the walk way to it and then the walkway out in the water.   It's kinda like a sidewalk in the water.    You'll see it better in the next picture.

"Yeah, this is my sidewalk, you got a problem with that?"     hahahaha      Guess who rules the roost.    He was really strutting his stuff on that sidewalk.    You could tell he was one of the locals.    It was funny, he didn't seem to be afraid of all the hub bub going on.    He just strolled up and down the sidewalk, but then he had a purpose for that and you'll see that in the next picture.

Well, today was BYOC day.    Bring your own can.    "Yeah, I like Sunkist, you got a problem with that?"    hahahaha      I think we solved the age old question.   You know, the question about what our feathered friends like to drink.    Well, this one likes Sunkist.    Who knew?     hahahahhaha     At least he was drinking responsibly.    Not everyone out today could say that!!!!

So, this is all the news that is the news on the waterfront sidewalk.    It looks like he has everything under control and looking out for unsuspecting wayfarers while wetting his whistle with a beak full of Sunkist ever once in a while.

I hope you enjoyed these pictures that I had to share with you this Memorial Day.  

Take a look in Joshua, I think it is Chapter 4 in the first few verses where the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, God had stopped the flow of the river and He had them take stones from the river and build a memorial for all the generations to come to see and know that God had done a great miracle for them.    God wanted them to build a Memorial as a remembrance of His faithfulness.    We still need to be reminded of the faithfulness of God and how He makes a way when there is no way.    God is still in the business of making a way.    Make no mistake about that.    Are we still passing on from one generation to the next about God's faithfulness today?    I pray we are!!!     Are we sharing with those is our circle of influence, the faithfulness of God in our every day lives?     I sure try to.    I was blessed to have lunch with a sister in Christ this week and that is what most of our conversation is always centered around, how Christ has been actively working in our lives and we recognize it and we share it with one another and with others.    It makes our faith grow stronger when we see how God is working in the lives of other people.     I want to be a living testimony to just how good God is!!!!     I want the people in my circle of influence to be a testimony to how good God is also.    We need one another as a reminder of God's mercy, grace and love so we won't forget where we have been, where we are now, who we are and whose we are.   For me, a memorial is a sign of hope.   My hope is in the Lord.    I love to see how God is working in the lives of others as a reminder to what He has, can and will do, if we let Him.     Are we passing that on to the generations coming up behind us?    I hope so.

Ladybug, it was great seeing you this weekend and I hope you have an awesome time this week and look forward to seeing you again Saturday.    Have fun!!!!!     Sweetpea loves you!

Well, that's it for this go 'round.     I hope you hugged a soldier or a veteran sometime this weekend and thanked them for their service and for your freedom.     I hope you liked the pics that I shared.   And now you know the rest of the story.....about what our feathered friends drink.    hahahaha     I hope and pray that you also know and remember the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for you.    That is ultimately, the greatest sacrifice that has ever been made for you.    Tell someone about it.

Until next time, enjoy the scenery around you and remember that God loves you, so do I.    hugs, Patty