have a safe and happy 4th...

and MORE...

This is the time of the year that we reflect on our country... our heritage and our freedoms... It is important that as americans we do that, probably more regularly than we are prone to... Lately I have been remembering that it is critical to us all that we do more than just reflect...

While you are thinking about our country's birthday, take a few minutes to review in your own life things that you could do to improve the world around you... (or your neighborhood, your home...) then when you find a few things... do them...!

I hope (and pray) that each of us will find ways to make more than just noise about being a good citizen... I hope we will take the time to BE good citizens... to be caring, truthful, law abiding, involved, and diligent... I hope that we will try to bring happiness to others, not just ourselves...

Soon my youngest son will join the ranks of this country's military and I have realized that for many years I have taken the sacrifices made to keep this land free for granted... Son2's choice to join the Marines has changed that for me in a big way...

I have also taken for granted my very blessed, physical world... but my guilt has reach it's peak and I can no longer sit on the sidelines and hope for good things to happen around me... I need to take it upon myself to, at the very least, improve the corner of the world I live in... I believe that by doing something each day of value and worth to someone besides myself that I will be keeping alive the principles this country was founded on...

We can all find ways to lift, inspire, defend, protect, enlighten, and improve our world... it starts with our corner... and our country... (which ever corner/country that is for you...)