Freedom Dream

Look up look up into the sky,
Watch the flag dance watch it fly.
Red and white, blue forever,
Standing through cold wind and weather.

A sign long looked for throughout the years,
A symbol of hope that dampens all fears.
High it flies with colors bold,
Its history so great it must be told.

This flag of ours from years ago,
Stands for so much you hardly know.
It stands in the field when all is done,
It continues to wave when the battle is won.

Crimson red a memory of war,
A tribute to the soldiers that it stands for.
On the fields they fought and they bled,
So all others could remain safe instead.

White triumphant glory to come,
Always standing when all is done.
Crystal bright the hope we hold,
Always remember the brave and the bold.

Deep like the sea and twice as still,
The blue always remains upon the hill.
Carried by soldiers and freedom fighters alike,
Who dreamed of freedom and were willing to strike.

A banner of freedom hope and home,
Americans will never far from it roam.
Forever uniting this country into one,
We stand together under the sun.

Our flag in hand and love in our heart,
We'll stand together never apart.
On this ground we'll take a stand,
To protect each other and our land.

Freedom is priceless so very dear,
All who come will find it here.
Forever the land of the free and the brave,
Together we're one let freedom wave.



Photo Credit: Fine Art America 

9/11 Tribute

Freedom does not come cheaply; it must be fought for and believed in, and everyone must be willing to sacrifice to maintain it. America was a land of freedom - founded upon it and preserved through dedication and hard work. All people could feel a sense of pride when standing beneath the flag of this great county, the symbol of our greatness and the thing that bound all the people together.

On September 11, 2001, America was attacked. Evil people from a foreign country invaded this land and killed over 3,000 American citizens. No one expected it to happen and no one was prepared. When the Twin Towers fell, it seemed like America would crumble just like the buildings, the greatness of the country buried under all the rubble. It seemed like America was crushed; hope dwindled and went out.

But hope was reignited; our flag emerged out of all the carnage. Covered in dust and flying in tragedy, The Stars and Stripes continued on. It stirred the hears of everyone who had lost hope. It gave people a beacon to run to. It united a terrorized nation. The American flag rising out of the 9/11 rubble not only encouraged people, but it sent a message. America will not be crushed. We are resilient, a nation of 285 million people united as one. We emerged out of war in 1776, then rebuilt ourselves after the Civil War, and - no matter what comes at us - we will remain united and strong.

God bless America and keep it strong; give us hope in dark times.

In honor of the thousands of people who died on 9/11, never let their memory fade. Keep freedom alive; never let The Stars and Stripes fall.

*****
Photo Credit: Asbury Park Press
Source: President Bush's Speech, Ground Zero

Indian Girl

Indian, Indian on my knee,
Indian, Indian look at me.
So sweet and small my little brave,
Quiet as a mouse and so well behaved.

Soft through the underbrush quick like a deer,
Making bird calls for your far friend to hear.
Speaking whispers but running fast,
Spring through the trees to your place at last.

Met we did on a long summer day,
Me at my work and you at your play.
You looked at me, eyes big and wide,
Peeking through grass but I saw you hide.

I smiled at you and you grinned back,
I looked to give you something from my pack.
A sweet candy handed to you,
Friendship began as the day became new.

That day we spent the afternoon together,
You braided my hair and I gave you heather.
Friendship won in a single day,
Together forever you're never faraway.

Together we share the summer nights long,
Sitting together we sing endless songs.
Days of fun and mischief too,
We run through the grass legs soked with dew.

Sweet little brave you and I,
Dance together beneath the sky.
I see wonder in your face.
We take it together, the days' long pace.

Indian girl here with me,
I've loved you and you set me free.
Together to sing and to run, be who you'll be,
Woman and child at last set flying free.


*****
Photo Credit: Pinterest.com

The Fourth of July - Prayer Blog

Happy Birthday to the United States of America! It's July 4th, the day 238 years ago that our country declared independence from its European overlord. We fought for our freedom and sacrificed many lives in pursuit of it. Every one of the founding fathers had the same goal of creating a God-honoring nation that could house a free people. America became a nation for patriots who would do anything to be free. And, as we grew, we opened our doors to all those who wanted the same freedom; we called everyone to our borders: "Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breath free; the wretched, refuse of your teeming shore, send these, the homeless, tempest tossed to me; I lift my lamp beside the golden door." Never in the history of the world has there been a nation like this, a place of freedom, peace, and unity, all its people from every corner of the world united under one flag, a symbol of freedom that can never dim. This great nation of 50 states joined together was founded on the belief that God is real and is guiding this nation's steps. Without God, America is nothing. God willing, we will continue to trust in him and survive to offer our hopes, our dreams, and our lives to those who seek freedom. On this Fourth of July, link hands with all patriots, look up to the flag of our country, and thank God for his freedom for all.

Prayer:
Dear God, hold us as a nation in your hand this Fourth of July. Remind us what freedom is worth and make us truly grateful that we have it in such abundance here in America. Let us not fall away from you and your ways like so many great nations before us; instead, let us remember that you are the one who created this land of liberty and you are the one who sustains it always. Bless everyone who has sacrificed for this country and comfort any families who have lost soldiers or patriots. Dear Lord, please bless this nation with an abundance of faith in you and give all Americans a heart to see our freedom shared with all.

Happy Fourth of July to all my readers!

And I'm Proud to be an American Song

Photo Credit: RMA Spears

The American Flag

Red, White, and Blue: the colors of the American flag.

For many many years, this banner has flown above the USA. In times of trouble, it never came down and in times of peace it flies ever still. When the United States was first formed, this flag was waved by patriots who fought for a freedom they believed in; they stood under The Stars and Stripes, facing the enemy until they won our freedom. When the country was torn in two, our flag remained a symbol of our glory that, though destroyed, would rise again. During World War 1 and 2, our flag flew alongside those of many other countries who would not let evil replace freedom. 

Now The Stars and Stripes flies over a nation at peace, a people at rest. Silent and majestic, it watches over all Americans, stirring gently in the breeze. This is not just a flag; it represents what beats in the heart of every American: freedom, loyalty, honor, and love. The American flag is very special; it will never die, it will always be there. Never forget how important it is. Look up and see it. It is The Stars and Stripes. It is America.

What does the flag mean to you?

Hope was Kindled

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, an annual "holiday" were everyone gets the day off, whether they go to school or work in an office; businesses are closed, and every city seems almost deserted as the people enjoy the extra day off after Christmas break has ended. But in the joy of the leisure, many people often forget what the day stands for and why it exists. Equality and equal rights are fluid concepts in this and age and the idea of segregation is all but forgotten, a distant memory. But this was not the case some fifty years ago.

In the mid-twentieth century, you could find signs of segregation everywhere; on every city block you could find a white water fountain and a colored fountain, there were separate schools to keep the white and black students apart, black people even had to sit in a separate part of the city busses. Rosa Parks remembered having trash thrown at her from the white children's bus as she walked to school in the morning, and she was arrested for not giving her bus seat to a white man when she grew up.

Understandably, many black people became fed up with this injustice and the rampant segregation; some people even decided to do something about it. Small groups began to spring up all around the country, organizing small protests and boycotting the local bus lines. But, though their hearts were in the right place, they were not organized enough to continue. They needed a leader, someone strong enough and willing enough to carry the hopes of everyone he would represent. Without such person, the equal rights movement would remain small and unorganized, doomed to be brushed over by the politicians who had the power to change segregation for good.

Just when it seemed that the fight for equality would fall into oblivion, a miracle occurred; hope was kindled. Just as one tiny match can start a forest fire, one man can start and sustain a revolution. This one man was Martin Luther King Jr.

Through his speeches, his unending spirit, and his eternal trust in God, Martin Luther King Jr. brought all the small protests together into a giant movement that could no longer be ignored by the government. In his most famous speech, "I Have a Dream," Martin Luther King Jr. summed all the hopes and dreams of every individual standing in huge assembly before him; what a thousand people could not voice was spoken by one God-ordained man. Through Martin Luther King Jr., God's plan came to fruition and a bright light of hope was kindled for the masses.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is not just about getting off of work or school, not just about an extra vacation day. It is about freedom, the God given freedom that every man, woman and child deserves, no matter the color of their skin. One man brought the words of freedom to the world through his gift for speaking; he spoke for freedom and kindled a fire that never went out. Freedom for all; that is why we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Let FREEDOM reign!

I Remember (A 911 Story - Part 3)

This is Part 3 of an on-going story. Read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

*****

No one noticed anything except the flame and debris falling to the ground. Harper stood in the middle of the panicked masses - unmoving, unfeeling, unaware of anything except the chaos.

Then suddenly a deafening roar shook the ground beneath her. Tiny specks of flame fell all around her and Harper looked up.

In the middle of the building, a huge cloud of smoke and soot burst into glorious being and it was descending fast; the building was crumbling and it was coming down. Harper wanted to run, but her feet had grown roots and had pinned themselves to the ground.

"Ma'am, come with me. We have to go now. Ma'am?" a fireman said to her.

But she could not move. She continued to gaze up at the ever growing grotesque cloud of dust and flame. The fireman didn't wait for her to answer but instead grabbed her arm and dragged her away from the falling debris.

She was suddenly jarred out of her terror-induced trance and her feet began to move by themselves. She glanced behind her and immediately wished she hadn't. A huge cloud of gray darkness seemed to be chasing her down the street; it moved faster then her feet could, and it enveloped her and the fireman in a matter of seconds. Darkness closed around them in a dark shadow.

The fireman's hand slipped from her arm and, though she couldn't see him, Harper knew he had left her. She wrapped her arms around herself and crunched into a protective ball. The air was deathly silent and at the same time it was completely loud. The smoke was everywhere and Harper could not see three feet in front of her. The dust clung to her lungs, coating her throat and filling her nose.

Her surroundings were getting fuzzy. Through the dust and the fog in her mind, Harper thought she saw the fireman walking towards her. In an instant, he was by her side saying something, but all she heard was, "Hang on, Ma'ma, hang on. You'll..."

And then all went black.

She became partially conscious under the bright lights of a hospital room with nurses buzzing all around her. Her ears hummed and her vision blurred and she faded back to the blackness.

She did not know how many times she dozed in and out of darkness, but when she became fully conscious, her surroundings were very different then when she had passed out. She was propped up in a hospital bed with clean blankets and pillow cases; the room itself was clean and white, and there were flowers everywhere. She sat up a little dazed with her mind buzzing.

How long had she been asleep? What had happened after she went out, and what had happened to the woman she had helped? Was she okay?

The door opened suddenly and a trim nurse walked in. "Oh good; you're awake. I'll tell the doctors immediately." And she turned to go.

"Wait a minute. How long was I asleep?"

The nurse turned back to Harper. "You've been in a mild coma for almost a week; the doctors said it was all the smoke you inhaled."

Harper didn't reply but just nodded. A week. A whole week she had been out. She began to wonder if it had all been worth it.
                                                                                  -
Five days later Harper was well on her way to recovery and was preparing to leave the hospital. The 911 attacks had made national and worldwide headlines. The terrorist group called Al Qaeda had attacked not only theTwin Towers, but also the Pentagon and was suspected of attempting an attack on Washington D.C. In total, the attacks killed 2,996 people.

Harper sat down on the edge of the bed. She could not stand for long without feeling dizzy. And the number of dead swayed her to nausea.

Though it was quiet, Harper heard the door open. She turned around. Sitting in a wheelchair with a cast on one leg was the young woman she had saved. The woman wore a huge grin on her face.

"The doctors told me you almost died!" Her smile had faded but her eyes were still filled with joy.

"I just wanted to thank you even though you deserve so much more. I would have died if you hadn't found me."

Harper was speechless. Without words, she walked over to the woman. Bending down, she hugged her with all the strength she had.

"You are very welcome."
                       
                                                                                The End...

I Remember (A 911 Story - Part 2)

This is Part 2 of an on-going story. Read Part 1 here.

*****

Another plane. This was more then an accident; it was a deliberate plan. But by whom and why Questions spun in Harper's head but there was no logical answer or reason.

But what was that? A voice of someone calling out!

"Help me! Somebody, help!"

A voice called out from the other side of the floor. Someone was in trouble and that knowledge made Harper sprint over ceiling debris that had fallen with impact to were the voice came from.

A huge piece of the wall had fallen and under it Harper saw a young woman who was pinned. She could not have been more than twenty; her face was smeared with dust and a small trickle of blood ran in a tiny stream next to her eye.

Harper rushed to her side. "Don't worry I'm going to get you out from under there. Can you lift yourself up at all?"

The woman nodded even though pain creased her face. Working together, Harper lifting and the young woman pushing as much as she could, they slowly lifted the pieces of wall. Finally, the woman was able to crawl out using her arms. Harper could see that the woman's legs were badly bruised and one was very bloody.

Bending over, Harper helped her up and, while supporting her weight, the two started towards the door. The flames had begun to rise but most of they were still engulfing the computer room. The stairs seemed to stretch on forever but slowly and surely the two women made their way down. The young woman was groaning in pain and her leg was leaving a path of blood.

Without saying anything out loud, Harper let out a prayer. "Dear God, please protect us. If you don't help us, this woman is going to die and I can't help her."

It seemed forever before the front doors came into view, and at the same time it was just nanoseconds of Harper's attention. The sunlight scorched Harper's eyes and she squinted, but at the same time she couldn't breathe. Dust hung in the air like a curtain; it hung in a grey oppression over New York.

Medics rushed over to help Harper with the young woman; they lifted her carefully, favoring her bloody leg, but the woman still screamed in pain. Harper cringed outwardly but no one noticed.

*****
To Be Continued...

I Remember (A 911 Story)

The building shook with the force of a freight train and fire burst out of the ugly gash in its side on the north World Trade Center tower.

Harper braced herself inside the stairwell and clutched her chest to make her heart continue beating. Dashing down the flights of steps to the computer room, she saw that the door was hanging smashed open and flame engulfed the room as employees ran for doors and stairs. The smashed remains of a Boeing 767 aircraft had dug a deep groove in the office and a few brave  employees were trying to  lift debris off a young man. He was screaming in pain as the heavy debris dug into his leg.

Without thinking, Harper dove at the young man and, as she was able, pulled him from the plane wreckage. Smoke poured into every corner and every bit of air was sucked from Harper's lungs. The flames ate away at the walls and Harper's mind burned with it; it was obvious that no one could stay in this building but how to leave safely?

Using what little air she could find, Harper shouted, "Move! The stairs are the only way down!"

People heard her and began moving in a surge to get to the stairwell, and she moved along with them. When she entered stairs, she did not begin the long walk down but instead moved up the stairs to the flights above, going quickly in an attempt to save more people. The flames leapt at her feet and she removed her high heels to go faster. As she reached the next door, she was hit by a rush of panicked people, screaming, pushing, and terrified.

"Is everyone out of that floor?" Harper asked a man.

As he dashed past her, he gave a barely noticeable nod and continued to run. Harper continued up the stairs to the top floors. She realized every step that took her higher was one more further from the ground and one more that would soon be engulfed in flame. But she couldn't think about that now; she had reached the top floor, and without hesitation she pushed open the stairwell door and entered.

The entire room had smoke leaking up from the lower floors, making the room dark and unnavigable. Stumbling to the closest window, Harper leaned against the glass, expelled smoke from her lungs and tried to steady her spinning head. Everything was a blur; nothing was clear, nothing but one thing. A second plane just like the first was plowing straight for the second World Trade Center tower. As it flew, time seemed to  stand still and all of New York watched as the plane plowed into the wall of the tower. It smashed into a million sparkles of flame and the whole building seemed to quaver with the impact.

To Be Continued...

America Equality

America used to be about equality, loving your fellow man, and taking care of one another. But slowly we slipped.Starting with the Indians, the settlers captured them and enslaved them. Years went by and slowly slaves were imported from Africa. As Martin Luther King Jr. began his campaign for equality, things got a little better. When you look around today, when you see the different cultures in the streets, do you feel a twinge of racism? We must always remember those words that stood for human equality; "I have a dream."


Photo Credit: Bo Insogna, The Lightning

Fight the Good Fight

To go to war is not a pleasant thing, especially if it's a war inside yourself. Satan's evil forces will fight to overtake you. But God's heavenly army is advancing from the other side, led by Jesus himself. He wields his bright, shining sword in a way that will conquer evil. You can help fight the good fight too. Tell your friends and neighbors of Jesus and you will win the best fight.









Photo Credit: Sharon

Heroes

People have many heroes, such as Neil Armstrong, Betsy Ross, and George Washington. But there are so many people who were heroes but aren't recognized: the hundreds of men who stormed the beaches on D-Day, the men and women who marched for black equality, the people who made a nation out of a wilderness. All these people are heroes. Where would America be if it weren't for them? Would America be what it is? Would it even exist? We need to to stand strong and take back America and  be what we were meant to be: a nation of strong, just people. We need to make our founders proud.



Photo Credit: Mike Mozart