I have a grandfather and uncles who served in the military.  I have friends who have served and who are now serving.  As I walked into Kroger the other night there was a young man in uniform hanging out texting.  I asked where he had been...Iraq.   He said it as if it wasn't a big deal and nothing special, but every moment one of these kids offers his/her life in a dangerous situation is something special.

let me be clear...I don't believe in war! Honestly, if the leaders of countries had to settle their problems on their own without killing babies, life would make more sense.  Yes, I know it's more complicated than that!...another blog, another time!

As I crashed on the couch sick this week I was blessed to watch a lot of PBS!  Yep, I like it!  Anyway, they did several pieces on the civil war, WWII and other things.  They did a piece on an African-America post civil war cemetary in Lexington that had been forgotten.  Sad, but amazing!  There was a piece on Lincoln and I'm sure others that I slept through--I was wisk, not bored!

I learned a lot...or maybe way just reminded of what I was taught years ago.  I heard of the lives that shaped and changed our country.  They creatively wove documents that stand today as close to sacred, but ever changing.  They looked at a vast open land that was full of possibility and dreamed...then strove to live out those dreams.  They face turmoil and struggles that most of us can't imagine and overcame.  In fact, overcame is probably a mild word since they did way more than just overcome...they created!

Our country, a place I live, shop, complain about politics, raise my family, have friends and family, etc...is a place where others have been willing to fight and die for!  It's a land that people gave their minds to create, their lives to protect and their hearts to perpetuate.   The 4th of July is a challenge through time to bring out our best for our country, to dream for our future and to find ways to live both!