Tag Archives: veterans

Hold Loosely – Penny Hunt
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Let go!

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. II Corinthians 9:7

Hands waving from every window of the car, the last of our family headed for home after a long Thanksgiving weekend… and we checked our watches. If we hurried, we could make it in time to see my husband’s NJROTC cadets present the colors for the singing of the national anthem at the Christmas parade.

Lining the street, children held green, red, and white helium balloons for release as the parade began. Eager anticipation reached its peak as “…and the home of the brave” was sung and erupted in yelps of excitement as the colors of Christmas filled the air.

My attention was drawn to a little girl sitting with her mother on the curb. She was about three years old, adorable in her Christmas outfit, and absolutely bent on hanging on to her green balloon. Her mother’s gentle promptings were responded to with a definite, “No!” Nothing would persuade her and, in the end, her tiny fingers were pried loose from the string as her mother pointed skyward exclaiming, “Look. There goes your balloon with all the other boys’ and girls’ balloons.”

How does a child learn it is more blessed to give than to receive? I believe the answer is in modeling the actions of people we respect and admire who give from the heart, not grudgingly or out of a sense of pressured duty.

We learn to give from the stories of the Bible, like the widow who gave her last coin to the poor, the Good Samaritan providing for a stranger, and the most amazing story of all…the Christmas story. God loved us so much He gave us heaven’s best, Jesus, along with the gift of eternal life when we believe in Him.

I tend, like my little friend on the curb, to hold tightly to what I have been given or feel I have earned. I resist, even resent, the overwhelming seasonal pleas for my time and money.

Are you finding it hard to be a cheerful giver this year? Instead of stressing, choose to pray for wisdom, hold loosely what has been given to you, and then be blessed as a joyful giver.

Penny Hunt, a.k.a. “The Bloom Lady,” is the wife of a career Naval Officer/Attaché and mother of five. Through her Blooming Where You Are Planted talks, seminars, and writing, she encourages and equips people from all walks of life in navigating the choppy waters of change. Penny is the author of an Amazon.com bestselling children’s book, Little White Squirrel’s Secret. She is the Faith Columnist for the Citizen News of Edgefield County, SC, and a popular speaker with a motivational, humorous message. An active member of her church and community, Penny resides in the rural peach-growing region of South Carolina. Contact Penny at: thebloomlady@gmail.com.

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Unwavering Love – Cindy Sproles
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Faithful Protectors

They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march in line, not swerving from their course. Joel 2:7 NIV

They came and the streets were silent. No band, no shouts. Nothing. Simply a deafening silence.

Soldiers who represented World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War rounded the street corner during the parade.

Donned in their dress colors, the men carried the American flag, a MIA flag, a saber and M16. They were the color guard. Three marched side-by-side, the fourth, the Vietnam Vet, walked 3 paces behind, the butt of his gun dragged against the pavement—a sign of a senseless war who’s veterans seemed forgotten. It was Memorial Day 1982, when across the country our nation dedicated the Vietnam War Memorial erected in Washington, DC.

Tad Montgomery described his march along the streets of maintown, USA. “I didn’t believe in the war, but I fought it. I never veered from the course because I trusted in our country.”

Sergeant Anthony Marks, decorated veteran of WWI, told of his buddy shot in the back as he shielded a child.

Gunnery Sergeant, Ian Starns, described his beach landing in the Philippines and the courage of those who ran directly into the face of death.

Infantryman Steven Lester said nothing. His voice lost to the slice of a bayonet. A Vietnam prisoner of war rescued ten years after the close of the war.

These men stood brave in the face of battle never once swerving from their course. They defended our nation at all costs.

Daily our country is defended by men and women whose courage surpasses all else. Even when they fear they are unwavering. Dedicated. Honorable. Selfless. Their love for their nation and their families drive them to faithfulness…faithfulness to a fault. These soldiers believe in the cause. Without question they stand ready to sacrifice their lives for who? For us.

Christ was the ultimate soldier. He withstood the weight of our sin. He was beaten, abused, mocked, yet just as our modern day military, He stood ready to sacrifice His life. And He did sacrifice Himself…for whom? For us. Us. You and I.

The battle wounds Christ suffered came with a price and in His amazing love for us, He did not swerve from the cause. The least I can do is suit up and advance ahead. A very wise friend once said, “God did not send His soldiers into battle to retreat. He sent them to advance.”

As we remember those men and women who refused to swerve for our freedom, remember the one who set the pace – the one who sacrificed it all in our behalf.

Thank you to the soldiers and the families of these individuals. God rain mercy and protection over them with Your unwavering love.

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Cindy  is the founder of Mountain Breeze Ministries and cofounder of Christian Devotions Ministries. She has contributed  to Novel Journey and Novel Reviews, and Christian Devotions. She has written for PML Programs and contributes to the Times-News.net. Her devotions and articles are published weekly in several newspapers across the country. She cowrites the He Said, She Said devotions with Eddie Jones that publish in Common Ground Christian Newspaper. Cindy is the coauthor of He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion.

Cindy is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers. She attended Johnson Bible College and graduated with a BA in Business from the University of Phoenix in 2008.  She is a speaker who teaches and speaks frequently for ladies’ conferences, special events and writers conferences across the country. She is a contributing writer to CBN.com .  Contact Cindy if you would like for her to speak to your church, club or group. You can visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com
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