It's "that time of year" again...

So begins the week of Thanksgiving. The hustle and bustle of the cherished American past-time is in full swing. Families have piled grocery carts full of fifteen pound turkeys with all the trimmings. Homes are adorned with the warm hues of autumn and gentle melodies treasured from bygone days. Guests are hastily ushered inside to enjoy hot cups of cider in front of crackling wood fires. Football games-amateur and professional alike-are played on snow-covered fields. Parades rule the morning television schedules and the echoes of familial laughter can be heard from every corner of the country.

Thousands of Americans will not enjoy the festivities of the holidays this year. Many will spend hour upon monotonous hour in guard towers or leaky tents. Others will be ordered to patrol towns searching for insurgents and IEDs. Some civilians argue that "this is what these men and women signed up for" and there should be no complaints. What needs to be understood is that, if our soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen do not complete these tasks before them, no one will! If every international discrepancy were to be solved by peace talks and money (that, incidentally, America does not have), the world would have no need for wars.

My wish is that people will learn to appreciate the sacrifices that our military (and our allies) makes on a daily basis and remember that if it weren't for them, there would be no Thanksgiving turkey or familial laughter. To all the nay-sayers and war protesters- please keep in mind that, if these other people did not sacrifice so much for you, you wouldn't have the ability to freely march down the streets of New York and San Fransisco with peace signs and anti-military words on your ungrateful lips.

Thank you to all our service men (and women) for their selfless sacrifice.

And a special "Thank you" to my wonderful husband whom I miss so so much. I love you, Ben, and I pray that you return to me quickly and safely. Thank you for being so wonderful.

My Own 2 Cents

I know that I am less than a speck on the face of this great nation. I know that I have never been known to do anything to shape the world. My feats are small in comparison to those in uniform and in office. I live a normal life amongst normal people in a normal home.

I am also a 20 year old Army wife. My husband of less than a year is currently serving in Afghanistan among many thousands of men and women who are dedicated to ensuring our domestic tranquility. I owe my life and more to them. However, it seems as though our men and women are often thrown aside, taken for granted, and forgotten.

God has given this nation so much. He says, in Luke 12:48, “…to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” Regardless of religious persuasion, this statement rings glaringly true, and, at times, painfully forgotten.

For 235 years, the men and women in uniform have sacrificed everything from their time away from family and home to their very lives. And how are they repaid? By making budget cuts, and allowing the bureaucratic decision makers to keep their six and seven figure salaries? My curiosity is piqued. How is it that the mere 1-2% of the nation’s population that serves the Department of Defense has to even question the reliance of a bi-weekly paycheck?

This may be old news, and I understand that we were eventually paid the full amount promised. But I know that my husband and those he works with deserve much more than this.

I figured I would give my thoughts on the matter. I considered sending something like this (maybe a bit longer and kinder-sounding) to the White House... Maybe not.

Alas, the days have come.

It's getting down to the last few weeks/days of my time with Ben and I'm starting to realize it. I wish I could freeze time just so we can have more of it. Every time I think about him leaving, I nearly break down. I don't know how I'm going to be able to function while he's away for so long. I wish he was in the Air Force or Marines, just so his deployments would be shorter.

Thank the Lord that my parents are coming out here to get me right after he leaves. I don't know what I would do without the tremendous support system that God has given me. I know I don't deserve any of them.

Recently, there have been many things tearing my world apart (so to speak). Within the last couple of weeks, we received news that some family members were horribly wronged and subsequently deemed unfit to carry out certain duties. The horrible thing is, I have seem them both work diligently and faithfully beyond what they were asked. I am so disappointed that the people who wronged them believe that this was the right thing to do and I pray that God has mercy on these people for what they did.

I, also, was recently accused of saying some things and acting a certain way. This person accused me of, as she put it "being a rude person" and saying derogatory things about her husband and people we know. Needless to say, I was very upset about this. First of all, I NEVER said ANY of what I was told I did. And, secondly, I found it funny that one of the things she accused me of doing, she turned around and did to me!

I'm sorry. I had to rant to someone. My little soapboxes tend to be loud and very angry in nature, so I thought it better written than spoken, lol.

I realized just the other day that everything going on right now is only extremely angering to me because I have allowed it to be. I know for a fact that I'm not perfect. And anyone who has spent any amount of time with me knows that. And I also know that one of my greater flaws is anger. I know I need to work on that.

I've also noticed my bent towards emotions. Believe me, this is not surprising. I have been told this for the past 20 years and I am finally starting to see how detrimental its effects can be on me and those I love.

On that note, I think I will sign off. Have a wonderful day!

Carpe Diem