At church this morning we had a guest speaker. Steve Russell, he is/was a Leutinent Col. (I abbreviate the big COL here because I don't know how to spell it) for the military, Army I think, anyways he was the guest speaker this morning. Kind of an important guy, his team captured Sadaam. Let me preface this by saying how stoked I was to hear this guy, Marcus and I both, we went as far as to leave the service we normally sit in, walk down the hall, sneak in late, finding out he'd be live down the hall versus the television feed we'd get where we were.
Introductions made, small chat, funny first liners and a bit of how do ya's later, he began. Right off the bat, appearance, manners, etc, this guy was all military, his gift to speak wasn't great, of which I gathered quickly, however, resume wise, it was one of the first things shouted out as a vice. I'm picky, REAL, picky when it comes to public speaking so maybe I was a bit hard on the guy, but he still didn't carry the medal like many do. His testimony was incredible. It was professionally an achievement that is simply unattainable to most and mastered by the finite few. Needless to say, many a shout out to the Lord was made, he is a Christian man, and spoke of his coming to Christ moment, a small window of time that he elongated only through the grace of God (my words, not his).
Here is an opportunity for my own bait and catch...many have experienced God's love and mercy and others will die saying they never have. Some, many even, are given a chance to experience it again. Steve, as I like to call it, only by observing from a pew of course, was lucky enough to elongate his original intro to Jesus, and reconvene with him at a later time.
The story was long, informative and interesting in the least, but like all war stories I've heard post our official July 4th independence win, you know, THE BIG ONE where America was freed as a nation, it was CONFUSING! Is it just me or haven't we already been freed?
Our old timers spent many a time gifting to us the opportunity we have now. Why do people continue to reference the old saying, "fighting for our freedom", when regarding our present war, or any war since then as if we are not free and the war in Afgani (that's what I like to call it, and yes, the Kardashians make ploy to the same thing-shortening words, whatever, but I have been doing it way before them hoochies were on the tube) is about that? Catching Sadaam and/or Osama, won't make me any freer. I get it people, Lt. Col. Russell, yes, at first glance a gal like me would audio back as a cynical, mean spirited, a lone ranger in my choice of words I'm sure. But aren't I more so of a realist then anything? America's freedom isn't going anywhere, nor has it. However, what we may in fact be doing is taking other's freedom away by intercepting the countries leaders freedom to dictate any way he wants. Do I agree with, support, honor or appreciate the other side here, absolutely not. I'm just trying to make the point that America is already free, stop saying, "our troops are fighting for our freedom", and say it the right way, "our troops are fighting back against those that invade and attempt to cause us harm". My sister's will take great offense to this and say I'm just playing semantics. But by definition, isn't all I'm doing just trying to express myself through language?
Now, with all that said, I know that this kind of jib jab will strike a cord somewhere or with someone, (my sisters) so let me leave you with just a tid bit of quirky but very true information, you know, just to perk things up a bit.
1. I have been couponing like a mother recently only to discover I kinda suck at it, but in an effort to use one at lunch, we had a munching fest at the one and only Big O (Olive Garden). We sat next to one of those "old timers" who had a Korean War hat on, not one of the "oficiales", but nonetheless someone we think about when veterans are mentioned, and one of Mr. Russell's closing comments was to thank the next veteran you see for, you guessed it, OUR FREEDOM. As if anyone from 1776, is still around, sheesh. Contrary to any gut feeling I had to do the complete opposite, I swallowed that bullet, and thanked the son of a gun for OUR FREEDOM. And do u know what that old timer said, "what freedom?, we had that already darlin, stupid Truman was just plain nosey!"
2. Then he proceeds to tell me that technically the Korean War continues since no treaty was ever signed.
3. Happy Fourth of July.
Ok, so maybe 1 & 2 didn't happen, but here's to hoping 3 does. Gobble Gobble, no wait, that's Thanksgiving, oops.
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