America, the Beautiful

As I watched this video I realized just how many of these places that I have been fortunate
enough to see in person.  America the Beautiful has always been my favorite patriotic song.
When I was in school everyday we did the 'Pledge of Allegiance', with our teacher standing up
in front of the class leading us, we all had our hands over our hearts and our eyes on the flag.
When we would sing America the Beautiful my heart would race and my voice would swell,
as we sang this song.  I did not know how to describe my feelings then, but I now know it
was a feeling of belonging, of ownership, of pride in a very special place called the
'United States of America'!

When I had studied about how this country was founded, I really did not appreciate how big
a task it was to settle and establish this land.  Even now when you travel across the United States
it takes many hours if you fly, or days if you drive, to arrive at your destination.  Those courageous
men and women who were willing to do it on foot or wagon, were hero's. They were the first
foot soldiers, making their way in a new land, facing hardships and strife, but with the end goal
being a better land to raise the future generations. Today I honor them. I lift up them and their
ancestors who sacrificed for all of us so that we might live here with all of the freedoms that we take for granted.

Perhaps we should all remember back to our school days and put our hands over our hearts in
gratitude and keep our eyes on the flag for loyalty and our true allegiance should be to the Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit.

May God Bless us all.
LSL