Happy Thanksgiving!

Yes, I love this country! I love democracy. I love how it all came to be and never tire of relearning every detail. I don't like who most of the voters of our nation choose for our next president. I respect the office he will hold, but not his agenda or the constitutional rights he wants to take away.
As I watched the Deacons pass the sacrament on Sunday, a tie worn by one of them caught my attention. It was a patchwork picture of Old Glory. It reminded me once again of just how patriotic of a holiday that we have coming up. Don't get me wrong, thanksgiving is about being thankful for all we have, but we wouldn't have much to be celebrating it if not for those wonderful people who voyaged across the raging Atlantic Ocean to escape horrific religious persecution in hopes of making a better life so many years ago. Today we know them as Pilgrims and I call them Patriots. I can't help but wonder if they really knew how their lives and sacrifices would effect history... us today... my family. The principles drafted in the Mayflower Compact which were carried to, and elaborated on in great detail in, our Constitution, are truly the most basic and essential rights that God has endowed us with. It is to these patriots, and those who fought and died in the great Revolutionary War, and all those who have sought so diligently to preserve these rights, and to our Heavenly Father who grants them to us daily, that we owe a sincerely grateful heart and life. I think it is wonderful that Thanksgiving and Veteran's Day are celebrated during the same month. To me, they both comemorate patriots in very similar ways. I truly hope that we will continue to honor their legacy and the freedoms they insured us by doing all we can to keep those rights established. I hope you all have a fabulous Thanksgiving with those you love!