Veteran's Day

Today is Veteran's Day. I've always been a patriotic person. My dad used to always have our choirs put on a 4th of July musical which rivaled the Easter and Christmas musicals, so I grew up with it. I would regularly get teary at 4th of July observances, etc.

Today I attended a Veteran's Day assembly at my dad's school. They had veterans from all branches of the Armed Forces and combat veterans from each major war, conflict, and military action since (and including) WWII. They even had an Army MP Specialist who arrived in Baghdad two weeks after I did, and only returned to the States a few months ago (and who has just been nominated for the Bronze Star with Valor), and a Major who just returned from Afghanistan.

I have American Christian friends overseas who poo-poo patriotism. They think that asking God to bless America is stupid. I have American Christian friends in the States who think that to say the Pledge of Allegiance is sacreligious.

Is there anything Biblical which says "thou shalt be (or not be) patriotic?" No. There isn't. But people in the Bible were proud of their heritage, nationally, religiously, and ethnically. Paul is a great example of this as he's constantly citing his references - Roman, Pharisee, and Hebrew.

So, I proudly proclaim my heritage as an American, a Christian, and as your typical American mutt ethnically. And I ask God to continue to pour out His blessings on this nation, as He does on all nations in their time. He sets up rulers and He removes them. He allows nations to rise and allows them to fall, all according to His timing and His plans.

Today, for the first time since before I left the States, I proudly said the Pledge of Allegiance, was too choked up to sing along with the National Anthem, and did my best during God Bless the USA. I used up lots of tissues and my dad's hankerchief, and I'm still pretty moved by it all.

God _has_ blessed this great nation of ours, I hope that He will continue to do so in the future, and I'm proud and thankful to be a part of it.

Oh, and Mark Schultz should be shot for that song "Letters from War."