Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Freedom's not Free

We had special visitors this week and it was so timing for July 4th!  My brother, Michael, whom we are all very proud of, stopped by the farm on his way to Maine.  He is a war veteran who served not one, but two tours of duty in Iraq.  He was in road bombings and in lots of other life threatening situations.  He received a purple heart for being wounded in action.  His army coat is full of medals!  During this time he gave his heart to the Lord and is now serving in the Lord's Army!  I am sure he will tell you there is no greater honor that he could have now than to be serving our King Jesus!  We are so thankful that the Lord kept him safe and returned him home to us!  He's living in Jeffersonville and helps with the Still Waters Camps.  God bless you   Sergeant Michael and thank you for the price you paid for America's freedom!

  "Now, here some time ago, before they condemned the Statue of Liberty, a present from France to the United States... Now, it's condemned, I understand, that you can't go up in it. I had the privilege of going in it one time. And I went up into the arm of the--of the statue. And then, out there we walked out in a little place, the guide and I, and there was a--a window. And I was looking out across and thinking about my cousin when he came home from the army, out there all beat up and shot.
"But when the ship was coming in towards the shore," he said, "Billy, they--they--they rolled the wheelchairs and the--and the stretcher cases up on top, when we could see way in the distance," in the first World War . That was before the big buildings had come into New York so big yet, and they could see that Statue of Liberty rising up out of the water. He said they begin to play "My country 'tis of Thee, sweet land of liberty." Old veterans, cut and bruised, shot, crippled, when they seen that statue rise up in the water like that, said they just fell down and started screaming. Why? Right behind that, mother waited, sweetheart waited, wife waited, babies waited.
I thought, "If it'd make a soldier feel like that, what won't it be when we see the old rugged cross hanging yonder? A veteran pulling in from the cuts and bruises of the battlefield..." Oh, I want to stand on the deck of the old ship of Zion and raise my hands and say, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound," or, "Oh, how I love Jesus."62-0128m Bro. Branham


A trip to Chocolate World!



COUSINS!!!


Faith giving pony rides.....




Little feet in my garden pond!  awwww!

Snuggly snuggly baby!
 So sweet!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm so very proud of all my children and grandchildren. They are all soldiers of the cross. God bless you all. MOM

Jonell said...

Thank You Michael. I always tear up when I hear Bro Branham tell about those soldiers on that ship.
These kids are adorable!

AmberLauver said...

I haven't seen Jamie n Michael in years!! And now I live even farther away. Ah well, thanks for posting these pics Melissa, it's good to see them again.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the pictures. It was so good to see Michael and Jamie again. We are proud of you Michael and thankful God brought you home safe. God bless you. Love that quote, Melissa.
May God grant us all to be good soldiers of our King Jesus. Mom B.