
Merry Christmas from the Staff of KarateTraining.org
Merry Christmas from the Staff of KarateTraining.org
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
These words are not my own but the meaning is from the heart. Despite having a normal life with normal complaints I am truly blessed. Everyday is a new day for me, a gift if you will. I try very hard to remember that everyday but during this season especially. This year my heart is full of thanks, mostly for my family.
As a martial artist I have the honor of running a club that is finishing it’s 36th year of continuous operation!! My Father started the club in 1973 and I am grateful that I have been able to continue the tradition he began.
There is little that needs to be said on this said day. Let us all reflect today on the blessings we have in our lives and remember the importance of protecting against those who would harm us.
To a certain special someone in my life…
On your Birthday, I celebrate the gift you give me, yourself.
Because without you, I know I wouldn’t be as good a person.
Happy July 4th, we should be happy given the price that was paid for our freedom…
56 Men signed the Declaration of Independence, have you ever wondered what happened to them?
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.
Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.
They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. What kind of men were they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.
So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It’s not much to ask for the price they paid.
Remember: Freedom is Never Free!
It’s time we remember that PATRIOTISM is NOT a sin and the Fourth of July has nothing to do with beer, picnics, and baseball games. If you are not sure about the ideals this holiday embodies then ask someone from a country like China, Iran or North Korea how their system works for them.
In case you are wondering who these 56 men were, here are their names with links to their biographies at ushistory.org:
There is nothing happy or festive about this day, a day when so many good men died. But this is a warriors day when we must bow our heads and remember the Martial Spirit that paved the path for victory and freedom. This video is perhaps the best remembrance which honors the sacrifice of these men and all those who followed.
May we all remember our Mother’s with Love and Affection on her special day.
I know my Mom and probably your Mom deserves a cookie something like this!
Most days being a Mom is the hardest, most thankless job around.
Let’s make this day count so she knows we appreciate everything she does…
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it” (John 3:16-17).
And something for the kids…
An Easter Egg Maze.
May the Blessing of this Holiday be with you.
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