Full of ordinary moments made memorable by a mother's love, this is a beautiful tribute Calee Reed made for her mom who died of cancer. 

Life and love are great gifts that moms can share with children.  If we do our best, these gifts will become part of a treasured heritage long after we are gone.

This will inspire you and touch your heart!  

Ronald Reagan once said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.  We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream.  It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

How can we protect the great legacy of liberty and carefully share it with our children?  

One important way is to recognize that liberty is a gift from God.  We cannot hope to preserve it without his help.  

Here are some thoughts from our Founding Fathers who sacrificed everything to help establish America as a beacon of liberty and hope to the world. 

“Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God?  That they are not to be violated but with his wrath?”  ~ Thomas Jefferson


“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”  ~ Thomas Jefferson (Declaration of Independence)


"Liberty is a gift of the beneficent Creator to the whole human race... and cannot be wrested from any people, without the most manifest violation of justice."  ~ Alexander Hamilton


"Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by other men, but a right that belongs to us by the laws of God and nature."  ~ Benjamin Franklin


"When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers 'just men who will rule in the fear of God.'  The preservation of a republican government depends on the faithful discharge of this duty.

If the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted; laws will be made not for the public good so much as for the selfish or local purposes; corrupt or incompetent men will be appointed to execute the laws; the public revenues will be squandered on unworthy men; and the rights of the citizens will be violated or disregarded. If a republican government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws."    ~Noah Webster


“Providence seems by every means intent on making us a great people. May our virtues public and private grow with us, and be durable, that liberty, civil and religious, may be secured to our posterity, and to all from every part of the Old World that take refuge among us.”  ~Benjamin Franklin


“I believe with all my heart that standing up for America means standing up for the God who has so blessed our land.  We need God’s help to guide our nation through stormy seas.  But we can’t expect Him to protect America in a crisis if we just leave Him over on the shelf in our day-to-day living.”  ~Ronald Reagan


"From the poignancy of General Washington's legendary prayer in the snow at Valley Forge to the dangerous times in which we live today, our leaders and the people of this Nation have called upon Divine Providence and trusted in God's wisdom to guide us through the challenges we have faced as a people and a Nation."  Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan was my governor when I was a young girl growing up in California, and he's held a special place in my heart ever since.  

He even has his very own shelf, full of great books by and about him, in my “I Love America Bookcase.” 

When America's future appears bleak, I like to remember how, with God's help, he was able to turn things around.  

Here is a speech President Reagan gave to young people at a religious gathering.  His remarks reflect his deep faith, his belief in family values, his extensive knowledge of American history and heritage, and his hope for America’s future.

This is a great message to watch and discuss with our children!  

It takes 25 minutes to watch all the videos.  If you don't have 25 minutes, just watch one video at a time.  You'll be glad you did! 

May 10th is a good day to remind our children that sometimes you have to stand alone.  Sometimes you will be criticized, even when you are right.  And sometimes doing the right thing takes courage. 

Sir Winston Churchill endured almost constant ridicule as he warned the British people of the dangers they faced from Nazi Germany.  

It appeared Churchill's political career was over, until it became clear he had been right all along.  

Then, on May 10, 1930, King George VI asked him to serve as British Prime Minister.

Sir Winston Churchill was an unlikely hero, but he prepared himself, and he was able to rally a sleeping world to resist Hitler’s evil conquest.

He warns us to prepare too:  "…To every man there comes…that special moment when he will be figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a special thing unique unto him.  What a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified for that work which could have been his finest hour.”

This is our time.  You and I are living our brief moment in history.  

If this is to be our finest hour, we must give our best for those who will follow us.   

Our unique sphere of influence starts with ourselves and our children.  And if we are true, our efforts will preserve the great legacy of liberty for those who will follow. 


 

Have you ever intentionally given an extra special gift that you knew would last for years to come?  

Have you had the joy of using your best talents and energy to create or preserve a lasting legacy?

Arnold Friberg has.  His masterful painting, “The Prayer at Valley Forge” was created as a tribute to George Washington, and as a gift for us to better understand the incredible suffering the early patriots were willing to endure as they were famished and exhausted in the bitter cold of winter.  

In the movie below, Friberg explains how the light had almost gone out for the American army.  Everyone had failed them.  There was no where to turn.  Only by their steadfast reliance on God, that “all wise and powerful being on whom alone our success depends,” were they able to overcome the insurmountable challenges they faced.

Arnold Friberg tells the moving story of the winter at Valley Forge, and his own personal journey as he paid the price to create this wonderful masterpiece.  What a treat to hear him describe the symbolism and significance of key details of the painting.

This is a great movie to watch with your kids.  You might talk about:

• What gifts, talents, and opportunities has God given us?
  
• How can we use our gifts and opportunities to make a difference for America?
  
• What new talents could we develop for the benefit of America?
• The early patriots pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor for the cause of liberty.  What sacrifices can we make to further the cause of liberty? 
  

Often we hear the stories of the Revolutionary War in July when we are celebrating Independence Day.  Valley Forge doesn’t sound too bad when you’re in the middle of a heat wave.  

But the early patriots passed through the coldest of winters without adequate food, shelter, clothing, or shoes.  You might want to spend a little time outdoors (maybe around a campfire) as you talk about what it must have been like at Valley Forge.  

Be sure to express your feelings about the great gift of liberty and our responsibility to preserve it and pass it on.

Take some pictures, then come in for some nice hot chocolate or warm spiced cider as a fun finish to a memorable evening!  

"I consider it an indispensable duty to close this last solemn act of my Official life, by commanding the Interests of our dearest Country to the protection of Almighty God, and those Who have the superintendence of them, to his holy keeping."  George Washington

Maria Kennedy Shriver is a strong, capable woman.  What a delight to listen to her memories of her famous mother!  Pioneer, civil rights advocate, a transformative figure . . .  as Eunice Kennedy Shriver sought to make a difference in the world, she served as an amazing role model for her daughter and  four sons.  Her work for the disadvantaged turned adversity into advantage.    She was a fearless warrior for the voiceless.   Her purpose was to make the world a better place. 

What gifts and talents have you been given?  

What would you like for your children to remember about you?  

What legacy would you like to leave behind?

Click here to watch this amazing video:  Maria Shriver Remembers Mom

If you are like me, it will inspire you and make you want to be a better person!!!

Over the years many have asked, “How is it that such an amazing array of extraordinary leaders was brought together at just the right time and place to lay the foundation of America?”  It was indeed a miracle!  Our founders were men of great character, courage, intellect, and talent.  

In the words of Edmund S. Morgan:

“What was extraordinary about the Revolution was the talent it generated, the number of men of genius who stepped out of farmyards and plantations, out of countinghouses and courtrooms, to play a leading role in winning the war and then in building a national government.

"People noticed this from the beginning.  Already in the summer of 1775 members of the Continental Congress were observing that ‘Times like these call up Genius, which slept before and stimulate it in action to a degree, that eclipses what might before have been fixed as a Standard.’  

"Fourteen years later, looking back on the crowded events that had followed, David Ramsay of South Carolina reflected that the Revolution had ‘not only required, but created talents.’...And indeed if one were to make a list of the great men of American history, by whatever standards one chooses to measure greatness, an astonishingly large proportion would be found whose careers began or culminated in the Revolution.  It would be hard to find in all the rest of American history more than two or three men to rank with Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, or John Adams.

"To say this does not bring us any closer to an explanation of why the Revolution created such an array of talent.  If we knew what the conditions were for generating talent of this kind, we ought all to be busy trying to reproduce them, for we certainly need it now.  Unfortunately I do not know how the Revolution generated talent.”  (Morgan, Genius of George Washington, 3-4.)

Perhaps George Washington suggests one explanation in a letter he wrote to his wife, Martha (whom he affectionately refers to as “Patsy.”)  Dated June 19, 1775, the letter tells Patsy his feelings about being appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army:

“You may believe me, my dear Patsy, when I assure you, in the most solemn manner that, so far from seeking this appointment, I have used every endeavor in my power to avoid it, not only from my unwillingness to part with you and the family, but from a consciousness of its being a trust too great for my capacity....

"But as it has been a kind of destiny, that has thrown me upon this service, I shall hope that my undertaking is designed to answer some good purpose....I shall rely, therefore confidently on the Providence, which has heretofore preserved and been bountiful to me, not doubting but that I shall return safe to you.”

The example of the Father of Our Country offers a powerful prescription for our time:  

• George Washington prepared well.  
  
• Then, even though he felt inadequate, he went forward in faith and relied confidently on the providence of God to make him equal to his challenges and opportunities.  
  
• He sacrificed his own comfort and desires for a cause greater than himself.  
  
• When his abilities were not enough, he exercised faith in God, and relied on Him to make up the difference.
• And he always humbly attributed his success to God:  “To that superintending Power alone is our retraction from the brink of ruin to be attributed.”  (Gaustad, Faith of Our Fathers, 77.)

Great leaders were not an accident of history.  Children were born into ordinary homes.  Mothers and fathers sacrificed to give their children the best education they could.  As these children grew, they recognized and rose up to meet the extraordinary challenges of their day.  They chose to pay the price of liberty.  They struggled, and sometimes staggered, under the burden.  But they had faith in God, pled for His help, and He made them equal to the challenge.   

Our Founding Fathers and Mothers, famous and forgotten, were valiant in the great cause of liberty.  Together they created a heritage that has blessed countless millions with unprecedented freedom, peace, and prosperity. 

Their character, courage, and sacrifice are a powerful example for us.  We owe it to them, to our children, and to our God, to recognize and rise up to the challenges of our day.  And, with the help of God, we will pass on the great legacy of liberty.

"In a world of moral confusion, and of arbitrary and unlimited government, America's founding principles are our best access to permanent truths and the best ground from which to question the current direction of our nation. Join Matt Spalding, author of We Still Hold These Truths and an authority on American political thought and religious liberty at The Heritage Foundation, as he highlights some everyday Americans on a journey to reclaim our future."

As we look forward to Independence Day, this video reminds us to reflect on our legacy of liberty.


 

I always look forward to the time between Memorial Day and Independence Day.  During that month our family sets aside time to study our heritage as Americans.  We are coming to know the founding fathers as heroes and friends.  

In this video David McCullough explains that the founding fathers were ordinary men who rose to an extraordinary challenge.  They exercised unusual courage and perseverance in the face of impossible odds.  And because of the incredible price they paid, millions have experienced the blessings of freedom in this great land.