Honoring My Closest Soldiers...

My brother enlisted in the Air Force in 1966 and went to Officer's Training School. His wife enlisted at the same time and served as an Air Force nurse for a number of years. Jim made the Air Force his career for the next 23 years.

Thanks, Jim and Carolyn, for serving our country so faithfully for those years and for continuing to support the military by serving as Officer's Christian Fellowship personnel at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT. Your personal commitment to God and to our country are an inspiration to me and to many others. I am proud to have you both in my family.

My brother's son, Bryan, was appointed to the United States Academy at West Point in 1994. He continues to serve in the Army and currently teaches at West Point. This assignment follows deployments to Bosnia and Iraq plus months of rigorous training for Special Forces etc. Bryan, you have also served God and your country with honorable faithfulness through many challenges. I am very grateful to have you as a nephew.

This photo shows my nephew receiving his appointment to West Point from Senator John McCain. With Bryan are his parents - James and Carolyn Groves - and grandparents - James and Edna Groves.

There are so many Americans who have served and are serving courageously to defend our great nation. I am extremely grateful to each of those men and women but I am especially proud of these two men who are so close to me and our family. Your quiet bravery, disciplined preparedness and sustaining commitment to the One who goes into battle with you and decides all outcomes - these are testimony to your training and willingness to serve with integrity and humility. You make me proud and are cause for our country to have faith in those who willingly defend our constitution and our people. May you know that there are many Americans who are grateful for your service.

With Pride,
Your Sister and Aunt,
Linda

Tribute to Mom...

You were such a cute baby nearly 90 years ago -
child #5 in a family of 7 children.






Your life story has some pain - your mother's death when you were only 5 years old, losses during The Great Depression and having to leave home at age 15. But your future held much joy and blessing also! I think you would say that learning about and receiving the gift of salvation offered through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the greatest blessing in your life.






But right after that would be the 65 years of marriage to the handsome "man of your dreams" which remained vibrant and compatible until his death 2 1/2 years ago.

The next blessings God heaped on your life were your children!



I'm quite sure your first daughter was your favorite but that may be just how I viewed it!





And now nearly 90 years have flown by! Your days of hard work, the demands of raising five children and the ups and downs of dairy farming are all part of the moments that shaped the memories your children now treasure as they remember you this Mother's Day.

What a blessed woman I am to have you as my mother. Your feisty spirit helped provide your children with visions of futures rich with potential and promise. You modeled the importance of doing work with excellence. You encouraged our opportunities and cheered our achievements. You rejoiced that our lives included more education and accomplishment than you were able to experience. You were our most faithful cheerleader - giving good advice and being a sympathetic listener when we experienced pain and struggles.

Your lifetime of faithfulness to your Lord is also a model to me
of how to live as a maturing Christian.

Thanks, Mom, for being steadfast throughout your life.
You have shared your love selflessly and
I am blessed because of that.

Thanks, Mom, for giving life to me physically and for making sure I learned about the gift of salvation so
I could receive that life through you also.

Psalm 19:14 describes you:

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Happy Mother's Day
from a daughter who's proud to be in your lineage.