We Thank You

Have you ever passed a soldier on the street and wished you could tell them just how much you appreciate their sacrifice.

I'm sure all if not most of us have family and/or friends that are in the service and have put their lives on the line because they were called to duty. Leaving behind everything and everyone they love to go off to a foreign world for months & years at a time, some never having the chance to return home. People my age and younger are experiencing the realities of war ever day and I respect them for their bravery and selflessness more than they would ever know.

Well, now there's a way to show our thanks with a simple hand gesture. This sign was created in France and brought to America in the 1816 by the famous Thomas H. Gallaudet (the inspiration behind the founding of Gallaudet University). While the sign has been modified to start at the chin when used in normal everyday signing it's original form has been revisited and adopted as the official expression of gratitude towards soldiers.

I love this!

For more on this campaign chack out the official website @ http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/

(Just wanna say "Thanks" Ty!)


At the end of the day... this is my favorite sign!

Now, I know this is a national campaign and all but I still wonder... do the masses know about this? And furthermore, do the soldiers know about this? I would hate to greet a soldier and have him/her look at me like a loony :)... so I'm gonna try this out and see if they know what I'm saying. You guys do the same and let me know the feedback you get!




Please feel free to leave a comment if you have any family and/or friends away at war, or if you yourself have toured in Iraq, or just let us know what you think of this new "Thank You" gesture..............

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When Mary J. was looking for "Real Love"... was it this?!

I had the honor of accompanying my better half to the Home Going celebration for the mother of a very close friend of his.

At the service the bishop decided to speak on something called "Agape Love"
(pronounced a-gah-pee or ah-gah-pay)



Agape Love:
"4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

Unfortunately I am not nearly as familiar with The Word as I should be (but not for long), so this was a foreign term to me. But when I began to read 1 Corinthians 13 and she started to break down exactly what this Agape Love is (and how this woman lived her life displaying this kind of love to others).... it blew me away.

Now I have to say last week was a struggle for me. I was dealing with alot, including the news of 3 deaths in 2 days and the betrayal of a close friend. I was doing alot of searching for answers as to why things happen a certain way and why people do certain things to others, and I felt like I was meant to hear these enlightening words.

Let me be the first to admit that I am very far from embodying and/or sharing this kind of love. I fall short in so many ways so please don't think that I am holding myself on any better than thou pedestal here. For one my temper constantly gets the better of me. I am extremely impatient and yes, believe it or not I can actually be pretty rude alot of the time. Also, I have my fair share of pride, and if I feel that someone had embarassed or disrespected me it's hard for me to just let it go. But hey it might just be a growing up in Brooklyn thing lol. And if nothing else it could be that I'm just human!!


But I do see where I may be on the right track, which is a gift and a curse at times. I do not envy (I think that trait is gross) what's mine is mine and what's yours is yours, point blank. I always protect (alwasy the first to defend a friend, I've talked myself blue in the face trying to refute negative things I've been told about a friend. And forget about physical confrontation, Imma get to you before my friend does lol). I always trust (even when everything else is telling me to do otherwise)..... I hope (for the best)! Some call it naivete but alot of the time it's that same naivete that makes me a better person in the long run. It's not that I don't know any better but I like to see the good in people. I like to think that what I give out is what I get in return, and when someone else falls short that's not on my head, thats their L.


I think its important to hope that someone stands up to your expectations of them, of what a friend should be, what a brother should be, what a good man should be and here's the line that completely messed me up: "Agape love keeps no record of wrong doing". Huh?!Now how do you do that?! and no offense but isn't that considered being a fool? If you let others do wrong to you, and never hold it against them, aren't you just setting yourself up to be played again and again???

I mean, this is one of those things that you almost have to be an Angel to truly follow. But I know one thing, I refuse to live my life bitter or scorn.... numb from too many let downs. I'd rather learn Agape Love....



I have to say that in all my 20 odd years on this earth the person that has come closest to this description of showing Agape love to me (other than my mother/granny) is my better half. I never knew that there was really a name for what this man has shown me, I mean I guess I figured it was that Real love that Mary sang to me about when I was coming up. Oh, he's no angel himself, but when I read that passage I have to admit that he's pretty darn close.

Well, you know what Mary, real love is really out there girl, cause I sure enough got me some!





If you have any thoughts on Agape Love or anything that I've mentioned regarding this concept please feel free to leave a comment.........

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