[The Mayor]

Below are names of some of our FReepers' loved ones who are serving our country. If you have someone you would like to add, please address a post to Billie; Dutchess; dollycali;The Mayor; GodBlessUSA , and we will add their name to this list. As we pray for them, we pray also for all our nation’s leaders, and military personnel, and their families and friends. May God hold them close to His heart.

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Maigrey...................cousin OhioWfan........................son mystery-ak..........son, husband Gogrammy................grandson Inspectorette...................son Blessed American..........nephew Slip18..........................nephew anniegetyourgun...........nephew Diver Dave.......niece, nephew ConspiracyGuy........2 nephews Pippin..........niece, loved one Pippin...nephew & his fiancee weldgophardline.....brotherinlaw jamaly.................brotherinlaw Future Snake Eater..........cousin WaterDragon.............grandson WaterDragon...........son-in-law BeforeISleep...................son kimmie7......................brother Armymarinemom............3 sons american_ranger.............son LadyX.........................grandson fawn796.......................nephew Dubya............................nephew StarCMC......................brother ValerieUSA..................2 sons Lakeside......................2 sons LakeLady.....................nephew Spruce.....................daughter Philman_36..............2 nephews bjcintennessee.......son, niece Ladysmith..nephew, friend's son tina07......soninlaw & his friend Katydidnt..........................son MontanaCowgirlCop.......brother Warrior Nurse...........active duty SK1 Thurman...........active duty David Osborne.........active duty fc2tomschermuly......active duty bkwells..................active duty LongCut..................active duty cjk..........................active duty Trish.......................active duty ODC-GIRL.................active duty AF_Blue..................active duty Notwithstanding.....active duty thumperusn.............active duty Q6-God.....................active duty Q6-God...................twin brother Veloxherc.................active duty Don Simmons...........active duty wingnutx..................active duty Old Sarge................active duty Bykrbayb.........................son Hope and Glory................son Walkenfree............2 grandsons, 3 nephews, 1 granddaughter ariamne.....................2 cousins Zechariah_8_13..brother-in-law, cousin El Gato.....................nephew MississippyMuddy.............sister MississippyMuddy.....2 nephews Kramster......................stepson veeceeque................active duty freema.............. nephew and son Jemian............................ son Lone Red Ranger...Brother in law No Longer Free State ..... active duty right2parent.................son Ike..................................son repubmom......................son Skyraider........................ son CMS................... active duty CyberAnt.................nephew Jen's mom.............daughter 911angelady...........2 sons ninergold3.............nephew

scubachick...............husband ladtx........................2 sons Its_me_K.E.T...................son gator girl.................husband severa.......husband, brother Hostel......................cousin MozartLover......son, nephew LBGA...............................son katykelly......................son cookcounty.....................son SpookBrat...nephew, cousin Doug from Upland...son-in-law Himyar..........................son boxerblues................2 sons the piper.........................son sheeza.......................husband kemathen7.................husband Tiffee4Bob.................boyfriend deadhead......................cousin JimRobinson.........2 nephews TexKat..............son, step-son Consort..2 daughters,son-in-law Darheel.........................niece Donaeus......................nephew dixie sass...................nephew BeAllYouCanBe...................son Repubmommy...............brother AgThorn.........................2 sons homeschoolmama.......nephew kneezles.............................son Rose inRoseBear...cousin's hubby Skimask.......................Son Atomic Conspiracy..half-brother Atomic Conspiracy...nephew Atomic Conspiracy..........niece Sunflowergal..............grandson visualops.......................cousin Alouette..............................son mrstank.......................husband MrsMike31..................husband eaglesiniowa......................son auboy............................cousin spotbust1...................husband Leofl.................................son chena................................son campfollower...................fiance LUV W..............................son painter.........................nephew ProudAFDad......................son TheMayor....friends'son & nephew mhking........................cousin Misty4jc......................husband Colorado Slim................ nephew Tapatio.....................2 nephews CGblue....................active duty ak_daddoo.....................nephew DirtyHarryY2K.......daughter,son-in-law nelibeli.........................nephew bigghurtt...................Active duty frankiep....................Active duty Palladin.......................grandson Gonzo......................friend's son jkphoto.........................nephew JRios1968..................Active Duty Azbushgal..........................son rahbert............................son Kimmykay...........................son sneakers……….son NavySEAL F-16 .................son wolfcreek................daughter JesseJane ............ cousin. Roses0508..................son SoldiersPrayingMom.........son WakeUpandVote..........brother mrs tiggywinkle............cousin MEG33..................grandson U S Army EOD.......daughter

[La Enchiladita]

Adding a prayer for OIF FReeper 'jumpmstr4u2' preparing to redeploy, i.e., COME HOME!!!

[LadyX]

AWOL again today, trekking to Aiken for monthly lab tests and the usual IV infusion of iron - 3rd of the Hepatitis B vaccine series, again not having any antibodies for it; and the annual tine test - luckily, I have a very high pain threshold..:))

Had a bad night last night, and this afternoon started to go to the store and held myself up by the scruff of the neck and said,"Self-you do not really need anything there, but you DO need to take a nap!"
Did just that, crashing without even bothering to take off my shoes, and got in two full hours...hooray!

Today's thread is wonderfully full of His Presence and caring for our military.
The Terrific Tables Task Force is doing a wonderful job, thanks to Billie.

LUV W, what you replied to La Enchiladita is so true - "Thanks...moms love to hear that their kids are being prayed for. And thanks for praying for mine! (((hugs)))"
A year ago when my teenage grandson, Christopher, was so seriously ill with a rare infection, taking months at home to recover, many here prayed for him. It was wonderful to have him visit here before Christmas, and at 17 actually attribute his full recovery to the prayers of many...

I have before described on The Finest how in 1986 my close cousin, Betsy, visited me in the hospital in Greensboro, NC, and we had a profound discussion about how our grandparents (minister and wife) - our mothers' parents - surely prayed for their chidren and grandchildren and greatgrandchildren, and the fact that those prayers STILL SURROUNDED EACH ONE OF US!

My first grandchild was born in Hawaii in 1978, and his mother had serious problems, thinking it was fine to come home from the hospital and go out partying with a crowd...called my son (caring for the newborn) to say she was staying out all night, and he told her no...so the next day she hopped a plane back to her parents in Ft. Lauderdale. They were great persons, her father a newspaper owner-publisher, and had her try to make a go of her marriage, Kevin then assigned to Ft. Campbell, KY. They came to see us in Panama City, FL when B.J. was 7 months old, and then I did not see him again until he was 17.

Shortly thereafter, she moved out to a trailer with 4 men and the baby - Kevin got out of the service and went to Florida to complete his last 13 semester hours for his college drgree. Now divorced, Cheryl went to Maryland with her boyfriend.
She actually was running drugs, frequently flying them from there into D.C. - who would suspect a stunningly beautiful and sweet-looking blonde of being a mule?

From the day he was born, I prayed for God to watch over B.J. "wherever he was and in whatever circumstance he had in his life."
In His own perfect timing, a year later, Cheryl was rocked to her core when her boyfriend was murdered, no doubt because of a gang-related cause.
She returned to her parents, and Daddy put her to work in his office at the paper to keep her mind occupied. One noon she went to lunch nearby, and returning to the office, across the street was a tiny storefront church. She was somehow "drawn into entering it" and hit by The Holy Spirit there, *totally transforning her in an instant*!!

She who would not ever go to church with Kevin in Hawaii, spent the next 2 years devouring the Bible, and her parents sent her to see Israel. They had bought retirement property in northeast Alabama, and moved there with Cheryl and B.J.
Cheryl cheerfully went to work in a chicken processing plant, the Lord having her pluck them in a line of workers, spreading her love of Him to others!! She genuinely and humbly moved in His works, and eventually built a successful church on her section of the land.

It was when B.J.was 17 that he was in NC visiting her brother, and she asked if we wanted to take him from there to spend Christmas with us and our daughter in Columbia, SC!
Cheryl became the daughter of our hearts she wasn't when married to Kevin.

What joy to see how the Lord moved in response to prayers for that little boy!
He in turn married unwisely a girl he saved from a 'bad crowd' in Alabama, and she insisted he leave the Air Force and go back there, and then left him for the old crowd.
Not really fitting in there, he reentered the Air Force, and as I related recently, went from Colorado to Korea to now Germany. It thus is that my prayers still carry him, and his now almost 5-year old son.

Confident that I can entrust all my children and grandchildren and greatgrandchildren to God's Plan for each, I do not fret nor grieve over their obstacles and griefs and mistakes, but rejoice that they are all His...
Submitting to His path for them and always looking to Him, they will be fine.