Every time I read the text below concerning those that signed the declaration of Independence I wonder if I was in their shoes could I have done what they did.

There are two great lines from movies that say it right when it comes to Freedom

Braveheart – William Wallace.

“All men die, but all men don’t really live.” “FREEDOM!!”

Saving Private Ryan – Private Ryan as the old man at the beginning of the movie.

As Ryan kneels at the grave site of the character played by Tom Hanks, and thanks him for the life and freedom Hanks efforts gave him, he asks his wife to reconfirm in front of the grave that he has lived up to his promise. “Honey tell me that I have been a good man. Tell me that I have lived a good life. Tell me now so that he can hear it.”

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Read more about the historical facts and The Price They Paid

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. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.

Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.

Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more.

Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: “For the support Of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”

They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books never told you a lot about what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn’t fight just the British. We were British subjects at that time and we fought our own government!

Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn’t. 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 get the word out that patriotism is NOT a sin ,and the Fourth of July has more to offer than beer, picnics, and baseball games.

Happy July 4th,

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Turn your sound up. The last few lines are amazing. Bravo Red Skelton!

CLICK HERE to here Red Skelton’s rendition and meaning of: Pledge Of Allegiance To The Flag Of The United States Of America.

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Inspirational Friday

A Million To One Odds

“It was a shock when I realised that my twins were two different colours,” said Kylie, 19. “But it doesn’t matter to us – they are just our two gorgeous little girls.”

When I first saw these pictures I wasn’t sure if the story was real. After some investigation it appears as though the story is true. Read the rest of the story about the Black and White Twins.

This gives new meaning to you are my brother and you are my sister.

Artist: BREAD & JUICE
Song Name: Just As You Are

I am searching for a Love that is truly blind.
I am learning that this life is an uphill climb.
I am a sinner desperately in need of a home.
I am cleaner when I’m standing in the shadow of his throne.
Every one of us is different, but in Jesus we are the same.
Every one of us has a unique blend of loves and hurts, hopes, and pains.
So come just as you are;
Just as you were;
Just as you always will be.
Come; You are my brother; You are my sister;
You are my family.
I am a beggar begging for alms of understanding.
I am a sailor, sailing just to find a holy landing.
I am poor in spirit anchored in the sea of my sin.
So I run to Him who calms the seas and stops the wind.
(Jesus said) Come to me you who are weary,
And I will give you rest for your souls.
It doesn’t take a formula or theory;
Come to Me and be bold.
Come just as a child would be, meek and mild and free,
Innocently seeking all His grace.

Bread & Juice – Just As You Are – Lyrics

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