Lately Lester and I have immersed ourselves in learning about World War 2. It all started when we decided to re-read a series called 'The Children of the Promise'. They are a 5 volume story based on one families journey in war times, as they try to keep their faith as are tested and pulled to all parts of the earth. They are wonderful books, full of well researched true information and wonderful fictional characters. They are also huge testimony builders, as they cause you to ask yourself important question about what you believe and what you don't. I would recommend them to anyone.

Any ways, this put us on the path to feel even more grateful for the people who worked so hard to fight for our freedoms and for the rights of all people. This topic is also fresh on my mind as I am involved in the important task of editing some of Grandpa's personal history, which he wrote. He served in the war in intelligence, and it is surreal to realize that this wasn't just some abstract thing that we study, but a very real thing that affected so many people I know and love.

Since then, Lester and I have begun to watch the mini series Band Of Brothers, which Lester has already seen before. Seeing these images and hearing the interviews before each episodes with the men the series is based on is also incredible. Again, watching them sacrifice and lay their lives on the line time and time again reminds me what a blessing we have in this country.

I know that Lester has also just finished watching a 6 episode documentary on Auswich, one of the most infamous Nazi run Concentration Camps. Even just hearing parts of the experiences related on the show have caused me to feel over come with remorse that people could do such things to one another-and for seemingly no reason. It is simply a senseless thing.

Today, as it was Lester's day off, we decided to make a trip to the local WW2 museum. We were impressed with all the artifacts and pieces of history they have there. As you can see in some of the pictures, they had all forms of planes, vehicles, weapons, uniforms, propaganda, medals and badges, and so much more. It was amazing the array of feelings we experienced while being there. There were feelings of pride as we saw pictures of our predecessors assisting each other-of their uniforms and their medals. Feelings of gratitude, awe and respect as I heard an older veteran talking to a fellow vet saying 'I still can't watch Saving Private Ryan because it is just to graphic-it is like how it really was for me.' It made my heart swell and feel yet again how much I love my country and its people. At the same time, seeing the amount of weaponry from all countries and a large amount of Hitler's personal possessions from his Munich apartment made me feel sick to me stomach-it was as if they still exuded a sense of disgusting arrogance, extravagance, pride and dominance, and lingered with all that this man stood for and tried to do. There was a specific room dedicated to the Holocaust and the Concentration Camps. There was a sign outside of it which warned of the graphic images that this room held of the poor souls who were held there. Still, we entered and after being in there for even a few minutes I had to leave and wait for Lester outside because of the horror of the pictures. It is still unbelievable to think that these things are real pictures. Its just heart wrenching.

Still, the over all feeling I got throughout the whole museum was again of gratitude and hope. Hope that we always are learning and remembering this, and hope that we will never get to that point again. Gratitude for all those who fought and sacrificed in so many different ways to get us to this point, and gratitude for our beautiful country and that our homeland is still here and still posses people of worth. I feel like lately we keep hearing about all the terrible shootings in school and theaters and what not-and of the bombing this week in Boston. We pray for these people daily and feel so much in our hearts for them. But I know that they will rise, if not in this life then the next, and have their bodies and hearts whole again. Even amidst the tragedies of our past, such as these wars, and the difficulties in our present we can always find ten good people for every bad one. We see the love and support everyone gives to each other and the ways we come together as strangers, friends, countrymen and women and it reminds us that there is so much good in the world. We just need to do our part to be a piece of that-the goodness-and to do all we can to let our acts far outweigh and outshine the bad ones. We must drown out this darkness in the light of our goodness.

Anyways, we finished the evening by watching a movie based on another historical event-42, which is based on one of my heroes, Jackie Robinson. I already blogged about that, so I won't go into to much detail. I will just say that we will be buying that movie when it comes out; it was worth the hype, and both Harrison Ford and Chadwick Boseman should win awards for their performances.

I'm grateful for my country and those who have sacrificed for my freedom, and they way it enables me to have a bright future. I hope that someday my posterity can look back on my actions and have a reason to feel this same way about me. We are so grateful for such a rich history.