“As we get ready for the official start of summer on Memorial Day, it can be easy to forget the harsh reality that there are men and women who are right now in harm’s way, and thousands more who have lost their lives for America,” says David Langstaff, president and chief executive officer of TASC.  “We are very proud to contribute to the Wounded Warrior Project and help support our soldiers who sustain injuries in the line of duty.”

The fundraiser was organized by the TASC Young Professionals Society.  Co-sponsors include:  Award Store & More, Baja Fresh, Cici’s Pizza, Corner Bakery Cafe, Costco (Westfields), Cupcakes Actually, Duke Realty, El Fresco, Eurest Dining, FastSigns, Fosters Grill, Great Harvest Bread Co., Paisano’s Pizza, Red, Hot, and Blue, Wegmans and Windows Catering.

To support the Wounded Warrior Project, go to http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/.

G.I. Jobs Magazine States Dickey’s is Veteran Friendl

DALLAS, May 17, 2012 Dickey’s Barbecue is pleased to announce it has made G.I. Magazine’s Military Friendly Franchise list for 2012.
“We are honored to be ranked on this list — Our veteran’s provide a tremendous service to our country and Dickey’s is happy to help make the dream of owning their own restaurant business a reality,” said Roland Dickey, Jr. president of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. “My grandfather, Travis Dickey, Sr. opened our first barbecue restaurant in 1941 after his service in World War II.”

A recent study shows that veteran-owned franchises generate more than $41 billion annually and employ 1.5 million people. G.I. Jobs Magazine is a veteran-owned magazine that focuses on helping military veterans find career opportunities.

“Dickey’s provided me with an affordable opportunity to own my own business and I really like their Veteran’s programs,” said Tom Emmons, Dickey’s Barbecue franchise owner in Mesa, Arizona. “Their Military Discount program has actually been a great incentive for me to expand – I’m currently looking to open another location this year.”

Dickey’s Barbecue discounts franchise fees for all honorably discharged veterans who meet the franchise criteria and are approved through the application process. The honor of being ranked as a Military Friendly Franchise is only shared by 10% of all franchises nationwide. Results are compiled through national survey results.

Since 1941, the world’s largest barbecue franchise has offered free kids meals every Sunday and affordable family packs designed to bring the whole family together for dinner. Dickey’s Barbecue offers a quality selection of signature meats, home style sides and tangy barbecue sauce. All meats are slow smoked on-site in each restaurant.

Yep, American forces in Afghanistan until 2024 – that is, if some Afghan leaders get their way.

The US is negotiating a deal with the Afghan government, among others, to determine just how long our troops will remain in the country of Afghanistan.  According to The Daily Telegraph, the current agreement would allow more than just military trainers to stay for training the Afghan army and police, but special forces soldiers and air power would remain as well.

Rangin Dadfar Spanta, Mr Karzai’s top security adviser, told The Daily Telegraph “If [the Americans] provide us weapons and equipment, they need facilities to bring that equipment.  If they train our police and soldiers, then those trainers will not be 10 or 20, they will be thousands.”

In addition to fears that the nature of this deal would possibly push the Taliban away from any possible negotiations for peace, this deal has already been decried publicly by Iran, and privately by Pakistan.

To every man and woman who has fought for freedom’s sake, thank you, and God bless you! Your sacrifice is not in vane!

The Final Inspection
Author Unknown

The soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as brightly as his brass.
‘Step forward now,Soldier,
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?’
The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
‘No, Lord, I guess I ain’t.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can’t always be a saint.
I’ve had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I’ve been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny,
That wasn’t mine to keep…
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills got just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear..
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I’ve wept unmanly tears.

I know I don’t deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears

If you’ve a place for me here, Lord,
It needn’t be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don’t, I’ll understand.

There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

‘Step forward now, you Soldier,
You’ve borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven’s streets,
You’ve done your time in Hell.’

It’s the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us the freedom of the press.
It’s the Soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us the freedom of speech.
It’s the Soldier, not the politicians
That ensures our right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness..
It’s the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag.

As we walked in the door, we were greeted by a lady sitting at a table. She introduced herself as Leigh Watson, and told us she was a local author who was there for a book signing. She gave us an overview of what her book was about, and my mind began to whirl!

She had me from the moment she opened her mouth. I could see by the cover of the book that it was about our military. She confirmed this fact within the first few words she spoke, telling us that it was about her journey of seeing her son off  when he went to Iraq in the war. She said “9 Miracles- One Mother’s Amazing Journey Home After Seeing Her Son Off To War” was not about her sons journey, but her journey, and the miracles that happened to her.

I told her we would take a book, and she addressed it to our family. After a few more minutes of pleasantries, we thanked her, and went on our way to do our shopping.

Author Leigh Watson

Just a few moments later, I told my husband to watch the kids for a minute, I would be right back. I just had to talk to Leigh again! I had so many questions! I could not even concentrate on my own shopping, because I was so intrigued by her story. I honestly do not remember all that we talked about, but I remember distinctly that she told me the book itself was a miracle, because she never wrote anything down- not even a shopping list!  We visited for several more minutes, and once again, I went on my way, rejoining my family.

We finished our shopping, and went to check out. As we were waiting in the check out line, my children began talking to her. She gave each of my children a bookmark, which of course thrilled them to the gills!

We made our purchase, said our good-byes to Leigh, and headed out the door.

Right next to Family Christian Bookstore is Home Depot. We had to run in to pick up a few items there as well, so as I was driving across the parking lot, I asked my husband if he wanted to just run in and get the few items we needed, and I would stay in the car with the kids. He was agreeable to that arrangement, to my delight!

As he ran in to do our shopping, I opened my book and began to read.

The synopsis, as written on the back of the book, is as follows:

When Leigh’s husband is unable to accompany her to see their Air Force son, Luke, off to Iraq, Leigh mentally prepares herself to make the trip alone, knowing she will have to be strong for Luke’s sake.

Along the way, she encounters extraordinary people and incredible circumstances that could only be defined as heaven-sent. Rejoice, how as one exits- another appears, carrying her on the wings of mercy all the way home.

I finished the first chapter just as my husband was getting back into the car. Leigh had already brought tears to my eyes- in the very first chapter!

The rest of the day was quite busy, so I did not have the opportunity to sit down to read anymore for the day.

This morning, I woke up at 7:30 am and picked up my book. By 8:10 am, I had completed the book. I needed this book at this time in my life more than Leigh could have known!  More importantly, God knew I needed this book! If the store had not been closed last weekend, we would have completed our shopping then, and would not have been back this weekend. In fact, as I told Leigh, this was only the second time we had come to this store, preferring instead to shop online. God had other plans for me this time. He knew that this book was something that I needed. He knew that I needed to meet Leigh. And He knew this is a book I probably would not have chosen to buy, had I not met the author personally.

While I know that God Is God- He is real, He is with me every second of every minute of every day- sometimes I tend to forget that He is concerned with even the tiniest details of my life. Just as He was with Leigh at one of the saddest points in her life, He reminded me that every day He is with me, just as He was with her that day! He has used “9 Miracles” to speak to my heart. He has reminded me that all the things I have been preoccupied with recently should be handed over to Him.

Rather than sitting around wringing my hands, worrying about my children, the choices they are making, the choices they will make in the future, I need to focus on raising my children in a Godly home and let God do the rest. Yes, without a doubt we are going to have our rough times. Yes, we are going to have our tribulations. But as the new Newsboys song says,

“You stay the same through the ages
Your love never changes
There may be pain in the night
But joy comes in the morning
And when the oceans rage
I don’t have to be afraid
Because I know that You love me
Your love never fails”

His love never fails. The trials I am facing right now are painful, but indeed, joy will come in the morning, because His love never fails! “9 Miracles” is proof of that fact! Without a doubt in my mind, Leigh’s story is proof that God cares for us more than we can ever know. Her journey was, indeed, an amazing one!

One thing that sticks out in my mind from my conversation with Leigh was the fact that she said she was not a writer. She told me, and she writes in the book, that the entire book was written in two sittings. This just amazed me! God was definitely in the writing of His “9 Miracles”!

If you are someone who likes to tear apart the sentence structure of a book, disect the technical side of things, and critique the literary experience, this is not the book for you. While it may never be a “literary masterpiece” to the scholars of the world, the Master of the Universe doesn’t need all that.  Leigh Watson is most definitely the instrument in the hands of The Master who loves His children. If, however, you are just an ordinary person who believes in miracles, this is a book you must read! And if you are someone who does not believe in miracles, I challenge you to read it anyway! Maybe… just maybe, God will speak to you as well! And if you dare to allow Him, He will work miracles in your life. You simply have to believe, and place your trust in Him.

I literally read the book from beginning to end in less than 45 minutes. It was as if I was sitting there with Leigh, over a cup of coffee, with her telling me the story in person. I teared up more times than I can remember, and actually cried a couple of times, out of just pure amazement at my God’s love and mercy!  I know that He loves His children- there is no doubt in my mind of this! However, to read the specifics of how He lovingly took care of Leigh shows me that yes, He may have created heaven and earth, and everything that is, but He still loves every single one of His children as if we were the only one in the world!

My older three children had asked if they could read the book. After I finished the book this morning, I called them into my bedroom and they all piled into the bed. I told them that rather than each of them reading the book, I would read it to all of them, so even the younger two children could hear the story of God’s miracles. We finished half of the book this morning, and will most definitely finish it tomorrow.

If you would like to read a book that is very easy to read and very inspiring, you will want to read this book! In Leigh’s words, “Everyone needs 9 miracles!”

Order the book “9 Miracles- One Mother’s Amazing Journey Home After Seeing Her Son Off To War”

May God bless, protect and keep our soldiers and their families. Without their sacrifices, we would not know the freedoms we know today. May we never forget that they hold the freedom we take for granted every day in their very hands!

When A Soldier Comes Home

When a soldier comes home, he finds it hard…

…to listen to his son whine about being bored.

… to keep a straight face when people complain about potholes.

… to be tolerant of people who complain about the hassles of getting ready for work.

… to be understanding when a co-worker complains about a bad night’s sleep.

… to be silent when people pray to God for a new car.

… to control his panic when his wife tells him he needs to drive slower.

… to be compassionate when a businessman expresses a fear of flying.

… to keep from laughing when anxious parents say they’re afraid to send their kids off to summer camp.

… to keep from ridiculing someone who complains about hot weather.

… to control his frustration when a colleague gripes about his coffee being cold.

… to remain calm when his daughter complains about having to walk the dog.

… to be civil to people who complain about their jobs.

… to just walk away when someone says they only get two weeks of vacation a year.

… to be forgiving when someone says how hard it is to have a new baby in the house.

The only thing harder than being a Soldier…

Is loving one.

Many in the State and Defense departments wanted to extended the presence of troops (albeit a small amount) into the next year, but insisted that they continue to enjoy immunity from prosecution in Iraq.  This was rejected by the Iraqi government and Prime Minister al-Maliqi.

The announcing of the timetable for withdrawal raises questions of whether the Iraqi military and police forces are fully prepared to defend the fledgling freedom again Al-Qaeda and other insurrectionist groups.  Anti-democratic forces are likely to take advantage of the deadline to launch a new offensive in the country.  Only time will see if Iraq is ready to stand on its own two feet.

Give a few minutes out of your hectic schedule to listen to the music, look at the pictures and remember – if they weren’t defending us.. who would?

God Bless all those that serve and all who have served.

The CDN staff is putting together a special presentation for Monday as a tribute to our Marines, Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen.

Show Time: Monday May 30th 9pm Eastern, 8pm Central, 7pm Mountain, 6pm Pacific

To Listen to the show click this link:  Plain, Hard Truth Tribute to America and Our Troops

To Call in to the show: (424) 220-1807

Reference Links from the Show (work-in-progress)

“If I Die Before You Wake” – Dustin Evans
Dustin got involved in music at a very young age, influenced mainly by his father. Dustin learned most of his dad’s songs and was singing them with true pitch at the age of three. As a teen, Dustin taught himself to play guitar, drums, bass, and piano, and began writing his own songs.

John Wayne’s collection of patriotic messages are still valid today. We’ll be listening to “Face the Flag Son”.

Please click on the CD image to purchase the entire CD if you find The Duke’s true American messages as inspiring as we do.
The CD contains these tracks:

1	Why I Love Her 2:58
2	The Hyphen 2:30
3	Mis Raices Estan Aqui (My Roots Are Buried Here) 2:42
4	The People 3:46
5	An American Boy Grows Up 4:31
6	Face the Flag 3:55
7	The Good Things 2:43
8	The Pledge of Allegiance 4:21
9	Why Are You Marching, Son? 3:44
10	Taps 3:05