GITMO here we come!

Hey everybody: Sending you a quick update from the “Honoring Heroes at the Holidays II” cross country tour. We completed our last rally in Jacksonville yesterday honoring our men and women who have served and are serving. It has been an honor to be on my 5th cross-country tour thanking our troops and their families. It was a special surprise to have Admiral and Jan Kernans past Navy SEAL Commander stop by to honor Marc and share their love and hugs.

As you can imagine the miles are starting to catch up with me but it’s nothing compared to the sacrifice our men and women serving are making. I love each and every one of them and so appreciate the sacrifices they make for me and every individual in America. If you’re reading this and you have served in the military “I LOVE YOU! YOU ARE MY HERO!” We just received exciting news that we are going to GITMO to take a little Christmas and lots of love and goodies from home to our brave troops who are isolated and serving away from their families. This will be a great ending to another amazing tour.

I’m sitting in the back room of the tour bus. You can see the pictures of the graphics on the bus.

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Marc’s picture just happens to be over the windows in the back on both sides. When its daylight the sun shines through the graphics on the window and I can see Marc from the inside also. It’s like a big flat screen TV on both sides with Marc there larger than life. This picture of him was sitting on the tarmac in San Diego as they waited to deploy to Iraq in April 06. The way he has his shoulders and arms when I sit on the couch in front of his picture, it’s almost as though he has his arms wrapped around me holding me. It wasn’t designed that way but again another special gift from Heaven with a reminder that I am being watched over. Losing Marc has been the toughest thing I have ever gone through and without God’s arms continually wrapped around me; I wouldn’t have made it through.

The night I was informed that Marc had been killed friends and family quickly gathered around me. We wept and comforted each other for hours. After everyone had left I knew where my strength would come from to get through this. I opened my bible and Psalms 27 was on the page. It was perfect for what I was facing and gave me hope, comfort, and strength. I was reminded of Psalms 27 as Marc’s picture surrounds me right now. God used the picture of Marc’s strong arms to remind me that promise that God gave me that night “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in his pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall lift me high upon a rock, and now my head shall be lifted above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.” Psalms 27:5-6.

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During this Christmas Season I’m celebrating because of the birth of Our Savior who would one day sacrifice his life so that we could be free from the consequences of sin for an eternity and also for our troops who have sacrificed so much for our freedoms in America. Some just like my son Marc sacrificed everything. Please during this Christmas Season don’t forget the families who have lost a loved one, the families who have someone serving and our troops who are sacrificing this Christmas. You can still send a care package and a note of encouragement to our troops through the www.moveamericaforward.org.