There are several ways to be involved, from simply making a donation to getting some people to sponsor you for doing pushups, and even just coming to the event and cheering on those who are doing pushups.

Any way that you decide to be involved is greatly appreciated and every dollar raised goes to support The Boot Campaign and our wounded warriors returning home from the battle field.

This past week I flew out to Las Vegas to spend some time with my younger brother who just returned from Afghanistan where his battalion was having a Marine Corps Ball.

My brothers Cole (Army) and Chase (Marines) rocking out some pushups with me this past weekend in Las Vega

It was great to see him.  We had not seen each other in more than 3 years.

I also had the privilege of meeting several Marines who’ve been wounded in the line of duty and were awarded the Purple Heart.  Many men that lost leg(s), arms, and in some cases an eye.  A big sacrifice for the freedoms you and I enjoy.

One of the highlights of my trip was meeting LCpl. Conner Bradley who is a Purple Heart recipient for a gun shot wound to the leg during Operation Double Check in Afghanistan this past January.

His story solidified the reason why Pushups For Charity is such a needed and worthy cause.

Clint Barr, Owner of Raising The Barr Fitness, pictured with LCpl. Conner Bradley, USMC

I would like to personally invite you to attend our Pushups For Charity event on Saturday, May 12, 2012 at 10:30am right here at:

Raising The Barr Fitness
103 W. Washington St. #B1
Ridgeland, MS 39157

Click here for map

We’re going to have fun for the entire family with a photobooth, a DJ, and a raffle for some great prizes.  We’re even having a kids pushup challenge where all the parents can sponsor their child with a donation for doing pushups.  All the money raised goes to The Boot Campaign.

So make plans to be here on Saturday, May 12, 2012 at 10:30am.  You’ll be helping those who’ve sacrificed so much for our freedom.

I look forward to seeing you there!

To your freedom and success,

Clint Barr

P.S. You can donate right now, right here on this page by scrolling down to the bottom right of this page clicking on the Crowd Rise donation banner.  Thank you for your consideration and generosity!

MLB Opening Day – baseball is at the heart of who I am as an individual.  I grew up playing the sport and was fortunate enough to make it to the professional level.  Thus, Opening Day holds a special place in my heart personally.  But baseball in general is so much a part of America that most Americans are just as excited for opening day.  After all, baseball is our national past time.

The Masters Tournament – this is just a great American tradition.  The azaleas, the green grass, the history… it holds so much and there is no denying that this is the greatest golf tournament of the year.  It also signifies the beginning of spring, which for many is a very welcome sight.

Easter Holiday – for me Easter will always be special.  Internally I celebrate Easter every day, and I’m grateful for the sacrifice paid for my eternal life.  Celebrating it with family and friends is that much more special.

All these great events wrapped up into one week.  All three represent something great about our country and our history.  All three represent things that are undeniably American.  And when I think of that I can’t help but think of the patriots before me that sacrificed so much in order for me to have the freedom to enjoy all three.

Did you know that military flyovers at sporting events signify our military’s protection and presence?  It’s much more than just for “show”.  Our military and sports figures are greatly connected as well.

Many great professional baseball players paused their careers to go and fight in WWI and WWII.  Sacrificing the freedom to pursue their dreams in order to preserve it for those that came after them.  Who knows how many records Ted Williams might own if he didn’t make such a sacrifice.

The same in professional golf.  Lloyd Mangrum, who won the first U.S. Open held after the war in 1946, went to the front lines in Europe and earned 2 Purple Hearts.  He was injured at the Battle of the Bulge prior to returning and resuming his playing career.

And less we forget that I (we) have the freedom to worship and practice the religion of our choosing.  I’m able to celebrate my risen Lord and Savior because of the freedom extended to me from brave men and women I’ve never met.

That’s why I’m so passionate about helping our wounded warriors and so honored to be a part of Pushups For Charity.  We’re hosting our third annual PUC Ridgeland event on May 12, 2012 and we want you to be a part of the fun and festivities this year.  In this short, minute and a half video you can learn a little about what Pushups For Charity is all about and who we support.

My two youngest brothers, who happen to be twins, both serve in the military.  Chase is a Marine, and Cole is in the Army.  Both of them have warriors hearts like those that served generations before them.  And both of them do what they do without any need for a “pat on the back”.  They do what they do because it brings them and their family honor.

Each of them has changed since they were younger.  I now see that their tendency to always find trouble was merely training them for what they were to become.  They are both strong.  They are both courageous.  And they are both my heroes.

My brother Chase returning from Afghanistan last month hugging his two oldest daughters.

I’m a proud older brother.  And I want them to be proud of me.  But more importantly I want to show my support and I want to help give back to those men and women that fight and return to a lifestyle that is completely different because of a life changing injury.

They need our support.  They need our cheers.  They need our thankfulness for everything they do.

Will you join me in supporting them on May 12, 2012 by joining our Pushups For Charity team?  I hope you do.  There is more than one way to be involved.  Simply visit the website for more information www.PushupsForCharityMS.com.

We’re pushing to raise $15,000 at our event this year.

We’re pushing as part of a national goal to raise $500,000.

We’re pushing for freedom!

We’re pushing to give back!

We’re pushing for the Boot Campaign!

What do YOU push for?  Join us!

Truth be told… It was C-R-A-P! (excuse my loose tongue)

There would have been no benefit to you for reading it and the only purpose it really served was to inflate my over sized ego and make me fill like I was special.

Like I said, crap.

Instead, today I want to talk about a much more important topic.

YOU!

Question: Where are you?

I don’t mean geographically where you are, but where you are mentally/emotionally, spiritually, and physically (health).  Are you happy with where you are?  Who you are?  What you’re doing in life?  Where you are going?

These are important questions. One’s that I visit often in my personal life, because without checking in with myself from time to time I can get “derailed” from the direction I have set out to go.  After contemplating these questions I will always take my thoughts to another person that I trust to point out my blind spots, get feedback, and to further flesh out what is really in my heart.

I’ll comeback to the feedback and counsel part in a minute.  Let’s stay focused on the questions…

There are a lot of “things” in life that jockey for position on your priority list.  There’s work, friends, family, children, hobbies, and a long list of others.  But if YOU aren’t at the top of that list, you’ll never fully be able to give your best to the rest of the things on that list.

That’s why the question “Where are YOU?” is so important.

Now it’s fair to say that some of you aren’t in a place where you can even begin to answer the question, and that’s OK.

That’s why we’re having this discussion.  But it is necessary to start asking yourself the question which will ultimately lead you to where you want to be.

And you need to be thinking in terms of the 3 Pillars when you decide to work with this question, which I highly encourage you to do very soon.

The 3 Pillars

The 3 Pillars of health:

1) Mental/Emotional
This is what we feel, what we perceive, how we see ourselves, etc.  It’s not uncommon for all of us at some point to get in a “rut” with life and how we “feel” about our circumstances, life, etc.  The way we handle these emotions and thoughts will either propel us to greater health, keep us spinning our wheels and make us feel trapped, or worse… send us plunging into deep dark places that rob us of living the life we are meant to live.  It’s what I like to call “stinkin’ thinkin’”.  And it’s the source of most, if not all, our troubles.

2) Spiritual 
This is our connectedness.  Engagement with community.  A belonging.  And of course, a personal relationship and connection with God.  Trusting and relying on a higher power than ourselves.  Practicing spiritual disciplines is a practical way to maintain our spiritual health.  This would include silence, solitude, journaling, serving others, fasting, study, prayer, fellowship and worship.

3) Physical
Staying physically active is proven to increase numerous health benefits.  There are immune boosting benefits, heart health benefits, bone health benefits, and many more.  The physical pillar can include all forms of exercise from yoga to running to weight lifting.  And the more diverse and multifaceted your workout routine, the more benefits you will reap.

Obviously what I’m talking about is wholeness… health of the entire person.

As much as the three feed off of each other, they are also dependent on each other.  In other words, the more each one is worked on the better you’ll be at the others and vice versa.

Just 15 minutes of physical activity increases your feelings of enthusiasm, pride, happiness and excitement.  So now, not only are you getting the physical health benefits, you’re also getting mental and emotional benefits which ultimately give you more confidence and can lead to you engaging with people on a more routine basis.

This can help develop your sense of belonging or community and lead to a deeper more rewarding spiritual life.  Plus, when you’re thinking is clearer, you are definitely in a position to be more productive, leaving yourself more time to commit to developing your spiritual health.

I think you get the picture.  All three require work and by working on the three separately you will be compounding the effect collectively.

The health of the entire you is important.  I’m pretty sure you know this, but knowing isn’t the problem.  It’s the doing (or lack of doing I should say) that creates all the chaos.

You know that it’s good for you to exercise.

You know that it’s good for you to eat healthy and take care of yourself mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

So why is it that so many people DON’T follow these practices?  (including you and Me – yes, me too.  I also fall out of my routine, get caught up in things that make me less productive, etc.  I’m human too.)

I don’t know the answer to that question just yet, but I can tell you that it’s not just the health and fitness industry that experiences this problem.

A recent study showed that cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease patients only took their life saving prescription medications 55% of the time.

They know it will benefit them, that it’s good for them, and that their health will improve as a result, and yet they still don’t do it. (Sound familiar)

And all they have to do is swallow a pill.  So it would make sense that it would be much harder to do what we as fitness professionals ask you to do on a daily basis.

But given the alternative of suffering through side effects, pain from the disease, and the astronomical cost of having any one of those conditions, I’d much rather work toward maintaining my health than fight to regain something that may already be lost.

(Note: I’m fully aware that cancer may not be preventable. I’m not claiming that exercise can cure or even prevent cancer, however diabetes and CVD are preventable for the most part by exercising and eating right)

So the question remains… Where are YOU?

Is it time to re-examine your commitment to yourself?  Build accountability into your routine and lifestyle?  Or perhaps seek out the help and guidance that you know you need?

It’s ultimately up to you.  YOU have to decide!

Remember I said that I’d come back to the feedback and counsel part of this discussion.  There’s a lot going on here.  More than meets the eye.  And often when you set out to achieve greater health and fitness, lose weight, or whatever other reason you have for starting a workout routine, it’s easy to overlook these important components to overall health.

It’s very easy to set a goal without fleshing out the path it will take to reach that goal.  No doubt you set a goal.  But did you really make a decision to change?

As Laura Thompson would say, “change is a choice!”  But you have to first make that choice and even then you need to be counseled/coached to help you through the process and establish good habits.

You need to be getting feedback from a reliable, trustworthy source about what you’re doing to achieve your goal, about the thought process you’ve gone through to come to the decision of striving for that goal, and to assess exactly where you are in order to correctly map out the path that is right for you to obtain that goal.

As a coach, I was made to provide those things to you as they relate to your health and fitness.  In fact, serving you is one of my gifts.  One that I thoroughly enjoy providing and one that brings me great personal joy and satisfaction.

But there are things I can’t do for you…

I CAN’T make the decision to start for you.

After you start your journey toward greater health, I CAN’T make you show up to the workouts that are planned for you to see success.

And I definitely CANNOT make YOU a priority for YOU!

Where are you?

It’s a deep question with many layers.  And if you have the courage to dig in and start peeling back those layers you’re in for an amazing journey of personal growth and development.

This may make you uncomfortable, but comfortable is what leads us- you and me- to fall into those dark places of dismay and discouragement.

So, take this opportunity to assess where you really are- mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically.  Then spend some time determining exactly what you REALLY want for your health and fitness and be willing to take the necessary steps to get there.

Then go out and hit your targets.  Don’t get overwhelmed with the big picture.  Set milestones (targets) that let you know you’re on the right path.

And when you’re struggling or frustrated, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

That’s what our team of coaches and myself are here for- to help you make sense of all this stuff, get some clarity, and support you in achieving your goals!

Clint

P.S. If you’ve been spinning your wheels lately and need a fresh focus to help you get motivated again, come join us this Saturday for our 21 Day Challenge Seminar and learn how you can start seeing the results you deserve and have been working hard to achieve at an even faster rate.  Go here for to register and to get all the details.

P.P.S. If you’re a current active client of ours and you’d like to come to the seminar please just call Elizabeth at 601-414-3536 and we’ll get your spot reserved absolutely FREE!

In the letter I shared my personal health and fitness goals for 2012, which just so happened to be the top priority goals for the business this year as well.  If my energy gets drained, or my health takes a turn for the worse, then business slows down and suffers.  That’s not me being egotistical, it’s just the reality of being in a leadership position.

One of the goals I spoke about was the goal of rebuilding and restoring relationships that I have let suffer over the course of my lifetime.  More specifically for this letter I spoke about reconnecting with my father.

My dad agreed to come to Mississippi from Texas for the weekend to join me at a men’s coaching retreat.  I was both very excited and admittedly scared.  It may be difficult to see, but I have a hard time verbalizing my emotions and feelings for those I love.  That’s why I enjoy writing so much…I’m protected by the screen on which I type these words.

So to sit with my dad around a fire with a group of men and talk about the way I feel about him and the desire I have to build a strong relationship with him was frightening.

As the weekend progressed I could tell that my dad was as equally scared to speak into his hearts desire for me, so early Saturday morning I stepped out of my comfort zone and made a deliberate and intentional step toward building the relationship that I want.  I simply looked at my dad and told him that I was scared too.  That I was grateful for him just being there.  And that I loved him.

At that moment the barrier was torn down and my father and I began to grow closer.  We embraced and the chains that held our family from truly expressing our feelings for one another were broken.

The rest of the weekend continued to bring healing and growth.  I had a front row seat to see my father’s heart come alive again!  It was, in one word…AMAZING!

I share this story with you today for two reasons: 1) God did an astounding work in my life this weekend, and 2) It directly shows YOU that when you make a goal and earnestly desire to achieve it, you can obtain that goal…whatever the goal may be.

You see… GOALS don’t magically get accomplished just because it is something you want.  Granted, you first have to determine what it is you want…what it is you DESIRE.

That’s the first step.

But then you have to take ACTION.

You have to INTENTIONALLY and DELIBERATELY align your choices with your goals.

In the case with my father, I had to first invite him to come.  It required me to follow up with him and even when he gave me the excuse of not being able to afford the travel I stepped in and paid for the trip.  I was determined to build a loving, fruit bearing relationship with my dad.  I had a COMMITMENT!

I also had to be in an ENVIRONMENT that was conducive to allowing this to happen.  I didn’t invite him to a noisy bar for drinks to connect with him.  I asked him to a men’s retreat where we sat in a circle around a fire with other men.

Much in the same way you wouldn’t spend all your time at a buffet if you were trying to eat healthier or lose body fat.

But there was something else I learned this weekend that brought it all together.  I learned that I had to TRUST the PROCESS!

Nothing would have changed if I wasn’t willing to show up, take a risk, trust in a proven process, and listen to a coach that guided me through it all.

You want to lose weight?

TAKE ACTION.

Be INTENTIONAL and DELIBERATE with your choices so that they lead to the outcome YOU DESIRE.

Put yourself in an ENVIRONMENT to succeed.  Surround yourself with like minded people that truly want to see you achieve what your heart desires.

TRUST THE PROCESS.

You have to SHOW UP!

And listen to your coach.  If you don’t have one, get one.  They have the knowledge to help GUIDE you through the process.

BUT….

…You have to do the work.

Take responsibility for your own goals and don’t let anyone keep you from reaching them.

When you do, God will show up just as He did with me and my father.

You are ultimately responsible for what you want, but you don’t have to do it alone.

In fact, you and I were never meant to…

While I can definitely understand the hype, and therefore the disdain that has come out of the mass media coverage over the past several years and more noticeably the past couple of months, I merely want to share my thoughts on what I believe makes Tim Tebow so successful, and at the same time so polarizing.  I believe duplicating this trait can help make YOU more successful with your health and fitness goals, and ultimately your life.

There’s no denying that Tim has passion.  You can’t NOT notice it.  On the football field you can see it in his eyes when he’s driving the team to a come from behind victory.  You see it in his emotions when the team scores the game winning touchdown or field goal, which almost instantly spills over into gratitude – another of Tebow’s noticeable traits.  It’s this passion that fuels Tim on the field and has ultimately led to the platform from which he now finds himself off the field.

One of the things that we most often DON’T see is how hard someone works.  But based on comments from teammates like Champ Bailey who said, “I know he’s going to work to get better and be the best he can…he’ll work at it…I expect nothing but the best from him”, it’s clear that those around him the most know that he has a strong work ethic.

Traits like passion, gratitude, and a strong work ethic are all ingredients for the making of a great leader.  Tim Tebow IS a leader.  Two national championships in college and now a turn around playoff run in the NFL are proof of that.  Granted there were some bumps along the way.  I’m sure both Tebow and the Broncos learned a lot about themselves through the process. Tim is also a leader off the field with his unapologetic, uninhibited faith.  He wears his heart on his sleeve and I believe that is what makes him so polarizing.

Tim Tebow is a passionate, hard working, grateful leader.  But as distinct as these qualities are I think there is another that is Tim’s greatest attribute.

It’s not as visible, yet “speaks” louder than all the others traits combined.

It’s a trait that few have mastered (if any) and one that we would all benefit from be better at doing.

I believe that Tim Tebow’s greatest attribute is stewardship.

The verse that comes to mind when I think of the life of Tim Tebow is 1 Peter 4:10.  From the message it reads “Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it”.  Obviously Tebow is blessed with a natural ability to play football and it’s just one of the blessings that he has received.  He’s caring, well spoken, good looking, and now…wealthy (monitarily).

Tim uses all of his gifts to help others.  I would argue that Tim is on this “stage” to show others how it is meant to be done, which is probably why so many people are taking shots at him.  Tim Tebow’s mission, as stated on his foundations website, is “to utilize the public platform that God has blessed Tim Tebow with to inspire and make a difference in peoples lives throughout the world.”

Tim Tebow is generous.  He never takes full credit for success, and yet owns up to his shortcomings in a defeat.  As one author has stated, “it’s not that he usually says the right things… he ONLY says the right things.”  Up to this point Tim has not sat back and coasted on his natural talents and abilities either.  He confronts the critics head on and tells them that he has things to improve and that he will get better.  And you know what?  I believe him.  Why?  Because he follows through.

Look… I’m not trying to deify Tim Tebow.  I’m positive that he’s NOT perfect and that he has blemishes in his life.  How can I (or anyone) be certain of that?  Because he’s human, just like you and me.  But you can’t argue with the volume at which his life speaks!

Stewardship is defined as the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.  Choices are a direct reflection of how well we care for and manage ALL the resources that are entrusted to our care.  And by resources that includes our money, our health, our bodies…OUR LIVES.

We can all learn a great deal from Tim Tebow.  We can live life with more passion.  We can show more gratitude.  We can work harder.  And by aligning our choices so that we are better stewards will make us all better leaders… in our homes, in our business’ or work places, and in our communities.

Just imagine if more athletes took the time to invite a person in need to a game and spent quality time with them to put a smile on their face.  And imagine if you and I did that on a daily basis, reaching out to someone just to let them know you care.  What kind of world could we create?  How much more would our community thrive?  And how much healthier could we be if we simply managed and cared for our bodies with greater conviction and passion?

Think about it.  And the next time you see Tim Tebow, let that be a reminder of how powerful a stage God gives all of us.  Even if it’s not front and center in the NFL, people are watching.

Thanks for reading!  And God Bless!

Clint

…30 RTB clients and their families enjoying a “rockin’” good time at the Raising The Barr Fitness Christmas party.

We all enjoyed a little food, some great conversation, and one crazy, out of hand “White Elephant” gift exchange (seriously, the thievery was thick)

Check out the fun pics we snapped during the festivities.  Pay special attention to the staff and I as we fully embraced the Christmas spirit with our wardrobes.

A good time was had by all!  One of the other reasons we gathered was to announce this year’s Client of the Year winner.  We had a tremendous response with over 470 votes placed for our six finalists…and the voting was close.  All of the finalists are winners in our eyes because of the amazing results that they’ve all accomplished.

But someone has to “win” and we couldn’t be more pleased with the individual that you selected as our 2011 Client of the Year!

Congratulations Suzanne Deaton!

Suzanne has had a great year and her story is an inspiration to all of us here at Raising The Barr Fitness.

Suzanne won a gift package a value $500!  It includes an $100 gift card to Ruth’s Chris, a Viking Cooking School class, a month supply of supplements, and an RTB pullover jacket.  Congratulations to Suzanne for her accomplishments this year and we wish her continued success for the year to come.

And Merry Christmas to you all!  Thank you for reading and may your New Year be bright!

Clint Barr, Owner of Raising The Barr Fitness, delivering the Turkey Busting Workout donations to the Care Center

The Care Center feeds on average 200 families per month.  That’s up 100 families/month just from last year.  And during the months of December and January they feed up to 1,000 families…more than double their normal month.  With the help of our outstanding community, we were able to make a dramatic impact delivering more than 300 food items that will help to feed almost 100 families.

Thank you to all of you who participated or gave a food donation for this year’s Turkey Busting Workout!  We look forward to bringing this event to the metro area for many years to come and partnering with the Care Center to help those in need.

Clint in his Boots

As many of you know I am passionate about supporting our soldiers.  What you may not know is how much I disagree with the reasons we send them into harms way, but that’s a discussion for another day and in a different arena. These men and women deserve to be recognized and supported, regardless of mine, or any others, opinion about the political reasons for war, because they voluntarily step up and put themselves in harms way for the benefit of me and you.

And that is to be commended.

The reason I am so passionate about supporting our troops is because my two youngest brothers currently serve in our armed forces.  Chase is currently in Afghanistan, and Cole just recently returned from Afghanistan.  The two youngest in my family are identical twins.  In ways they are very similar, yet in a lot of ways they are dramatically different.  They both would tell you that the path they have chosen has been engrained in their DNA from before either of them ever served.

Both Chase and Cole were always fighting when they were younger…with others, and each other.  More often then not in fact, they were always in some kind of trouble.  I didn’t understand it back then, and being 6 years their elder I was already out of the house at college when their escapades really heightened.  But make no doubt about it, these two were born to fight.  And not for the wrong reasons, but for all the right reasons as I later learned more about their character.

My brother Chase can’t stand bullies.  He has a passion for helping those who can’t protect themselves, and I’ve seen him take the place of someone who was being bullied to fight when he had no desire to fight.  He literally walked up to the guy who was picking on this person and told him that if he felt like fighting, he’d gladly “scratch that itch.”  And that’s the way he approaches his role with the Marines.  He sees the other men in his unit, those he leads, as his responsibility to protect them and he would gladly take a bullet for anyone of them.

I’ve never seen Chase fear anything.  He reminds me of David about to face Goliath.  Chase has a calm confidence and attacks things head on, with little disregard for his own safety.  He is a true warrior!

My brother Cole has a quiet reservation about him.  He’s more the “lover” of the two.   One thing I have never seen Cole do is run.  He faces the music whenever it starts playing.  In 2 Samuel 23, the Bible speaks about David’s mighty men.  There were 3 that were David’s top men.  Shammah was one of the three.  It states that there was about to be a great battle and when the enemy advanced everyone fled, except for Shammah (2 Samuel 23:11-12).  He stood in the center of the field and took on the entire army.  Cole embodies that spirit.  When others flee, he stands.

I love my brothers.  And I know there are countless others who stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them that are cut from the same cloth.  As I said…”it’s in their DNA.”

I want to “stand” with them as best I can.  I do that by showing my love and support for them.  But I want to do more.  So my team and I wear red every Friday to show support and keep these men and women in our thoughts and prayers.  Recently I found another wardrobe item that can make a difference in a real way.  And that is why I’ve posted the pictures of me here with my boots on.

My wife Jennifer and I showing our support in Orlando last month!

There is a great organization called The Boot Campaign.  It was started by five women in Texas who call themselves The Boot Girls.  This organization helps support several Veteran causes by creating awareness, supporting the active and retired military men and women, and by selling military issue boots made right here in the USA, of which $50 of every purchase goes directly to those Veteran causes.

I recommend getting involved and supporting this awesome organization… Get Your BOOTS ON!!

Join me in supporting our troops, our Veterans and their families.  They sacrifice so much without even questioning why they are ordered to sacrifice it.  When they get the order to go…THEY GO.  When they go, they all leave family behind, mothers, brothers, sisters, fathers, wives, husbands, and children.

My brothers’ wives are two of the most courageous women I know.  They go days, weeks, and sometimes months without hearing from their husband.  They hold it all together and encourage them even when all they want is their man back by their side.  They say “I love you, now go get ‘em.”  I don’t know about you, but that might be the hardest thing any loved one can do.

Our military men and women, and their families need our support.  Will you join me?  I hope so.  If not, that’s OK too. My prayer is that one day we won’t have to send our loved ones off to fight in a distant land, but rather they stay within our borders and protect us from any harm that might try to come our way.  Until that day, the day I can literally stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them, I will support them any way I can and know how.

God Bless our troops, and God Bless America!