Our European forces landed on Omaha beach in the northern region of France on June 6, 1944 at a time when the outcome of WWII was still in question. The battle for Normandy France lasted 26 days. Many people gloss over what happened in Europe during the second world war but to state it simply, if we had lost the war in Europe, we would have lost America. The liberties and freedom you have today is because thousands of our service members from another generation died saving the America dream.

When you hear politicians, pundits and intellectual neophytes talk about impeachment, collusion, interference, congressional hearings, twitter and Facebook accounts and who is wearing what gown to the Hollywood awards ceremony, just remember that thousands of our soldiers never got the chance to live a full life because they were fighting so we could have one.

When the US Forces landed on Omaha beach that day, there were 12,020 German troops from the 352^nd division, many in concrete bunkers, killing as many of our men as possible. To get from the ships to the beach they used Landing Craft Assault (LCA’s) vehicles that were basically flat bottom steel boats with high sides and a drop-down gate in the front. For many of the men, the only thing they could see was the soldiers with them in the boat. They were standing shoulder to shoulder in the LCA’s waiting for it to get to the shore and the gate to drop down. The Germans would wait until the gate dropped and start firing machine guns into the group of soldiers trying to get to shore. Many of our young men died before they even got out of the boats. One boat in particular had 31 men aboard and only seven men made it out of the boat alive.

At the end of that battle, there were 93,000 dead or wounded (American, allied troops, German, French civilians) evacuated. Within a few days, America had taken the beach and within 26 days, they were operational with 11,000 troops, 2,000 vehicles, 9,000 tons of equipment. 100 days later we had 1,000,000 tons of supplies, 100,000 vehicles and 600,000 men in the northern region of France. The battle at Omaha beach turned the tide of the war in Europe. If America and its allied countries had not won that day, we could have potentially lost the free world we know today.

This Thanksgiving as you have dinner with your family and sit around the fireplace, remember to give thanks to all those families that lost their loved ones fighting for us. KT

In the 23rd Psalm, part of the passage says, “for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.” This is often overlooked, and I have never heard a pastor speak about it. The 23^rd Psalm is so rich in content, but this little sentence doesn’t get much attention.

Visualize this image. A Shepherd walking in front of his sheep holding his rod and staff in his hand.

Definition; the only way his rod and staff give you comfort is if you can see it. The only way you can see it is if he is in front, leading the way. If you want to be in front, out ahead of Jesus leading your own way, you can’t see the rod and the staff and therefore they will not comfort you.

Give this some thought. KT

It is ok to not be first. In life there is a danger when anything or anyone consumes us and becomes an obsession that controls us. Examples range from exercise to gardening and everything in between. With all things there is a normal level of interest and attention and then there is the obsession level. When the thing you do starts to control you, there should be a warning bell that goes off in your heart telling you to be careful.

Take sports for example. It is one thing to have a child in sports once or twice a week but when that simple enjoyment becomes every day, ever morning and every evening, this is when you need to be careful. I know this man who is consumed and obsessed with exercise and it literally controls his life. He cannot function without it and finds no joy in his life where exercise does not exist.

Also, years ago when I started selling hotels, I became friends with this broker from Florida, and we sold a hotel together in late 1990. His obsession was washing his car. He never took airline flights. He always had to drive. I bet his wife was a saint. Ha. I remember him telling how he had to wash and detail his car every morning before he could start his day. I know to us this sounds ridiculous, but to him, it controlled his life. He literally had a detail kit and water in his trunk and would clean his car in the hotel parking lot before he could function that day.

In everything there are normal levels and dangerous levels. It is incumbent upon us be aware when things or people began to control us. It is ok to not be in first place if being in first place means you give up control. I would rather be happy and restful in second, third or twelfth place than I would be unhappy and in first place. KT