Prayer of Thanksgiving

Today we bow our heads to give thanks

Thanks to our Creator whose wisdom and strength is infinite.

Thanks to the winds, for cleansing tired and weary souls,

Thanks to the waters for life sustaining.

Thanks to the Mother Earth as we lay her weary head to rest for

another season.

Thanks to the Father Sun for warming our souls on the long cold days.

Thanks to the fires that life is reborn anew.

Yes Creator today we give thanks for all of your little miracles

we take so much for granted each day.

I thank you Creator for my warrior son,

Whose proud stance and carriage has

Carried him through many dark days,

And even darker nights.

He knows the Warriors Creed and

Knows the life he lives was chosen

Long ago for him.

I thank you Creator for the many hands

Each one holding a star blue or gold, to be enfolded

In this blanket not yet made

Each star is a prayer yet unanswered

They that share the knitting of a new blanket

In life they are the ones keeping the home fires lit

They are -

The mothers who stand beside, their child

Who are so far away, but so very near

The wives who stand beside their husbands

Who are so far away but so very near

The daughters who stand beside their

Mothers and grandmothers waiting for mommy or daddy to come home.

The husbands and fathers who stand waiting for their loved one

To come home. 

Creator this day we give thanks

For prayers not yet answered.

Keep all of our family near and far strong –

know in our weakest moments

we are the strongest, know in the darkest moments

we are the light to guide them home.

Yes Creator this is a day of thanks

For all that has come before

And all that will come after.

Each little moment we give thanks

To you.

Keep our warriors strong,

Keep our warriors safe

Until all our hands and voices

Once again join together

Singing praise of Thanksgiving

Lynn VanCoonis 2007

Proud NH Blue Star Mother

The Heroes Christmas Tree

The Heroes Christmas Tree

The Blue Star Mothers of NH are once again hosting Heroes Christmas Trees around the state. What started as one tree here in Laconia in 2006 has grown to well over 25 trees all over the state.

Stars of gold, black, and blue adorn the trees bearing the names of United States service members past and present.  Blank stars are available for those who would like to add the name of someone currently serving or a past veteran to the tree.

For more information where Heroes Christmas Trees are being hosted, check our website: www.bluestarmothersofnh.org.

May God bless our sons and daughters this holiday season, those who are now serving and our veterans, our Blue Stars; they stand for hope and pride.

May God bless those we will hold forever in our hearts, our Gold Stars, for their sacrifice to the cause of liberty and freedom.

May God bless those for whom we are still waiting for their return.

Black Stars; they represent our POW/MIA’s. (63 WWII and Korean POW’s who died in captivity, 6 Vietnam POW’s,).

Gold Stars: Our fallen

Blue Stars: Currently serving or Veterans

Blue Star Mothers of NH
bluestarmothersofnh@gmail.com

An Open Letter To Our Veterans

Since we became an independent country many years have come and gone, however, there is one constant that remains from the 1700’s through today. Our country has had many brave men and women volunteer to defend our country.

There was a movie produced about World War II, whose name I cannot recall, but at the end there is a line which rings true (even though the words are not an exact quote), “Where do we get these brave men and women to always step forward when the need arises?” These men and women come from all over our country and too many times are taken for granted. Men and women, who during times of war and peace, are on-call 24 hours a day 7 days a week and spend countless holidays, birthdays and special events away from their family and friends.

The pay is not great, but they continue to volunteer and many make it a career. They are mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, cousins and friends. We may not always agree in the wars and battles that we fight, but this should not deter us from the support we give to these men and women in uniform. It is through the sacrifice that they and the numerous individuals before them have made, which provides us with the freedoms we have to disagree and speak our objections. 

While words cannot pay what we owe you and your families, we ‘thank you’ for your sacrifice. To the families who have lost loved ones, we offer our most heartfelt condolences. Many of us have never endured the pain you must feel, but our hearts hurt for your loss and wish we could help ease your pain. Let us never forget the people who did not make it home. 

Remember those still serving in our prayers and never take for granted the sacrifices they make. In closing, one more time I would like to say…… THANK YOU!!!