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A Veterans Day Tribute: Faith Family & Service · HAVE FAITH LET IT BEGIN®

• 0:07
  Good morning, everyone, and welcome to a very special edition of Half-Faith, Let It Begin.
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  I'm your host, Angel Santana, and today we pause to honor the men and women.
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  Who have stood in defense of our freedom and to thank God for their courage, sacrifice, and faith.
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  For me, this episode is personal because today I want to honor a man who taught
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  me faith, discipline, and service, my father, Angel Santana Sr.
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  For over 25 years, he served proudly in the United States National Guard,
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  dedicated his life to protecting and serving this great nation,
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  served in also Vietnam, Dad, today, and every day.
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  I love you and I thank you.
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  When I think about my father's years in uniform, I think about faith in action.
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  Service members don't just talk about courage. They live it.
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  They wake up every morning ready to serve something greater than themselves.
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  In John 15, verse 13, it says, Greater love has no one than this,
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  to lay down one's life for one's friends.
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  That verse captures the heart of every soldier, every veteran,
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  every family who stood behind them.
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  It's not just about bravery. It's about love.
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  Love for our country, love for our family, and love for our neighbor.
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  I can remember as a kid watching my dad put on the uniform. Even before I understood
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  what it meant, I knew it was something sacred.
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  There was pride in his eyes, but also humility. He didn't serve for recognition.
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  He served because it was right.
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  And even after retiring, that sense of service never stopped.
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  Whether it was helping a neighbor, mentoring young men, or showing up at church
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  early on Saturday mornings to do men's breakfast, his life has always been a
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  reminder that service doesn't end when the uniform comes off.
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  It continues through faith, through love, and through example.
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  To every veteran listening right now, we thank you.
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  To every spouse, parent, and child who has stood beside them, we honor you too.
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  Your strength, your sacrifice, and your faith have carried this nation forward.
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  And to those still serving, may you know that your efforts are seen, valued, and prayed for.
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  You remind us that freedom isn't free, and faith isn't passive.
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  Both take courage. Both take endurance.
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  Let us pray. Heavenly Father, today we lift up our veterans,
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  those who have served and those who continue to serve.
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  We thank you for their courage, their strength, and their unwavering commitment to protect and defend.
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  We ask you to bless them with peace, comfort, and joy, and to watch over the
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  families who have sacrificed alongside them.
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  Lord, we especially thank you for my father, Angel Santana Sr.,
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  for his 25 years of faithful service in the National Guard.
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  May his example of discipline and love continue to inspire others to walk in faith and integrity.
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  We give you all the glory. And we also pray for my cousins, Abel Tito and John.
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  With all the glory, my friends, in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
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  Veterans Day reminds us that heroes, real heroes, don't seek applause. They seek purpose.
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  And as people of faith, we know that every act of service is a reflection of God's heart.
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  So today, as you go about your day, take a moment to say thank you.
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  Thank you to a veteran, to a military family member, to someone who's given
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  themselves so much that others may live in peace.
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  Dad, this one's for you. Thank you for teaching me what it means to live with
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  faith, serve with honor, and love without limits.
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  Thank you to all that have blessed our great country.
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  And may God be with you. May he shine his light upon you and grant each and
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  every single one of you peace on earth.
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  Remember, God loves you. God believes in you and God will never leave your side.
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  May God bless the United States of America and thank you for all that you do,
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  because for every one of you you matter.
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  Have faith let it begin.