Faith, Family, Freedom by Tracy McMurphy

Faith,

Family, FrEEdOm

AMANDA RADKE

Illustrated by Michelle Weber

God Bless America

Dear American parents, Join us in praying this simple blessing for our great nation with your little ones, and help us inspire the next generation of patriotic citizens. May we teach them to treasure this great country we call home, and we may we continue to be one nation under God. Sincerely, Two American Moms on a mission to share the values of faith, family, and freedom! Amanda Radke & Michelle Weber

AR To the late Bill Broadie — A double Purple Heart Vietnam War Veteran, a Kansas cattleman, and the founder of the All-American Beef Battalion (AABB). Bill was a beloved friend, mentor, and bonus Grandpa to me, and he taught me what patriotism, honor, service, and bravery truly looks like. He would always tell me, “Go get ‘em, kid.” I sure hope this book makes him proud. Support Bill’s mission with the AABB by visiting steaksfortroops.com. Together, we can thank the troops, one steak at a time.

MW To my grandfathers - Walter Ulbricht and Donald Mickelson. May we never forget the sacrifices made by all who serve in the past, present and future.

Across America’s expansive lands and clear blue skies, 50 stars and 13 stripes wave proudly. Old Glory still flies.

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, yes indeed. The Declaration of Independence is our nation’s creed.

Our Constitution was notably crafted with great care, By our Founding Fathers who were very well aware.

That freedom doesn’t always come free. We must preserve the God-given rights of you and me.

In the USA, we are free to work and to play, Free to gather and free to pray.

Free to protect all life and free to speak, To defend the humble and the meek.

Thankful for the troops who bravely serve. Respect and admiration is what they deserve.

They give a solemn oath to support and defend. With valor, our troops make sure that freedom will not end.

May we remember those who gave all. To truly thank them, we will always stand tall.

As citizens, we must teach the next generation to care. And together, we bow our heads and ask God in prayer.

Dear God, watch over our troops and the veterans, too. And may heaven shine down on the red, white, and blue.

Send blessings of peace to this great land that we love, And a layer of protection from up above.

God’s children we are. Please, help show us the way, To stand strong for our freedoms. May God bless the USA!

Sending Our Thanks

This book was made possible by the American people, who believed in us to share this important message celebrating faith, family, and freedom with our nation’s youth. A special thank you to the photographers and families who kindly provided photographs to serve as inspiration for the illustrations. You helped bring this vision to life! We would also like to thank our generous sponsors for supporting us as we pursued this project. We are forever grateful that you placed your trust in us to share this story far and wide. God bless you all, and God bless the USA! - AR & MW

Glossary A note to teachers and parents: After reading this story, we encourage you to enrich the conversation and enhance the learning experience with your children by reviewing these vocabulary words. This is a great way to deepen a child’s understanding of our nation’s history, and these terms make a great spelling list to practice, too! - AR & MW

Bill of Rights - A written statement that explains the basic freedoms and rights of citizens. Citizen - A member of a community who is called to obey laws, be a good neighbor, and help one another to solve problems. A United States citizen is called an “American.” Constitution - A set of rules that guides how a country or state works. The United States Constitution is the highest law of the United States and was signed on September 17, 1787. Declaration of Independence - Ratified and approved by Congress on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence proclaimed that the 13 original colonies of America were independent states and were free from British rule. This is the founding document of the United States of America. Faith - Faith in God is believing that He will do all that He has promised. Faith is being confident in what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. “For we live by faith, not by sight.” - 2 Corinthians 5:7 Founding Fathers - The leading statesmen during the American Revolution who guided the formation of the United States. These men are credited for succeeding in the war for independence, penning the ideas celebrated in the Declaration of Independence, and forming the federal republic outlined by the U.S. Constitution.

Freedom - The power and right to act, speak, move, or think as one wishes without restraint from the government. These rights are granted by God. Liberty - Similar to freedom, the constitution in most free countries guarantees the freedom of movement, speech, and thinking of its citizens. In the United States, these civil liberties are guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. Oath - Service members honorably promise to, “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” to “bear true faith and allegiance to the same,” and to “obey the orders of the president of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed.” Old Glory - A nickname for the flag of the United States, coined by an early nineteenth century American sea captain named, William Driver. The American flag is a treasured symbol of the nation and what it stands for. Purple Heart - A United States military decoration (medal) awarded to any member of the armed forces who has been wounded or killed in action. Troops - A group of soldiers or armed forces. United States of America - A federal republic consisting of 50 states, which was established on July 4, 1776, with the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The national capital is Washington, D.C. Also referred to as America, United States, USA or the U.S. Valor - An attitude of boldness, bravery, and courage in the face of great danger. Veteran - Anyone who has served in the military. We proudly thank our veterans for their service and sacrifice, and we celebrate these heroes on Veterans Day in November each year. Additionally, on Memorial Day in May, we remember our fallen military men and women who have lost their lives in combat.

PLATINUM SPONSOR

Jason, Becky and Cash Blunt We believe that in order to build a better world, it starts by building a better community. Our nation was founded on the principles that valued life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We pray that our nation will continue to follow those principles. We are hopeful that each one of you reading this book will live a life being proud to call the United States of America, home. We are one nation under God. May God bless America!

Faith, family, and freedom is as important today as it was when this country was established. The carrying of the flag is now a personal sacrifice that only the fearless and brave can endure. The fearless voice it, and the brave perform deeds that support our founding principles. I consider this book to be a great deed by its creators. Krista and I are honored to support such genuine and sincere Americans. Truth wins when it is passionately expressed. We can’t wait to share this book of truths! God bless!

Courtney & Eliott Coughlin “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” - 2 Corinthians 3:17 To my sweet children, and all of the beautiful children who are blessed to live in the United States of America — may you always know and remember that your freedoms and liberties are granted by God, not by the government. May you always value our great nation, and may you be blessed to live in a country that loves and honors all that we hold dear — faith, family, and freedom! God bless America’s kids!

GOLD SPONSORS

Chris and Krista Earl

GOLD SPONSORS

Dockery Corporation Faith. Family. Freedom. These values are the cornerstone of America. It is what this country was built on, and in the Midwest, it is what we preach and practice daily. Our company was built based on our family. The growth and success is in direct relation to our faith and working together. As a unit, we support our troops overseas and the ones they leave at home. We help wives and mothers keep their businesses going to help keep American families together when they are sometimes so far apart. We remember everyone deployed. We are so thankful for our troops who have served this country and who bravely fight to protect our freedoms.

Hilda’s Heroes

My advice to American families reading this story is that we must keep an eye on measures and laws that are being pushed that could potentially degrade our right to live and manage our daily activities as we see fit. We must ensure that our sheriff, county commissioners, and all elected officials are truly abiding by the United States Constitution. Only with accountability will we truly keep our freedom. God bless America and those who fight to uphold the Constitution.

We are honored to help sponsor this book and to support Amanda and Michelle in this effort. We believe that the message in this book is what our country is truly built on — faith, family, and freedom. And upholding these values means taking the time to teach them to the next generation.

Brown Color

Graphic Arts and Printing Services by Herb Brown

I think a book like this is NEEDED for future generations to understand what patriotism truly is. I come from a strong military family and am a veteran myself, and I hope and pray that we all do not forget the past. The rights we have and enjoy today were safeguarded for us, thanks to the sacrifices of previous generations. Our United States Constitution is a brilliantly written document, and as American citizens, we must always remember what it represents to us as free people.

GOLD SPONSORS

Tom, Daren, and Travis Kesteloot

SILVER SPONSORS

6B Seed and Supplies Bichler Simmentals Bruns Chiropractic - Dr. Dean E. Bruns D.C. C&D Letellier Ranch Clayton Sage Brumley DePue Farm, Philip and Shelly DePue Jay and Lori Mickelson Kjergaard Sports Knights of Columbus Insurance - Michael Scholz KNLZ Designs In Memory of Larry & Troy Loos McGrew Cattle, Justin and Alison McGrew NOLZ Limousin Pat and Sandy Oleson Ralco Reading With Bristol Dooley Ruthie Tibesar, 2022 Minnesota Elite Ms. United States Agriculture Scott and Jan Radke Sheila Stromberger Sibson Feeder Cattle, Mike and Sue Sibson South Dakota Cattlewomen Travis and Chelsea Kleine Family Farm Weber Land and Cattle Wild To Mild Red Angus

Our Library

You can browse our full collection of books at these websites

www.michelleweberstudio.com www.amandaradke.com

ABOUT THE AG STORYTELLERS We are a team of agricultural professionals and moms who are on a mission to tell agriculture’s rich stories through accurate, engaging and vibrant children’s books that will become a favorite on the bookshelf, as well as a legacy for the producers we represent. With decades of combined experience in the areas of writing, illustrating and design, Ag Storytellers is a collaborative effort that connects consumers with producers. Meet the author, Amanda Radke. She is a seasoned agricultural journalist, blogger, children’s book author, international speaker and cattle rancher based in South Dakota. She holds a degree in agricultural communications, education and leadership from South Dakota State University. With extensive media training, consumer advocacy experience and years of reading children’s books at elementary schools and libraries, Amanda works to create a dynamic storyline that will capture the attention of young readers while accurately representing the experiences of farmers/ranchers. Meet the illustrator, Michelle Weber. She is an author, illustrator, ranch wife and artist located in Minnesota. She specializes in agricultural and livestock art. Michelle has built her portfolio on a national and international level, selling her work in 36-plus states, Canada, Europe, Australia and Asia. With a degree in advertising, marketing and sociology from South Dakota State University, Michelle not only brings unique design and perspective to every illustration on canvas but she also understands how the visual impact will influence and inspire readers. Meet the designer, Tracy McMurphy. She is a graphic designer and online marketing specialist, and a beef cattle producer from Texas. Tracy holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications from Oklahoma State University and a master’s degree in mass communication from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. In each project, Tracy pulls the elements of the book together to create a gorgeous published product that will be a legacy on the bookshelf for years to come.

MEET THE STORYTELLERS

Amanda Radke Author

Michelle Weber Illustrator

Tracy McMurphy Designer

Storytellers tellers AGStory promoting agricultural literacy through accurate, engaging and vibrant books for kids.

To learn more about Ag Storytellers, visit our website.

WWW.AGSTORYTELLERS.COM

Celebrating

Faith, Family & Freedom with a special blessing for America and a sweet message for our nation’s amazing kids! By Amanda Radke | Illustrated by Michelle Weber