4th of July

Happy Fourth of July everyone!  What a glorious day to celebrate the birthday of our country!  We’ve been watching the baseball game this morning between the San Francisco Giants and the Washington Nationals.  As the TV camera panned over to some fans who held up signs saying that they had traveled from California to watch the game, I commented to my wife how special it would be to be in Washington D.C. on the fourth.  That would be a sight to see!

Yesterday afternoon I was researching famous quotes concerning the birth of our country with the thought that I could use some clever, heart stirring, patriotic Christian statements for today’s blog post.  But then I came across a couple of sentences written by the well known American humorist and columnist Erma Bombeck (1927-1996) that just seem to put it all into perspective.  She said:

“You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4th, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness.  You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.”

We are a country that was built on the respect of its people with a government that was to be by the people and for the people.  As you celebrate the freedom that was pronounced by our forefathers this day back in 1776, look ahead in prayerful expectations to our future and remember the words spoken by the 16^th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863 following the bloodiest battle of the Civil War at Gettysburg Pennsylvania:

“This nation, under God,

 shall have a new birth of Freedom -

 and that government of the people,

 by the people, for the people,

 shall not perish from the earth.”

Have a great day with family and friends.  Stay in Tune to his Word and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”