The 4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays! I love grilling burgers, spending time with family, and of course my fireworks are my favorite.
Jackson and I celebrating the holiday last summer
I once spent the 4th in another country, China. I was so bummed when I found out that I wasn't going to be in the states to celebrate.I didn't get to see fireworks that year, but it was the time I learned to really appreciate the freedoms we do have. When the kids were listened intently about stories about what it's like to have brothers and sisters, or when we had to sneak into a secret church service that was held in a old factory just to be able to worship... these were the moments that I thanked God for the freedoms we so often take for granted.
This is a picture of the Old and New Testament Bibles that were once shared amongst an entire village. They were buried separately in between uses. The man these were passed down to was refused to have his picture taken with the Bibles in fear of what could happen to him if he were discovered.
On the international flight home, a Canadian woman had too much to drink on the international flight home and she ended up being handcuffed with zip-ties. She was making all sorts of ruckus and eventually began to criticizing everything about our country and it literally took all of my effort to not get up and hit the lady. I just could not wait to be back on American soil.
We live in a great country. A free county. There will never be a time when we all agree, but that is the greatest freedom we behold-- the freedom to disagree and to make our voices known. United We Stand. One Nation Under God.
When Derek started talk about joining the Army, I never hesitated to support him. Who am I to accept my freedoms without the willingness to offer sacrifice. There are surely days when I am overwhelmed and sad about the months we will spend apart, but I am so proud of my husband and his willingness to serve our great country.
My handsome soldier
While you have fun and celebrate today, be sure to remember the reason we celebrate this holiday. For ideas on ways to show support to the troops, check out this post.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love comments and I always try to reply. Make sure you include your email so I can contact you!! :)