Happy Independence Day!!!

I'm so glad the post I tried to post last night had a blogger error and fell through. It was rife with whining and frustration over circumstances these days. Not uplifting at all.

Today we celebrate our nation's independence. More than that, we celebrate our freedom. I don't usually refer to it as "The Fourth of July," because that doesn't reference anything about it's meaning. I don't call Christmas "The Twenty-Fifth of December" after all. I call it Christmas.

I think of myself as fairly patriotic. I love America. I can't think of a place I'd rather live. However, I'm also sometimes beside myself with the state of America. "Kids these days..." My mind just can't comprehend so many things our nation embraces. So much of what it puts up with and chooses gives me great sadness. I think my patriotism is more for what America was, or should be, or was intended to be.

How are we debating the idea of nationalized healthcare? Did you know that the very existance of the Department of Education is unconstitutional??? How did we get to this point?

Perhaps it's inevitable. Nothing truly is perfect, outside of Christ, and while the Left sure wants to Save Us All, it just can't be done. Even something as divinely-inspired as the founding of the U.S.A. can't produce Utopia.

But it makes a place for us to produce our own.

What can we do to better this place? To return it to something George Washington would recognize and be proud of? I'm sure you can find all kinds of articles about that online. For me, though, it boils down to one thing.... To teach my children well. To do my best to make a place where they can grow and learn and understand the potential God has put within them, the Calling they have on their lives. To help them understand that with freedom comes great responsibility. Responsibility to keep themselves from idolizing whatever pop icon is in the news, from letting fantasy suck their life away (whether in the form of video games, online, movies, novels, tv shows, etc). Responsibility to live they life they've been given by God. Just think; if we take responsibility for our own lives, we won't be whining for someone else to pay for our medicine. If we take the responsibilities outlined in Scripture, we will be supporting the church and the needy, and politicians who stand up with promises to steal from the successful guy to pad the lifestyle of the needy won't have as big an audience. The needy will have understanding too.

So this Independence Day, I celebrate the freedoms I do have. I am free to teach my children and support my family and community and live my life, inasmuch as I can.

And as soon as I find a cannon, I'll have my own not-in-support-of-China fireworks. :)