Happy 240th, America. Ten reasons why you’re still Beautiful.

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Happy 240th America

Happy 240th, America. Ten reasons why you’re still Beautiful.

Independence Day has been relegated to July 4th or Fourth of July for quite some time. Unfortunately, I am sure a roving reporter could go out on the street and ask what we specifically celebrate on July 4 and most would not know that we are celebrating our INDEPENDENCE from the rule of Great Britain.

Ironically, just this past week, Great Britain pulled out from the European Union, declaring they wanted their independence as well. Alas, it is much more complicated than just bringing back the pound and it has created more potential EXIT’s than a football stadium, (GREXIT, CHEXIT, SWEXIT, and the list will grow…) but the concept is the same: Freedom to do as they please.

When we lived in the country of Latvia for a year, this tiny country, along with the other Baltic States of Estonia and Lithuania, had only know their independence from the Soviet Union for twenty years! If I remember correctly, for their thousands of years of existence, they have only been an independent people for approximately forty years. 40 years!

For all of my soon-to-be 55 years on this earth, I have experienced Freedom. I have been free to say what I think, live where I want to live, go where I want to go, marry who I want to marry (whew!), choose a career path or be a SAHM, and gather to worship without fear of authorities busting down the door. I do not take any of those things for granted, especially today as I see my children, and now grandchildren, introduced to a seemingly different America. I am sad, in many respects, that they will never know the America I grew up in….not a perfect place, just a different place.

As I watch so many freedoms slip away, I will never forget one of the Russians in our Home Group asking me why the United States was so willing to give up their freedoms? “You have everything there, why go backwards?”

It’s a good question to ponder; yet we know God is in control and He has a plan. HIS freedoms are forever, HIS promises never fail! Everything He told us in His letter, the Bible, is true and WILL come to pass. This is where we place our forever hope, our forever confidence and our forever dreams. No matter where you live in this world, no matter what your future holds, whether there be darkness or light, joy or turmoil, freedom or captivity, Jesus is still God and everything centers around HIM.

So, on this Independence Day, what we now call The 4th of July, I can still find things about this great country to love and I hope you will add YOUR sentiments as well. We could make a massive list of the things wrong with this place we call home, let’s see what we can find is right…and pray it stays that way.

  1. Beauty. It’s simply everywhere. From sea to shining sea, as the appropriate song sings out, we have it all. Mountains and gorgeous valleys, rivers, lakes, oceans, hills and hollows, America really is The Beautiful.
  2. Seasons. I have always been a lover of seasons and most places in our great country experience at least some of them. Coming from Indiana, we had them all and when in the middle of one, we were longing for the next! The anticipation of the first flower of spring, the fun activities that accompany summer and all of its heat, the breathtaking splendor of fall as the leaves change their colors, and winter. True, not many look forward to winter but most everyone is still in wonder, no matter their age, when that first snow begins.
  3. People. We are a country of diversity, it is our foundation, what we are made of! “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door.” Emma Lazarus
  4. Abundance. True, it is not always a good thing but we should be thankful that we can walk into any store and buy just about anything we want to eat or drink. There are plenty of things to find wrong with our economy, to be sure, but when you have visited other countries, you truly appreciate being able to get clean water and decent food.
  5. Air conditioning. Okay, we are halfway through so I have to throw in a little humor. But seriously, do you know who invented air conditioning? Willis Carrier invented the first modern air conditioner and forever changed the world. Again, when you have lived without it, we did for a year in Latvia, you appreciate these little things. Thank you Mr. Carrier!
  6. Education. Almost anyone can receive an education in this great country if they work hard enough. It is expensive, exhausting and exhilarating all at the same time. We have some of the finest universities in the world right here out our back doors.
  7. Free speech. I want to keep this a positive post and I know mentioning this one brings up a firestorm of “We won’t have that for much longer!” “We are losing it every, single day…” When something is precious, you appreciate it and freedom of speech is what makes America what it is. If we lose that, we have lost it all. May we fight with everything that is in us to keep that basic right that our country was founded upon 240 years ago.
  8. Online shopping. Did you know you can now get some things delivered to your door in TWO HOURS instead of two days or two weeks? Say what?! This boggles the mind but saves the consumer time, gas and mental anguish fighting for that front parking space. Genius.
  9. Clothes dryers. Again, until you have gone without…the neat thing about America is that even the Average Joe, making an average wage can live a good life with all the modern conveniences the majority of the world will never experience! Friends, we pay $4 for a cup of coffee here and don’t bat an eye. We have much to be thankful for.
  10. Worship. Sure, this one could be filed under Free Speech but I think it deserves a category all its own. Today, and any day of the week I would choose, I walked into a church building with hundreds of others and we worshiped the Lord Jesus Christ without fear. And today, we, as a body of believers, gave thanks and praise to God for that privilege and right. Thank you, God, that we are still able to do this and may our children and grandchildren be able to worship You whenever and wherever they so choose.

Naturally, there are hundreds more reasons to appreciate this great country. What are some of YOUR reasons for loving America? Please share! 

Here is another reason I am thankful today, I am able to see Norah Jayne’s sweet face whenever I want. Every day is celebration of this miracle God has given.

Praying you all have a safe and happy Independence Day with your friends and family. Let us remember what we are celebrating…240 years of FREEDOM! May we be able to celebrate many, many more that those who died for the freedoms we enjoy will not have given their lives in vain.

God Bless America.

 

 

 

Protect

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It’s #FiveMinuteFriday and I am sooooo glad to be back! We moved to Tennessee June 8 but were stuck at our son and dil’s home for three solid weeks with unexpected delays at our new place. We finally moved in this week but we have NO INTERNET so this morning, in order to post this blurb and catch up on some other things, I am forcing myself to sit at Starbucks at six a.m. Somebody has to do it. Enjoy this take on the word, Protect and find others writing on the same subject here.

The name Angelica Figueroa Guerrero might not mean anything to you but she died doing something few others have done. This 39 year old mother shielded her 15 year old daughter in a bathtub, laid right on top of her, protecting her from a tornado that ultimately struck their home. Her daughter survived but Angelica did not. She gave her life for one she loved.

The Bible tells us there is no greater love than to lay down your life for another! Angelica’s story helped me see Jesus. The Bible tells us that Jesus could have called 10,000 angels to come and save Him from the cross at Calvary. But He didn’t. He gave His life willingly and He suffered, willingly. He threw Himself down over His children, not beside them to shield them a little bit, but He shielded us with His spirit, covering us with His own blood! If that isn’t love….what is?

Why did He do it?

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Because He was protecting His children. He knew the tornado’s in our lives would threaten us, scare us, torment us and take us down without His sacrifice. But if He gave the ultimate protection, His life, then we would have eternal life and the infilling of His spirit with us at all times as protection, a covering, from the evils of this world.

Is everyone always protected? No, it is true sometimes bad things happen to good people and bad things happen to God’s people. But that is where the really beautiful part comes in to play. Even if we think the battle was lost, it was not. If Angelica Guerrero knew Jesus, she didn’t die in vain. Her reward was not in this life anyway. Her story serves as an example of courage, sacrifice and love. Our struggles are an encouragement to others and to ourselves!

Jesus WILL show up when you need protection the most. He will either carry you THROUGH the trial, or He can REMOVE the trial from you, or if He decides it is best, TAKE you on to glory and the reward that we live for our entire lives.

What do you need protection from today? God is more than able to help, call on His name!

Can you BE that protection for someone else? Do they need someone to step in and be Jesus to them today? Don’t let the opportunity pass you by.

For the Kingdom

 

Come to the Well

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“The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.” Revelation 22:17 NLT.

Let us just settle one thing at the very beginning: you do not have to “get good” to “get God”!

It just doesn’t work that way. And we can be so thankful that it doesn’t! We don’t have to work at our salvation. It is a free gift. We have to accept it. We have to Come…

Casting Crowns recorded a beautiful song, “The Well”, and the first verse is the story of so many:

“I have what you need, but you keep on searching

I’ve done all the work, but you keep on working.”

There we are, out there looking for the answers, doing all the work that has already been done at Calvary! He has paid the price, it is finished. Come…

Now look at the rest of that verse:

“When you’re running on empty

And you can’t find the remedy

Just come to the well.”

You’ve looked everywhere, exhausted all of your resources, but still you can’t find the remedy, the cure, the tonic, the right medicine to calm the ache inside. Come…

“Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” …The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”

“But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? …Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.  But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

“Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.” John 4:7-15 NLT.

The woman at the well was the same way. She was a woman with a past…five husbands and the one she was living with was not her husband.

She finds Jesus sitting at the well. At this meeting Jesus breaks three Jewish customs. First, He spoke to a woman, second, she was a Samaritan woman, and third He asks a Samaritan woman to get Him a drink. This would have made Him ceremonially unclean by using her cup or jar. She was so surprised by His request!

She met Jesus unexpectedly. She even came at the wrong time. She purposely came in the heat of the day to avoid the other women and their stares.

But He doesn’t condemn her. He offers her living water and eternal life! Come…

“And all who thirst will thirst no more
And all who search will find
What their souls long for
The world will try but it can never fill
So leave it all behind
And come to the well”

The woman who was caught in the act of adultery was brought to Jesus by a crowd who was expecting her to be tried and convicted. But Jesus surprised them all when He said first to the crowd, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” Then He said to her, “Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more.” John 8:7, 11 KJV.

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Come…

“So bring me your heart, no matter how broken
Just come as you are, when your last prayer is spoken”

The sins of the woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery were not ignored or overlooked by Jesus. They were forgiven. Forgiveness is waiting for us when we are ready to confess and forsake our old life and walk in newness of life with Christ.  We cannot clean up our lives without the help of Almighty God. We must turn from our sin but we cannot do that on our own, we need His help, we need salvation.

Do not keep saying to yourself, “Once I get everything fixed in my life I will come to the Lord.” It will never happen. That is a trick of the enemy; he loves to deceive people in that manner.

Remember, you cannot get good to get God!

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“Just rest in my arms a while
You’ll feel a change, my child
When you come to the well”

Come…

What a relief and a weight will be lifted from your shoulders! The woman at the well couldn’t wait to share the news! “The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, ‘Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?’ So the people came streaming from the village to see him.” John 4:28-30 NLT.

The lyrics at the end of the Casting Crowns song are so good. This list of things that you can be rid of for the rest of your life when you “Come…”

Your pursuit of perfection (leave it all behind)
Your fear of rejection (leave it all behind)
Your temporary pleasures (leave it all behind)
All your earthly treasures (leave it all behind)
Dried up empty religion (leave it all behind)
Rusty chains of addiction (leave it all behind)
All the guilt that weighs you down (leave it all behind)
Just leave it all behind and come to the well 

What are you waiting for?