Happy Independence Day!

On July 4th we celebrate our nation's independence from England and at the same time celebrate our nation's values, creativity, perserverance, pride, and honor. Have you ever thought about what makes the United Sates of America such a great country? Most of us don't - at least not on a regular basis. So I would like to tell you some of the reasons that I love the USA!

1. Freedom. We take it for granted, no doubt about that. In many countries around the world, it is illegal to do many of the things we do every day! What are those things? In some countries it is illegal to: own a Bible, eat meat, wear jeans, cut you hair, listen to music, say something negative about the government, vote, own a business, just to name a few. Also, in some countries, marriages are arranged, cars are not used, cows are sacred, healthcare is shoddy, and the color of your skin determines where you are allowed to live. But here in the USA, we have many freedoms we take for granted. The next time you play your IPod, remember that if you didn't live in he USA, you might not even be allowed to own an IPod!

2. Pride. We are blessed to have people in our country that are so proud of the freedoms we represent, they are willing to die for it. Thank God! There have been hundreds of thousands of men and women that have died so that we can enjoy those freedoms I described. It is because of this freedom that we are the most powerful country on the planet - and will stay that way as long as we continue to love the USA.

3. Compassion. The USA has shown so much compassion towards other countries over the past 200 years. We are always ready to help, either with out military or our money. We have allowed billions of dollars to go unpaid by third world countries in order to help them establish themselves. We have given thousands of our soldiers lives to help people gain the same sort of freedoms we enjoy. I love that about the USA. We are a country filled with compassion for the world and use our resources for the good of mankind.

I know there are many other reasons to love the USA. As a matter of fact, I could probably go on for the whole day! But instead, it's time to go enjoy my day and celebrate the country that has given me so much!

May you enjoy your day and be blessed!