Happy Independence Day! Personally, I think that sounds better than "4th of July". There's a fourth of July everywhere in the world, but it's only here in America that we celebrate our independence on this date.
This year I am having a laid back holiday, having quiet time with family and friends, watching fireworks, reflecting on things and realizing yet again how blessed I am to be an American. I'm not trying to come off as an overbearing, gun toting, fanatic who believes that I have the right to put down anyone who's not down home and apple pie because this is "A-mur-i-cuh". I respect the other countries and cultures of the world and I hope to visit many of them eventually. (I'm still saving and planning for that trip to England), but what sort of citizen would I be if I did not believe in my country and have pride in it? Do I think it's perfect? Not always, but I won't go into politics here. We all have different opinions, but all our differences are what make us who we are and I wouldn't change it.
America is home to rock and roll, free speech, pioneers, explorers and dreamers. We were born underdogs out of a revolution and we fight boldly for what we believe. When you really look at it and study even just some of the history of it, we really all should be flying the Union Jack right now. It is a miracle we won the Revolution, that we can call ourselves American. We are blessed to be free. We are the place a lot of people come to be free. We don't all always agree, but the differences make us better. If we don't like something we can change it. There's no other country that is famous for its dream, the American Dream. We are a young country, comparatively, but to me we are a great country and I am honestly proud to be American.
This week I'm turning over a majority of my blog to my church, Coolwater Christian Church. Now, before you go running away, this isn't a sermon. Our minister is away on sabbatical and in our regular newsletter he usually writes a personal column on the back page. This week, I was asked to fill in with a piece of my own for the back page:
At Coolwater lately the theme has been reality TV. I'd like to call to your attention another TV show, called Who Do You Think You Are? If you don't know it I highly recommend that you watch it. Each episode introduces us to a celebrity such as Rob Lowe, Reba McEntire, Paula Deen, Edie Falco, Helen Hunt, and Rita Wilson just to name a few. The premise of the show is researching genealogy. So, for the full episode we follow the celebrity of the week on a journey tracing their lineage. It is one of the most fascinating programs I've ever watched.
These celebrities find out some pretty interesting, if not amazing, things about their family. For example, Helen Hunt found out that one of her ancestors helped co-found Wells Fargo Bank. Edie Falco learned that one of her ancestors was born on a ship at sea. Rita Wilson traced her father's past to a previous wife and child who both died, that he also escaped from a concentration camp, and she found a whole other side of her family in another country that
she'd never met. Rob Lowe discovered an ancestor who played a role in the American Revolution and subsequently filed his application to become a Son of the Revolution.
Watching the show makes you wonder just what kind of interesting or astounding things are in the past of your own family tree. There's something about truly knowing your history that makes your present and your future that much sweeter and meaningful. I can only imagine how Rita Wilson felt when she discovered that her father escaped from a concentration camp. Had he not made it out alive she would not be here today. That must put so many things into perspective. I was speaking with a friend just the other day about how her own family and others she knows had been affected by the holocaust, luckily they escaped or survived, but one of them has the numbers tattooed on her. Things like that make you realize how precious life is, and how easily it can change. In my own life, my grandfather on my father's side came to this country after the war. There could have been many times, I'm sure, that he may not have made it out alive. In fact, his older sister thought for a good seventy years or so that he had not. They have since, within recent years, reunited. It's an amazing story and one I feel truly blessed to have actually witnessed.
That sort of family history is important and you don’t always have to go generations back to appreciate it. I recently went on a vacation to meet up with a cousin and his family. My cousin, Josh, my sister, and I all grew up together. We were more like siblings than cousins. We spent many hours, days, weeks, even months, together playing, getting into trouble, and going on vacations. We were like the three musketeers and it shaped who we each became in many ways. We know things about each other that a lot of other people don't, not just because we're family, but because we were there and we experienced it with each other. On this recent vacation, I came to realize that there is a comfort and bond that is created with someone who holds your past like that. It's been a long time since we went on a vacation like that with Josh. He now has a wife and his own kids added to the mix, each of which we absolutely love and adore as if they've always been a part of the family. We had a great time and made some wonderful memories that will last for decades and become a part of the next generation’s history. Yet, despite the time and distance there was still that bond between the three of us, the musketeers, a little something extra that you don’t have with anyone else. It's hard to describe or explain, but it is something to be cherished when you have it and it only comes with that shared history.
As Independence Day draws near again, I see all this history before me and around me (Even as I write this, our own Pastor Shirey and his family are abroad and, I’m sure, learning some wonderful things about the history of London and Scotland) and I am beginning to think not only about my own history, but about our history as a nation. Independence Day is always a time to reflect on this, but this time I find myself wondering if, like Rob Lowe, any of my ancestors had a hand in the Revolutionary War. What part did they play? Did they stand up for an ideal they believed in? Did they seize the opportunity for independence and strike out boldly into the new world to claim their freedom? Or did they fear retribution from England and play it safe? I would like to find out one day. I hope the first is true. I am an American after all. One of the strengths of this country is how different we all are, but I believe that as a country we all still have that pioneering spirit and it makes me truly proud to call myself American. We're always searching for something better, something greater. Sometimes that gets us into trouble, and we're not perfect, however, I won't get into all that here. We all know the history of the beginnings of our nation and how truly amazing it really is that we are what we are today. That's why we celebrate the Fourth of July and the freedom it represents.
All this is true of our faith as well. Knowing our history makes our faith come alive and makes it more meaningful. To see how all the stories unfold and are connected in God's great plan is truly amazing. Not just in the sacrifice of Jesus, but all the way back to the prophets, Moses, Abraham, Noah, and even Adam and Eve. There is a reason these major stories, or “hi-stories”, are some of the first we learn as children. They are important. They are part of a history we all share as children of God. They remind us of where we came from and teach us how to live even today in this fast paced world. For me, the greatest freedom and independence is in knowing that I am loved by God and that He really does have "the whole world in his hands". Amen.
You can learn more about Coolwater here: http://www.coolwaterchurch.org/ We have a pretty amazing history ourself, one that keeps bubbling in the back of my mind that would make a great story. You can also link to the church's Facebook and Twitter from that page.
In closing I leave you with a song. I love music. So much of my personal writting is inspired by it. Anyway, this is a newer one by the artist Dierks Bentley, called "Home". It talks about our country, and was actually named the official song of the Arizona Centennial since Dierks is from Arizona. It's a great song. Really pay attention to the lyrics. I hope they inspire you and give you hope as they do me. Times may seem hard, but we have been through hard times before. America is not just full of survivors, we're full of fighters and we don't lie down easily. Happy Independence Day my fellow dreamers!
This year I am having a laid back holiday, having quiet time with family and friends, watching fireworks, reflecting on things and realizing yet again how blessed I am to be an American. I'm not trying to come off as an overbearing, gun toting, fanatic who believes that I have the right to put down anyone who's not down home and apple pie because this is "A-mur-i-cuh". I respect the other countries and cultures of the world and I hope to visit many of them eventually. (I'm still saving and planning for that trip to England), but what sort of citizen would I be if I did not believe in my country and have pride in it? Do I think it's perfect? Not always, but I won't go into politics here. We all have different opinions, but all our differences are what make us who we are and I wouldn't change it.
America is home to rock and roll, free speech, pioneers, explorers and dreamers. We were born underdogs out of a revolution and we fight boldly for what we believe. When you really look at it and study even just some of the history of it, we really all should be flying the Union Jack right now. It is a miracle we won the Revolution, that we can call ourselves American. We are blessed to be free. We are the place a lot of people come to be free. We don't all always agree, but the differences make us better. If we don't like something we can change it. There's no other country that is famous for its dream, the American Dream. We are a young country, comparatively, but to me we are a great country and I am honestly proud to be American.
This week I'm turning over a majority of my blog to my church, Coolwater Christian Church. Now, before you go running away, this isn't a sermon. Our minister is away on sabbatical and in our regular newsletter he usually writes a personal column on the back page. This week, I was asked to fill in with a piece of my own for the back page:
At Coolwater lately the theme has been reality TV. I'd like to call to your attention another TV show, called Who Do You Think You Are? If you don't know it I highly recommend that you watch it. Each episode introduces us to a celebrity such as Rob Lowe, Reba McEntire, Paula Deen, Edie Falco, Helen Hunt, and Rita Wilson just to name a few. The premise of the show is researching genealogy. So, for the full episode we follow the celebrity of the week on a journey tracing their lineage. It is one of the most fascinating programs I've ever watched.
These celebrities find out some pretty interesting, if not amazing, things about their family. For example, Helen Hunt found out that one of her ancestors helped co-found Wells Fargo Bank. Edie Falco learned that one of her ancestors was born on a ship at sea. Rita Wilson traced her father's past to a previous wife and child who both died, that he also escaped from a concentration camp, and she found a whole other side of her family in another country that
she'd never met. Rob Lowe discovered an ancestor who played a role in the American Revolution and subsequently filed his application to become a Son of the Revolution.
Watching the show makes you wonder just what kind of interesting or astounding things are in the past of your own family tree. There's something about truly knowing your history that makes your present and your future that much sweeter and meaningful. I can only imagine how Rita Wilson felt when she discovered that her father escaped from a concentration camp. Had he not made it out alive she would not be here today. That must put so many things into perspective. I was speaking with a friend just the other day about how her own family and others she knows had been affected by the holocaust, luckily they escaped or survived, but one of them has the numbers tattooed on her. Things like that make you realize how precious life is, and how easily it can change. In my own life, my grandfather on my father's side came to this country after the war. There could have been many times, I'm sure, that he may not have made it out alive. In fact, his older sister thought for a good seventy years or so that he had not. They have since, within recent years, reunited. It's an amazing story and one I feel truly blessed to have actually witnessed.
That sort of family history is important and you don’t always have to go generations back to appreciate it. I recently went on a vacation to meet up with a cousin and his family. My cousin, Josh, my sister, and I all grew up together. We were more like siblings than cousins. We spent many hours, days, weeks, even months, together playing, getting into trouble, and going on vacations. We were like the three musketeers and it shaped who we each became in many ways. We know things about each other that a lot of other people don't, not just because we're family, but because we were there and we experienced it with each other. On this recent vacation, I came to realize that there is a comfort and bond that is created with someone who holds your past like that. It's been a long time since we went on a vacation like that with Josh. He now has a wife and his own kids added to the mix, each of which we absolutely love and adore as if they've always been a part of the family. We had a great time and made some wonderful memories that will last for decades and become a part of the next generation’s history. Yet, despite the time and distance there was still that bond between the three of us, the musketeers, a little something extra that you don’t have with anyone else. It's hard to describe or explain, but it is something to be cherished when you have it and it only comes with that shared history.
As Independence Day draws near again, I see all this history before me and around me (Even as I write this, our own Pastor Shirey and his family are abroad and, I’m sure, learning some wonderful things about the history of London and Scotland) and I am beginning to think not only about my own history, but about our history as a nation. Independence Day is always a time to reflect on this, but this time I find myself wondering if, like Rob Lowe, any of my ancestors had a hand in the Revolutionary War. What part did they play? Did they stand up for an ideal they believed in? Did they seize the opportunity for independence and strike out boldly into the new world to claim their freedom? Or did they fear retribution from England and play it safe? I would like to find out one day. I hope the first is true. I am an American after all. One of the strengths of this country is how different we all are, but I believe that as a country we all still have that pioneering spirit and it makes me truly proud to call myself American. We're always searching for something better, something greater. Sometimes that gets us into trouble, and we're not perfect, however, I won't get into all that here. We all know the history of the beginnings of our nation and how truly amazing it really is that we are what we are today. That's why we celebrate the Fourth of July and the freedom it represents.
All this is true of our faith as well. Knowing our history makes our faith come alive and makes it more meaningful. To see how all the stories unfold and are connected in God's great plan is truly amazing. Not just in the sacrifice of Jesus, but all the way back to the prophets, Moses, Abraham, Noah, and even Adam and Eve. There is a reason these major stories, or “hi-stories”, are some of the first we learn as children. They are important. They are part of a history we all share as children of God. They remind us of where we came from and teach us how to live even today in this fast paced world. For me, the greatest freedom and independence is in knowing that I am loved by God and that He really does have "the whole world in his hands". Amen.
You can learn more about Coolwater here: http://www.coolwaterchurch.org/ We have a pretty amazing history ourself, one that keeps bubbling in the back of my mind that would make a great story. You can also link to the church's Facebook and Twitter from that page.
In closing I leave you with a song. I love music. So much of my personal writting is inspired by it. Anyway, this is a newer one by the artist Dierks Bentley, called "Home". It talks about our country, and was actually named the official song of the Arizona Centennial since Dierks is from Arizona. It's a great song. Really pay attention to the lyrics. I hope they inspire you and give you hope as they do me. Times may seem hard, but we have been through hard times before. America is not just full of survivors, we're full of fighters and we don't lie down easily. Happy Independence Day my fellow dreamers!