Dealing with Tough Stuff

Twice in my life I have had the rug pulled out from under me at work. One job that had been promised to me was denied at the last minute. The other was a job I had held for 14 years which got “restructured.” Both situations rocked my world and sent me scurrying for other employment. 

I know these things happen to people in the corporate world all the time. It doesn’t make it any less ruthless. 

As I look back on these and other difficult situations in my life, I can see evidence of God having been there with me. He gave me the freedom to cry and to ask Him, “why?” He gave me direction as I sought to find my way out of the muck. He brought people into my life who encouraged me. He helped me get back up and live again. 

As I reflect further on Bill’s sermon last Sunday at First Baptist Church in Somerset, I realize that because of my own past difficulties, I can influence others to rely on the Lord who is walking with them. I can encourage others to seek God’s plan in their situations. I can remind them that He will never leave them. 

And as I encourage people to walk with the Lord, perhaps they will be able to do the same for others along the way. 

So no matter how difficult things seem right now, remember that if you are a Christian, the Lord is walking with you through it. 

LORD, thank you for your ever present love that compels you to walk with each of us every day. May we never forget you are there. 

Walking With Jesus

Monday, July 21, 2025

Have you ever traveled with someone and neither of you really said anything? There was no real communication about what route to take or where to stop for lunch or what the other was thinking or what sights to see once you got there?

That sounds pretty uneventful. Boring, even. And it might be a recipe for a vacation disaster.

Yesterday’s post was prompted by my husband’s sermon about perseverance. He had encouraged us to think about this all week:

I’m not walking alone.

I’m walking with Jesus. 

I would like to suggest that walking with Jesus might involve some communication like being on vacation with someone. We might want to chat about where we are going, how we might approach a relationship, whether or not we should buy a new house, or even what we are thinking. 

I don’t think we really understand how much God wants to hear from us — not because we are asking Him for something but because we just want to chat. I firmly believe that he longs to fellowship with us. And I think that walking with Him is a good time to chat. 

So I encourage you to embrace the concept of not walking alone but, instead, walking with Jesus. And moreover to communicate with Him about everything. That is fellowship. That makes the journey more enjoyable — for everybody.

LORD, it is hard for us to grasp that you, the ruler of the universe, might want to chat with us. We thank you for that. Help us to walk closely enough to you that we can clearly hear your voice along the way. Thank you for the fellowship. 

Perseverance

Sunday, July 20, 2025

I have a friend who is in a toxic relationship. I’ll call her Julia. Now Julia and her husband both profess to be Christians. They have been married for several years. But their relationship is, well, awful. 

Julia and I talk fairly regularly and she cycled from worrying about what will happen next — to despairing over her situation — to relief when things work out — to euphoria when she acknowledges God as the untangler of her issues — and then back to worrying again etc. 

More than anything, Julia wants her relationship to be Christ-centered and healthy. But it continues to spiral. 

What do you say to a person in this situation? On the one hand, she wishes she could leave. But on the other hand, she truly loves her husband and she chooses to hang on. 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NIV

Here are some things I can show Julia in  Scripture about holding on. 

• Remember those who have gone on before you. What words of encouragement might they tell you as you struggle? Can you hear your grandmother’s kind voice? How about your favorite teacher or coach?
• Get rid of the weights that slow you down and confess the sin that ties you up in knots. 
• Run the marathon of life with stick-to-it-iveness. 
• Remember that you are not alone. 
• Consider the fact that Jesus was persecuted and ridiculed and falsely accused and murdered by people who had at one time been his followers so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. ‭‭

And based on Matthew 28:20, Jesus is with his believers always, to the very end of the age. We are not running this race alone. We are encouraged, strengthened and sometimes carried by our Lord and Savior, himself. 

My friend, Julia, is not unlike you or me or countless Christians today who struggle with difficulties, obstacles, discouragement, chaos or pain. We need to encourage and pray for each other. And remember:

We are not walking alone. 

We are walking with Jesus.

LORD, May we live our lives victoriously, realizing that you are with us all along the way. 

Hey, I Know You

Saturday, July 19, 2025

Our grandson, Carter, had two more baseball games today and will have one or two tomorrow. And Bill and I took our son, Patrick, and his daughter to see the Florence Y’all’s last night in Northern Kentucky. It was during that game that I remembered an old story. 

In the summer of 1986 before children arrived in our home, Bill and I went to a few baseball games. Since we are SF Giants fans we tried to go see them whenever we could in Chicago, St Louis, Cincinnati or Atlanta. Before every game, we always got there early so we could watch batting practice. Every so often we would score a baseball from one of the players. 

This particular summer I was able to slip down with a baseball into the lower level prior to the games to charm some signatures from some of the guys as they warmed up. I struck up conversations with some of them. They were always curious about how far their fans had come to see them play. 

One day when we were in Cincinnati to see the Giants play a series with the Reds, Bill and I walked around downtown to kill some time before the game. It was on a sidewalk in Cincinnati that we ran into Luis Quiñones. He saw us and paused for a moment. “Do you all follow us EVERYwhere?” he asked.  Goodness. You know it’s bad when the players start to recognize YOU!

How many times have we been just faceless bodies sitting in the right field bleachers of life? It’s hard to be recognized from the field when your seats are in the 4th level of the park. Basically we are nobodies in a sea of nobodies — nobodies who like baseball.

I’m so glad that God doesn’t let me blend in with the crowd. He sees me clearly — every defining feature. He knows my name. He knows me. 

LORD, you are my hero. Thank you for taking interest in all of us. Help us to remember that you created us and knew us before we were even born. Help us to come to grips with the fact that you don’t want to just pass us on the street but that you want to spend time with us. We are important to you!

NOTICE

• I’m pretty sure I don’t know anybody from Little River Academy, TX or Monticello, GA so stop calling me. 
• I haven’t had a protection plan so I don’t need to renew one. 
• I have never purchased cloud space for my photos so go ahead and delete them because there aren’t any. 
• I haven’t updated my resume in twenty years so I’m pretty sure you haven’t seen it and I’m positive I don’t qualify for the job you are offering me, primarily because I’m retired for a reason. 
• I’m not trying to be rude but if you text me, “hello,” I’m not responding to you. 
• I’m also ignoring the “how are you doing” or “are you in the office” text. You’d better be a little more specific than that if you want a response. 
• I guess my UPS package that is undeliverable will just have to be returned to sender. 
• I don’t have a long lost relative in some faraway land who has left me a fortune in his will. 

BrianAJackson at Getty Images

Whatever happened to making an honest living? Being on the up and up? Why do we constantly have to have our guard up for schemers and scammers? It makes me tired. And sad. 

LORD, thank you for being straightforward with us so that we know exactly who you are and what you want. You are the One True God, Creator of the universe, Giver of Life. And more than anything, you want to have a personal relationship with each of us. Thank you. 

Pepe Le Pew

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

I had to get up early this morning in order to leave for work by 6:15. I got a bit of a surprise, though. I let the dogs out as usual and they immediately went after something in our backyard. So I went out onto La the back deck to calm them down and to reel them back in. Immediately it hit me. “Skunk! Great! I don’t have time for this!”

This raises two questions for me. 

• Why do dogs get sprayed by skunks on more than one occasion? My previous dog got sprayed three times over about 2 years. Really? 
• What is the best way to neutralize the horrific smell? 

I know that dogs are smart — well for the most part. You can teach them to do all kinds of crazy things. It seems logical to me that if you get a blast of nastiness in your face you might make a mental note to avoid the situation in the future. 

I read today that the behaviors of skunks might send mixed messages to curious canines. 

• The first thing skunks do is to try to intimidate a potential predator by slapping their front paws on the ground. I’m afraid my dogs see that as a playful gesture. 
• Skunks do look a little like a cat, you know. And according to the Internet, cats tend to raise their tails straight up when they are happy. No threat there. 
• Also, most dogs go straight for the butts of new friends in order to check them out or say hello or whatever. 
• So overall a skunk may be saying “back off, buster” but the dog interprets the body language as “come on, friend, let’s play.” 

That being said, I still don’t understand why dogs will approach skunks more than once. I just don’t get it. 

When my Cassie got sprayed this morning, I knew I had no choice but to try to get her bathed as quickly as possible. 

• So I carefully carried her inside to the tub, making sure I didn’t let her touch me anywhere. It was also imperative that I not allow her to get on any furniture or to rub her head on any carpeting. 
• I poured some enzyme cleaner in a cup and carefully poured it over her head, face and throat, rubbing it in all over. 
• I rinsed her. And water, by the way, makes the smell worse. 
• Then I did it again. 
• Sometimes when you’re right up there in it, you lose your ability to smell it. Nevertheless she passed the smell test after her second application so I toweled her off and sent her to the garage to dry off away from the furniture and carpeting. 

I think the enzyme product works better than tomato juice or baking soda, etc. And when I got to work today they all confirmed that they couldn’t smell the skunk on me. That was a win for the enzyme cleaner, too!

There you have it. Cassie and Pepe Le Pew got my day started off with a spray!

LORD, after the passage of a little time, we laugh about these curious encounters. I can only shake my head about it all. But I think it’s pretty cool how you gave skunks the instinct to take a stand, whether we like the olfactory outcome or not. 

A Story From a Child

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Children are little sponges, soaking up things that they see and hear and using them in their own ways. I think Jesus smiles as He hears their innocent, heartfelt prayers and chuckles as they sometimes get things a little mixed up. 

I have become the designated storyteller whenever we are in the car with grandchildren. Sometimes a highly fictitious tale weaves itself along. And sometimes it is a “real” story at the children’s request. 

Recently one of our younger ones declared that they wanted to tell us one. It went something like this:

Once upon a time Grammy and Poppers went on an airplane (which tells you right away that this was NOT a real story). They went to Texas. They went to a birthday party. Then they came home. Amen. 

How precious is that? Amen? The end? They all lived happily ever after? To a three year old, what’s the difference?

And maybe every story should end with, “Amen.” Prayers obviously do. This little one can attest to that.

Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭19‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

LORD, Thank you for the innocence of children. May we be careful to encourage them to come to you on their terms. Thank you for loving them (and us). 

PurePrintableArt @ Etsy

A Case of Mistaken Identity

July 14, 2025

You may be aware that I have two older sisters and, although we don’t live near to each other in proximity, we are pretty close. We get together as often as we can which is, quite honestly, never often enough. 

This particular story took place twenty years ago in Nashville, TN as Lynne and I coordinated a surprise birthday reunion for Rachel. We arranged for her family to escort her to “The Aquarium Restaurant” at Opry Mills, a wonderful place that we knew she enjoyed. Lynne and I waited expectantly in a spacious booth toward the back for her and her family to arrive.

Photo by Julie Michaels

As we waited, we couldn’t help but notice 3 couples with tables pushed together celebrating the birthday of one of their youngsters. There were presents, lots of food and the requisite cake. They seemed to be enjoying themselves but beyond that we noticed nothing else of particular interest. 

Soon Rachel arrived and as she approached our booth, the head of the birthday party table was directly between her and us. With excitement, Rachel exclaimed, “I can’t believe you’re here!” Immediately the head of the other table began to rise in some perplexity at the greeting, thinking, of course, that she was talking to him!

She passed him up, of course, adding further to his bewilderment, to greet us with hugs and kisses and excited verbal exchanges. 

Those folks wondered who in the world we were, somewhat embarrassed that perhaps they should know. It was Nashville after all. 

We giggled at the obvious confusion but waited until after the other party left to ask our waitress if she knew who they were. Feeling a little relieved that she didn’t know either, we sent her to ask someone else if they knew their identity. It was Rascal Flatts and “Life is a Highway” debuted with the movie, “Cars,” just a few months later. 

I texted Rachel today to remind her of that event. We have all laughed about it for two decades! And sometimes we wonder if they ever look back and wonder who on earth those crazy ladies were!

LORD, Thank you for birthdays and other memories of life and love. Thank you for blessing us beyond measure. 

Ancestors

I spent some time talking with a friend this week about his relocation to a new home. He had been so excited to learn that several generations of his family had settled there years ago. He found a special connection to that place as a result. It sounds like he will live there forever. 

Knowing information about your ancestors can bring a sense of belonging. 

Realizing that you are going to be someone’s ancestor one day can give you a sense of responsibility. 

My mother lived with us for the last three years of her life. We loved having her here. One day she and I had a conversation about a piece of furniture she thought she should sell. “It’s not anything special,” she said. “Your father and I bought it when you were little. So it’s not an antique or anything.” My response was something like this. “It might not be that old but it belongs to somebody’s great grandmother. Perhaps one of them might want it to remember her by.”

I don’t think of myself as somebody’s ancestor. I know my children and my grandchildren. But what about those yet to be born a couple of generations down the road? What am I doing that might have an impact on them? Am I giving enough of myself to the family that I have? Am I leaving anything important behind so that they can share a sense of belonging? Will they know that I believe in Jesus? Will they find Him in my own personal belongings?

LORD, help me to live my life in such a way that I will make you proud. Give me ideas about ways I can impact those who come after me. 

River Church Adventure Camp

Powered by FBC Richmond

Today Klecenda and Carter left for a week-long mission trip to Loveland, Colorado. 

River Church has Adventure Camps for local children in the summers. I would most likely compare them to Vacation Bible Schools. First Baptist in Richmond sent a team of folks out there today to help them for the week. 

I love the fact that Carter has been allowed to go with his mother on this trip. Tonight they got to meet a bunch of people and he was right at home in the crowd. He sounds just a little bit like his grandfather!

FBC Richmond’s own Alex Price is on staff at River Church. It will be fun for him to see some friends from home this week. 

Pray for the team as they find their rhythm with the children in the camp this week. Pray for the children of the community as they hear the gospel. Pray that this week will be a real boost for River Church. 

LORD, Thank you for River Church and for their outreach to the Loveland community. I pray that you will open the hearts of the campers and the workers this week. Speak to them. Bless them. 

Words of Advice for the Newly Married

Bill has performed three weddings in the past seven days. And yesterday was our 43rd anniversary. So in that vein, if you were going to give advice to newlyweds about how to make a marriage work, what would you say?

COMMITMENT

First, commit your lives individually to the Lord. Then commit your marriage to Him. 

COMMUNICATE

The last time I checked, I couldn’t find anyone who could read minds. Talk. Listen. Put yourself in the other’s shoes. Be honest with each other. 

DREAM TOGETHER

Some of the best ideas come because of brainstorming. Think together outside the box.

FIGHT FAIR

Disagreements come but they don’t have to be ugly. Never raise your voice to your spouse. Never express “strong opinions” toward each other in front of others — especially not your children. And NEVER go to bed angry. 

TITHE

According to the Bible, everything we have belongs to the Lord. So giving 10% of what we have to ministry is the least we can do. And do it we should. 

BE VULNERABLE 

Sharing your insecurities with your spouse should not make you feel weak. In fact, a thoughtful, supportive spouse will empower you to face your issues and will help you be stronger. 

LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY 

Be patient and kind with each other. Approach things with humility and unselfishness. (Think 1 Corinthians 13.)

ENJOY LIFE

Don’t take things too seriously. Have fun. Be silly. Laugh freely. 

LORD, Bless these newly wed couples. May they put their marriages in your hands. May you be glorified through them. 

43 years and counting

This story is based on the events of July 10, 1982 when Bill and I were married. And, of course that was a very important day. But the beginning, as we knew it, was long before that day in February and June of 1959 when we were born. Little did we know that the God of the universe had created us for each other and was forming our lives and hearts to be prepared for July 10, 1982 and the years that would follow. 

Bill and I both grew up in remarkable homes. I had my parents and two sisters. He had his parents and several other “only” children in his community as brothers. God used our families to teach us and to shape us into young adults. 

In the summer of 1980, I was home in Bowling Green after my first year of pharmacy school and was struggling with some things regarding my relationship with a young man I had been dating for a couple of years. He was a great guy. But somehow we just couldn’t get on the same page spiritually. I was mature enough to know that we would never make it that way. But I had no idea what to do about it. 

Then Bill Fort walked into my upside down world and turned it right side up! On our very first date he blessed our meal together and then prayed with me before I went home. No one I had dated had ever done that before. You might say that a light bulb instantly went on over my head. 

It took a few weeks for me to get my act together, but with God’s direction and Bill’s patience (no pun intended), I came out on the other side ready to tackle year two of pharmacy school and to see where this new relationship would go. 

Long distance wasn’t easy. I was at UK and he was at WKU. We managed to navigate the difficulties, though, and soon realized that marriage was in our future. Here’s something interesting I told the Lord one day. “Lord, you may have prepared Bill for the ministry but you have NOT made me to be a pastor’s wife!”

In many ways I could not have made a truer statement. Bill was, indeed, going to be a tremendous pastor as many of you can attest. But although many will say that there was nothing typical or traditional about my life as the wife of this pastor, no one can quibble with the fact that my love for him and for the Lord has been strong and determined. Bill encouraged me to be myself as I served in our churches and that is what I have done. He gave me permission to seek and carry out God’s will in our ministry together. He encouraged me to do whatever pleased the Lord and not people. 

No one could have loved me more than that. 

So today, 43 years after we said our vows, we are still in love. We are still each others’ biggest fans. We are still walking hand in hand through this life and look forward to what God has planned for us tomorrow. 

Bill brought them home to me last night. He’s so sweet!

LORD, thank you for making Bill and me individually and collectively. You have created us to be your instruments. And we love you for it. 

 

Even If

They say sometimes you win some
Sometimes you lose some
And right now, right now I'm losing bad
I've stood on this stage night after night
Reminding the broken it'll be alright
But right now, oh right now I just can't

It's easy to sing
When there's nothing to bring me down
But what will I say
When I'm held to the flame
Like I am right now

I know You're able and I know You can
Save through the fire with Your mighty hand
But even if You don't
My hope is You alone

They say it only takes a little faith
To move a mountain
Well good thing
A little faith is all I have, right now
But God, when You choose
To leave mountains unmovable
Oh give me the strength to be able to sing
It is well with my soul

I know You're able and I know You can
Save through the fire with Your mighty hand
But even if You don't
My hope is You alone
I know the sorrow, and I know the hurt
Would all go away if You'd just say the word
But even if You don't
My hope is You alone

You've been faithful, You've been good
All of my days
Jesus, I will cling to You
Come what may
'Cause I know You're able
I know You can

I know You're able and I know You can
Save through the fire with Your mighty hand
But even if You don't
My hope is You alone
I know the sorrow, I know the hurt
Would all go away if You'd just say the word
But even if You don't
My hope is You alone

It is well with my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul

 

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Bart Millard / Ben Glover / Crystal Lewis / David Garcia / Tim Timmons

Even If lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing, Essential Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Music Services, Inc, Spirit Music Group

Tragedy

Monday, July 7, 2025

Three days ago tragedy struck in Texas. More than 100 people lost their lives in the wake of prolonged torrential rains. Many of the victims were young children. How painful this must be for the survivors and for the families impacted. 

I read today about a couple who dealt with the devastation of losing a child a few years ago to leukemia. They shared their individual and collective struggles and how they came out on the other side of the agony. This is one of the scriptures they shared.

But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.
Psalms‬ ‭10‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV

I simply cannot fathom the loss of a child or a grandchild. That’s not the “right order of things.” I can only imagine the pain, the loss of purpose or the marital strain. 

So what can we do? Pray.

Some of those who survived will struggle with why they lived and others did not. They will be at risk for depression and post traumatic stress disorder. Pray for their peace. Pray that they will be able to sleep at night.

The families who lost children are now facing the hardest days of their lives. Pray for their strength. The parents will be at risk for divorce. The surviving siblings may suffer any number of problems including guilt, hopelessness and anger. Pray that they will grow stronger together as a family.

Some families may never recover the bodies of their loved ones. They are at risk for never being able to find closure. Pray for God to fill the void in their lives. 

I can’t imagine the pain, the devastation, the grief, the feeling of being trapped in perpetual slow motion. Yet my prayer is that God will heal them all. 

And this might seem a little strange but I pray that people across the country and the world will come to faith in God as a result of this tragedy. May He be glorified through the lives of these victims.

LORD, You hear the cries of the survivors and families. May they seek refuge in you. Fill them with your peace, Lord. Bring them through the devastation even stronger than before. Heal them, Lord.

AMERICA

Alabaster cities glow in the night. 

Majestic mountains are rocky and old. 

Enduring freedom.

Revolutionary spirit. 

In God is our trust!

Conquer we must when our cause is just.

Amber waves of grain flow to the horizon.

 

America is beautiful. 

America is founded on incredible people.

We are kind.

We are smart. 

We are diverse.

We are important. 

We are industrious. 

We are independent. 

We are hard-working.

“If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways—then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14

LORD, We thank you for using our forefathers to establish our country 249 years ago. We are not perfect. But we love you and want to bring you glory every day. Give us the strength to turn toward you and away from evil. Forgive us, Lord. Heal us. 

I’ve Lost My Mind

by Patience Fort

There was an old lady 

Who misplaced her brain. 

How insane! 

She misplaced her brain. 

Jill Konrath

She looked on the table.

She looked on the floor.

She stopped for a minute.

Then hunted some more. 

She looked in the closet.

She looked in the car.

She looked in the bedroom.

It couldn’t be far. 

She pulled up an app

To send it a beep.

Her phone seemed to say

It was under her feet. 

Her brain was not there.

It just wasn’t there.

Herein was the problem,

She hadn’t a spare. 

So…

She rechecked the table.

She rechecked the floor.

It still wasn’t there

Like it wasn’t before. 

What was she to do?

This just didn’t jive. 

Her brain was important

For her to survive!

Again she went searching 

To locate her brain.

She checked at the airport.

She checked on the train. 

She checked its location.

She sent it a ping.

She sent it a message.

She tried everything!

At last as she started

To give up her quest,

She spotted it hidden

On top of her desk. 

Let this be a lesson

For all who have brains.

Don’t misplace your iPad

And don’t go insane. 

LORD, this is a silly little rhyme. Honestly we have become way too dependent on our electronics. I pray that we will not lose sight of the fact that you are the only one we can really depend on. You are always with us. Help us never to forget!

Parades, Baseball, Hotdogs and Fireworks

Friday, July 4, 2025

I had the opportunity to explain the significance of the Fourth of July to two of my grandchildren this afternoon. Since our first Independence Day was 249 years ago, I guess we really can’t quite comprehend its magnitude. 

Today we celebrated with lots of fun stuff. We saw a great parade in Lexington complete with bands and horses and fire engines and motorcycles and the requisite political stuff. We attended a baseball game where we saw 5 home runs, wild pitches, double plays and a bunch of runs and, of course hot dogs, hamburgers, pretzels, ice cream, baseballs, glowsticks. The cherry on top was an 18-minute fireworks display! Awesome. 

Let us never forget the sacrifices paid by men and women through the years to establish and protect our freedoms. 

Photo by Danielle Rowe

LORD, thank you for our land of the free and home of the brave. May we never take our country for granted. But more importantly, Lord, may we never take you or your love for granted. For it is by your love and sacrifice that we are free from death and will celebrate our spiritual victory one day with you in heaven. 

Proud to Be An American

We have a lot to be thankful for as Americans. This is a wonderful land. Celebrate her this week.  

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DdaqwGRdRIsk%26pp%3D0gcJCfwAo7VqN5tD&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwjv9s2O4ZuOAxWXHNAFHYQ-OzYQ78AJegQIGhAB&usg=AOvVaw1av5ow1mCbHB67TEb6kza3

If tomorrow all the things were gone I'd worked for all my life
And I had to start again with just my children and my wife
I'd thank my lucky stars to be livin' here today
'Cause the flag still stands for freedom, and they can't take that away

And I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me
And I'd gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God bless the USA

From the lakes of Minnesota, to the hills of Tennessee
Across the plains of Texas, from sea to shining sea
From Detroit down to Houston and New York to L.A.
Well, there's pride in every American heart
And it's time we stand and say

That I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me
And I'd gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land (I love this land)
God bless the USA

And I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me
And I'd gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land (I love this land)
God bless the USA!

Artists:  Gladness Beard Jennings, Lee Greenwood

Creator: StefanoVenturi | Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Copyright: Stefano Venturi

Verse Two

We sing this song quite often in our family, partly because we attend sporting events every time we turn around. But rarely do we see (or sing) the second verse. 

O thus be it ever 
   when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes 
   and the war’s desolation;
Blest with victory and peace, 
   may the heav’n-rescued land
Praise the Pow’r that hath made
   and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must,
   when our cause it is just;
And this be our motto:
   “In God is our trust!”
And the Star-Spangled Banner 
   in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free
   and the home of the brave.

Our nation has never been perfect (because it is made up of imperfect people). But it was founded on the One whose perfection surrounds us every day. He loves all of us  throughout the world in spite of our flaws. And He wants more than anything to have a personal relationship with us. He, alone, brings true peace. He, alone, brings true freedom. He, alone, is the true source of love for our neighbors. We owe our lives to Him, alone. 

God, bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her and guide her through the night with the light from above! 

John Bukaty

My America (I Still Believe)

This week we celebrate America. She is a wonderful country — the best. Danny Gokey has a great song I’d like to share. Here are the lyrics and the link to play it. 

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D0ei6R3ryIYQ%26pp%3DygUII2FtcmlrYWE%253D&sa=U&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwiU7YrH05uOAxWX38kDHSOUGs8QwqsBegQIExAE&usg=AOvVaw320PUG1osn2JVCzZJ-6kqM

I hear them say, "Our country's far too gone"
Even claim, "Our fathers got it wrong"
But I won't give up on us, and I'll take a stand
'Cause we can overcome, this is not the end

I still believe in us, oh, America
You're still the land I love, though a little bruised up
Stars and Stripes still cry liberty
Over evil over tyranny
Blood poured out for our freedom
They sacrificed it all for this nation
I still believe in us, my America

Our history is full of bravery
Heroes fought for our equality
Now is the time to make peace and forgive our faults
Because united we stand or divided we will fall

I still believe in us, my America
You're still the land I love, though a little bruised up
Stars and Stripes still cry liberty
Over evil, over tyranny
Blood poured out for our freedom
Sacrificed it all for this nation
I still believe in us

America, America
God shed His grace on thee
And crowned thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea

I'll always believe in us, my America
This is the land I love, but we gotta heal up
Lady Liberty will always be a sign of hope unto the refugee
The immigrant can find escape from oppression to a better place

I still believe in us
I still believe in us
I still believe in us
My America
Our America

LORD, Bless our country. Bless our people. Heal us. May we be your beacon of light to the world. 

Image Credit: TZIDO SUN/Shutterstock.com

We Are Independent

When we were girls, our parents taught us how to be independent and strong. We learned to do various things around the house like sewing, cooking and ironing. We did things outside like working in the garden and mowing the yard. Daddy showed us how to do calligraphy. They both taught us how to think for ourselves. They helped us learn how to study. They even made sure we were comfortable just being alone. 

And independent we became. 

Independence doesn’t necessarily mean being stubborn, though. It means being able to take care of yourself and knowing when to get outside help. It means standing up for yourself and for others.  It means thinking through problems to find viable solutions. It means learning how to work and live with others. 

Independence doesn’t mean being selfish either. It means deciding for yourself what is best for you, not because you are self-centered but because no one else can answer that question better than you can.

Yesterday we celebrated our independence from King George’s rule. We withdrew from his kingdom and established ourselves as our own country. We learned how to take care of ourselves and when to strike alliances with others to make us even stronger. We became thinkers and problem solvers. And we built a strong network of people who stand tall in the face of adversity. 

We are America. We are strong. We are self-sufficient and yet benevolent. We recognize good opportunities and we seize them. We are thinkers. We are problem solvers. We are human. We stand up for what is right. We are confident. We are independent.