God Bless the U.S.A.

Next to Christmas, the 4th of July has always been my favorite Holiday.  It’s not because of the BBQ’s or the fireworks, either.  I just love the way it makes me feel.  It makes me feel like saying, “God Bless the U.S.A.”

No, America is far from perfect.  We’ve slipped quite a bit in recent years when it comes to the respect we get from other nations.  But America is still America.  We still have so much to be grateful for and to look forward to.  Why?  Because despite all the crap our representatives have done to render the Constitution meaningless, we’re still the most free country on the face of the earth.

We sang the Star Spangled Banner in church this past Sunday, all 3 verses, and I couldn’t finish all the words without getting choked up.

Freedom.  No matter where we come from, deep down inside we understand that we’re all in this together.  Backgrounds, age, nationality, political beliefs, religion, demographics… on the 4th of July, none of it seems to matter.  We’re all bound together by a common bound.

A common desire to be free…. to choose our own destiny.

God Bless the U.S.A.

No, America isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination.  But I still urge us to say, God Bless the U.S.A.  Why?  Because despite her imperfections, America has still been the source of more freedom, more opportunity, and more prosperity for more people than any other country… EVER.

God Bless the U.S.A.  Presidents say it at the end of every speech… but I wonder if they really mean it like it needs to be meant.  I wonder if we feel it like our forefathers felt it.

Yes, we’ve slipped up.  Instead of relying more on ourselves for solutions, we’ve become a nation that relies more and more on the government to fix everything… and it hasn’t worked.   That’s all the more reason to start saying once again, God Bless the U.S.A.… and to mean it.  In my opinion, we need Him now more than ever.

We don’t sing this verse very often, but these words from the 3rd verse of our national anthem say it all to me…

“Blessed with victory and peace, may the heaven rescued land,

Praise the power that hath made and preserved us a nation!”

God Bless the U.S.A

America isn’t just a country.  It’s an idea.  An idea that has stood like a beacon of light on a dark and foggy night for millions of people all over the world.  No, she’s not perfect… but she’s the best the world has to offer.

No, that’s not a knock on any other country… heck, my wife’s family is Canadian and I’ve lived in 4 different European countries.  But I’m an American through and through… and always will be.  And I hope that if you’re not American, you’re just as proud of your homeland as I am.  I hope you invoke the blessings of Heaven on your land, your citizens and your leaders, too.

God Bless the U.S.A.

We live in perilous times.  It’s time to wake up.  It’s time to get back to correct principles… the principles that made America who she is.   If enough of us will get off the couch and turn off American Idol or the Bachelor long enough to see what’s going on… America can once again lead by example, instead of by force.

And maybe, just maybe… if all of us can put our differences aside and remember who we really are… America can become great again.

God Bless the USA!

One of my favorite patriotic songs.  Can’t listen to it without getting a lump in my throat.

Be grateful.  Be happy.  Be proud.   Be everything you were meant to be!

Always remember who you are… and Happy Independence Day!

‘Doc Seth’

~husband, dad, elevator~

P.S.  I love the opening words in this song by Lee Greenwood, “God Bless the U.S.A”…

“If tomorrow all the things we’re 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 living here today,

‘Cause that flag still stands for freedom, and they can’t take that away!”

If I had to start all over again, from scratch, with nothing… this is where I’d do it.

Starting from scratch… for total freedom!