Happy Independence Day!

Happy 4th of July! What an honor it is to live in this free country. Yes, our country has many flaws......including some of its leaders (sorry, but it's true), but America is America the Beautiful! If there is any doubt, just go visit another country. I do not mean take a tour and stay in a 4 or 5 star hotel and close your eyes to the "realness" of that country. I mean really go and see how the majority of the people live there. I have many times and it has helped me to really appreciate this country. I love American and I LOVE American History. When I read of the early Americans and the sacrifices they made so that we could have the freedoms we have today...........I get goose bumps.........literally! They had such courage and foresight and I could go on and on. To be honest, I did not know I loved American History until I home-schooled. We were never taught in school all of the amazing stories of sacrifice and hardship that so many Americans went through. When I first taught my oldest son American History starting in 6th grade, I could barely get through the lesson sometimes. I felt the emotion rise inside of me and I was filled with gratitude. The early Americans were so determined and had such perseverance and they had such amazing faith! More importantly, they prayed for guidance and direction every step of the way and they went forward to fight for freedom and they fought with such honor! I only pray that our present leaders will do the same. The picture of George Washington praying at Valley Forge is one of my favorites. Pictures really do speak thousands of words! There have been countless other Americans since then who have fought for these same freedoms. So many have lost their lives. As we celebrate this country's Independence Day........enjoy all the good food, fireworks, and fun filled with family and friend time. However, let us all take some time to truly appreciate the Liberty and Independence that we all have and let us not forget that it did not come cheaply!