Freedom!

Freedom. Like my nephew running into the ocean.

Happy Independence Day, friends!

I may not like the results of finger-pointing and name-calling that go on among grown-ups in Washington, D.C., but I am thankful to be an American. I live in a country where I'm free to worship God, free to choose, free to start a business, free to travel from one place to another, and free to have opinions.

And that all is indeed worth celebrating. Today. And tomorrow. And any day.

There's another freedom I know, thanks to God. Choosing to follow Christ frees me in a way even being an American can't. Freedom in Christ covers my mistakes with grace and gives me hope for eternal life.

I've also been learning recently how there is freedom to step out of my self-imposed routine. Dinner doesn't have to be on the table at 5:30 p.m. if the kids and I want to swim until 5:40 p.m. Lunch can wait until 12:30 p.m. if the kids are going with the flow or errands. And naptime can be pushed back a little bit if I need to help a friend. These aren't new truths, rather they are freedoms I am constantly reminding my perfectionist, first-born self of to make the most of our summer days

We have a burn ban here in Calloway County, Ky., so no fireworks will light up our sky tonight. But we will celebrate this freedom that can only come from the creator of the universe. Celebrate today. And celebrate again the next day. Because God's mercies are new every morning. And, yes, living in the land of free and home of the brave is a blessing, but knowing God surpasses even that.

Let freedom ring!

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