Visions & Verses

Happy Birthday America!

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord....  ~Psalm 33:12

'Eleven score and six' years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. *

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.*

Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens. The mere Politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connexions with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked, Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.*

...We here highly resolve that...this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.*

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.*

They who said it first, said it best.  Happy Birthday to our Republic, one nation under God, indivisible!  May God continue to bless her with liberty for ourselves and our posterity.

 

*Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

*Declaration of Independence

*Washington's Farewell Address

God is the Builder of Everything

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.  ~1 Corinthians 3:11

Ah, summer  --  flip flops, butterflies, ocean breezes, sand castles, grilled food, friends, family, fireworks and a thousand other delights.  Just the break from the usual routine can be magical and refreshing, but oh, the family vacation.  Such was the inspiration for my best friend's son's birthday card.  Three families of best buddies shared a beach house for a week and it was really a wonderful, special time.  The kids were never bored, so there was plenty of time to just sit and ponder and let the world drift by.

And isn't that so critical these days?  Shepherds sat on lonely hills for days with only the bleeting of sheep, but we are bombarded with a world of troubles and cares daily, sometimes hourly!  Karla Dornacher, in her recent post, reminded me this week that God is whispering: 'let stillness find its place in your heart and thoughts. I am the One who holds all your tomorrows in the palm of my hand... I am'

He holds our tomorrows...isn't that comforting?  He is the builder of everything, laid on the foundation of Jesus Christ.  We are His building, His temple, and He is continually building us up, tomorrow by tomorrow.  Why worry?  He holds our tomorrows!  We get so uncomfortable not being busy...cleaning, fixing, wiping, helping, doing.  But like Martha, He asks us to take a break and just sit at His feet and listen to what He is telling us about life and the Kingdom of God.  Be still and know that He is God.  Rest peacefully in the knowledge that He's got it under control.  Take a moment to step into His luxury spa, where everything is taken care of down to the last detail, for your benefit.  Find rest, comfort and renewal.  Allow yourself to feel special and precious.  Drink in the mineral water of life.  Be healed by the fountain of every blessing.  Be transformed into the best 'you' you can be.  Let yourself go, at least for a little while.

Of course, as you step out of 'the spa' the baby is crying, the cat is climbing the curtains (again) and you remember the bills were due yesterday -- but you can carry that feeling of peace in your heart - a calm in the storm of life: the knowledge that it will all work out, and that you are thoroughly loved.  I wish you some quality time in 'God's spa' this summer.  Some time to just 'be' and to meditate and pray, to stop and just rest in His love and promises.  It might not improve your complexion, but I bet people around you will notice the difference anyway!

Thank you, Lord, for loving us when we were unlovable, for forgiving us when we were yet sinners, for gifting us life when the wages we earned were death.  Help us to truly embrace this mystery, and to glimpse ourselves as You see us: precious and valuable, a little lower than the angels, worthy of Your adoption as sons and daughters.  And help us to carry this profound knowledge into our everyday dealings and interactions with others, so that they may see You in us.  Amen.