Of thee I sing

"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it."

~ Mark Twain

"I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."

~James A. Baldwin

"Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong."

~ James Bryce

"Gentlemen have talked a great deal of patriotism. A venerable word, when duly practised."

~ Robert Walpole 

"Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime."

~ Adlai E. Stevenson 

"You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness."

~Erma Bombeck

"The highest patriotism is not a blind acceptance of official policy, but a love of one's country deep enough to call her to a higher plain."

~George McGovern

"And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

~ John F. Kennedy

"See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him?"

~ Deteronomy 4:5-7

When he rolls up his sleeves...

The heavens declare the glory of God;
   the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
 Day after day they pour forth speech;
   night after night they reveal knowledge.
 They have no speech, they use no words;
   no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
   their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
  It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
   like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 

Psalm 19:1-5

Everyone else vacations... we Christians retreat

Just had to throw that in there, but this weekend was less of a retreat than a charge and less of getting a cool drink from a water fountain than getting a cold blast from a fire hose. The last few days my seven sisters and I were on a father/daughter retreat at a little place called Cherokee Cove with a bunch of the dads and gals from our church. It was a fun, refreshing and challenging time for me as we were called to reflect on our relationships not only as dads and daughters, but as sons and daughters of the Savior. Many messages, challenges and powerful testimonies were shared over the course of the weekend, but it was this passage I found in my personal reflection time that stood out to me the most and that I felt I should share with someone... since I couldn't get up the courage to stand up and share it with the group during the last discussion of the retreat. [call it what you will - stage fright, plain old being shy... can't do it.]

I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,

and I will be their God

and they shall be my people.
Therefore go out from their midst,

and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;

then I will welcome you,

and I will be a father to you,

and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.

2 Corinthians 6:16b-18 

The God of all the universe, who with a word spoke the sun, moon, and stars into being, desires us for us to be his sons and daughters. The most eternal, holy being, the One who was, and is, and is to come, came to earth just to show how much he loves us and wants to call us his own. What a precious thing! But this perfect, awesome Being also calls us in our journeys as his sons and daughters to become more and more like him, to long to follow after his example and precepts, to strive to show his likeness in everything we do and say. And therein lies my greatest struggle. I am a very content person, which is a good thing when it comes to things like my singleness, my job, and just where God has me in life right now. But it's a huge stumbling block to me when it comes to my relationship with Christ ~ I get comfortable so easily, so quickly, and comfortable is never the place I should be when it should be my desire to be be "conformed to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29). There's always something in there if I just beg God to show me where I have fallen short, and he "is faithful and just to forgive" (1 John 1:9) and bring me back into a place of safety and peace in his will. Lord, show me today where I can become more like you!

When I climb down the mountain//And get back to my life//I won't settle for ordinary things//Gonna follow you forever//For all of my days//I won't rest//'Til I see you again...

May this be my prayer ~ that as I come down off this physical and spiritual mountaintop I will continue to walk in the paths God has seen fit to show me, not willing to settle for comfortable and ordinary things but striving daily to show the world even a glimpse of the glory that he has shown me.

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

Romans 10:14

Hello Summer

{Hello summer}

{hello gloriously empty calendar}

{hello cracking the window at night for a cool breeze}

{hello coloring with crayons just 'cause I can}

{hello sleeping in 'til ten}

{hello subduing the urge to burn my philosophy textbook and selling it to Amazon instead}

{hello capris and flip flops}

{hello reading the the books *I* want to read}

{hello finally having the time to organize my room}

{hello pushing my baby brother in the swing}

{hello (hopefully) twice as many hours at work}

{hello sleepovers and chick flicks}

{hello staying up t'il 2 AM because I want to, not because I have a major paper due tomorrow}

{helloooo, summah!}

[inspiration cred goes to Simply SA and her 'Hello Monday' posts]