Happy Birthday America!

Today is the Independence Day.

Today is the 4th of July.

To most people, today is cookouts, a day on the lake, new bathing suits, cases of beer and tons of fireworks.

Children will wait all day long for it to get "dusk" so that they can FINALLY shoot off the fireworks that daddy bought - the fireworks that the children have arranged and rearranged all day long in different categories.

Little girls will learn to write their names in the air with a sparkler and little boys will try to figure out how to attach the bottle rocket or the M-80 to the frog.

Moms will panic when their children get too close to the fireworks and dads will beam with pride when their sons light that first bottle rocket.

Today is not about any of these things...not really....

It is about the things this country was founded upon.

It is about the freedoms that we now have...

It is about the fact that we can protect our homes.

It is about the fact that we can worship any way we choose, any place we choose.

It is about the soldiers that fight for our freedom every day..

It is about their families who wait patiently for them at home while they are deployed...

It is about the fact that we are an independent nation.

So today when you are on the lake or in your backyard or at the park, please remember everyone who works so hard to keep our freedoms for us and say a prayer for them and their families.

Happy 4th of July everyone!