Independence Day 2019: Country, Community, and Church

Hello! I hope you all had a spectacular Independence Day last week! Our family enjoyed a day that offered blessings of country, community, and church.

We were home throughout the morning, working on various housekeeping chores and projects, but stopped at lunch for our traditional 4th of July hamburgers.

During our lunch, we got into a discussion about a podcast on Focus on the Family about our founding fathers, and the privilege of living in an America that was founded on Christian principles—principles that allow us freedom of worship, among many other wonderful freedoms!

That afternoon, we had the honor of attending the 100th birthday celebration of a family farm! This farm is owned and run by friends that my extended family and I have worshipped with for decades. They are some of the kindest people, hardest workers, and greatest contributors to their community that you’ll ever meet. They shared with us their 100-year farm history alongside servings of lemonade, ice cream, and watermelon! It doesn’t get more Americana than that!

I wish I’d taken more pictures to show you, because they had everything decorated so beautifully! But, we were busy talking to everyone, and there was such a crowd.

Back at home that evening, we prepared for a night of popsicles, sidewalk chalk, and a little neighborly fireworks competition. I couldn’t help but snap some pictures of my front porch because I don’t always stop and notice it in the evening light. Its always fun to decorate for the 4th!

Our friends were walking over at dark for fireworks, and this year we had the pleasure of them bringing some missionary friends from China! The missionary family is moving to the States this summer and was staying with our friends for the 4th. They said the fireworks show helped welcome them back into American culture. I love that!

Crazy Joel’s Fireworks always puts on a good show! He loves to delight the kids. Most of these fireworks in the photos below were ours, but some were the neighbors’.

We kept the younger kids seated with their popsicles to keep them out of danger.

And I have to show you their chalk art. Apparently our visiting missionaries made quite the impression on Incredi-Boy. If you look down at the bottom right corner you’ll see his message “God Bless China”. So cute.

They made an impression on us all, actually. While the Fourth of July is meant to honor our country’s birthday and those who founded and have fought for our freedoms, we would be remiss to not acknowledge the One who gave us freedom from our sin, and those who sacrificially go out into all the world to share that GOOD NEWS of freedom in Christ! We are so grateful to them.

The evening ended on the loveliest note when this darling little girl played “Yankee Doodle” on our piano. She’d learned it from her piano lessons in China, just before leaving her country for a new home here in America. I think we were all in a puddle by the time she played her last note. Such a sweet moment to remember.