The 4th of July

Another holiday first. Just like last Thanksgiving this will be my first Independence Day away from family. That would be a huge thing in my youth because my grandparents had a campground in the mountains of South Carolina.

My grandfather was an all-out-celebration-pull-out-all-stops-campground owner once a year. July 4th. Long before minor league baseball games, itty-bitty cities, or even large churches forked out big dough to launch an invasion upon the stars Papa saved up all year just to have THE biggest fireworks display in the upstate of South Carolina. The thing lasted for what seemed hours. Folks came from four states just to see it...along with fishing contests in the lake, watermelon eating contests, and my granddad's frightening "Covered Wagon Ride" (lawyers would have a feast these days).

Fast forward twenty some odd years. Joan and I sat on our deck the second year we were married. We watched the fireworks of 1994 that lit the night sky via Roper Mountain. We live in a small farmhouse which is now long gone. Just another subdivision resides there now. We had a blast as we churned homemade ice cream that would never get done. Before we went to bed we both enjoyed something that tasted like frozen chocolate pudding.

Nearly a decade and another half has now passed. Here I am working on July 4th. I miss my family. I miss spending the day by the pool. I miss grilling burgers and dogs. Yet I am in the good old U.S. of A getting to use my best talent while participating in the career I choose. I'm not in Iraq or Afghanistan or some other far away place. I will be home tomorrow and will enjoy my safe passage back to my family.

So please pray for our troops who are still deployed overseas. Give them a toast at your cookout. And pray that we will always have the freedom we enjoy. We live in the greatest country of this world and this is a moment to celebrate all of it! Have a blessed and safe 4th of July!