Happy Birthday, America!

With the July 4th holiday upon us, my mind is flooded with thoughts about my nation. This weekend, people all over the country will gather with family and friends to celebrate the founding of the US. Fireworks will remind us of the 18th century's "bombs bursting in air" throughout the American Revolution. We will sing of her beauty "from sea to shining sea." Barbeques and picnic tables will be filled to overflowing as a reminder of how we have achieved the American Dream.


But why do we even celebrate another birthday? It seems that most of us want to forget about our individual birthdays and just pass them off as another typical day of the calendar. We fear growing older. We assume that aging equals being set in our ways and unaware of the "new" that is going on all around us. I fear that many in our country feel the same way about the United States. They think that we have become "out of touch" as a nation as we have aged and should become more like the "younger, more hip nations" in our global community.


I think birthdays are a reason to celebrate! We celebrate another trip around the sun thanks to the grace of God. We ponder our successes, learn from our errors, and strive to become a better country while faithfully honoring the wisdom of our past. Does America have problems? Most definitely! Do we need to make changes? Certainly. The real question is which changes need to be made.


On this 240th birthday of our nation, I submit that the most important change we need to make is to turn our hearts back to God -- from Main Street to Wall Street, from the poorest to the wealthiest, from City Hall to the White House. When we faithfully begin to honor God in our living rooms as well as the court rooms, classrooms, and sanctuaries, our choices as a nation will be clear and we will once again begin to experience the glory of living under the blessing of Heaven.


Regardless of your political inclinations and opinions, I hope you will pause during this weekend and take a moment to honor the Creator and acknowledge His role in our nation -- past, present, and future. If there has ever been a time that we have needed Him at the helm, it is now.


~Kennith


In observance of the July 4th holiday, Livin' Life will not appear on Monday. I'll begin posting again on Wednesday with this week's installment of "Hits and Misses."