4th Of July!!!

    Yesterday was July 4th, where we in American celebrate our country's birthday. Family and friends get together for fun, food, and fellowship.  There's many parades, concerts, shows, special events and more throughout the country. Where I'm from many people head up to cabins, where they have cook-outs and fun on the lake, with boat parades, little towns with parades and fireworks over the lake. In my city specifically, thousands gather down by the lake to watch fireworks light up the sky. Where the show is the Thomas Shows are in town, there are food trucks everywhere, beautiful music, families and festivity. Then once it's dark there's a spectacular light show over the lake, and this year the bridge was lit up in red, white, and blue. The point is we do many things to celebrate our country's birthday and honor our troops. There's a lot of thanks to our country's founders and those who have fought and who are fighting for our freedom. It is so important to give thanks to those who have gotten us to where we are today. But if it wasn't for God creating the world and each one of us, there would be no one to thank. It is so important to thank the people yesterday, today and everyday. As little kids we are taught to say please and thank you, and to thank people for good works they do, helping you, looking out for you etc. We easily thank people, but how often do we thank God. How often do we truly thank God? I'm not just meaning a prayer you may recite because it's memorized, but spend time with God thanking Him for all He's done? I was on a beautiful rock formation looking out at Lake Superior, while doing my devo and couldn't help but be thankful for God's creation and all that He has done. I thank Him for my family, my friends, my job, my country, my freedom and ultimately for His sacrifice. Yesterday was a common day to give thanks, but I want to challenge you to give thanks to God each and every day. Even through trials in life you can still find at least one thing you're thankful for. I know you can find more than that, so I challenge you to at least come up with 5 things on bad days. Keep praising Him in all you do, and God Bless America!

 

   * I just also want to thank God for giving me a wonderful family. My "word" recently has been serendipity. My grandma Pat taught my cousin Kendall and I what serendipity meant years ago with a birthday present scavenger hunt. A few days ago, I did not expect to be home with my family, including both sets of grandparents- which is really special- and here I am. It's been very serendipitous. My grandma defines serendipity as " an unexpected pleasure at an unexpected time." I just wanted to include a few pictures of my serendipitous Fourth of July weekend, with the people God has blessed me with the gift of being able to call my family. I love them all so much. Here's a look into my 4th! God Bless!