Inspirational Words - Ageless Beauty

Sweet Song Ministries, LLC ~ Non Denominational Church and Ministerial Outreach

Inspirational Words - The Birth of Freedom

The Birth of Freedom

This month's INSPIRATIONAL WORDS is dedicated to the members of our United States Military, all who have served, and those who gave ALL for the preservation of our freedom.

I pledge allegiance to the flag, of the United States of America
And to the Republic for which it stands, One Nation under God
Indivisible With Liberty, And justice for all.

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~ Until each one returns safe and sound,
let us pray a prayer for our troops, air, sea and on the ground.

Devotional

In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and He answered by setting me free. (Psalm 118:5)

Commentary:

Freedom is something we hold dear in America. But as precious as it is, we often take our freedom for granted and forget that it is because of our servicemen and women, that we are able to walk about freely and enjoy our lives to the capacity that we do.

Christ came to earth to bring us another type of freedom.... freedom from bondage, through salvation. I used to be loaded down with lots of baggage. I could barely walk, barely see straight, and did not have a clue to who I was, or what my purpose was on this earth. In fact, I wasn't even sure I had a purpose.

You know, the interesting thing about baggage is that as stressful and overwhelming and even destructive as it is, it also has some benefits.

For instance, did you know baggage is easy to hide behind. It keeps me safe from you ever knowing the real me. It keeps me protected from criticism, from rejection, even from having to take those risks that are required to have relationships. But, of course, with baggage in front of me, it's awfully difficult to see where I'm going. And it's pretty lonely, too. Isolated, sitting in my little corner of the world, surrounded by baggage.

The worst part about carrying around all this baggage was that it had become my identity. I didn't know who I was, only what I carried around. Anger, depression, addictions, resentments, selfishness, painful childhood memories, shame, guilt, people pleasing, defeat, codependency.

The trouble with baggage is that when its your identity, you have to do a lot to try to make it as presentable as possible. As long as everything looks pretty on the surface, no one will ever notice how bad it really is deep inside.

Except God notices, and He knows what is behind the cover-up. You see, the thing about God, is that He knows everything about us, and He is not content to leave us lugging around baggage. He loves us too much for that.

God can free you from your baggage just as He did me, and He will do it because He loves you. He created you, and He did it with purpose. He has a vision for your life, even if you do not. He has an identity for you, so that there is no need to haul around all those bags you've been carrying around for years. And He has a purpose for your life.

God created you because He wanted you and He wanted a relationship with you. He gave you a personality that brought Him joy! He gifted you with talents and abilities that were meaningful to Him. These are all a part of His purpose and His vision for your life. But, perhaps, you, like me, got run over by life, and instead of being able to live from your true self, to be the person He created you to be, life happened, and one by one, the baggage started to pile up, until eventually there's barely even a hint of the real you.

But it doesn't have to stay that way. Jesus can help you get rid of your baggage. He says in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light". (New Living Bible).

You see, what God wants you to carry is not the negative baggage from the past that has defined you all these years, but a new identity, based on the heart Jesus gives... His identity for you.

If you have accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior and have a relationship with Him, then you have experienced the freedom that He alone can give. But, if you have not, then I invite you today, to seek God's presence in your life, to lean on Him, and let Him free you from the baggage that is weighing you down.

He is at work in your life and in my life, too, to make us more and more like Jesus. That is His vision for you and me. It would be an honor for me to be able to help you drop some of your bags, and walk with you on your healing journey.

Please let me know if I can be of assistance to you in any way.

Meditation:

Dear Heavenly Father, Help us to remember YOU are the One that made this country the great nation that it is. I pray so that you will heal our land of its pride and help us put you back in our schools so that our children will learn the Truth and have Peace that can only come from knowing YOU! We all need to realize that YOU need to be First in our lives in order to survive as the Nation that YOU have your hand of protection on. Hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. In thy holy name we pray. Amen.

Stories to Touch the Heart and Warm the Soul:

SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army, another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed, and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners, men of means, well-educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags. Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt. Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.

Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books never told us a lot of what happened in the Revolutionary War. Our forefathers didn't just fight the British. They were British subjects at that time, and they fought their own government! Some of us take these liberties so much for granted...and we shouldn't.

So, let's take a few moments while enjoying our 4th of July holiday and silently appreciate these patriots and thank the God who moved them. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Did You Know?

Benjamin Franklin, John Adams & Thomas Jefferson served on the committee that picked the eagle for the national seal (Franklin wanted the turkey.)
Bald eagles have few natural enemies & live only in North America.
Bald eagles get their white head & tail feathers about 4-5 years of age.
The only other kind of eagle in North America is the golden eagle.
Bald eagles mate for life, but if one dies, the survivor will accept a new mate.
It is a felony to shoot an eagle.

Source - and for many, many more eagle facts, see: www.keokuktourism.com/New_Site/Eagle_Days_2004.htm

Did You Know?

Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.

Prayer Wheel For Our Military

Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Coastguard and Airmen

As we celebrate the Fourth Of July, with our Fireworks, and hot dogs, may we remember what this day is all about.

Don't let us forget those brave men and women that fought and died so that we might have the freedom to speak up when things are not as they should be... The freedom to worship in churches of our choice. I don't know about you, but I still get "goose bumps" when I hear the song, "God Bless America", or when I stand and "Pledge Allegiance To The Flag".

So enjoy the holiday, but don't forget those that made it possible.

Happy Independence Day!!!

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