To put it mildly, I love July 4! I love the fireworks and the celebration of America. I want to play Soussa marches and I love watching the Boston Pops concert with The 1812 Overture — the church bells of Boston adding to the concert along with army canons.

I can’t deny it — I love America!

But - why do I love America?

I love America for what it is — the freedoms that are ours as Americans — but I also love America because of what it can be. In a democracy, there is always the potential for creating a country where God’s will for liberty, justice, love, and freedom is a reality.

I believe that this was the dream of our founders — and it is still a dream worth dreaming of and fighting for. As long as we believe in this dream — and commit ourselves to praying for it and working for it — we will continue to strive for the greatness that is — and can continue to be — ours as Americans.

I am volunteering with Group Work Camps for the week so I’ll be going tomorrow — the others will come Sunday.

Pray that we will all have safe travels, and that God will bless us and use us to be a blessing to others.

Here’s a portion of it:

Some time ago rock music legends Keith Richards – guitarist for the Rolling Stones — and Elton John made the news with public insults of one another. Keith said that Elton John is a “Vegas act” and that his career now consists of “writing songs for dead blondes.” (You might remember that Elton John wrote memorial a songs for Marilyn Monroe and that he rewrote it at the death of Princess Diana.) Elton responded to Keith’s remarks by saying, “He’s so pathetic. It’s like a monkey with arthritis trying to go on stage and look young.” What surprises me most about this interchange is that both men participated. Both are extremely famous, extremely successful (by rock music standards), extremely rich, and extremely busy. Yet they each found time to prepare and publicly deliver cheap-shots directed at the other. The result was that they both wound up looking petty and vindictive.

You can read the sermon here.

BTW — I will be going with 7 youth and 2 more adults to Athens GA for a mission trip much like the one in the article in 2 weeks. Looking forward to it!

In some ways I do not find this shocking or surprising. Politicians have been having affairs for centuries.

But — that’s the problem.

Part of leadership means is being an example. Sanford talks about family values, Christian morality, and taking responsibility for your actions. He has made a mistake and gone against those values he says he supports. He has made a moral mistake. He has failed to be the example that he has called on others to be.

What happens now?

He is still the governor. May don’t see him as the example he has tried to be and will find it hard to respect him. However, I believe that if he truly repents and asks for forgiveness, he is forgiven. He deserves the sane opportunities at repentance and forgiveness that we all have. Let’s all pray that he will repent and ask for forgiveness — and can regain the trust of his family and the citizens of South Carolina.

Here’s a portion of it:

When I was growing up in the mid to late 1950’s and early 1960’s some of the most visible fathers in our country were Ozzie Nelson — the easy-going dad on the TV show The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet – Ward Cleaver on Leave It To Beaver – Danny Williams on Make Room For Daddy – Steve Douglas on My 3 Sons – Andy Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show — and Rob Petry on The Dick Van Dyke Show. These men – these fathers — were able to take care of their families and solve all the problems in 30 minutes – and Ozzy would even have time for “a little song from Ricky” before the show as over. They were the perfect fathers with the perfect families. Of course, there was also Ben Cartwright on Bonanza who might have to raise a fist or a gun at times – but it was usually Ben and the boys against the bad guys.
The image portrayed of what it took to be a father – to be a man — made fatherhood – and even manhood – seem so easy! Just get up in the morning – put on your coat and tie – go to work – come home at 5 – maybe play ball with the kids – eat supper – listen to what the kids had been up to that day – solve a problem or 2 – read the paper – and go to bed.
Nothing to it!
Well – things have certainly changed, haven’t they?
“Ozzy” is no longer a Nelson – but Ozzy Osbourne! To say that Ozzy Osbourne is different from Ozzy Nelson is like saying the Sahara Desert is different from the Atlantic Ocean – the 2 Ozzy’s are so different they barely fit in the same category! There’s an enormous difference between the two Ozzy’s. True – both have something to do with the music industry – but the similarities end there!
Ozzy Nelson was always in control and never had to raise his voice. Most of the time Ozzy Osbourne seems oblivious to what is going on around him — usually just stumbling through the house with a dazed and confused look on his face.
Tasks for Ozzy Nelson were never hard – but even simplest tasks — such as taking out the trash – seem to leave Ozzy Osbourne bewildered.
Ozzy Nelson always knew the right thing to say – but Ozzy Osbourne often loses his train of though mid-sentence – and when he is able to complete a sentence usually about half of it is bleeped out!
Ozzy Nelson never drank too much – but even though I understand that Ozzy Osboourne — the former “Prince of Darkness” and rock legend from the band “Black Sabbath” — is clean and sober these days and hasn’t used drugs or alcohol in years, they have clearly taken their toll on his short-term memory.
I guess the best thing that can be said about Ozzy Osbourne is that he stays through all the craziness. Through all the craziness of his out-of-control, rock-and-roll lifestyle, he remained committed to his family.

You can read the sermon here.

One of Dad’s favorite Bible verses was Micah 6:8:

He has showed you, O man, what is good.

And what does the LORD require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God.

Dad not only loved this verse, but he lived by it. In his lifetime Dad was a bomber pilot in World War II, a state representative from York County, SC,a member of the South Carolina Highway Commission, a municipal court judge for the city of Rock Hill, SC, an active member of First Presbyterian Church in Rock Hill, SC, an active member of many civic clubs and organizations, a lawyer who was later honored by having his name entered in a book listing the most prominent attorneys in the state of South Carolina, and a great friend to many. He was a loving, caring father to my sisters and me, a loving and caring husband to Mom, a loving son to his mother and devoted brother to his brothers.

More than all these things, he was a great Christian. He was motivated by his faith to be the loving, caring person that he was. He understood that faith in God and love for others were the important things in life. He seemed to always work to do what he felt was right and good.

I learned a lot of things from Dad. As I look back on it, I see that the most important thing I learned was how to love. How to love God and let my faith in God shape my life, how to love others and let my love for others motivate me to act in loving ways towards all. these are some of the things he taught me.

Dad, I only hope I can pay tributes to you every day and be more like you. I look a lot like you — and the older I get, the balder I get, and the grayer I get the more I resemble you. That’s a good thing! I can only hope I can resemble you in actions as well as looks!

Yes Dad certainly understood what it meant to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

The message the Church needs to take to the community and the world is that there is a God who longs for people to know Him and fall in love with Him – and participate in His work in the world. Evangelism is about what we say — but it’s also about who we are and what we do!

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