I had planned to have the July post up before now but I hit a mental block.  I kept going through my mind and trying out different subjects to write about and nothing appealed to me.  I even emailed WingNet and told Craig I was a little behind schedule this month and told him why.  He suggested I use this month to write about the 4th of July and offer my thoughts on what the holiday means to me.  Well, I had already considered that topic but I just couldn’t fit all the pieces together to make any sense of it.  That is until I went to church Sunday, July 5.  There I realized I didn’t really have to write anything this month, I only had to listen.

Several weeks ago Elaine and I were discussing what to do for the 4th.  We talked about driving out to Fredericksburg for a long weekend but that really didn’t appeal to me.  We also have a standing invitation to spend the 4th with some friends at the lake.  But they were having a house full and I was hoping for something a little more low key.  Then Thursday came an invitation from Joe and Patsy Benoit to drive up to Longview to visit their daughter and her family and spend the 4th with them.  Joe and Patsy have 3 married daughters and a 16 year old daughter still at home.   So that’s what we decided to do.  The girls were all going to be there with their kids, Joe and Patsy’s 5 precious grandchildren with 2 more on the way before the end of the year.

The material for this month’s blog started the moment we pulled up at Joe’s Saturday morning, July 4, to load up for Longview.  Joe greeted me with “Happy 233.”  That’s when that inner voice thing started.  “Here’s your topic, pay attention.”  So we talked a little about the American Revolution as we loaded up the truck with luggage and lawn chairs for our road trip.  It was a pretty serious conversation for 7:30 AM as each of us tried to remember some little tidbit from a history class that was already many years gone by to try and one up each other.  Have I ever mentioned that Joe is very competitive?  Anyway, the first round was pretty much a draw.

Once we got on the road the iPod was hooked up to the stereo and Joe and I started singing along with some classic Haggard.  For those who might not know, that’s Merle Haggard.  There were only a few times we turned the Haggard volume down because the discussion in the truck took precedence over the music.  One such time was to discuss the surprise resignation of Sarah Palin as Governor of Alaska.  Several comments were made about our country and the direction it appeared to be headed.  I think there was a comment along the lines of “I hope she runs for president.”  But it was our wives who ended the conversation when they both agreed that “Sarah is such a pretty lady.”  Neither Joe or myself could top that and since we didn’t disagree, we cranked Haggard back up and continued north.

It’s been years since I’ve been through the heart of deep East Texas.  Other than some significant improvements to Hwy 96, not much has changed.  Between the little towns the rolling hills are green and, despite the drought, seem to be in pretty good shape.  Many pastures had been cut for hay and no doubt the balers will be hard at work Monday morning.  And I saw several McCain/Palin political signs still standing.  An omen perhaps?

We arrived at Joe and Patsy’s daughter’s home around noon Saturday.  They have a nice place on a hilltop.  Down the hill and across the Farm to Market road is the entrance to the place where we were to spend the rest of the day.  It’s a beautiful East Texas ranch of approximately 400 hundred acres.  The place is stocked with cattle and horses and the center piece is a 24 acre lake.  This lake serves not only as water for their livestock but it was apparent to me right away that it was also used for some serious rest and relaxation.  There is a nice beach area complete with a couple of boats, and a jet ski.  About 50 yards out from shore is a bright yellow floating trampoline.  But what I enjoyed the most was a huge, maybe 75 X75 covered concrete slab.  There was electricity and water as well as a storage building to house all the necessary toys and a 5th wheel camping trailer that afforded the ladies a nice clean facility.  It was a first class set up.

All afternoon there was a steady stream of traffic as young families came to see old friends and celebrate the 4th of July.  For the most part, the crowd was mostly 20 something years of age.  They brought tons of food and drink.  Although there were a few older kids, most of the kids were probably 5 and under.  It was a great afternoon if you enjoy watching people.  The kids, as you would expect, were going 100 mph.  None of them wanted to stop and sit down and eat.  There was too much to do.  I watched as the young men gathered around the horse shoe pit or the pool table to relive old stories that, for one day at least, were new again as if they were being told for the first time.  While these young dads were recharging their batteries, the young moms were also playing catch up with one another.  Predictably, they left the comfort of the shade to take lounge chairs down on the beach and “lay out.”  I’ll never figure out why someone would purposely leave a perfectly good spot in the shade to go and lay in the sun.

While watching the afternoon unfold I couldn’t help but think about the scene in front of me.  I wondered to myself what the future held for these young couples.  The joys and the hardships that lay ahead for them.  You know the ones I mean, the ones you and I have already lived as well as some that we’ve yet to experience.  Overall it was a good day.  A long day but a good day.  And in typical 4th of July fashion, the day ended with ice cream and a great fireworks show.  It was late when Joe, Patsy, Elaine and I finally got to the hotel in Longview for a much needed shower and some sleep.

Our Sunday morning drive to St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Longview for 10:00 AM Mass was a short one.  And what I was not expecting was the homily the Priest delivered.  I apologize that I did not get the Priest’s name to give him credit for the words he offered Sunday morning.  He reminded everyone there the importance of being a Christian American.  He reminded us that 233 years ago our country was founded on Judeo-Christian principals.  That the Declaration of Independence was written by ordinary men living in an extraordinary time.  Men who acknowledged that every human being is endowed by the Creator with certain inalienable rights; the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

I listented intently when he reminded us that President Obama recently stated that America was no longer a Christian nation, a comment that I personally took offense with.  He stated that President Obama was correct, “America is not a Christian nation but rather a nation of Christians.”  His comment helped me put some of my thoughts back into perspective.  His purpose was to remind each of us that we have an obligation, if we profess to be Christian, to do so not just on Sunday mornings during a church service but every day.  His gentle reminder also addressed the importance of not only professing with our words but, equally important, by our deeds.

As he continued he espoused the triumphs of living in a free America.  He reminded all of us of the fact that we are blessed to live in a country where, unlike much of Europe, our government serves at the pleasure of its citizens.  He reminded us of some of our most fundamental freedoms; freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

But then he reminded us of the atrocities that have been brought about by some of those same cherished freedoms; the diseases of pornography and gambling addiction.  He mentioned the vigorous protection afforded by our government to the rights of animals while our same government permits the killing of the unborn through abortion.  And, as the United States works to promote democracy in 3rd world countries, “we” advocate conctraception and abortion as accepted practices to control the population.

I know I’ve mentioned many of these concerns in the past.  I believe we’ve lost our moral compass and it seems to me as though there’s no one in authority challenging us to re-think the direction our country is headed.  That’s why I was so appreciative to hear the message I heard this past Sunday.  I for one am proud to recognize that we live as “One Nation Under God.”  What say you?