Fourth Of July (standard:Editorials, 1801 words)
Author: Lori	Added: Jul 06 2007	Views/Reads: 3378/2205	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
In the United States we celebrate our Independence from England on July 4th. This is my tribute to that day.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

It is a right from God. We have free will to do as we please, He gave us
this to make us CHOOSE to live for Him, instead of MAKING us live for 
him. There's a big difference in my book. God also gave us the choice 
to live right, or wrong. It's our walk with God and it's personal. No 
one's walk will be the same, and that's freedom too. For who wants to 
have the same walk? We wouldn't be unique in God's eyes if we were all 
the same. 

Are we really free? It depends on how you look at it. We are free to
live our lives in the United States, but we're slaves to money. We're 
free to vote, but we're slaves to the people we vote for. We're free to 
say anything we want, but we're slaves to being politically correct so 
we don't hurt each other's feelings. We're free to have guns, but we're 
slaves to the government on how we use them. We're free to be 
religious, but we're slaves to the ones who don't, or won't, understand 
what we believe in. A solider, in war time, is free to live anywhere he 
wants too, but, in times of peace, he is a slave to the owner of said 
house. We're free to be searched and sieved by any form of police 
force, but we're slaves to what they take and how they use it. We're 
free to be innocent, but we're slaves if we are proven guilty. We're 
free to sue anyone we want too, but we're slaves of the court to how 
they will judge those suits. We're free from unusually and cruel 
punishments, yet we are slaves to the death penalty. I'm free to write 
about the Bill of Rights, but I'm a slave to the ninth one. We're free, 
in each state, to chose our own laws, but we're slaves to the federal 
laws that govern our country. Hey, I didn't write them but they are our 
Bill of Rights and they can be found here: 
http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.billofrights.html. 


Do we really want to be free? Yes, I will agree this is a stupid
question. But, it goes back to religion again. Some people choose to be 
bound by Satan's hands. They choose to be slaves to the flesh. So, 
there are some people who would wonder about being free from this 
lifestyle. Now, again let me explain before you holler and screaming. 
SOME people who turn their backs on God do so to have the life Satan 
promises them. They sell their souls for fame, fortune, and whatnot. So 
those people think they are free, but in reality they are bound by 
Satan because they no longer have a soul that is free. At least with 
God we are free to choose how we live. We can live for Him and for the 
glory of his name, or we can choose not too and not be under the thumb 
of Satan, but have a life with little or no meaning. It seems like I'm 
going to get into trouble no matter how I go with this one. But, what I 
mean is just because you choose not to live for Christ doesn't mean 
you're living for Satan either. It's your choice on how you live your 
life and you have the freedom to do that. I choose to live for Christ 
because it's my freedom to do that. 

What's the price for this freedom? It depends on what freedom you're
talking about. The freedom of our country is paying a price that is 
higher than anyone could have imagined almost six years ago. The 
freedom has been paid, and is continuing to be paid, with the blood of 
brave men and women who have given their lives for this country. That's 
a pretty high price in my book, but I greatly appreciate the sacrifices 
they have made for me and my family. I owe my live to these people and 
I don't even know their names. 

My father was a Vietnam Vet. He saw war first hand and it changed him
forever. He turned to drugs to forget what he saw over there and he 
lost his family because he couldn't deal with the emotions being in war 
brought to him. I don't know if he ever regretted his decision, he died 
when I was 10. But, in my heart, I don't think he did. When he left to 
go over there he was a newlywed. He was over there for about three 
months when he found out I was to be born. He had a new reason to fight 
for his country, ME. To me this says a lot about him as a person. To me 
it says a lot about a man I don't know. To me it shows me how much he 
loved me before he knew me. To me it shows that I should proud Vietnam 
Vet's daughter and I must live up to the responsibilities that go along 
with it. One of those responsibilities is to live my life knowing I 
make my father proud of me every day of my life and in everything I do 
in that said life. I hope he would be proud of this article because I 
do it in the memory of him. I didn't know that until it entered my head 
to write. But, Lord help me, I find that I'm so overcome with emotion 
that I know it's true. Daddy, PLEASE be proud of your daughter who 
still loves you to this day. And please know that even though you are 
gone you ARE NOT forgotten. You STILL own a piece of my heart. 

The price of freedom in religion is also a high price to have been paid.
Jesus Christ was crucified for the freedom of sin. He gave up His live 
for us all to be free, if we choose to live for Him. He gave up His 
only begotten son to let us have the freedom to choose between living 
for the spirit or living for the flesh. That says a lot about a person. 
It says He knows what unconditional love is and He's willing to give it 
to you if you would only accept it and believe in Him. 

I don't know how well I answered those questions. But, I tried, with the
best of my ability and limited knowledge, to give you the answers.  Now 
it's your turn to give me yours. Feel FREE to leave me any comments you 
have. Be totally honest and sincere, for I would do the same for you. 

HAPPY 231st BIRTHDAY AMERICA! 

July 3, 2007 


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