God bless America, land that I love
Stand beside her and guide her
Through the night with the light from above
From the mountains to the prairies to the ocean white with foam
God bless America, my home sweet home!
God bless America, my home sweet home!

Last year I had a new but wonderful Independence Day experience. On July 4, 2004, I was in Washington D.C. attending the Presidential Classroom program. I will certainly never forget dangling my feet over the Potomac as I watched fireworks burst into a glorious display of color against the backdrop of the Washington Monument. It was a great celebration of a great country.

God bless America, indeed! And I praise God that he has placed me here in the land of the free and the home of the brave. The United States is a land of unparalleled freedom. The First Amendment alone lists five wonderful freedoms that were revolutionary when our nation started and have helped revolutionize countries all over the world ever since. We are free to speak our minds. I remember listening to Ralph Nader while at PC and disagreeing with most of what he said. Yet even listening to him was refreshing because I remember that his right to say what he believes protects my right to do the same. Our freedom also shows itself in the myriads of choices we are free to make each day. I love the fact that when I drive down Nacogdoches, I have literally dozens of dining options. I get psyched when I think that not only am I free to watch the Braves game tonight, but I can watch it on three different channels. Ponder on the peace we enjoy because of our freedom. We do not have to spend each day in fear of our own government, for it protects us.

America is also a land of incredible bravery. At home we see this in the fearlessness of the firefighter than runs into a burning building in order to save a life. Abroad we see this in the soldier who puts his life on the line fighting for freedom on the other side of the world, so we can have it here at home. Even today as we celebrate we must remember the bravery of those who fought over two hundred years ago so that we might become an independent nation and all the men that have fought since then in order to preserve our freedoms.

America is a great land, and I am truly proud to be an American. I live in a country where I am free to worship, free to enjoy golf, free to play Strat-O-Matic, free to eat In-N-Out Burger, and free to blog! God bless America, indeed!

America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good
With brotherhood
From sea to shining sea