4th of July!

I hope you all had as good of a day as we did on Wednesday! I remember a couple years back, I was in the waiting room while my mom visited with a chiropractor, and I decided to use that time to read my Bible. After a few minutes, it occurred to me that what I had just done is something hundreds of Christians in other countries can only dream of doing without being thrown in jail or worse. Even owning a Bible could cost my life in another country, and that is something I don't want to forget or take for granted.

What is even more sobering, is that to whom much is given, much is required. Never has a generation had so much knowledge at their fingertips. With a click of a button, we have access to the greatest sermons ever preached, countless books, study materials, recordings, and devotionals on virtually every topic we could possibly desire to study, and even more opportunity for distributing those riches than we know what to do with. Are we being good stewards?

Are we growing in wisdom ourselves and then using our freedom of speech to help others? Or are we allowing the comforts and privileges of being an American distract us from the work? Proverbs 10:21 says, "The lips of the righteous feed many . . . "

I walked over to these two to see if I could get a volleyball game going, but ended up sitting down instead and simply listening as they continued their conversation about spiritual warfare (that seemed a little more important than a game of vball at the time :) ... ) I was blessed again and again as I walked from this conversation to another and heard a common theme among our company of knowing God and making Him known. What more appropriate way to celebrate Independence Day than to reflect on God's works in our nation, and the ways in which we can be more informed, involved and effective Christians in the midst of the battles America is facing today.