I am truly blessed to be living here in America and to have my family and friends to share it with. The 4th of July is America’s Independence Day. The Continental Congress took the risk and voted to declare independence from Great Britain on July 2nd, 1776. The Declaration of Independence was drafted and adopted on July 4th, 1776 and signed on August 2, 1776. Many lives were lost for the cause, and in the end America became a separate and free country. What a wonderful occasion it is to be able to celebrate the birth of this great nation. Bring out the red-white-and blue, the stars and stripes, and Old Glory to celebrate and show pride and patriotism for this beautiful country of ours.
It’s wonderful to see on Pinterest, Facebook, Tumblr, and other websites of what people are thankful for. Somedays are harder than others, but like one quote I’ve seen again and again, “There is Always something to be Thankful for.” So true. This is my November inspiration board with pictures, quotes and found objects that I’ve gathered together to remind me of the wonderful things in my life.
Have fun using these printables of thankful thoughts, quotes and Bible verses. Post them on a bulletin board/ refrigerator, hang it on the wall or attach the little tags onto packages.
I find myself here at my desk almost everyday filing things, updating the family calendar, or sorting through mail. And every now and then I will glance up at the bulletin board and be reminded of what I am thankful for.
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I am thankful for my loving, unchanging mighty God, my Counselor, and above all He is my heavenly Father.
God’s little creatures created this beautiful web in my garden along with the other two in the pictures shown below. It was early in the morning with just enough dampness in the air for the tiny water droplets to still be clinging to every part of the web. The intricate detail of it all glistened and sparkled the moment light hit it.
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A close-up of the water droplets on the spider web….. amazing!
July 4th is the day to celebrate and reflect on the birth of our nation.
The founding Fathers wanted this nation to be independent and separate from Great Britain. The decision by 56 of the 58 members of the Second Continental Congress to sign the Declaration of Independence was not without struggles, challenges and risk of death. Some names are easier to recognize than others but all were needed to give relevance and significance to this document and show unity. Some signatures have been colored by me to identify individuals mentioned below.
John Hart, signer of the Declartion of Independence, Judge and Lesgislator. He was one of the men who became a target of the British and was forced to flee from home and family. His house, mill and crops destroyed. After the long hardship of being on the run for over a year his health deteriorated and he never fully recovered. { continue …}
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Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1826
Thomas Jefferson, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, 3rd President of the United States, Secretary of State, Diplomat and Governor of Virginia. Thomas Jefferson’s well know phrase, ‘Separation of Church and State‘ was taken from letters written to the Baptist Association of Danbury, Connecticut . It was not written in the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution as many people have assumed.
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Thomas McKean, 1734-1817
Thomas McKean, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, President of Congress Ratifier of the U.S. Constitution, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Governor of Pennsylvania and Governor of Delaware. The following is an excerpt of a Proclamation for a Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer issued by Thomas McKean, November 19, 1781: “It is therefore recommended to the several states to set apart the THIRTEENTH day of DECEMBER next, to be religiously observed as a day of THANKSGIVING and PRAYER; that all the people may assemble on that day with grateful hearts to celebrate the praises of our glorious Benefactor, to confess our manifold sins, to offer up our most fervent supplications to the God of all grace that it may please Him to pardon our offense, and incline our hearts for the future, to keep all His laws, to comfort and relieve all our brethren who are in distress or captivity, to prosper our husbandmen, and give strength to all engaged in lawful commerce; to impart wisdom and integrity to our counselors, judgment and fortitude to our officers and soldiers; to protect and prosper our illustrious ally and favor our united exertions for the speedy establishment of a safe, honorable, and lasting peace, to bless our seminaries of learning, and cause the knowledge of God to cover the earth as the waters cover the seas.” {continue …}
The HBO 2008 mini series, John Adams is one of our family favorite history series to watch. I can’t say that our kids were excited to sit and watch history, but by the time part 1 ended, their interests heighten and were eger to continue to part 2. There were a few small parts that we decided to skip for the kids, but overall they watched everything else. Bringing history of our nation to the next generation will help them to understand, appreciate and celebrate this day with pride and joy.
We hope you and your family have a wonderful 4th of July celebration!
