Right now, there’s plenty about this country I don’t like.

Morals run amok.

Politics mattering more than people.

War on family and on the sanctity of life.

Just about everything on the TV News.

Yet, I’m still pulling out our red, white and blue to wear this week; I’m still firing up the grill to celebrate and still taking the kids to watch those sparkly fireworks boom.

Because I’m still proud to be an American.

Where we’re free to worship our God.

Where hard work earns a diploma and a paycheck.

Where we can pick our doctors and get in fairly quickly to see them.

Where mamas can vote and run companies.

Where we can take our kids to schools and pour water that’s clean enough to drink.

Not everyone in this world can.

So, we’re looking beyond the date on the calendar and teaching our children that even though we don’t see eye to eye with everyone leading this country on everything today, we want to do what we can to ensure that all the good our nation’s flag represents still stands tomorrow.

We’re teaching our kids that our freedom isn’t free.

We’re explaining wisdom is more important than knowledge, and we are each given a voice to speak up with integrity.

We’re encouraging them to appreciate diversity, empathy and hard work.

We’re modeling how to respectfully disagree.

We’re looking at the world map together and remembering God made us all and came to save all of us who will believe.

No border or boundary or waterway can separate the family of Christ as we go into all the world and make His disciples.

And for our family, that command starts right here in our hometown, USA as we take advantage of our freedom to worship and to study and speak up and share the good news of the Gospel with our family and neighbors and community.

I’m thankful for the freedom to do it.

I’m challenged to get to work here where God has put me and make “America” mean something good.

I’m still proud to be an American.

(Mommys15Minutes, Jaclyn Warren)