It is for Freedom...

America. Home of the Free.

Today is November 11. Veteran's Day. The day we honor those who have served in the military protecting values such as freedom.

Freedom is something I probably take for granted. A lot. I don't utlize my American freedoms in some ways. I can. But I don't. And I don't abuse them either. At least I hope not.

Soldiers have a different kind of sacrifice to give. Some give up being with their families for long periods of time. Or altogether.

Some ultimately give up their freedoms, including their lives, so that our American freedoms are preserved:

• Freedom to speak, well, freely. Like on this blog. I can say what I want whenever I want about whomever I want.


• Religious freedom. I am not forced to be a Christian. I choose to be one.


• Free to bear arms. While I don't own a weapon, I can if I want to...after a waiting period, of course.


• Freedom to assemble. I can be with a group of people in public or private.


• Freedom to petition~I can ask the government to do something or to stop doing something that I don't like or agree with.

We have the freedom to...

• go anywhere in our country


• work anywhere, with any company we qualify for


• have a family~ more than one child


• join any political party one chooses


• own private property

Is it worth any soldier's life so that you and I can have these freedoms? I believe that only the individual soldier can answer that question. Even though I don't fully know or understand what our soldiers so for us, I DO appreciate the sacrifices they give so that others may live--with freedom.

And so today is the day we set aside in our nation to honor such men and women who have given their time, energy and yes, even their lives in so many ways, so that you and I and our friends and families can speak our minds, worship God and live wherever we want to.

Soldiers strive to protect our physical and abstract freedoms. And for them, I am so grateful. So I thank you, American soldier, for the freedoms you give up so that Americans can keep theirs.

On a spiritual note...

Jesus' believed we were (are) worth giving up His life to set us free.

Sin separates us from God. (Isaiah 59:1-2) And so we needed someone to bring us back into that relationship with God. And Jesus did by dying on the cross to defeat death and so was brought back to life. This is the gospel, the Good News. And since all have sinned, no one is immune to sin's consquence, that is, death.

Unless you're in a relationship with God through Jesus.

But being in Jesus Christ says that we belong to God and have the hope (dare I say, guarantee) of being resurrected so that we can be in heaven with Him.

And so it is for freedom that Jesus set us free. Not to indulge in sinful behaviors, rather so that we'd serve one another in love. (Galatians 5)

He set us free from the fear of death. So if we are in Christ, we don't have to be afraid to die, because when we die (because we all will) we don't have to be afraid to be eternally separated from God. (Hebrews 2)

And so through this freedom we can approach God's throne with confidence. I have freedom to talk to him. (Ephesians 3)

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Cor. 3)

And so I am free. Free from the wages of sin, which is death. Free from the fear of death. Free to talk with God with confidence without being afraid of His wrath.

Jesus gives us spiritual freedoms. And because of His sacrifice, I am eternal saved and freed from anything can have a hold of fear over me because my God is a powerful God and through Him and because of Him nothing is impossible. Nothing.

It is for freedom that Jesus set us free..