Second Thoughts ~ Use Your Freedom

Greetings Dear Reader,

As the sun sets on Independence Day, 2020, I ponder the words my younger Son, Bezel wrote this morning:

I've always been a huge celebrator of Fourth of July mostly because it's close to my birthday and I like blowing things up. I like grilling out. I like drinking with my friends. But I cannot celebrate our country for what it is... I don't know that I ever have. I celebrate what it could or furthermore what it should be. The myth of America is that it's a place where every person no matter their skin color, belief system, sexual orientation, country of origin has a chance to be free and live in peace and harmony... this is untrue for so much of our citizenry especially the ones who were here before any colonizers decided to make this land their home. This year as we blow out the candles on America's birthday let's wish for that free land of love and harmony and acceptance. That's what the world NEEDS, a place where people can just live and be free and help each other no matter what you look like.

I do not think that we understand just how close to the truth he sails.  We have freedom and we do not use it well.  Therein lies our great difficulty.  I have enjoyed time with friends, time with family, and a paid day off of work.  If that is all that my freedom is used for, then I am failing to use my freedom well. 

What is the purpose of freedom?  It is not the simple pursuit of that which makes me happy.  The purpose of freedom is to use it for the benefit of all humans.  That good use is to not indulge our vices but to serve others in love.  It is vital that we use our God-given freedom to love others as the Father loves them.

I watch as both sides indulge their anger and outrage instead of loving each other.  The clamor for or against our nation, political positions, and the rights of others are all manageable if we take on the attitude of loving service.  We have heard this from so many different angles we do not need to be reminded. 

We do need to act.  We need to see every need as an opportunity to serve others in love.  It almost does not matter what the other side says.  The fact that they do not see the love of Christ in our actions should be enough to push us.  It should be enough to make us shut up, listen, and serve in love. 

My Grandfather, who adopted my natural father, was a white police officer in Atlanta during the 1950s and early 1960s.  As a lead sergeant, he approached every incident the same way.  He would arrest you if you were committing a crime.  He would bring you to his house for meal a before taking you to jail.  Other officers would call him if African Americans were involved because they knew he would deal with them in justice with integrity.  He once told me that when someone breaks the law that color does not matter because justice is supposed to be blind. 

I pondered all of this today and was reminded of something in my new book, Thoughts and Questions on Galatians.  I ask the question about something Paul writes.  He says:

Galatians 5:13 (NASB) ^13 “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

The question is: Why is it so important that we use our freedom for service with love and humility?  So I wonder if today we are using our freedom for service.  I wonder where our humility and love are.  I wonder how long the Father will put up with any side posturing, rioting, killing, or condemning when we are failing to love and serve.  I ask you to ponder it with me, Dear Reader before the sun sets on our freedom.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Every human story is part of the great story that leads to the Father getting everything back to Good.

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Second Thoughts ~ End IT Day 2020

Greetings Dear Reader,

If we are going to be honest, this should cross our minds every day.  It should be in our view constantly until it is unnecessary.  I am not saying that other things do not deserve our attention as well but the deep truth of it is that as long as there are humans selling other humans, we have a plight with which we must deal.

The ENDIT Movement exists to shine a light on human trafficking and slavery.  Tomorrow, February 13, 2020, is the day that they as for us all to raise the flag of awareness.  This is the seventh year that the #ENEITMOVMENT is working to shine a light on slavery.  There are over 40 million men, women, and children in some form of bondage around the world.  Even in countries where there are lower numbers the awareness is not high enough. 

 

Here is what you can do:

Get educated.  The End IT site has vast resources

Spread the word:  Share this post

Raise Awareness:  Wear a Red X on your hand and when people ask why, tell them about human trafficking and slavery in our world.

There is no room in the world for the owning and abuse of other humans.  Join me, Dear Reader, in demanding and working for change, for freedom.  Help me shine a light on slavery.  Help make our world one where it is no longer tolerated. 

 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

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Which Way are WE Going ~ Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

Each of us carries the promise of freedom inside.  As people of a country where freedom is the law, we are born into the rights that are associated with it.  We are also born into the responsibilities. Once we are adults, if we do not like it, we have options.

We are permitted to work to change the laws.  We are allowed to move to states where the culture better suits our choices.  We are able to leave the country if we feel another one is more desirable.  The difficulty comes when violate or rage against the structure that gives us these freedoms.

With the freedom to live under the government we have comes the obligation to defend it as well.  Instead, we gather around factions and question the structure because the framers were flawed.  We look back and judge the founding fathers based on their race, religion, and ethnicity.  We fail to learn the historical significance of their time and actions.  We discount their risks based on our judgment of people we never knew.  Worse, we revise their history to fit our political or social agenda and relegate them to villainy.

Further, we insist on or using our freedom as an excuse to do as we please.  Instead of making sure that equal freedom under the law is applied to everyone, we indulge it in living as we please.  We are obligated to care for each other out of brotherly love and kindness.  If we do not provide freedom and care for everyone, we abuse the freedom we have.

It is my obligation to serve others out of love.  If that is my goal, then I will see others as equals and treat them that way.  With love for others as my foundation in word and deed, tolerance of things that are unloving runs contrary to my freedom.  I answer to one who says that love is required in all things.  If this is the litmus test, then denying food, shelter, medical care, and social equality to anyone is against that requirement.

Which way are we going, Dear Reader?  Are we serving our freedom or are we serving the freedom of every human soul?  I cannot claim to be following Christ if I am using my freedom to deny others their needs, oppress those with whom I disagree, or allow crimes against the defenseless.  If I stand on this soil, I accept the obligation to defend freedom for everyone.  I cannot walk the journey home if I do not do so with love and freedom for everyone as my banner.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

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Which Way are WE Going ~ Dependent Independence

Happy Independence Day Dear Reader,

I hope that you find the type of celebration you wish and that in that celebration you find moments to be thankful for the freedom we have.  We are an imperfect society.  We have flaws and fractures that need our attention.

We are in a free state but we do not care for nor exercise our freedom well.  We do the things we are free to do that we wish.  We neglect the responsibilities that come with our freedom.  We love the picnics, baseball games, and fireworks.  We like the extra day off from work and even more when it is a day where we squeeze in an extra day off between it and the weekend. 

We need to recall in the midst of our celebrations that there are still citizens of our own nation at risk.  We need to honor the freedom we have by tending to those needs between the celebrations.  We need to vote.  We need to demand that we take care of each other.  The issues need to unite us and stop dividing us.    We need to care more about the humans who are involved in the issues and less about politics.  It is not our government’s job to meet the needs of our fellow citizens.  It is ours.

We are dependent upon each other for the maintenance of our independence.  We cannot all be soldiers, hold office, or sit on a court.  We can all vote.  We can all work toward meeting the needs of others.  If we choose to no longer tolerate the injustices of neglect and inequity we can peacefully and lovingly change things.

Instead, we argue, divide, and hate.  We neglect our veterans and their needs. We would rather pretend our problems do not exist and enjoy our beer and baseball.  We will sing the National Anthem but forget that “a house divided against itself will not stand.”  Take the day to celebrate Dear Reader.  Do something tomorrow and every day.  Make a difference in your part of the dependency that yields independence.  Perhaps our attitude needs to be that we must earn our right to celebrate our freedom.

Freedom Never Cries – Five for Fighting

I took a flag to a pawn shop
For a broken guitar
I took a flag to a pawn shop
How much is that guitar
I took a flag to a pawn shop
I got me that guitar
What's a flag in a pawn shop to me?

I saw a man on the TV
In a mask with a gun
A man on the TV
He had a ten-year-old son
I saw a man on the TV
His son had a gun
And he says that he's coming for me

.

I never loved the soldier until there was a war
Or thought about tomorrow
'Til my baby hit the floor
I only talk to God when somebody's about to die
I never cherished freedom
Freedom never cries

I wrote a song for a dead man
To settle my soul
A song for a dead man
And now I'll never grow old
I wrote a song for a dead man
Now I'm out in the cold
What's a song to a dead man to me?

I never loved the soldier until there was a war
Or thought about tomorrow
'Til my baby hit the floor
I only talk to God when somebody's about to die
I never cherished freedom
Freedom never cries

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

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Which Way are WE Going ~ The Omega Glory

Greetings Dear Reader,

Whilst it is not a very good episode of the original Star Trek series, it does possess lessons that we all need to consider.  Following the theory of parallel development, the crew of the Enterprise is temporarily stranded on a world that has fallen into chaos.   The civilized “Khoms” are at war with the savage, Native American like, “Yangs”. 

In short, Kirk has to drive home the lesson that our Constitution is a document that must be understood and followed.  It is not just a collection of sacred words.   Rather, he says, that the words of the Constitution "must apply to everyone or they mean nothing."   Since the Khoms and Yangs are thinly and poorly veiled references to Communists and Yankees, this is a daring statement for March 1, 1968. 

Our country is deep in the cold war and racing the Russians to the moon. We are also in the Vietnam Conflict and the upheaval of the counter-culture movement.  Civil Rights are gaining momentum.  We are only a month and three days from the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King and three months from the killing of Robert Kennedy.  We are a nation in turmoil that puts politics ahead of the common good.  The church has sunken deep into a fortress mentality and the Jesus movement is just gaining momentum.

I lived through this time but was too young to grasp the import of all that was going on around me.  Still, the lesson of government being the servant of all people was not lost on me.   Even then I knew that every human should live under political freedom.  We are supposed to live in a country where it is “We, the people” who are supposed to govern.  We have abdicated that on a large scale and are shocked that corporations and power mongers have derailed the process.

It is only our responsibility.   We can disagree but we must move to work as one to control our government and limit its power in our lives.  We must take our place as free citizens and carry the responsibility of that freedom.  When we do not, we should not be surprised that we see the government do things that are heinous.  We have delegated our responsibility to mouthing words that we no longer believe.  Government of the people, by the people, and for the people will go away if each of us does not embrace that freedom applies to everyone and that everyone deserves our very best.

This is our law.  If we fail to treat everyone with love, dignity, and respect, we should not expect that we will always receive the same.  It is my obligation and yours Dear Reader.  If we fail to take our responsible place then we should not be surprised to see our great and noble words, “We the People” dissolve into the unintelligible "Eed plebnista.”  After all, noble words are only as good as the actions behind them.

The Preamble – School House Rock

Complete Reading of the Constitution

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

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Which Way are WE Going ~ Anti-Social

Greetings Dear Reader,

One of my good friends often poses questions with the introduction “wond’ring aloud”.  This is actually the title of a Jethro Tull song.  It is also something that I do often in this blog.   I wonder aloud about the things we choose as a society.  One of the lines from the song I posted with the opening thoughts was, “Let him live in freedom if he lives like me.”

I cannot find a social position at either end of the social/moral spectrum that does not contain people who feel that other individuals should be made to live as they live.  You cannot force anyone to live a certain way and say that you are in the right.  Once you take away the freedom to choose, you lose the moral high ground.  You abandon the basic idea that we live in a free society. 

That freedom must stop where it actually harms someone else.  We are not free to harm other individuals.  Before you vigorously nod in agreement, I want to be clear.  If you are denying civil or social rights to any individual or group of people you have lost your understanding of freedom.  Whether it is medical care, social equality, basic sustenance, or even life, we do not have the right to deny the needs of others.  Worse, we actively deny these things to humans in the name of religion, morality, and convenience. 

We are content to virtue signal instead of being actually virtuous.  I need this point to be needle fine in my own mind.  No matter how vehemently I think something is socially or morally wrong, I do not have the right to deny the needs of those who do that thing.  The other side of that coin is that neither does anyone else.  Please watch your toes Dear Reader.  I am about to trample on some social issues heavily.

Healthcare – I do not know what the answer is for providing for the healthcare needs of our people.  I do know that instead of loving those in need we care more about money, our large gourmet coffee, and the newest fashion than we do about the vital care of others.  We are free to do this but we have no moral footing if we do so.  Worse, we use a moral position to justify denying proper healthcare to a group of people.  Still worse, we make vital healthcare unattainable for those who cannot afford it.

Civil Rights – We think that we have equal right under the law.  The law says that we do.  Our practices do not always align with this.  Even those who have been oppressed in the past are obligated to treat everyone with the same rights as they have sought or seek.  There is no standard by which to say that someone else has to live a certain lifestyle to enjoy all the freedoms of a free society.  Again, this stops where the freedoms of others are impinged.  This does not mean that you have to align with me morally to be free.  Until we get that every human has a right to this, we may not make any progress.

It is not my place to tell anyone how to live.  It is my obligation to love everyone, even those who hate me.  There is no life that is not sacred.  There is no human that should not receive love and compassion from those who claim to follow Christ.  We cannot love the Father until we love each other. We cannot truly love each other until we stop making exceptions to that love in our minds, actions, and laws.  We cannot declare an entire class of people exempt from life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  We have.  We make it illegal for people to live as they choose.  We make it impossible for certain groups to get equal care and representation.  We have declared that the most defenseless in our culture may be murdered out of hand.  We tolerate the buying and selling of other humans.

I do not know how to fix all this.  I do know that in following Christ I am obligated to make it more important than my views on anything.  Denying others’ social/moral needs is not loving, and therefore, not following Christ.  If you disagree Dear Reader, search your heart as to why you wish to deny these things.  You may argue with me about it if you wish, but if your argument does not proceed from love then you have no footing.  Again, watch your toes because I love you too.

Great American Novel – Larry Norman

I was born and raised an orphan in a land that once was free

In a land that poured its love out on the moon;

And I grew up in the shadows of your silos filled with grain,

But you never helped to fill my empty spoon.

And when I was ten you murdered law with courtroom politics,

And you learned to make a lie sound just like truth;

But I know you better now and I don't fall for all your tricks,

And you've lost the one advantage of my youth.

You kill a black man at midnight just for talking to your daughter,

Then you make his wife your mistress and you leave her without water;

And the sheet you wear upon your face is the sheet your children sleep on,

At every meal you say a prayer; you don't believe, but still you keep on.

And your money says in God we trust,

But it's against the law to pray in school;

You say we beat the Russians to the moon,

And I say you starved your children to do it.

You are far across the ocean in a war is that’s not your own,

And while you're winning theirs, you're gonna lose the one at home;

Do you really think the only way to bring about the peace,

Is to sacrifice your children and kill all your enemies?

The politicians all make speeches while the newsmen all take notes,

And they exaggerate the issues as they shove them down our throats;

Is it really up to them whether this country sinks or floats?

Well, I wonder who would lead us if none of us would vote.

Well my phone is tapped and my lips are chapped from whispering through the fence,

You know every move I make, or is that just coincidence?

Will you try to make my way of life a little less like jail,

If I promise to make tapes and slides and send them through the mail.

And your money says in God we trust,

But it's against the law to pray in school;

You say we beat the Russians to the moon,

And I say you starved your children to do it.

You say all men are equal, all men are brothers,

Then why are the rich more equal than others?

Don't ask me for the answer, I've only got one:

That a man leaves his darkness when he follows the Son.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

Novels on Amazon             

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Which Way are WE Going ~ Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

We are going to walk in the shadow of freedom for a few days.  I am not a nationalist nor do I believe that any nation is absolutely right.  I do believe that we have lost our way and that we fail to understand what freedom means.   I think that we have forgotten that freedom and liberty are not free and come with great responsibility.  

I love that we live in a place where we can choose to follow the path our heart desires.  We can have the vocation or avocation that we choose.  We are free to live the values and ideals that matter to us.  The problem is that we do not apply this truth equally nor do we recognize the responsibility that we carry when we embrace freedom.

We are deciding daily at the lowest level what we will become and what we will leave when we are gone.  We are developing our world socially, politically, and personally every day.  If we do not engage with our responsibility in this effort, we are riding on the lives of those who do without paying our part.  The face of every coin of freedom has a reverse side of responsibility.

The difficulty is that we are contradictory in our application of that freedom.  We want it for ourselves but through action and inaction deny it to others.  The idea of freedom only works if it is applied equally.  Please be aware that I am very conservative in my faith and theology.  I also believe that in that conservative view is the requirement to love, honor, and respect everyone. 

If we are going to keep the torch of liberty ablaze, we must learn to apply its promises to everyone.  I touched on this last week.  I will spend the next few days on a deeper dive.  Please walk with me through some ideas that must apply to everyone and some burdens that we all share.  The first great responsibility of freedom is that we must all do things to maintain it every day.

I value your company Dear Reader.  Your thoughts and questions always teach me something.  Anything I say about social or political freedom; I believe should apply to everyone.  We have things in place that hinder this and we should stand against them.  I cannot follow Christ and deny anyone social well-being.  Let us discuss this as we travel.   

Which Way are You Going – Jim Croce

Which way are you going, which side will you be on

Will you stand and watch while all the seeds of hate are sown

Will you stand with those who say, let his will be done

One hand on the Bible One hand on the gun

One hand on the Bible One hand on the gun

Which way are you looking, is it hard to see

Do you say what's wrong for him, is not wrong for me

You walk the streets, righteousness but you refuse to understand

You say you love the baby

Then you crucify the man

You say you love the baby

Then you crucify the man

Every day, things are changing, words once honored turned to lies

People wondering, can you blame them 

It's too far to run, and too late to hide

Now you turn your back on, all the things that you used to preach

Now its let him live in freedom if he lives like me

Well you light has changed, confusion rains, what have you become

All your olive branches turned to spears

When your flowers turned to guns

Your olive branches turned to spears

When your flowers turned to guns

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

Novels on Amazon             

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Sing You Home ~ If You Are Going My Way

Greetings Dear Reader,

As I try to refine this journey I have realized that there has been a hindrance that is both weighty and powerful.  It is the product of crossing lines and failure to yield.  It is the kind of thing we get into because we are not vigilant or worse intentionally obtuse. 

For too many years I have tried to create space for others to be safe so that they can heal and grow.  In trying to create that I have stayed in one place for too long.  Instead of becoming a helpful traveler who guides others, I become dependent on the caring and put my own needs into the mix.  I fail to see that they need to travel on because I have stopped traveling.  I cannot sing you home if I am not moving.

My beloved friend Joy said something yesterday that made so much sense.  I do not need to created a space because I carry that space with me in my love for others.  I carry that sense of belonging and home best when I am moving toward it.  The entire idea of the Great Commission is to share Christ as we are going; as we are moving toward Christ.

Most of the time I feel that who I am is unrewarding for others.  This is what resonates that deep loneliness in me that I cannot seem to escape.  Then, every once in awhile I get a glimpse of what I can be for others.  I see the ability to sing others down the path so that they can keep moving toward home.  I have to be content to travel with them whilst they are content to travel with me but to let them move ahead or fall behind as they choose.

I must learn to carry the song, the story, and the dream with me whilst going my way.  I must travel alone if necessary and revel in the fellow travelers that fall in step with me as I go.  I am a fool, a vagabond, and a wanderer.  I cannot build permanence here but I can walk with you when you wish to walk with me Dear Reader.  I treasure your company and love you dearly.  When you fall in step with me I promise to be all that I can be for you.  “If you are going my way, I’ll go with you…”

I’ve Got a Name – Jim Croce

Like the pine trees lining the winding road
I got a name, I got a name
Like the singing bird and the croaking toad
I got a name, I got a name
And I carry it with me like my daddy did
But I'm living the dream that he kept hid

Moving me down the highway, rolling me down the highway
Moving ahead so life won't pass me by

Like the north wind whistlin' down the sky
I've got a song, I've got a song
Like the whippoorwill and the baby's cry
I've got a song, I've got a song
And I carry it with me and I sing it loud
If it gets me nowhere, I'll go there proud

Moving me down the highway, rolling me down the highway
Moving ahead so life won't pass me by

And I'm gonna go there free

Like the fool I am and I'll always be
I've got a dream, I've got a dream
They can change their minds but they can't change me
I've got a dream, I've got a dream
Oh, I know I could share it if you'd want me to
If you're goin' my way, I'll go with you

Movin' me down the highway, rollin' me down the highway
Movin' ahead so life won't pass me by
Movin' me down the highway, rollin' me down the highway
Movin' ahead so life won't pass me by

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

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Kids BLOG

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Second Thoughts ~ The Last Verse

Greetings Dear Reader,

Unless you avoid all media and sports today you are likely to catch at least a snippet of our American National Anthem.  I was at a baseball game and stood proudly as a Marine veteran crooned the tune for us.  I reminded my Grandsons to be still and show respect. 

At the same game I was honored to watch my Grandsons perform Take me Out to the Ball Game for the Seventh Inning Stretch.  As I waited for the game to resume I was reminded of the other versus of The Star-Spangled Banner.   It may be that we need to listen to the entire song more often.  Of particular need in our time is an understanding of the last verse. 

As I celebrate the freedom we have and take for granted I ponder the issues over which we struggle and the division we have.  I was talking with my younger Son, Bezel this morning and we talked about how, as Christ followers we know that the truth of so many things becomes easily evident when viewed through the lens of God’s love. 

We have forgotten how to put love for our fellow humans ahead of politics and greed.  We are in danger of losing everything we cherish because we cherish for the wrong reasons.  We have forgotten that freedom requires selflessness and sacrifice.  It demands that we work together to keep it alive.  Here is a version of the National Anthem that includes the last verse.:  The Star-Spangled Banner.  Perhaps a bit of your celebration can include it.  The entire lyrics are below.

Happy Independence Day.

Complete version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" showing spelling and punctuation from Francis Scott Key's manuscript in the Maryland Historical Society collection.

O say can you see, by the dawn's early light,

What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming,

Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight

O'er the ramparts we watch'd were so gallantly streaming?

And the rocket's red glare, the bomb bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there,

O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep

Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,

As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,

In full glory reflected now shines in the stream,

'Tis the star-spangled banner - O long may it wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore,

That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion

A home and a Country should leave us no more?

Their blood has wash'd out their foul footstep's pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand

Between their lov'd home and the war's desolation!

Blest with vict'ry and peace may the heav'n rescued land

Praise the power that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto - "In God is our trust,"

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

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