Is our flag still here, or is it to be burned, thrown in the mud or twisted around a person in a sensual way. That is the way it is pictured sometimes on television. Why are some folks that way? It seems that those are the same folks who are trying to get our president out of office. I don’t understand that either. President Trump was elected honestly and we should allow him to do his work without all this name calling and protest groups marching along with their signs. Sometimes, it seems like our flag isn’t flying as proudly as it used to be.

I was thinking today about celebrations when I was a child. Now, remember I am ninety one years old, so I remember many fourth of July celebrations. I would wake up early that morning really excited, thinking about the parade and picnic I would be involved with. I ate my breakfast as quickly as I could and ran down the one street we had in the town we lived in. The grown ups were already at work arranging the parade, which didn’t amount to much, just the school band, (Our school only went up through the eighth grade) the fire cart pulled by horses, the school children, which included me, and the members of the town council. But the big flag led by our mayor proudly carrying it was the main part of the parade.  Everyone had tears in their eyes, including me, when the flag  went down the street lined by the folks who lived in town and the farmers who came for the day.

We then went to our church to pray for our country, the depression to end and for the men who were still in the armed services since WW1. Everyone came, probably because our church was the only church in town.

Next, we all went out to the meadow beside the river to our big Fourth of July picnic. The first thing done was raising up the big flag, having a prayer, and the eating began. You wouldn’t think there was a depression! The ladies brought so much food. My eyes peered from one item to another wondering if I could taste them all.

We played ball, waded in the river and just relaxed the rest of the day. Before we went home my dad, who was the pastor of the church, led us in prayer and we sang “My Country ‘Tis Of Thee”. “God Bless America” and our National Anthem were not available then. We went home thanking God for our country and looking ahead to the next Fourth of July,

Quite a difference, huh? Yet, there are many of you Americans who celebrate the Fourth of July as well as we did and there are many of us who love the flag. Let’s keep on celebrating the Fourth, and pray those who don’t see it that way will change their minds and enjoy the fourth like we do. God bless America!

I suspect that every prayer that has not been answered is either not in God’s will, or it hasn’t been answered yet, or you don’t believe it will be answered. If we truly believe the past is totally forgiven, the present is blest and the future is  bright with hope how can we be anything but happy?

God,  himself, has made believing a rule of receiving. Is it any wonder then, that Aunt Anna isn’t getting better if you don’t think she will. We constantly ask, “How is this thing possible?” If you truly believe, the answer is, “GOD”. God will do what you ask if you truly believe.

No one accomplishes so much in so little time as when he or she is in prayer. If only one person prays and believes with total faith and rises up , THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD WILL CHANGE. Will you be that one?

Does that mean our prayers are not answered, ever? Not at all. God is aware that we stumble over our faith every once in awhile. But prayer without faith degenerates into an aimless routine. So make sure you really want Aunt Anna to get better and leave         her healing up to God. Isn’t that better anyway? In other words, get that word BELIEVE under control. And pray, always! After all, you are asking an awesome God to answer. Knowing that much is enough faith for an answer.