Today we’re not going to celebrate with fireworks — go to I Love America if you want to see those — but we’re instead going to hear some awesome blast beats courtesy Bert and Ernie, of Sesame Street fame.

Today is not only the 4th but I am celebrating a different type of independence as I now am the sole occupant of a new apartment here in Springfield. Thanks so much to everyone in my family for helping me yesterday and hauling all my stuff into my apartment. Oh, and to everyone out there, I have an open door policy, so after about the first week or so and I’m finished unpacking, stop in anytime.

I’m off to grab some essentials for the apartment, get ready for ILA and visit some folks. Be well and enjoy the 4th!

I don’t know about you, but I still love America even though I’m disappointed in the direction in which our country is headed. Not just disappointed, but actually scared for my nation.

Most of the reason I’m scared has to do with oil prices rising, and our nation’s drug addiction-like dependence on a resource that is guaranteed to run out sooner than we all think.

I am thoroughly blessed to have a job in which I can easily deal with the cost increases of life’s basic necessities. I don’t have a family to support, and I live rather modestly by my estimation. I just want enough money to be able to live comfortably, yet at the same time money that I could be putting away toward my retirement is going instead to support companies who have to stay afloat because of oil prices.

Conversely, my heart goes out to those who have to make life-altering decisions based on the price of gas. Companies are shutting down left and right, and from a consumer’s perspective, some people cannot afford food and basic necessities. Some people can’t even afford to go to work, and it just snowballs from there. This is the present reality.

Yeah, things are getting worse than we could have imagined, but we still have a lot of good to look at. Even in the oil crisis, I see blessings that abound — and quite frankly, you’d have to be blind not to see them every day.

Our country has some of the most beautiful scenery of the planet, some of the nicest people you’d ever want to meet, and despite people’s opinion of the war, people generally support their troops that are fighting overseas. We’re still able to worship whatever being we choose; we can say whatever we want whenever we want (for the most part); and I don’t know of anyone yet that has been attacked by foot soldiers, had books burned and have been forced to leave the country.

America still is pretty great — yeah, we’re in a funk right now but I think that the Lord’s hand is still upon us despite all our shortcomings, and we can continue to be great. This nation is full of awesome people doing awesome things, and we’d be remiss to not focus on the good in a time in which many are doing without.

The hand of the Lord has been upon our country for 232 years, a relatively small amount of time compared to many other established nations on this planet. Nations that have been around longer than we have, have seen things much worse through their history — our current problems are bumps in the road compared to places like England (the Crusades come to mind), Germany (their country has nearly been decimated on many occasions), and Italy (remember the Roman Empire?).

So this July 4th, let’s all focus on what good our nation has to offer — turn off the TV and don’t watch the news, and instead fill your life with joy and happiness if only for a day. Go celebrate our nation’s independence, go shoot off some fireworks and I’ll provide the depth charges.

The Onion said it.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. This is great.