07/04/2026
Happy Fourth of July! 🇺🇸
As we celebrate the freedoms we enjoy as Americans—and remember they came at a tremendous cost—I found myself reflecting on another kind of freedom today.
This afternoon, I’m sitting in a hanging chair in my brother’s backyard while dog sitting.
The breeze is just right.
The neighbors’ music drifts over the fence.
Bella found the perfect spot where the cool dirt met the warm sunshine, and I texted my granddaughter just to tell her I loved her.
It struck me how easy it is to feel like every moment should be productive.
Maybe that’s because so many of us learned, somewhere along the way, that our value comes from being useful.
But what if one of the freedoms we continue to grow into is freedom from having to constantly prove our worth?
What if our deepest work sometimes looks like paying attention?
To the breeze.�To beauty.�To the people we love.�To the quiet nudges of God.�To the life happening right in front of us.
Ironically, I think those moments often make us more creative, more present, and more able to give to others—not because we’re striving, but because we’re finally living from a full heart instead of an empty one.
Today reminded me that there is a difference between proving our worth and simply living from it.
Thank you, Jesus!
Wishing you a joyful Independence Day—and perhaps a few quiet moments to enjoy the freedom to simply be.
Happy Fourth. ❤️🤍💙
