Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, or Independence Day. During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain in 1776 actually occurred on July 2, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June declaring the United States independent from Great Britain’s rule. After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. There is no greater blessing than to be a free nation. We have many freedoms that people in other

Work seems to have a way of moving friends and family to distant places. Some very dear friends recently moved to North Carolina, and though they will be greatly missed, they will never be forgotten. Though her husband’s job was the reason for the move, it also meant finding jobs for the other members of the family. Jane found her job in a candle factory as one who checks the quality of the product – a Quality Controller. Her new job reminded me of just how much I like candles. Candles have many purposes, but the two that immediately come to my mind are fragrance and light. Consider, first, the

When God created us, He did so that we might be unique individuals with specific character traits. None of us were ‘stamped out’ in a cookie cutter fashion, but individually. We each have emotions that can be held in check or released to act in whatever way we please. Some emotions (just to name a few) are joy and happiness, sadness and sorrow, peace and anger, or guilt and freedom from guilt. Have you ever met someone who was living a monotone life? There just didn’t seem to be any up’s or down with them. They were always on an even keel all the time. They were what we might

On Sunday, June 16th, 2019, Rochelle Elizabeth Pedi passed to heaven, surrounded by family and friends who loved her. Although Rochelle was taken far too early, she had a happy life, full of travel and hobbies and time spent with her mother. Rochelle was an avid reader, having a vast library of her favorite authors. Rochelle was a devotee of all things related to Harry Potter, Twilight, and other romantic, magical, and mysterious tales. She was a member of the FFA and 4-H, raising various animals for the county fair. She loved to bowl and enjoyed tournaments here and out of town. She loved arts and crafts, making lanyards for