Monday, September 10, 2012

In Memory of My Kelsey

Kelsey Lee Cunningham
September 6, 1994--September 8, 2012



Incase you missed Kelsey's story in The Voice of Grace and Truth, I'm posting it today.
 In memory of the best furry little girl ever!


Happy Birthday America

      On July 4th, I will wear my flag sweater. I am old, 126 in dog years, but I’m not as old as my country, the United States of America. This year, on its birthday, my country will be 235 years old and we will celebrate at my house with a big party. I can wear my flag sweater because where I live it will be winter in July, that’s because I live in South America, where my parents work. The seasons are opposite here, which means while it is summer in the United States it is winter in South America.

       I was born in the USA; it says so on my special papers. They say I am Kelsey Lee, Shih Tzu, girl dog, born in 1994, in Florida. I am 18 years old in people years, even that is old for a dog.  I am proud to be an OLD American dog.
    
     Our country has a special birthday paper too. It is called the Declaration of Independence, signed on July 4, 1776 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On that date our nation was born, July 4th is its birthday. This paper announced that the 13 colonies wanted freedom from the mother country of Great Britain. The colonies wanted to form their own country and make their own laws; they wanted to be free. The signing of The Declaration of Independence was the beginning of America’s fight to be a free and independent nation. It wasn’t easy to become a free nation. There was a war and many people lost their lives, they were heroes because they died for our country.

     Every year on July 4th, we have a special picnic at my house to celebrate America’s birthday. I love that party with all the hotdogs, fireworks and ice cream. I wear my flag sweater, it is red, white, and blue, with stars and stripes, and it even looks like a flag. Our flag is our most important symbol of our freedom. When our country was just beginning our forefathers, the founders of our country, decided to make a new flag. George Washington, our first president, asked Betsy Ross to sew the first flag. He was told she could sew better than anyone and that her husband was a soldier who died in the war; he was a hero. Betsy Ross was happy to sew the first flag.

     It was decided that the flag would be red, white, and blue, with stars and stripes.  The color red would be for victory, white for purity, and blue for loyalty. The stars would be for each state and the stripes for the 13 colonies that became the first 13 states.

     One year later, on July 4, 1777, the sky of Philadelphia was lit up with bonfires and candles were glowing in all the windows of the homes and stores. Church bells rang out and even cannons were shot from ships. It was America’s first birthday party. After that people all across America celebrated the birth of our country every year on July 4th.

      Many of the men who wrote The Declaration of Independence prayed for guidance from God as they served our country. In my house we always pray for our country and our leaders. The Bible says in Ephesians 5:20 “Giving thanks always for all things unto God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Let’s always thank God for our country and ask Him to bless The United States of America.

"Red Sweater Girls"

 You may be gone from my side,
but you'll always be in my heart!

"God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, 
and if it takes my dog being there, then I believe he'll be there." Billy Graham