Happy Independence Day!

to America and Americans out there!

The country of my birth is 231 years old today (by traditional measures anyway). I am praying today for the best that is in this nation and our leaders, and that it will come to the fore of our private and public lives. And for the worst that is in us, that we will find the courage and fortitude to address it and change it and become the nation and member of the world community that God would have us be.

What are you all up to? In the US, most of us have a holiday and there are picnics, parades, fireworks…Hopefully, wherever you are, you are out enjoying the day! I have been fussing with Internet Explorer this morning, and have apparently finally declared my independence from it...it would not let me into Blogger to post this, so today's Fest is brought to you by Firefox. How's it look?

On to the Fest!

ReverendMother has shared a wonderful sermon called "Post Comes on Sunday Too."

Mags has written recently about gendered writing... she says, "Using an online widget called "Gender Genie," it is possible to seek whether one's writing is more "male" or "female." I got some surprising results, and I'm interested in having others try the experiment and tell me what they think." Check it out!

Mags has also received a new call! Read about it here...

Art as a Prayer shares a wonderful link called, “What is your Gift?”

Sally attended a Ready to Serve workshop which also explored gifts. She reflected on it here
and here

Songbird is inspiring folks all over the world!

And writing some pretty darn wonderful sermons

And Mindy is the amazing Swapper, Sewer, and Bargain Shopper Extraordinaire!

Lorna is considering the choice between what is right and what is easy… and writing wonderfully about burning bushes.

Leah Sophia attended the Orientale Lumen conference last week. Your editor is utterly fascinated by this event and WANTS TO GO NEXT TIME!

Deb posts a little rant (reaction) to her reading of the book Why Men Hate Going to Church.

Kathryn is beautifully pondering where God is in Alzheimer’s disease

She also asks for our prayers for her friends in Andhra Pradesh, India, who have suffered the effects of a mini tsunami and devastation of flooding

Milton shares an awesome reflection on the nature of time

ReverendMother has become the de facto person for folks in her area to contact with questions about maternity leave (wonder why!?) . She would like to hear from those of you who can share a strong leave policy...or if you have experiences to share.

Singing Owl writes about why the church needs the church, and some perfectly wonderful pictures! Her blog also has a great new color scheme!

Kievas Fargo has an excellent and thought-provoking meditation on world hunger and how we, as Christians, can make a difference.

Wishing you a safe and happy day, no matter where you are or what you are up to. God Bless us all.