stars and stripes forever

STARS - The American flag started with 13 in a circle representing all the colonies and now holds fifty white stars on a blue field. The stars look pretty cool on all the flags from the fourth, but there are better ones.

On the third day Jesus was there with the Spirit and the Father created the world and flung these amazing night time features into space. He created the glimmer and galaxies shooting ones and falling ones. The words say that he can call every star by name. He told Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as them and in revelation He talks about the stars of the churches. On a clear night you can gaze into the dark sky for ever and see just how big the universe is and wonder how big a God is who could make it all.

STRIPES - The American flag has red and white stripes on it (the red symbolizing the blood of those who paid the ultimate price for our country).

the prophet says that by his stripes we are healed. He's talking about the bleeding gashes that were left from the Roman whips when Jesus was on trial in Pilate's court. How many stripes were there? Don't know for sure - more than the thirteen on our flag. Probably too many to count, but they too symbolized blood - not blood that paid the price for our country's freedom, but blood that paid for the freedom of all mankind spiritually.

FOREVER - As great as America is, it won't last forever - nothing in this world can promise that. Still I hope it's around for a good long time, I love this place and I'm proud that I'm an American (not better than other countries, it's just my heritage) - and I'm grateful that for some reason God had me born here. But I'm much more grateful for the eternity that I'll have with him. I'm much more thankful for my citizenship in heaven. I'm eternally blessed that the one who holds the stars and healed me with His stripes will be my forever!