4 of July

Today is the day we celebrated our nation's independence. And I thought it would be appropriate to talk about America in the two expressive forms I like the best: graphic design and writing. First, here's a poster I created using a color scheme inspired by the one seen here.

If you would like to download the poster, you can do that right here. The poster highlights four American qualities that I think are important, and I wrote about these same qualities in an essay I wrote recently for a contest. I want to post a short excerpt from my essay. You'll see that it's similar to the content of the poster.

"The American flag is not significant primarily because of what it is in itself. Yes, it is a beautiful, recognizable image, but that is not where it draws its significance from. The flag is meaningful because it is a symbol, a reminder, of something bigger than itself: our country. Wrapped up in its stars and stripes, in its waving folds as it heralds our nation’s status as the land of the free and the home of the brave, are not just strips of fabric stitched expertly together. Within those colors and folds is symbolized the fabric of America, the qualities that make my country what it is. While the stars and stripes is pretty to look at, I truly love it because of what is behind it, because of the way it reminds me of freedom, pride, courage, and honor."

Today I'm grateful for America. It is a blessing from God that I take for granted all too often. But praise God for a nation where we are so free - most of all, free to worship Him.