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What Does July 4th Have To Do With #LifeByDesign?
Dated: July 5 2025
Views: 177
“If tomorrow all the things were gone I'd worked for all my life
And I had to start again with just my children and my wife
I'd thank my lucky stars to be livin' here today
'Cause the flag still stands for freedom, and they can't take that away
And I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me
And I'd gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God bless the USA” - Lee Greenwood, God Bless the USA
I grew up singing those lyrics above. My grandpa would host a big gathering every year of hundreds of people. They would gather to eat, celebrate, and enjoy fellowship. My grandpa always loved music so he would have a band come and sing for entertainment - and every year, my cousin, brother, and myself always wanted to perform. So we would ask grandpa for permission and then begin practicing for our big performance.
My memory may be flawed, but year after year, I remember rehearsing this song by Lee Greenwood. We would sing it over and over again relentlessly, and every time we sang it, I felt moved. I felt all of my emotions stirring in one big tornadoe like wind storm. I felt like crying. I felt happy. I felt inpsired. I felt like everyone need to hear this song and feel this strange feeling. There was something about these lyrics that touched me everytime I sang them. And now today, I am once again singing them in remembrance and I commend them to you.
If you lost everything today - your career, house, etc. If you had only your wife (or husband) and your children, would you still be thankful for living in America? Or maybe a different question: Are you thankful for being an American now with all those things?
I am. I am proud to be an American because we live in the greatest country in the history of the world. Our forefathers have fought and died for our freedom. The Founding Fathers and each generation after have stood, fought, and died for what the flag stands for, namely freedom. Thus, we must remember our heritage, be proud of our nation, and continue to seek its good.
Freedom for me means the opportunity for living the life that I want to live. I chose to marry my beautiful bride, Emilie. We chose to have two wonderful sons (at least up until this point). We chose to live in the house that we want and build the lives that we want to live. We are living out #LifeByDesign in the freedom that we have been given and I have a passion for helping others do the same. This is what #LifeByDesign is all about: Embracing our freedom and building the lives we want to live.
In closing, I love this song because it helps me remember each year what had to happen for me to live in the greatest country in the history of the world. It helps me remember the men who died so that I might have freedom. It helps me to see my life in context and it makes me thankful. Moreover, it spurs me on to love doing what I do.
May God bless the USA!
-Andrew
Andrew Rudd
Andrew Rudd is a trusted real estate advisor based in Shelby County, Kentucky, serving Shelbyville, Simpsonville, and the greater Louisville area, including St. Matthews, Middletown, Anchorage, East L....
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All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) or information provider(s) shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. Listing(s) information is provided for consumer's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. The data relating
All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) or information provider(s) shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. Listing(s) information is provided for consumer's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. The data relating
