God Bless America

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer:

God Bless America. Land that I love
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above
From the mountains, to the prairies
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home

God Bless America. Land that I love
Stand beside her, and guide her
Through the night with the light from above

From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the ocean, white with foam,

God bless America, My home sweet home.
God bless America, My home sweet home.

I love this song. Hearing it (along with God Bless the USA) over and over during the days following 9/11, reassured and inspired me. Does it not touch your soul? Can't you just see crashing waves and the majesty of the mountains? All people coming together, alive and free because of the dream of our beloved Founding Fathers?

On Sunday I was able to hear Michael Ballam sing, He shared some interesting facts about God Bless America.

This song is that it was first heard by Americans in 1938 but it was actually written 20 years before, by Irving Berlin. He felt the song was inspired and came from God. The lyrics are more of a prayer than anything else, too personal to share. So he put it in a drawer and there that song sat for 20 years. Kate Smith came to Berlin asking for a song about America. He went to the drawer and dug it out.

Kate read the lyrics and said it was perfect. He looked at her and said, "It's boastful. It assumes that America is blessed and that God continues to bless it." Kate Smith looked at Irving Berlin and said, "Irving, it is, he does, I'm singing it." He reluctantly gave it to her.

When Kate asked him who would get the rights, knowing it would be a huge hit. He told her it was inspired by God and he couldn't take money for it, but he did give her directions on who to give it to...

Well, she sang it. It didn't just sell. Within a week it was sold out in copies all across the country. People were going into music stores and buying the sheet music. They were buying anything they could get for "God Bless America." It has sold and sold and sold and sold.

So who got the money? Well... the Boy Scouts of America.

I love it!! I love this country! After being away I am SO glad to be home. I am excited to celebrate this Nation's Birthday, to be able to think back on our history and tell my kids of the sacrifices made by our Forefathers. I know this country is not perfect, but it is a blessed land. A land of opportunity and promises for tomorrow.


Glenn Beck said "I don't find it that amazing when people fall in love with America, when people come to America. It's because of her promise. It's because we understand that it's not today that we're living for. It's not the promise of yesterday. It's the promise of a brighter tomorrow that makes America so great. And that promise for a brighter tomorrow is not for money. It's that people, when they come here, can see and believe that they can become anything, that they can do incredible things, even if they want to keep those incredible things in a drawer for 20 years." Yes, he was there and heard Michael Ballam too.


Happy 4th of July! I hope you have a wonderful day!

Flickr Thanks mbjo, ladybugbkt, StarrGazr