“Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

These words, spoken by Martin Luther King, have been familiar throughout America for over 40 years.  They are some of the most powerful words portraying the stand and the emotions of a human being. Webster defines freedom as the condition of being free of restraints…liberation from slavery or from the power of another.

So often we find that we are held in bondage.  For some it is an attitude of the heart; for some, an old habit that will not die; for others it is that they have yet to find the Truth of Jesus Christ.  “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”  Freedom from the power of sin; freedom from the influences that surround us, freedom from the evil one who wants nothing better than to silence us.  Scripture tells us that we are free in Christ (John 8:31-32). 

And if Christ has set us free, are our words and actions ringing loudly?  Are we boasting in the One who empowers us through the Holy Spirit? (Acts 1:8)  Are we portraying our freedom through righteousness (Romans 6:18)?

Freedom to live in the Spirit; Freedom to speak boldly of your faith; Freedom to tell others about the saving grace of Jesus; Freedom to overcome evil; Freedom to resist the world; Freedom to proclaim the promises of God; Freedom to stand firm under the pressures of the world; Freedom to shout from the rooftops “Jesus Is Lord”.  Freedom that comes only when you relinquish your desires to God; when you fall to your knees at the cross; when you say “not my will but Yours.”  This is a freedom that can only be found in Christ (John 8:36). 

Oh, what freedom!  What a glorious day it will be when all those in Christ will  Let Freedom Ring!

Another highlight of my day is the arrival of my mail.  For some this is a dreaded moment, but I do most of my banking online so I receive very few bills via traditional methods.  Most of my mail is ads, newsletters, credit card invitations (which I quickly destroy), a new quilting catalog or better yet…the newest issue of Fons & Porter’s Love of Quilting magazine, now that’s the JACKPOT.  But there are some disappointing deliveries also.

Today was one such day.  You see, I had a Kindle on my Christmas list.  An expensive gift, but one of those gadgets I just HAD to have.  I held one in my hand and from that moment on, I fell in love with it.  I would be able to download e-books and enjoy them at my leisure.  I had been debating for some time before I wrote my letter to Santa.  Is this really what I want for Christmas?  Yes!  That was my final decision. 

Alas, no Kindle was found under the Christmas tree and now I know why.  The envelope was stamped “Return to Sender”.  Santa never received my request. Sad as that may seem, it really was a blessing in disguise.  Instead I got an IPod Touch for Christmas. 

What a powerful little device.  I wondered if I would use it often, but I am finding myself downloading podcasts, music and keeping up to date with my Facebook friends.  It’s very cool to be able to get up-to-the-minute news. I also downloaded the Kindle app so it works as a reader (just a bit small).  So far, I love my new IPod Touch.  I even was able to plug it into my car AUX and away I went with my favorite tunes today. 

Only two negatives to date…you need to have access to Wi-Fi.  Not too bad, but the other day when I was on campus, I tried logging in but had forgotten my password to enter their system.  That’s a memory problem on my part, ya think? 

The other is a woman thing…I have acrylic nails (okay, so I like my nails and as much as I’m beating on my keyboard, they’re a lifesaver).  Touch doesn’t work with your nails, just the little pads of your fingers so sometimes my mobile tweets and FB posts have a few misspelled words, for which I’ll ask forgiveness for right now.  Oh, but I found a solution, they have a stylus that I can get to type in my messages.

I haven’t ruled out getting a Kindle eventually, but for now, my IPod Touch is my newest toy and I’ll stick with that for a while.  Any thoughts on either?  Good, bad or ugly, I’d like to hear from you.