Happy Fourth of July!

Liberty & Freedom
"We on this continent should never forget that men first crossed the Atlantic not to find soil for their ploughs but to secure liberty for their souls." ~Robert J. McCracken~
Freedom is a gift I have enjoyed throughout my life here in the United States. It is a gift that we sometimes take for granted until it is threatened. So many have given their lives so that we may enjoy the benefits of freedom and liberty for all. This has got me to thinking: is there a difference between liberty and freedom? The dictionary defines them as:
freedom |ˈfrēdəm|noun the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraintliberty |ˈlibərtē|noun  the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views My guess would be, quite clearly, that you can't have one without the other. Liberty and freedom, two words that we can never, ever take for granted. Took the above photo driving down a back road in small town America the other day. Look how beautiful our flag looks against that red old barn. Pretty impressive, wouldn't you say?