Free at last...

Do these two women look familiar?

Before they accidentally stepped foot onto North Korean soil, they were not household names.

But after they were arrested and sentenced to 12 years in a North Korean hard labor camp, Laura Ling and Euna Lee became household names. Folks all over the world were hoping and praying for these journalists' safe return.


My favorite quote from their CNN article is this:

"We feared at any moment that we could be sent to a hard labor camp, and then suddenly we were told we were going to a meeting," a tearful and emotional Ling said at a news conference Wednesday morning in California shortly after arriving by plane with Lee and Clinton.

"We were taken to a location, and when we walked through the doors, we saw standing before us President Bill Clinton," Ling said, with Lee standing beside her.

"We were shocked, but we knew instantly in our hearts that the nightmare of our lives was finally coming to an end."

You can click here for the full article.

Right before we moved to this country in 2006, I remember staring up at the American flag while I was pumping gas in Orange County. It was flapping in the wind and it hit me how often I take my freedom for granted.

The 4th of July holiday gives us a great opportunity to remember those freedoms ... especially for our family who lives overseas in a country whose citizens do not enjoy as much freedom as we do in the States.

Most importantly, I am so thankful for my spiritual freedom. The CNN article about Bill Clinton and the journalists really gave me a powerful visual of my own spiritual standing.

The North Korean government would not consider any pleas for release until the U.S. sent a "high ranking envoy" like the former President Bill Clinton.

The journalists were utterly helpless without outside help. No amount of tears, begging, hoping or wishing on their end was going to result in their release.

But when they walked into the room, thinking they were being sent to the labor camp, they saw Bill Clinton. Can you imagine their RELIEF that someone with influence has finally come to free them at last?

I'm not comparing Bill Clinton to Jesus =) ... BUT I love the visual it gave me of how I could only experience true spiritual freedom because of what Jesus did on my behalf. Without Him, I truly had no hope of escape.

The first time in my life that I truly felt free was the day I gave my life to Jesus during my freshman year at UCLA. Freedom.

We hope you and yours had a wonderful 4th ... here is a shot David took of his favorite women (and his favorite dog, of course).