Fancy and Free Indeed

On Sunday morning, Dan, Caregiver Jen, and I dressed in our red, white, and blue best and headed to Immanuel Lutheran Church for a special celebration after worship to honor America’s 250th birthday. It was a joyful day filled with faith, church fellowship, finger foods, and a little extra flair.

Jennifer Digmann, Dan Digmann, and caregiver Jen smile together in patriotic red, white, and blue outfits at a photo booth during Immanuel Lutheran Church's Fun and Fancy celebration. — Dan, Caregiver Jen, and I were all smiles as we stopped by the photo booth. Spending the day celebrating with our church family made the occasion even more meaningful.

The celebration actually began with a much simpler idea.

As chair of our church’s Worship & Music Ministry, I had suggested a Kentucky Derby-themed social. Really, it was just an excuse for everyone to dress up, enjoy one another’s company, and spend time together. Another committee member suggested using America’s 250th birthday as our theme, and the idea took on a patriotic twist while keeping the same goal: bringing people together.

So we formed a special committee, developed a menu, decorated the narthex, and made it happen. Seeing everyone embrace the spirit of the celebration made all of the planning worthwhile.

Three-photo collage showing preparations for Immanuel Lutheran Church's Fun and Fancy celebration. The first image shows Dan Digmann mixing ingredients in a kitchen. The second shows Dan Eversole and Jan Eversole assembling patriotic berry parfaits together. The third shows Dan Eversole holding a tray of finished parfaits while Jennifer Digmann smiles in the background. — **Preparing with purpose** – The celebration didn’t just happen overnight. The day before the big event, Dan and our friends (and fellow party planners) Dan and Jan Eversole, worked with me to prepare dozens of patriotic parfaits.

The decorations, laughter, conversations, and church fellowship made for an incredible celebration. But what stayed with me the most was Pastor Dana Hendershot’s sermon.

She spoke about the apostle Paul writing while imprisoned. Although he was physically confined, he continued writing with hope, conviction, and freedom in Christ.

It was a powerful reminder that freedom isn’t always defined by our circumstances.

That message lingered with me. Even as we visited with friends and enjoyed the celebration, I found myself returning to Pastor Dana’s words.

We often think of freedom as something external—where we live, what we can do, or the choices we have.

Living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has taught me that some of those freedoms change. My body doesn’t allow me to do many of the things it once did, and even simple outings often require planning and help.

But MS hasn’t taken away my ability to experience joy.

That Sunday reminded me that true freedom can also be found in gratitude. It can be found in worshiping beside people you love, laughing with friends, sharing a meal, and celebrating life’s simple blessings.

Perhaps that’s why Pastor Dana’s sermon resonated so deeply.

Paul’s freedom wasn’t determined by the walls around him, just as mine isn’t determined by the limitations of MS.

Both are found in something much greater.

We gathered that day to celebrate our nation’s freedom. I left reminded of another kind of freedom. It’s a freedom that’s rooted in faith, strengthened by gratitude, and found in the freedom we have in Christ.

That’s a freedom worth celebrating every day.