On May 26, President Obama stood before the cameras in what was once the town of Moore, Oklahoma and gave a heartfelt speech. He proudly told the media that it wasn’t just the government responding to the devastation caused by a massive tornado, but gave high praise to churches and community groups for their support. President Obama challenged all Americans to “step up…Go online, donate to the American Red Cross…”
The president went on to tell the story he heard about a Bible found in the wreckage that was open to Isaiah 32:2, “The verse,” he said, “read, ‘A man will be as a hiding place from the wind, and a cover from the tempest’…. and it’s a reminder, as Scripture often is, that God has a plan, and it’s important, though, that we also recognize we’re an instrument of his will.” Continuing, Obama said, “And we need to know that as fellow Americans, we’re going to be there as shelter from the storm for the people of Moore who have been impacted.”
Moore and Oklahoma City need blankets and toys to replace what the storm took from them, and yes, like the President said, the citizens need water, food and shelter. This is especially true after a second tornado struck Oklahoma City just eleven days after the suburb of Moore was leveled by an EF-5 twister on May 20.
Reaching out and helping those in need is a Biblical command that is all too easy to ignore in the hope that someone else is doing something to help. However the visceral image 1 John 3:17-18 paints for the believer is hard to avoid: “But if anyone has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”
While President Obama did a great job of telling the country about Moore’s need for the world’s goods, he failed to mention their need for God’s love. The Oklahoma City area needs to see the Church – not just churches – reaching out to love them. The Church, which is made up of believers like you, needs to “step up” to the challenge; not just because the Commander in Chief told it to, but because God calls the believer to help those in need. There are countless Christian non-profits, such as Samaritan’s Purse, and The Salvation Army, where you can donate funds to aid the needy in Moore. What a testimony it would be if the Church gave so much that government, or secular non-profit funds were unnecessary. READ MORE HERE
What has changed in America since the young men on D-Day challenged the entrenched Germans on Normandy’s shores?
What inspires a generation to such greatness, such selflessness, such courage or causes it to self-destruct?
What unique assurance did these young soldiers hold that their struggle would not be in vain?
A different American culture raised these young men (and women). Some, no doubt, would call them “Old-fashioned,” but I call them enlightened. They understood the cost of Freedom. They knew their sense of destiny meant sacrifice, and they were responsible enough to go anyway … in spite of the cost. The cries of those imprisoned in German camps called out to them, and they … honor bound, had to go.
Where is this courage today? Where is this commitment to OTHERS? We went, not with the goal of gaining new lands or conquering a people, but simply to set the oppressed free. A noble and achievable goal.
Oh that the courage of these heroes, and the moral indignation they shared in the face of tyranny and immorality would rise up again in the American people. I call it forth, that very boldness. There will be a time to act. Meanwhile pray!
OBAMA’S AMERICA: A COUNTRY WITHOUT HISTORY
Thousands upon thousands, from the open-mouthed boats they splashed,
From salty sea water tinged red with solders’ blood,
Wave after wave, forward they crashed
Toward the daunting cliffs in an uphill flood.
Liberty’s bell rang loudly in their ears,
Driving them toward the cries of the persecuted and oppressed,
Calling each heroes name, calming their fears,
Uniting them and empowering them on to the noble quest.
Heroes one and all, by the thousands, they bled and fell,
While more and more behind them, Allied troops drove on,
They fought and sought to claim nothing for themselves,
Just the moral rightness of tyranny’s oppression gone.
Thousands upon thousands, with their hands out they stand,
Today’s oppressed masses, expecting something for FREE,
They have not been taught, and just don’t understand,
The grain of wheat must fall and die so life and liberty can be.
“Tragically, our brave U.S. soldiers aren’t just dying on the battlefield. Roughly 22 veterans commit suicide every day, a rate even higher than previous estimates, according to a report released by the Department of Veterans Affairs recently.
The Huffington Post provides this devastating infographic that brings the military suicide epidemic into focus:
Memorial Day commemorates the U.S. solders who lost their lives in service. It’s also a time to recognize a growing but less visible group of fallen solders who chose to end their own lives while serving or after returning from war.
There are about 22 veteran suicides each day, a rate higher than previous estimates, based on a report released by the Department of Veterans Affairs earlier this year. Many veterans who take their own lives are over 50, but the hundreds of thousands of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan also struggle to adjust to civilian life while dealing with the mental and physical effects of war on top of a weak job market.
Adam Legg, a 30-year-old Naval veteran, found that he couldn’t even get a job at McDonald’s after returning from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2009, according to ABC News.
“When you feel like you can’t take care of your family, feed them, shelter them, it’s a very, very dark place. A feeling of uselessness that maybe they would be better off if you’re not around,” Legg told ABC.
Some troops don’t make it home before taking their own lives. Military suicides reached a record high of 349 in 2012, and former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has described the situation as an epidemic.”
WHY? You may ask?
Let me count just a few of the ways this administration has disrespected the military and crippled them at the same time.
A US Marine holds an umbrella for US President Barack Obama during a brief rain shower as he hold a joint press conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, May 16, 2013. (Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
While male Marines are generally considered “out of uniform” if they carry an umbrella, at the request of the CIC, it is not an infringement of the Marine code. Yet, to my mind, it is an infringement on their honor to be asked to do something so demeaning and silly.
“In a pre-Memorial Day push to show their concern about the backlog of veterans’ disability claims, House Republicans are calling for an independent task force to recommend a solution while House Democrats pushed the idea of providing temporary benefits to anyone whose claim has been pending before the Veterans Affairs Department for more than 125 days.
Neither idea will become law by Memorial Day, but both are signs that lawmakers share many veterans’ concerns that the mountain of compensation claims is not going away any time soon.
Reps. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee chairman, and Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., introduced a bill Thursday creating a 15-member commission or task force to evaluate the claims process.” READ MORE
“Some call it wishful thinking, but President Barack Obama has all but declared an end to the global war on terror.
Obama is not claiming final victory over extremists who still seek to kill Americans and other Westerners. Instead, he is refocusing the long struggle against terrorism that lies ahead, steering the United States away from what he calls an equally frightening threat – a country in a state of perpetual war. In doing so, Obama recasts the image of the terrorists themselves, from enemy warriors to cowardly thugs and resets the relationship between the U.S. and Islam.
His speech Thursday was designed to move America’s mindset away from a war footing and refine and recalibrate his own counterterrorism strategy. Obama asserted that al-Qaida is “on the path to defeat,” reducing the scale of terrorism to pre-Sept. 11 levels. That means that with the Afghanistan war winding down, Obama is unlikely to commit troops in large numbers to any conflict – in Syria or other countries struggling with instability in the uncertain aftermath of the Arab Spring – unless, as his critics fear, he tragically has underestimated al-Qaida’s staying power.”
“President Barack Obama forgot protocol while boarding Marine One en route to Annapolis, Maryland, CNN reported on Friday.
“Obama did not salute the Marine standing at the bottom of the helicopter while boarding. Upon realizing the faux pas, the president jogged back down to shake hands with the Marine and spoke privately with him before entering the helicopter again.”
These men follow a creed – I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy. Sadly, we now know from the hearings and whistleblower Deputy Ambassador Gregory Hicks, that is exactly what happened to Ambassador Stevens’ body as it was carried away by Libyan militants to a hospital controlled by those who carried out the attacks. Do you know how infuriated and hot that gets the Special Forces community? Men who have sworn to never leave a fallen comrade behind were forced to do just that by the military leaders they trust their lives to. To them it is the ultimate dishonoring of all they stand for. And it came from their own Commander in Chief.
Clearly, this President is generally unfamiliar and unconcerned with the lifestyle and care of our Military members. From cutting their benefits to cutting numbers, this administration proves its disrespect for the military. They spin it as a “Military slimdown“, but what it means is – those willing to put their lives on the line so that the rest of us can continue to “not be bothered” with the evils of Islam and other misc unrest, continue to pay for the GOVERNMENT’s unwillingness to cut senseless over-spending – like sending huge sums of money to our enemies!) Meanwhile, Benghazi’s HUGE change in the “No Man Left Behind” policy, pulls the rug out from under those willing to serve. While DADT served to keep sexuality under the radar in the Military, that, too, is now gone, and leaders have their hands full trying to maintain discipline while also walking to political correctness tightrope. Is it any wonder, these honorable men and women suffer far beyond those who came before them. The Foundation of our Nation is crumbling out from under them.
President Obama will say and do anything … ANYTHING to maintain his uniquely detached stance while America burns, including destroy the military, if he can, from within. There was a day that discipline meant everything in the military, but in today’s military, politics & political correctness rule, and, as always, it’s the SOLDIERS that pay.
Somehow, Conservatives, Constitutionalists and thinking Patriots must figure out a way to unite and EDUCATE the public on Conservatism. Personally, I think our most effective tool is our “prayer closet” because only GOD (if He chooses) can turn our nation around from this path of destruction.
“A society is judged by how it protects the most vulnerable, those unable to protect themselves. In the case of abortion on demand magnified by abortion just before or just after the baby is born, America has been found wanting.” More HERE!
LIFE is very important. Maybe not everyone has realized this, but it is! In fact, without LIFE, there is only … nothing! Void! Emptiness! LIFE is EVERYTHING. LIFE is purpose! LIFE is hope.
Jesus said, “A thief comes to steal and kill and destroy,
but I came to give life—life in all its fullness.” John 10: 10
A horrendous darkness has been exposed hidden away, ironically, in the birthplace of the American Experiment in self-governance. Since early in the 1970′s, our society has been drifting into the dark hole while millions of ignorant or apathetic Americans looked the other way. Some of us saw the darkness, others made excuses for its existence. But now, the world knows, and strangely (or not-so-strangely) the media, who should be conscientiously detailing the events for the benefit of the population and would-be victims, is deadly silent. Why so silent? Is there no journalistic pride amongst today’s media moguls?
“One reason may be that the trial of late-term abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell for multiple counts of murder is about an African-American killing mainly African-American babies — and so the common sense among liberals, or, as a friend of mine would say, the “coven-sense,” is that such a story disparages that community. This is something newspapers are loath to do. In much the same manner that they cannot dwell upon the causes of hand gun violence in inner city black communities. Or perhaps they view these killings as prophylactic: one cure for out-of-wedlock births.
“But perhaps an even more telling reason for ignoring the Gosnell story is that among the terrible details is revealed the fact that many, many babies being aborted late-term survive the process — not just a tiny few, as pro-abortionists keep insisting. And so these innocent little souls have to be murdered.
“In Dr. Gosnell’s clinic, typically by cutting their heads off. In one instance, a child arrived on the table with its eyes and jaw torn off by Gosnell’s forceps. While this helpless, sinless, creature lay writhing on the table, screaming, Dr. Gosnell gestured impatiently at an assistant — do something about that.
“How many children were so murdered? I believe that Gosnell’s charged with seven counts, but testimony indicates there may have been a hundred — maybe more, maybe a lot more. And so the liberal press, ever supportive of a woman’s right to “choose,” just can’t have that known.”
Maybe a hundred babies … and it’s not newsworthy? The administration has decided we-the-people don’t need to know this? There are other more vital matters for the people to know and understand? What’s the big deal? Just a few babies?
My heart cries not just for Americans, but for those waiting for Americans to return to their heritage and BE the LIGHT in this darkening world! Sadly, many are merely lining up in agreement with the policies that permit, and even condone, this devaluation of LIFE! Do we really want to experience the tyranny and poverty known by many parts of the world? Whether driven by faith or humanity, compassion costs. MONEY is not evil; it is the LOVE OF MONEY that destroys! Policy makers and population alike, we are ALL doomed if we don’t WAKE UP, AMERICA, and start acting like Grown ups!!!!!
“We make a living by what we get,
we make a life by what we give.”
Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
The foundation of God is secure. The events of life do not change it. The words of the politicians and celebrities do not change it. They are a SURE revelation, and they are all still true. The Gospel plan of salvation is still valid. The hope of eternal life is still sure and steadfast. God’s plan for His people as individuals, as local churches, and within nations is still valid. None of this changes at all.
AMERICA’s Foundation is God. That is not what the left-wing politicians are saying. Nor is it what the NEA bound teacher’s are teaching our children, but Truth doesn’t change. America’s foundation is still God regardless of what our leaders may say.
Words by Katharine Lee Bates,
Melody by Samuel Ward
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!
But that is HISTORY, not now. Now, American’s are ridiculed and mocked if they choose to live a life of faith. Now, Americans are told to leave God at home, tucked safely out of sight lest someone be “offended” by the sight of an act of faith. Now, American’s bicker over the details, the symptoms of our sick and depraved society, now disavowing SCIENCE in favor of sin! Now, God is relegated to the closet while morally ignorant Americans or simply lost Americans revel in their ignorance. Politicians and celebrities proudly proclaim the glory and “freedom” of our Modern society while crime rates soar, hatred divides, bigotry spreads, and mental/emotional illness reaches astronomical proportions.
Divisions based on hatred and mistrust are better than neighborly communities? REALLY?
Violent crime rates climb and Politicians only seek a bandaid not a cure? REALLY? Chicago has the toughest gun restrictions in the nation and still their crimes rates continue to increase.
The numbers of impoverished Americans (with flat screen TV’s, cars, a/c etc, and daily trips to McD’s, but not enough real food) climbs above the number of WORKING Americans, and still no jobs in sight, but this is progress? REALLY?
Our economy is about to collapse, like Cyprus, Italy, and France, but sure, let’s print more paper money. BETTER?
Our nations medical care is undergoing a major change that was supposed to take care of the poor and help those with pre-existing conditions. OOOPS! It’s going to cost the POOR $2500 a year and those pre-existing conditions? Sorry, can’t help! There is a net result. There will be less/worse care for most people or higher costs or both.
One “seeker” has built a movement he calls, the THRIVE Movement based on a molecular structure called a torus, a self-generating, self-managing system. My question is … Did this “torus” create itself, or was God the designer? If God designed it, why not seek to build a relationship with the Designer, more than the Design? Just sayin …
The Solution is really much simpler than all that.
Thomas Jefferson, letter to Henry Lee, 1825 – “This was the object of the Declaration of Independence. Not to find out new principles, or new arguments, never before thought of, not merely to say things which had never been said before; but to place before mankind the common sense of the subject, in terms so plain and firm as to command their assent, and to justify ourselves in the independent stand we are compelled to take. Neither aiming at originality of principle or sentiment, nor yet copied from any particular and previous writing, it was intended to be an expression of the American mind, and to give to that expression the proper tone and spirit called for by the occasion.”MORE HERE
In fact, GOD is so intimately entwined (not just the idea of God, but HIM) into the fabric of this nation that it is unconscionable to think of the America we see today without the recognition of our God barred from public life. God is in our Anthem, our songs, our poetry, our stories, and permeates our history thoroughly. As Thomas Jefferson recognized (in the banner of this blog,) there is also an intimate relationship between the calamities that began with 9/11 and the rapid decline in our nation economically, morally, and socially. God is our nation’s Foundation, and if a building’s foundation is damaged, disrupted, or destroyed, what happens to the building? COLLAPSE!
This is not what GOD wants! He wants to help America, to rescue us from this horrendous downward spiral. POLITICS, however important, will NOT solve the problem. Hollywood cannot solve the problem. MONEY cannot solve the problem. BIG BUSINESS cannot solve the problem. What is left? Exactly! GOD!!! We are beyond all human help at this point, crashing down upon the consequences of doing things our own way, our human way. It will not work! It is up to the individual American to save America by coming into agreement with our Creator. It is only as we rediscover who GOD really is and learn HIS ways that the destruction brought about by our godlessness can be reversed. Otherwise, calamity awaits!
“There is a way which seems right to a man
and appears straight before him,
but at the end of it is the way of death.”Prov 14:12
B U T
“Then if my people, who are called by my name,
will humble themselves, if they will pray and seek me and stop their evil ways,
I will hear them from heaven.
I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
No single human being, or even a small group of humans, could possibly be behind the chaos that is growing across the globe. Economic collapse has begun in Cyprus, Italy, Greece and other EU nations and is heading toward America. Moral decay is rampant globally. Social enmity is at its highest point as government and social leaders prompt one group (collective) against another.
Those of us with a passion for LIBERTY must find a way to unite our various positions if we are to survive. I can think of no better rallying point than the US CONSTITUTION.
Immigrants arrive at America’s shores hopeful of New Beginnings. 1843.
As Americans, our heritage is rooted in Judeo-Christian ethics/morality. We were established as a Christian nation with our arms open to all under certain conditions. People flocked to America in the 1800′s to flee the various forms of tyranny in other nations. There was an understanding, though, among these immigrants that they were not coming here to recreate their homeland, but to build something better! They learned our language. They learned our Godly American history. They learned our customs while having the freedom to celebrate LIFE in whatever ways were comfortable to them. They became AMERICANS, not Lithuanian-Americans, Irish-Americans, or German-Armericans, but AMERICANS. Proud of their individual ancestry, and grateful to be New Americans. But this is gone.
People across the America are angry, jealous, and greedy for more! We have more than most elsewhere, but we are still not satisfied. We want more! Some are willing to work for it, but many are not, yet they still want more! We want more, but are not satisfied when we get it. Why?
We are not satisfied because the blessing rots if we “hoard” it. Blessings are meant to be shared. For decades, American generosity covered our nation’s errors and blunders, our misguided policies & politics. But sadly, while the generosity remains to some extent, the individual attitudes corrupt the blessing. We give to gain. We give with strings attached. We give asking favors in return.
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”1 John 3: 16-18 NIV
There are certain principles God established in antiquity. Perhaps the most significant is …
“Surely the Lord God does nothing,
Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7
There are many websites and videos that present various perspectives of the things that must take place at some point. None have the whole and complete picture because we are but flesh and GOD is GOD! Some things are just Common Sense. The crime of America is defiance against God, as though we are “supreme” and able to control all things. As though we control our destiny.
The number of voices raised in warning is increasing. The urgency mounts with every passing day. The sin and effects of sin threaten to destroy our nation. God longs to restore our nation and our society, but we must turn away from our arrogance. We must acknowledge our limitations as humans and our need for GOD!
What about Korea? What is going on?
Just sayin …
Ground Zero fallen sycamore Interestingly, the tree fell in such a way that its branches protected Saint Paul’s Chapel of 1766, where newly sworn President Washington went immediately after his inaugural address to pray and fast that he might receive wisdom to lead the young nation. How different from the attitudes of our current President!
“What do sycamore and cedar trees have to do with biblical prophecy, the tragic events of 9/11 and the imminent future of the United States?
“The roots of a sycamore tree at Ground Zero felled on Sept. 11, 2001, have been preserved as a memorial to the event in New York City. A local messianic rabbi believes it’s a visible fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy about God’s current judgment on America.
“Everything, according to a new book which says an obscure text from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah is an urgent wake-up call for all Americans in light of what happened on that fateful day in 2001.”
JERUSALEM: After all the terror brought on by this wandering Jew, and to His own people, it seemed we were done with him. But somehow, he has managed to stir up even more excitement. Some of his devotees went this morning to tend his body, but they found the tomb EMPTY! Graveclothes on the ground, but no sign of the body of this “King of the Jews!” We will have more from the sight on the evening broadcast.
Most Americans, most Westerners are well aware of the story of Jesus’ capture, beatings, crucifixion, and subsequent resurrection. For many, it’s a case of “familiarity breeds contempt!” – something we know but would rather not be reminded of year after year. For a few, it is something so preposterous, it insults our intelligence. Yet, it persists, year after year … song after song … tale after tale of “miraculous” events attributed to this man, Jesus.
That is he lived once, is fact. That he taught a simple, yet difficult morality, fact! That many “wonders” are assigned to his ministry, hearsay. What are the most “unbelievable” issues surrounding this man and his claim of being the Son of God? What’s the problem of belief?
his virgin birth?
his un-detailed childhood?
his various miracles?
his character?
his resurrection?
Most people, it seems, even within other faiths, think of Jesus as a “great man”, a “great teacher”, a great “philosopher.” I have a problem with these claims. While much of his “teachings” are in parable form, there are some rather monumental statements or claims made by this very man.
For example,
Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NIV)
“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” ; “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” (John 6:35-41 NIV)
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10: 11 NIV)
Jesus said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:9 NKJV)
Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30 CJB)
Jesus said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (REV 1:8) NIV ; “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.” (REV 21:6 NIV) ; “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (REV 22:13)
“25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” (John 11:25-27 NIV)
He made several additional statements about himself, many in the book of John … all of which expand the image of exactly WHO Jesus said he was, but … these claims don’t really fit in with the program. I mean, Either Jesus is exactly who and what He claims, OR He’s the greatest con-man EVER!!! There really isn’t any room in the middle. One cannot be a “Great Teacher” is half of what is said is a lie. One cannot be a “Great Prophet” is the words spoken are not dependable. So, either He is who and what He claims, or he is nothing.
If a man is known for speaking falsehoods, lies, and deceptions, even if he occasionally does good deeds, is he the kind of man that could revolutionize the world even 2000 years after he was reportedly crucified? Why are there people who insist he is alive today? Will there be people 2000 years from now who claim I am alive? I doubt it. I will live and die in my time as will you, dear Reader, and, but for those who remember us, that will be all that is known here. So why, if Jesus was just a man, is he still celebrated the world over at his birth, death, and Resurrection? Oh yea … the Resurrection! HE IS ALIVE!!!
This is the ONLY logical explanation. He is ALIVE. He is still changing lives. He is still healing broken bodies and broken hearts. He is still freeing people from the weight of our sinfulness. He is still freeing people from addictions. He is still providing for those who call on Him for help. He is still rescuing us from ourselves. HE IS ALIVE!!! The TOMB IS EMPTY, but my heart is FULL!!! Is YOURS?
I happened to tune Rush Limbaugh in the other day (not sure which day.) He was going on about the obscene extravagances of the Obama vacations, i.e. 3 lavish trips in as many months. That coupled with the intentional damage the Obama administration is pushing onto the American people via the “Sequestration cuts,” is enough to outrage anyone paying attention. Rush commented that he was surprised there wasn’t more of an outrage … more what? More ranting? More … This is exactly where a majority of Americans find themselves. Exactly HOW are we supposed to demonstrate our outrage? And HOW do WE-the-PEOPLE choose which of the many OUTRAGEOUS actions/policies/EX orders etc to go “ballistic” about even if we were to figure out how to GO ballistic!
Fact is, I believe the majority of the American people are awake. They SEE what is happening but feel powerless to DO anything constructive to halt the destruction. So many new organizations, groups, etc, each with their own agenda, plan, focus … NONE opting to work together with OTHER groups … WE-the-PEOPLE are too splintered, which is EXACTLY what the President wants. The more he and the media point out our DIFFERENCES, the more divided we are, and the easier it is to override OUR WILL. At some point, WE-the-PEOPLE must lay down our differences and realize it is AMERICA we need to save, AMERICA we must defend … at ALL costs, including the cost of OUR specific issue. We must unite atop the Constitution of the United States and demand our leaders obey it, comply with it, or change it legally – not by Executive order!
God birthed America with a purpose. It has been the most generous, most helpful, most innovative, the most compassionate nation on earth. Perfect? NO WAY! There are several dark chapters in our history, but the overall influence on the world has been positive … until now. Too many Americans have gotten lost amidst everyday life and circumstances. We must once again reach out our hands to one another … Hurricane Sandy victims are still without … Many are hurting in today’s economy and joblessness. REACH OUT & TOUCH … We must reach out and re-connect! Whatever else we are or are not we are Americans!
Below are a few related links to groups/organizations focused on Conservative goals. There are many other groups/organizations worthy of help, but these are the BIG THREE … IMHO. The more of us that get involved, the more authority our VOICE will have on the many issues vital to our nation’s future. Think of it as a Step of faith … We don’t know what will come of our effort, but the effort itself is a good thing! God is ultimately in control, so if we acknowledge His gentle guidance, and adhere to it, only good will come of it.
FREEDOM WORKS: FreedomWorks recruits, educates, trains and mobilizes millions of volunteer activists to fight for less government, lower taxes, and more freedom.
PATRIOT VOICES: Patriot Voices is a grassroots and online community of Americans from across the country who stand together to affect change that otherwise could not be accomplished alone. We know that standing on the sidelines is not an option. We are committed to promoting faith, family, freedom and opportunity. We believe that we’re one nation under God and all we do must be consistent with the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights. We support candidates who share our convictions and hold those accountable that serve us in elected office.
MERCURY ONE: “To inspire, organize and mobilize individuals to improve the human condition physically, emotionally and spiritually with malice towards none and charity for all.”
And for WE-the-PEOPLE … AND those who seek leadership among us …
CONTRACT FROM AMERICA: The Contract from America is a grassroots-generated, crowd-sourced, bottom-up call for real economic conservative and good governance reform in Congress.
Ever been on either side of a “Road Rage” incident? Someone cuts you off and nearly drives you into another car or obstacle? Or maybe someone forgets to signal for a turn and you wait and wait … then they turn! It’s enough to make your blood boil, right? Of course it is! You’re justified in your feelings, so what’s your response? Do you pound the steering wheel and let loose a string of colorful words? Do you flip the “idiot” the bird? Do you ram his car from behind?
What if it’s YOU? What if YOU’RE the one who forgot to signal because you were engrossed in a conversation on our phone? What if YOU are the one who lost concentration for a second and pulled out in front of an oncoming vehicle? Never done it? I have! I confess! Not often, but it has happened.
Most of us ave been on BOTH sides of bad driver courtesy. Hmmm COURTESY … is that a WORD? Is it something any of us think about any more? Yea, sure there are LAWS, but then there is … COURTESY. What happens if two cars arrive at a 4-way stop at the same time? Who goes first? Is it just a matter of reflexes and which punches the gas first?
Road rage is just one evidence of a universal problem we humans experience – IMPERFECTION! Now, I realize some of us are … almost perfect, but we all know the other guy is anything but perfect! In fact, the other guy is an absolute idiot, if you tell the truth, right? Until … you miss that STOP sign hidden behind a low-hanging tree branch and fly through the intersection past a parked patrol car! Ooops!
GIVENS:
ALL HUMANS ARE FLAWED
EACH live HUMAN WILL OFFEND (disappoint, discourage, frighten, embarrass, confuse, irritate, annoy, bother …) SOMEONE TODAY
EACH live HUMAN WILL BE OFFENDED TODAY, and, sad but true,
YOU WILL OFFEND SOMEONE TODAY
In light of the fact that I KNOW I will offend someone today, or at least will have the opportunity to offend someone today (in or out of a car), I can CHOOSE (gotta love FREEDOM) ahead of time, what my response will be. I can, therefore, BE PREPARED when the incident occurs.
It is humanly possible to decide ahead of time what my response will be to “OFFENSE.” ( as in disappointment, discouragement, fear, embarrassment, confusion, irritation, annoyance, bother …) I can CHOOSE:
to throw my justified “rage” (or other justified reaction) at the well-deserving “idiot” for daring to ruin my day, OR
to acknowledge the “mistake” graciously, as I would like to be treated in the event of MY error.
If I respond in RAGE, I can expect RAGE when I mess up. If, on the other hand, I can hold it together and wave off the mistake kindly, maybe the next time I drive with my head in my phone instead of on my driving, I will be shown kindness as well.
THIS is called: SELF-CONTROL! YES! (or Self-government) You and I have a DOMAIN! It is our own thoughts, words, and deeds! I have the ability to be … IN CONTROL of my words – to choose to speak kindness or not. Btw, truth need not ALWAYS be spoken, if it cannot be done in kindness! Honesty is wonderful, but it is trumped by Kindness!
RIGHT???
I make plenty of mistakes, just ask my kids! It is my hope, that when I do, kindness will be the response. Anger serves no positive purpose. NONE! It raises our BP, and who knows what all inside our body, and it takes our mindset to a bad place … an unsettled place.
It is the SOFT answer that turns away wrath! Did you know this? Try it next time someone yells at you. Quietly apologize. (Right or wrong!) So the next time you are distracted while waiting for the traffic light to change until a horn blasts you back to reality, smile and wave in apology as you drive away. Or the next time you’re BEHIND someone asleep at the light … don’t honk heavy … just tap it enough to alert the distracted driver in front of you and wear a smile when he looks back. Both of you will feel so much better than an ugly “Road Rage” incident.
SELF-CONTROL
is just controlling your SELF
Just in case you aren’t sure, this approach works for OTHER things as well. FREEDOM is a great thing – it allows us CHOICES!!! Wise men and women have debated the various structures of government for millennia, but most have been unwilling to recognize that even the seemingly perfect structure cannot provide security and freedom without self-government. The individual must “govern” his own choices, his own thoughts, his own responses, and his own behavior for Liberty to endure.
Each individual must undertake this journey. It does no good if only a few manage themselves well. For security and freedom to flourish in any civilization, the people must learn SELF-GOVERNMENT … self-control! We must teach our children to control their urge to lie, to steal, to throw a tantrum when they don’t get their own way. We teach them both by example and by correcting unacceptable behavior. Throwing a tantrum because mommy won’t buy that candy bar at the check out is NOT acceptable behavior.
It is time to Grow up, America! We have behaved badly for too long. Stop pointing to other people’s bad behavior as an excuse for our own bad behavior. Stop looking for JUSTIFICATION! When we throw our tantrums, we shame the GOOD and HONORABLE among us. We disrespect our GOD and our HERITAGE when we do not extend COURTESY to one another. We cannot control the thoughts and behaviors of others, but we CAN and MUST control our own! We KNOW better! We were taught better, at least if we’re over 35!
Just like our CONSTITUTION is not there to define our boundaries, but to define the boundaries of government, so GOD’s law is not here to confine us, but to release us to a more flavorful, more fulfilling life … if we just follow His WORD.
Moore and Oklahoma City need blankets and toys to replace what the storm took from them, and yes, like the President said, the citizens need water, food and shelter. This is especially true after a second tornado struck Oklahoma City just eleven days after the suburb of Moore was leveled by an EF-5 twister on May 20.
