A Nation Divided … Part 2

Tags

amorality, chaos, compromise, constitution, courage, freedom, generosity, greed, honor, Intergity, kindness, lawlessness, moral compromise, moral gulf, rebellion, selfishness

A Nation divided against itself cannot stand …

Integrity. I hear a lot of banter around the political candidates concerning integrity. Who has it? Who fakes it? Why is integrity important?

Americans are angry and dissatisfied with the way business is done these days in Washington DC, and rightly so. We’ve been lied to and in many cases, deliberately misled. We are pandered to and patronized and treated like ignorant children by those high and mighty supposed “public servants.” But… what do we really want?

Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.

Uh oh! I see the problem. Do you?

A Nation divided against itself cannot stand …

We say we want integrity, but how can we have integrity without moral principles? If morality is subjective, how can integrity exist?

I don’t want to be subject to your morality, and you don’t want to be measured by my morality. We are at an impasse.

Divisions have always existed in civilizations. Rich/poor, tall/short, young/old, etc. and divisions are not necessarily a bad thing. But the division (singular) we are witnessing in America (and elsewhere,) goes much deeper.

Our Founders referred to “unalienable rights endowed by our Creator,” but it is not politically correct to “force” someone’s ambiguous concept of deity on a society. What Creator? God? Which god? So again, we are at an impasse. If we deny that our rights are endowed by our Creator, where did they come from?

There has been a deliberate hammering over the last few decades, yes decades, maybe longer, the driving of a wedge between people, between ideologies. It is not between rich and poor. It is not between Democrats and Republicans. It is not between races. It is not between the various religions. It is much simpler, much deeper, and much more sobering. It has been happening slowly throughout my lifetime. Look around at how values have changed. Americans once sought virtue, moral strength, character. Now, we seek comfort, leisure, and material gain.

When asked whether the “state of moral values in the country as a whole is getting better or worse,” 72 percent said that they believe that the paradigm is worsening, while, in contrast, just 22 percent said that it is improving. More HERE!

On one side of this moral gulf is chaos, greed, selfishness, lawlessness, rebellion. On the other is structure, kindness, generosity, courage, honor, lawfulness, and … Integrity.

Do you remember when then President Bill Clinton was caught with his pants down? America collectively gasped. “How dare he … in the White House, too!” Noise was made about his indecency, but with the help of our all-but-state-run-press, we came to accept it and moved on. Just one example of our moral compromise.

“What we are seeing in our politics is the predictable result of what occurs when institutions, philosophies and faiths that once united us have either died or have been so co-opted by other considerations that when they’re most needed they lack the power to come to our rescue.” More HERE!

A house divided … moral compromise

Will we watch America crumble because of our selfishness?

The media has its “champions,” the Democrat party backs Hillary, but who does the Republican party back? Logically, it should back the leader, but if that is repugnant to them, they ought to back #2. Why don’t they? Could it be because the party doesn’t like Cruz’s conservative values, and they don’t believe Trump is a conservative at all.

I suggest this indecision is authored and fed by the media pushing THEIR choices on us. People, we are in deep doo doo, and sinking fast into the pools of our our ignorance and willful blindness. Our leaders are simply a reflection of our own indecision. We cannot have both freedom and amorality. We must choose or Hillary will win … and may God help us!

A Nation divided against itself cannot stand …

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“What is the purpose of public education?”

Tags

a House divided against itself cannot stand, Americanism, citizenship, common ground, divisions, education, freedom, legal immigrants, melting pot, public school

The question is,”What is the purpose of public education?” That depends on who you ask.

“The purpose of education is to enable us to develop to the fullest that which is inside us” Norman Cousins, prominent political journalist, author and professor

“The purpose of education is to cultivate human minds with values and principles that help to distinguish between wrong and right. The purpose of education though has a much broader aspect which also entails learning skill for a certain area along with achieving overall development. While life passes education never ends, so education purpose entails a continuous change in direction.” (emphasis mine)

Horace Mann, commonly named the “Father of American Education,” “founded and edited The Common School Journal. In this journal, Mann targeted the public school and its problems. His six main principles were:

(1) the public should no longer remain ignorant;

(2) that such education should be paid for, controlled, and sustained by an interested public;

(3) that this education will be best provided in schools that embrace children from a variety of backgrounds;

(4) that this education must be non-sectarian;

(5) that this education must be taught by the spirit, methods, and discipline of a free society; and

(6) that education should be provided by well-trained, professional teachers.

Mann worked for more and better equipped school houses, longer school years (until 16 years old), higher pay for teachers, and a wider curriculum.”

The problem with today’s public education is that it generally fails in all six principles. Many of our high schools produce children who still cannot read with comprehension, write grammatically correct sentences, paragraphs, or  essays or solve basic math in life situations. Public school has been repeatedly and routinely dumbed down, especially over the last decade, to the lowest common denominator, and its original purpose: to prepare our children for a productive and responsible adult life, has been perverted to emphasize our differences rather than our common ground.

Parents are much busier in their own lives which means generally less involvement in their childrens’ educational process. In America’s early years, parents were actually fined if they were found slacking in the education of their children. Now, in essence, our children are being raised by the State which is not allowed to teach morals. Deposited in local daycares as early as 3 weeks old, many parents see their children long enough to feed them, bathe them, and tuck them into bed. Whose responsibility is it to see that your children are properly educated and prepared for adulthood?

In this era of political correctness, the American public is  told education must be all-inclusive across the board. That means ethnicity, race, religion, ability, and legal status, supposedly, don’t affect the availability or quality of education . As commonly happens, however, in the attempt to equalize that which is not equal by definition, the prevailing thought is seen to be “old-fashioned,” “too narrow,” “not appropriate for today’s youth,” or just idiotic.

“Because the way a people schools its children is so closely tied to how a people sees itself and its priorities,” history tells us that while once, it was “wishful thinking” for Americans to see themselves as the proverbial “melting pot,” a unified society, over the last decade, history seems to indicate that the “wishful thinking,” or perhaps the “social communism” taught in our schools today demonstrates a question of whether Americans still “wish”to be unified.”  from Public Education in America: Born in Unity; Endangered by Disunity

“If we look at it analytically, if we look at it historically, we quickly find out exactly what it is. Political Correctness is cultural Marxism. It is Marxism translated from economic into cultural terms. It is an effort that goes back not to the 1960s and the hippies and the peace movement, but back to World War I. If we compare the basic tenets of Political Correctness with classical Marxism the parallels are very obvious.”

When public school was born, our nation was populated predominantly with legal immigrants from many nations far and wide. Public school was designed at that time to teach “Americanism!” It was supposed to even the ground so all knew the American way AND the American Dream. In complete contrast, now, Americanism is gone, and schools are sterilized lest anyone be “offended” at what might appear to be American. Some schools g so far as to disallow clothing or decals depicting the American flag.

Schools are supposed to teach by the spirit, methods, and discipline of a free America. Like,uh, no patriotic clothing or gear, no Christmas, no Christianity, but satanism is okay, Islam is okay, existentialism is okay, humanitarianism is okay … and of course, materialism is wonderful, but capitalism is EVIL. Education is taught from a liberal political perspective, especially in our colleges and universities, and all other thoughts are dismissed as absurd.

When public school was born, America was a young nation of legal immigrants in search of a better life. It became obvious quickly that with all the different nations, languages, religions and ethnicities involved, something had to be done to get everyone on the ame page, so to speak. Public school was born, not just to teach basic reading, writing, and arithmetic, but also Americanism … and even in some places, trades. Whether or not it began as a myth, it morphed into the reality many of us knew as children.

No longer are those basic academics taught adequately, but all that has been AMERICA is being scrubbed from the curriculum as well and replaced with certain bits and pieces of chosen cultures and doctrines, many of which are completely counter-American.

I asked this question before, now I ask again … Who are we, America?

E Pluribus Unum: Out of many, ONE

“A people only begins to discover conservatism when it becomes aware of something it has lost. By the mid-20th century, Americans knew they had lost their independence from the affairs of the old world, and they increasingly felt the loss of the culture and community that had defined their form of self-government. Now America was a nation of big business and even bigger government … Today the country pays the price for the left-wing ideologies that ran rampant in the 20th century and the right-wing, but not conservative, reaction that has only exacerbated the destruction wrought by the left. To solve the country’s seemingly intractable–and, in the long-term, lethal–strategic, economic, and socio-cultural problems requires a rediscovery of traditional conservatism.”

Do we still comprehend the meaning of FREEDOM?

Are we still …

the Land of the FREE and the home of the Brave?

Or have we been bought

by the promise of a lifetime vacation

with plenty of FREE goodies

paid for by … ?

AMERICA, who are we?

ADDITIONAL READING:

Public Education in America: Born in Unity; Endangered by Disunity

Who are We, America?

Who We Are

Who Are We?: The Challenges to America’s National Identity

The Cost of Freedom

Tags

America, American history, application, compassion, First Responders, freedom, military personel, patriotism, sacrifice

During the last several years, I have been increasingly embarrassed by the number of Americans who have sold out to the well-intentioned but misguided concept of COMPASSION. It is an age-old deception passed down through the generations that says if we are to be kind, we must be willing to compromise our standards. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, true compassion, the self-sacrificing noble compassion can only be rooted in solid, absolute but merciful moral code.

COMPASSION: a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

The question is, what is the best way to alleviate the suffering or hardship of others. Pain and suffering are part of life, and not necessarily the worst part. Though no one desires pain and hardship, many people around the world manage to endure it with joy, or at least acceptance knowing that good always follows pain … eventually.

It saddens me that in today’s America, we seem to have forgotten the benefits of struggle, or working toward a goal, of fighting through disease, of sacrificing for the good of others. This is the essence of compassion.

Instead, we have opted for the shortcuts. Problem is, “No pain – no gain” is completely accurate! We are left with a nation of Americans who have no idea what it cost to build America into a nation where, at least before the current administration, people of all races, religions, and backgrounds could live together in relative harmony. We are no longer taught of the price the Founding Fathers paid for their rebellion against the status quo. Of course, humans are imperfect, and today’s educators and political liberals choose to focus on their imperfections rather than the enormous gifts they gave and the heavy costs they paid.

Today is July 4, 2015. For any who are not aware, July Fourth in the U.S., is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, by the Continental Congress declaring that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as a new nation, the United States of America, and no longer part of the British Empire. During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia declaring the United States independent from Great Britain rule.

Now, there are many whose lives reflect the same selfless sacrifice in service to others. Recently, police have come under irrational scrutiny because of some ideologues political agenda. Of course, there are imperfections and abuses. As long as they are human, that will be the case. But we dare not overlook the tremendous personal sacrifices made by our first responders and military service members (and families.)

As we celebrate this weekend, I pray we remember … the tremendous cost of freedom that allows us the many choices we have, and it is my prayer that we will work to overcome evil with good…each of us…one kindness at a time!

Father God, many in our nation have turned away from You, but you know each one and love us still. Father God, please turn our hearts back to You in gratitude for all You have provided. Heal the divides between neighbors. Restore our yearning for self-reliance with You as our Source and our Guide … for the sake of the lost people of the world.

They’ll Be Dead by Morning (What Difference Will it Make?)

Tags

Christianity, faith, freedom, Kim Jong Un, martyrdom, modern-day martyrs, North Korea, persecution, playboy, the persecuted churches

**Warning: This post may make you feel bad.

**Warning: That feeling may be appropriate.

There are moments in life that feel like a swift slap in the face.

No one courts that.

No one wants to feel that pain.

But, if it’s a slap that rearranges your priorities to align with God’s heart,
then you will thank God even for that bracing offense.

I received that slap today
when I read the Washington Times news item that Kim Jong-un

has ordered the execution of 33 Christians

reported to have been part of planting over 500 underground churches in North Korea.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/mar/6/kim-jong-un-calls-execution-33-christians/

I imagined thirty-three of my Christian friends executed for leading people to Christ, facilitating worship, praying, or offering praise to God.

I would be horrified, sad, and angry

devastated

but I would also know that God has the last word on their lives not Kim Jong-un or the evil power behind him.

Still, I would want their deaths to motivate the church of Christ.

I would want their deaths to galvanize other believers to put feet to their own faith,

To fuel their passion for Christ,

To remember to pray for those who suffer,

To spread God’s word with more zeal, persistence, and creativity than ever before.

While we in the West argue over worship styles,

sleep in when there’s a visiting preacher,

bemoan having to endure a boring prayer request or off-key soloist,

serve up the pastor’s sermon over lunch,

or sit home and judge the church unworthy of our attendance altogether

there are other brothers and sisters

gasping their way to every precious moment

when they can gather, in hiding, with other precious believers

and hear a whispered message from God,

bathe in the reading of His word,

and pray with passion and tears for strength to endure

and the courage to continue speaking the truth under threat of death.

God placed us all where we are.
He assigned us to our stations.
There is no guilt in being born in the land of the free as opposed to a country under harsh rule.

But there is guilt if we use our freedom to indulge our petty preferences,

to pad our comfort,

to drift through this dark world basking in our own light

rather than using it

to serve those who waste away in prison cells wondering if they’ve been forgotten

or their families left to struggle alone with hunger, fear, and lonliness,

or those serving the Lord in dark, dark places who need our prayers for their protection, deliverance, courage, and strength.

This blog is just a bunch of words. It costs me absolutely nothing to write. I am free here to say whatever I want without fear that it will cost me or my loved ones their lives.

But the words I speak on my knees have the power to move forces in the heavenly realm

and make a difference for those who know the names and faces of those 33 facing execution,

to comfort those who know their touch, their dreams, the plans they had for this life that will end any minute now

and to strengthen those who pick up the bloody batons these 33 will be forced to release

and continue to build the kingdom of Christ in lands where the enemy of God rules.

Worship will be different for me this week, with the report of 33 gunshots bouncing around the inner chamber of my soul

reminding me that we aren’t home yet.

***This article is reblogged from “Deeper with Jesus in Rhode Island” Thank you!

Kim Jong Un Channels Hugh Hefner Whilst Executing Christians [Video]

North Korea’s young leader Kim Jong Un seems to be acting like a regular playboy these days, according to recent press coverage. The very young dictator, who is 31-years-old, was seen cavorting around with a group of blushing female pilots during a series of drills at a North Korean air strip – practically reenacting a scene from the popular TV series The Girls Next Door, which featured “Hef” and his Playboy Bunny girlfriends. Although Jong Un almost channels an odd version of Hugh Hefner during the event, outside of that fun-loving image stands a man who plans on executing a group of 33 Christians, suspected of “no good”.

On Friday, North Korea’s Workers party released a few choice pictures to Korean Central News Agency. These very cheerful photos show Jong Un smiling, laughing, and happily posing alongside a gang of seemingly smitten female pilots at an air force based. The imagery harkens back to a time of Hugh Hefner, sitting in his mansion, surrounded by admiring women, looking on in awe of his success and manhood. The 1940’s style uniforms worn by the North Korean ladies certainly helped to round out the strangeness of the scene. More HERE

I wonder how many American churches will even pray …

Will you pray?

Jesus said, “I told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have trouble, but be brave! I have defeated the world.”
John 16:33 (NCV)

Follow the Matrix of Liberty

Tags

America, character, Christianity, education, faith, Forefathers' Monument, Founders, freedom, justice, LAW, liberty, Matrix of Liberty, mercy, morality, Pilrims, Separatists, tyranny, youth

Matrix of Liberty: The Founders’ Monument

or
Where Do We Go From Here?

Unknown or unacknowledged by many, our forefathers erected a “Matrix of Liberty” for the purpose of documentation. It documents the road map they followed to win and establish LIBERTY in AMERICA. The monument has been there for decades, built with government funds, in the off chance We, the People would lose our way and allow the government to assume tyrannical power. Oops! Good thing, right? Yet, it is ignored.

Below, the matrix is explained. Each of the granite figures carries meanings like pieces of a puzzle. I have outlined each figure below, but the video completes the explanation. Please watch and be amazed!!!

FAITH
Meet FAITH! She is paramount! She is pointing upward toward the God of the Bible. FAITH in God is what brought the first Pilgrims, or Separatists, to Plymouth. Not the sour, pious stiffness we were told in school, but a LIVE FAITH that carried them through persecution and hardship as they broke free from tyranny.

MORLITY
Morality is internal liberty, and starts in the HEART of the individual. As we pursue our God in faith, He teaches us true fairness via internal morality of heart.

EVANGELIST
EVANGELISTS preach the message that transforms the heart. TRUE Freedom and Morality are products of FAITH in GOD and His Promises, the BIBLE, studied and taught to every person.

LAW
A MORAL SYSTEM translated from God’s Law into civil law, balanced by MERCY and JUSTICE, with Equality under the LAW for each individual.

EDUCATION
A Woman training her young children (YOUTH) according to heart-held principles and an honorable character, preparing the next generation to carry forward the “Matrix of Liberty!”

LIBERTY
LIBERTY is the result of following the “Matrix of Liberty!” LIBERTY is seated in Victory. He is holding the broken chains of the manacle of tyranny attached to his leg. He has slain the Lion Tyrant, yet bears the marks as a remembrance on his shoulder. Liberty has his foot on the chest of Tyranny, holding it down by following God’s principles only – no bloodshed! Strength based on Morality, overcoming evil with Goodness!

So much of what we were taught in school, and even more of what our children are being taught in school today is simply untrue based on historical documents still in existence. Notably, the first Bibles printed in the United States were funded by CONGRESS in 1782 for the use of our SCHOOLS – First public school law!!! Bibles were used in schools starting in 1647 through 1963 (which I remember!)

LEARN MORE … PLEASE WATCH VIDEO!!!!!

So … where do we go from here, America? Toward FAITH or TYRANNY?

Related reading: The Forefathers’ Monument Explained – VERY COOL!

Historic Presidency – Historic People

Tags

"In God We Trust", 2016, “2016: Obama’s America”, Benghazi, citizenship, Common Core, deception, Dinesh D'Souza, failure, fema-camps, foreign born, freedom, Hillary Clinton, IRS, Keystone Pipeline, militia, NDAA, NSA, obama, One nation under God, police state, survival, tyranny, US Constitution

Corey James wrote “Quit trashing Obama’s accomplishments. He has done more than any other President before him. He has an impressive list of accomplishments:

• First President to apply for college aid as a foreign student, then deny he was a foreigner.
• First President to have a social security number belonging to another man, from a state he has never lived in.
• First President to preside over a cut to the credit-rating of the United States.
• First President to violate the War Powers Act.
• First President to be held in contempt of court for illegally obstructing oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
• First President to require all Americans to purchase a product from a third party.
• First President to spend a trillion dollars on “shovel-ready” jobs when there was no such thing as “shovel-ready” jobs.* * * *
• First President to abrogate bankruptcy law to turn over control of companies to his union supporters.
• First President to by-pass Congress and implement the Dream Act through executive fiat.
• First President to order a secret amnesty program that stopped the deportation of illegal immigrants across the U.S. including those with criminal convictions.
• First President to demand a company hand-over $20 billion to one of his political appointees.
• First President to tell a CEO of a major corporation (Chrysler) to resign.
• First President to terminate America’s ability to put a man in space.
• First President to cancel the National Day of Prayer and to say that America is no longer a Christian nation.
• First President to have a law signed by an auto-pen without being present.
• First President to arbitrarily declare an existing law unconstitutional and refuse to enforce it.
• First President to threaten insurance companies if they publicly spoke out on the reasons for their rate increases.
• First President to tell a major manufacturing company in which state it is allowed to locate a factory.
• First President to file lawsuits against the states he swore an oath to protect (AZ, WI, OH, IN).
• First President to withdraw an existing coal permit that had been properly issued years ago.
• First President to actively try to bankrupt an American industry (coal).
• First President to fire an inspector general of AmeriCorps for catching one of his friends in a corruption case.
• First President to appoint 45 czars to replace elected officials in his office.
• First President to surround himself with radical left wing anarchists.
• First President to golf 73 separate times in his first two and a half years in office, 102 to date.
• First President to hide his medical, educational and travel records.
• First President to win a Nobel Peace Prize for doing NOTHING to earn it.
• First President to go on multiple “global apology tours” and concurrent “insult our friends” tours.
• First President to go on 17 lavish vacations, including date nights and Wednesday evening White House parties for his friends paid for by the taxpayers.
• First President to have 22 personal servants (taxpayer funded) for his wife.
• First President to keep a dog trainer on retainer for $102,000 a year at taxpayer expense.* * * *
• First President to fly in a personal trainer from Chicago at least once a week at taxpayer expense.* * * *
• First President to repeat the Holy Quran & tell us the early morning call of the Azan (Islamic call to worship) is the most beautiful sound on earth.
• First President to tell the military men and women that they should pay for their own private insurance because they “volunteered to go to war and knew the consequences.”
• Then he was the First President to tell the members of the military that THEY were UNPATRIOTIC for balking at the last suggestion.* * * *
• First President to side with a foreign nation over one of the American 50 states (Mexico vs. Arizona).

How is Obama’s “Hope and Change” working out for you?”

I believe Obama should be arrested and impeached for only a few of his “Great Accomplishments.” For being best President in many of his Democratic followers eyes… I feel this Great Nation in being misled in an immorally direction away from what it was originally founded on. I pray for the safety and promising future for our children. I pray our children do not become as greedy, ungrateful, anti-christian and un-patriotic as I see our current leaders leading their lives.

I commend you for reading all of this. And, I hope it has empowered you with knowledge and opened your eyes more.

Thank you,
Daniel S. Hudson
— feeling patriotic.

♫ Born Free ♫

Tags

Be for Work, Born Free, choices, freedom, job's report 2014, jobs, NO JOBS, Obama fail, opportunity, Use it or lose it, work

AMERICA is unique, not so much for her FREEDOM, but for her Source of Freedom (GOD) and what that Freedom has come to mean culturally i.e. OPPORTUNITY to WORK. There are other nations, other societies, that experience some degree of freedom, some even seem more FREE than America. So, what’s the big deal? What makes American Freedom different … EXCEPTIONAL?

Find another civilization in history that has …

• drawn the number of immigrants the USA has in the past century and enabled them to improve their lives.
• produced as much increase and improvement across the board – technologically, scientifically, agriculturally, humanitarian-ly, and even spiritually.
• allowed virtually complete mobility physically between states and economically from min wage to billionaire to those willing to push through the obstacles

Recent policies have diminished the OPPORTUNITY for work … for self-improvement. Increased taxes and regulations punish small business success, and “NO STRINGS handout” availability reduces the incentive toward WORK! In the process, however, our freedoms are exchanged and lost.

Your Freedom is yours to do with as you please. You can use it to build or to destroy. You can use it to give or to take. You can use it to find happiness or misery. You can use it to help others or help yourself. Your Freedom is yours to do with as you please. Use it or lose it!

Be for Work

By Mona Charen · Jan. 10, 2014

“John F. Kennedy broke some sort of record for stating the obvious when he noted that “life isn’t fair.” More evidence for the unfairness of the nation’s evaluations of presidents emerged in a recent Washington Post poll showing that, five years after he returned to Texas, George W. Bush is still blamed by 50 percent of Americans for the current state of the economy. Only 38 percent hold President Barack Obama responsible. The lesson for future presidents appears to be: You may be one of the greatest humanitarians in the history of the world (as Herbert Hoover arguably was, and as was Bush in some ways), but if you’re in office when a financial crisis hits, the public will blame you forever.

The press and academia have provided explanations and justifications for the economy’s sluggishness during the past five years – rationalizations that tend to exonerate Obama for the fact that, for example, annual growth remains very low by historical standards, and the labor force participation rate has dropped every year since 2009. It is now at the lowest level since 1978. We’ve been assured that the aging of baby boomers accounts for the high numbers leaving the labor force. But as Michael Strain notes in National Affairs, the labor force participation rate for the ages 25-54 cohort has hardly recovered at all since 2009 – though the recession officially ended in June of that year.

The Obama administration frequently cites economists who argue that recoveries from financial crisis-induced recessions are slower than those from other recessions. Economic historians Michael Bordo of Rutgers University and Joseph Haubrich of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland have produced data for recessions going back to 1882 and find that recoveries from past financial crises were more than four times stronger than this recovery has been.

Obama has proclaimed, one loses count of how many times, a pivot to jobs. Apparently, that theme is passe. He’s now pivoting to inequality. Any more pivots and he’ll be doing a pirouette.” Read more HERE

GOD, GIVE US MEN!

Tags

boldness, courage, fathers, Forefathers' Monument, freedom, Give us Men, ideals, Josiah Gilbert Holland, men

My Christmas Prayer …

Give Us Men!

Give us Men!
Men-from every rank,
Fresh and free and frank;
Men of thought and reading,
Men of light and leading,
Men of loyal breeding,
The nation’s welfare speeding;
Men of faith and not of fiction,
Men of lofty aim in action;
Give us Men-I say again,
Give us Men!

Give us Men!
Strong and stalwart ones;
Men whom highest hope inspires,
Men whom purest honor fires,
Men who trample self beneath them,
Men who make their country wreath them
As her noble sons,
Worthy of their sires;
Men who never shame their mothers,
Men who never fail their brothers,
True, however false are others:
Give us Men-I say again,
Give us Men!

Give us Men!
Men who, when the tempest gathers,
Grasp the standard of their fathers
In the thickest fight;
Men who strike for home and altar,
(Let the coward cringe and falter),
God defend the right!
True as truth the lorn and lonely,
Tender, as the brave are only,
Men who tread where saints have trod,
Men for Country, Home- and God:
Give us Men! I say again- again-
Give us Men!

-Josiah Gilbert Holland

Our Moral Dilemma

Tags

"moral dilemma", America, dilemma, freedom, God-reliance, self-reliance

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.

Proverbs 3: 5-12 The Message (vs. 5-6 shown)

This has long been one of my favorite Bible passages. It’s filled with hope, especially when times are tough. It reminds me of the old TV program from the 60’s called, “Father Knows Best!” And it’s true – He does know best. Here we find reminders of God’s correction, favor, and love wrapped in warm, cozy blankets of promise.

So, I nestle under the shadow of His wing, then I’m reminded …

“10 Finally, let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong. 11 Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil’s tricks. 12 We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world. 13 So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm.” Ephesians 6: 10-13 CEV

In this land we know as America, we have certain understanding of freedom. To most of us, it is built on a bold, self-reliance that tackles difficulties head on and creatively solves or endures the hardship, right? We pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps, and so forth! The notion that “God helps those that help themselves,” though blatantly unbiblical, is something most of us are familiar with. In fact, God blesses the meek (not weak) in spirit which is pretty much the antithesis of “God helps those that help themselves.”

Meek is not weak, and neither is dependency on God a weak thing. In Jeremiah 17:5 (CEV), we read …

“This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who draws strength from mere flesh
and whose heart turns away from the Lord.”

What is the difference between dependence on God and dependence on Government?

Simple! Government is the same as man. It is just a group of men and/or women. These Bible verses indicate that dependence on man – ANY man or group of people, is not a good idea.

Maybe this is the great error of America! Proverbs 28: 26 says,

Only fools would trust
what they alone think,
but if you live by wisdom,
you will do all right.

Abraham and Terah travelling from Ur to Haran, illustration for Everyday Life in Bible Times (National Geographic Society, 1968), by American illustrator Tom Lovell (1909-1997).

The great heroes of the Bible were FREE enough within themselves to go against the grain of society and attach themselves to an unseen God. Abraham was called out of Ur, where pagan worship included child sacrifices and sexual promiscuity as part of their worship. They put their faith in God alone. God knows it was not Abraham’s choice to sacrifice his son, Isaac, but he was willing, if that is what this God required. Was Abraham relying on his wisdom? his strength? his ability as a problem-solver? No. He simply (though it certainly is not always easy) trusted God.

The-Landing-of-the-Pilgrims-by-Henry-A-Bacon-circa-1877

William Bradford, though a young man of only 30, lead the group of travelers, a mix of “Saints and Strangers.” on a 65 day sea voyage across stormy seas. They sought Virginia, but ended up on the coast of Massachusetts. They were on their own … but God orchestrated their survival, and they were deeply grateful. Thanksgiving resulted.

There is a moral dilemma within America today. Clearly, we have lost our compass as a nation, yet there are those among us yearning to be free. We understand that freedom issues from the throne of God, not from Washington, D.C. Still, the struggle toward self-reliance conflicts with biblical direction toward God-reliance. Interestingly, both the heroes of the Bible and heroes from early America stand among the “strongest” men and women to me. Somehow, their dependence on God freed them to walk in the same “independence” that created the Universe, that crafted elegant and beautiful melodies with harmonies of innumerable sounds, that painted nature with elaborate and myriad colors, textures, and shapes. Like so many other God-principles, to find true freedom, it seems we must sell out to the Author of freedom. (see Luke 17: 33 CEV, Mark 10: 35-45) Will we?

You Might Really be a CONSERVATIVE if …

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conversation, education, freedom, government, government intimidation, help, Individual rights, intelligence, IRS, label-less, labels, mis-information, NSA, personal entitlement, Personal responsibility, privacy rights, questions, universal moral code, US Constitution, welfare

You might be a Conservative if …

A number of times I’ve heard Conservative leaders indicate a dire need to educate the American public about the current status of the political system in the US. The Party of JFK, for instance, is not Obama’s party. Neither is the party of Sen. McCain, the party of most Republicans. Party lines have been skewed … or blurred … or even erased in favor of self-interest.

In light of this mass confusion or mis-identification, some questions are listed below to clarify the mis-information espoused by the media and those pushing to deceive the American people for selfish gain.

So, without further ado, YOU might really be a Conservative if …

1. you think our federal, state, and local governments ought to be required to formulate a budget and stick to it … Period! (just like you and me!)




2. you understand government is hired by the People, and must answer to the People for their policies, decisions, and actions.




3. you know ALL humans are greedy, not just the rich.




4. you think a “Fair Tax” (or flat tax) is the most equitable way to tax the nation. It’s simple and fair!




5. you there are many types of intelligence, most of which can not be well measured!




6. you think any individual’s greatest personal treasure is his/her dignity.




7. you understand that every human being needs a purpose, a reason to live, and that most find that in work and family.




8. you know that the earth has “seasons” for various things, and that while the earth is actually cooling, it has nothing to do with “greenhouse gases,” which are actually Carbon dioxide – what you and I exhale and what green plants ingest. You also understand that things like “green” electric cars must be plugged in, and therefore actually use MORE fossil fuel while claiming to be “green friendly.” It’s all a scam!




9. you appreciate the benefits of living in a nation enriched by a multitude of cultures imported by legal immigrants.




10. you know Jesus taught “personal responsibility,” not “personal entitlement!”




11. you wonder where all the bra-burning feminists are when it comes to the growing college interest in radical Islam that enslaves women.




12. you favor the Constitutional rights of the individual over the assumed “good” of the “collective.”




13. you think greed has corrupted corporate America, but also government and the Unions, and only a free market can hope to counter greed’s effects.




14. you know that even when it’s rainy and overcast, the sun is still shining!




15. you understand a universal moral code is necessary for a civilization to thrive.




16. you remember the days when neighbors actually knew one another, helped one another, and accepted our differences, instead of suspecting them of any number of crimes.




17. you understand that “political correctness” is just another word for censorship!




18. you’ve been a convenience store clerk, a school teacher, a soldier, a mother, and never been on welfare even though it might be more … politically correct.
19. you think most Hollywood celebs would be much better actors (and people) if they remembered what it felt like to struggle.




20. you question the message of both Lenin and Lennon!




21. you understand that making welfare a lifestyle is not HELP, but just another name for slavery.




22. you believe in the “Hand up,” but not the “Hand out!” For something to have value, it must cost something.
23. you want our federal government to STOP sending money and weapons to those who are NOT our allies.




24. you believe all individuals are created equal under the Law, that each individual has the right to pursue his/her life according to his/her dreams, values, and goals as long as they don’t infringe someone else’s right to the same.




25. you believe we are all different, uniquely gifted and valuable to society.




26. you believe it is impossible to create an education system that will produce only “successful” students.




27. you adhere to the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.




28. you are willing to fight to maintain the Right to bear arms in defense of yourself, your property, and your Constitution.




29. you think education’s role is to equip students to consider options and think for themselves rather than program them how to think.




30. you think the purpose of government is to facilitate the ability of the People to pursue their individual life, liberty, and happiness.