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A Parable of Faith Activation

02 Saturday Aug 2014

Posted by blogsense-by-barb in America, Articles, Attitudes, blogsense, censorship/political correctness, Character, Christianity, citizenship, Civility, Opinion, Parenting, religion, Women's Issues

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aide, community-service, compassion, faith, fear, government, government-programs, help, people, personal service to others, Self-sacrifice, service, The Little Dutch Boy, unselfishness, volunteers

“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but YOU {emphasis bjb} do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” James 2: 14- 17

Hans Brinker

A Parable of Faith Activation

“The dam is breaking! The dam is breaking! Emergency!!!” The screams of the people of Borderville frantically scurrying to get out of harm’s way echoed from the hillsides surrounding the town. Chaos everywhere! People watched in horror from hilltops and housetops as a wall of water rushed down the ravine sweeping over everything in its path. Thousands of homes gone in a moment. Families swept away. Utter and complete devastation in the wake with more tragedy ahead in its path.

Warnings had been given prior, but no one listened. There was a lot of talk, several plans were put forth, money had even been allocated, but nothing was done. Now, it was too late.

Emergency broadcasts flooded the airways urgently notifying people to seek higher ground. There was a cry, too, for volunteers to help tend the wounded and homeless.

It wasn’t long before the government issued a “warning” to local residents, and they began to organize shelters and supplies for the many victims. The Governor sought Federal assistance asking it be declared an “EMERGENCY!” Thousands of homes had already been destroyed. Many lives had been lost, and still the enormity of this tragedy was only beginning.

The water surged downhill wiping out everything in its path. Homes, schools, churches … businesses. It was ruthless.

Within a half hour of the breach, three or four helicopters peppered the sky. Whether journalists reporting the story or government agencies looking at the devastation was unclear. News bulletins resounded across the nation.

The hours began to roll by. The path of tragedy grew. The cry for help continued. Checks began to pour in from the American public. Emergency “#800” phones were organized. Government agencies brought supplies to nearby make shift shelters. Piles of blankets and cases of water grew.

The following weekend, pleas issued from pulpits in churches, tabernacles, mosques, as well as community outreach programs. Tons of building and survival supplies were quickly being gathered at points from coast to coast.

Hollywood celebrities and politicians issued calls for help from their walled-in mansions and executive offices. Photos flashed across TV screens and computer screens of the gorgeous celebs at fundraisers supporting the victims relief effort.

Hours and days passed. The flood continued to demolish town after town, home after home. Politicians chose sides: some pleaded for more money and supplies to tend the victims, and others wanted, first, to repair the dam.

“Oh no, we must let the water go and take care of the people first! That is the compassionate thing. To repair the dam is taking food out of the childrens’ mouths!” they said.

A handful of volunteers gathered at the local Red Cross. The size or their task was immeasurable. Money was plentiful. Supplies from the government were available, but volunteers were scarce. Seems everyone had a reason not to lend a physical hand to help the distraught and displaced survivors.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

There is a children’s story I recall – The Little Dutch Boy, by Mary Mapes Dodge. Peter Miller writes this synopsis of the tale:

    “Dutch legend has it that there was once a small boy who upon passing a dyke (or dam) on his way to school noticed a slight leak as the sea trickled in through a small hole. Knowing that he would be in trouble if he were to be late for school, the boy poked his finger into the hole and so stemmed the flow of water. Some time later a passerby saw him and went to get help. This came in the form of other men who were able to effect repairs on the dyke and seal up the leak.

    “This story is told to children to teach them that if they act quickly and in time, even they with their limited strength and resources can avert disasters. The fact that the Little Dutch Boy used his finger to stop the flow of water, is used as an illustration of self-sacrifice. The physical lesson is also taught: a small trickle of water soon becomes a stream and the stream a torrent and the torrent a flood sweeping all before it, Dyke material, roadways and cars, and even railway tracks and bridges and whole trains.”

The Bible teaches God is a personal God. He is interested in our individual growth and character. In America, and in our world today, there are several “dams breaking.” We have agency upon agency duplicating tasks and spending obscene amounts of money, and accomplishing little. President Johnson back in the 60’s declared a “War on Poverty,” establishing “Social Security (creating medicare & medicaid) and “Food Stamp Act.”

As noble as the “War on Poverty” idea is, we have MORE poverty today, not less. We’ve lost the “War on Poverty!” Look around! If these programs actually worked, wouldn’t the percentages decrease and the numbers of thriving Americans increase? Service programs abound, but people willing to volunteer their time and talents are few. Government not equipped to tend the needs of individual families or communities. Government cannot empathize or feel compassion. We can!

Service_To_Others_Quote

See, only we, as individuals and neighbors know the specific needs of one another and have the ability to feel compassion. The thing about helping others … not only does serving one another help them, the victims, but it activates us! There is something reciprocal that happens when we reach out to “care” for another human being. I’ve heard it from missionaries to go with the warm intention of helping others, but they return feeling more a recipient than a giver.

It’s about people, a “People Connection” that opens our hearts and drowns the fears we have of people, of strangers. We are free to serve, yes, but only in doing does the reverse become true – our service frees us! Only in service to our neighbors does our faith become activated. Regardless of whether our religion is Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism … it is our personal service to others that confirms, affirms, and activates our Faith.

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♫ I Want to Know What Love Is ♫

01 Saturday Feb 2014

Posted by blogsense-by-barb in America, Attitudes, blogsense, Christianity, Community interest, Courage, Culture, Faith, FREEDOM, Issues, life, music, Musings, Opinion, People, thoughts

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character, character of God, difficulty, emptiness, faith, faithfulness, God, goodness, help, hurt, loss, love, Love of God, people, promises, promises of GOD

All things are possible

We are surrounded by promises, in America, and most of them never had any intention of being fulfilled! Politicians say exactly what they think we want to hear, not because they actually believe it, but simply to earn our trust and our vote. Broken promises have been in the news lately with the “If you like your plan and your Doctor, you can keep them!” lie. The President and his adherents knew from the beginning that was a lie, yet they intentionally repeated it for months.

Contrary to the multitude of unfulfilled promises of politicians, GOD fulfills promises everyday. The Bible is filled with wonderful & lofty promises that, frankly, are incredibly hard to believe. Yet, any one of us can challenge GOD’S faithfulness by apprehending any promise in faith.

At the top of the page is a promise: All things are possible with God. (Matthew 19:26)

Believe that? I mean do you believe it in your LIFE, or just with your head? There is a difference!

Good News Reminders

There are many, many more!

Pick a promise! Choose one that fits a difficult circumstance in your life. Pick it & believe it! Each & every promise issues from the loving heart of God. Every one! But that’s not the cool part! The cool part is that GOD has spoken each promise to ME and to YOU … as individuals! When GOD says, “Don’t be afraid, for I AM with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I AM your GOD! I will comfort you! Yes, I will help you! And I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness!” (Isaiah 41:10) GOD is talking to me, but HE is also talking to you. All we have to do … is actively BELIEVE! Can you do that? I can …if I remember who GOD is. If I remember He designed Creation, all its moving parts (not the parts mankind has corrupted, but the wondrous ways Laws of Nature,) and brought it into being with a Word! Ha!

In spite of GOD’S vastness, or maybe because if it, GOD has set His unfathomable love on us, and we see that in His promises. All his promises flow from that love and are evidenced in His unspeakable GOODNESS!

    The yes to all of God’s promises is in Christ, and through Christ we say yes to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 1:20

eph 3_18

LOVE. It’s our deepest, most urgent need. It’s a requirement for life. Every single human shares this basic need, yet in spite of the volumes written on the topic, a vast array of poems and songs written on the subject, few of us have a clear handle of exactly what Love is.

We often hear “Life is a journey” these days, and I suggest that Love is our destination and our source. We taste it on clear sunny days. We smell it in a gentle spring shower. We hear it in the laughter of children, and we get a glimpse in the touch of a loved one. Never a banquet, only a sample, enough to compel us onward … and a Promise.

Love is not weak, easy, or shallow. Love always … always multiplies. The deepest Love is a promise, a unity of hearts, goals, and future hope.

    11 I say this because I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.
    12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
    13 You will search for me. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me!
    14 I will let you find me,” says the Lord. “And I will bring you back from your captivity.
    Jeremiah 29:11-14

As humans, we typically look for the easy route, the path of lest resistance. But the richness of God’s Love takes us always into the deep water without a life jacket, not to drown us, as some suppose, but to empower us to fly higher, dive deeper, push harder, to continue on when there are no landmarks we recognize to take GOD’s love to each and every person. God’s love soothes and inspires. His love never changes … NEVER! Still, it doesn’t always feel like a warm blanket either, but Love is always … always ultimately drawing us to Him: our Source and our Goal, the Beginning and the End. One taste just isn’t enough, but how do we get there?

This song as always been a prayer to me. I’m asking God to show me what Love is … and I know He will answer. Care to take the plunge with me? It’s a little scary, but … is it safe? “Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.” ~ C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

♫ I Want to Know What Love is ♫

I gotta take a little time
A little time to think things over
I better read between the lines
In case I need it when I’m older
Aaaah woah-ah-aah

Now this mountain I must climb
Feels like a world upon my shoulders
And through the clouds I see love shine
It keeps me warm as life grows colder

In my life there’s been heartache and pain
I don’t know if I can face it again
Can’t stop now, I’ve traveled so far
To change this lonely life

I wanna know what love is
I want you to show me
I wanna feel what love is
I know you can show me
Aaaah woah-oh-ooh

I’m gonna take a little time
A little time to look around me, oooh ooh-ooh ooh-ooh oooh
I’ve got nowhere left to hide
It looks like love has finally found me

In my life there’s been heartache and pain
I don’t know if I can face it again
I can’t stop now, I’ve traveled so far
To change this lonely life

I wanna know what love is
I want you to show me
I wanna feel what love is
I know you can show me
I wanna know what love is
I want you to show me
And I wanna feel, I want to feel what love is
And I know, I know you can show me

Let’s talk about love
(I wanna know what love is) the love that you feel inside
(I want you to show me) I’m feeling so much love
(I wanna feel what love is) no, you just cannot hide
(I know you can show me) yeah, woah-oh-ooh
I wanna know what love is, let’s talk about love
(I want you to show me) I wanna feel it too
(I wanna feel what love is) I wanna feel it too
And I know, and I know, I know you can show me
Show me what is real, woah (woah), yeah I know
(I wanna know what love is) hey I wanna know what love
(I want you to show me), I wanna know, I wanna know, want know
(I wanna feel what love is), hey I wanna feel, love
I know you can show me, yeah

GOD is love! He is in the business of LOVE … for the Love of GOD!

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Blind Leading the Blind

20 Friday Sep 2013

Posted by blogsense-by-barb in America, Attitudes, blogsense, censorship/political correctness, Character, Community interest, Courage, Culture, Family values, FREEDOM, Fun, Interests, Issues, life, Lifestyle, Moral Character, Musings, Opinion, Relationships, thoughts, Uncategorized

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Tags

choices, communism, fun, hollywood, lifestyle, morality, motivation, people, progressive, SEN. MCCARTHY, sex, virtue, WALTON'S, WE THE PEOPLE

Lassie (CBS) 1954 - 1974 Shown: Jon Provost

Lassie (CBS)
1954 – 1974
Shown: Jon Provost

Hollywood has long been a cauldron of Progressivism. Remember Sen. McCarthy in the 1950’s? Had he not discredited his theories with his own alcoholism, maybe things could have been yanked up back then. Remember the “Black List” of Hollywood stars, directors, writers, etc suspected (or known) to be Communist sympathizers? They weren’t planning a violent coup. Instead, they created program after program that subtly and progressively dismantled or mocked what most Americans know as “traditional American values.” So who or what governs your morality?

If you compare the programs of the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s to the programs today, what are the most obvious differences? Look closely, the progression from the respectful, kind, and caring family programs like Bonanza (1959-1973), Combat (1962-1967), Flipper (1963-1967), Waltons (1971-1981), Little House on the Prairie (1974-1983), Lassie (1954-1974), and dozens more to the what seem to be hideously biased Progressive TV “comedies” that represent the lower possibilities of human interaction … and they’re presented as the Best New TV Comedies of 2013, which are a smorgasbord of base behaviors. Really? This is the BEST we can do?

There was a time not so long ago when at least some in Hollywood had a glimpse of the potential for their industry to impact the population for GOOD! Under the guise of entertainment, at least some writers and producers sought to motivate people to “improve” themselves: either improve their circumstances via hard work and education, or “improve” their character by inspiring people to a more virtuous life.

PoliticalCorrectnessAmerican culture, too, rewarded those who worked toward self-improvement. Lifelong loyalty at work was rewarded with retirement. A “clean life” was desirable, and was often rewarded with success. Now, in contrast, a “clean life” is a joke, often the brunt of jokes like the football player, Tim Tebow. Even worse, it seems many cajole such virtuous individuals in the hope they will “fall!” We don’t hear about the alcoholic that succeeds in living “dry” and rebuilding his life, but the press circles especially celebrities with alcohol or drug issues just waiting for them to self-destruct … and we, the people keep buying the trash they give us.

Although still recovering from his injuries overseas, Sgt. Sanchez insisted on leaving his electric wheelchair to walk the flag down Main Street, U.S.A., saying “If it’s for the colors, I’ll walk"

Although still recovering from his injuries overseas, Sgt. Sanchez insisted on leaving his electric wheelchair to walk the flag down Main Street, U.S.A., saying “If it’s for the colors, I’ll walk”

What do you suppose would happen if We, the People demanded, by virtue of our dollars, more wholesome, virtuous movies and TV programs? Is morality really old-fashioned or just too hard for today’s weak-willed citizen? Must every TV sitcom be about SEX? Is there such a thing as a loving relationship that does NOT focus on SEX? If we say we, as a society, are dismayed by the 50% divorce rate, might we not seek solutions rather than further exploitations? If we’re concerned about the violence in our society, might we not question the “gangsta” lifestyle endorsed by many high profile musicians? Is there anything FUN besides SEX?

What do you care about? What motivates your choices? As much as I disagree with the blind hatred of Islamic fighters, on some level, I respect their commitment to a cause, although it is driven more by fear and hate than real devotion, it seems. Most Americans are not devoted to anything bigger than themselves … even many who claim a religion. Is there anything worth living for? worth fighting for? worth dying for?

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Hitching Up the Bible Belt

08 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by blogsense-by-barb in America, Articles, Attitudes, blogsense, censorship/political correctness, Character, Christianity, Community interest, Faith, FREEDOM, government, Opinion, Participation, People

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devastation, Love of God, Moore Oklahoma, people, People of Faith, The Church, tornadoes

blowling alley in Moore, OK

Obama calls on Americans to “Step Up”

By Louie Christensen

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.”

god-is-not-calling-us-to-go-to-churchMoore 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

ADDITIONAL INFO:

  • PHOTOS: More Than Devastation in Moore, Oklahoma
  • Local church leading mission trip to Moore, OK

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Heaven forbid Heroes fall short of perfection!

03 Saturday Sep 2011

Posted by blogsense-by-barb in Uncategorized

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"life lessons", American military, attitudes, ignorance, military appreciation, National Guard, people

National Guardsmen heckled after nearly drowning in floodwaters.

This is one of my pet peeves! WHAT THE HECK DO WE EXPECT OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE??? For the most part, those who serve is the Military are NOT scholars, but they have 10 times the character of people like this shallow twirp! Are we expecting these young folks to be Super Heroes in training? Able to leap high buildings, swim the widest sea, lift a ten ton boulder with their bare hands, really? How ’bout a THANKS for Serving??? Thanks for caring! Thanks for be willing!!!

Try gratitude for a change of pace! I bet your digestive system will work better!

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A Hard Truth ~ Each American is Responsible! (via blogsense-by-barb)

31 Wednesday Aug 2011

Posted by blogsense-by-barb in Uncategorized

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Abraham Lincoln, accountability, Albert Einstein, America, American, american-conservative, american-history, american-interests, american-moral-character, Americans, articles, Big Government, Billy Graham, blog, blogsense, character-training, Christianity, citizenship, committment, Congress, conservative, conservative-opinion, courage-2, courage-of-convictions, creativity, culture-2, current-events, Democrat, do-something, education, Eleanor Roosevelt, election-2012, events, faith-2, freedom-2, George Washington, gratitude, Helen Keller, history, hope-change, human-nature, human-rights, humor, individuals, inspirational, Jesus, leadership-2, liberal, life, life-lessons, lifestyle, limited-government-2, military-appreciation, moral-character-2, musings, news, opinion, parenting-2, patriotism-2, people, people-2, poetry-2, politics, Republican, responsibility, Ronald Reagan, seniors, spiritual, tea-party-2, term-limits-2, Thomas Paine, thoughts, uncategorized, us-constritution, WE THE PEOPLE, womens-issues, writing

A Hard Truth ~ Each American is Responsible! All great change in America begins at the dinner table." ~ Ronald Reagan ~ What is more central to a civilization, a culture than the family unit? The strength and design of the family defines the culture, and, as such, its future. What is a Family? According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a family is “a group of two or more people who reside together and who are related by birth, marriage, or adoption” (U.S. Census Bureau). Though this definition se … Read More

via blogsense-by-barb

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A Hard Truth ~ Each American is Responsible!

22 Friday Jul 2011

Posted by blogsense-by-barb in America, Articles, Big Government, blogsense, Christianity, citizenship, Congress, conservative, Courage, Courage of convictions, Creativity, Culture, Current Events, Democrat, education, Election 2012, Events, Faith, FREEDOM, gratitude, history, humor, inspirational, Jesus, Leadership, liberal, life, Lifestyle, Moral Character, Musings, news, Opinion, Parenting, Patriotism, People, Poetry, politics, Republican, Seniors, spiritual, tea party, thoughts, Uncategorized, US Constritution, WE THE PEOPLE, writing

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"life lessons", Abraham Lincoln, accountability, Albert Einstein, American Conservative, American history, American Interests, Americans, Big Government, Billy Graham, Blog, character training, Committment, Conservative opinion, Democrat, DO SOMETHING!, Eleanor Roosevelt, George Washington, Helen Keller, Hope * Change, Human nature, Human Rights, individuals, Jesus, limited government, Military appreciation, people, responsibility, Ronald Reagan, spiritual, term limits, Thomas Paine, Women's Issues

Capitol or School Yard?

All great change in America begins at the dinner table.”
Ronald Reagan

What is more central to a civilization, a culture than the family unit? The strength and design of the family defines the culture, and, as such, its future.

What is a Family?

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a family is “a group of two or more people who reside together and who are related by birth, marriage, or adoption” (U.S. Census Bureau).

20 Signs That The Moral Decline Of America Is Spinning Wildly Out Of Control

*WARNING: Sensitive readers may be offended by photos

WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!!!!!


“#1) 37 years after Roe v. Wade, 50 million babies have been killed and yet the United States is still continuing to abort babies with no end in sight.

#2) Cindy McCain, the wife of Republican Senator John McCain, and their daughter Meghan have both posed for photos endorsing pro-gay marriage forces in California.

#3) According to one new report, Barack Obama is planning to issue a letter in the next couple weeks that will guarantee U.S. government support for a plan to give much of the West Bank and eastern sections of Jerusalem to the Palestinians within two years.

#4) As if going through airport security was not enough of a hassle, now TSA employees are playing cruel pranks on passengers.

#5) Goldman Sachs has officially confessed to “improper behavior” during the housing crash – but they aren’t about to give all that money back.” READ ON

The belief that America is degenerating on a moral level is shared by both Republicans and Democrats. According to a new Gallup poll, 82 percent of Republicans and 78 percent of Democrats say that moral values in the U.S.A. are only fair or downright poor. 40 years ago, only 33 percent of Americans felt that way.

So what’s happened? First, secular forces have destroyed any rendering of Judeo-Christian philosophy in the public school system. Many teachers are now ordered not to make value judgments on behavior and not to push any specific moral standards. Thus children receive little if any moral guidance in class.

Second, with the rise of single parent homes, more and more American kids wind up unsupervised for long periods of time, left to the television set or the computer, where harmful material comes at them like rain in a thunderstorm.

Third, major corporations now traffic in sex and violence to an extent never before seen in this country. Americans spend more than $10 billion a year on porn every year. And violent video games gross billions more for corporations.

Fourth, peer pressure to actually reject immoral behavior is virtually non-existent in many places. The military criminals at Abu Ghraib never could have committed their crimes if other soldiers did not look away. The code of silence about bad behavior is an infectious disease among Americans. READ ON

    “The left insists on its constructs, on isolating entire groups into neat categories of oppressed and oppressor, but it can only keep those categories alive by perpetuating their disempowerment in one way or another. Take Griggs v Duke Power Co, in which the Supreme Court held that it was racist for a company to ask for a high school diploma of its employees, because such a requirement had a disproportionate impact on minorities. Like many of the loonier Burger court decisions, this one was scaled back over time, but what of the idea behind it. That social justice involves lowering barriers for qualification, thereby discouraging ability and competence.” READ ON

Historical Figures weigh in on
the Importance of Morality or Character

Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character. ~ Albert Einstein

Nearly all men can stand adversity,
but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.
~ Abraham Lincoln

Only a man’s character is the real criterion of worth. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Character is much easier kept than recovered. ~ Thomas Paine

When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost. ~ Billy Graham

You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man’s initiative and independence. ~ Abraham Lincoln

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved. ~ Helen Keller

A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user. ~
Theodore Roosevelt

Only God Himself fully appreciates the influence of a Christian mother in the molding of character in her children. ~ Billy Graham

A good conscience is a continual Christmas. ~ Benjamin Franklin

No change of circumstances can repair a defect of character.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Be polite to all, but intimate with few.” ~ Thomas Jefferson

Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing. ~ Abraham Lincoln

Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder. ~ George Washington

Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today’s world do not have. ~ Ronald Reagan

Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness. ~ George Washington

America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. ~ Abraham Lincoln

Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all. ~ George Washington

The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew. ~ Abraham Lincoln

Each individual American is responsible
for their own behavior, attitudes, and words.
It’s time to rebuild America’s Moral Character!
Now or Never!

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Have We Lost the Power to Rise Above?

18 Monday Apr 2011

Posted by blogsense-by-barb in blogsense, life, Poetry, thoughts

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

"life lessons", freedom, hopelessness, Human nature, light, people, poem, poetry

Thick and dark, intangible and seductive,
The streaming fingers of hopelessness
Seep around our ankles, oozing, grasping,
Like a rising tide of quicksand.

Groups and clubs of purposeless people,
Empty, they do not understand it’s goal:
To steal, to kill, and to destroy each one,
Systematically, methodically, in broad daylight.

Understanding, we lack the will
To stand against this thickening mass;
We think like victims, helpless against such a foe.
Who will stand, who will light the way?

Have we lost the power to rise above,
Are we helpless and doomed to drown,
Too weak and lazy to scream and shout,
Kick and stomp our way to freedom?

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Who Ordered Life’s Changes, Anyway?

23 Wednesday Mar 2011

Posted by blogsense-by-barb in blogsense, life

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Tags

"life lessons", changes, existence, Japan, observations, people, resilience, respect

Life … In my last post, I related a dream, a nightmare I had. It is fairly obvious that I went to bed feeling rather overwhelmed with the “issues of life.” I need not furnish details, as I’m certain every adult experiences some of the same from time to time. What I have noticed, however, is the reluctance for most of us to admit our frailty. Instead, we “buckle down,” we “persevere,” and we “put our nose to the grindstone.”
I’m not sure that is the best course of action at these times.

The natural world has its Seasons: four of them! There is a time of new beginnings – SPRING. There is the passion (heat) of life – SUMMER. There is the beauty of truth and reality – AUTUMN. Lastly, there is death – WINTER. Is Summer better than Winter? No, just different!
There is great wisdom in Seasons. First, without the natural progression, the natural changes of life, things would become pretty boring. But beyond that, the very definition of life is change. If there is no change, no growth, there is no life.

Most of us learn at an early age that change is not desirable. We’re out playing on a sweet, spring evening when our parent calls us in to bathe. We resist the proposed change, because we’re having fun. We learn our family must pick up and move from Albuquerque to Pittsburgh. We resist because we’re comfortable in Albuquerque. We resist change because we’re comfortable where we are, and we’re not certain where we’re going. Some of us resist more than others. Most likely, we all resist in our own way.

“Resistance is futile!” a strange, green alien proclaims to confused and fearful earthlings. Exactly! Change comes whether we like it or not. Today is different than yesterday. Tomorrow will be different again (or still?) There are changes that need to be fought … illnesses, abusive situations, involuntary limitations of freedom, just to name a few. There are changes that need to be embraced, aging, for example. I’m not telling everyone to go out and buy their rocker just yet, but there are things that I could do when I was 25 that, let’s say, are not gracefully done now.

I went into the US Army upon graduation from college in Massachusetts. My first assignment was in Maryland. I thoroughly enjoyed it! But then I got orders to Alaska. ALASKA? I fought those orders for months. All I knew of Alaska was igloos and Eskimos, and I wanted no part of it. I had generals call the Pentagon on my behalf. I wrote letters. I did everything I could think of, everything suggested by those over and around me to change those orders. All options failed. While packing my belongings the thought occurred to me, “Why choose to be miserable? I cannot get out of going, so I might as well decide to enjoy it.” I did! Alaska is one of the highlighted chapters in my life’s novel for both content and setting.

Change is uncertain, and therefore, fearful. If we can move forward with some basic understandings, change can be easier to live with. It is important to understand that life is a progression. Nature doesn’t jump from Spring back to Winter. It always moves into Summer. There is generally an order to life. Do what can be done to fight, to resist, then make the required changes and embrace the new place of life.

The writing of this draft began in the wake of unbelievable devastation in Japan. No human could have foreseen the extent of damage from the series of natural disasters there. A record earthquake, followed by a quick hitting tsunami strong enough to disrupt and corrupt the nation’s nuclear facilities was not in the scope of expectation. Thousands of people are lost, and yet in the midst of the rubble and catastrophe, a beautiful life lesson has emerged. The people of Japan, the Survivors, continue to demonstrate the root framework of their culture – Respect. Instead of the animalistic behavior seen in previous crises around the world, the people of Japan are not looting, not pushing through lines to get supplies, and not taking from one another. Rather they have corporately chosen to respect one another and value one another’s life as much as their own. They have embraced the changes, as horrific as they are, and they have decided to survive and go on. It is a beautiful thing to see.

Change is an integral part of human existence. It can be overwhelming at times. It can be unpleasant. It can be downright ugly, but the single most remarkable thing about the human psyche is its resilience.

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