I want to go in a different direction with this post. I realize that I haven't been on here in a while. The reason being is that I do not wish for this to be totally negative towards our President and I was truly hoping that I could blog about some things that I agreed with. But the truth is that has not been possible.
So I am going to go in a different direction...
In a little less than two months we will have our 21st annual Camp Meeting at Red River Valley Bible Camp in Paris, TX. I have spent every Summer of my youth at this camp, since my grandfather started the camp the year I was born. We have not held a conference there since 1992, but it is about time we renewed this conference.
I just spent this last weekend with some very special friends of mine and my family, who will be at our campmeeting this July. The Calvary Singers celebrated their 40th year in full-time gospel ministry. The refreshing thing about the whole weekend was that they shared some new songs for all of us, but they still continue to sing the old songs of zion that called us to Jesus when I was but a lad. Think about it, friend, in a day and time when everything is changing, when everything we were once told was true is now being called a lie and everything we were told was a lie is said to be true. Up is now down, down is now up. Right is wrong and wrong is now right. These dear friends, Jerry and Janice Oliver and Lynnette Jennings are still faithful to what they were called to do and to the One who called them.
We also, got to spend time with "Wild" Bill Stafford, one of the greatest preachers in America in our day. He is still preaching like I remember him preaching from my childhood. I heard a preacher friend tell me that the thing that he appreciates about Bro. Bill is that he has taught us that it is okay to be yourself. We do not have to try to imulate someone else, just be who God called you to be. When we are looking to find the next so and so, I need to realize that nobody can be me better than me. That was also something my grandfather taught me, as well.
Nobody loves preachers anymore than Bill Stafford!! Both Bro. Bill and The Calvary Singers alongwith others are going to be with us in Paris, TX at the Red River Valley Bible Camp beginning Monday, July 13-16, 2009. This past weekend just help to excite me and get me ready for our "Back to Bethel Camp Meeting". And I am grateful to the Lord that these were used to get me ready, I hope you are ready and that you will join us. There will be people from all over the nation meeting in Paris, TX. You can e-mail me and get more information.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
44- Just Another In The Long Line of White Presidents
Tell me if you have heard this: "Barack Obama is the first black President of America". Of course all of us have. Republicans and Democrats, the news media, Rush Limbaugh and just about everyone I know of say this.
But remember this, President Barack Obama, the 44th President of the U.S., is just as much of a white man as he is a black man. His father was indeed a native born Kenyan, a black man. His mother was a native born midwestern white woman. Who, would eventually leave him in the care of her parents (who were white), to finish raising him. So, it is a bit disengenuous to say that Presidenet Obama is the first black President. That is why I say that he is just another in a long line of white Presidents. Because, if the race of only one parent decides what you are, then why can't some look at his mother's race and determine that he is another white President.
And why must we always divide ourselves? It should be enough that he is our President. That in itself is a class separate from the rest of us, only 44 men in our nation's grand and illustrious history have ever held the position of President of the United States. And today, even though I did not vote for him, was proud to be an American, not because President Obama is "the first black President", but because in America we have always known a peaceful transfer of power. And we are the only nation that can say that, and I pray we will always say that.
Unfortunately, I feel I must say this, I am not a racist. (How sad that we have to put such disclaimers?) If you know me, you that I am not a racist. But I am aware that many in our nation are. And there blind hatred and ignorance should always be disdained. But such ignorance might possibly be used to benefit President Obama and his agenda. And this leads me to the point, as to why President Obama, his administration and his supporters continue to declare that he is "the first black President of the United States".
Why do I say this, very simply: It will be said if you oppose his policies or agenda then it is because you are racist. And if you doubt me that is already being said. Al Sharpton and others are already saying that this does not change anything. Other Civil Rights activists have said that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's dream was not solely for a black man to become president, but was far broader.
And if you missed it, the benediction was given by a black man (I refuse to say African- American, we are all Americans, let's stop with the hyphens,) a "Reverend" who closed his prayer by saying, "when brown can get around, yellow is mellow, the red man can get ahead man and white does what is right". The only race that get's smacked around is white. On this day, that in their own words "a black man" is inaugurated as President, who I might add had to have an overwhelmingly number of WHITE people vote for him, it is whites who get smacked. I thought we had already done the "right" thing back in November on election day.
Make no mistake about it; this whole idea of our 44th President, President Barack Obama as being our "first black President" is unfortunately about race.
Now, I look forward to the next 4 years. I will pray for President Obama as I have prayed for President Bush, I can't fathom the decisions and choices that he faces on a daily and hourly basis. I will support him when I can, and oppose him when I must. Hopefully, I will do more of the former than I will the latter. We all need our President to make the right choices, in these days and times more than ever.
But remember this, President Barack Obama, the 44th President of the U.S., is just as much of a white man as he is a black man. His father was indeed a native born Kenyan, a black man. His mother was a native born midwestern white woman. Who, would eventually leave him in the care of her parents (who were white), to finish raising him. So, it is a bit disengenuous to say that Presidenet Obama is the first black President. That is why I say that he is just another in a long line of white Presidents. Because, if the race of only one parent decides what you are, then why can't some look at his mother's race and determine that he is another white President.
And why must we always divide ourselves? It should be enough that he is our President. That in itself is a class separate from the rest of us, only 44 men in our nation's grand and illustrious history have ever held the position of President of the United States. And today, even though I did not vote for him, was proud to be an American, not because President Obama is "the first black President", but because in America we have always known a peaceful transfer of power. And we are the only nation that can say that, and I pray we will always say that.
Unfortunately, I feel I must say this, I am not a racist. (How sad that we have to put such disclaimers?) If you know me, you that I am not a racist. But I am aware that many in our nation are. And there blind hatred and ignorance should always be disdained. But such ignorance might possibly be used to benefit President Obama and his agenda. And this leads me to the point, as to why President Obama, his administration and his supporters continue to declare that he is "the first black President of the United States".
Why do I say this, very simply: It will be said if you oppose his policies or agenda then it is because you are racist. And if you doubt me that is already being said. Al Sharpton and others are already saying that this does not change anything. Other Civil Rights activists have said that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's dream was not solely for a black man to become president, but was far broader.
And if you missed it, the benediction was given by a black man (I refuse to say African- American, we are all Americans, let's stop with the hyphens,) a "Reverend" who closed his prayer by saying, "when brown can get around, yellow is mellow, the red man can get ahead man and white does what is right". The only race that get's smacked around is white. On this day, that in their own words "a black man" is inaugurated as President, who I might add had to have an overwhelmingly number of WHITE people vote for him, it is whites who get smacked. I thought we had already done the "right" thing back in November on election day.
Make no mistake about it; this whole idea of our 44th President, President Barack Obama as being our "first black President" is unfortunately about race.
Now, I look forward to the next 4 years. I will pray for President Obama as I have prayed for President Bush, I can't fathom the decisions and choices that he faces on a daily and hourly basis. I will support him when I can, and oppose him when I must. Hopefully, I will do more of the former than I will the latter. We all need our President to make the right choices, in these days and times more than ever.
Friday, November 21, 2008
The History of Thanksgiving
Below is the history and story of Thanksgiving. Thanks to the public school system, much of the truths of America's founding and history are not factually taught. Sorry teachers. This is not an attack on the fine educators of our land, but actually an attack on the system that you are forced to work in. My desire is to remind and/or teach the truth of our founding. This is from one of my favorite websites www.wallbuilders .com Enjoy.
The tradition of Thanksgiving as a time to focus on God and His blessings dates back almost four centuries in America. While such celebrations occurred at Cape Henry Virginia as early as 1607,[1] it is from the Pilgrims that we derive the current tradition of Thanksgiving.
The Pilgrims set sail for America on September 6, 1620, and for two months braved the harsh elements of a storm-tossed sea. After disembarking at Plymouth Rock, they had a prayer service and began building hasty shelters, but unprepared for a harsh New England winter, nearly half died before spring.[2]
Yet, persevering in prayer, and assisted by helpful Indians,[3] they reaped a bountiful harvest the following summer.[4] The grateful Pilgrims then declared a three-day feast in December 1621 to thank God and to celebrate with their Indian friends[5] ó Americaís first Thanksgiving Festival. This began an annual tradition in the New England Colonies that slowly spread into other Colonies.[6]
The first national Thanksgiving occurred in 1789. According to the Congressional Record for September 25 of that year, immediately after approving the Bill of Rights:
Mr. [Elias] Boudinot said he could not think of letting the [congressional] session pass without offering an opportunity to all the citizens of the United States of joining with one voice in returning to Almighty God their sincere thanks for the many blessings He had poured down upon them. With this view, therefore, he would move the following resolution:
ìResolved, That a joint committee of both Houses be directed to wait upon the President of the United States to request that he would recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer. . . .
Mr. Roger Sherman justified the practice of thanksgiving, on any single event, not only as a laudable one in itself but also as warranted by a number of precedents in Holy Writ. . . . This example he thought worthy of a Christian imitation on the present occasion.î[7]
The resolution was delivered to President George Washington, who heartily concurred with the congressional request, declaring:
Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor. . . . Now, therefore, I do appoint Thursday, the 26th day of November 1789 . . . that we may all unite to render unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection.[8]
National Thanksgiving Proclamations occurred sporadically following this one,[9] and most official Thanksgiving observances still occurred only at the State level. Much of the credit for the adoption of an annual national Thanksgiving may be attributed to Mrs. Sarah Josepha Hale, the editor of Godeyís Ladyís Book. For over twenty years, she promoted the idea of a national Thanksgiving Day,[10] contacting President after President until Abraham Lincoln responded in 1863 by setting aside the last Thursday of November, declaring:
We are prone to forget the Source from which [the blessings of fruitful years and healthful skies] come. . . . No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God. . . . I do, therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States . . . toÖ observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father. Who dwelleth in the heavens.[11]
For the next seventy-five years, Presidents followed Lincolnís precedent, annually declaring a national Thanksgiving Day. Then, in 1941, Congress permanently established the fourth Thursday of each November as a national holiday.[12]
As you celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday this year, remember to retain the original gratefulness to God that has always been the spirit of this, the oldest of all American holidays.
[Congress] recommended [a day of] . . . thanksgiving and praise [so] that the good people may express the grateful feelings of their hearts and Öjoin . . . theirÖsupplication that it may please God, through the merits of Jesus ChristÖto forgive [our sins] and . . .toÖenlarge [His] kingdom which consisteth in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. (Continental Congress, 1777 --Written by Signers of the Declaration Samuel Adams and Richard Henry Lee)[13]
[I] appoint . . . a day of publicÖThanksgiving to Almighty God. . . to [ask] Him that He would . . . pour out His Holy Spirit on all ministers of the Gospel; that He would . . . spread the light of Christian knowledge through the remotest corners of the earth; . . . and that He would establishÖthese United States upon the basis of religion and virtue. (Governor Thomas Jefferson, 1779)[14]
I. . appoint . . . a day of public thanksgiving and praise . . . toÖ render to God the tribute of praise for His unmerited goodness towards us . . . [by giving to] us . . . the Holy Scriptures which are able to enlighten and make us wise to eternal salvation. AndÖ[to] present ourÖsupplications...that He wouldÖforgive our manifold sins and . . . cause the benign religion of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ to be known, understood, and practiced among all the inhabitants of the earth. (Governor John Hancock, 1790)[15]
[1] Benson Lossing, Our Country. A Household History of the United States (New York: James A. Bailey, 1895), Vol. 1, pp. 181-182; see also National Park Service, ìRobert Hunt: Jamestownís First Chaplainî (at http://www.nps.gov/archive/colo/Jthanout/RHunt.html).
2 William Bradford, History of Plymouth Plantation (Boston: Little, Brown & Co, 1856), pp. 74, 78, 80, 91.
[3] William Bradford, History of Plymouth Plantation (Boston: Little, Brown & Co, 1856), p. 100.
[4] William Bradford, History of Plymouth Plantation (Boston: Little, Brown & Co, 1856), p. 105.
[5] Ashbel Steele, Chief of the Pilgrims: Or the Life and Time of William Brewster (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co, 1857), pp. 269-270.
[6] William DeLoss Love, Jr, The Fast and Thanksgiving Days of New England (Boston: Houghton,, Mifflin & Co, 1895), pp. 87-90.
[7] The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United State (Washington: Gales & Seaton, 1834), Vol. I, pp. 949-950.
7 George Washington, Writings of George Washington, Jared Sparks, editor ((Boston: Russell, Odiorne and Metcalf, 1838), Vol. XII, p. 119, Proclamation for a National Thanksgiving on October 3, 1789.
[9] See, for example: H.S.J. Sickel, Thanksgiving: Its Source, Philosophy and History With All National Proclamations (Philadelphia: International Printing Co, 1940), pp. 154-155, ìThanksgiving Day- 1795î by George Washington, pp. 156-157, ìThanksgiving Day -1798î by John Adams, pp. 158-159, ìThanksgiving Day-1799î by John Adams, p. 160, ìThanksgiving Day- 1814î by James Madison, p. 161, ìThanksgiving Day-1815î by James Madison.
[10] Appletonís Cyclopedia of American Biography, James Grant Wilson & John Fiske, editors (New York: D. Appleton & Co, 1888), Vol. III, p. 35.
[11] The Works of Abraham Lincoln, John H. Clifford & Marion M. Miller, editors (New York: University Society Inc, 1908), Vol. VI, pp. 160-161, Proclamation for Thanksgiving, October 3, 1863, The American Presidency Project, ìAbraham Lincoln: Proclamation- Thanksgiving Day, 1863î (at http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=69900&st=&st1=)
[12] The National Archives, ìCongress Establishes Thanksgivingî (at http://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/thanksgiving/); see also Pilgrim Hall Museum, ìPresidential Thanksgiving Proclamations 1940-1949: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Trumanî (at http://www.pilgrimhall.org/ThanxProc1940.htm), Proclamation 2571: Days of Prayer: Thanksgiving Day and New Yearís Day, November 11, 1942, referring to a ìjoint resolution of Congress approved December 26, 1941, which designates the fourth Thursday in November of each year as thanksgiving Dayî.
[13]Journals of the Continental Congress (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1907), Vol. IX, p. 855, November 1, 1777.
[14] The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Julian P. Boyd, editor (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1951), Vol. 3, p. 178, Proclamation Appointing a Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer, November 11, 1779.
[15] John Hancock: Proclamation for a Day of Public Thanksgiving (Boston, 1790), from an original in possession of the author.
The tradition of Thanksgiving as a time to focus on God and His blessings dates back almost four centuries in America. While such celebrations occurred at Cape Henry Virginia as early as 1607,[1] it is from the Pilgrims that we derive the current tradition of Thanksgiving.
The Pilgrims set sail for America on September 6, 1620, and for two months braved the harsh elements of a storm-tossed sea. After disembarking at Plymouth Rock, they had a prayer service and began building hasty shelters, but unprepared for a harsh New England winter, nearly half died before spring.[2]
Yet, persevering in prayer, and assisted by helpful Indians,[3] they reaped a bountiful harvest the following summer.[4] The grateful Pilgrims then declared a three-day feast in December 1621 to thank God and to celebrate with their Indian friends[5] ó Americaís first Thanksgiving Festival. This began an annual tradition in the New England Colonies that slowly spread into other Colonies.[6]
The first national Thanksgiving occurred in 1789. According to the Congressional Record for September 25 of that year, immediately after approving the Bill of Rights:
Mr. [Elias] Boudinot said he could not think of letting the [congressional] session pass without offering an opportunity to all the citizens of the United States of joining with one voice in returning to Almighty God their sincere thanks for the many blessings He had poured down upon them. With this view, therefore, he would move the following resolution:
ìResolved, That a joint committee of both Houses be directed to wait upon the President of the United States to request that he would recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer. . . .
Mr. Roger Sherman justified the practice of thanksgiving, on any single event, not only as a laudable one in itself but also as warranted by a number of precedents in Holy Writ. . . . This example he thought worthy of a Christian imitation on the present occasion.î[7]
The resolution was delivered to President George Washington, who heartily concurred with the congressional request, declaring:
Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor. . . . Now, therefore, I do appoint Thursday, the 26th day of November 1789 . . . that we may all unite to render unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection.[8]
National Thanksgiving Proclamations occurred sporadically following this one,[9] and most official Thanksgiving observances still occurred only at the State level. Much of the credit for the adoption of an annual national Thanksgiving may be attributed to Mrs. Sarah Josepha Hale, the editor of Godeyís Ladyís Book. For over twenty years, she promoted the idea of a national Thanksgiving Day,[10] contacting President after President until Abraham Lincoln responded in 1863 by setting aside the last Thursday of November, declaring:
We are prone to forget the Source from which [the blessings of fruitful years and healthful skies] come. . . . No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God. . . . I do, therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States . . . toÖ observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father. Who dwelleth in the heavens.[11]
For the next seventy-five years, Presidents followed Lincolnís precedent, annually declaring a national Thanksgiving Day. Then, in 1941, Congress permanently established the fourth Thursday of each November as a national holiday.[12]
As you celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday this year, remember to retain the original gratefulness to God that has always been the spirit of this, the oldest of all American holidays.
[Congress] recommended [a day of] . . . thanksgiving and praise [so] that the good people may express the grateful feelings of their hearts and Öjoin . . . theirÖsupplication that it may please God, through the merits of Jesus ChristÖto forgive [our sins] and . . .toÖenlarge [His] kingdom which consisteth in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. (Continental Congress, 1777 --Written by Signers of the Declaration Samuel Adams and Richard Henry Lee)[13]
[I] appoint . . . a day of publicÖThanksgiving to Almighty God. . . to [ask] Him that He would . . . pour out His Holy Spirit on all ministers of the Gospel; that He would . . . spread the light of Christian knowledge through the remotest corners of the earth; . . . and that He would establishÖthese United States upon the basis of religion and virtue. (Governor Thomas Jefferson, 1779)[14]
I. . appoint . . . a day of public thanksgiving and praise . . . toÖ render to God the tribute of praise for His unmerited goodness towards us . . . [by giving to] us . . . the Holy Scriptures which are able to enlighten and make us wise to eternal salvation. AndÖ[to] present ourÖsupplications...that He wouldÖforgive our manifold sins and . . . cause the benign religion of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ to be known, understood, and practiced among all the inhabitants of the earth. (Governor John Hancock, 1790)[15]
[1] Benson Lossing, Our Country. A Household History of the United States (New York: James A. Bailey, 1895), Vol. 1, pp. 181-182; see also National Park Service, ìRobert Hunt: Jamestownís First Chaplainî (at http://www.nps.gov/archive/colo/Jthanout/RHunt.html).
2 William Bradford, History of Plymouth Plantation (Boston: Little, Brown & Co, 1856), pp. 74, 78, 80, 91.
[3] William Bradford, History of Plymouth Plantation (Boston: Little, Brown & Co, 1856), p. 100.
[4] William Bradford, History of Plymouth Plantation (Boston: Little, Brown & Co, 1856), p. 105.
[5] Ashbel Steele, Chief of the Pilgrims: Or the Life and Time of William Brewster (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co, 1857), pp. 269-270.
[6] William DeLoss Love, Jr, The Fast and Thanksgiving Days of New England (Boston: Houghton,, Mifflin & Co, 1895), pp. 87-90.
[7] The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United State (Washington: Gales & Seaton, 1834), Vol. I, pp. 949-950.
7 George Washington, Writings of George Washington, Jared Sparks, editor ((Boston: Russell, Odiorne and Metcalf, 1838), Vol. XII, p. 119, Proclamation for a National Thanksgiving on October 3, 1789.
[9] See, for example: H.S.J. Sickel, Thanksgiving: Its Source, Philosophy and History With All National Proclamations (Philadelphia: International Printing Co, 1940), pp. 154-155, ìThanksgiving Day- 1795î by George Washington, pp. 156-157, ìThanksgiving Day -1798î by John Adams, pp. 158-159, ìThanksgiving Day-1799î by John Adams, p. 160, ìThanksgiving Day- 1814î by James Madison, p. 161, ìThanksgiving Day-1815î by James Madison.
[10] Appletonís Cyclopedia of American Biography, James Grant Wilson & John Fiske, editors (New York: D. Appleton & Co, 1888), Vol. III, p. 35.
[11] The Works of Abraham Lincoln, John H. Clifford & Marion M. Miller, editors (New York: University Society Inc, 1908), Vol. VI, pp. 160-161, Proclamation for Thanksgiving, October 3, 1863, The American Presidency Project, ìAbraham Lincoln: Proclamation- Thanksgiving Day, 1863î (at http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=69900&st=&st1=)
[12] The National Archives, ìCongress Establishes Thanksgivingî (at http://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/thanksgiving/); see also Pilgrim Hall Museum, ìPresidential Thanksgiving Proclamations 1940-1949: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Trumanî (at http://www.pilgrimhall.org/ThanxProc1940.htm), Proclamation 2571: Days of Prayer: Thanksgiving Day and New Yearís Day, November 11, 1942, referring to a ìjoint resolution of Congress approved December 26, 1941, which designates the fourth Thursday in November of each year as thanksgiving Dayî.
[13]Journals of the Continental Congress (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1907), Vol. IX, p. 855, November 1, 1777.
[14] The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Julian P. Boyd, editor (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1951), Vol. 3, p. 178, Proclamation Appointing a Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer, November 11, 1779.
[15] John Hancock: Proclamation for a Day of Public Thanksgiving (Boston, 1790), from an original in possession of the author.
Monday, November 10, 2008
The U.S. Veteran- The World's Most Powerful Weapon
Veteran's Day November 11, it's almost forgotten and certainly underated as a holiday. But that is merely a sad indictment of our culture. From fighting the British redcoats during the Revolutionary War to the battlefields of Gettysburgh, Vicksburg, and Appomatox Courthouse during the Civil War to the Armistice of World War I from the Battle of Iwo Jima and slamming the beaches of Normandy, from Korea and Vietnam the first Gulf War to our present War on Terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq and wherever it may take out troops in the future, the world has never seen the likes of the American Soldier!
Men who have willingly put their lives and futures on the line for their families and their country but also for you and me, people who are to most of them strangers. And they do all of this VOLUNTARILY, nobody has forced them to serve. Now, I know that we have had a draft in the past, and I am certainly not opposed to having it in the future if the need arises, but most of our soldiers who have fought for our country have done so by enlisting voluntarily.
It is the American Soldier that is the world's most powerful weapon. More powerful than the atomic bombs dropped over Hiroshima nad Nagasoki at the conclusion of World War 2. More powerful than the nuclear arsenals that are in existence today and certainly more potent than the cowardly terrorists that would desire to see the end of America as we know it (see Afghanistan and Iraq).
It has to do with duty, honor and respect. The core values of the American Soldier, Airman, Marine, Sailor and Coast Guardsman. It has to do with heart, something no weapon or terrorist has.
Our Veterans have always been so effective in their missions because they have fought for what so few before them have ever fought for- freedom. Ronald Reagan told the story of one of our Navy ships in the south Pacific being approached by a small flotilla of homemade rafts of exiles leaving their oppresive governments. As the ship came along side these refugees they heard one shout in broken english, "Hello, Freedom man!". That is the American Veteran- a freedom man.
I am the grandson of two World War 2 veterans. I also am a veteran of the United States Coast Guard from 1996-2000. It is one the proudest achievements of my life. I am very proud that I served my country, and I hope that my son might follow me one day and serve his country in the Coast Guard. Some of the finest people that I have ever met were the men that I served alongside on board of a Coast Guard Cutter and then at a Coast Guard base. I hope that they can say the same about me. In fact, I still keep up with a few of them to this day. But I have also met many wonderful people who served in the other branches of our military.
In this month that we pause to give thanks to God for all of our blessings, remember to thank Him for the American Veteran. And if you get the chance, personally thank those veterans who have served in years past and thank those who are actively serving today.
Jesus' words in Matthews gospel are very true and appropriate "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." And the American soldier has called each of us friend.
Men who have willingly put their lives and futures on the line for their families and their country but also for you and me, people who are to most of them strangers. And they do all of this VOLUNTARILY, nobody has forced them to serve. Now, I know that we have had a draft in the past, and I am certainly not opposed to having it in the future if the need arises, but most of our soldiers who have fought for our country have done so by enlisting voluntarily.
It is the American Soldier that is the world's most powerful weapon. More powerful than the atomic bombs dropped over Hiroshima nad Nagasoki at the conclusion of World War 2. More powerful than the nuclear arsenals that are in existence today and certainly more potent than the cowardly terrorists that would desire to see the end of America as we know it (see Afghanistan and Iraq).
It has to do with duty, honor and respect. The core values of the American Soldier, Airman, Marine, Sailor and Coast Guardsman. It has to do with heart, something no weapon or terrorist has.
Our Veterans have always been so effective in their missions because they have fought for what so few before them have ever fought for- freedom. Ronald Reagan told the story of one of our Navy ships in the south Pacific being approached by a small flotilla of homemade rafts of exiles leaving their oppresive governments. As the ship came along side these refugees they heard one shout in broken english, "Hello, Freedom man!". That is the American Veteran- a freedom man.
I am the grandson of two World War 2 veterans. I also am a veteran of the United States Coast Guard from 1996-2000. It is one the proudest achievements of my life. I am very proud that I served my country, and I hope that my son might follow me one day and serve his country in the Coast Guard. Some of the finest people that I have ever met were the men that I served alongside on board of a Coast Guard Cutter and then at a Coast Guard base. I hope that they can say the same about me. In fact, I still keep up with a few of them to this day. But I have also met many wonderful people who served in the other branches of our military.
In this month that we pause to give thanks to God for all of our blessings, remember to thank Him for the American Veteran. And if you get the chance, personally thank those veterans who have served in years past and thank those who are actively serving today.
Jesus' words in Matthews gospel are very true and appropriate "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." And the American soldier has called each of us friend.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Barrack Obama the 44th President of the United States- Now What?
Barrack Obama won the presidency last night (Nov. 4). He is only one of 44 other men in our nation's hallowed history to hold such a position. But Barrack Obama was not my choice. Heck, John McCain wasn't even my first choice. So what's next for those of us who are conservatives?
First of all let me say that one of the greatest things about our nation is that we have a "revolution" every four years. We don't use guns nor do we ever fire a shot, but last night we saw, what will take a period of 73 days, the peaceful transfer of power from one person to the next, from one ideology to another. This is something that some people can only dream about. And so if President Obama is a disaster we do not have to have a coup, the wonderful people of our great country will re-evaluate and fire him out office in 2012. Or if he is more wonderful than our wildest dreams we will keep him for another four years.
But what do we do in the mean-time, that is what all of us are wondering:
First of all, we have the responsibility to pray for Barrack Obama. The Bible commands us to pray for those in authority (1 Timothy 2:2). And we should pray that President Obama will do better than we could have imagined. That he will have wisdom beyond his capacity, and that he will lead justly. Remember, God is always in control and no one gets into power but that God is not fully in control of the situation.
Secondly, we are now the loyal opposition. To be honest with you, I am really quite excited about the next four years. I am a conservative, I cannot help it. From the top of my head to the bottom of my feet, I am a conservative. Having said that I cannot tell you how tired I was of trying to defend President Bush and Senator McCain for their deeds and policies, which were not conservative. Now I do not have to worry about that. I am excited to be a part of the opposition. I will always be loyal to my country and will always respect the office of the president, but I will speak out when I disagree. Speak up when I agree. And support him when I can.
Thirdly, get informed. It is so important that you get informed on what is going on in YOUR country. Let's face it the mainstream media is not going to tell you anything, they have an agenda. But it is necessary to stay informed to their positions. But go and get your information in alternative sources. I personally watch the Fox News Channel. I also listen to Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck on the radio and both have websites that you can get informed from. Go to conservative news websites such www.Townhall.com , www.OneNewsNow.com , etc. Also go to the www.wallbuilders.com website as it gives great insite and information on the founding of our nation. Get a copy of our constitution and study it and get familiar with it. The reason liberals are able to do all that they do is because we as conservatives haven't a clue as to what is in the constitution (thank you public schools). Information is power, if we act upon it!
Fourth, get active. Make your voice heard! Once you are informed on the issues put that information to use. Get involved in the local politics as well as the national stage. Call, write, and e-mail your representatives and senators tell them where you are on the issues and that you want them to represent you. Let your voice be heard in the public square. Show your support for particular issues and candidates, place a sign in your yard and a sticker on your vehicle. Don't be a shrinking violet when discussion brews over a hot-button issue or a candidate. Remember, you are armed with information and dangerous to contrary views. Use that information and debate the opposition. We are in a war of ideals and we simply lost a battle last night, that is all. Keep that in your memory. We only lost a battle, we are in a war for the heart and soul of America, and we must keep fighting.
Our cause will continue because our cause is right. Let me encourage you with some good news. Why is all of this important? It is important because, conservatism never loses. When conservative candidates and issues are on the ballot conservatism always wins. In the midst of Senator John McCain losing (who is not a conservative by any stretch of the imagination) Gay Marriage was shot down in CALIFORNIA!!! Gay Marriage was shot down in Arizona! Massive policies to end global warming (which would strive to end capitalism) were defeated in Washington state.
So things are good! We just need to take a stand and get conservative candidates and conservative issues back firmly in our grasp and on the ballot. Now go get to work!
First of all let me say that one of the greatest things about our nation is that we have a "revolution" every four years. We don't use guns nor do we ever fire a shot, but last night we saw, what will take a period of 73 days, the peaceful transfer of power from one person to the next, from one ideology to another. This is something that some people can only dream about. And so if President Obama is a disaster we do not have to have a coup, the wonderful people of our great country will re-evaluate and fire him out office in 2012. Or if he is more wonderful than our wildest dreams we will keep him for another four years.
But what do we do in the mean-time, that is what all of us are wondering:
First of all, we have the responsibility to pray for Barrack Obama. The Bible commands us to pray for those in authority (1 Timothy 2:2). And we should pray that President Obama will do better than we could have imagined. That he will have wisdom beyond his capacity, and that he will lead justly. Remember, God is always in control and no one gets into power but that God is not fully in control of the situation.
Secondly, we are now the loyal opposition. To be honest with you, I am really quite excited about the next four years. I am a conservative, I cannot help it. From the top of my head to the bottom of my feet, I am a conservative. Having said that I cannot tell you how tired I was of trying to defend President Bush and Senator McCain for their deeds and policies, which were not conservative. Now I do not have to worry about that. I am excited to be a part of the opposition. I will always be loyal to my country and will always respect the office of the president, but I will speak out when I disagree. Speak up when I agree. And support him when I can.
Thirdly, get informed. It is so important that you get informed on what is going on in YOUR country. Let's face it the mainstream media is not going to tell you anything, they have an agenda. But it is necessary to stay informed to their positions. But go and get your information in alternative sources. I personally watch the Fox News Channel. I also listen to Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck on the radio and both have websites that you can get informed from. Go to conservative news websites such www.Townhall.com , www.OneNewsNow.com , etc. Also go to the www.wallbuilders.com website as it gives great insite and information on the founding of our nation. Get a copy of our constitution and study it and get familiar with it. The reason liberals are able to do all that they do is because we as conservatives haven't a clue as to what is in the constitution (thank you public schools). Information is power, if we act upon it!
Fourth, get active. Make your voice heard! Once you are informed on the issues put that information to use. Get involved in the local politics as well as the national stage. Call, write, and e-mail your representatives and senators tell them where you are on the issues and that you want them to represent you. Let your voice be heard in the public square. Show your support for particular issues and candidates, place a sign in your yard and a sticker on your vehicle. Don't be a shrinking violet when discussion brews over a hot-button issue or a candidate. Remember, you are armed with information and dangerous to contrary views. Use that information and debate the opposition. We are in a war of ideals and we simply lost a battle last night, that is all. Keep that in your memory. We only lost a battle, we are in a war for the heart and soul of America, and we must keep fighting.
Our cause will continue because our cause is right. Let me encourage you with some good news. Why is all of this important? It is important because, conservatism never loses. When conservative candidates and issues are on the ballot conservatism always wins. In the midst of Senator John McCain losing (who is not a conservative by any stretch of the imagination) Gay Marriage was shot down in CALIFORNIA!!! Gay Marriage was shot down in Arizona! Massive policies to end global warming (which would strive to end capitalism) were defeated in Washington state.
So things are good! We just need to take a stand and get conservative candidates and conservative issues back firmly in our grasp and on the ballot. Now go get to work!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Spread The Wealth Around
Those were the words of Candidate Barrack Obama in late October of 2008 when talking with the then anonymous Joe. Today you have no doubt heard about "Joe the Plumber". But I want to focus on those four words, "spread the wealth around". This of course means raise taxes on the wealthy, the successful and hard working of our nation and give that money to the "poor", the welfare recipients of our nation.
Why do we want to punish those in our country who are hard-working, industrious, and are willing to take risks and begin a new business? Why is that so wrong that we must punish these individuals? If we continue to spread the wealth around, then we take away all insentive for regular people like you and me to get up and make a living for ourselves and for our families every week.
Nobody has ever said that work is fun. As my dad told me me, when I was griping about my first job, "that is why they pay you to show up and why they call it work and not fun." But work is honorable. Nobody ever grows up saying I hope to be lazy and live on welfare. But a spread the wealth mentality will encourage just that.
Taking money from the successful and the small business owner simply handcuffs them, and discourages them from taking risks and staring new businesses and diminshes jobs as they have to pay more taxes. Higher taxes equals fewer jobs, check your history relating to tax increases and job creation, they do not coexist.
Here is an idea if Mr. Obama and liberals want to spread the wealth, how about take off all restrictions for all business owners to do their job to the best of their ability. How about lower taxes for business owners and private individuals this would allow them to create more jobs and would allow private individuals to hire other people; contractors to do long anticipated remodeling, or maids, or someone to cut their lawn. Now that is my kind of spreading the wealth around!
Why do we want to punish those in our country who are hard-working, industrious, and are willing to take risks and begin a new business? Why is that so wrong that we must punish these individuals? If we continue to spread the wealth around, then we take away all insentive for regular people like you and me to get up and make a living for ourselves and for our families every week.
Nobody has ever said that work is fun. As my dad told me me, when I was griping about my first job, "that is why they pay you to show up and why they call it work and not fun." But work is honorable. Nobody ever grows up saying I hope to be lazy and live on welfare. But a spread the wealth mentality will encourage just that.
Taking money from the successful and the small business owner simply handcuffs them, and discourages them from taking risks and staring new businesses and diminshes jobs as they have to pay more taxes. Higher taxes equals fewer jobs, check your history relating to tax increases and job creation, they do not coexist.
Here is an idea if Mr. Obama and liberals want to spread the wealth, how about take off all restrictions for all business owners to do their job to the best of their ability. How about lower taxes for business owners and private individuals this would allow them to create more jobs and would allow private individuals to hire other people; contractors to do long anticipated remodeling, or maids, or someone to cut their lawn. Now that is my kind of spreading the wealth around!
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