Is it me? Am I overly sensitive? Are there just too many media outlet sources reporting the world's news 24/7, and am I just paying attention to all the misery too much? Or does it seem that we are losing our tenuous grip on this world of ours? It sure seems that way to me. Granted news reports come to us much quicker nowadays. Bad news is bad news and we have always had it. TV systems have literally thousands of channels. We can tweet, YouTube, Facebook, email, text and video anything to anybody around the world in minutes! That is astonishing to say the least. So it's quite natural that we should suffer from sensory overload. The bombardment of news is endless and the vast majority is tragic and sad.
I have a theory on this and here it goes. The vast majority of news is sad and tragic because it is. There you go! Brilliance in it's simplicity. Years of research by my vastly superior intellect (lol) has revealed this to me. Now I'll tell you what causes all this, free will. That's right the greatest attribute of our complex makeup we humans have been given has become our biggest curse. The source of our worst problems. What our Divine Creator bestowed upon us in the Garden of Eden has time and time again proven to be our greatest downfall. It happened there with a choice and has happened hundreds of thousands of times through mans history. It happened in heaven when Lucifer, among the most high angels, chose to try to put himself above God. He and his legions were cast out to earth. Why? Because they're free will was in disobedience and dishonor and threatened the perfect desires of God for him. Ahh now you're probably wondering how a supposed Christian like me can be building a case for flawed logic on God's part? Not hardly. God's logic is perfect because even in our fallen nature it is our free will that gives God his greatest pleasure. What you say, am I losing it? How can so much chosen heartbreak, loss of life, catastrophe and atrocity in our world be good in any way? It's not of course. But it is reality and will continue to be, but not for long.
Let me explain. The one attitude that God desires us to have more than anything else is love. Love for Him, our fellow man be he enemy or ally, our self and most of all for Christ. It is love that is selfless. It is love that rebuilds the broken. It is love that creates new out of old and useless. It is love that conquers all. Everything that Jesus spoke and taught about in his 33 years here was wrapped around the perfect exercise of your free will to love or not. You see God created us to have a very dynamic and personal relationship with Him by choice not by mandate. He doesn't want robots. He wants children in a beloved relationship with Him by choice. Because it's when we choose to love that our love is complete. We experience a fullness because our hearts and minds are in perfect unison with our Heavenly Father's will for us. It is when we honor Him with our absolute devotion then we will not cross His moral absolutes he set up for us. Thus the benefit of free will. It is only our free will that gives us this privilege. Jesus spoke about love 180 times in the New Testament. It was referred to over 130 times in the Old Testament. It is repeated over and over again in the Ten Commandments. Absolute love by choice is the conquering force to the evil that is in the opposition to our design. God knows that in us is this unique ability to love and hate like no other creation or species designed by Him. Jesus hung on the cross for just that reason. He loves us that much! He came to earth in the flesh to experience our heartache, turmoil and pain. But He came to plead to us to change our hearts and ways then to die for our bad choices and overcome the world with His unselfish love. He did so unlike anybody before or since, or ever will. You see even the simple act of the cross compels us to use our free will. We must use it. To choose Him or not. Either He is who He says He is , the author and finisher of our faith or He is not. We cannot escape the choice. Even not choosing Him is a choice itself. But the way the world is going is powerful evidence to the opposite exercise of our free will. We could make such a difference in our world by choosing to love instead of hate. In the midst of all the sadness there are many stories of triumph and love. Victory is ours and with it, the love of our Savior too. You just have to choose. This is the single most important choice of your free will you will make. I pray that you make the right choice! But don't wait, for as misery and heartache increases God's patience decreases. Give your heart to Him today.
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 "I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; {20} "that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
The Lord's Lemonade.
We've all heard the saying "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." A timeless metaphor that has inspired many stories of triumph over seemingly insurmountable trials in peoples lives. At one point or another we have all faced these kinds of moments and challenges. Where all of a sudden the apple cart is upset and all that we know or do or have is gone. It can be familial, personal, financial, job related, health problems or a myriad of other issues. Nobody is immune to a full extent. When economic times are good the impact is palpable. But when we are slogging through the toughest time since the Great Depression, the results can be catastrophic. I call these moments or periods of life "It" moments. Short for, it will make you or break you. Yours truly just came out of a big one.
What I'm about to tell you is not meant to garner "atta" boys or sympathy. It is meant for your encouragement. Just because I am a Christian doesn't mean I have bulletproof armor for life's attacks. You see the past three and half years have been the toughest period for me personally in my life. I have been challenged in numerous ways. But if you had told me that this is where my life would be at this point, I would have laughed uproariously in your face. Not me, no how, no sir! Well yes me, yes how and yes sir! When the recession hit in 2007 I had been enjoying a solid career rebound since I had to close my dream restaurant in 2001. I had always been highly successful in real estate as both a salesman and manager. Business was great and I had felt that the Lord was smiling on me again. It was a personal and business renaissance well deserved. We moved into a beautiful new home in NW Wisconsin and our lives seemed to settle down to my career ambitions, raising our family and my wife's ministry work. All was bliss, or so we thought. Then the proverbial rug got pulled out from underneath us. The obvious fallout from the real estate sector was catastrophic. I lost 75% of my income in the first year and it has never returned. Being commission based, you can just watch the news to understand where that money has gone. We had always prepared for a rainy day so we weren't worried, just not a rainy lifestyle. The recession has carved up my retirement accounts, my savings, my stocks and many possessions which had to go. I couldn't keep up on the mortgage, my health insurance, my daughters school tuition's. Bill piles get awful large when you can't pay them. By God's grace and the best family ever we have survived this long. I have cried, anguished, pounded the table and asked why me? I'm 51 Lord, I can't add anymore wax to my candle! Haven't we been through enough? Well apparently not. You see, I had always enjoyed a drink or two. But the stress of our situation left me to walk away from my precious Lord's sovereign guidance and become an escape artist. I knew that as a Christian it was important for me to live as Christ. To influence others for Him meant I had to not live in hypocrisy. Long story short my drinking was out of hand. In my haste to escape my pain, I ran headlong into another worldly trap. I was an alcoholic too.
God had carried me too many times at different stages of my life. Sound familiar? His grace and mercy rescued me more times than I deserved. Yet He rescued anyway. This time He shouted at me. He was mad! He wouldn't be mocked anymore. On January 15th, 2010 I got sicker than I had ever been. I prayed and prayed for more mercy. For the next 3 weeks I was in pain, with fever, joints aching and God talking to me the whole time. He flat out delivered me from my addiction and with it a stern rebuke not to touch alcohol again. I have not had a drink since or the desire to do so. You may call it what you may. I'll call it a miracle, thank you! That behind us, we still had to deal with the hard times we were in. But there was new found peace in my journey. I had new faith, new hope and new strength. Jesus has reminded me that I could do all things through Him who strengthens me. I had new eyes to see Him. A new heart to receive Him. And now a new passion to tell about Him. It did not exempt us from our economic hardship. We still struggled financially, but my family strengthened, and my faith got stronger. My wife and children had their dad back. God knew perfectly He had to get me strong again and get my voice back for Him because on May 20th this past spring He called my dad home. That alone is traumatic. But with everything else that has happened to us I wouldn't have gotten through it without His restoration of me. In His infinite wisdom, He dealt with me so I could be an effective witness again to my family in this time of great sorrow. He knew this. So He fixed me. I can see Him now much better. My joy is sustainable. My peace is deep. I can be an encourager, because I have been encouraged. God took me into His kitchen and showed me how He makes the best lemonade. Stop by my stand and have a taste! You'll come back for more I'm sure. I'll even give you His recipe!
John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
What I'm about to tell you is not meant to garner "atta" boys or sympathy. It is meant for your encouragement. Just because I am a Christian doesn't mean I have bulletproof armor for life's attacks. You see the past three and half years have been the toughest period for me personally in my life. I have been challenged in numerous ways. But if you had told me that this is where my life would be at this point, I would have laughed uproariously in your face. Not me, no how, no sir! Well yes me, yes how and yes sir! When the recession hit in 2007 I had been enjoying a solid career rebound since I had to close my dream restaurant in 2001. I had always been highly successful in real estate as both a salesman and manager. Business was great and I had felt that the Lord was smiling on me again. It was a personal and business renaissance well deserved. We moved into a beautiful new home in NW Wisconsin and our lives seemed to settle down to my career ambitions, raising our family and my wife's ministry work. All was bliss, or so we thought. Then the proverbial rug got pulled out from underneath us. The obvious fallout from the real estate sector was catastrophic. I lost 75% of my income in the first year and it has never returned. Being commission based, you can just watch the news to understand where that money has gone. We had always prepared for a rainy day so we weren't worried, just not a rainy lifestyle. The recession has carved up my retirement accounts, my savings, my stocks and many possessions which had to go. I couldn't keep up on the mortgage, my health insurance, my daughters school tuition's. Bill piles get awful large when you can't pay them. By God's grace and the best family ever we have survived this long. I have cried, anguished, pounded the table and asked why me? I'm 51 Lord, I can't add anymore wax to my candle! Haven't we been through enough? Well apparently not. You see, I had always enjoyed a drink or two. But the stress of our situation left me to walk away from my precious Lord's sovereign guidance and become an escape artist. I knew that as a Christian it was important for me to live as Christ. To influence others for Him meant I had to not live in hypocrisy. Long story short my drinking was out of hand. In my haste to escape my pain, I ran headlong into another worldly trap. I was an alcoholic too.
God had carried me too many times at different stages of my life. Sound familiar? His grace and mercy rescued me more times than I deserved. Yet He rescued anyway. This time He shouted at me. He was mad! He wouldn't be mocked anymore. On January 15th, 2010 I got sicker than I had ever been. I prayed and prayed for more mercy. For the next 3 weeks I was in pain, with fever, joints aching and God talking to me the whole time. He flat out delivered me from my addiction and with it a stern rebuke not to touch alcohol again. I have not had a drink since or the desire to do so. You may call it what you may. I'll call it a miracle, thank you! That behind us, we still had to deal with the hard times we were in. But there was new found peace in my journey. I had new faith, new hope and new strength. Jesus has reminded me that I could do all things through Him who strengthens me. I had new eyes to see Him. A new heart to receive Him. And now a new passion to tell about Him. It did not exempt us from our economic hardship. We still struggled financially, but my family strengthened, and my faith got stronger. My wife and children had their dad back. God knew perfectly He had to get me strong again and get my voice back for Him because on May 20th this past spring He called my dad home. That alone is traumatic. But with everything else that has happened to us I wouldn't have gotten through it without His restoration of me. In His infinite wisdom, He dealt with me so I could be an effective witness again to my family in this time of great sorrow. He knew this. So He fixed me. I can see Him now much better. My joy is sustainable. My peace is deep. I can be an encourager, because I have been encouraged. God took me into His kitchen and showed me how He makes the best lemonade. Stop by my stand and have a taste! You'll come back for more I'm sure. I'll even give you His recipe!
John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
La Famiglia!
As I sit down to write this, my day is a frenzy of activity and my mind is a whirl of thoughts. For we leave tomorrow for Chicago to see my mother, visit the family and attend our annual Paulette Family picnic on Sunday. Between packing, last minute errands, housecleaning (although I don't know why we clean house when we leave on a trip? :) ) mowing the grass and arranging dog care there's always so much to do. It is when I mow the lawn, which at one acre in size takes about 90 minutes to do, that I do all my world changing thinking. I know, scary, right? How many middle aged men when cutting their grass, run in the house with their surefire greatest ideas to revolutionize the world or solve all of life's problems? I do. It hasn't quite worked out yet but there have been some moments of absurd hilarity as I scurry to find pen and paper to write down my "Eureka, this is it!"thoughts.
Anyway, as I was mowing my mind drifted off to past family gatherings and picnics when I was growing up. There were three dates when summer arrived that were the A-list events of the year, besides Christmas Eve at Uncle Joe's and Aunt Phylis's house and Thanksgiving and Christmas Day with the Messina clan. These were Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day. The picnics at West Park in Park Ridge! An absolute binge fest of food, ice cream, bocce ball, cards, games, swimming and laughter! The smells of the grills, Italian sausage and peppers, pizza, chicken, burgers and desserts galore. There were the uncles Chuck, Joe, Dean, Tom, Johnnie and Tony along with my dad, the ringleaders. My Aunts Marlene, Phylis, Annette, Susie and Angie. Also all my awesome cousins, you know who you are, and at the head of it all, totally in charge, watching benevolently but firmly over her brood, Grandma Paulette.
Now this may sound corny, but we couldn't wait to get there! It seemed it took forever to load up the station wagon and my mom to go through her checklist of food items but we always made it. The car would barely be stopped and my sisters and brothers would be barreling out the doors at frantic speeds, swim trunks and towels under our arms, yelling incoherently as we bolted towards the picnic area, only to be stopped dead in our tracks. "Hey, get back here!" my dad would yell. We always forgot the baskets, folding table and chairs, lemonade and numerous other items essential to the ultimate picnic experience. But we didn't care. It was as if we were on some drug that created absolute euphoria for a day. We turned around grabbed all the gear and raced off to see our cousins. The rest as they say is a blur! The laughter was boisterous. The conversations spirited. The debates about points in bocce ball were humorously heated by men in fedoras, golf caps, shorts, black socks and sandals, smoking the foulest smelling cigars and drinking Uncle Chuck's homemade red wine from dixie cups! The aunts all the while off to one side miraculously carrying on a conversation and understanding everything said while both talking and listening at the same time. Truly amazing to see! We swam at the pool, played numerous games for prizes and ate like it was our last meal. It was all pure innocent bliss. Quite simply some of the best memories of my life. And I owe it all to what made it so great, my family!
In my 51 years, through all the changes of my life, growing up, marriage, moving, starting a family
and working to support them. Through laughter and tears, hugs and a few blows the one constant blessing the Lord kept reminding me of is to guard my family. My dad, mom, brothers, sisters, grandparents, uncs and aunts all have played a significant role on who I am today. It is why I love my wife and children fiercely. It's why when I have the occasion to see my aunts, uncles and cousins I relish the time and thank them for being there. I believe with all my heart that a fractured family means fractured individuals with fractured and unhealthy lives. That once the circle is broken it's hard to put it back together. We need each other. The riches of our lives are so often wrapped around our families. When my dad died this May, although hurting I was thankful right away for such a great family. We got through our grief together and will go forward together just as God wants us to. I urge you to keep your family together. Mend the fences that are broken. Swallow pride, be humble and forgive. Seek out lost or forsaken loved ones and make it right. Keep the circle unbroken so when you are gone the bonds are strong!
Family life is full of major and minor crises -- the ups and downs of health, success and failure in career, marriage, and divorce -- and all kinds of characters. It is tied to places and events and histories. With all of these felt details, life etches itself into memory and personality. It's difficult to imagine anything more nourishing to the soul.
-- Thomas Moor
Anyway, as I was mowing my mind drifted off to past family gatherings and picnics when I was growing up. There were three dates when summer arrived that were the A-list events of the year, besides Christmas Eve at Uncle Joe's and Aunt Phylis's house and Thanksgiving and Christmas Day with the Messina clan. These were Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day. The picnics at West Park in Park Ridge! An absolute binge fest of food, ice cream, bocce ball, cards, games, swimming and laughter! The smells of the grills, Italian sausage and peppers, pizza, chicken, burgers and desserts galore. There were the uncles Chuck, Joe, Dean, Tom, Johnnie and Tony along with my dad, the ringleaders. My Aunts Marlene, Phylis, Annette, Susie and Angie. Also all my awesome cousins, you know who you are, and at the head of it all, totally in charge, watching benevolently but firmly over her brood, Grandma Paulette.
Now this may sound corny, but we couldn't wait to get there! It seemed it took forever to load up the station wagon and my mom to go through her checklist of food items but we always made it. The car would barely be stopped and my sisters and brothers would be barreling out the doors at frantic speeds, swim trunks and towels under our arms, yelling incoherently as we bolted towards the picnic area, only to be stopped dead in our tracks. "Hey, get back here!" my dad would yell. We always forgot the baskets, folding table and chairs, lemonade and numerous other items essential to the ultimate picnic experience. But we didn't care. It was as if we were on some drug that created absolute euphoria for a day. We turned around grabbed all the gear and raced off to see our cousins. The rest as they say is a blur! The laughter was boisterous. The conversations spirited. The debates about points in bocce ball were humorously heated by men in fedoras, golf caps, shorts, black socks and sandals, smoking the foulest smelling cigars and drinking Uncle Chuck's homemade red wine from dixie cups! The aunts all the while off to one side miraculously carrying on a conversation and understanding everything said while both talking and listening at the same time. Truly amazing to see! We swam at the pool, played numerous games for prizes and ate like it was our last meal. It was all pure innocent bliss. Quite simply some of the best memories of my life. And I owe it all to what made it so great, my family!
In my 51 years, through all the changes of my life, growing up, marriage, moving, starting a family
and working to support them. Through laughter and tears, hugs and a few blows the one constant blessing the Lord kept reminding me of is to guard my family. My dad, mom, brothers, sisters, grandparents, uncs and aunts all have played a significant role on who I am today. It is why I love my wife and children fiercely. It's why when I have the occasion to see my aunts, uncles and cousins I relish the time and thank them for being there. I believe with all my heart that a fractured family means fractured individuals with fractured and unhealthy lives. That once the circle is broken it's hard to put it back together. We need each other. The riches of our lives are so often wrapped around our families. When my dad died this May, although hurting I was thankful right away for such a great family. We got through our grief together and will go forward together just as God wants us to. I urge you to keep your family together. Mend the fences that are broken. Swallow pride, be humble and forgive. Seek out lost or forsaken loved ones and make it right. Keep the circle unbroken so when you are gone the bonds are strong!
Family life is full of major and minor crises -- the ups and downs of health, success and failure in career, marriage, and divorce -- and all kinds of characters. It is tied to places and events and histories. With all of these felt details, life etches itself into memory and personality. It's difficult to imagine anything more nourishing to the soul.
-- Thomas Moor
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Change starts with you.
One of my favorite sayings is what I call "a sticker." Once you hear it, it stays with you all your life. It goes something like this, " You can either light up a room by walking in it or light up a room by leaving it." The conviction left upon my heart is amazing in this statement. Immediately the words integrity, honor, kindness, compassion, fairness, leadership and a host of others flood my mind. It's applicable to your home life, business world, church, relationships and any other situations you enter in to. You can be one or the other but the choice is yours and yours alone.
In our crazy, spinning out of control, insanely busy world today our minds are constantly bombarded by "How To's..." Turn on the TV, computer or cell phone and you can master your own universe with a program, pill, product, or application. From how to walk, talk, dress, eat, relate, date, marry, divorce, believe, achieve, conceive, aspire, desire and on and on and on they go, until your mind becomes one big convoluted mess. In our quest to be the complete person we end up falling short because we can't possibly measure up to the lofty standards of a self serving and superficial society. We have let the world dictate to us the type of person we should be. And in doing so, we have lost a great deal of the uniqueness that God has personally stamped on each of us. When we let outside influences subliminally creep in we end up conforming to a value system or situation we inevitably conflict with. This conflict affects our whole being from our mind and attitude to our decisions and consequences. Folks, we weren't built for this! That's why we have these inner struggles. Hello, that's the Holy Spirit battling the devil for control of you! Or for my politically correct friends, your conscience. ;)
Now, I have been privileged to be around a light up the room by walking into it type of person, my wife Melissa. For the past 24 years since she rededicated her life to the Lord, she has quietly moved mountains and shaped lives in a manner the makes her Heavenly Father smile quite often. She has many of the attributes of Christ because she spends each day in a dynamic fellowship with Him. Through regular prayer, meditation, submission and studying of God's word, she has become a rock. People gravitate to her because of her kind heart, willing ear, patient demeanor and sound advice. But she is quick to deflect praise back to the Lord. It's in her humility you find her strength. I know because I hear the compliments and I couldn't be more proud. Now enough about her and she would say so too. God's word in Jeremiah 31:33 says, "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people."
You see, we are setup to be right minded. It's ingrained in us from birth! We just need to tap into our supernatural resource that Jesus gave us so freely and spent His life testifying about! The cleansing blood of Christ will heal you. Then the Holy Spirit will renew you. Simplify by unplugging from the world a bit each day. Take more than one hour on Sunday to give time to the Lord. Work on your relationship with Christ and he will change you forever. Then you too will be a light for a dark world!
Romans 12:2
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
In our crazy, spinning out of control, insanely busy world today our minds are constantly bombarded by "How To's..." Turn on the TV, computer or cell phone and you can master your own universe with a program, pill, product, or application. From how to walk, talk, dress, eat, relate, date, marry, divorce, believe, achieve, conceive, aspire, desire and on and on and on they go, until your mind becomes one big convoluted mess. In our quest to be the complete person we end up falling short because we can't possibly measure up to the lofty standards of a self serving and superficial society. We have let the world dictate to us the type of person we should be. And in doing so, we have lost a great deal of the uniqueness that God has personally stamped on each of us. When we let outside influences subliminally creep in we end up conforming to a value system or situation we inevitably conflict with. This conflict affects our whole being from our mind and attitude to our decisions and consequences. Folks, we weren't built for this! That's why we have these inner struggles. Hello, that's the Holy Spirit battling the devil for control of you! Or for my politically correct friends, your conscience. ;)
Now, I have been privileged to be around a light up the room by walking into it type of person, my wife Melissa. For the past 24 years since she rededicated her life to the Lord, she has quietly moved mountains and shaped lives in a manner the makes her Heavenly Father smile quite often. She has many of the attributes of Christ because she spends each day in a dynamic fellowship with Him. Through regular prayer, meditation, submission and studying of God's word, she has become a rock. People gravitate to her because of her kind heart, willing ear, patient demeanor and sound advice. But she is quick to deflect praise back to the Lord. It's in her humility you find her strength. I know because I hear the compliments and I couldn't be more proud. Now enough about her and she would say so too. God's word in Jeremiah 31:33 says, "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people."
You see, we are setup to be right minded. It's ingrained in us from birth! We just need to tap into our supernatural resource that Jesus gave us so freely and spent His life testifying about! The cleansing blood of Christ will heal you. Then the Holy Spirit will renew you. Simplify by unplugging from the world a bit each day. Take more than one hour on Sunday to give time to the Lord. Work on your relationship with Christ and he will change you forever. Then you too will be a light for a dark world!
Romans 12:2
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
Friday, July 1, 2011
Red, White & ohh so Blue!
I so look forward to the 4th of July every year! First of all it's my birthday, which makes it extraordinarily easy to remember, hint hint! ;) Secondly, and most importantly it's the one national holiday that so exemplifies the true spirit of American patriotism. That selfless and brave act of forging and signing the Declaration of Independence 235 years ago by 56 men who committed their "lives, honor and sacred fortunes", stands as one of the defining moments of this, the greatest country in the world. It set the precedence that we are truly exceptional and what we stand for in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is without peer in this world of ours. As I write this being puffed up with pride as one of Uncle Sam's nephews, I am reminded every day now that it seems we are under assault in this country. Not from enemies outside but within our own walls. People and groups who through the loose moral and unlawful interpretation of our Constitution, are eroding the principles that our founding fathers and over 1.35 million brave men and women so dearly paid for.
There isn't a day where I get up and read or see on TV a story about somebody being told to take down their flag, the removal of the Pledge of Allegiance from another school, the removal of God from prayers in our national cemeteries by veterans there to worship, and countless other assaults against our fully protected rights and privileges. Now, I told you all when I started this blog that I would honor our Lord in all that I postulate here. But I am fully angry and fed up! What has made us so wonderful and privileged to live in our country is now threatening to destroy us. We are at a dangerous tipping point because we have decided to accept and tolerate the undermining of our God given foundation and laws! Under the guise of political correctness we have gone off the deep end completely! Just yesterday a report came out that two Harvard professors wrote about the 4th of July. The article states that among other subjects that the celebration of the holiday is a Republican bastion for recruitment and literally is used as a brain washing instrument. They even recommended that you should avoid such revelry if you don't want to be immersed in over the top patriotism! The fact that this article even has relevance is a sad commentary on our higher learning institutions and the hiring of such biased individuals.
OK, enough ranting already. In all seriousness, this influential and growing wave of toxicity towards God, country and freedom has to stop! We all enjoy the blessings of this land and to stand by and watch this continue in a state of absolute apathy will do permanent harm! To remove the Sovereign Creator and the laws and statutes He inspired in the creation of America will be a sin of unimaginable consequence to us all. So, I urge you to get involved and care. Stand up for all we hold dear so as to ensure the passing of this most sacred legacy to our children and grandchildren. Jesus warned of the heresy and influence of religious and government leaders who put their own selfish needs and agendas ahead of the needs of the people. Remember, just to enjoy this great holiday is a privilege itself. Make sure we don't' lose it too!! God Bless you and yours this 4th of July and God Bless America forever!!
Psalm 33:12
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.
There isn't a day where I get up and read or see on TV a story about somebody being told to take down their flag, the removal of the Pledge of Allegiance from another school, the removal of God from prayers in our national cemeteries by veterans there to worship, and countless other assaults against our fully protected rights and privileges. Now, I told you all when I started this blog that I would honor our Lord in all that I postulate here. But I am fully angry and fed up! What has made us so wonderful and privileged to live in our country is now threatening to destroy us. We are at a dangerous tipping point because we have decided to accept and tolerate the undermining of our God given foundation and laws! Under the guise of political correctness we have gone off the deep end completely! Just yesterday a report came out that two Harvard professors wrote about the 4th of July. The article states that among other subjects that the celebration of the holiday is a Republican bastion for recruitment and literally is used as a brain washing instrument. They even recommended that you should avoid such revelry if you don't want to be immersed in over the top patriotism! The fact that this article even has relevance is a sad commentary on our higher learning institutions and the hiring of such biased individuals.
OK, enough ranting already. In all seriousness, this influential and growing wave of toxicity towards God, country and freedom has to stop! We all enjoy the blessings of this land and to stand by and watch this continue in a state of absolute apathy will do permanent harm! To remove the Sovereign Creator and the laws and statutes He inspired in the creation of America will be a sin of unimaginable consequence to us all. So, I urge you to get involved and care. Stand up for all we hold dear so as to ensure the passing of this most sacred legacy to our children and grandchildren. Jesus warned of the heresy and influence of religious and government leaders who put their own selfish needs and agendas ahead of the needs of the people. Remember, just to enjoy this great holiday is a privilege itself. Make sure we don't' lose it too!! God Bless you and yours this 4th of July and God Bless America forever!!
Psalm 33:12
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.
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