God Bless the Child

Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.  (Proverbs 22:6)

On this day of the first Presidential debate, each American must decide what that "right" path is.  It is time to decide which candidate will help our country take the high road where a thirst for wisdom is developed, a desire to be kind is encouraged, and the hope of unity is realized.  This nation must choose between showing future generations how to love their neighbors or encouraging impressible young minds to adopt a destructive us-versus-them mentality.  

The good choice is abundantly clear but developing integrity is a daunting task.  My father once suggested that children are blank canvases upon which masterpieces can be created.  A child who is valued and encouraged to develop her talents is very likely to flourish, becoming a beautiful sight to see as she becomes a contributing member of her community and this nation.  However, I think children are already masterpieces entrusted to their parents' care; they must be placed lovingly in good light, allowing their magnificence to be in full display.

God is that glorious light which shines brightly and true.  He sets the example of loving everyone at all times and in all situations even it involves some pain or a lot of sacrifice.  We will all fall short of perfection, but it will teach our children, by example, to walk the path where a US an us can be created without finding a them to reject.  Imagine America in the hands of these future leaders who can be trusted wholeheartedly.                

Find Liberty Under the Sun

Abraham Lincoln wrote “…If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it. …”  His first priority was not my great-grandaunt, a newly freed slave forced to pull a cart until she died.  How many more women in my family would have experienced the unspeakable horror of not having dominion over their bodies if this supposedly great American leader could have unified the states without ending slavery?

People in power still seem intent upon ensuring it is business as usual even if others must be sacrificed.  People of color pay that price in blood (ongoing genocide), sweat (never knowing who dies next), and tears (burying too many boys).  Walk a painful mile in my shoes before suggesting I forget the past and just enjoy the conditional freedoms offered to me by this nation.  The struggle continues until my niece never has to walk in the shoes of Eric Garner’s daughter, mourning her father, or Trayvon Martin, slaughtered because he was walking while black, or Kaepernick, harassed because he took a knee, protesting America’s habitual failure to offer liberty and justice to all.

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.  (Ecclesiastes 1:9 NIV)

The nothing new under the sun can be good or bad.  The time to choose is now.  It cannot be business as usual. 

America should not forget it was slow to address how the Nazis were murdering Jewish people during WWII or that it put Japanese-Americans in interment camps during the same war.  We run the risk of again being silent bystanders to religious persecution when we tolerate a presidential candidate who speaks of stopping all Muslims from entering our country.  The very same man stated "(t)he Mexican Government is forcing their most unwanted people into the United States. They are, in many cases, criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc.”  It dishonors what this nation stands for when we embrace paranoia about everyone from a certain place being enemies of the state.  Being "innocent until proven guilty" must not apply to only certain people.  

So, stand up against religious oppression while making America the land of the free and the home of the brave, but learn from the mistakes made on July 4, 1776.  Choose leaders who truly believe God created all women and men equal, advocate for laws that protect every American citizen, and let the invitation on the Statue of Liberty "(g)ive me your...huddled masses yearning to breathe free..." be extended to everyone within and without our borders.  

Fear No Evil

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil...   (Psalm 23:4 NIV)

Terrorists of all types may want to maim and kill me, you, or any of our fellow citizens in an effort to strike fear into our collective soul.  These hateful actions are doomed to fail if Americans allow God to be our protector and source of comfort.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  (Psalm 23:5 NIV)

God is willing to be a safe harbor during these stormy and frightening times.  He is a healer who can take what was meant for evil and make it good.  He is the one with all power in His hands, well able to make sure our foes see America prosper despite it being attacked on many fronts.  We can sit at a table filled with bounty while abundant blessings flow into every area of our lives.  Every one of us can have the last laugh because fiery darts have no power when The Lord is our shield.  

Victory is not a dream but a forgone conclusion when one commits to knowing and believing the Word of God found in the Bible.  If Americans walk in faith without fear or anger, we can expect to keep receiving beautifully good things until our entire nation experiences the joy of living in the overflow.  So, let's us pray for relief, expecting to defeat terrorism with a God-given bravery and dignity.  America's enemies will wither before our eyes. 

The Best Fruit of Hard Labor

What do people get for all their hard work under the sun?  (Ecclesiastes 1:3 NLT)

This is a question to be pondered day and night.  What fruits of hard labor are you expecting to reap? 

I understand how learning to pour great effort into completing a task teaches one the value of discipline as well as perseverance.  There is nothing wrong with being able to support your family, even better if you also can afford pleasant things and exciting adventures.  Accolades and status should come to those who consistently get the job done with stellar results.  Each one of us knows the list of benefits arising from hard, honest work is long and varied.  

Yet, I wonder if our desire to work so hard is a bit self-serving.  Many of us take care of ourselves and our own without much thought for what our neighbors require.  We do things like volunteer, give away used things to the poor, or donate money to children starving in poor countries.  But we work like our lives depend on it because in this society money is power unfortunately.  The idea of "he who dies with the most toys wins" is not a joke, but a curse dampening the spirit of cooperation.  

Do not act like I am an alarmist screaming about the sky falling.  When is the last time you gave away your car to a single mother who needed it to get to work more easily?  And I have never told a homeless man you can live in my home until you get back on your feet.  Finding the fortitude to participate in bold acts of kindness requires a leap of faith.  You must believe God will allow even greater blessings to flow into your life as you let possessions leave your hands.  

A radical change in attitude is needed to help us embrace the greater purpose of working hard to sow love even when it is very inconvenient to do so.  You and I must acknowledge that the best fruit reaped from our hard labor is the transformation our nation into heaven on earth.  Let us start with small tasks until we can become fully committed to our new job of securing a bright future for every child.

Never Again!

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.  (Psalm 147:3)

God can bring healing and help us to laugh again, no matter how deep the wounds.  This promise of new-found peace is extended to every single person who has experienced unspeakable loss as well as the entire nation.  We can walk through this together, finding joy on the other side. 

Knock! Knock! It Is God

"Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.  (Revelation 3:20)

God is a friend who genuinely desires to offer help and support.  We can expect him to meet our every need while considering what we want.  Yet, we must give Him permission to enter our hearts so that He may show us the way.  The path God reveals for our lives always leads to places filled with joy, peace, and success in everything we do.  This type of overflowing prosperity can be found only when we commit to using our talents to help others.  It is a call to share the greatness living inside each one of us.  Great blessings will flow freely through our families, into our communities, and throughout the nation.  

There is no act too small or too large.  Be an excellent mentor to a youth in need, a stellar public servant who leads this nation toward unity, or the one who sees how America can be at the forefront of negotiating world peace.    

God-Made Versus Self-Made

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.  (Ephesians 2:10 ESV)


Each one of us are made to reflect the shining light of love that is God.  Acknowledge the self-made man or woman because ingenuity has been shown. But honor the God-made women or men who desire to walk in integrity and kindness so that our nation may see the blessings of the the Lord.  These are the people who should be our trusted leaders and heroes. 

All We Need is Love

4 Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  8 Love never fails...  (1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 NIV) 

Michael Jackson said in his song "I'm starting with the man in the mirror" and "I'm asking him to change his ways."  The challenge of every American citizen is to walk in the love so that all of our children can inherit a healed land.  We will not fail to see America the Beautiful if we first commit to changing ourselves only to expand our sphere of influence until the entire nation is transformed by love.  This legacy is preferable to the culture of pain and hopelessness, mixed with lots of anger-fueled aggression, in which we live now.