The State Goes to Church

A civil war, rooted in the pattern of two colors on our map, rages within The United States. Is the violence plaguing our political system the result of a superpower’s disinterest in embracing purpose? This nation has resisted its calling to be an openly Christian domain, a place where the huddled masses can secure the blessings of liberty. 

The rot found in the head weakens the entire body. Consider the number of politicians unwilling to serve the public. Rather, a charismatic personality taps into the culture of amassing likes on social media. Their own agenda promoted without any thought of the constituents who expect to get a seat at the table, at last, via their elected proxy.

This aspirant to a seat of power who campaigns on the platform of advancing the greater good grows deaf to Fatherly advice. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition…[r]ather, in humility value others above yourselves…” (Philippians 2:3 NIV). This death of an unrealized good Samaritan is tragic to witness.

The swell of indifference is compounded by the many fences erected. One party touts itself as the party of God while the other is considered a haven for left-wing radicals. Combatants set up a dynamic where the middle ground is not sought often enough. “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined…” (Matthew 12:25 NIV).

Both sides forget. “Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul…” (Proverbs 16:24 NLT). Too many in the flock are fixated on certain “bad” behaviors while turning a blind eye to other kinds of missteps. Their sworn enemies are judged as being hell bound. Alleged pleasure seekers, rightly indignant, paint the devout as bumpkins who hold up fables from an outdated book as fact.

A faction of the congregation, when in power, oversteps boundaries. In Ephesians 5:10, each person is encouraged to determine carefully what pleases the Lord. It is between the individual and Him to work out whom they love, when she will be fruitful and multiply, or preferred pronouns, just as each wo/man weighs the consequences of stepping outside the marriage covenant, stealing what is not theirs, or bending the truth until it breaks.

Morality cannot be legislated by passing a glut of laws. The line between church and state is blurred forcibly if “those types” over there are stripped of their right to choose the manner in which they pursue a relationship with the divine. There is, however, no reason why the state cannot draw inspiration from the church.

True disciples heed the call to listen. Peacemakers agree to disagree on hot-button topics, like when life begins or what defines a family. They seek wise counsel from God through prayer and study in order to model the use of a mindful approach when casting a vote on issues like voting rights, a path to economic stability for all, access to healthcare, and protecting the health of our planet.

Priorities change. Everyone, no matter the variety of attitudes shaping their belief system, will shelter under the banner of Old Glory feeling valued. Socioeconomic disparities based on gender, race, and/or ethnicity built into the fabric of America’s constitution, though later amended, are held up as wrongs not to be repeated. Success is redefined as a go-getter using their talents to help others.

A choir of voices raised in a promise to care about family from another mother. The insult of censorship threatening a firebrand’s ability to dissent on a loaded subject, say the relationship between gun control and school shootings, reminds a populace to stay aware. No one condones the added injury of our children being drained of that spark of youth in an internment camp for illegals immigrants.

Leaders, inspired to move mountains, blaze trails. Already vulnerable groups are not denied the benefits of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Acts of war by the U.S. are vetoed when they hint at a return to colonizer ways versus championing the right of fellow humans to live free of authoritarian rule. Surely, wealthy and powerful pedophiles around the globe are not permitted to hide unpunished in redactions.

The risk does not lie in citizens, some under a heavenly influence, pledging to stand in solidarity with each other to create a more perfect union. The shift toward this ideal challenges a sleeping giant to dust itself off, water the garden of Uncle Sam, and stride back onto the world stage to shine brightly like the sun. 

The leader of the free world evolves into a conduit through which godsends flow outward to fill the earth. This is the potential the nations recognize, may even pray is brought to fruition by the U.S. some time soon. But brave deeds will be required of the United States for it to debut such greatness.

 

The Resistance Is Color-Blind

The American Revolution that began in 2020 is being televised.  But has it begun to falter?  The verified President, Joe Biden, carries on with encouraging true American patriots to answer the call.  Extend a hand to fellow countrywomen and men who stand on the other side of the divide.  

Citizens must believe again that even divergent parts can form a greater sum. Be a brother’s keeper in addition to a sister’s good companion.  The goal is for us to embrace our better angels.  We must acknowledge that all of us strain under a great lack if a single person is oppressed. 

Voters raged against the broken political machine the last election, casting their ballots in record numbers despite a global pandemic.  So many souls cried out for public servants, not politicians, who are willing to be diligent representatives of the entire country. 

But one year ago violent insurrectionists, domestic terrorists of the foulest kind, tried to steal the vote.  We mourn the loss of lives, stunned by the ongoing threat to our democracy.  Today is a good day for us to increase our commitment to being loud and making good trouble.

Constituents too often are painted in broad strokes, forced to be either bleeding-heart liberals or conservative right-wing Christians.  A symphony of blended voices is silenced because the subtle nuances of our differing concerns and dreams are overlooked on purpose.  Indifference has infected all levels of the government.

A trickle-down effect is seen on social media.  Anyone not seen as like-minded is considered a threat and something sub-human upon which the truly worthy can step.  The beatings we dole out, compounded by the slurs so readily found on the tips of our tongues are proof of how much this nation needs to heal.

This country advertises itself as a land where everyone is welcome to add their unique beauty to the melting pot.  An us-versus-them mentality is allowed to persist because, in reality, diversity is not embraced as a blessing.  Is our homeland destined to meet its end during a civil war fueled by class struggles, racial unrest, religious intolerance, and mask mandates?  

May a political system rooted in a culture of mutual abuse be destroyed first.  Some will stop singing the blues while others cease feeling red-hot and bothered only if heroes rise to the challenge.  Unspeakable acts of inhumanity have been sanctioned by our government throughout this nation’s shameful history, but past wrongs must be forgiven.

Our children want to watch us transform enemies into allies with whom we can agree to disagree.  Every life respected and protected, especially during this brutal season when COVID-19 continues to rob our neighbors of loved ones, food, shelter, and places to do honest work.  

The 6th of January becomes a day when the brave tap into the power of rebellion, finding themselves on middle ground catching fire.  Our boundless energy used to make sure every person sheltering under our flag is offered liberty and justice in this UNITED States of America. 

Make America Great Altogether

What type of legacy will we leave behind for the next generation of Americans?  I have the sneaking suspicion that the United States of America is becoming the butt of some sad the joke on the global stage.  A superpower loses its status as the leader of the free world because the blind was allowed to lead the unresponsive into the proverbial ditch.  And the blame lies squarely at the feet of every citizen, including me. 

We remain bystanders as The Doomsday Clock jumps forward for our country.  The POTUS was willing to use taxpayers’ money to force a foreign government to provide the ammunition for a planned smear campaign during the 2020 presidential election cycle.  Yet, there are no collective cries of horror every time his defenders suggest the crime of attempted extortion, along with the threat to the democratic process, can be ignored because of a relatively solid economy. 

Homegrown crimes against humanity are that much more painful.  The prince in his ivory tower allowed children to die at the border in the name of a flag-waving.  Worse yet, the dire issues evolving in the realm of Twitter are more worthy of his concern.  The powers that be no longer bother to put up the pretense of touting America as a place where immigrants, hoping to become part of a vibrant melting pot, are welcome even if Spanish is their first language. 

I am pointing a finger at myself.  Every one of our children has been failed.  American students live with the fear of staring down the barrel of a semi-automatic machine gun alongside unarmed sons of a certain complexion realizing not enough people care about them being slain in the streets under the shadow of bruised and battered daughters not being rescued from dangerous homes after their names get lost in the paperwork.  This land is on the brink of disaster.

I would like to blame the downturn in homeland security on “those politicians” in Washington.  However, it is us who elect imposters with charisma instead of public servants who labor to enrich the lives of all voters by reaching across the aisle.  Talking heads are rewarded for pandering to what one side or the other supposedly wants to hear.  We are pigeon-holed into being either bleeding-heart liberals or conservative right-wing Christians.  So many voices are silenced when the subtle aspects of our concerns and dreams are disregarded like this.

The skirmishes in the streets and up on The Hill reflect a deep-seated unwillingness to redefine the definition of community.  A nation really is a ginormous extended family filled with people who should not spend the holidays together but must support each other at critical moments.  There is a death knoll ringing from sea to polluted sea.  We will continue to be a part of decaying potential until each patriot holds herself accountable for not getting involved.  We become stumble blocks to effective collaboration if we are not activists at the grass roots. 

By the way, good ole Uncle Sam has not remained true to his roots.  Our nation was founded on the ideal of bestowing the blessings of liberty upon anyone regardless of race, sexual orientation, or her desire to practice the religion of Islam.  Hate-crime violence has hit a 16 year high according to the F.B.I.  The diversity found in our society has become a curse instead of a blessing.  We have allowed the treachery of an us-versus-them mentality to taint the consciousness of our society.

Let’s return to the children.  The smorgasbord upon which impressible minds and souls presently feed: class struggles during race riots, animal species going extinct, criminality in the White House, the possibility of gunplay on school grounds, coastal cities under water after prolonged global warming, voluntary segregation, politicians conducting business as usual while the less powerful are forced to bear heavy burdens like inadequate healthcare…  Need I continue?

 

You got the bad news first.  The good news lends itself to brevity.  Americans still have the choice to change the course of history by being brave.  Respond to the pleas of huddled neighbors, despite the superficial differences.  They grow weary waiting for compatriots to embrace the honor of working together to shape the USA into ground zero for offering justice to all, for protecting the environment and wildlife, and for allowing kin to know the freedom of safety in wide-open spaces. 

For the kids all around the globe.

Why Can't a Citizen Reach Her Supposed Public Servant AKA Vice President?

I must post this here because I cannot reach you by phone or email.  It is crystal clear that you do not want your constituents to express their opinions to you except by snail mail.  I wonder why?  Could it be all the angry words so many wish to direct toward your administration?


Mr. Pence,

A follower of Christ has to know that Trump's policies do not reflect an attitude of loving God above all else.  Do you feel like your neighbors, all Americans, are being treated as you would like to be treated?  You are failing our nation and the entire world if this is not true.

Reading the Bible, diligently, helps in a situation like this.  For example, it states: “When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice.  But when the wicked are in power, they groan.”  A great number of Americans are doing the latter. Are you okay with that?
  

The Earth Is Not Ours to Destroy

...The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it.  The world and all its people belong to him.  (Psalm 24:1)

God created a universe filled with spectacular wonders.  However, the crown jewel is a relatively small green and blue marble we call Earth.  It is located in the Goldilocks zone of a small star which we call our sun; he placed our celestial home at distance where it is not too hot or too cold for our fragile bodies.  He shaped the Earth so that we, his blessed and highly favored creations, can hurl through space surrounded by stunning beauty with a multitude of interesting places to explore.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”   (Genesis 1:26)

I think many of us have forgotten how humans are made after the likeness of God.  His power and dominion grow out of his consummate consideration, kindness, and sense of responsibility.  We must be like him.  The Earth belongs to God alone.  The Earth is a blessing, but it is not a gift.  He graciously allows us to be stewards of such a priceless possession.  This means we must actively and wisely direct affairs, in his name, so that everyone and everything living thing on this gloriously green planet is protected from harm.  

Humankind has fallen short and betrayed God's trust.  There are clear signs of how we have abused our power.  There are climate changes; ice caps are melting and ocean levels are rising.  We continue to push animal to the brink of extinction because we need more space or more tusks and horns.  We have poisoned the land, the air, and the oceans with a multitude of chemical, byproducts of unfettered commerce.  

Do we really want our children to remember us as immature and cruel parents who were unwilling to be good managers of the Earth?  Let's make sure they get to see glimpses of Eden.  We must find ways, starting today, to stop destroying what was never ours to neglect.  

A Travel Ban Defies Faith

...This is what the LORD says:  Do not be afraid!  Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God's.                                                                                                                                                                                                    (2 Chronicles 20:15 NLT)

The founders of this nation knew the value of freedom.  They wrote about securing the blessings of liberty in the preamble of the Constitution of the United Stated of America.  

America will not prosper unless it fights to welcome people who want to share in our blessings.  We will find ourselves weak and cowering in a corner if this nation allows violent marauders, who indeed want to destroy the USA, make us forget that the Almighty God will shield us from all of our enemies.

Faith allows each one of us to walk, fearlessly, in power and dominion.


What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us?                                                                                                                                                              (Romans 8:31)

If You Fail, Try Try Again

Failure is not the absence of falling short but the lack of willingness to learn from one's mistakes. 

There has never been a time in our history when this nation found success by devaluing its citizens or abusing its power on the world stage.  The United States of America cannot be the leader of the free world if it has not learned one basic lesson.

Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.     (Romans 12:18  NLT)

Who would ever though I would advocate seeking out money?  Yes, the love of it paves the path to destruction.  Yet, it is emblazoned with such great and hopeful words:  In God We Trust.  The wisdom of a people who were fighting to set this nation free from the curse of slavery, but were not quite brave enough to ensure there was liberty and justice for all, speaks to us.  Fellow Americans, may we open our eyes and not be felled by a similar stumbling block.  Serving God and walking in love will bring us all peace.     

Everyday Thanksgiving

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.                                                                                                                                     (1 Chronicles 16:34)

America is a place where I can live in relative comfort.  The supply of fresh water is bountiful and the nearby supermarkets are filled with fresh food of all types.  There is not an imminent of threat of bombs repeatedly dropping on my dwelling.  I do not have the stress of worrying about when the next coup will come.  There is quiet at night when I am ready to go to sleep.  I do not walk but drive over paved streets in a car.  I have experienced the stability of being well-educated with good healthcare.  My internet works as does my television.  Most importantly, I can worship God out in the open without fear of punishment.  I know the blessings continually flow into my life because I was born in America.  But does that mean I cannot speak of having even greater things?  

I will not stop complaining about the state of the union in my blog.  It is because the words full of frustration are not for me.  It is for my niece and every child like her.  They must have a place where they can grow up to be the best they can be.  They need to hear, every day, how beautiful they are and what a good job they are doing while they are shielded from the destructiveness of being judged for superficial attributes.  My mother and father who have lived through the upheaval of the Civil Rights Movement should not experience the disappointment of seeing the fires of revolution fade away.  Liberty and justice cannot become an American dream deferred.  It is mostly for you.  I want to be a squeaky wheel that makes us all listen to everyone else.  

There are so many broken dreams, dashed hopes, and hearts filled with discontent in this country.  Sadly, they are not being acknowledged nearly enough.  This is why I thank the Lord that America is a place where anyone can disagree with how the government conducts our national business, but she does not have to be afraid of being jailed or killed.  We can harness the power of words, plant a seed in the consciousness of many, and see something magnificent grow in our country.     

Their Eyes Should Be Watching God

...the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined...  (Matthew 4:16)

I cannot let it go.  I am a woman with a young niece, sisters, a mother, girlfriends, cousins, aunts, neighbors...  The man given great power in our nation bragged it would be okay to grab my genitalia or to assault any woman at will.  As if that was not enough, he flirted ( I am being politic) with White Nationalism during his campaign.  Now, he is trying to shun Muslims, seeking refuge, from our shores.  He still wants to build walls instead of extending a hand.  The United States of America cannot be prickly and withdraw from the world stage.  We are meant to lead, not wallow in the low places.  

I clearly understand why their eyes were watching God.  He is the true leader of the free world.  The only one who is able to lead us out of darkness into the light.  Let us open our eyes, our ears, and our hearts to God's greatness.

Pride Before the Fall

Pride of face is obnoxious; pride of race is vulgar; but the worst pride is the pride of grace.
                                                           David Guzic, Blue Letter Bible Study Guide for Deuteronomy 8

Beauty that is only skin deep is pointless.  Please continue to find the next and biggest way to be kind to the person standing next to you and the stranger across the ocean.

God decided what race each and every one of us would be.  It is insanity to think that he would make one race to be inherently better or more worthy of his blessings.  

For God does not show favoritism.
                                                                                                                                 (Romans 2:11  NIV)

Speaking of blessings.  A person working hard is a wonderful sight, indeed.  Seeing a brilliant man or woman doing what has never been done before surely sets the heart aflutter.  The drive to never give up or give in is something we should want others to see in us.  But never fail to remember one important point.  Americans, therefore America by extension, possess the power and ability to succeed because The LORD has allowed it.  He extends us grace, giving us the lovely gifts we can never deserve, because he is love. 

You better check yo self before you wreck yo self
                                                                                                Ice Cube, "Check Yo Self" 

Can you see the absolute truth in these straightforward words?  Pride will be the downfall of so many if wisdom does not find a good place to grow in our land.  So, let us attribute the greatness to God and be grateful for all that he has shared with us.

A Greater New Age Philosophy

...Don’t you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now—life for many people.
                                                                                                                              (Genesis 50:20  MSG)

The love of money, the desire for status, and the constant search for affirmation in all the wrong places are a lethal trio.  But for God.  He always takes what was meant for evil and makes it good, very good.  The Lord turns every unpleasant, disturbing, and painful thing on its ear.  

So America, welcome in a new age of light.  It is time to love all of humankind.  We will know greatness comes when one uses her or his talents to pull someone else out of a desolate pit.  Shouts of joy rise toward heaven.  The piercing doubt is at an end.  God loves us, warts and all, without ceasing.  

Can I get a Hallelujah and Amen?    

Loose Lips Sink Great Nations

4 And a tiny rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot wants it to go, even though the winds are strong.
5 So also the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do.  A great forest can be set on fire by one tiny spark.
                                                                                                                                  (James 3:4-5  TLB)


The time is now.  Let us hold our leaders more accountable.  Hard truths can be difficult to hear, but wisdom and insight liberate minds.  Our country is dealing with very difficult issues like terrorism, racial inequality, concerns about the economy, the violence running rampant in our streets, and the need for affordable healthcare.  America should welcome leaders who do not mince their words.  With due diligence, they help us see where we will have to tighten our belts in order to get everyone through the storm.  

The future well-being of this nation is threatened by our supposed representatives who do understand that death and life are in the power of the tongue.  America is already a tinderbox.  It seems like everyone is angry or frustrated about some issue or another.  One ill-conceived word can spark an outburst, often involving unspeakable acts of violence.  This fallout is almost always preventable.  Our elected officials must exhibit self-restraint and chose their words very carefully, at all times.  They do not have to be perfect, but our leaders must be held to a higher standard.  What they chose to speak about should not be foul winds against which we have to push.

Fellow Americans, the responsibility is ours because we have the numbers to decide which way the rudder will turn.  In what direction do you want our nation to go?  This question is not to be answered too quickly or on a superficial level.  Your answer will reverberate throughout many generations and affect a great number of people.  I choose to put out the fires of hate and to set sail for the land of liberty and justice for all.

God Helps Those Who Help Others

"God helps those who help themselves."

This man-made propaganda masquerades as a biblical truth.  This half-truth is said to have originated in Ancient Greece.  Unfortunately, it has been widely disseminated by notable people such as Benjamin Franklin and Algernon Sydney.  

The cold-hearted sentiment ties in well with the American ideal of being a person who is a self-starter filled with unlimited drive and ambition.  Our society consistently and resoundingly lauds this type of citizen for pulling himself or herself up by the bootstraps.    

I am curious to know what a verified and reliable source has to say on the subject of whom God will help. 

Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave. 
                                                                                                                            (Proverbs 12:24  NLT)

So, God does advocate working hard.  The Bible clearly states many benefits will be reaped from such industry.  The Lord nonetheless has more to say on the subject.

But you are a tower of refuge to the poor, O LORD, a tower of refuge to the needy in distress. You are a refuge from the storm and a shelter from the heat.  For the oppressive acts of ruthless people are like a storm beating against a wall...
                                                                                                                                   (Isaiah 25:4  NLT)

It would appear He is willing to assist people who have fallen on hard times and are in distress.  The offer of help is not conditional, extended only to people who have proven themselves to be go-getters in the past.  One must take note of how this promise of help to the downtrodden is followed by talk of how the cruel acts of callous people cause great disturbances. 

But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
                                                                                                                              (1 Timothy 5:8  KJV)

God speaks strongly against people who do not provide for their family.  But how does He define family?

14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  
15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named... 
                                                                                                                       (Ephesians 3:14-15  KJV)

All of humankind is family in the eyes of God.  Therefore, this is my thought:

"God is well pleased with those who help everyone else."

(Please feel free to quote me.  We Americans need the encouragement during this day and age.)

Joy to the World

"The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the LORD's favor has come."
( Luke 4:18-19  NLT)

Many of us enjoy hearing songs like "Joy to the World" during this holiday season.  However, true joy will fall upon you, me, America, and the world when more of us take up the mantle of joining God in His plan to spread the good news and make it clearly manifest.  He is concerned about the welfare of the poor.  Anyone who is held captive by anyone or any situation can expect to find release if she looks to Him.   But the best news is that the scales covering our eyes will fall away.   

We will no longer be blind to the disturbing state of our families, our nation, and/or our world.  This is how the oppressed will be set free.  We open our hearts to working together and stay committed to improving every neighbor's quality of living.  The promise is that our eyes will see the time of the Lord's favor.  A time when Americans experience a multitude of moments filled with peace and joy because we are willing to share our blessings with the world.

“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others.  And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.” 
― Dalai Lama XIV  

Choose your Path Wisely

For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.

~Nelson Mandela


My path is to be an active part of creating a nation, then a world, where every child is lavished with a love that embraces diversity and rejoices in what makes each and every one of them wonderfully unique.  No American is free until every American is free just to be.  

The United States of America is not the leader of the free world until this nation can show others how to walk in three simple truths.  Every person has inherent value.  Any life is worth protecting.  All we need is love.   

We Americans can start "small" by influencing our families, our co-workers, and our communities until multiplying acts of love change the world.


Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

~Margaret Mead

Dominate the Earth not Each Other

Then God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground."  (Genesis 1:28  NLT)

Chaos is the new normal in America and around the world.  Mass media has a tendency to focus on the random acts of violence, the class wars, the race wars, terrorism and the sadness arising out of humanity's general state of discontent.  The need to have some sense of control is understandable but many of us have fallen into the trap of becoming too power hungry.  There is a growing desire to control and subdue certain groups of people seen as problematic and dangerous to our well-being.   

All the bad news drowns out the Good News.  God has blessed us with the power to overcome any adverse situation and rule over everything on the earth.  Americans are empowered to have dominion over poverty, hunger, hate, injustice, war, and even catastrophic natural disasters, to name a few things.  But we were never meant to lord over fellow human beings.       

Let me clarify my point by holding up a mirror to myself.  I firmly believe in the command to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  So, I am a strong advocate of always thinking about how one's action or inaction will affect the person, be it a loved one or stranger, up the street or across the nation.  This self-righteous state of mind allows me to judge others as being problematic i.e. heartless.  

My hunger for power births my vision of forcing my views upon every American by having only people with similar leanings in government positions.  Wrong!  The answer lies in creating a desire within each of us to dominate his or her own natural human tendency to be self-centered and/or selfish.  This type of self-domination/self-control will fill this nation and earth with the needed acts of kindness.  There is no place for trying to rule anyone with an iron rod.   

It is a grand dream to think that every human, let alone every American, could change her focus and redefine what is meant by world domination.  Yet, I must hope for a time when humans use their God-given dominion to attack bastions of bigotry so that no one is enticed into joining any type of terrorist group.  We could be fruitful and multiply acts of love by freely combining our resources to defeat the social and environmental forces that lead to famine, hunger, and chronic poverty instead of benefiting financially from these misfortunes.  
May we all focus on condemning the natural human drive to dominate others; just imagine our children's children being given a world with less wars.               

Love: A Treasure and Good Inheritance

Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.  (Matthew 6: 19-20 NLT)


No matter what one believes about what happens after death everyone acknowledges that there is not one possession any person can take with her or him.  All power or influence acquired while wheeling and dealing dies along with our bodies.  There will be no more looking for the next pleasurable thing to do.  Life is an empty thing if this is all we store up during our time on the earth.  You do not leave behind a good inheritance if only your family, friends, and others like you benefit from the wealth (money, influence, safe spaces) you have amassed.    

Love is the greatest treasure to be found in heaven and on earth.  It is an unstoppable force, flowing freely out of the heart and washing over ANYONE in its beautiful wake.  It cannot be destroyed by hate or cruelty.  Love feeds upon itself and grows stronger in the face of opposition.  It is timeless and its fruits do not die, even if the selfless giver has turned to dust a long time ago.  This is the type of power every patriotic American should want to store up and leave for the generations to come.

Every American must decide what is to be treasured.  Life, liberty, and justice for all versus survival of the fittest, the wealthiest, the most influential, the majority...  You get my point.  

Who Exactly is the "Silent Majority"?

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I did not speak out;
As I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I did not speak out;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
As I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I did not speak out;
As I was not a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

                                                               Martin Niemöller


May the "silent majority" heed this cautionary tale.  

God is full of mercy and grace.  He encourages every human to spread love, peace, and kindness to every neighbor so that we all may receive beautiful and free gifts.  The resulting bounty will fill a life, a nation, and a world with prosperity and joy.  

But God also demands justice.  If the "silent majority" plans to regain their voice by standing on the backs of any fellow Americans, vengeance shall be His.  May the people who are feeling ill at ease because they do not have the resources to protect themselves from attack remember this is not an empty promise.


He replied, "What is impossible for people is possible with God."  (Luke 18:27 NLT)

We the People

Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children.  (Proverbs 17:6)

The preamble of the Constitution of the United States of America confidently declares:

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish
Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the
general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

The founders of this nation considered liberty to be a blessing that needed to be secured for themselves and their posterity.  All Americans can take great pride in the fact that our founding "fathers" set this nation along the right path. 

But today we can become their crowning glory by making sure the vision is completely inclusive so that this “blessing” applies equally to every American and our country's guests.  We can make this land a place where justice truly is blind.  Domestic tranquility will come if the big, the small, the powerful, and the weak all have a voice in the way our government is run.  

Having a shared and common goal of promoting the general welfare of every citizen, and this union by extension, is the best defense against any enemy who desires to steal our freedoms.  It is time to start brainstorming to come up with practical ways of ensuring such a lofty dream comes true.  Fellow Americans, we want our children to be proud of us and the U.S.  

No Weapon

This is my fervent and effectual prayer:

But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed...  (Isaiah 54:17)

God, may this cover every single person residing in America so that no enemy, from within or without, may have effect.  You are a shield and a battle axe.  Our cries to heal this land will not go unanswered.  America is the land of the free because you have the final say.  Lord, our hearts are filled with hope and love as we await the demonstration of your awesome power.

Amen