Too many want to bash her and say she’s not perfect.
I want to reply and ask them to show me someone here who is.
Too many want to scald her because her mistakes are great.
I want to reply and request the list of those who have none.
I have lived here a long time, and she’s been good to me.
I’ve studied Truth, and the truth I’ve found proclaims light.
It isn’t that I’m blinded to imperfections
Nor am I ignorant to wrongs that need to be righted.
What I will not be is a hater.
What I will not demand is an ideology of impeccable flawlessness.
Rather, I will choose to be grateful for the abundant blessings given.
I will choose to be thankful for freedom and free will.
I will honor, respect, forgive and love.
I will remember the good and try to rectify those things that are feasible.
I will choose to grieve when the loss is imminent and tragic.
I will rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.
And I will choose to, above all else, speak truth and thank the One who created it all.
Praise the Lord, call upon His name; Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for He has done excellent things; This is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!
It has amazed me throughout this pandemic how loud the media has shouted and how quiet the church has remained.
It’s been eerily quiet, except for shouts, concerns and finger-points of who should do what, when and how.
It has amazed me how quickly the whole world has given up their freedom and personal rights, even here in America, under the guise of health, security and even “common decency.”
It has been eerily obvious, except for the shouts, concerns and warning signs thrown up by those who recognize this is not what the Constitution nor our Declaration of Independence provides.
Maybe you’ve not read that part recently.
Let me refresh your memory… (Declaration of Independence)
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it…”
Who gave you the right to remove my rights? Who gave you the approval to dictate to me where I can go, what I can buy, who I can see and where I can eat?
This happens in Communist countries day after day.
This happens in Socialist countries when a crisis arises.
Because the people are dependent upon a higher power to provide.
No matter your political persuasion, if you call yourself an American, don’t get mad and move on.
No matter your religious integration, if you call yourself a Christian, don’t get offended and scroll past.
Please, stay with me here.
It has amazed me how quickly businesses shut down, the economy faltered, and the wallets closed for trade all over the world.
It has been eerily hasty, except for the small businessman who just altered his delivery of food, except for the churches who simply worked a new vantage point to proclaim the gospel, except for the volunteers who said, “Not on my watch, will you struggle and falter alone.”
It has amazed me how quickly many of God’s people shut their doors, curtained their windows, and shielded their mouths.
It was eerily fervent, except for those who cried out for mercy, except for those who swung wide the welcome for shelter, except those who ran to the needy to provide and proclaim a message of freedom.
It has amazed me how quickly many of God’s people walked in fear rather than faith, claiming to rely on the educated, the enlightened, those “in the know.”
It was eerily evident, except for those who called in God’s Name for deliverance, protection and wisdom, except for those who proclaimed His peace, His hope, His love, despite the storm or the outlook, except for those who stepped forward in cautious optimism to say, “He can save. Look up! The Best is yet to come!”
I write this today, not to stir debate, not to bring condemnation, and by no means to try to trivialize the sickness nor glorify a rebellion.
I only write to stir your heart to prayer, to bring conviction where there has been terror and to proclaim His victory over a he darkness.
If we call ourselves Americans, we should never relent our freedom so easily, no matter the declared crisis.
If we call ourselves Christians, we should never surrender our faith and our fight so easily, no matter the size of the giant.
To slay the giant, never proclaim the intricate details of your foe until you have proclaimed the meticulous victories, promises and testimonies of your God!!
2 Samual 17 … read it again, and become like David, not like the Israelites. Walk in courage rather than fear. Ask about the spoils for the triumph. Declare the victory is God’s not yours…nor theirs!
Listened to this song for the first time today. Don’t know why I haven’t ever heard it before, but it speaks a message today. On this 18th anniversary of a horrific day in our history, I will remember. I will cherish, and I will never forget.
It’s not about a political party. It’s not about a race, a religion, or a heritage. It’s not even about a personal opinion or thought.
This was a day that radicalism thought it could rule. This was a day when hatred filled hearts surmised they could win. This was a day when evil consumed souls believed they had the upper hand and could bring down a powerful, mighty nation.
9/11 will forever be a day of remembered terrror, heartbreak and death. Yet, 9/12 will forever be a day remembered of a nation uniting to bring rescue, support, encouragement and comfort. The two days shall ever be etched in the memory blanks of my legacy.
This is a realization of what purpose can expose. This is a revelation of what a common bond can bring. This is a testament of what unity can do.
For evil and for good.
Never forget these days in your retelling of truth and of history. Share the brokenness, revel in the heroics and cherish the patriotism. Never forget, a people bound together in one cause, one focus, one goal can accomplish the unthinkable.
It seems to be a phrase that is ridiculed more than appreciated these days, but today, I will proudly say, “Thank you, America.” I don’t care who you are, or where you have come from, if you live in this country, and if you call yourself an American, then, you should say the same…and even though, it may not be a popular sentiment, even if you are not an American citizen, you should still say the same.
Too many in today’s culture take so much liberty in bashing the bad of this country. Too much joy is taken in attempting to destroy the history, and the heritage and the legacy upon which this nation was built. If someone stands for patriotism, freedom and anything “American,” too many snarks and ridicules can be made, and everyone is simply expected to accept it as some sort of tolerance and penance for years of a presumed “superior conceit.”
I will never attempt to argue the perfection of America, nor will I say it can do no wrong, but if you cannot take pride in the country in which you preside, why live there? Just as a mother has to admit the foolishness of her child if that child is to grow beyond the wrong; yet, it should never negate the love and protection that mother holds for her once newborn babe. Seriously. I could stop and restart a whole new blog on that little soapbox right there, but I won’t. Not today.
Today, I’ll just stop and say, “Thank you, America.” Thank you for every hardworking man and woman who seeks to serve and make this country a better place to live. Thank you for all those who put their “hand to the plow” and never look back, always striving to leave a better community for the next generation. Thank you for every person who hopes and dreams for a better tomorrow and instead of tearing down all shreds of goodness from yesterday, he or she digs deep to find a ray of sunshine within the clouds of gray. Thank you to every American who continually takes the next step toward life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; so, our children may dream and pursue those aspirations of their hearts just as our forefathers did so long ago.
I don’t consider myself an incredible poet, but I wanted to have something to pay honor today to those who have given their lives for our freedom. Thank you to every service man and woman who gave your all so that I and my family might live in the freedom for which you fought so hard to obtain, and thank you to your families who have had to say the hard goodbyes. We are forever grateful, and we will never forget…
Young men with hopes and dreams
Old men with wives and little sunbeams
All head to war. To serve their land.
To fight for their freedom. To save their fellow man.
They fought hard. They fought brave.
Some were wounded, captured, never saved.
We will not forget them. We will not close the door.
They gave us our freedom. We owe them so much more.
Their graves are marked with flags so bright.
Their memories held tight within our sight.
They gave the ultimate sacrifice. They paid the highest price.
Gave they their life that I might live. Reminds me of my God, my Christ.
Let us not be so busy that we pack their memories away.
Let us not be so focused on now that we miss their pathway.
This is Memorial Day. The day we honor, we remember, and we say, Thank you.
We will remember the heroes, for our lives are here because of what they went through.
We promise to never forget what you gave up.
What we have to offer can never really be enough.
We will forever say Thank You to our heroes.
We will fight to remember, hoping our debt and gratitude eternally shows.
They fought hard. They fought brave.
Some were wounded, captured, never saved.
We will not forget them. We will not close the door.
They gave us our freedom. We owe them so much more.
Today, I would like to give my tribute to America. Yes, the land of the free and the home of the brave. I love my home, America.
There are many in this world who would scoff at those words, many who would sneer at my homeland, believing they would be better off without it. Yet, for those who long for freedom, those held under tight regimental control, where do their hearts long to go? Where do their dreams take them when they think of freedom? Yes, it is AMERICA! This land was chosen to be a place where “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”* This is the land of the free and the brave. This country was founded on freedom, on liberty and on the pursuit of happiness. For those who live in this land and get angry at these words, I truly wonder why they still live here! Why stay in a country that you so clearly hate? However, I digress. This post today is not meant to be a rant. It is meant to be a tribute; so, let me pay honor where honor is due! 😉
I LOVE this land of freedom! I can worship freely. I can go where I please. I can do as I please (within the laws of reason). I can choose to pursue whatever course in life I’d like. I can be whomever I choose to be. If I want to be a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, a construction worker, a CEO, a fireman, a retail salesperson, or even a fast food worker, I can be any of these. If I want to pursue a life long dream of singing or a momentary whim of sailing across the ocean, I can do it. The only things that will stop me is my own limitations of dreaming and my own will power to pursue those dreams. This is the beauty of freedom.
Yes, I know we’ve got our problems. I’m not blind. I know there’s people who don’t appreciate this land nor the people who work hard to make it what it is, but that’s not my point today. Sometimes, you’ve got to step out of the darkness to truly see the light again. Often, we must re-shift our focus when there’s so much turmoil and remember the reason we got in this to begin with. This country was founded for freedom. This country was founded on hard work and pride in a nation of diversity and respect for the pursuit of a dream. These are the things upon which this country was built. Let’s get back to the main thing! Sometimes, I wonder if we’ve forgotten the goodness and wonder in the dream of a better future, because we’ve gotten so entangled in the futuristic dream someone else said we should have… (another thought for another day!)
I LOVE this land of beauty! There is an “old” song, sung by Lee Greenwood, that perfectly sums up my love for the beautiful land called America. He says, “From the lakes of Minnesota, To the hills of Tennessee, Across the plains of Texas, From sea to shining sea, From Detroit down to Houston, And New York to L.A., Where’s pride in every American heart, And it’s time we stand and say, God Bless the USA!” The beauty of this land is as diverse as the people who live here. If you long for snow, just travel north long enough, and you’ll find it. If the beach is more your style, just travel South, you’ll find it. Maybe green rolling “hills” (this term is relative to what you call a hill or a mountain) and Shenandoah Valleys are more your speed, or maybe you prefer peaks as high as the clouds, and tree as big as a house or maybe it’s beautiful plains that stretch for as far as the eye can see. Well, we’ve got it all, just find a map and start your travels! America is where it’s at! No matter, if you’re looking for the city and the night life or the ranch and the country life. It’s all here in this great big land of opportunity!
So, today, I call myself BLESSED to be an American, and I consider myself blessed to be living here in this wonderful land of the free! These are just a few reasons I love this wonderful place! There’s nowhere else I’d rather be. Who’s with me?? 🙂
Don’t you miss the days when you actually had to have singing to sell an album…when the music had to be live and in sync? Don’t you miss the day when you had to act, sing AND dance to obtain the role in a movie? Don’t you miss the days when you had to be a true patriot to become president…when the politicians had to love God, Family, and Country to succeed in office? Don’t you miss the days when the kids started their school days with The Pledge To Allegiance and ended the day with their bedtime prayers? Don’t you miss the days of fresh milk, fresh farm eggs, fruits and veggies…when it was easy to find less ingredients with better quality?
In all our striving to achieve and gain more, I think maybe we’ve lost something and gained less. Sure, I love the new technology, the new lights and the new transportation. I am blogging via internet right now, and we drive two new 2013 vehicles; so, I am definitely not anti-improvement nor anti-success! I just think, sometimes, in all our seeking the new, we tend to throw out some really good “old things” …like quality service and hardworking attitudes and homemade biscuits and farm grown produce and character, integrity and authenticity. Yeah, this list might not seem to “flow” right when looked at first glance, but stay with me a minute.
I didn’t grow up on a farm, and I wasn’t raised to make homemade biscuits, but when I’ve visited a well working farm, and I’ve eaten warm, homemade biscuits slathered with butter and a touch of honey, it sure reminds me of home. When I sit down to watch an old western or an old black and white Audrey Hepburn movie, it sure makes me think of goodness in the world. When I see an old veteran, tattered and worn from the memories of the war, it surely makes me appreciate him a little more, and it creates within me a grateful heart that my babies still live in a free country today. When I do hear the rare moment of an elementary-aged child reciting his Pledge of Allegiance with strength and dignity, my heart swells with pride, and I stand a little taller, knowing someone else still holds my heartland dear.
Yeah, maybe I am just old before my time, and maybe I just need to get to caught up with the “latest and greatest,” or maybe, just maybe, I’m onto some profound truth….think about it.
My journey didn’t stop with mere time travel or writing; it led me to become one of the most sought-after empaths, a soulful psychic who reads the hidden depths of the human spirit. I’ve been blessed—or perhaps burdened—with an ability that allows me to feel the emotions of people from every corner of time.
I am a licensed psychologist based in Greece. My love for housekeeping has inspired me to create this blog about home management and family relationships. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing!
Dedicated to movie nerdom, nostalgia, and escape. In the late 90s, I worked at Blockbuster Video where they let me take home two free movies a day. I caught up on the classics and reviewed theatrical releases for Denver 'burbs newspapers and magazines. Today, while raising two young, beautiful daughters with my amazing wife, I look forward to anything rated R and not Bluey. Comments and dialogue encouraged!
the grizzle grist mill 