Personal thoughts: Keeping Hope Alive In a Battered America

Today is Veteran's Day, and I'm thinking of all the men and women who have served in the wars of this country, dating back to the American Revolution. I'm grateful for their service to our nation; for the sacrifices they made in the name of Liberty and Freedom. The wars that they fought in were not always for virtuous causes, and sadly, there were too many who profited off of them at the expense of millions of young lives throughout the existence of America. 

And that brings me to the other thoughts occupying my mind these days ... we are rapidly approaching the 250th anniversary of our nation. While many consider the United States an empire, and therefore wish to come to the foregone conclusion that "empires rarely last over 250 years", I'm not willing to give up on us just yet. First of all, I don't consider America an empire. While empires are usually distinguished as being a central power which exerts control and power over conquered territories and peoples, occupying those territories and enslaving the conquered peoples, America has favored the promotion of democracy and self-determination, and post World War II, has championed national independence and sovereignty. Additionally, our American culture is most often voluntarily embraced, rather than enforced.

I know that we are not a perfect nation and there are those who will argue that our expansion and acquisitions of Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines in recent history, along with our military interventions and economic influence, argue for the "empire" label. The debate is legitimate, but my purpose for writing today covers whether the idea that America still exists as the land of opportunity where people can still dream of the freedom of self-determination, economic self-sufficiency, security, and the hope of a peaceful and prosperous future. Some call that "the American Dream". I like to think of it as God's will for all people.

But I cannot deny that, as a civilization, I see the warning signs of our decline. We are experiencing economic decline [due to government overspending, inflation, and excessive taxation]. We certainly have political instability, and the growing threat of marxist/socialist ideologies within our educational and political institutions, is causing social upheaval. And when the governing power grows increasingly centralized in Washington D.C., rather than being determined by a representative democracy among the people, it fractures our founding principles of individual liberty and self-determination. Finally, the deterioration of our moral and spiritual belief systems serves to cause division and decay within our society. The loss of faith, in both our religious and societal institutions, has the potential to be the final blow to this "great experiment" called The United States of America.

So, now that I've cited the current woes of our nation, I want to tell you why I still have hope for us. At the heart of America lies a legacy that I believe still offers the embers of Freedom and Faith; waiting to be revived and restored in the hearts of those who appreciate and honor the liberty that America can provide. I grew up loving the ideals of our nation's history -- that when we work hard, we can be rewarded with opportunities to make our dreams for our families come true; and that at the heart of the American populace is a shared identity, but also the right to disagree and express our differences. But we must remember that unique heritage. We cannot let our history disappear from our schools or our collective memories. It must be taught and preserved, or the core values and identity of America will be lost.

All I have to do is watch the various newscasts of young people being interviewed across our land to discover that they cannot name the country we fought that gave us our Independence. Some do not even know the name of our first President, nor who wrote the Declaration of Independence. They cannot even name one of the Ten Commandments. Civics classes have been removed from most school curriculum, along with the statues and names of the Founding Fathers. Remember when we memorized and recited the intro to the Gettysburg Address? They have no idea what that is or why it is important to our history. 

Yet, I have hope when I read the our U.S. Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, is praising an Independence Day Ceremony activity book that teaches children about our American ideals of liberty, limited government, and Judeo-Christian values -- and in less than 15 minutes, to accommodate their attention span. I have hope, knowing that there is a growing number of parents who home-school, and a growing number of college-age young men and women who are now recognizing the extraordinary good that is in America. I am grateful for the dedication and commitment that the late Charlie Kirk instilled in these young people. Through his example, I have hope they will become the leaders of tomorrow, instilling the goodness that is America, while rooting out the dangerous seeds of materialism, radicalism, and anti-God ideologies.

I want to reiterate that I know America is not perfect. We have made lots of mistakes, and have tried to correct them. We still have a ways to go. But in the midst of the lawlessness and false identity that is trying to overtake this country, I see rays of sunlight and hope. I have faith that God is not done with us yet. I am encouraged by those who have the courage to stand up and call for unity and shared purpose; to bravely pronounce their faith in God and seek to join hands with our fellow citizens of all colors, ethnicities, and creeds in order to preserve this great land in unity. And, by the way, did you know there is an actual American's Creed? Here's a key except: 

I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed, a democracy in a republic, a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies. -- Written by a public servant, William Tyler Page in 1917, accepted by the United States House of Representatives on April 3, 1918. How appropriate for Veteran's Day! Thank you to all our veterans who answered that call.

So, I hope you will continue to pray with me for the future of our nation... that we might sustain the hope and promise that is the United States of America, and that it is God's will that we persevere in righteousness for generations to come, turning away from all evil influences and keeping His statutes forever. Amen!

Romans 15:4    For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Do We Have Time To Restore Our Birthright?

Within the first two months of beginning this blog (2012), I wrote a post titled, Mothers, Teach Your Children. My purpose in approaching this topic was that I possessed a standard to live by because I was raised on the courage and moral values of my ancestors, but I was becoming concerned that our children and grandchildren were no longer interested in knowing those values or preserving them. 

I was taught many skills that my grandmother took for granted when she was growing up (knitting, canning, baking bread, gardening), and was taught to acknowledge gifts with a hand-written thank you note, and to say thank you, yes sir, and excuse me, when it was appropriate -- the kinds of things that contribute to a civilized society. I'm pretty sure that Generation Z and the newly christened Generation Alpha thinks those abilities are useless and archaic.

As a Baby Boomer, my most prized possession is my Family Bible, dating back to 1814. In it are recorded the births, marriages, and deaths of a long line of people that leads to me. It is not only a reminder that this world is not all about me, but it helps  me to remember who I am and where I came from. You see, I wanted to know their stories and experiences; to learn of the hard work and perseverance that brought them through some of the most difficult times and adversities this country had ever seen. 

I cherished the handed down history of my family from the Civil War (burying the family silverware to keep it from being stolen by General Sherman's advancing army); through the Depression, when my Grandmother did washing and mending of clothes to put food on the table for her five children, after my Grandfather died at the young age of 32; through my Dad getting his parent's permission to sign up, at 17, to go to war, after Pearl Harbor. 

I wanted to think that I could be as brave and determined as they were in the face of those adverse circumstances. When I wrote that post in 2012, I remarked, "I have a feeling, that very soon, I'm going to have the opportunity to prove myself worthy of their legacies". And now, nearly 12 years later, I see what's on the horizon and I'm discerning that my time has come.

And, believe me, I am not claiming that our country is perfect! Not by a long shot! There has always been an underlying element of men [and women] whose loyalties have been attached to nefarious and wicked schemes to benefit themselves and the Luciferian ruler of this world. But our God has always been present, working through Godly men and women to help us stay the course and serve Him, according to His will. Sadly, that knowledge and faithfulness to the God of the Universe is disappearing.  

I'm not so concerned about how I will handle the trouble that's coming. I KNOW who I am, and not only who I came from, but where I'm going. But I do worry about the generations that are following us. Do they know? Because I'm not sure the legacy and birthright of the individuals that built this nation have been taught or inherited by those who are being primed to take over the running of the country. Certainly, those who are relying on TikTok for their news and information have no idea of the truth and spirit of this nation. 

To quote an article from thefp.com, "Never before has a foreign adversary had a direct line to feed agitprop [agitating propaganda] into the youth of their enemy, and that's what China has done with TikTok, the viral video app managed by (call me crazy), the Chinese Communist Party...Basically, China realized that our army is strong, but our minds are soft and weak and those minds need videos of people with pet ducks, and we will accept an interlude of straight Ham*s disinformation, then [watch] nurses doing the slide, then [finish with] an interlude about how America is the world's devil, so long as right after, there's pile of happy kittens! [Excuse me, but] our kingdom for a fart joke".

The author of that quote perfectly captures just how Tik Tok is hypnotizing the minds of our generations with brainless entertainment, and mixing in a few propaganda messages about why they should hate our evil country. Very few have the knowledge or the truth to refute the indoctrination, nor are they willing to make the effort -- as long as the laughing babies and cute puppy dog videos stream nonstop. There is no real journalistic news being presented; only what the Chinese government wants to feed us.

But it's really no different than how Israel, in the Old Testament, strayed from their inheritance and privilege when they turned from God in favor of the pleasures of the  world. And it's no different than when Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of soup. Biblical Israel switched its loyalties to new gods, abandoned the commandments YHWH had taught them, and became increasingly rebellious and wicked. Many, many times, God reminded Israel that they had forgotten who they were, and in doing so, had forgotten Him.

Can't we say the same thing about ourselves? Haven't we rejected our birthright -- the inheritance our ancestors paid such a huge price to pass on to us? By definition, birthright means "a right, privilege, or possession to which a person is entitled by birth". Are we so willing to sacrifice the freedom that is our birthright? And for what? Another captivating video? It certainly seems to me that we are on the verge of losing our birthright and inheritance, and I'm not sure that our youth even understand the consequences of that loss.

So, please join me in praying for our generations, before it is too late! And please take the time to teach your children and grandchildren of the rich history of courage, resiliency, fortitude, and the love and power of God that is able to deliver us from the world's tribulations. Teach them how to think for themselves. Teach them to be grateful for the birthright they have inherited, and which can still be theirs -- if they will embrace it. Teach them all it has meant to be a child of God and of the riches He has given this country. Teach them before it all becomes just a memory.

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Deuteronomy 4:9     Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children—