some photos from fourth of july (i know, i know, i’m just now getting around to putting them up … ) my excuse, i didn’t have a blog to put them up to. my other excuse, i wasn’t as pleased with the pictures this year as i was last year. i still got some good ones though… 

enjoy!

~rs

TEXT: John 14:16 and John 18: 37 and 38

MAIN POINT: There are six truths, six values the church must hold, proclaim, and demonstrate so that others can experience God’s freedom.

TALKING POINTS:

As I started writing this sermon I realized that our county will turn 226 on Thursday and I asked myself, “What would Washington, Jefferson, Adams, and others think of this country almost 226 years after they wrote and approved the Declaration of Independence? Would they like it? Would they recognize it? Would they still want to live in it?”

They believed in a novel idea that has affected human history – self-governance, democracy. They had this idea that they could rule themselves quite well, thank you very much your Highness!

No longer was there a need for a king or a queen. No longer was there a need for a system of royalty to say what was what. No need for knights, in shining armor or any kind of armor, nor Lords and other royalty.

But, do you know that there are two other Declarations of Independence that we need to briefly acknowledge and which some historians believed laid the groundwork for July 4, 1776?

The first one occurred in 1620 when a ship called the Mayflower came to what we now call Plymouth Rock. Those on board were seeking to worship God without the interference of the State, specifically the King of England. They were called dissenters because they dissented when it came to the practice of their faith and what was expected of them as to both practice and belief.

America began not as a political experiment, but as a religious sanctuary. The Pilgrims were motivated by a deep piety, a strong desire, and a profound faith to worship God without government interference and their arrival on the shores of Massachusetts was a declaration of religious independence. This religious independence and fervor spread throughout the eastern seaboard of this nation and it created a smorgasbord of faith that is a hallmark of this country today.

The second Declaration of Independence was the First Great Awakening. “Now,” you ask, “What was the “First Great Awakening?”

Christine Heyrman in a essay for history teachers entitled, The First Great Awakening, writes, “What historians call “the first Great Awakening” can best be described as a revitalization of religious piety that swept through the American colonies between the 1730s and the 1770s.” In other words, it was a revival of deep significance in which people declared their declaration of independence from formalism.

She goes on to say in another essay, Religion and The American Revolution, “the members of the revolutionary generation had faced, as individuals, important choices about their fundamental religious beliefs and loyalties, and that experience may have prepared them to make equally crucial and basic decisions about their political beliefs and loyalties. . . . In short, this was a generation of people who had, during their youth, been schooled in the importance of self-determination and even rebellion against the existing hierarchies of deference and privilege.”

In other words, the Mayflower voyage and the First Great Awakening were moral and spiritual, not political, movements that affected our founding fathers’ views and values and influenced their political decisions. The point of this brief history lesson is two –fold: 1. Religion or faith or whatever you want to call it, is a centerpiece of our national history that continues to the present. 2. Freedom to choose that faith is a fundamental issue to this day.

In the document which was approved on July 4, 1776, our Declaration of Independence, we read these words “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.”

We hold these truths.

In two different situations that took place within a few hours of one another, Jesus speaks of Truth. John records both situations and the first takes place during the Last Supper with the disciples where in response to a question by a troubled Thomas he says in chapter 14 and verse 6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

The second take place in a conversation between Jesus and Pilate during the Trial of Jesus in John 18: 37 and 38. “Pilate replied, “You are a king then?” “You say that I am a king, and you are right,” Jesus said. “I was born for that purpose. And I came to bring truth to the world. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” “What is truth?” Pilate asked.

Pilate’s question echoes in our time and place. We live in a time where absolute truth is denied and each is left to decide on his or her own what is true. This relativism has created a climate in which a consensus on any given issue is very unlikely. And the tension between those who hold no absolute standards and those who do grows ever stronger as the years go by. Which makes governing this country a challenge. It also makes professing and living out the Christian faith difficult as well.

There are absolute truths whether or not we choose to live by them. And they are moral/spiritual in nature not political, although there are political implications to them.

What truths, what values, do we hold, should we hold, as followers of Jesus Christ? I want to suggest 6 that are based on the Bible and which can and must make a difference in our individual lives as well as our congregational life as we live for God in our community. (Overhead 1)

The first value we must live by is affirmation because we need to affirm all people because everyone is created in God’s image and we are all redeemable by His grace. In Romans 12:15 Paul speaks of the ability to emphasize, one important way to affirm others, with people in various situations, “When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow.”

Someone wrote, “Everyone needs recognition for his (or her) accomplishments. One little boy was no exception to this rule. He said to his father, “Dad let’s play darts. I’ll throw, and you say, “Wonderful!”

We all need to be affirmed. We need to know that we count. We need to tell others, even when we disagree with them or have trouble getting along with them, that they matter.

As followers of Jesus Christ and as members of this church we need to affirm everyone who is a part of our lives because all of us are crated in God’s image and redeemable by His grace. We matter to God! And we need to communicate this truth by affirming, by valuing, by encouraging everyone that is a part of our daily routine. On a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being not well at all and 5 being well, where do you place your level of affirming others?

The second value we must live and proclaim is acceptance because, us as Paul writes in Romans 15:7,

Christ has accepted.

The story is told of the cowboy who went to church for the first time in his life and related his adventure to a friend.

“I rode up on my horse and tied it up by a tree in the corral.’ The friend said, “You don’t mean ‘corral’; you mean ‘parking lot.’”

“I don’t know, maybe that is what the called it, “the cowboy said. “Then I went in through the main gate.” “You don’t mean the main gate; you mean the front door of the church.”

“Well, anyway, a couple of fellows took me down the long chute. “You don’t mean the long chute; you mean the center aisle.” “I guess that is what they call it. Then they put me in one of the those little box stalls!”

“You don’t mean a box stall; you mean a pew!” “Oh yes! Now I remember!” said the cowboy. “That’s what that lady said when I sat down beside her!”

That’s truer than we care to admit isn’t it? Acceptance of others is very difficult at times. But, think of God’s acceptance of us.

He is holy. We are not. He is righteous. We aren’t. He is love. We make feeble attempts to love. But,  in His love and mercyHe accepts us and makes us new creatures as we accept and receive His forgiveness!

On that scale of 1 to 5 again, how well do you do at accepting others?

The third value, the third truth that we hold, is that we appreciate people because God has gifted and equipped every one for a mission and ministry.

In I Corinthians 12:27 we read a wonderful statement of affirmation, acceptance, and appreciation: “Now all of you together are Christ’s body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it.”

This is an important statement from Paul and really from the Lord because it is to a group of people who had trouble affirming, accepting, and hence appreciating one another. Why? They were jealous of one another’s abilities and gifts. They were proud of their personal association with Paul or Apollos but forgot that they (Paul and Apollos) were servants of God. They were enamored with spiritual experiences but forgot who was the source of all true spiritual experience. And so appreciation for one another was practically non-existent.

I recently read an article by Deana A. Nail in which she shares of her work with Stough Memorial Baptist Church in Pineville, North Carolina.  She “worked for two years” to help this congregation “release the God-breathed ministry dreams inside their members.” She continued,  “Their work was tested when 70 people hosted a community-wide event that grew as a response to the school shootings in Colorado.

As leaders first talked logistics, many people seemed overwhelmed. Then suddenly one person stood and said, “I work with closed-circuit TV. I’ll be on the technical team.” Another person responded, “I’ve handled catering for 1,500 people; I’ll serve on the catering team.”

When the volunteering stopped, 15 ministry teams had been formed and every need was met. The church accomplished more than imagined because it created an equipping culture. In that church, the people understand their gifts and the value of their ministry.”

As I read that story, I got excited! I thought that is what God wants to do in every church in America! That is what He wants to do in our church!

When we make a personal commitment to Christ as we ask and accept His forgiveness of our sins, we are immediately given a place of service in a local church. We are given tools, spiritual gifts, to accomplish that mission!

I applaud those of us who are stepping out to learn how God has gifted and called them and then are willing to serve! BTW, have you said “Thank you” to those who serve? Do you appreciate their efforts? On that scale of 1 to 5, how is your appreciating these days?

CHANGE OVERHEAD!!!

The fourth truth we must hold and practice is the value of expressing love to people because of God’s great and good love for us as we read in I John 4:19 “We love each other as a result of his loving us first.”

In this fourth chapter, John makes it clear that God is love and that we demonstrate our commitment to God by expressing our love for one another. Paul likewise reminded the Corinthians that love is better than any spiritual gift or ability because without love our words, our service, and our faith would be useless.

Someone has written, “Courage is fear that has been conquered by love.” And as I read that statement I think of the lady sitting next to the cowboy.

She had some fear in her. It came out as snobbery, but it was because she feared him. And she feared him because she made some judgments about him based on his appearance.

If she were to ask, “How can I express love to this person?” what would you tell her? From 1 to 5 how well are you expressing God’s love to others?

The fifth value, the fifth truth that we must hold fast to is that we are available to people because God has made His salvation available to us. And Jesus made that clear to us in a very strategic way when He made Himself available to children as we read in Matthew 19:14 “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.”

A week and a half ago, I sat in a seminar during our national church meetings in Anderson and heard this statistic from the recent “Catch The Age Wave” conference on Senior Adult Ministry that was held this past spring in Anderson.

A recent survey estimated that 65% of those born before 1946, commonly referred to as builders, indicated a born-again experience compared to only 35%.

For those born between 1946 and 1964, called boomers, the opposite is true. Only 35% claim a “born-again” experience and 65% don’t.

For those born from 64 to around 84 or so, called busters only 10% claim a Christian experience. 90% do not!

And for those yet younger, called Bridgers, only 4% claim to be saved. 96% do not.

What do those statistics tell you? They tell me that we have four generations to reach for Christ in our midst and in this community. How well are we doing?

During His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ did not set up shop in one area of Israel and let the people come to Him. He went to them. And when He gave instructions to the disciples it was not “sit and wait” (except in one key instance in the book of Acts) it was “go and make,” and “follow me.” “Leave your nets, leave your tax booth, and follow me!”

How available are we to those who are searching for God? Are we prepared to “go and make” disciples? Are we willing to meet with people in the lunchrooms, homes, and restaurants of our community to help them come to Christ? From 1 to 5 how do we rank our availability to God and others for active ministry and service?

Finally the sixth truth we must hold to is that of being accountable as stewards of our time, talent, treasures, and temple to God and one another. One day, as Paul reminds us in Romans 14:12 we will all give “a personal account to God” of our lives.

Now, we often think of that accounting in terms of acceptance or rejection of God’s salvation for us. But, Paul is writing to people who have already accepted that salvation. He is saying to them, as we read both sides of verse 12, “stop judging one another live in such a manner that you won’t be an obstacle to one another.”

Some times we think of accountability in these terms: A mother was taking a nap while her eight-year-old son was playing in the living room. While the boy was playing, a van crashed through the picture window. The boy was surprised, but unhurt. The mother, of course, raced into the living room and screamed out the name of her son. Now the boy was afraid. “But mom-honest I didn’t do it!” he replied.

Accountability is not about me passing judgment on you. Accountability is me being responsible for my actions and attitudes to you because they affect you. It is a form of self-discipline. To be accountable is to be responsible for one’s own choices.

And what are we accountable for? We are accountable for our time, our money, our abilities, and our bodies. We are accountable for every area of our life. On a scale of 1 to 5 how well accountable are we to God and one another?

CONCLUSION:

Almost 226 years ago, a group of men were meeting in trying circumstances. A war was on. Armies were marching and doing battle. They believed in certain truths that ultimately would form one of human history’s greatest nations.

They were willing to sacrifice their very lives for making these truths a reality in a new experiment called democracy.

What if Ben Franklin would have said, “I give up. This stuff is too hard. I’m going kite flying.”

What if George Washington would have telephoned from the battlefield and said,  “I can’t do this anymore. I am out gunned, out manned, and out trained. I am going back to Mt Vernon and farm, get a new general!”

What if James Madison had said, “This will never work. We can’t do it. I don’t have time for all this Declaration of Independence work. I’m calling Dolly and telling her “Let’s start the snack cake business you’ve been wanting to start!”

What if Thomas Jefferson had said, “I am getting writer’s cramp. Can’t you guys do anything to help me out? I’m going back to Monticello!”

What kind of freedom would we have?

These six truths I have shared this day have eternal consequences. To make them a reality requires our sacrifices. We are engaged in a more radical revolution than was taking place in 1776. We are engaged in a revolution of the human heart and soul that is made possible only by the tremendous sacrifice of God’s son.

I challenge us on this Fourth of July week 2002 to recommit ourselves to the revolutionary ministry of reconciliation that comes as we go and share and help make responsible and joyful followers of Jesus Christ because the truth that Jesus Christ spoke of, and made possible, is truly the only truth that sets us free! Amen!

This post was actually a paper I wrote for one of my classes at Rhode Island College.  Considering the general path our nation is heading down, and seeing such a strong Socialist movement on my campus, I felt the need to at least voice my concerns about the reality of socialism.  What I find surprising is the sudden open movement in support of it.  There are socialists who gather on the campus square on Wednesdays who protest our capitalist system by holding signs and running a book table which even lists the Manifesto.   Let alone this movement, it is literally a very liberal college with its share of radical thoughts.  In fact, one of my teachers was herself a proclaimed socialist.  God help our country.  They’re infiltrating the youth.

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Socialism, the very idea has been around for nearly 200 years.  Developing from the simple ideas put forth by Karl Marx in his “Communist Manifesto,” to a series of movements by people influenced by Marx’s ideas, claiming that the class division between the rich and the poor has been wrought by the corruption of the capitalists and the exploitation of the worker to the capitalist’s gain.

Socialism is defined as “a society based on workers collectively owning and controlling the wealth that their labor creates.” The idea of which sounds like a plausible approach to the difficulties that our capitalist system has today. Corruption, vice, and greed afflict our economic system, bringing the Socialist argument that in order to end these vices, it would be necessary to eliminate the “capitalists” and create a common ground of equality for workers.

The major motivation that comes as an initiative for this movement lies in the current recession our economy is facing; alongside the ever decreasing wealth and ability of the lower masses (the workers) to provide for themselves. Socialist ideologies, namely government intervention and redistribution of aid to those in need, have been in place since Franklin’s “New Deal” during the 1930’s.  However, the situation we are presented with now focuses on the movement by Socialists to solve all our problems by a collective government which redistributes the fruits of the laborers’ work equally among the workers. This idea seeks to fix the situation by eliminating the upper class and balancing the wealth of the lower class.

The dangers this situation presents are innumerable, and often makes one question the ability of the success of a socialist movement. On one side of the case, Socialists argue that inherently all major business owners are corrupt due to their exploitation of the worker in the quest for ever more profit. Taking this thought into consideration, I think many of us will acknowledge the corrupt tendencies of the human individual. After all, the human person is nothing more than what he is, human; capable of falling and being motivated by selfish gains.

We live in America, the land of opportunity, where by the words of our “Declaration of Independence,” we argue against tyranny, boldly stating that man is endowed with the undeniable rights of “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” A further examination of historic documentation shows us another of the principles of American freedom and independence, particularly in reference to the ideas of private property.

Socialism brings into question all of the ideals which make up the American Dream. That is, the essential freedom which immigrants from far and near come to American in search of, opportunity. America holds that the human individual has the right to expand in business, working through his own efforts to accumulate the means with which he can attain his dream. The gaining of profit through business and work, in order that he may use such funds as he deems necessary: To support his family, to invest in business expansion, or even to gain enough of a living to live his life comfortably.

Of course, we all must be wary of the dangers which accompany such a means of gain; particularly that of corruption, thievery, and usury. All of which gain profits through illegitimate means. The American Dream is this: You gain what you desire if you work hard enough. This often is the principle of the American’s life, whether or not it is the most sound principle is what socialism questions. But how can socialism work for our country if it denies the three basic rights which we are all endowed with?

1. Life:

The right to life is considered a right of the American individual. To live his life in complete freedom and security. Free from the shackles of oppression, slavery, and labor. Safe from the dangers of war, crime, and intolerance. All according to what he wishes to guide his life by, no matter which creed, race, or political affiliation he has. This right to life is undeniable, his life is his own, not his lord’s, not his superior’s, and not the state’s. The human individual has the undeniable right to exercise all of these freedoms in his life.

Socialism provides a contrary approach. Life isn’t about what ability you have, or by which path you approach your career, or how you provide for yourself and your family. Business, the very thing which socialism wishes to destroy, becomes your master. The individual must constantly work in order to support himself, but not by reaping the benefits of his work first hand; rather, what he reaps is then forcefully taken from him by a collective government or authority. This authority in turn, through the process of ‘eliminating’ capitalist trade and competition, ‘fairly’ redistributes the product of that individual’s work where it deems necessary. Wages, if there are any, are regulated equally as well. For example, a person who is a hard and ardent worker will be paid the same amount as someone who might have no interest or motivation in that particular job at all. This brings into question the fairness that socialism so proudly proclaims. Will those who commit themselves receive what is their due? Life consists of working towards a goal and reaping the benefits of a success. If a person is to work and not receive what his labor constitutes, how is he to live his life to its fullest if he is bound under the restrictions of socialist labor?

Another aspect of the life argument is the innumerable atrocities committed by Marx-influenced authorities. One might omit the facts, as it seems they so often do, but there is no way of avoiding the truth. One openly socialist government in the 20th Century has been met with some of the greatest criticism and horror: Nazi Germany. Nazism was in itself a product of National Socialism, literally translating into the National Socialist German Workers’ Party. The life of the human individual is threatened by this idealistically coined principle, “The common good before individual good.” A careful examination of the The Program of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party reveals a frightening eye opening understanding of political and economic ideas which the Nazi’s used, and what the modern socialists wish to incorporate in their new system. On many occasions, Socialists deny these facts by claiming that the forms of socialist ideals in Nazism, Communism, and various governments throughout the world are not true Socialism because those governments consist of profit gain. If I might be bold, might I ask why don’t socialists address the countless murders, persecutions, and oppressions of the human person, and the suppression of individual freedom in these governments? The evidence is clear enough, through an analysis of socialist principle and of history itself, that socialist authority exists at the expense of the human individual. One might even say that not all socialists are Nazis, but all Nazi’s were socialists. This brings up the next question of how Socialism deals with the second right of the human individual: Liberty.

2. Liberty:

What is liberty? Citing the Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of the English Language, we have two clear definitions:

• • The state of being exempt from the domination of others or from restricting circumstances (Funk & Wagnalls).
  • The power of voluntary choice; freedom from necessity (Funk & Wagnalls).

We as Americans cling dearly to our liberty, cherishing it with the patriotism and readiness to sacrifice our very lives in the protection of it. The Declaration of Independence in itself was a move to declare the importance of the liberty of the human individual from the tyrannical reign of an absolute governmental authority. In the case of Colonial America, this tyranny was the constitutional monarchy of England.

The principles of the United States hold that we as Americans have a liberty endowed upon us, that grants us the rights to free speech, freedom of religion, and the freedom to live life as we see fit according to our individual beliefs and morals. Freedom from being oppressed by a tyrannical authority. Many people come to America in search of this liberty, where in their homelands they are faced with religious and political persecutions. More often than not, these immigrants and refugees are fleeing the very governmental systems of socialist philosophy gone wrong.

Socialism argues that the liberty of the individual rests in the security of knowing that all men are equal in their economic welfare. There is no upper wealthy class which exploits the working masses, but rather a collective system under an absolute authority which regulates economy and work on all levels of the social structure. What liberty is to be found under such circumstances? Where the very core and natural right to pursue your individual dream is regulated and controlled by a tyrannical authority? “Tyrannical Authority?” You ask? Indeed there always is in regards to Socialism.

Socialists themselves state that there is no tyranny, but rather that the collective authoritative force is put in place by the people, for the people. Is that so? Any careful examination of every Marx influenced society will prove contrary. Even the socialists themselves state that a “temporary” tyrannical force is necessary in order to start a socialist system. In response to this statement, might I ask who, or rather, what, regulates that “temporary tyrannical authority?” American liberty is built upon a system of checks and balances. So as to speak, one aspect of government control cannot gain too much power and influence due to the contrary parts of government either above or on the same level. Socialism doesn’t  have that. The governmental authority of socialism is absolute. There is no liberty to live your life as you wish, or to pursue your dreams, or enjoy the natural happiness of comfort. Your very freedom becomes nothing more than the freedom to choose between working or starving. To quote Comrade Lenin, who himself was a practitioner of Marx’s socialist philosophy, “He who does not work, neither shall he eat.”

The idea of personal liberty is replaced with the shackles of starvation. Chaining the people to the necessities to always work in order to provide for society. The danger of all of this, is that Socialism boldly accuses capitalists of exploiting, overworking and underpaying the masses; and while doing so, turns its back and commits the very same crime it denounces. Exploiting the populace by turning society at its very core into a system of production, where the only good citizen is the productive worker. Like a farmer, who must work the ground to produce the goods with which to feed his family, the state will work the individual to meet the quota necessary for society.

The liberty of the human person is under attack through Socialism. Referring to the points I highlighted in the previous note, we see that aside from the constant attack on the right to life through socialist labor, and the atrocities committed in for the sake of the ‘common good,’ we can connect those individual systems with totalitarian states, such as Nazi Germany and the U.S.S.R. What these two states have in common is the suppression of human liberty. Free speech, the right to gather in protest, and all of these values which we in America regard as ‘human rights,’ were intrinsically put to the sword.

Stalin is a perfect example of such abuses, especially in examining how he had those who opposed his regime executed as counter-revolutionaries to the Communist movement. We must remember that Communism and Socialism are in themselves different systems, but we also must remember both are based upon Marx’s principles which were put down in the Communist Manifesto. In a reflection upon all the political systems which were rooted in Marx’s work, we find that all have failed in their initiated movement; and eventually end up forming into a dictatorship that dominates the working class. Treating them as nothing more than land to be harvested.

Adolf Hitler used the same policies in Nazi Germany, with the expulsion of non-Germanic peoples, and the violent persecution of Jews. His policy of “The common good before individual good” clearly was evident in his actions. Another look at the The Program of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party will reveal that the Nazi Party was in fact working towards a suppression of free speech through a state approved media.  The question comes down to this: How can we allow socialism, a system which has clearly been known to fail, take hold of the reigns of American progress? With liberty being suppressed by the state in the name of the common good, how can man truly be free to practice what he wishes, in both thought and action? This continues on into the third point I would like to focus on, “The Pursuit of Happiness.”

3. Happiness:

What is happiness? Is it an emotion? Is it a state of life? The question is often argued, but in reality we all can at least apply a natural answer to the question. Happiness is the result of liberty and life combined. The ability for the individual to enjoy that which is his, that which he has earned, and that which is his just merit. Whether it be the comforts and pleasures of entertainment, the ownership of private property, wealth, the simplicity of family life, or the liberty to pursue our dreams, happiness is what we all yearn for.

I boldly argue now on one important factor. What does Socialism do for the happiness of the human being? In fact, Socialism does away with the economic system and adopts a common state controlled redistribution system. Where the fruits of one’s labor are never truly seen, and simply stripped away from the hands of the just worker. The very clause, “The Pursuit of Happiness” comes into question. What happens to that pursuit? If the common worker is unable to reap the benefit of his work, no matter how much effort, time, and sincerity he puts forth into it, how can he pursue his dreams?

America is based on the ideals of opportunism and the American Dream. The very essence of which motivates man to give his work his all; in order that he may gain something in return for it. The pursuit of happiness follows two major paths: religion and materialism. In America particularly, we hold dearly to these two ideals. Freedom of religion allows a person to seek out God and worship under any name and religion which he sees fit; while the material aspect of happiness allows the individual to work towards his set goals, and accumulate the wealth or possessions he desires through his arduous work.

Socialism provides an alternate approach. In the history of Socialist movements, we see a powerful atheistic attack on religion. In Russia, China and North Korea, we find that religion is persecuted, and entirely removed from the public sphere. Why? According to Marx, religion is the opiate of the people. Meaning that religion inhibits a person’s ability to devote himself to endless work of requirements of socialist labor. I don’t mean to attack atheists by my above statement, but a careful review will show that a forced attack upon man’s religious liberties is also an attack upon his individual happiness.

Taking all of these factors into equation, it comes down to an indisputable fact that Socialism tramples upon these basic rights which our Declaration of Independence enumerates. If this is so, how can we as Americans, let alone as free individuals, accept such a system of change? Reflecting upon our national and family history, many of us will realize how much our fathers and their forefathers loved our country. It was true patriotism. But this patriotism does not lie simply in a love of country, but rather in the love of freedom and liberty for which our country stands. If the men and women who served our country thought that these ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were worth fighting and shedding their blood for, who are we to steer from that course and put an end to it by adopting Socialism?

I would like to close this argument with a reference to the beginning of my  work. America is currently wrought with corruption throughout its upper class, and an ever increasing number of lower class workers. Socialism is considered an answer to this problem, but throughout this argument I show how it is not; and how socialism will simply strip the human individual of his basic rights. What it comes down to is the basic strength of the American. That is, to persevere through the most difficult  of times, in order that we may reap the bounty of a new dawn. Our country undergoes a period of trial and error every so often. Each and every time we have succeeded in overcoming those difficulties. Can we do it again? Our forefathers who died for this country thought so! Let us work together and make this country something which our countrymen will not have died in vain for. Let us turn America into something that will make them proud; and while doing so, cherish the very things which make us who we are in this world. Our life, our liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Americans (adults and children) certainly know how to celebrate traditional events such as July 4th, Thanksgiving, Halloween and Christmas, in fact any event, in true style. They completely go to town, they throw parties, dress up, put up lights and decorations everywhere, and cook feasts fit for kings. You name it, they do it, and it’s often all about the family too.

Here in the UK, all I seem to hear at the moment is people whingeing about how pointless Halloween is or how commercial Christmas is. Well Bah Humbug to them as I have always enjoyed these kinds of celebrations. And, especially since having children, I have not only realised how much fun these special occasions can be and how great it is to be with friends and family, but also, despite, being only two, how much my daughter loves them, and how her excitement directly correlates to our enthusiasm.

Pumpkins, trick or treating, spooky outfits, here we come! (I hope no one steals our pumpkin from outside our house!)

Everyone needs to cheer up a little, find some enthusiasm and get into the spirit of things!

I was asked by my brother-in-law and future sister-in-law to produce a photo for them that they can use for their Save the Dates.  All the examples here are the same photo (obviously), just different processing.  I’d love to know which one you like the best.

Facebook just create a “Gross National Happiness” indicator thanks to the analysis of positive and negative words inside user’s status updates. Then, Facebook statisticians built charts like shown below to illustrate users’ daily mood.Find out more about this new Facebook analysis, here.

En analysant les mises à jour des statuts de ses membres, Facebook a réussi à créer un indice national de bonheur appelé « GNH » (Gross National Happiness). En agrégeant les mots à connotation positive et négative contenus dans les  statuts des utilisateurs, il est possible d’obtenir l’humeur générale du jour, explique Adam D.I Kramer, statisticien chez Facebook. Les données de cette étude ont été rendues publiques le 7 octobre 2009. On peut les observer sur ce graphique :

On remarquera que les utilisateurs sont sensibles aux fêtes nationales telles que le 4 juillet, fête nationale des Etats-Unis. Au contraire, parmi les jours les plus maussades, on retrouve le 22 janvier 2008, jour de l’effondrement du marché asiatique ainsi que du décès du jeune acteur Heath Ledger. Le 25 juin 2009, jour du décès de Michael Jackson arrive en seconde position. A en voir le graphique, le moral des américains est assez changeant. Attendons que Facebook se lance dans l’analyse de l’humeur d’autres nations. Les comparaisons seront très certainement intéressantes !

Sources : 01net.com, benefice-net.branchez-vous.com

Winter is coming.  Being in the midst of autumn now, I am struck by how much goes along with the change in season.  By this, I mean how different the world that one frequents on a daily basis feels in emotional and attitudinal terms, resulting in a different perception.   Consider, for example, how different your neighborhood seems at Halloween from July 4th.  These are like different worlds.  Contrast the mental picture you have of the open and extensive fireworks grounds on an evening in the middle of summer with that of a warm house bathed in candle-light on Christmas Eve.  We don’t normally notice how different these atmospheres are because we become acclimated to each season.  We don’t tend to look back or forward across seasons. 

I must admit I am not thrilled about winter coming, though I am looking forward to walking down a shopping district street in the snow on a night during the Christmas season.   Once winter is here, I would rather have snow and no melting/slush than a warmish 35 or 40.  Of course, I could do without winter completely.  I would prefer a week visit to the seasonal world of winter. Remember the winter warlock in “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”?  “Just call me Winter,” he says.   Win for short.   “Hey, Win, cool it!”

By Independent Consultant, Michelle Glasshappy

Here are some good and helpful tips for you to prevent, stop, or even reverse global warming. Remember to do your part and incapacitate anyone who doesn’t do theirs.

1. Change your air conditioning units so that the warm air will be blown into your house and thus the outside air will be chilled.

2. Begin boiling your water so that the moisture will form clouds. Clouds can stop incident light from the sun from heating the atmosphere.

3. Breathe your CO2 into a bag only. Make sure you get a big enough bag to hold your daily CO2 exhaust. Take that bag and bury it deep into the Earth. Preferably somewhere in the Lamont Layer.

4. Don’t just light fireworks on the 4th of July. Do your patriotic duty and emit enough smoke to block out incident sunlight.

5. If you ever drive a gas guzzling vehicle, make sure you are only doing it to wreck into other people’s gas guzzling vehicles. The less cars on the road, the less CO2 emissions.

6. Reduce your caloric intake. The less calories you burn, the less CO2 you produce.

7. Run red lights. The sooner you get home, the less time your car remains idle, producing CO2 fumes.

8. Don’t produce trash. Reuse everything. You don’t want some gas guzzling truck picking up your trash.

9. Avoid friends. They may have good intentions but they will probably want you to do something that involves producing some CO2 emissions (no matter how environmental they may think they are).

10. Denial. If you deny that the Earth is actually getting warmer, you can actually find “facts” that will support your feelings that the Earth is not actually getting warmer. This will amount to your belief that reality is actually not supportive of a global warming theory.

After Savannah we stopped at Carolina Beach for a few days, to get some sun, after a quick stopover in Charleston, South Carolina. There we found an absolutely huge oak tree called The Angel Oak, estimated to be around 1500 years old (!) It was truly a fantastic sight. Then on to Raleigh, where we found an absolute jem of a campsite- probably the best one on our whole trip – for only five bucks a night each. Thats about 3 british pounds a night for a private spot with a path down to the lake, which was ten metres away. Our own private beach! It was so gorgeous we ended up spending five nights there.

We spent July 4th (American Independance Day) at Raleigh County Fairgrounds which was pretty interesting, lots of stereotypical Americans enjoying the festivities which mainly involved eating, shooting guns and fireworks. Raleigh doesn’t really have anything going on, the art gallery was uninteresting and empty, and we didn’t find any nightlife to speak of. I suppose its just a normal quiet southern town, but then again we didn’t have anyone to show us round, which as we learned later on can really make the difference.

Gareth Almberg's North Dakota National Guard Ceremony © Weatherstone/Ron Almberg, Jr. (2009)

That young soldier
rigid at attention
dressed in class A’s

that one soldier
smart in formation
pressed in cadence

that tall soldier
sharpened for our nation
stressed under command

that sharp, one, tall soldier
demands commendation
mine.

© Weatherstone/Ron Almberg, Jr. (2009)

I was privileged to spend this summer’s fourth of July with Marianne and Derek on their wedding day! They had a gorgeous wedding, a beautiful day and tons of family and friends to celebrate with them. New York is beautiful in the summer, and if you haven’t been to the finger lakes region you should definitely go some time. Derek and Marianne’s story actually begin way back in kindergarten (they really have know each other for a long time) but it didn’t really begin until they had parted ways and met back up. I love when that happens.

So, even though they’ve moved down to South Carolina, they came back up to New York for their wedding and celebrated at the beautiful Heron Hill Winery overlooking Keuka Lake.

Marianne’s something old: a handkerchief that has been passed down the family, originally making it’s debut at in 1883. I would say that qualifies as something old!

After final preparations, it was time to go to the church, where guests were arriving and soon the ceremony began.

The stained glass set the scene for a beautiful ceremony in the church. After a receiving line and an exit complete with bubbles outside, I headed over to Heron Hill with Marianne and Derek – taking the long way to stop for some photos.

This truck was completely restored by Marianne’s dad and he had it back in high school, I can’t believe how amazing it looked. They remembered him with the truck and Marianne also carried a small photo of him in her bouquet. In fact, all of the bouquets had different charms for each bridesmaid which was a great personal touch.

I love the photo above – the sky is ridiculous and there was so much color! I almost want a big canvas print of this to hang in my house and I really think they should get something large from this series to hang up! We made our way to the winery and met up with the bridal party for group photos before joining the reception.

The reception took place in a tent adjacent to the winery, and was beautiful decorated with of course a wonderful view of the lake down below.

I love the “time capsule” where they collected predictions on what they would be doing in years to come. Hilarious I’m sure! Red was the main color of the wedding and made it’s way onto the cake in these lush roses.

After dinner and speeches, Derek and Marianne made their way to the dance floor for a beautifully choreographed  first dance… and then they invited the bridal party up to break it down!

After that the dance floor opened up and was packed the rest of the night! Marianne’s grandparents took home the prize for the “generation dance” being married for the longest time, and showed their stuff on the dance floor.

I love these pictures and have to show you the ring bearer – a before and after. At the start of the wedding, he wasn’t too sure if this was going to be fun. He made it too the reception though and definitely had a good time – how can I tell? I’m going to go with the punch stain around his lips – love it!

It was time for cake cutting and Derek and Marianne brought it. I love the silhouettes and the emphasis on the action.

the party continued, and there was quite the guys went all out to get the garter. It’s not the best action shot, but I think you can get the sense that there was leaping and a mid air catch that finally took it home (the guy on the left has it in his hand). Sometimes people dread the bouquet + garter at weddings, but that was not the case at all and it made it so much more fun!

The night ended with sparklers and fireworks in the distance – a perfect 4th of July… and that is how they began their life as husband and wife. Congratulations again!

(Above: U2 encourage America to “Walk On” in a live appearance broadcast less than two weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks.)

By Joel Francis

U2’s “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” had been out for nearly a year the morning two planes slammed into the World Trade Center, another collided with the Pentagon and a fourth flight was forced into the Pennsylvania farmland.

Following the trend of “The Joshua Tree” the first three songs were released to huge acclaim as singles. It was the fourth cut, though, that found the greatest resonance. By the time “Walk On” came out in November, 2001, the song had become an unofficial anthem of hope.

When the quartet performed the song live on the “America: A Tribute to Heroes” special just 10 days after the attacks it was prefaced with the first verse of “Peace On Earth.” Written about an Irish terrorism attack, the lyrics were poignant: “Heaven on Earth, we need it now.”

The words that didn’t make the broadcast, but ended most concerts on U2’s then-current tour were just as affecting. As pictures of missing loved ones were plastered on every available surface in New York City, and the names of the departed rolled up the video boards in arenas each night, Bono sang “They’re reading names out on the radio/All the folks the rest of us won’t get to know.”

I had only been to New York City briefly at that point. On our way to Cooperstown, N.Y., to watch my childhood hero George Brett get inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999, my dad and I saw Kansas City,Mo.-native David Cone make his first start in Yankee Stadium after throwing a perfect game. He got shelled and after driving in that afternoon for the game we slept at a hotel in New Jersey.

At that time, I didn’t know Battery Park from Battery Island. But listening to Bono sing “New York,” I felt like an honorary citizen. Songs like “When I Look at the World” and “Grace” spoke to my feelings of grief and confusion. Several months later, when Bruce Springsteen released “The Rising” my soundtrack was expanded. That album ended with “My City of Ruins,” the most poignant performance on the “Tribute to Heroes” telecast. As the first anniversary of the attacks rolled around, “Into the Fire” and “You’re Missing” helped quell all the resurfaced sentiment.

If the Big Apple was largely unknown to me, the Middle East was a greater enigma. The only images I had of the region and its inhabitants were those pumped over the news. Surely that wasn’t right. Not all of these people were monsters. They were regular Joes and Janes like you and me, trying to do whatever it was they did to make ends meet and survive, right?

“Passion,” Peter Gabriel’s 1989 soundtrack to the uber-controversial film “The Last Temptation of Christ,” was filled with music from the Middle East and Africa meant to evoke the time of Christ. The instrumental album was my way of relating to the people of Afghanistan and the region that gave birth to al Qaeda and the Taliban.

These albums were my balms in 2001 and 2002. Starting the album when I backed out of the driveway, it took me exactly four cuts off “The Rising” to reach the first anniversary 9/11 memorial service in downtown Kansas City. For more than an hour, Christians, Jews and Muslims celebrated and mourned together. We weren’t three sects, we were one collective.

And then it all seemed to evaporate. The services and events of Sept. 11, 2003 weren’t quite as elaborate. Within a couple years it seemed the only experience available away from the crash sites was a prayer breakfast or moment of silence. In 2007, the day was marked by rapper 50 Cent’s boast that he would sell more copies of his new album than Kanye West. He didn’t.

I have no problem with an open marketplace on national holidays. Johnny Cash’s final album, “American V: A Hundred Highways,” came out on July 4, 2006. I can think of no artist better suited to that day, but his record was merely a window-dressing to the occasion. Heck, I made time on Sept. 11, 2001, to pick up Bob Dylan’s new release, “Love and Theft.”

I take issue, however, when ephemera overshadow history. No one cared about 50’s album. All of its singles had vanished from the charts by Thanksgiving, yet the competition he invented to sell more records eclipsed the anniversary. This year the other artist to release a masterpiece on Sept. 11, 2001, Jay-Z, was going to put out the third installment in his “Blueprint” series on Sept. 11. (Because the album leaked the date was pushed up to Sept. 8.)

A proud New Yorker, Jay-Z appeared at the Concert for New York benefit in October, 2001, and is donating all profits from his Sept. 11, 2009, concert at Madison Square Garden to the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund. If anyone gets Sept. 11, it’s Jay-Z, yet on his new album, he reduced the events to a crude metaphor for his prowess:

“I was gonna 9/11 them but they didn’t need the help
and they did a good job, them boys is talented as hell,
so not only did they brick but they put a building up as well
then ran a plane into that building and when that building fell
ran to the crash site with no mask and inhaled, toxins deep inside they lungs”

A friend recently reminded me that American culture doesn’t handle history very well. It can market the hell out of nostalgia, but history is another matter. Dec. 7, 1941, the Day of Infamy, has been reduced to a scratchy FDR soundbite. Memorial Day is for mattress sales. On top of that, the events of Sept. 11 are awkwardly unresolved. Victory has been declared, but not achieved. Were it to happen, no one in America or the Middle East has any idea what it would look like. There are no holidays, my friend said, marking the Tet Offensive or the charge at San Juan Hill. Additionally, Sept. 11 has become so politicized any organized event tied to the day is instantly and cynically scrutinized.

If record sales and a proposed day of community service aren’t the answers, perhaps the best solution is subtle one that’s somehow gone underground and survived: prayer. After all the speechifying, 8:46 and 9:03 a.m., EST, are always observed with a moment of silence. Each Sept. 11, take a moment to converse with whatever Supreme Being you believe in. Spill your guts, pause and listen for twice as long as you spoke. It might not change the world, but it could change your day.

See photos below from two Jenny Lewis concerts – the first in New York and the second in Los Angeles.

Jenny Lewis/Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band @ River to River Festival, Battery Park NYC on July 4, 2009

Jenny Lewis (with Blitzen Trapper and Ray LaMontagne) @ Hollywood Bowl, LA on July 12, 2009

(This entry was originally written on July 4th 2009)

My fellow Americans, I deeply love you and this nation. We have all strove together for 200 years and many more brethren in this nation has joined us from across the seas. Some have endured war from this nation’s feeble ages and others have endured hardships from their journey to this land America. Whoever we are in this nation I pray one thing; that we remember Jesus Christ is Lord.

This nation has been blessed with great strength and abundance. After all we are in a land where food is plentiful, our pockets are filled, and our resources seem nearly endless. But let us never forget that all this comes from the Lord’s blessings. Let us remember the Lord thy God less we lose it all. For the Lord has the power to make the richman meek and the meek a richman. With the Lord thy God’s right hand He raises empires and with His left hand, he crushes them. Nothing is out of His boundaries and control. Thus let us in America humble ourselves before the King of Heaven. The Lord who has strove with us for 200 years.

Our beloved nation has seemed to have forgotten it’s roots. Now the very name of God and His commandments are under attack by the stone in our hearts. From our hardened hearts rose a darkened flower that sprung to life evils detestable to the Lord. There was a time that the Lord smiled upon this nation and brought it out of depression, wars, and collapse. At one time we were mighty in the Word of God and spread His word and commandments across the entire globe. We once used our vast resources to spread God’s glory in many fantastic ways. But now we are sinking in vices. Where we once were a big distributer of the Lord’s Word, we have now become a big distributer of pornography. We who have not stood in the gap against these things are also guilty like me. But what has made the Lord frown upon our actions the greatest is the destruction of marriage, the introduction of homosexuality en mass, and the murder of the innocent through abortion.

My beloved countrymen; abortion should not have any place in this nation. For years the United States has liberated races and nations from bondage and slavery. From the blacks in the south all the way to the Jews in Europe. With the sacrifice of our sons, the United States has blocked the Godless ideals of communism from spreading over Europe. Even after we stood victorious over foes, we still outstretched our hand in mercy to them whom we once fought. From doing things such as reconstructing the south after the Civil War to rebuilding Japan and dropping food over Germany during the 1940s, the United States showed it’s honor. How is it then, my beloved American countrymen, that we go from doing that to killing our own children in abortion clinics? How is it we went from feeding countless starving nations to spreading the practice of medical infanticide overseas? Is it because some Godless radio personality or TV celebrity has told us it is the “right to choice”? Why have we listened to their claims of us being evil and judgmental by trying to protect the rights of children? Why have thrown away the Word of God and started listening to rich celebrities and corrupt politicians? Did not even the drafted constitutions of our nation tell us if our leaders got too corrupt we should fight back? So why is it, my brave countrymen, that we have chosen to sit back and go with the flow instead of rightfully voicing our disgust at the acts of abortion and moral decay? As Americans we were founded on the ideals of rejecting unrighteousness and that which is vile. As Americans we were founded on the ideals of resisting evil, yet now we have let evil overtake us and kill our children in the womb. I am NOT calling for anarchy and rioting, but rather we should not sit idly by and let all this happen.

My fellow Americans, do not reject the Word of God. For His Word goes for eternity and should stick whether the current generation is Godless or not. His Word should not be rejected simply because it is currently unpopular in modern day Pop-culture. His Word should not be rejected simply because 1000 Godless men in high media have told us believing in God is too primitive. Does a real American follow a group of 100 other people or does a real American walk on his own two feet?

Did you not know that even our founding fathers who were theists, agnostics, and Freemasons, still nevertheless drafted our foundations with God’s 10 Commandments? Today most of us are not even Freemasons or part of an ungodly secret society. So how is it that many of us hate and despise the Lord’s Word! Why is this so? How is it they, who had connections with heathen organizations, still found truth and validity in God’s Word? Yet we now work we do everything to rebuke God’s holy Word! We work hard to make movies that disrespect Jesus Christ, we listen to celebrities who blaspheme the Lord, we press laws that remove the 10 commandments. My fellow countrymen, we have been deceived by the enemy. And now the enemy is trying to lure us into destruction by tearing us away from God.

God loves this nation. When people say “Godbless America” it is not just a blank expression. God has blessed us in this nation with very much. But now it is up to America to chose what it will be like. Will America be like king Ramses of Egypt, or will it be like the Prodigal Son? Ramses of Egypt rejected the requests of the Lord given to Moses. In turn because of Ramses and his stubbornness, 10 plagues of destruction was bought down on Egypt. Because Ramses refused to repent and just give into the Lord God of Moses, his kingdom got destroyed with 1 plague after the other. Even when one plague hit Ramses, he still was given a chance to repent…but he didn’t. Look at us and what happened in this country. When September 11^th occurred, we were still given the chance to repent after that. When hurricane Katrina occurred, God still gave us a chance to repent. How many plagues or destructions do we have left before it is too late? Instead of being foolish like Ramses, let us be wise like the Prodigal Son. The Prodigal Son squandered his fortune and prestige that he inherited from his father. Eventually the Prodigal Son lost everything and became like a shagged homeless man. When the Prodigal Son realized his current situation, he decided it was time to return to his father. When his father saw his son return to him, he ran out to embrace him and help him. This is what God wants to do to us. God has seen us get hit by September 11^th, Hurricane Katrina, and the current economic slump. This is a sign we should return to God now! Let us, America, be like the Prodigal Son and return to our first love, Jesus Christ. Let us return to God and beg for His embrace once again. Let us turn away from such evils like abortion or homosexual marriage. Let us in America become like God’s Prodigal Son again. The son who wisely returns unto his father.

200 years ago a bunch of kids with blisters on their feet had to fight a vast army with rifles and tomahawks. But they had more than just musketry weapons with them. Many of those kids had the Lord with them as well. Because they wisely knew that in the end their muskets won’t be enough. They wisely knew they needed the Spirit of God with them if they were to have any chance of victory. He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. It is not an M-16 or Remington that will ultimately buy you your freedom. It is Jesus Christ. 2000 years ago, that Man bought us and the entire human race it’s freedom. The Lord bought us eternal freedom at His own sacrifice. Jesus Christ gave us all our independence against the tyrant Satan. So when we lose God, we lose a lot. God loves our nation and doesn’t want to see us perish. God has saw when we gave humanitarian aid to other nations. God has saw us stabilized other nations from collapse. God has saw us love our enemies and give them aid even though they formerly warred against us. But He has also witnessed how we fell away and murdered our own children and falsely called it “a woman’s right to chose”. He saw us give into the unnatural relationship of two men and falsely call it “alternative lifestyle”. God has saw us hold Him away, thus allowing evil to seep into our nation. We held Him from our schools and guns entered. We held Him from our government buildings and corruption entered. Without God’s light there is only darkness. My fellow Americans, let us not desire darkness but let us kick it out by bringing back in the Lord.

The Lord is giving our beloved nation a chance. Let us do it now and once again become ONE NATION UNDER GOD.

What is on your mind right now?  Yep, getting drunk.  This is one of the best drunk weekends of the year.  We all know the summer has 3 blackout holidays, starting with Memorial Day.  Memorial Day starts the summer right, a good blackout to pave the way for summer.  Of course there is the one day blackout for the freeing of our country on July 4th.  Cheers to the forefathers for freeing our country in the summer.  There they were in Philadelphia in March, the weather sucked, they had the redcoats on the ropes and said, “Wait, the party for this will be WAY better if we do it in July!  Someone go ask Washington if that is cool?”  Then of course the lid on the coal mine, Labor Day.  The day we celebrate working, by not working and blacking out.  People left work today like Vietnamese at the fall of Saigon, traffic is like the stretch marks on a formerly fat guy who is now skinny, hideous, and people are flooding bars just looking for that classic blackout they dream about.  Girls think, ‘Oh man I might not see that guy until next summer, I better sleep with him!’  And us guys think, ‘oh man, I hope all these girls are thinking just that.’  I know friends of mine are drunk, some probably crushing some road sodas, making their own car bar in order to beat the traffic or drinking to get rid of that vision of stretch marks, either way it sounds fun. This is why we celebrate these holidays in the summer.  There’s really no great drinking holiday in the winter quite like the summer holidays.  You have Thanksgiving Eve, of course, but high school reunions get old pretty quick.  Christmas is fun to drink if you’re alone and hate your family, but I personally like to be sober when opening gifts just in case I have to act really excited about getting a wine glass set.  Some may argue that the months of January and February offer lots of holidays, but I’ve never really heard of great parties during Columbus Day, President’s Day or Martin Luther King Jr. day.  Those are reserved for parent v. teacher conferences.  Personally, if I was sitting in a board room at Miller or Budweiser I’d turn them into drinking holidays.  Put Columbus on a can of Bud Light and who knows what could happen!?  But I digress… as everyone knows, this is the last summer blackout allowed.  So go out, do some fist pumping, do some shots, shotgun some beers, do some stair dives, embarrass yourselves and have fun.  This is a classic jam I know will be played all over.

Obama-Care, Cap and Trade, Amnesty for Illegals, Stimulus Bill, the exploding deficit, attacks on the CIA; there are so many important issues to expose in Obama’s attempt to ransack this country. But all that can wait as I’ve been quietly stewing over a post that stuck in my craw by Matthew Vadum of The American Spectator. (links below)

“The Obama White House is behind a cynical, coldly calculated political effort to erase the meaning of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks from the American psyche and convert Sept. 11 into a day of leftist celebration and statist idolatry.”

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Public Affairs 2nd Class Mike Hvozda

The solemnity of the day, filled with emotional remembrance services, reminds us of the terrible loss this country suffered and the visceral threat of terrorism. It honors everyone who perished and the brave first responders who toiled for weeks in rescue and recovery missions. September 11th ceremonies also give tribute to our Armed Forces who continue to fight and die to defend our liberty.

Instead of memorializing September 11th for what it is, President Obama wants to change it to a National Day of Service. Led by one of his “Czars”, “Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality”, Van Jones. Yes, that Van Jones, who has been unmasked as another America-Hater, by Glenn Beck.

On August 11th, at the White House, several Obama Administration officials — including Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, and Department of Energy Under Secretary Kristina Johnson — and members of Green the Block held a press conference.

“The first milestone for Green the Block will be on our National Day of Service, September 11, 2009, where we will organize Green the Block service events around the country in coordination with the President’s initiative, United We Serve.”

“The plan is to turn a “day of fear” that helps Republicans into a day of activism called the National Day of Service that helps the left. In other words, nihilistic liberals are planning to drain 9/11 of all meaning.
“They think it needs to be taken back from the right,” said the source. “They’re taking that day and they’re breaking it because it gives Republicans an advantage. To them, that day is a fearful day.”, says Vadum.

There is a lot that bothers me about Obama, but it is his contempt for you and I and this nation’s traditions that irritates me the most. Last May the 7th,  on the National Day of Prayer, our Hypocrite-in-Chief observed the occasion “privately”, instead of a ceremonial prayer service as Presidents have done for the last 57 years.

But on August 20th, President Obama wished a blessed Ramadan to Muslims around the world in a web video, “May God’s Peace Be Upon You”.

The day before Obama met with Christian leaders and teleconferenced with a 1000 Rabbis in another desperate attempt to sell his failing health care takeover. ‘We are God’s partners in matters of life and death’, he told them — from the same man who supports abortion and infanticide. Unbelievable.

President Obama flips from a “non-believer”, to a devote Christian to “we are a Muslim nation”, it all depends on what he’s selling that day.

We were warned that he was a leftist radical, but it didn’t matter then. Now that he is moving this country in a dangerous direction away from what our founder’s intended, it is time to make him stop.

Our voices need to be heard not only at Town Hall sessions or Tea Party demonstrations but in the very halls of Congress. We have to speak out to stop the desecration of September 11th, because the next date Obama will try to obliterate will be July the 4th.

Posted 2100PT
autone.wordpress.com

National Dog Day is celebrated every August 26th and is an opportunity for us to recognize and appreciate the value and importance of dogs in our lives.

• The first goal is to honor dogs for all that they do for us.
• The second goal of National Dog Day is to rescue dogs in need.

National Dog Day offers us an opportunity to recognize all the dogs that perform tasks everyday in the service of mankind.  Whether it is to assist law enforcement, serve as a guide for a blind companion, or searching for someone lost in the woods, dogs perform tasks that keep us safe and bring comfort every day.  This is an opportunity to recognize those dogs for their work, their capacity for love and their unquestioning patience and loyalty.

Additionally, National Dog Day strives to bring to the attention of all Americans, the millions of dogs that are destroyed each year because they are unwanted.  It encourages Americans who are considering purchasing a companion to only deal with reputable breeders or to get their pet from local shelters and rescue groups.

National Dog Day is intended to serve as a “K9-4th of July” of sorts, and it hopes to draw attention to these wonderful animals!

For further information, visit:

http://www.nationaldogday.com/about.htm

• Throw a doggie costume contest
• Get married and include your dog
• Schedule a professional photo shoot for your dog
• Get your dog some yummy treats
• Make something special treat for your dog
• Let your dog be lazy and sleep all day
• Get your dog a new toy
• Buy your dog a new bed
• Dress your dog in red, white and blue and let everyone know it’s national dog day!
• Donate $5 to your local shelter or dog rescue organization

ADOPT, ADOPT, ADOPT, ADOPT, ADOPT!

For some fun activities for kids, visit:

Crayola.com Calendar National Dog Day

A Couple of Fun Recipes for Your Dog!

Try this easy recipe for a cool treat for your dog on these hot summer days:

Yogurt Pups

16 ounces plain nonfat yogurt
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
Dissolve bouillon in water, Combine water and yogurt in blender and
blend thoroughly, Pour into small containers for freezing, cover and
freeze.

An Apple a Day Dog Treat

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 apple — chopped or grated
1 egg — beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
3/8 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with vegetable oil
spray. Lightly dust work surface with flour. Blend flours and cornmeal
in large mixing bowl. Add apple, egg, oil, brown sugar and water; mix
until well blended.
On floured surface, roll dough out to 7/8-inch thickness. Cut with
cookie cutters of desired shape and size. Place treats on prepared
sheet.
Bake in preheated oven 35 to 40 minutes. Turn off oven. Leave door
closed 1 hour to crisp treats. Remove treats from oven.
Store baked treats in airtight container or plastic bag and place in
refrigerator or freezer.
MAKES 2 to 2 1/2 dozen

Enjoy!  And HAPPY NATIONAL DOG DAY!