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Isn't it Time to Move On, America?

1/31/2020

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Over recent weeks in that beautiful American building we call our Capitol, first in the chambers of the House of Representative and then in the United States Senate, Americans have been served up a distasteful "sandwich" of charges, rants, accusations and more packaged as facts in an improperly developed set of charges with a lack of transparency and due process masqueraded n the end as Articles of Impeachment. Those articles were largely drawn up in secret, then passed by a partisan vote and held for some unexplained reason, only to be finally submitted to the Senate for trial thirty-three days later.  And now, after arguments have been presented and questions have been submitted by the jurors (United States senators) and answered, the House prosecutors are demanding more time to put forth more witnesses to help them finish their trial preparations and materials which were woefully inadequate. In reality, they were half-baked. So, what is going to happen this afternoon and tonight?

Recent conjecture is that the Republicans very well might hold together and fight off the demand for more witnesses and, if that transpires, the vote will be held and the President will surely be acquitted. Even if there are more questions allowed, it is almost an absolute certainty that President Trump will be acquitted, for with Republicans having fifty-three Senators and the Democrats only forty-six plus one Independent who caucuses with them, the possibility of a total of sixty-seven Senators voting for removal is not going to happen. So, why are the Democrats so hellbent on continuing this process, a process which had its birth right after Donald Trump came down the elevator in the Trump Tower in New York to announce his candidacy in 2015?  Every possible negative action in any political playbook has been thrown at the President since that date and not only did he win the election in 2016 in a massive upset, but he is right now set to win again and the opposition just can't stand it.

Many Americans, myself included, didn't vote for Barack Obama, who preceded President Trump in the prior eight years, yet there was no push for his removal despite many highly questionable actions such as Fast and Furious, the Internal Revenue Service scandal, Benghazi and many more.  We held our fire and vowed that a change would be made and when Donald Trump came on the stage, we recognized that he was the man to provide that change. What's more, he developed a list of campaign promises which he has kept front and center in his Presidency, yet those who want to remove him and destroy his name knew that as well as we did.  But they just can't handle it and refuse to admit that he defeated Hillary Clinton.  Sure, he has some significant personality faults as do all humans, but Americans who voted for him voted for him because of what he promised  in his campaign and he is delivering.  He's weathered a Special Counsel investigation which is now beginning to show many violations of law and now is about the be exonerated in an impeachment trial for removal.  He has had a ninety-nine percent level of adverse press coverage by a media that feeds the animosity with gusto, yet when he holds a huge rally even in Blue New Jersey over one hundred and twenty thousand request tickets and then the large overflow crowd weathers the cold outside while hoping to catch a glimpse of him on the way in our out.  No Democrat or other Republican could do that.  Those in disagreement with him can cut him off of the TV or refuse to admit what is going on, but they just can't stop him and they can't stand it.

Do you remember when Nancy Pelosi was working hard to capture the mid-term House majority and pledged that her effort would be to do the people's business and not to spend all her time going after the President? Well, she was not being honest and the result has been her party goes into the election cycle with nothing positive to show for themselves except trying to destroy Trump. And they are losing badly.  It won't be long before we find that out  and therefore, for the good of the country and their own sanity, I hope they will choose to act in a way that will help America heal instead of adding to the animosity.  America deserves better than that and I think if they do, the President will respond with grace. He began his Administration that way until it was made clear to him that the opposition had no such intention and what we've seen just began. Let's end it, put it to be and work for the nation.

And I'll close with one final comment. Do you remember after President Obama defeated John McCain, the President was holding a meeting with leaders of both parties, including McCain? The President asked for ideas and McCain offered one, to which Obama shook his head and said, "I won, you lost, John."  The Democrats needs to finally acknowledge the fact that they lost and Donald Trump won.  Chew on that one for awhile.

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DON'T YOU THINK A LITTLE PEACE AND SERENITY IS IN ORDER?

1/30/2020

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God gives us peace and serenity naturally follows.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.  And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
                                                                    - Phillipians 4:6-9 (NLT)


Life today is loaded with stress.  We go through busy days and face constant and relentless changes and then, when we go home, all we see on TV is strife, conflict and continuously loud talking heads telling us what we have seen which is completely different from what we think we saw. The age of jet travel and instant communications, while offering quick solutions to some things, creates many more.  And while we so often think we can handle whatever we face on our own, we quickly find that it just isn't that easy. Then we worry, sometimes with good reason but often about things we cannot control and it causes us anguish, can adversely impact sleep, with the result being we start out our next day already exhausted and then the process endlessly completes itself.  While we go through all of this, we fail to open our hearts to realize we really don't have to do this.  There is an answer that will give us peace which can give us peace and bring tranquility which can allow us to rest.

The Apostle Paul, writing to the Christians in Philippi in the verses which open this commentary, knew how to quell the anxiety and the pain it can cause.  He knew because he had been just like we are, going about his day perform a brutal assigned job with all of his energy until he had his wake up moment. On the road to Damascus to capture Messianic Jews who had taken up refuge in a foreign land, his mission was to bring those lawbreakers back to Jerusalem for imprisonment.  Suddenly, however, things changed as he was overcome by the Light of Life and actually saw Jesus, who spoke to him.  Those with him thought he had a stroke or some other malady, for he was in a state of what they thought delusion.  They carried him on to Damascus where he was put to bed and, just a few days later, he realized that he had been changed by the Lord.  Paul, now destined to be a great missionary for the budding faith, was now committed to passing on what he had been given to others and he spent the rest of his life spreading the Good News all over the lands bordering on the northeast and northern shores of the Mediterranean.

At the time of the passage quoted, he was in prison. Now Paul spent time in a number of prisons, but the most accepted location according the scholars is that he was imprisoned in home confinement in Rome in 61 A.D. at the time of the writing of Philippi.  It was in Rome where he would ultimately be put to death by Caesar but at the time of the writing, he was able to continue his mission work to anyone who came to visit him.  His letter to the Philippians was to tell them where he had been and his plight but primary to explain the joy he had in his heart and the peace he felt due to his personal relationship with God.

So, how can that be of benefit to those of us who find ourselves stressed and lose sight of the real solution that will give us peace and resulting tranquility? Well, just read the words or, better yet, read the entire book of Philippi. It's only four chapters in length and it provides so much of the peace, love, joy and wisdom that Paul attained through his special relationship with the Lord.  We can do that, too, if only we open our eyes, read the Good Book and pray with an open mind and allow the chains to fall away from our hearts and let the Holy Spirit out from within us.  Then, like we see here from Paul, no matter what we face, no matter how painful and difficult it might be, we can deal with it with a smile on our face if we just turn it all over to the Lord.  There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that God can't do and in this case, if we believe that and live it, when the trials of earthly living are done, we will join Him in His Kingdom for eternity.  That sounds like perfection to me and it can be for others as well.  Try it, you might like it and it will capture your soul.

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WILL THE JURY BE THE PROVIDER OF EVIDENCE?

1/29/2020

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Chief Justice John Roberts, Presiding Officer
 The prosecution and the defense in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump have now completed their presentations and the Senate moves to two days of questions by Senators for both the prosecution and defense.  For sixteen hours, questions submitted in writing to the Presiding Officer, Chief Justice John Roberts, will be asked and answered, after which the direction that will ultimately be followed will be determined.  Will the Senate move to the question of voting for either an immediate acquittal or removal of the President from the office he holds or will they continue the case for an undetermined time to allow more evidence to be considered? It's a big question and it is both a tricky and a questionable one in this particular case for the evidence submitted thus far clearly fails to meet the difficult standards of the Constitution for removing a President. Professor Dershowitz and most of the other attorneys for the defense admirably explained why. And what makes that very clear came by surprise and it was spoken by a Democratic Senator who let the cat out of the bag. When interviewed near the end of the defense response, Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal said that they need more witnesses because they have no evidence from the prosecution's case presentation.

Now I'm sure some won't understand how that can be, but if you paid attention to both the House impeachment proceeding and their presentation at trial, it is clear that their evidence is nothing more than hearsay, conjecture, opinion and feelings. It does not meet the standards of a normal court proceeding and had it been in a federal courtroom the judge would have thrown it out and chastised the prosecutor for bringing the case to trial in the first place. What's more, in the House hearings, the President was afforded no due process which is guaranteed by the Constitution. He was not allowed to have his attorney present, to challenge evidence submitted or to call his own witnesses. What's more, even when his representatives in the House were allowed to ask questions, they were cut off in mid sentence if and when Congressman Adam Schiff, the Democratic leader for the hearings, decided he didn't want to allow it.  He served as judge, jury and in that particular case, executioner in the House proceedings which failed to meet any standard of honor or decency.  And now, with the presentations over, the Democratic Senate Majority Leader has the audacity to say that they need fairness in the Senate. Well, they've had fairness. They've been afforded the opportunity to hear the prosecution's case, the prosecutors being the House team who submitted the articles of impeachment. The Senators, all one hundred of them from both sides of the aisle, are the jury. So, the question becomes: Does the jury have the responsibility for providing witnesses to prove the case for a hapless prosecution, one bereft of evidence of something they are charging that isn't even in the federal code? That is the question.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has now gone so far as to say that he will allow the evidence they say they seek to be reviewed privately if it comes to that. And after the House's often secret determinations in a basement bunker in the impeachment process, McConnell wants anyone who wants to read the documents to do so in a confidential environment and not take copies with them. Fair enough considering the selective leaking which took place in the House.  But, of course, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has voiced his usual outrage about this suggestion, claiming it has to be open and transparent, as if he has ever  been open and transparent about anything.  Then there is also talk about having more witnesses, but the Democrats want to limit it to the prosecution. They don't believe the defense should be allowed any more witnesses, which again shows the double standard with which the Democrats have operated toward the Trump Administration in every action they have proposed.  So what will all of this lead to on top of the original question and how much time will it take? Well, I guess Mitch McConnell will show us if he is really the master of strategy that so many claim he is, but if this turns out to degenerate into something that could only be drawn up by someone as jaded as Adam Schiff, then the Chief Justice, as the Presiding Officer needs to step in and put the lid on things. Will he do so? I have my doubts.

One thing is for certain, however, and it really can't be changed. If the Senate demurs to the House and resurrects their case which was worse than shabby, the reverberations will last for a long time and this entire process needs to be ended.  Donald Trump has done nothing more than what he promised when he issued his own version of the Gettysburg Address last summer from Gettysburg.  He is the only President that I can remember who has actively tried to carry out his platform and has been quite good at it despite the constant haranguing by the Democrats and the American bureaucracy. Yes, Trump is outlandish, but he can't get his message out any other way and no man has ever entered the White House with an opposition party that was already working on removing him from office. If America lets this happen, America as we know it is over. Is that what we Americans want? I truly don't believe it is and I believe that in my heart, but everyone must come to that decision and decide if he or she wants freedom or tyranny, for that's what the unjust and unconstitutional process leading to the removal of a President will likely generate. I just hope and pray that everyone realizes that fact and that's why I have chosen to write this commentary. It's time to wake up, regardless of your political persuasion and realize that the wrong decision on this will push America over the tipping point from which she can likely never recover . God bless America and may she ever be free.

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RELAX, CALM DOWN AND THINK: Talk with the Mightiest of Help

1/28/2020

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He'll be with you through the easiest and toughest of issues.
Sunday night I let things really get to me.  I learned that I couldn't get into my Amazon author page or my Kindle design page which meant I couldn't make any changes or additions to my materials or even my active books. What's more, I was precluded from ordering additional author copies or checking my statistics regarding how my books were doing.  I was on the phone with them for nearly two hours, and the customer service agent was really trying to help, but nothing worked.  He said that if they couldn't resolve the issue, that I could create a new account, but that would mean that my existing page with all my books listed would be open but I could no longer access it. I would, therefore, have to recreate everything on a duplicate basis, confusing any of my followers or readers as they tried to peruse my materials. That was an unworkable solution. Finally, I decided to give it up for the day and just go to bed and see if maybe things would be better in the morning.

I awoke refreshed on Monday, determined to get to the center of the problem and get things up and running again, but again, a major pitfall stood in my way. Now I couldn't get into anything on the computer despite my system showing all was connected and running correctly. I contacted the satellite provider by phone and was walked through diagnostics. After another hour, I was told that the system checked out at their location and for some reason things weren't going through a step to connect. The technician suggested I contact Microsoft and perhaps they could help. I decided that I would first see if simple me could figure it out and so I turned on our old, spare computer, captured a couple of my logs ins and tried playing around with what was online and see if anything came of it.  I had a few ideas, but before I could see them through, my wife came home and I decided to sleep on it one more night and if I couldn't get it running by mid-morning the next day, I would surrender and call the so-called experts.  Like I used to do when I was in school and studying for a big test, I fell asleep pondering the dilemma to see if what worked then to turn the light bulb of my brain on like it did back when.

On this beginning of the third day without internet service, I finally had an idea. I remembered two things that would help and pursued my challenge accordingly. First, I had noticed of late that every time a large new update to Windows 10 was automatically installed, the odds were the system also automatically changed a few settings. Now I don't know why that was the case, but, indeed it was so, I double checked the settings on the old computer since they worked and then went into the new computer and reset the settings, for I was still able to get into anything that wasn't from the internet or the cloud.   I tested my theory and, voila, it worked and about eight this morning I was back in the saddle again.  Oh, I am still in the process of setting new passwords, some of which were lost in the fray, but I'm getting there and then I called Microsoft customer service and reported the issue. I was advised they were aware that some of the new updates did have errors that were causing issues for customers and they were working on it.  I almost said something, but I decided not to, yet I still am wondering why they didn't have the courtesy to advise all of us with Windows 10 since I am sure many others must have dealt with the same issues. It was better,however, and I'll tell you why.  You see, this was just another example of how so many of us have become slaves to the internet for so much of what we do in business as well as in our personal lives.  I think there is quite a lesson to be learned from this, and similar experiences.

I'm sure there are times when God is looking down on us and our dependence on technical devices and programs and He probably is gently shaking His head. Why, oh why, He probably asks, why are my children so prone to count on things done by mere mortals instead of me?im. Actually, He probably just chuckles, realizing that is why we need Him so much. I don't know about you, but I think that is something to think about long and hard. And I think that I will redouble my efforts in such situations to walk and talk with Him as a I seek the answers to how to navigate the way to the solution.  After all, there isn't anything we are or have that does not owe its very existence to Him, the Creator of everything.  When we realize that and act accordingly, we'll be able to find the way with His help to get the answers we need and avoid getting stressed or upset. Meanwhile, I'll keep working on getting all of my passwords and others links back in order but I will try not to expect any man-made convenience to be perfect and foolproof, for those of us who create and use such services are anything but perfect.  Now go have a blessed day.

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SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN: Didn't Dad Tell You Not to Fib?

1/26/2020

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Dear Old Dad was always right, or else.
How many of us remember as a child telling a parent a fib? More often than not it came from doing something wrong and, when cornered by the truth, we tried to fib, actually, lie our way out of it. But our parents, always wise from the experience they had, stayed on the case until we confessed.  Even when it was about something small, it still made us feel bad and, more often than not, the feeling of disappointing our parents was worse than the punishment.  I would bet that situation happened in some fashion for all of us.  I know it happened to me and it was used by my parents to instill two of the great Ten Commandments in my psyche: Thou Shall Not Lie and Honor Thy Mother and Father.  It was a great learning event and it had great impact. 

I also, however, remember a boy in our neighborhood who never had that learning experience. Over time, his fibs became "whoppers" and got worse with age, yet his mother always made excuses for him and he never learned his lesson.  By the time we graduated from high school, he was well on his way to a life of ruin and the last time I heard about him he was serving a long term in prison for grand theft auto.  He was the extreme case, never having been held accountable for his falsehoods when they were small and they just grew until his conscience no longer mattered.

Today, we see lying as an acceptable action by many who, for whatever reason, were not properly brought up or went "sour" for some other reason we don't know.  Parents not brought up right often become parents who think anything goes and they pass it on to their offspring as well. When good moral values are not instilled and there are no adverse consequences for doing things which are not right, what could have been a good life becomes a playground for the Devil's workshop.  My own theory is that  evil is nurtured when we turn our backs on God and His adversary runs rampant on earth.  I base that on watching the coarseness of modern society and the lack of concern for so much of today's human behavior as we are told that all things are relative and there are no absolutes.

Yesterday's "my word is my bond" has been replaced by the formal contract, often written in a way that no one other than a lawyer can understand it.  Children learn that as long as they are successful by society's standards, cheating is okay.  In fact, we even have parents committing bribery with college officials to to make their own ambition for their child to come true at their dream college.  Businessmen talk about customer service for the things they sell and then make customer service a nightmare to navigate when a problem rises.  And then, of course, there are politicians who feel perfectly comfortable running for office with a campaign of lies and then trying to "sneak" legislation through the legislative hopper primarily for their own benefit, not on behalf of those they are sworn to represent.  These are just a few examples of where the original fib leads if left uncorrected and unchecked and it can be found as normal operating procedure in much of modern life today.

Now having said that, yes, there are many good people out there who try to do what is right and live by the Golden Rule, but there are way too many who don't and, frankly, I think it is attributable to that loss of God in so many lives.  After all, God offers tried and true rules for the road, like the Ten Commandments, which provide stability for a society and a means to a good conclusion.  When we tell the truth, instead of lies, we live in a way where we do what is right and good and that always makes us happier in the end, even if it keeps us from taking the easy road to where we think we want to be. Good, honest hard work is good for the soul.  But societal success, when it is the culmination of a fraudulent course of action in our lives, never truly bring happiness for, in the end, it destroys our soul. When the soul is dead, the human body isn't far behind and it results in darkness forever.

Contrast that with a life based upon the Light of Truth.  When we accomplish things the right way, based upon hard work with the help of God in our life, not only are we at peace in our lives, we find that we will end up in God's Light for Eternity in a place so wonderful in its beauty that it is beyond human comprehension.  And we will inherit a new body where pain and suffering, hunger and thirst never occur.  So, make the right decision. Choose Truth and Light in your life with God at the center.  It will never fail you and you can break all those bad habits and traits that began with that little fib, and the big ones that followed in your life, will be forgiven and washed clean.  Have a blessed day.

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When Charges and a Trial Become Nothing More Than a Bad Joke

1/24/2020

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Chief Justice Roberts swears in the jury, the United States Senate.
The trial of a President of the United States is something that should never be taken lightly.  After all, any attempt to remove a sitting President by means other than an election rubs at the "craw" of most American who feel, rightly so, that a decision of that nature is one that should be left for the people to make. And with only a little over nine months until the next election, many are wondering why in the world is this happening.  In the two hundred and thirty one years that the United States has had a Chief Executive, only three, including Donald Trump, have been tried, with a fourth resigning before he was brought to trial. In the case of the three, the first two, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were acquitted and it certainly appears clear that Mr. Trump will also be acquitted quite quickly.  Why?  Because the trial that is underway has, after two of the three days of the prosecution's case, has failed to provide the proof of any such high crimes or misdemeanors being committed by the President.  Instead, we have second, third and even fourth person hearsay offered as evidence while the government is at a stalemate because of an event that should be rare, solemn and dignified and instead is showing itself as a national joke.  It is even indicated by the low number of those watching or listening, less than half of those who followed the Kavanaugh hearings, another fiasco.

When Adam Schiff took to the podium to introduce the two charges against Donald Trump before the jury, consisting of the United States Senate, he said that the trial would prove conclusively that Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress had been committed by President Donald J. Trump. What he failed to mention is that neither charge is included in federal code and in the case of the way they are using the charge against Congress, it violates the President's right to request judicial review, which he did at the time.  Then Schiff proceeded in his comments to discuss the charges by saying that Trump was guilty, refusing to acknowledge that they were only allegations until such time as a guilty verdict is obtained. Other House manager parading before the cameras have used that same playbook. So, now with two days down and only one to go as they try to make their case, I expect more of the same; more of the same words, more of the tapes from the impeachment hearings and more statements about guilt that have in no way been proven. And remember, those tapes that show lots of criticism of Trump by government employees supporting their own interest, all end with statements that no one can say that Trump violated the law in anything he did.

Beginning tomorrow, the President's team takes the floor to make the case for why there is no basis for impeachment and no proof of high crimes and misdemeanors by the President.  This will be the first time that either body of Congress has allowed him that basic right, thanks to a process employed by the Democrats which has never been used before.  We've been through weeks of impeachment hearings where the President was offered no opportunity to defend himself and call for witnesses and his party was only allowed to speak with the approval of Chairman Schiff in the impeachment process.  In a number of cases, the speaker was even cut off in mid-sentence as King Adam and his minions violated all principles of fair play.  And then, with the two articles of impeachment forwarded to the Senate, Schiff and Jerrold Nadler, the two committee chairs which led the effort, both say they have a slam dunk case. Yet, however, they say they now need more witnesses.  I think that presents a case for stupidity, for can you imagine a prosecutor going to trial and asking the judge to get the jury to give him more evidence?  I don't think so and neither do they, if they would only be honest. So, let's listen to the three days (maybe less) of the President's legal team presentations and see where we are. Since most Americans have heard none of it and, of course, the mainstream media won't cover it, in my humble opinion that should likely be enough.  But we'll have to see what the four Republican amigos decide about how much more they want to hear. Hopefully, this stain on American politics will soon be shuttered for good.

All I can say for certain is that the Framers never had in mind such a jaded effort to use impeachment on strictly political ideology as a way to get rid of a duly elected Chief Executive. Sadly, it may have just created a precedent where every President going forward faces impeachment.  Wouldn't that be a sad state of affairs for a Congress which already has trouble focusing on the things that they need to pay attention? Only time will tell, my friends.  

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Maybe Sometimes We Just Need to Get Away From it All!

1/22/2020

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Ugly words being spoken in groups formerly civil, growth of abusive language in public, lack of respect for authority, blaming someone else for it all, lack of freedom, individualism thrown out the window to be replaced by tyranny and even false prophets capturing religious organizations where the Word just doesn't seem to represent what we feel it should.  And the list goes on and on of things that have changed in society and not for the good.  In today's America, there are those who want to tinker with everything using what they call  social engineering, changing things in ways we just feel and know are not right in our society and the chaos they create in the way we live impacts all aspects of our society and our politics.  So what's a person supposed to do?

Well, the first thing required is to keep our heads screwed on and maintain our sanity, for it's easy to get so concerned that we can't even think.  There is no one way that is the best, but look for something that you enjoy in your life, something that is also productive and keeps you thinking clearly, and then you can deal with those sordid things around you, especially if you maintain the strength of your faith in God. There are no situations or problems in this world that He can't help you with and solve, but if we instead allow our minds to be so cluttered with the nonsense that surrounds us, we'll never get anywhere.  So, take it to God and ask Him for help through prayer and it is doable. Then take a break from it all and focus on something in your life that truly makes you happy and the storm can be dealt with.

No one else can tell you what does that for you, but for me, it's writing.  When I write, I can escape all my troubles and just let my mind freely wander and take me where I want to goe, if only for a little while.  And I'm not necessarily talking about writing books, but even such things as a free-wheeling blog like this one.  I can think about an issue or a joy in my life and then just put it down on paper.  The process of writing it down just brings it all out in the open and then, when it is there to read, my head is clear. Sometimes I read it and throw it away, other times I share it with others like I am doing here but, either way it does free the soul and sometimes it is of value to others as well.  And I find that when it is done in conjunction with turning those things over to God in the process, I am freed up to clearly focus.  When we are successful in focusing on things with God guiding us, it is truly amazing what we can accomplish amazing while also being at peace.

So, yes, pay attention to all those things going on that seem just not right, but work on the ones you can do something about and clear the rest out of your head. And whether it's reading, writing, a hobby or even a bit of exercise taking a walk or a jog down a beautiful country lane enjoying nature, do something to get the nonsense of a chaotic society and body politic out of your head, at least for a while.  You'll feel better, life will look better, others will appreciate you more and enjoy your company and tomorrow will be a brighter day, a day when you can do something positive to make things better as well.  Try it.  After all, what have you got to lose?

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When the Torch of Liberty Stays Lit

1/21/2020

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Keeping the Torch of Liberty shining brightly requires each of us to keep it alive in our hearts.
We Americans are a wonderful and resourceful but sometimes forgetful lot.  We work hard, try to do what is right and care for our families, yet sometimes we forget a most important aspect of what we believe. We forget how important our freedom is and what would happen if we lose it.  But then, something comes along that jogs our memory and we come together in large numbers and get two work to make sure we retain the way of life we love.  That's what happens when the TORCH OF LIBERTY STAYS LIT. It may have been in a dormant mode, but when a semblance of it stays aflame in our heart, the power of the TORCH OF LIBERTY burns brightly again.

Now this isn't something that has just come up recently, no, it has been an issue for us since even before our nation was officially created. Even as Colonies far from their parent nation across the Atlantic, the  American subjects of the Crown tried to live by faith in communities that tried to maintain peace, yet they lost sight of what was happening to them from their King. Instead of being treated as equal value Englishmen, they became nothing but an asset to be exploited with no redress of grievances.  So, after having coming to America to live a better life, they decided that they must disavow their King and forge a path of their own by declaring themselves free. Why? Because that's what happens when the simmering light of a better future causes the TORCH OF LIBERTY STAYS LIT.

Later, when internal division threatened to permanently tear America apart,  a great leader led the effort to end the rebellion after four long years and when in the aftermath, it looked like the defeated might end up forever in a state of martial law governance, the light of freedom saw its way to the rebirth of a nation of equals which made the nation even stronger thereafter. That's what happens when the fire of the TORCH OF LIBERTY STAYS LIT.

Even later, in the twentieth century, the United States fought in two world wars, with the second even being against two determined opponents on opposite sides of the world at once and prevailed.  It was costly and bloody, but it was accomplished. How? Because the hope of the flame of liberty refused to be totally extinguished and that's what happens when the TORCH OF LIBERTY STAYS LIT. And in so doing, we taught the vanquished how to govern themselves in a way that treated their citizens to a dose of freedom as well.

Today, that same TORCH OF LIBERTY is under dramatic pressure from those among us who say that liberty isn't even important.  But as evidenced by things such as the event yesterday in Richmond, Virginia where constitution-loving citizens gathered together to tell a misguided Governor to stop the madness, the TORCH OF LIBERTY STAYS LIT.  And the TORCH OF LIBERTY STAYS LIT  in the hearts of all Americans who refuse to sit and will remain standing for a government that is representative of the people and must work with the consent of the governed.  Any effort to change that concept of governance, of which there are many, will be vigorously opposed and ultimately defeated as long as the TORCH OF LIBERTY STAYS LIT.

So, good Americans, we must stay alert and vigilant and never succumb to the easy way that so many promise with a smile on their face as they plan to fleece our pockets. For there is no easy way to freedom. Freedom require hard work and dedication, sometimes even blood, but as long as good people in great numbers are willing to commit to the cause and a way of life that is the essence of the American experiment in self-governance, we will make sure that the TORCH OF LIBERTY STAYS LIT.  And that, my friends, will retain our freedom. God bless America and may she ever be free.

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SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN: The Meaning of Trust and Obey

1/19/2020

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The beauty and glory of heaven await those who trust and obey.
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey. 
  • Refrain:
    Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
    To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
     
                                   - First verse of Trust and Obey by John Sammis, 1887

TRUST AND OBEY.  Two words which tell us a lot about what our Lord and Savior expects of us and that first verse of the nineteenth century hymn of that name by John Sammis tells us simply how to make our lives happy, by trusting and obeying the Lord.  There is no other way to reach the ultimate in happiness, and it is the only way to achieve Eternal Life.  Some disagree and think they can get total happiness on their own, yet when all goes downhill for them as it often does for any of us as well, when true solace is what we need, only God is always there for us. When we trust someone, we listen to what they say they will do and believe that they will do so, while to obey means we do those things that are expected of us. We Christians state routinely that we believe both the requirements to trust and obey the Lord, yet in our very lives we often come up so short. After all, it is easy to say we trust and will obey Him when things are going well, but when the bottom falls out, we often turn to a quick fix and false solution that ultimate solves nothing.  The guidance of the Lord is usually not a quick fix, but when we listen and follow, the solution comes, sometimes in ways we never expected and it works.

Today, many of us think that something is dreadfully wrong in both America and the world and we seek quick fixes.  A child gets shot and we think that more gun control will eliminate the problem.  When the weather is bad we think we can sign on to the concept of man-made global warming, yet generations later we find that not only are we still here, but billions of dollars have been fraudulently spent and frittered away. Some even believe that allowing a child to be born and then putting it to death is somehow legitimate aspect of women's rights, not murder and that a high official has the right to make edicts that violate every concept of the freedom that we Americans have been granted from none other than God Himself.  We are even jaded enough to think that we can will a gender on ourselves or others or even create new ones, despite the Creation of man and woman as the only biological forms of human beings.  And, we expect politicians to solve all of our problems based upon their promises, yet later nothing has changed but we find out that, once again, we have been used for their personal gain. Then we repeat the same mistakes over and over while God must look down on us in total amazement about how foolish we truly are with our own free will.

But God the Father, Jesus His Son and Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit who dwells inside us are, as the Holy Trinity, always are there for us and waiting for us to call.  They stand ready to help on a moment's notice yet we often disappoint them. Instead, we so often look to other mortals for the answers. Why not trust in God and obey His wishes and give it a chance to change our lives? Pick up the Bible and read the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes or even the special discussion of the importance of love in 1 Corinthians chapter 13. If you have no idea where to look to find their location, go online, try the Topical Bible or some such source and it can find it for you quickly. Or just Google it, and it will help you as well. Don't keep barking up the wrong tree and get curious and do some research. And when you read it, ponder it, and read again. The Spirit will work His magic and open your heart if you give it a try.  What do you have to lose?  Nothing.  But you can gain eternity. I hope if you haven't already come to a positive conclusion, you'll give it a try. And be blessed this day and just know that God loves you and each of us. He must have to offer up His Son for us.

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THE TRIAL OF PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP: What to Look For Next Week

1/17/2020

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The U.S. Capitol: site of the trial of President Trump
 On Thursday, January 16, 2020, Representative Adam Schiff, the leader of the prosecution, and his six additional team members formally hand-carried two Articles of Impeachment for delivery to the Senate.  The first article was Abuse of Power in dealing with the Ukraine and the second was Obstruction of Congress.  The first is certainly something that the Senate can deal with honestly but the second, quite frankly, cannot really even be considered from a constitutional standpoint.  Trump didn't refuse to deal with the House, in fact, he had probably more openness and accessibility to Congress in his dealings than any other modern President, but using his executive privilege powers, he referred the matter to the courts to decide. The fact that the Democrats didn't want to wait, saying that it was too important even though they later stalled on submission. Trump had every right to refer the matter to the courts. So, if we want to deal with the truth, it was necessary to start there.

In any event, the two articles have been referred, the Senators have been sworn in and the Chief Justice of the United States came to the Senate chambers to accept the role of presiding officer of the court in accordance with the Constitution.  So, now the stage is set for the official trial to commence next Tuesday.  And now we learn that Alan Dershowitz and Kenneth Starr have joined the President's defense, which will be led by White House lawyer Pat Cippilone and also include Jay Sekulow, a man who was part of his team durng the Mueller investigation and has been very successful in Supreme Court cases and his son, Jay, another well qualified attorney.  The process will start with Adam Schiff's team offering its case for removal from office and then rebutted by the President's team.  At that point, normally we would then bring things to a vote, but the Senate Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer of New York, seek more testimony from new witnesses since they know that the case made by the House Democratic managers is a shaky one at best. Schumer is demanding fairness, acting as if the House impeachment clown show was a fair and open process.  While I personally would tell them to take a hike, I have a feeling that some RINOs might come out of the woodwork to do what they can to help the Democrats with their case.  Names in question include Mitt "Mittens" Romney of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and Lamar Alexander, the lame duck Senator from Tennessee. If these four sign on with Schumer, then additional testimony will occur and the process will drag on as the Democrats try and pull more stuff out of the closet to stir the pot a little longer.

And here's the big question: Will Republicans be allowed to call additional witnesses if the Democrats are successful in their quest?  Well, if they are, don't be surprised if the so-called anonymous "whistleblower" gets called as well as the Bidens, or that at least is what a few conservative Senators want.  If the Democrats do call witnesses but the Republicans aren't allowed to, then, sadly, we'll know the Deep State fix is in, for we can't talk about corruption in the Ukraine without talking about the Bidens and the "whistleblower" is tied directly to them. We'll just have to wait and see if truth is allowed to rule the day. But, in the meantime, the President will still be President because there will not be sixty-seven votes to convict.

The four in question have been a problem for a while, excepting Romney, who is new and in his first term. He has, however, in his short term of service shown disagreement with the President on almost everything which seems to be more out of jealousy than anything else. You see, Romney wanted to be President in 2012, and had he held his ground in handling Candy Crowley's comments from the moderator chair during a debate, he might very well have been, but he caved under pressure.  Murkowski probably should really be a Democrat, for she opposes most conservative measures.  Collins is labeled as a Republican in an increasingly blue state and will be fighting for her life and Alexander, well, he would just as soon go along with the Democrats for comity, a term that has lost all validity in the the Democratic Party and he also knows he is untouchable by voters since he won't be running again.  Stay tuned, part two of the "Schiff" Show is about to open.

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    Hi, I'm James, a writer who studies nature,  animals and all things created by God. I also write from time to time about what I think God expects of us.  I would love to hear your thoughts on these subjects. I hope you enjoy my comments.

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