Amidst all of the action about gay marriage this week, a ruling slipped by under the radar that is important but many may have missed.  The Supreme Court ruled that the right to remain silent has some strings attached.  I think an example will make it clear what has changed.

Let's say that you get stopped by the police and they ask you a series of innocuous questions, or so you think.  They haven't charged you with anything but you really just don't like the tone, so you just remain silent.  They then say you can go, and you think that's the end of it.

Later, you are charged with a crime and one of the things the prosecutor states in his charge is that you refused to answer questions by just keeping silent, that you didn't actually "take the fifth" in so many words.  The very act of not responding can be used against you if you don't officially say that you are refusing to answer.  Seems kind of like this subtly uses the rules against you, doesn't it? The onus is on you, not the police, kind of like you have to prove your innocence first.

I don't know why the Court decided this way;  I certainly can't find anything in the actual Fifth Amendment that would allow this, but the Supreme Court has now opened this door  in a 5-4 split decision.  Now it might not seem like a major concern to you, but you never know what might happen in your future and, furthermore, it's just another example of how Big Government is taking our rights away one piece at a time.  That should concern all of us a lot.

There is a Christian organization that exists to help their Christian brothers and sisters with issues involving abuse of rights.  It is the National Center for Life and Liberty, website address www.ncll.org.  I would urge anyone to check them out.  All of their attorneys are Christians and they can refer to the best option for you and your budget in a case where you think your rights have been abused.

It is important for us Christians to work together to solve societal problems together, for there is safety in numbers and using resources made up of people sharing your values is so important in this increasingly anti-Christian society that seems to be growing.  I hope this information might be of value to you someday.

God be with you, pray to Him daily and have a wonderful Saturday.  Don't forget to worship Him tomorrow on your Day of Rest. 

My wife loves roses and over the past several years she has planted at least twenty plants.  Many different varieties including climbing roses and knock outs create a beautiful and natural barrier along the pasture fencing and around our yard.  To walk out in the morning sun and see them flowering in their full glory is not only a sight to marvel at, but it clearly tells me that Our Master is hard at work showing himself through the beauty he provides.

As I look closely at the flower, I see perfect organization, purpose and result.  Look at the wonderful color, the arrangement of the petals, and the bees drawing out the nectar and it is clear that the are meeting their intended purpose.  And when you add to that the enjoyment that we humans get out of just looking at them and enjoying the arrangements that we can bring into our home made of them, they have more than succeeded.

Now compare this to the fiasco which is our government and its three branches in Washington, D.C., and you see that God has the answers and sinful man, which makes up our government as well as all of us, is woefully inadequate and incapable.  It is clearly impossible for most  to avoid the temptation to gain power and material wealth instead of focusing on the needs of the country.  One only need to look at the two items that are on the front burner today to know that something is terribly wrong.

In the Supreme Court's handling of gay marriage, it has decided to overturn thousands of years worth of God's law based upon reasoning that doesn't even meet legal standards.  In a nutshell, Justice Kennedy, writing for the majority, basically stated that those of us who are opposed and believe that only marriage between a man and woman can be moral, are somehow bigoted or misguided.  I think those of us who follow God know who is really misguided.  And even on the California proposition case, they punted, but in so dong may have killed the real opportunity for citizens to overturn laws by referendum.

I even hear that there is a movement in the national Republican establishment to quickly jump on the bandwagon of the gay marriage goal nationwide.  All I can say is that I cannot be a part of support for this; moral values are important, much more so than any political factor at least one thousand fold. 

And then there is the immigration issue.  Despite the clear knowledge that the majority of Americans believe the country should have secure borders before any further immigration consideration should be made, the United States Senate just thumbed its nose at the very people who they are supposed to represent.  For the first time in American history, a national legislative body chose foreign and currently illegal immigrants over their own citizens.  And it was all done to appease big business and its thirst for cheap labor by those Republicans who supported it and to gain more votes, legitimately or otherwise, by the devious Democrats.

I hope each of you will remember the names of the Senators listed below, and if they are your supposed representative and you are a conservative, I hope you will vow to never vote for them again:

ALEXANDER (TN), AYOTTE (NH), CHIESA (NJ), FLAKE (AZ), GRAHAM (SC), HATCH (UT), HELLER (NV), HOEVEN (ND), KIRK (IL), MCCAIN (AZ), MURKOWSKI (AK), RUBIO (FL), CORKER (TN), COLLINS (ME)

Ladies and Gentlemen,  these fourteen Senators sold us out for sheckels, just like a modern day Judas.  And further, many got some fat pork perks in the bill as a reward, just like a repeat of Obamacare.  And the picture of Marco Rubio hugging Harry Reid is something I will never forget.  It was disgusting.

I haven't mentioned anything about the Executive Branch because I think we don't even have to address its position on these and other important issues, including national security, coal, the Keystone Pipeline, Benghazi, and the IRS.  We clearly don't count for anything in their continued destruction of America.

Keep following these issues, friends, and continue to speak out, particularly right now with the House of Representatives, and never sell out your love of God and country for a few cheap skeckels.   We will just have to live to carry on the struggle another day.

For this reason God gave them to dishonorable passions.  For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.  ROMANS 1:26-27

As I became aware of the decisions regarding same sex marriage by the Supreme Court yesterday, I must admit I shed a tear for my country.  At the same time,  I was very proud of Justices Scalia and Alito for having the courage to speak out regarding what they clearly saw as a decision not well founded.

So this leaves us Christians with a big question.  Is "real" marriage dead?  Did it suffer a fatal blow yesterday?  In discussing this question I think it is important to look at the term "real" which I deliberately included.

The term marriage has clearly been turned upside down by the Court.  And while it is currently limited in its application to federal issues and one state, California, I have no doubt that this Administration and organizations such as the ACLU will put on a full court press to have its impact made mandatory throughout the fifty states.  These forces have no interest in what those who oppose their views deem to be appropriate and moral, they merely want to jam their views down the throat of the rest of us, similar to what the federal government has done with so many legislative issues.

So, I guess marriage as we know it did die yesterday, but let's take a moment and look at what I call "real" marriage.  Real marriage to me is the Holy Sacrament of Marriage as established by God which is a union of man and woman.  I think that we Christians must hold to this definition in our own lives if we truly want to live our lives according to His Word. 

When the Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Romans which is quoted above, he  made it clear that any other arrangement involving sexual relations would violate God's Law.  So if we want to truly live as God demands us to and to be worthy of living with Him in eternity when this life is done, it is important that we follow that law.  In so doing, we are not condemning anyone else for their actions since they are not for us to judge, God alone will sit in judgment over their actions at the Judgment, a day which we all will face.  But we must not condone what we find to be sinful while we can still love the sinner.

We have a tough road ahead for us, Christian believers, but we were never promised a golden path.  We will be tested up until the day we die, and this is just another of those tests.  The way you respond will be watched and noted by God above.  Be ever mindful of this and act accordingly.

May God be with you all and may His spirit be with us forever.

that is what he was

Yesterday the United States Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, decided that the Voting Rights Act had major problem and, in effect, gutted the federal government's requirement to pre-approve voting rights laws of certain states.  These states were mostly portions of the Old South which have been laboring under these provisions since 1965.  I know here in Florida five counties have been continually subject to the provisions since that time.

Many civil rights leaders and others on the left are simply apoplectic over this.  Charges are being thrown about that this means the end of democracy and others are calling Justice Clarence Thomas an "Uncle Thomas", and I think we all know what they are suggesting by that remark.  This is just what the left always does; if they don't get what they want the pitch a "hissy-fit" and turn the Chris Matthews types loose making outrageous and untrue statements that only make them look more unhinged.

Here's the thing.  The Supreme Court has done nothing to kill the right to vote; what it has done is require the laws to be brought up to date.  Anyone who thinks that Mississippi, or Alabama, or any other state operates today regarding voting laws like it did in 1965 is not facing reality.  In fact, many of these states now have more minority voters than Caucasian, a fact that the left clearly wants to ignore.

In 2006 when Congress renewed the Act, they should have updated the statistical basis for whatever they did.  Not being able to come up with a better baseline, they just punted and renewed the law with the same old data.  It's like saying let's outfit the twenty-first century military with World War I equipment.  Gee, I wonder how that would work out?

And I'd like to make a couple of final points.  First, Americans need to understand that we are not a democracy, but rather, a democratic republic.  Our founders knew that pure democracy would lead to chaos and would provide no protection for the minority, something which would make things much worse for anyone finding themselves in the minority.  Secondly, I think you would be hard pressed to find the kind of intimidation and fraud in most states of the South that are readily apparent in  Blue America.  Do you really think that uniformed groups carrying baseball bats would be allowed to intimidate voters at the polling places today in states like Texas or South Carolina for that matter like we've seen in Philadelphia?  I dare say the answer is no.

So Americans should be pleased with this outcome which only insures that all of us are treated the same way.

Next up, likely this morningt:  Decisions on DOMA and Same Sex Marriage.  Let's keep our fingers crossed.

God bless you all and keep the faith.  God rules.

  Dear Heavenly Father, 

We Americans are troubled today more than ever before in our lifetime.  Our moral code, values and freedom are clearly under attack.  Our formerly God-fearing and family values society has fallen apart, taken over by radical ideas that clearly violate Thy commandments and offend Thy heart.

Help us to renew our faith in Thee, to remember what Thy Son Jesus did to save us from our sins, and regain the courage and moral strength to redirect the American spirit, becoming once again the shining light of the earth, offering hope to all through our human  example of Thy love and grace.  We know that there will be times that are fearful and we will likely be persecuted and suffer, but make us modern day Christian soldiers and Apostles for Thee, following in the example of Thy Apostles nearly two thousand years ago.  Constantly remind us that through Thee we can do anything, but without Thee we will be nothing.

And help us to speak out and act clearly with the full knowledge that the only road to Truth and Salvation is through Thy grace.  Keep our hearts always in the knowledge that through our faith in Thee and our devotion to Thy Law that only then, when the day is done, we will dwell in Thy House in glory and love forever.

Protect us, be with us and comfort us in the days ahead.  We ask in the name of Thy Son Jesus Christ, Amen

I must confess, I'm not normally a fan of hoopla and publicity about my Christianity. I think that your giving, charity and good works should not be done expecting public praise but, rather, as a private matter between you and your God who knows all that we do. 

Having said that, I was interested in watching Nik Wallenda and his dangerous crossing of 1400 feet of open canyon where a mistake would cost him his life.  I was skeptical at first, but I decided to watch because it is always a wonder to see a person push the envelope and succeed.  That kind of spirit is what made America great.

I heard that Nik was a Christian but I really didn't know much about him except for his exploits on the wire.  And since many of us claim to be Christians but don't always act that way, there was a question in my mind.

As the crossing started and Nik quickly started his short prayer words to God and Jesus I wasn't sure what to think.  But when the winds increased to thirty-five miles an hour, his balancing poll took several major dips, and I could hear his heavier breathing and his first stop and kneel,  my opinion changed.  When he prayed for the winds to cease and for Jesus to give him strength and then continued, I knew in my heart that this young man is a believer. 

Why would a man, who could be dead in moments and under high stress, pray to Jesus if he didn't believe?  Wouldn't his true nature come out under such circumstances in his actions and words?  I believe they would.

And as he got close to his destination, seeing his family and friends awaiting him, his prayers didn't cease.  In fact, on completion he made it a point to continue these words and thank Him for giving him the strength to master the task.

Do I think this was a miracle?  No.  Was it an example of a man with a goal asking God and His Son to allow him to conquer it?  Yes.  And that's as it should be for all of us.  We need to always thank God for all that happens, knowing that He has a plan for us and we must do the best we can and deal with it, whatever it might be, knowing that He is always there for us, as he was last night for Nik.

So I congratulate Nik Wallenda on his success and his willingness to stand by His Savior through it all, and for also being willing to do so in a setting obeserved by so many people around the world.  Nik, you spread the word without most people watching expecting it, and I admire you for that.  Keep your faith strong and know that you will always be protected, regardless of the outcome of your challenge.

God be praised.  May He be the center of our universe always.

Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I will tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Luke 12:27 (ESV)

Earlier today I wrote a prayer in this blog voicing my concerns about the outcome of tomorrow's Supreme Court decision, and while it helped me with my concerns about this country I love so much,  I still found myself not in the brightest of moods. 

I think this is something that just happens to all of us from time to time, and I've learned over the years that the best cure is to do something to see the best of things, especially from the perspective of the many blessings that God has given us.

So I walked outside to do my chores and just really took my time looking about me.  We had some major thunderstorms and rainfall over the last few days and today, with the sun shining brightly, the grass and trees were a beautiful green, the sky blue, and the flowers blooming in all their glory.

With the grass growing almost as fast as I can cut it lately,  I decided to let a few of my horses loose, the ones who really trim well,  in the yard around the house and barn.  They save me labor and they also save me hay which is quite expensive these days, and since the green grass affords them much more food value, it is truly a God-created win-win situation.

Then looking further out into the pasture,  a large family of turkeys was rooting about in the field amongst the horse apples, followed closely by large crows, which pick up any grain left behind.  At one point getting too close, the old toms quickly let them know to mind their manners.

Finally, taking in a panoramic view,  I saw a composite of beautiful plants, animals, grass, trees and sky all sending me the direct message that God is always here and He is ultimately in control.  It reminded me that everything happens for a reason even though we may not know what it is and if we trust Him and love Him everything for us will be okay.  And, as always, I thank Him for reminding me.

Have a wonderful day today, thank Him for what he provides, relax and enjoy your day of rest  knowing that if you are with Him, you have no reason to sorry about anything.  God bless you all.

It's Sunday and it's also the day before the Supreme Court issues its ruling on same sex marriage.  I think it appropriate to pray to God for His help with a guiding hand for our justices, for the boundaries of our social order are being stretched to the breaking point.  I hope you will pray with me or offer your own prayer for them today.  His divine inspiration is certainly needed right now.


Dear Heavenly Father,

Many of us are worried today about the state of America and the direction she  is heading.  Looking back at history,we see many examples where evil infected prosperous, seemingly invincible, societies and changed their direction, leading to destruction.

Sodom and Gomorrah is one example where lasciviousness and corruption with the support of false Gods and evil leaders caused the city's destruction. The Roman Empire is another much more illustrative  example where the greatest power of its time developed a weak and soft underbelly and also turned to wicked behavior,  resulting in death of the Empire shortly thereafter.  It appears that history is repeating itself now.

Today the land we love, America, is teetering on the same brink of disaster; it's as if right is now wrong and wrong is now right and many people who should no better just go along with the trends or keep silent.  Silence when faced with disaster, while really knowing what is  going on is evil, is as bad as actively participating in the evil.  We Christians must stand for Thee and follow Thy law if we hope to inherit The Kingdom when our days on earth are done.

Today's moral foundation is crumbling rapidly, and political correctness has run wild.  While we know that our society was founded under Judeo-Christian principles, one of the key factors in a healthy lifestyle, marriage between a man and woman, is under tremendous assault and is the subject of a major Supreme Court decision tomorrow.  This has been a key building block for centuries in creating a sound social and moral order, the family.

We beseech Thee today, Oh Father, to provide strength and guidance to those who will be making this decision tomorrow that will impact all Americans and probably much of the rest of humanity as well.  That such an issue, same sex marriage, should even require a legal judgment, seems unbelievable to many of us by itself.  Marriage has been a timeless tradition and a sacrament of the Christian Church which was designed by Thee as the ultimate expression of love between a woman and a man.  One only needs to look at the biological make up of men and women to understand this and, furthermore, the resulting offspring, children, deserve the loving care of a father and a mother. 

We believers in Thy inspired words in the Bible know this, but we don't oppose same sex marriage due to hatred, for we know that all mankind is made up of sinners and we were created with free will to make individual decisions about how we would live.   We are not here to judge the sinner, only to oppose the sin, but making marriage meaningless, which is what this action will do, and I think it is meant to do, will ultimately lead to the downfall of social order.  Allow those who want a social contract to do so and let them face their judgment at the appointed hour from Thee, as we all will when that time comes.  But to call such an arrangement a legitimate part of Holy Matrimony is a direct assault on believers of Thy word and its requirements, for it was designed as a spoken commitment of love between and man and a woman and  for the procreation of children while affording these precious little ones protection as well  

Lord, I pray that Thy love will take hold of all of the hatred on this issue and put it to rest in a manner which will allow the social order to be peaceful and end the current turmoil in this and so many things that seem so wrong today.  Help us to be steadfast and true, yet always compassionate and loving, while also allowing us to openly speak our mind and display our love for Thee.  Let not others destroy that right, a God-given one possessed by all.

Help each of us to understand that we will each individually stand before Thee at the Day of Judgment, and therefore infect our hearts and souls with the True Spirit to guide us to live in a way that Thou wouldst have us do, for we know the consequences will lead to either everlasting Joy or permanent torment.

God bless all Americans to do what is right and bless these justices to do the right thing.  And continue to guide us and encourage us as we commune with Thee daily.  We thank you for hearing this prayer, offered in the name of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, who died on the Cross for our sins, Amen.

                                                                                                  *******

God be with us, America. Let us never forget He who created us and offers us Eternity through his love and grace.
God bless you all and have a blessed Sunday.

I decided to use this picture for my blog entry today because as I thought a lot about what Conservatives said Wednesday in Washington,  it amazed me how so many Senate Republicans, with some honorable exceptions, continue to ignore their constituents.  These are the RINOs, politicians not  grounded in  principle, but always willing to go along with anything to make a deal. We saw a lot of them in action over the last few days.

They like to play word games with constituents, promising all kinds of things and pandering with the Conservative line when they run for office, figuring that we are stupid and will forget what they've done before the next election.  I think today, particularly with their position on immigration as well as their weakening stands on God's laws, they will soon be in for a rude awakening at the polls.

I routinely hear the MSM call them moderates, which I guess they think means willing to compromise and wheel and deal to get something done.  Frankly, I just don't buy that argument.  I see moderation as being a non-position by those who really don't have any firm guiding principles; they are willing to go along with just abut anything to "move ahead".  They put their personal power, prestige, wealth, and luxury ahead of their country, justifying it with the use of lofty words which, when carefully reviewed, say nothing.

I also reject  their concept of "moving ahead" as I think we keep having legislation jammed down our throat that is really more likely to put us in the stone age.  Obamagration looks to me to be as bad, if not worse, than Obamacare and look how that worked out.  Adding millions of low skilled people to an already high unemployment workforce does nothing but eliminate jobs for existing citizens or lower the wage rates.  The new folks who broke the law  make out okay but those law abiding citizens living here get the shaft.  Even the CBO admits this.  Why not close the border and come up with a real solution before the mass entry continues, which it will.

Senators, are you willing to face your voters back home and tell them that you've just voted to reduce their wages or will you continue to hide in your shame, pandering to the big whigs who fund your elections?

And when I hear Republican Senators say that their position on same sex marriage has evolved, that further tells me that they have no moral foundation and anything goes.  I don't object to allowing for a legal contract allowing LGBT folks to live together, but don't dishonor the rest of us by calling it marriage.

Marriage is a sacrament ordained by God himself; it is not up for negotiation since it comes from a much higher authority.  Since people are given the gift of free will, let people make their own choice of how they want to live,  but not by making it a slap in the face to all believers.  It is none of my business what people do in the privacy of their homes,  but it is also not their right to force their views on me or blaspheme my Maker while expecting me to sit silently by.  That is far from equal treatment under the law.

Accordingly, let each have a solution to which they will face their individual judgment which will ultimately come from God.  But in so doing, don't indict a practice that has successfully weathered the storm of change and protected the family unit for thousands of years and which is also founded in the biological differences we were given by God.

And finally, before we look for all kinds of new laws to supposedly advance with progress, how about enforcing the laws that we already have?  That is the job of the Chief Executive Officer, to administer the law, not to pick the ones he likes.  Hold him to it.

Many say that they think God is outdated and His laws are no longer appropriate for an advanced society.  My answer is this:  He is never outdated, His words are never inappropriate, no matter what level of society we have.  He is God, greater than all of us and the world and He is perfect.  He loves us and wants us to follow Him, but he also has a wrathful side when we don't learn.  On the day of His Judgment, which I know will come just as sure as tomorrow's sunrise,  we will each find out where we stand. 

And this includes all of the powerful politicians, for no one will escape His accountability, and all the power,ego, friends, riches and armies of the world can not stop this from taking place.  Live accordingly, my friends, and be ready.  God is Truth and the Truth will set you free.