SimplyLife

When I look at what I have and the opportunities that have been mine my whole life, my thankfulness must extend to the land in which I live. There are many patriotic songs we sing today, but one doesn't get the recognition I think it should. We borrowed it from the British and put our own lyrics to it in 1831. Samuel Francis Smith, a student at Andover Theological Seminary wrote the words, replacing the British version of God Save the Queen . My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty Of thee I sing Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims' pride From every mountainside, let freedom ring. The radical idea that people could enjoy freedoms that the government couldn't take away birthed the United States of America in 1776. It hasn't been easy to stay that way, and in light of how large and powerful our government is today, who knows how long it will last. We've fought against tyranny and each other. We've welcomed people fro...

If you've ever read the book of Judges in the Old Testament, you know about the exploits of a man named Gideon.  He was one of Israel's judges before a king had been crowned. He was a leader when Israel was under horrible oppression by the Midianites. Life was miserable. The crops were destroyed and livestock stolen by these marauders from Midian. The Israelites went into hiding, living in caves and remote mountain areas, trying to survive. They were on the run and the Promised Land was in ruins. Gideon was instructed by God to take out the enemy, so he sent messages out everywhere to gather an army. His call was answered with the arrival of 32,000 men. Not bad, but the Midianites had over 120,000 men. But God told Gideon that he had way too many men. God wanted His strength to be shown, not Israel's, so He commanded Gideon to cull the group by sending those who were afraid to fight back  home. Twenty-two thousand immediately hit the road. But there were still too many. I...

This weekend we remember the men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice for this country by laying down their lives for freedom, for the defense of the United States of America.  Those lofty ideals upon which this country was founded are under massive attack today as they have been in every generation. Religious freedom, individual responsibility, freedom of speech are in mortal danger as we look across the political landscape that promotes government intervention and control over every aspect of our lives. Abraham Lincoln's famous Gettysburg address is more relevant today than ever as Americans fight against each other, making ideology more important than doing what is right. I can picture our 16th president, lanky, gaunt, incredibly sad, but still determined as he stepped to a podium to deliver this two minute speech on November 19, 1863.Our country was suffering great loss--beyond imagination and the president carried the burden of death, conflict, an...