And 620,000 casualties from the Civil War.
(Received in a forwarded email recently)
You probably missed this in the rush of news, but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper, an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American.
So an Australian dentist wrote an editorial the following day to let everyone know what an American is . So they would know when they found one. (Good one, mate!!!!)
'An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish , Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani or Afghan.
An American may also be a Comanche, Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as native Americans.
An American is Christian , or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan . The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses.
An American is also free to believe in no religion.. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.
An American lives in the most prosperous land in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence , which recognizes the God given right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.
An American is generous.. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return.
When Afghanistan was over-run by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country!
As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan .. The national symbol of America , The Statue of Liberty , welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built America.
Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11 , 2001 earning a better life for their families. It's been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 different countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists. So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did General Tojo , and Stalin , and Mao Tse-Tung, and other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world.. But, in doing so you would just be killing yourself . Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.
It's difficult to rejoice over the death of someone who undoubtedly has just entered a Christless eternity with all the suffering that entails, but I, along with most Americans, am thankful to God for His mercies to us for the end of this decade of tracking down this one person who has been responsible for so much horror and terror. I am proud of our country, and though I've never been a fan of our current President, I felt a sense of oneness with him last night as he delivered his speech telling us of the events of yesterday. I particularly felt immense pride when hearing about that courageous group of people who carried out this mission with success and efficiency. God bless America.
My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Psalm 139:15
" 'My substance was not hid from thee.' The substantial part of my being was before thine all-seeing eye; the bones which make my frame were put together by thine hand. The essential materials of my being before they were arranged were all within the range of thine eye. I was hidden from all human knowledge, but not from thee: thou hast ever been intimately acquainted with me. 'When I was made in secret.' Most chastely and beautifully is here described the formation of our being before the time of our birth. A great artist will often labour alone in his studio, and not suffer his work to be seen until it is finished; even so did the Lord fashion us where no eye beheld us, and the veil was not lifted till every member was complete . . . 'And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.' 'Embroidered with great skill,' is an accurate poetical description of the creation of veins, sinews, muscles, nerves, etc. What tapestry can equal the human fabric? . . ." ~ Charles H. Spurgeon, from The Treasury of David
How dare we dispense with this marvelous work of God as if it were nothing but a "choice" belonging to us, the creatures? How dare we take it upon ourselves to even think we can make a determination whether this secret work of the Creator should or should not live? I wonder what Mr. Spurgeon would have thought if what would be happening in this day had been foretold? If God withholds judgment on our nation, it is purely a display of His long suffering and mercy!
Fellow saints, let's continue to pray that in the face of mercy, the time will soon come that this darkness prevailing over us will begin to be lifted. Let's do all we can to see that it happens, even if what we do seems small compared to the big picture. Who knows how even our littlest efforts can be used by the great Artist, who certainly recoils at seeing His works destroyed.
(Posting on both my personal and devotional blogs to recognize Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, 2011.)
It's Election Day once again in America and I, among many others across this nation, have gone and cast my votes. There were only three offices up for election in our area, but of course one of them was extremely important. That would be the vote I cast for my congressman. Each and every one of us has that crucial vote this year. Please do cast that vote for your representative in Congress as it's been a while since it's been as important.
Thomas Sowell is a well known conservative economist and political commentator, among other things, and is a favorite of mine. This man really has his head on straight. I like him so much that I wish he were a Christian, though I don't think he professes to be. Wouldn't it be even more wonderful if the Lord would bring salvation to him? He'd really be dynamite then! On Facebook, I posted something he said in one of his latest articles and then happened upon some more quotes. In honor of this critical time in the life of our country, particularly for Election Day this year, I thought I'd post some of these quotes and let Mr. Sowell speak to us as Americans at this critical time in our history.
"The most basic question is not what is best, but who shall decide what is best. "
"The first lesson of economics is scarcity: there is never enough of anything to fully satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics. "
"What is ominous is the ease with which some people go from saying that they don't like something to saying that the government should forbid it. When you go down that road, don't expect freedom to survive very long. "
"Elections should be held on April 16th- the day after we pay our income taxes. That is one of the few things that might discourage politicians from being big spenders. "
"Freedom has cost too much blood and agony to be relinquished at the cheap price of rhetoric. " [My favorite]
"If the battle for civilization comes down to the wimps versus the barbarians, the barbarians are going to win. "
"If you are not prepared to use force to defend civilization, then be prepared to accept barbarism. "
"It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong. "
"Liberalism is totalitarianism with a human face. " "
Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade ."
Mr Sowell focuses most of his attention on economics and on that we differ. I believe that the biggest problem in America is a moral one. I am against liberalism and socialism, yes, but more than that, humanism and secularism are the real issues. Our country desperately needs the Lord.
I pledge allegiance...
You promise to be true
...to the flag...
to the emblem of your country
... of the United States of America...
a nation made up of fifty states and several territories, each with certain rights of its own
... and to the republic...
a country where the people elect representatives from among themselves to make laws for them
...for which it stands...
the flag represents the United States of America
... one nation under God,...
a country whose people are free to believe in God
... indivisible,...
the nation cannot be split into parts
... with liberty and justice...
with freedom and fairness
...for all. ...
for every person in the country - you and every other American.
May your Fourth of July holiday be blessed of the Lord. May our country be blessed by Him and return to Him. Trusting you'll be joining in prayer with many others that this will be so. It's a good time for the Lord to be bombarded with lots of prayers for this needy nation. I'm sure you'll agree that our financial needs are not the top priority, but the spiritual and moral are.
I still thank the Lord for our country and especially those who have served in the armed services and some having died for the freedoms that we have.
Hoping each of you have a blessed and safe Memorial Day!
More posts for Word-Filled Wednesday can be found at All You Have to Give.
Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the Yesterday, I was listening to a broadcast over the internet and I heard this particular verse being referenced. Hearing it made me want to post this picture again and pair it with this verse. I posted this picture on several occasions, the first time being when we were waiting for the birth of our first grandchild. I've posted the same image on a couple of other occasions and it has become dear to me. I don't know where I got it, but there are many like it over the internet.
This verse and this image are just another indication of how far our country has strayed from the Word of God. I refuse to refer to the one who is pictured above as a "fetus." He or she is a baby and God refers to this baby as "fruit" and "a reward." Those who think otherwise are going to have to answer to Him.
The person who was being interviewed in that broadcast was given some hard news during her pregnancy with her child who is now nine months old. The doctor gravely looked at her and asked: "How committed are you to this pregnancy?" It was asked in such a way so as to let her know that she did not need to continue on with said pregnancy. She gave the best answer anyone can give: "I'm committed to this baby" was her reply.
It made me think about our need, myself included, to be more committed to the lives of the countless babies who are endangered. Unfortunately,there are some who are more at risk than the many animals which are on the endangered species list. And because of that, I fear our country should be on that list.
Pray that the Lord will lead us all into what more we can do for these babies and for the future of America.
I am so sorry that I neglected the National Day of Prayer, but it's not too late to post something. During the days of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln sorrowfully declared these words:
"We have been recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven...but we have forgotten God...We have forgotten the gracious had which preserved us in peace...Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us."
In the early days of this young nation, George Washington, wrote to governors of the newly freed states asking that they join him in this prayer, which ended:
"And finally that thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen"
Our poor dear country is so spiritually needy now. What would these two great men, who I firmly believe loved America with all their hearts, want us to do now? They would implore us to fall on our knees and plead with God for mercy to turn the hearts of many back to Him. People have been praying all over the land in various places today. I don't know how many there were, but I sure am thankful for those who did and those who will be continuing to lift up America to our only Helper: The Creator God of this universe, in the Name of His Son Jesus Christ.
For more Word-Filled Wednesday posts, visit Lori at All You Have to Give.
Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. Romans 13:7
Well, folks, it appears that we've made it. On this first day of spring we can rejoice that we got through one of the worst winters that I can remember. And oh, how happy everyone is. The birds are, of course; we've been talking much about their singing, but I think most of us are feeling it a bit more than is usual for the coming of the season. Everything is still pretty bare outside, but the temperatures are wonderful! Low seventies for today; now you can't get much better than that!
Enjoy the day where you are! Summer is on it's way. Which, by the way doesn't necessarily make me happy, because as you will recall, I dislike summer, with it's mosquitoes, humidity and other discomforts, but let's just enjoy each as it comes.
And have a nice Lord's Day tomorrow! Don't let this health care legislation get you down--The Lord is in control. If He doesn't answer our prayers in the way that we desire, we can rest assured He is doing what is absolutely His will for this country. And His will is always best. And remember all the more: our citizenship is in heaven; this world is not our home.
Oh! This may be a treat for this first day of spring. Apparently, the sky is going to be putting on a show tonight in honor of the equinox Go here to find out more. (Please excuse the references to the age of the universe.)
Not that he wasn't without his problems and imperfections, but well, let's just say I do. And even though he's still being blamed for every thing that's wrong in the country, I still miss him. In fact, it started when he flew off in that helicopter over a year ago, as I said in my post of January 20th last year.
I am so glad that there is room for Jesus in the White House this year. The nativity scene creche pictured above is being displayed in the East Room, as it has been every year since 1967, by every administration. Apparently, there was a consideration that it wouldn't be this year and I don't know all the details on that, except it has something to do with the President's family planning a "non-religious Christmas." From what I read, "tradition" won out after all, and that certainly is a good thing from my vantage point. A Christmas without Christ would be like Valentine's Day without love if that makes any sense. That would have been sad indeed.
Now that that has been apparently settled, what about us as individuals? Is there room for Jesus in your home and mine this year? Or will we be too busy with decorating, cookie baking, and running to stores? Not that these things are wrong, of course, but they are if they crowd out Jesus. Let's make sure we give the Christ child His rightful place in our lives and remember the reason we celebrate this holiday in the first place. And most importantly, I hope we remember why His first coming was so important and what He accomplished when He came. Is there room in your heart for Jesus?
Thou dost reign on high with a kingly crown,
Yet thou camest to earth for me,
And in Bethlehem's home was there found no room
For thy holy nativity:
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for thee.
Apparently there is a new prayer being offered and which is being put on teeshirts and posters, which reads something like this: "Pray for Obama: Psalm 109:8." A fellow Christian I know was talking about the Psalm 109:8 slogan on Facebook and he was talking about how wrong it is. I, as a Christian and conservative, would have to agree with my my FB friend. I do not want to defend our fellow Christians who would put forth such sentiments. The proper Scripture we should all have for this President, as well as all presidents, is 1 Tim 2:1-2. God has instructed us to pray for our leaders, and He did not qualify it by saying that we should only pray for those with whom we agree. I would venture a guess that the people who were in authority in Paul's day were not righteous leaders. Even though I do not agree with the policies of the current administration and I do not think Mr. Obama is good for this country, I still pray for him and the others in office. I pray for their well being and safety as well as their hearts. I know without a doubt that this is what the Lord wants us to do.
Certain people who are familiar with this Psalm 109 slogan are saying that its intent was that folks would pray for a one term office, but if that was the intent, it is totally out of context. The passage in question is clearly asking for the death of the psalmist's enemies. I for one am very disappointed on hearing about this being on teeshirts and posters and hope that it will soon come to an end. I saw a lot of hate filled photos and posters against President Bush and I abhorred that. Now, I am sorry to say, many conservatives are stooping to the same level. So sad. I haven't met anyone personally who is posting or wearing this slogan, but if anyone reading this is in agreement with it, then you and I are not on the same page. I don't want to get into an argument about it, but I do want to express my heart. I am quite upset about this slogan, because it is a misuse of the Word of God and a misrepresentation of Christians. I hope you will reconsider if you think this is the way that God would have you voice your opposition to a leader whom you don't like.
Have a nice Lord's Day tomorrow, worshipping our great God who alone reigns and is King of King and Lord of Lords. We look to Him, not any leader, no matter what his political party or affiliation. Even those we consider good men, are men at best and sinners who will fail us in one way or another. I hope we don't get too carried away with our desires to see the America we want to see. I hope our desires are grounded in a love for God and our fellow man, as Jesus said they should be. I hope as we fight for freedom, we remember that more important than anything else, true freedom is only found in the Lord Jesus Christ and that America will only have true freedom if she returns to Him.
Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. Be blessed.
Wake up, America. Return to your Judeo-Christian roots. I sincerely believe, and many of us have been saying for a while now, that unless this country returns to the triune God, we are done.
Praying for these families . . .
Well, some hopeful signs yesterday. Quite a few of them, actually. As far as what happened in my state with the election of Christie, let me say that he's a moderate, not a conservative, but realistically that all we can expect for now. In my estimation, it's a huge step for that to happen here in a state that is as blue as they come. Let's hope it's the beginning of something big and needful across our country in the critical three years ahead. At any rate, this made me more hopeful. Well, at least for now.
Did you see this? I saw this on the Mom's Network and thought I would pass it along. Read the article dated October 23rd in World Net Daily. I plan to take part; hope maybe some of you will too.
Some of my thoughts and views are not agreeable to some people. That's the way life is, right? I thought this is a good time to mention something that I will no doubt be mentioning again from time to time: This is my blog where I express myself. Others have blogs where they express themselves. There are many of those folks with whom I disagree. But I would never go to someone else's blog and express harsh words to them because of their opinions. They have a right to those opinions and I respect that. I want others to do the same for me. That is the reason that I reject certain comments that come in. Enough said about that.
But I do want to respond to something a commenter said to me. I want to say that I have only one hero. And His name is Jesus. He is my all and all and my hope for heaven. No person, no country, no political party, no particular race. Just Jesus. He is the One I hope my granddaughters come to trust and believe in. Then they will be safe no matter what this world brings their way.And I want to say that is my desire for you too if you come to visit my blog. You may not agree with me, but what I think is not that important. However, what the Bible teaches and what God thinks is. And He would have you to be saved and trust in Jesus. He offers salvation to you freely. Won't you consider the Lord Jesus as your Savior? He has said that all who come to Him He will in no wise cast out. That includes you.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
