The 6th of June

On this day, seventy years ago, the largest sea-based invasion in the history of the world took place as hundreds of thousands of American and other Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy to begin the liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe and the crushing defeat of Nazi Germany.

As the historic Allied landings began, President Franklin Roosevelt took to the airwaves to lead the American people in prayer for strength, courage, and final victory.  The prayer was delivered in a somewhat low key style yet is nevertheless stirring.  In the video above is the actual prayer Roosevelt offered up for American forces, the American people, "sister nations" and, of course, victory.  The prayer is a poignant reminder that, for those fighting WWII, the Allied victory was not a fore gone conclusion.  Thus, divine aid was fervently sought.

Sit down and give a listen to FDR's D-Day prayer, and as you do give thanks to the men who hit those beaches, especially the ones who remain there still, and thank God for His blessing on that herculean effort of good to conquer evil.

June 6, 1944, the day God allowed us to save the world.

Memorial Day

Let the pictures speak...

Thank you.  God bless America.

Fire HGTV!

In recent weeks the media's been abuzz with the saga of the Benham brothers, real estate millionaires whose tv show, Flip it Forward, was dropped by HGTV from its fall lineup because of the brothers' pro-life, pro-traditional marriage, Christian beliefs .  In response to HGTV's smarmy and cowardly move, a petition, called Flip This Decision, was started on the pro-Christian website, Faith Driven Consumer, to pressure HGTV to restore the Benhams' show.  I understand the reason for the petition and I actually signed it, but I'm not sure it's the right response to the censorship and anti-Christian bigotry of the cable channel.  Here's why.

If HGTV restores Flip it Forward to its lineup it'll be a victory of sorts for traditionalists and religious freedom.  But I can't help asking, should traditionalists have anything to do with a channel like HGTV?  Think about it.  HGTV's rapid fire cancellation of the Benham brothers' show suggests that the network is run by ardent secular progressives vehemently opposed to traditional family values.  Therefore traditionalists--Christian and non-Christian--should not support HGTV.  It's monumentally unwise to support, aid, and abet that which is against you and everything you believe.  In a shooting war no general would fight like that.  We must stop fighting like that in the culture war.

So what, then, should traditionalists do about HGTV?  I believe the correct response is to fire HGTV.  Drop it from your cable or satellite lineup.  If you can't drop it, don't watch it.  Don't buy the HGTV magazine.  Have nothing to do with the network in any way.  Instead of begging to participate, we should "come out of her" and all other secular progressive cultural/economic structures and begin building a traditionalist counter culture/economy.  That sounds like a tall order and it is.  But I now believe it is absolutely vital to preserving and strengthening the moral values on which our most basic and cherished freedoms rest.

Freedom of association, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, and economic freedom are all under assault in the name of tolerance and equality.  Partnering with the attackers will just fortify them.  They must be emasculated.  Fire dies when it's deprived of oxygen.  It's time to deprive the fire of the Left of the oxygen of our time, our money, our goodwill.  It's time to "come out of her".  Let's start by firing HGTV.

Fox News Isn't News Anymore

I haven't been watching a lot of TV lately.  There was a time when my day wasn't complete until I'd gotten my nightly dose of the news and commentary from The O'Reilly Factor, along with a couple of other Fox shows.  For about a year now, however, I haven't watched The O'Reilly Factor anywhere near as religiously as I used to.  So last night, after a two week stretch of no news shows at all (except for brief snippets I see during lunch time at work), I decided to check back in to The Factor to see how it was doing, and guess what I got.  Monica Lewinsky, as the lead story!

That's right.  Out of everything that's going on in the world--the Ukraine crisis, Benghazi, the Nigerian kidnapping, the Keystone pipeline, the ongoing saga of Obamacare--in spite of all that and more, a Fox News show chose to open its broadcast with Bill Clinton's former f**k buddy.  I mean, really?

Even if Lewinsky might've had something mildly interesting to say after over 15 years in the shadows, why make her reappearance the lead story?  Surely the Benghazi coverup or Putin's saber rattling are tad more important business than the narcissistic utterances of an erstwhile Clinton, ahem, protege.  That The O'Reilly Factor would treat such fluff as hard news is more than disappointing; it's disillusioning. 

I've felt for a while that Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, and other Fox News regulars were losing their edge.  That's why I've been watching them less and less, and without any feeling that I was missing something.  Obviously, I'm NOT missing something.  Monica Lewinsky is not news.  And, it now appears, neither is Fox.

He is risen!

I hope everyone had a fun and blessed Easter.  Mine was good, quiet and peaceful.  A very nice day.

Happy Birthday To Me!

Happy birthday to me!  Today's my birthday.  I'm 50-years-old today and I can't believe it.  I've lived for half a century.  That definitely marks a milestone, and the other "milestone" marked today is this is the last day to sign up for Obamacare.  Yep, open enrollment ends on my birthday and no, I have not and will not sign up.

I refuse to take part in the Ponzi scheme that is Obamacare.  I'm not sure how I'll take care of my medical needs.  I'm thinking about joining one of the Christian health care sharing ministries, such as MediShare or Christian Healthcare Ministries.  In fact, I've already received an information packet from CHM.  I don't know if a health care sharing ministry will be the right choice for me but I DO know Obamacare is not the right choice for me.  Whew, what sobering issues to think about on what should be a carefree day!

Enough about Obamacare.  I'm going to get ready to attend my weekly Bible study and enjoy the remaining hours of my special day.  Fifty years ago today, I was born.  I think that's pretty neat!

Time To Leave "The Walking Dead"?

It's on.  The last episode of season 4 of The Walking Dead.  And for me this episode may be the last one, period.  Why?  Because of gay character Tara Chalmers.  Before you throw rocks at me, this isn't about being anti-gay, it's about being anti-propaganda.

When I started watching The Walking Dead three years ago I just wanted to watch a scary, suspenseful tale of people trying to survive a zombie apocalypse; I didn't want to be "agendaized".  And Hollywood being what it is, you know a gay character was added to TWD only for propaganda purposes.  Gay is good!  Gays are normal!  I don't want that.

Don't misunderstand me.  If I go into a movie, book, or TV show knowing there's a message, that's one thing.  Then I can prepare myself for it and choose to overlook it if the story is good enough.  But if a show presents itself as one thing and then, later, slips "agenda stuff" in, that I don't like!  Especially when it's left-wing, secular progressive agenda stuff.  And that's what having a gay character on The Walking Dead is.

Think about it.  What does Tara Chalmers' lesbianism add to the show?  What makes it necessary?  Nothing, except its propaganda value.  Gay is good!  Gays are normal!  Gays are everywhere!

I'm a Bible-believing Christian.  I believe homosexual behavior is a sin.  I believe in traditional marriage.  Those are my convictions, and if I'm going to live by them I can't support anything that actively opposes or undermines them.  Is The Walking Dead doing that by adding lesbian Tara Chalmers to the cast?  Most likely, though I really, really hope not.  But if it is, goodbye The Walking Dead.

Conviction

A while back I read a Christian book titled The 10 Dumbest Things Christians Do, by Mark Atteberry.  While reading it it struck me that some of the dumb things Atteberry says Christians do are done by conservatives, too.  The one dumb thing Atteberry detailed that I think really applies to conservatives is this one:  living below the level of their beliefs.

Living below the level of their beliefs.

Or, as I would say it for conservatives, living below the level of their convictions.  Conservatives do this habitually, almost unconsciously, and it's maddening.  It's another reason why I no longer call myself a conservative.  However, I can't be too indignant here because, as I look over my life, I see that I'm equally guilty of this failing.  But now I've been motivated to make a change.  Let me explain.

This year--at the end of this month, actually--I turn the big 5-0.  In late 2013, as I contemplated this milestone, I resolved to make some changes in and bring closure to certain parts of my life.  Specifically, I committed to attending a Cowboys' game in my father's honor.  It was a promise I'd made to my Dad after he died of cancer without being able to attend any of his favorite team's games.  This year, 2014, would mark nine years since I'd made that promise and I determined that I was finally going to keep it, money and other issues be damned.

Then the gay marriage controversy erupted again.

Specifically, national furor broke out over Arizona's proposed "anti-gay" law that would allow business owners to refrain from serving homosexual weddings based on their religious convictions.  Under intense pressure from many sectorsArizona's governor, Jan Brewer, vetoed the law.  One of the entities pressuring Brewer to do so was the NFL.  When I heard that the National Football League had stood up against religious freedom I decided I would no longer patronize that organization.  I wouldn't buy any NFL products.  I wouldn't watch any NFL games nor would I attend any.  I decided it was time to start living my convictions.  But what of my promise?

I'm going to keep it.  I'm going to attend one Cowboys' game for my father and then I'll be done with the NFL.   This may seem like a small step for my convictions, and it is.  I don't want to make some big commitment to reorder my entire life ALL AT ONCE according to my beliefs and then fail.  I'm making small moves that will be easier to sustain.  And as one small change becomes a way of life, I will add another.  One step at a time.  Bit by bit.  Here a little, there a little.

It is now my life's work to live by my convictions, not beneath them.  I'm now dedicated to being AWARE of how I live, not just going on autopilot, and to being conscious of the impact of my choices.  And as I change myself I can change my country.  Restore America from the bottom up.  Live your convictions! That is what it means to be wise.  Join me.

That Commercial

I've heard about the commercial.

I didn't watch the Super Bowl so I haven't seen Coca-Cola's now infamous ad featuring America the Beautiful sung in different languages.  From what I've heard, though, the ad is an ode to multiculturalism, and the political right is quite riled up about it.  I understand their anger.  However, with all due respect to my friends on the right, I think they're overreacting just a bit.

There's a saying, taken from the title of a popular book, that is appropriate for this controversy:  don't sweat the small stuff.  And that commercial is small stuff.  Yes, I understand the implications of Coca-Cola pandering to multiculturalism and political correctness, and if the company had done that with The Star-Spangled Banner I'd be as upset as most conservatives.  Why?  Because The Star-Spangled Banner is our national anthem, the official hymn of our American identity.  America the Beautiful, while a poignantly patriotic song, is not. 

We have epic problems facing our country today.  We are 17 trillion dollars in debt.  We have an imperial president who ignores the Constitution.  We still have terrorists who want to kill us.  In the name of fighting "discrimination", gay activists are undermining our freedoms of association, speech, religion, and conscience.  Millions of Americans have lost their health insurance due to Obamacare and millions more will likely lose theirs in the near future.  Like I said, epic problems.  We can't afford to waste energy on small stuff.  We must stay focused on the real threats to America and a multi-lingual rendition of America the Beautiful isn't one of them.

"Why I'm A Black Republican"

I found this little gem while looking around on Pinterest.  This video presents Black Republicans/conservatives explaining why they are Republican/conservative.  For anyone who wants to understand, this vid is a short 'n' sweet intro into the "oxymoron" of being Black and Right.  You'll find it enlightening.

2014--Let The Games Begin!

I know it's a day late but I want to wish everyone happy new year! 2014 is going to be a crucial year for America.  It may very well decide what path our country will walk for the next generation.  So, as we work to make positive changes in our personal lives those of the Wise must also stay focused on the course of our nation and do what it takes to keep it going in the wise direction.  That is not going to be easy.  The Wise will have our work cut out for us, but with a little guidance I believe we can turn the great ship America around.  So let's take a deep breath, roll up our sleeves, and start moving mountains.  2014 can belong to us!