Ramblings and Opinons of an old man!
Simple site to log thoughts on current events and activity. Please feel free to give your comments.
Been sometime since I have posted anyting to this blog.... coming up on 2017 I suppose I need to make the effort to post whether anyone is reading or not.
With Thanksgiving had just past, I suppose it is something to be thankful for, having the freedom to express ones thoughts and opinions!
I will be back more frequently.
While you are enjoying your holiday weekend please remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for many who are unwilling.
I hope and pray every American, be born or naturalized, remembers the greatest of this nation… the reason so many will sacrifice so much to get to America is freedom, which CAME AT A PRICE!
Many selflessly sacrificed much to give you the right to celebrate America, to love America, and YES to hate America… Freedom to love or hate DOESN'T COME FREE!
Remembering does not always bring us joy, but we must never forget! Honored to have had the privilege to serve with the finest!
I decided to take a break and grab myself a 2 pump caramel, 2 pump vanilla, w/ an extra shot and watch the people in my usual Starbucks. What I saw, was America...
I heard one conversation involving preparation for a Sunday school class at a local Southern Baptist Church - Another conversation was over head about gay rights involving persons I presume were gay...
One of the males from the gay rights group, dropped their wallet which was picked up and handed him by one of the "conservative Christians"... not a big deal, right.
Well, if either group had been a bit more observant they would have known that the other group, Christian or not, had some very unpleasant things to say about those from the other group (i.e. "never give them the time of day," "wouldn't bother to talk to them,,," etc.)... They didn't make the comments about people present, just generalized statements.
Now let's go back to the incident. After the wallet was retrieved and returned some from one group started up a ten minute conversation with some from the other. It was a pleasant conversation about family, the holidays, shopping, etc., at no time did their strong beliefs and differences ever enter into the conversation - They went their way having had a pleasant encounter with the hated opposition... but neither group took an opportunity to sway the opposing group - Let's hope the act of picking up and returning the wallet was enough.
The morale, generalizations are bull and in my opinion never accurate, when talking about our beliefs we need to stop using generalizations and stereotypes - Instead say what we mean and what we know and try to live life as we say we believe. In reality, the gentlemen that retrieved and returned the wallet lived his beliefs but not the words he was saying just ninety-seconds earlier - Thank GOD he wasn't observant or he wouldn't have "given the time of day" and what kind of example would that have been?
I wish all a Happy Thanksgiving. My deepest wish is that all have something to be thankful for, and I believe all Americans do.
Like last year I want to share George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving proclamation.
WHEREAS, It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor;
WHEREAS, Both the houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"
Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted' for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have show kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.
--George Washington - October 3, 1789