Jesus said in Luke 21:28, “But when you see these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”   Additionally, in 2 Timothy 3:1-13, we find a description of people and events in what the Bible refers to as the Last Days.  I am not trying to predict the return of Jesus or the end of the world, but suggest that the condition of this world is a sign of things to come, both good and bad.

The current level of vitriol, rhetoric, and division in this nation suggests to me that we have become the people the Bible predicted.   If that is accurate, then we will never solve the problems existing at the ballot box or through armed resistance.  Why?   Because the problem is a matter of the condition of the human heart, not simply political or philosophical ideology.  

There are groups in existence who are fanning the flames of hate and openly attacking everything that has any connection to the Bible and Christianity.    Those groups are too numerous to mention, although I will mention one, knowing that I may be attacked by some who esteem them to be wholesome.   That view is primarily based on their initial efforts to take down or fight the KKK.  

The SPLC (Southern Poverty Law Center) wrote that Turning Point USA is “emblematic” of a shift “toward an authoritarian, patriarchal Christian supremacy” and that it is at the “forefront” of an effort to promote that “Christian values and beliefs should inform the government and wider culture.”   They equated Turning Point USA’s promotion of Christian values as ‘racist’ and ‘bigoted.’

They did not stop there, but pressed further, arguing that Turning Point USA embraces and promotes “White Christian Supremacy.”   They argue, as do many on the Left, that organizations such as Turning Point USA and Charlie Kirk are racists, spreading hate, and inciting violence.  They, like some of their counterparts, insist that Charlie Kirk was killed (murdered) because he spread too much hate.  The insinuation was that he had to be stopped for the good of humanity.  If that is their view, it is beyond deplorable.  

There are efforts, as we have seen in the past, to frighten financial institutions, media outlets, institutions of higher learning, and politicians into submission to the leftist agenda.   America is at a crossroads between a return to moral and biblical sanity and embracing Communism, Socialism, or some combined form of those ideologies.

We have reached a place where those who oppose strong families, Christian values, moral civility, and freedom of speech are willing to act out in violence to eliminate any opposition.  We are allowing a mentality of hate to so cloud our judgment that many believe silencing the opposition is not only acceptable but laudable.

Life, for some, has become meaningless and valueless, unless, of course, it is their own.   Many on the Left consider those on the Right as undeserving of the air they breathe.   The hatred for President Trump is so off the charts that any reasonable sanity has vanished.

When this kind of hate-filled philosophical sickness permeates the culture, the culture is doomed.   What do we do?  Can we do anything to change course nationally?   We must individually stop allowing every act of violence to be packaged and presented as a partisan event.   They may be deeply rooted in politicians and parties, but again, the focus must be on the human heart first.

We must begin the long and arduous process of teaching our children the value of family, morality, the biblical precepts of life, the sanctity of human life, and the importance of honest debate with civility.   We must demand from our politicians that they unite in condemning violence and replace the vitriolic rhetoric with reason.

There is only one hope for America and the world: a return to the principles upon which America was founded.   Those principles were formulated not only by careful consideration of forms of government, but also by the value of human life and rights, which were founded on biblical principles.    You may disagree, but God is our only hope!

God bless you and God bless America!

Today, I was reflecting on the condition of the human soul, especially in America.  That endeavor has the propensity to leave one helplessly depressed.   However, I do not look at the condition of man as a hopeless state, because I have found the answer to the depravity of man.   The Anwer?   Yes, God or more specifically, Jesus Christ!

I have some acquaintances who almost incessantly complain that they are exhausted all the time.   They find virtually everything tiring.  I am not surprised.   The political wrangling is tiring.  The jockeying to get the upper hand in every debate is tiring.   Hate is tiring, and we are living in a world where hate is the norm rather than the exception.

I refuse to deify any human being, but have been moved by both sides of the reaction to Charlie Kirk’s murder.   I wonder, but believe I know, what Charlie would think of any deification of him.   Likewise, as his wife asserted that she had forgiven the murderer of her husband, I believe that Charlie would take the path that Jesus took and forgive. 

Please do not understand me to say, forgive as in absolving the one perpetrating this horrific act.   Actions have consequences, and his act of evil and hate should justly receive the due penalty for that act.   If we succumb to hate, we become a part of the problem rather than offering an alternative.

Jesus said, “Come unto Me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”   This life lived without the help and strength of God is incredibly tiring and often abundantly depressing.  

Our nation is dangerously near an unbridgeable divide.  We cannot resolve the issues existing in America at the ballot box or with bullets or bayonets.   We can only resolve by returning to a biblical moral mooring, developing a forgiving heart, and demanding civility for ourselves and others.   

I am deeply grieved for the families of all victims of hate!  I am praying for America and the world.   Someone said recently, “This has to stop.”  Let me drift into what some will call doom and gloom and say, “It is not going to.”   Hate is going to survive, and we must ensure that Love does as well.  

You may or may not agree, but there is only one answer to the problems now existing in our world.  That answer is God!   We can wear ourselves out trying to fight fire with fire and hate with hate.  We can exhaust ourselves trying to gain political supremacy and power, and not resolve the issues.    ONLY GOD!

America, my beloved nation, I am pleading with all who love Freedom and desire to see the nation be a place where our children can grow up without fear of violence to join me in interceding for our nation.   It begins with us.   It is up to you and me to be bigger than the hate.  

My faith is not in government but in God!   My hope is that enough people will desire civility that we can tone down the hateful rhetoric and pursue a path of peace.   I continue to pursue the directive and promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14.  I have enough things to tire me without adding to the stress of a life filled with hate.

God bless you, and God bless America!

I am very serious in my question regarding my beloved nation.   Is there a solution for what is wrong in America politically, economically, socially, morally, educationally, and in every facet of our society?   The short answer would be yes, and the long answer would be that it’s complicated and involved. 

Our world is becoming darker and darker, but the light of God is shining brighter and brighter. The recent examples of human depravity and evil are more than a little disturbing. Is there a solution? I believe that the answer is YES! But, not what many think!

Some of the solutions that I see are snarled at by others because they are rooted in my faith and constitutional originalist view.    Those who want God exorcised from everything, public and private, detest any mention of Him as our solution.    Those who believe the Constitution is a living and evolving document moldable in the hands of politicians reject my solutions because they do not want to live within the constraints of that document.    Even some who claim to be originalists and Christians, at times, find my solutions unpalatable.   The reason for the latter’s hesitancy is that they believe we are to be overly inclusive and tolerant of everything and anything.

As I attempt to share some of my concerns and views on the solution or solutions, I must address some questions that come to mind.  We cannot embrace the necessary change or adaptation without posing penetrating queries and attempting to answer them.  What are the questions?

The Red Wave, which failed to become a reality in 2022, caused me to ask, “What happened?”  There are more possibilities of that failure than I can or would dare to advance.    One of the immediate things I have seen in the last few primaries is the Democrats’ efforts to pick the Republican candidates their candidates would face.   That cannot be overlooked.  The Republicans have done the same in the past, and it proved effective. 

Another element that I believe has been revealed is that the Republican Establishment wants everything to stay as it has been – ‘status quo.’ Why?   Because they detest Donald Trump and do not want an outsider influencing the party they have controlled for decades.  I cannot fathom allowing personal or personality bias to become so strong that you would shoot yourself in the foot.  However, I believe that the Establishment of both parties is two peas in the same pod and have power, control, and personal wealth as their goal, not America or the American people.  That will be very difficult to offset and will continue to create a hostile environment for We the People.

I suspect that the Republican Establishment hoped for a razor-thin majority in the House and possibly a single vote in the Senate in 2022.  They did not want the Trump candidates or those who were conservative enough to powerfully resist the policies of Biden over the next two years.

Maybe they thought that small steps to impede him would provide impetus to their plea in 2024 to oust the Democrats from the White House.  They could argue that they did not have a strong enough majority to impede his agenda, so what was needed was to take back the White House, gain a larger majority in the House, and retake the Senate.    Will that majority prove to be productive for America?   The next two to four years will be telling.

We pay the price when politicians focus more on their personal agendas and reveal their globalist views.  When politicians abandon sound constitutional reasons and turn their backs on moral rights, we pay the price.  We pay the price when politicians forget who they are supposed to be working for.  I don’t know what happens when people go to Washington, but something transpires to alter them, or they finally reveal who they were.

I mentioned that the Republican Elitists helped manufacture this failure in the midterms and that the Democrats crossed over in the primaries, helping choose whom they would face.  Another factor is the mindset of the American public.  We have been inundated with the diatribe, rhetoric, and drivel of the Left for so long that many are drinking the Kool-Aid of deception.  The educational system has been offering dumbed-down curricula from nursery school to graduate school with a visible leftist bias.  We have more than one generation who have been indoctrinated, and we see the fruit of their labor.

Many believe, and I am concerned, that early voting may contribute.  Although I have enjoyed the convenience of voting without the normal lines on election day, I am concerned.  Many have argued that it gives both parties an advance indication of how many votes were cast and for whom.  It also indicates the leaning of those who have yet to vote and are targeted doggedly.  It reveals how many ballots will likely be needed, and a massive roundup begins.  Some would argue that it is good, but with voter fraud, it does raise concerns.

It is nothing short of amazing to me how angry many people were leading up to the election, and yet still voted for those who did the things that caused their anger and pain.  We could say that a definition of insanity was demonstrated in the results of the mid-term elections.  When seventy-five percent of the nation’s statesmen believe the country is headed in the wrong direction and view the economy as poor, how could there not be a massive purging of those whose party created the dilemma?  But that is not what happened.  Instead, many of the seventy-five percent voted to keep those who had caused the damage in power.  That is beyond nonsensical.  Was the hate for one man that strong?

We should be concerned about the legitimacy of the elections.  We should be cognizant of the need to have verifiable methods to ensure that there is one vote for one person and that those voting are legitimately qualified to do so.  There were locales in which the Establishment and the cross-over primary shapers were not able to influence the vote.  In those areas, the Red Wave transpired. 

Suppose we allow the Establishment to maintain its grip on the party’s platform and agenda. In that case, we will watch as the Elitists Professional Politicians of both parties move America farther away from our founding principles and moral moorings.  The result will be the destruction of the Republic.  I cannot sit silent as that transpires without raising my voice, beating my drum, and sounding the alarm.  I hope millions join me.

What is the solution for America?  I said ‘solution,’ not ‘solutions,’ because one excellent solution will impact and shape all the other needed remedies.   What is that?  It is a return to God and to moral rightness, strong families, and recognition of where our rights truly come from.  Our Declaration of Independence said it powerfully when the founders identified that we have a Creator, and He grants every human certain inalienable rights.  God, not the government, is our solution.

Politics and legislation will not solve the problems in America. They cannot affect the human heart in the way required for true change and restoration to transpire.  Only God can do that.  I believe in God.  I am a Christian in every dimension of my life.  My political, moral, economic, and social views are shaped by what I believe, and what I believe is rooted in God’s Word.  Therefore, I am renewing my commitment to intercede for America and pray that God’s people will make 2 Chronicles 7:14 a cornerstone in their lives.  We can see restoration and resolution of the myriads of negatives in America, but not without God.

God bless you, and God bless America!

As for my title question, I suppose that depends on whether your objective is the fundamental transformation of our republic and system of government or whether you want to preserve what we have and make it better.    If your agenda and goal are the former, then the Constitution has no value to you.   On the other hand, if it is the latter, the Constitution is a document so vital and precious that we must make every effort to preserve it.   Only you can answer that question. 

I saw a quotation that speaks to this issue.  It was from ‘The Invisible Pyramid’ by Loren Eiseley.  “I, like others of my generation, was born in an age that has already perished.  At my death, I will look my last upon a nation that, save for some linguistic continuity, will seem increasingly alien and remote.  It will be as though I peered upon my youth through misty centuries.  I will not be merely old; I will be a genuine fossil embedded in onrushing manufactured time before my actual death.”  If you think about that, it is penetrating.  Have we already allowed our society and age to become fossilized?  I hope not, but fear we are dangerously near that place.

Our Founding Fathers envisioned a system of government forming a Republic that was unlike anything in the annals of human history.  The nearest parallel to it was the formation of the nation of Israel, yet it was quite different.  Israel was a theocracy, and the American experiment was a representative democratic system of government.  It did not place the church at the apex, but also did not exclude the influence of the church, religion, or God.  Those who do not value our system of government and our constitution want to exorcise God from America in the public square. 

Without the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, we become either a totalitarian despotic system of government, an oligarchy of elitists, or dissolve into anarchy.  The constitution provides the restraints necessary to establish a platform for self-governance, overseen by “We the People.”  With it, we have recognized inalienable rights that can be and are catalysts to success, personally and nationally.  With it, we have a system of checks and balances that prevents rogue governmental agencies or politicians from the overreaches they have the propensity to seek.

Ronald Reagan, wisely said, “Freedom is not passed on to our children in the bloodstream.”  You may be born in America and be a citizen by natural birth, but the freedom that America’s Constitution declares is not inherited by birth; it is won and kept by diligence and observance of the directives outlined in the document.  I rarely can accept the idea of coincidences governmentally.  Why do I say that?  I say it because there is a concerted effort to manage us and control us, and they are following a carefully scripted plan.  This has been in the works for well over one hundred years and is coming to fruition in today’s world.

I do not want to appear as a conspiracist and see a conspiracy in every action, edit, law, and effort.  However, I am thoroughly convinced that those seeking to transform the world into a global community under one central government have been engaged in actions that have slowly eroded our foundational fabric.  They have targeted specific sectors of society for a century.  Despotism, influenced by the forces of darkness, always targets the weak links and those most vulnerable to achieve its objective. 

There have been governmental actions that weakened the home and family.  Programs that virtually forced the father out of the home so the mother could receive the sustenance and entitlements from the government desired.  That left many boys and girls who became young men and women without the strength and guidance of father and mother in the home.  That stripped the life example of the family and home from the equation, resulting in largely undisciplined generations.  We are paying the price for that. 

What does that have to do with the Constitution?  It has much to do with it.  The actions taken were beyond the allowable scope of the Constitution.  It was an overreach, and had the Constitution been followed, the Supreme Court would have struck down the edicts and laws that facilitated the hidden agenda of capturing the children and reshaping our values.  We allowed it to happen.  The church did not see the danger and sound the alarm.  Politicians enjoyed the control and the graft that came with many actions, as well as building solid voting blocs, so it continued.  Today, it is cancer destroying our Republic and rendering the Constitution valueless.

I was been deeply disappointed in George Bush, Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, and a myriad of other supposedly conservative Republicans.  They either endorsed or opposed things that were not good for America or Americans.  They exposed themselves as globalists and elitists politically.  We do not need political elitists in office; we need Americans who love this nation and want to preserve our Constitution and system of government, not their version of it.  For the Constitution to be of value, it must be interpreted with the original intent of the founders in mind.  Thomas Jefferson contended for that, and so do I.

I refer to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and say that the idea was good in asserting that no one should ever be discriminated against based on race.  However, the more time has passed, the more race and racial identity have become political weapons to shape elections. 

If those using racial issues were truly seeking to bring our society to a place where we all adopted the idea presented in our Declaration of Independence that all are created equal, it would be acceptable.  It is not; it has become propaganda to achieve political gains and control, rather than a better society.

Basing jobs or entry into educational systems on race is not the design of the Constitution or the rulings of the Supreme Court.  We moved from the Plessy v. Ferguson separate but equal doctrine to the Brown v. Board of Education decision.  That means we are not supposed to base entry or opportunity on race.  However, if you examine the admissions of universities such as Harvard and George Washington University, among others, you find it prevalent. 

Asian Americans, not based on test scores, but in an unbalanced favor to others, find it difficult to enter.  This may not be well-received, but Harvard’s admission rate for Black students is double that of Asian American students.  Is that not what we sought to move away from, discrimination or favor based on race? 

If we follow the Constitution and keep the checks and balances in our government, we can slowly reverse the trend and damage done for decades and prevent the globalists from achieving their designs.  Will we?  That is the hope and the need, so I continue to pray that enough people will awaken from their slumber and come together to return to constitutionalism and moral sanity in America.

God bless you and God bless America!

Why is it that so many people demand an immediate fix to the ills of society and the political landscape?   Why?  I believe the answer is in the condition of the human heart, learned entitlement, and selfishness.    Are those the only causes?  Heavens No!   However, they are a great place to begin.

The bias, prejudice, partisanship, and prevalent animus preclude any hope of immediate fixes or even significant progress politically.   When the two major political parties draw lines in the sand and refuse to allow any bipartisanship, reality demands recognition of a truth no one is willing to acknowledge.   

I have heard some who voted for President Trump in this recent election, now railing against him.  They are saying, “He promised to do this or that, and prices are still high, etc.”    Those people are focused on “What’s In It For Me?” rather than facing the reality that Congress and the Courts are also players in the game of political life.

When members of either party refuse to even listen to the other party, restoration and fixing what is broken becomes difficult, if not impossible.   In his first term, President Trump accomplished many notable achievements, and wanted to do more for the American people, but the Left and even some on the Right refused to work with him.   Their political animus was stronger than their desire to fix our problems.

We have been warned from the beginning about the dangers of political parties and the thirst for power and control.   Both major parties desire both and seem willing to stop deviousness to gain and maintain their hold on the reins of government.  

Expecting an immediate draining of the swamp is not only utopian, but it also involves abandoning rational thought.   It is to display ignorance of how the system operates.  It is to focus on singular issues rather than the whole.  It is to absolve Congress of its responsibility and ignore the Constitutional guidelines for the judiciary.   It is to place the entire blame, credit, and responsibility on the Chief Executive.   That is not how a Republic works.

Have we become so self-centered and selfish that we only care about what affects us?   Have we devolved to the place where we will sell our votes (souls) for personal benefit?   Have we lost contact with the Original Intent of the Constitution and allowed ourselves to be manipulated by the media, politicians, and celebrities?   Have we forgotten the stated original view of Republicanism?

The words found in the Declaration of Independence that resonated with everyone are still pertinent.   “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”    Those guiding principles must be maintained if America is to be restored and return to its former status and condition.

No system of government is flawless, because no system of government is entirely free from the influence of corrupt individuals.  For decades, most have chosen to leave the politics to the politicians without proper oversight.   We allowed ourselves to gravitate to extreme partisanship and moved from issues to personalities in deciding who would be the Chief Executive of the Republic.  

However, we did not stop there; we allowed that to trickle down to the lowest elected office.   There can be no genuine fix of our ills, unless we move from selfishness, entitlement, and partisanship, and instead of being Republican or Democrat, we become Americans first!

What is our number one issue, problem, or hindrance?   It is the condition of the human heart.   I am not talking about physical or medical issues, but spiritual and moral ones.   Only as we return to God can we truly hope to see the problems resolved.   We did not get into this condition overnight, and we will not get out of this condition overnight.  

Time is both our greatest ally and our greatest enemy, yet it is essential for excavating the rubble of ruin and rebuilding the foundations necessary for greatness.   How willing and patient are we?   But to expect and demand immediate fixes is to make demands that no human can fulfill.   That allows the continued cycle of progress and setbacks.  

America, God is our answer, and listening is our greatest asset.  Can we?  Will we learn to set aside our personal biases and selfishness, and develop a willingness and ability to listen and think?   We will abandon hate and embrace understanding.   We will put the Republic ahead of personal ambition.    The answers will determine our future!   In a measure, which means that America’s future is in your hands!

God bless you and God bless America!

My fellow Americans, I ask why?   Why?   Yes, why!   Why have we allowed the devolution of political sanity to prevail, and the rectitude of reason to become extinct?    Why?   Why have we become partisan political animals devoid of the willingness to examine all sides of an issue?   Why?  

There are so many things I could address regarding this matter that I hesitate even to bring it up.   I realize that some on both sides of the political aisle will find my thoughts unacceptable.   Those who are so overcome with hate for the current president seem unable to accept anything positive from him.   Likewise, those who are so invested in objecting to the objectors find it impossible to acknowledge any shortcomings he might have.

Every political cycle, various states engage in political redistricting.  None of it is without the intent to bolster the party in power’s hold on the state.   The states that the Democrats have historically controlled do it.   If those actions are not considered diabolical and anti-American by the Left, then why are those of the GOP considered evil? 

This is one of many things that the entire nation becomes enmeshed in.   We draw lines in the sand, hurl insults, and enlist our political assets to decry, while doing the same thing.   Jesus spoke of this in Matthew 7, as he gave the illustration of the log and the speck in the eye.   The saying, “Some cannot see the forest for the trees,” is applicable.   We only see what we consider fault in others and fail to look in the mirror.

The epidemic in America that will destroy us is HATE!    The Pharisees, in the Bible, modified the commandment to “love our neighbor” by defining who was a neighbor.   They modified it to mean, only those of their ‘ilk, sect, or ideology.’   Only members of the Pharisaic Association were considered neighbors.   Jesus’ illustration of the Good Samaritan destroyed that.   But, in America, we deem those to be loved as only those who agree with us.

Politicians love to talk about ‘Democracy.’   However, they have little interest in Democracy, the Republic, or the people.   I say that without fear of being forced to retract that assertion because actions speak louder than words.  

Theodore Roosevelt succinctly said, “Rhetoric is a poor substitute for action, and we have trusted only to rhetoric.  If we are really to be a great nation, we must not merely talk; we must act big.”   Rhetoric seems to be valued more than solutions in today’s America.   The side that can impart the most effective rhetoric is often the victor in the political arena.

In Mark 3:25, Jesus said, “If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.”   America is a divided house.  If it were divided along two opposing views, it might be easier to resolve than being divided across a myriad of lines and issues.    Division breeds weakness, and weakness nationally endangers us all.

What is the solution?   Let’s just get along.   I am being a little facetious, saying that because it is not that simple.   The problem that has become an epidemic is rooted in the human heart or core makeup of the individual.   Some of it is generational, some political bias, some ethnically driven, and some ideological.  

There is no pristine political party or politician.   We are all flawed vessels.   Just like the human body needs all its parts, we need each other.   I am concerned that the current state of America will become like a wildfire.   If a wildfire gains access to enough fuel, the prevailing winds drive it into an uncontrollable state of destruction. 

I believe that our only hope is God!   For those who do not accept that, let me suggest that only as we return to original intent constitutional governance will we have hope of restoration and civility.   Sometimes, we have to set aside our wishes for the greater good of the nation.  Sometimes, we have to stand down from our ideological, sectarian, partisan perch and find ethical compromises that provide the best possible good and security.  

I pray for this nation because I believe it was inspired by God to be a beacon of good and hope to the world.   I pray for those charged with leading this nation that they will make the right choices based on genuine need, not a desire for power or even legacy.  I pray that all citizens will choose to listen to concerns and not react immediately, but instead consider possible solutions.    If we draw lines in the sand, eventually outside forces will seize the opportunity to exploit our division and damage us, possibly irreparably. 

I see an epidemic and a solution!  I am praying for the antidote to be administered to the nation and a restoration of the America we were founded to be.   

God bless you and God bless America!

The percentage of people drawing ‘entitlements’ Or ‘welfare’ exceeds those who work and pay taxes.   Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote, ‘When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.’ 

Based on reports from various agencies, we have reached that incredible milestone in America.  That could mean our impending doom is near unless we immediately and dramatically alter that course.  Franklin said, “Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.  Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.”   Sadly, we do not appear to be the ‘well-armed lamb’ but the one outvoted by the two wolves.

The Cato Institute reported in August 2013 that welfare benefits exceed the minimum wage after taxes are taken into account in 35 states.  In 2024, reports indicated that 40 states offered welfare benefits exceeding $8.00 per hour, and 17 were more generous than $10.00 per hour.   

Nine states provide welfare benefits exceeding the average first-year teacher’s salary.  In 29 states, the benefits exceed the starting wage for secretaries.  In 47 states, the benefits exceed the income of janitors.  Hawaii offers welfare benefits equivalent to a pretax salary of $36,400, and Alaska is not far behind. 

Something is wrong with our ideology, politics, and work ethic when the welfare system affords such a high level of benefits that it acts as a deterrent to industry or the incentive to actually work or try to find a job.  When you are paid more to sit on your Gluteus Maximus, watch television, and eat bonbons (or whatever) than you are to go out and secure employment, there is a problem.

Until we have a Congress with the backbone, intestinal fortitude, and moral fiber to do something about this situation, we are up the creek without a paddle.  It is getting deeper, and the stench is more pronounced daily.  The idea of removing welfare work requirements is one of the most disastrous things that Washington has done or thought of doing.  If they were serious about resolving the problem, they would immediately act to ‘remove exemptions’ and narrow the definition of work instead of broadening the doorway to a lifestyle of entitlements.

The three locals with the highest welfare benefits are Hawaii, Washington, DC, and Massachusetts, which should come as no surprise.  The Associated Press reported that among U.S. adults, 80% face joblessness, near-poverty, or reliance on welfare for at least parts of their lives.  That is staggering and screams the need to do something constructive regarding the economy and the world of federal entitlements. 

The federal government needs to get out of the way and allow private enterprises to do what they have always done: invest, create jobs, grow the economy, and make millions in the process.   

If you have a problem with someone becoming wealthy due to starting a business, growing it, hiring people, and adding strength to the economy, then you have a problem.   I do not care how rich someone becomes.  If they are hiring people, helping to grow and strengthen the U.S. economy, that is a good thing.   If they are operating an illegal sweatshop and using forced labor of indentured servants, then that is a problem.

The class envy and warfare that former Presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and the Democrats project and incite have done significant harm to our nation and our economy.   Expecting the government to provide for us and fix everything forces us to relinquish our freedom and liberty for the illusion of security.   

Please do not argue that you are not privileged enough to be a success in business because there have been thousands, if not more, who have begun with nothing, worked incredibly hard, developed a product or an idea that the public wanted, and risen to the pinnacle of success.  I have learned that if I am willing to take the risk, put in the work, and make the sacrifices required, I can achieve financial success of whatever proportions I desire. 

I have invested most of my adult life in ministry rather than amassing fortunes, so that ship may have sailed for me.  However, even now, if I were willing to put in the required work, I believe I could achieve financial and business success.   However, that would mean taking away from the time I now invest in prayer, studying the Word of God, and proclaiming the gospel, and I am not willing to do that. 

In the current state and with the percentage of people on some kind of entitlement in America, our demise as a Free Constitutional Republic is dangerously near.   Our nation’s debt is unsustainable, and our entitlement programs are untenable.   We cannot continue on our current path and survive. 

I apologize if that sounds pessimistic; I believe it is reality.   That is why we must regain control of our government.  That is why we must become willing to bite the bullet and adopt the necessary reforms to restore stability to our economy.   The disaster they called the Affordable Health Care Act, also known as Obamacare, began a fiscal plunge down a very slippery slope.

God help us, or we are doomed.   God bless America!

It is a fact that the Constitution affords us with the nomenclature of ‘Citizen Representation’ via our elected Congressmen, Senators, and Presidents, but is that reality in 2025?   It has been fictional most of the time, but are we turning the corner in America?

There are some reasons that it is a fictional condition that makes for good political and constitutional discussion.   There are also some valid reasons to assert that it is nothing more than a fantasy.  One is that the idea is ignored by those elected and a large swath of the voting public.  The Political Elite looks at most of us with utter contempt.  For this patriot and lover of America, I want an America as she was founded and supports a Constitutional Form of Republican Democracy, so this condition is a Big Problem!

Sadly, we have become almost like the proverbial frog placed into a pan of cool water, and the heat slowly turned up to the point of boiling.  That conditions the frog to become acclimated to the rising temperatures.   The result is that it fails to leap to safety until it is too late.  The poor frog boils to death!  I am concerned that we are in the pan. 

Someone might ask, “What stage of boiling are we?”  I cannot definitively answer that.  However, the evidence is that the skin is beginning to sag under the intense heat.  Breathing is becoming more difficult, and our limbs are not functioning as they did before.  That places us at the mercy of the watcher of the pot – The Politicians!

• For the Republic to be the Government of the people, for the people, and by the people.
• For We, the People, to be in charge of and own our government rather than vice versa, there are some things that we must do.

Those things are needed with immediacy.  We need to begin getting involved immediately, and hope the pendulum has not shifted too far to the Left.  We must pray that our country is still salvageable, and we can bring it back to a more constitutional position.   Those in power will not willingly and easily give up power and will use every trick in their arsenal to explain why our attempts are bad for the country.

TO HAVE CITIZEN REPRESENTATION, WE MUST…

1. Carefully choose those men/women who are Constitutional Conservatives. 

That means we must elect those who believe in the Republican form of Democracy, which was founded by those astute men in 1776 and subsequently modified.  Vetting and Electing is Step One in the Restoration Process.

• Carefully and diligently become informed about what is happening in the political system.

That means we pay attention to what is happening in Washington.  We carefully evaluate all legislation and Executive Fiats.   We carefully observe Congress’s legislative actions, policies, procedures, and practices.  We dare not trust the Main Stream Media or the various political pundit websites to keep us informed honestly and accurately.   We must do our own research, study, read, examine, and question everything!  On those occasions, they tell us, ‘they do not know,’ and we inform them that we expect an answer in a reasonable amount of time or that they will be targeted for replacement.  We diligently work to make that more than a threat.

• Diligently keep the feet to the fire of all our elected officials at all levels, beginning with the local and municipal levels and moving to the city, state, and then the nation.  

That means any time we are aware of a bill or executive fiat that contradicts the Founding Principles and the Constitution, we must be compelled to organize and vocalize our objections.    It is a reality that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and if we do not squeak enough, they will pay little attention to us.

• We must become educated in the process, politics, and platforms of the parties and the ideology of the individuals, and become involved at the grassroots level in party politics. 

If enough of us become County, State, and National Delegates, we can have a voice and become part of constructing the Party Platform.  From that position, we can help steer it toward constitutional reality rather than settling for ‘the lesser of two evils’ because the lesser of two evils is still an evil.

• We must Primary as many RINOs as possible.

If we can defeat them in the Primaries, we can then get into the trenches in the General Elections to get these new candidates elected.   We will not win all our battles.  However, winning even a small percentage will send a message that we are serious and that they are being held accountable for their actions.  It will be an indication that we expect our Representatives to represent us, not build their own empires.  It will convey the message that we expect clear communications, accountability, and positive action on their part. 

Sadly, many who run for office today and are in office today truly believe that we are too lazy, disinterested, and uninformed to make rational and logical conclusions about political matters.   Therefore, they deem themselves more informed, better qualified, and actively engaged, so they ignore us.  That has to change!

We have to become willing to get our hands dirty with the business of day-to-day politics.  We must become the most informed electorate America has ever known.  We need to be able to intelligently converse with our Representatives on matters of politics and policy.   I insert a biblical statement here:  “We need to be able to give every man an answer as to the reason of the hope that is within us and do so with a meekness of informed strength and character.”   If we do, it will get their attention!

We just went through the 2024 elections, and 2026 is just around the corner.   The Republican Establishment has historically snatched defeat out of what could be a landslide victory for the GOP in 2026.  They have mistakenly followed the Democrats’ playbook on Immigration, Entitlements, and other issues to the disdain of the majority of the public. 

Today, many Americans are angry about where we have been, and they desire for the politicians to stand up, be different, and articulate issues rather than concede and cave.   We need our elected officials to represent us rather than strive to build their own empires and kingdoms.   We need them to move beyond their desire and willingness to ingratiate themselves with special interests and become Citizen Representatives! 

We can turn the tide, but it will take determination and time!   One we can develop, the other I’m not sure we have, but we cannot give up without trying!

May God bless you and may God bless America!

What Answer?  What Problem?  What am I talking about?   The Problem of Hate in America!   My title may have turned some off, and your disdain for Country Music will prevent you from hearing my arguments.   That is true in every segment of life; our dislike for something or someone blocks our willingness to listen.

I contend that this postulation has as much validity as many of the processes through which politicians attempt to solve problems.  There is a song by Johnny Lee that was released in June of 1980 and is entitled “Lookin’ For Love.”   The plight was a lonely man looking for his perfect woman, and the chorus declares, “I was lookin’ for love in all the wrong places…”  

The world has a Love Problem, which is reflected in a Hate Problem, which is demonstrated in vindictiveness, violence, and deception.   But we keep looking for love in all the wrong places and continue to live in a world filled with hatred, violence, distrust, and diabolical devices.   We remain in our state of loneliness and unloved. 

From time to time, I go back and listen to and read some of the campaign rhetoric politicians offer.   It is sometimes humorous until the seriousness of the matter slaps me in the face.  If we were to take at face value what they say, we would realize a stunning truth.   They’re either ridiculously naïve regarding what causes people, ideologies, and nations to show compassion, tolerance, and love, or they think we are. 

I did say “if”.   Politicians, like many today, seem to think that the answer is the flowery words, utopian ideas, and seeming tolerance.   It appears that much of our society believes that Love is simply that warm, fuzzy feeling based on an emotional response or stimulus.  If the politician is articulate and charismatic, many swoon over them like they were Rock Stars!

I do not believe that Love is an emotional response or physical drawing, but a commitment and covenant.   I believe that love is a decision that, when cultivated, grows and becomes strong, undeterred by momentary outside happenings. 

I made a commitment to my wife when I asked her to marry me, which is found in the words of Job.  “I have made a covenant with my eyes: Why then should I look upon a young woman?”   My commitment was “she would be my one and only.” 

I made that choice based on what I felt was God’s leading, blending us together, and that she was and would be the love of my life.   Our new journey has not had the time to experience the stormy weather that often comes to relationships, but we have made the commitment to Love each other through it all.   Love is the choice we have made, and it grows stronger each day.

Hate is born when love is absent.  I am not talking about romantic love.   If we realized that we are human beings and members of the same race (human).  That means that we are brothers and sisters. 

Hate is strengthened by emotions, and if allowed to take root, it becomes so powerful that it makes it impossible to tolerate anyone or anything that is contrary to the hater’s ideology.  Hate is learned and, in truth, is a choice, as is love, but it is fueled by the visual and emotional.  Some will argue that love is as well, but that is not love but lust. 

In my years of Christian ministry, I have been called upon to address relationship difficulties and frequently would find that some young woman or man expressing the thought that “if they just…” all would be okay.   If they just agreed blindly.  If they just adopted a proposed lifestyle.  If they just allowed themselves to be abused, the other person would love them, and in so doing, they could change their partner. 

That is a false hope and one that usually produces contempt, not love.  The same is true in dealing with nations and peoples of the world.  If we seek to appease others, we may temporarily have a cessation of conflict, but it will not last because appeasing plants the seed of contempt.  The image presented is one of weakness and being weak-willed, which leads to abuse.  We keep looking for love in all the wrong places and through the wrong actions.  

Islamic Jihad is hate-based, not love-based.   One might argue that they are acting out of love for their faith and their god, but are they?  It is impossible to force anyone to love.   Those who have chosen to hate us will not love us because we tolerate their hatred; instead, they will hate us more. 

There are times in personal relationships when one must administer “tough love” and refuse to tolerate unacceptable behavior.  God’s unwillingness to wink at sin is not evidence that He does not love us, but the opposite.  A parent’s unwillingness to allow disruptive and destructive behavior in their children is not an evidence of the lack of love but a demonstration of love. 

The many tensions in existence within and between various sectors of our society will not be resolved by a false concept of love and hate.  Love is honest, and until we are willing to honestly, for all sides, face the issues in our society and world, we will continue “Lookin’ for love in all the wrong places…” and the world will grow darker and more dangerous. 

We need leaders who are willing to honestly face the difficult problems with honest and realistic responses.  We need leaders who will follow the constitution and rule of law, not subvert it for the sake of appeasing particular sects for political purposes.  We need leaders who consider their office a “public service,” not a “coronation to regality.” 

Let’s stop “Lookin’ for love in all the wrong places…” and begin looking within our own hearts and deal with the one person we have control over – US. 

May God bless you and may He bless America again and lead us out of this darkness into the light.

I want to address the conditions of the American Society and much of the world.  What I have to say will resonate with some and be anathema to others.   Some who agree with me politically will find this not to their liking, because they prefer to leave God out of the equation.  I am unable to do that because God is my foundation.  Who and what I am stems from my belief in God and my commitment to Him.

Therefore, let’s jump into the pool of discussion and move rapidly from the shallow to the deep end of the pool.  I hope you will allow me to explain my view fully.   If, after hearing my argument, you reject it as unpalatable, that is your choice.

We begin in Jeremiah 9, where there is an amazing declaration from God Himself.   He laments to the prophet that he has no choice but to judge the nation.  There are specific reasons for the impending judgment, as well as solutions for averting or avoiding it. 

In Jeremiah 4:1, God addressed the desires and even prayers of people like Jeremiah and those longing for a restoration of blessings and prosperity in Israel.   He said, “If you, Israel, want to come back…if you want to come back to Me, you MUST…”  

When I look at the violence, hate, discord, and political and social impasses present, I ask, “How did this happen?”   I wonder how we could have reached the low point to which we have plunged, and because of my faith, I am convinced that the reason is our rejection of God.  

In Jeremiah 4, God commands them to repent and return to Him.  They must set aside certain things and operate in truth, honesty, and uprightness.   That is virtually impossible for a self-centered, selfish heart and mind.  A person consumed by a mentality of entitlement and the belief that they are owed something by society finds it an impossible position to attain. 

I do not believe that God desires to judge America and destroy this nation.  However, I have to wonder how long we can continue down the path of declension and depravity?   At what point does society destroy itself from within, and people devour and consume each other?   At what point does becoming a law unto ourselves result in the impossibility of maintaining a civil society?   Are we nearing that point, or have we already reached it?

When I read Jeremiah 9:1, I find myself overcome with grief.   God is a loving and caring God.   He is not only love but also justice!   He is not arbitrarily imposing restrictions on us for our harm or because He has power, but because they are best for us.   The parameters within which we are expected to interact are to allow us to live and allow others the same privilege.   If we constantly live in fear of harm, we will soon find it impossible to trust anything or anyone.   That usually results in violence.

In Jeremiah 9:13-16, I see a cause for our political, economic, societal, relational, and religious discord.   He said that all the chaos and lack of favor from God were the result of people rejecting God’s laws and turning to the stubbornness of their own hearts.   Those people have succumbed to the temptation of Baal (money and pleasure).

We have had generations of ingrained hate being inscribed on the hearts of people.  The Middle East is a prime example of indefensible and unexplainable hatred that has existed for millennia.   It is the old Hatfield vs McCoy feud.   After a few generations, people no longer know why they hate; they hate because they are supposed to hate a particular people.  

When self becomes the center of everything, we lose sight of the declared objectives of the Preamble of the Declaration of Independence.   “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. “

In a society where those views are embraced and the Golden Rule is applied; we discover not only civility and harmony but that each of us does better.   No, we will not all become rich by applying God’s principles. Still, we will have the ability to live without having to walk on eggshells of emotion, the regulations of the PC Police, and the demands that we abandon our core values.

The problem in America and the world is the condition of the human heart (not the organ that pumps blood, but the foundation of who we are).  The problem is a rejection of moral sanity and a pursuit of fantasy.   We cannot fix the problem, but God can.  

My cry for America is that we will resist hate.  That we will realize that just because someone else has something we do not have is not justification for hating them.   Life is not always fair!   In the course of life, there is good and evil, victories and defeats, joys, and sorrows.   However, if we treated everyone as we would desire to be treated, we would discover the ability to work together for the best good of everyone.  

This is my perspective on where we stand in our society.   The answer is found in God and His word.   I have little of this world’s material things, but I have the most important thing, peace of heart and mind.   I hate no one!   I can rejoice when you are blessed and weep when you are in difficulty.   I will remain patriotic no matter which party is in power, and I will trust God no matter what!

Have a great day.  God bless you and God bless America!