Early in life, I learned the importance of setting benchmarks, establishing landmarks, and finding purpose.    My family has always been loyal to each other.  We did and do not always agree, but we have always “had each other’s backs” and stood and stand ready to offer assistance, encouragement, and even counsel when asked. 

My grandfather, C.R. Kellum, had impeccable integrity, honesty, and dedication to family. I learned things that became solidified as the Cornerstones of my life from him, my mother, and my father.   After receiving Christ as my Savior, I was strengthened by biblical realities.

What my parents and grandparents taught me, combined with what God has brought into my life, has anchored my conviction that the three most essential things in my life are Faith, Family, and freedom.

I am keenly aware that politicians, including some past presidents, desire to find ways to enact stringent “gun control.”   They have been willing to bypass Congress and the Constitution to achieve their agenda.  They have been averse to using the Amendment process because of its difficulty in achieving.   They do not desire that ‘we the people’ decide that issue.

Some advocates of ‘gun control’ or ‘gun ban’ insist that it is the moral obligation of politicians to strip citizens of their right to “keep and bear arms.”   They insist that doing so would make America safer, although factual evidence decries their positions and postulations.

Barack Hussein Obama and Joe Biden frequently ignored the Constitution, and Obama lamented that it was too restrictive.  Some presidents seem to view themselves as did the Kings of yesteryear, divinely appointed sovereigns with unlimited power.   They ignore the Constitutional restrictions and our well-designed system of “checks and balances.”

My Cornerstone of Faith drives everything I am and do.  Some have questioned my being vocal about my faith in the same sentence with politics, citing the misinterpretation of “separation of church and state.”  Some have argued that, as a Christian, I am prohibited from expressing any political view and should restrict all my comments to the spiritual and biblical. 

I believe that my stance on politics is grounded in biblical principles.  You may disagree, and I respect that; however, I believe I have a Biblical mandate to “warn of danger” when I see it.  I believe that if I see destruction, regardless of the sphere or realm in which danger resides or operates, I am obligated to sound the alarm and shout a warning of the threat from the walls.

I desire to live in such a manner that my life honors the LORD Jesus Christ.  I hope to demonstrate integrity in all that I do.    I want to win as many as possible for the Family of God and rob hell of potential occupants.    I believe our Christian mandate is not just to get to heaven someday, but that we bring heaven to earth today.  We do that through Christ living in and through us, enabling us to live the life the Bible calls ‘Abundant Life.’ 

My Cornerstone of Family demands that I fiercely and faithfully do everything I can to provide for my own and to protect and defend them to the best of my ability.   I believe that a family unit with both a father and a mother in the home is ideal.  I believe that when the extended family unit is intact, it can offer incredible support, comfort, and encouragement for those who are destined to become the patriarchs and matriarchs of the family.  

The health of the family unit is not automatic and requires the investment of time and energy.  Families can grow together or apart, which largely depends on the effort we put into it.  Sometimes, there may be a family member who goes rogue and rebels.   There is often little we can do other than love and pray for them.

I have witnessed families disintegrate so completely that they have never been able to achieve restoration and reconciliation.  I treasure Family, and next to GOD, Family is the most essential thing in my life.  It is Faith, then Family, and Freedom!

My Cornerstone of Freedom is a patriotic and biblical view of the inalienable rights of all mankind.    I value the sacrifices made in 1776 (before and beyond) to secure freedom and establish the United States of America.   I value the sacrifices of those in the various wars and conflicts our nation has been engaged in fighting for liberty and freedom, or to preserve those for posterity. 

Benjamin Franklin’s quote regarding liberty and safety is apropos.  He said, “Those who would give up essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary Safety deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”  Freedom is not negotiable, nor should it be.

In modern America, we have been exposed to a type of governance that appears to believe that freedom is what those in power decide.  They do not believe that our rights are inalienable, coming from God, as detailed in the Constitution, and authenticated by the Bible and natural reason. 

We have endured governance that desires us to willingly give up liberty under the guise that those in power will keep us safe.   Liberty relinquished is seldom, if ever, regained without a revolution.

My focus in 2025 is centered on my cornerstones: Faith, Family, and Freedom.   If my Faith is a problem to anyone, I understand why you might feel you cannot walk with me.   If my commitment to and belief in Family are problematic and you cannot tolerate my views, I understand your decision to depart.  If my commitment to Freedom completely contrasts with your views, I would understand your pushing me aside. 

As the Bible teaches, I believe “two cannot walk together except they are in agreement.”    We do not have to agree on everything, and it is doubtful that we will. However, if what I believe and stand for is beyond your ability to tolerate, I understand and wish you well.  I hope everyone can find enough common ground to work together to achieve the objective of maintaining our constitutional liberties and preserving the constitutional republic known as the United States of America.

God bless you, and God bless America!

PS I have added a 4th Cornerstone, but did not address it in this post. That cornerstone is Friends.  I treasure friends.  God bless you for being one.