Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Family

Family is a biblical unit that is self propagating, whose strength is in its ability to love, forgive and forget, and is the building block for a powerful country, and an ambassador for a powerful God.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Susan Boyle, The Swan!

The world found in Susan Boyle a place to bring their emotions and let them flow with their desire to see something good, pure, and joyful. Their hunger for good news has caused them to rally and rejoice together. She represents hope and steadfast patience in faith. She came at the right time and in the right fashion.


But it is more than that for many of us. We are the “Ugly Ducklings” that dreamed of becoming a beautiful swan. But life, like the song she sang, has emptied that dream and though it is not forgotten, it has become mute. Many of us never had the chance to see our dreams realized. So we shoved them beneath the strife of living and dare not let them surface. We have gone through life normal, happy, and doing what is needed. But, know it or not, we are very sensitive of our dreams and the knowledge that we still in a small part are “Ugly Ducklings”.


So when we see Susan Boyle come before the judges and audience, and was ridiculed and laughed at, we become her. We are “Ugly Ducklings” again. We become one with her because we each have our own “Ugly Duckling” traits and we rally for self-preservation. She is one of us.


Then she sings and every captive, “Ugly Duck”, trapped feeling explodes. And for one beautiful brief moment we all become swans through her. And the tears come, out of control, but they are so good and they flow with pure honest rejoicing. Suddenly all our troubles are gone, all our worries have vanished and we have peace as we sit on the pinnacle of pure gratification.


Our faith is restored and we know that God still loves us and will still orchestrate the right medicine for us at the right time. He shows His strength through our weaknesses. Susan Boyle is God’s elixir for hope and joy.


We do not know what the future holds for us, but for one beautiful moment we soared free on the pure wings of a swan.


The Old Farmer

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

The Three Pillars of America! (part 2)

In this part I will talk about the second pillar, Country. Country is not real estate, dirt, earth or land. A land without people is an empty land. And land with a certain type of people in it, is still an empty land. Country is the right kind of people dominating the landscape and holding a certain philosophy. I will give my definition of what I think Country is.

Country: Is the self-sacrificing lives that are bound together by a common faith and constitution, and have a strong desire for liberty and freedom, and is handed down to future generations by Blood, Sweat and Tears, and is resistant to tyrannical brutes from within and without.

When our forefathers came to this land they were divided in nationalities, ethnic roots, and loyalties. But as they drew closer to 1776 they were to be drawn together in ways that must of surprised them greatly. The one thing that they had in common was their Christian faith. For the great majority was of the Christian persuasion.

In the early seventeen hundreds, it was the preachers that preached from God's word that all men were created equal. That God was not a respecter of persons. That all, rich or poor, free on bonded, powerful or weak, all had to come to God in the same manner.

An example of this from the evangelist, George Whitfield. He preached in Philadelphia to thirty thousand people this sermon.
"Father Abraham, whom do you have there in Heaven?
Any Baptist? No answer.
Any Presbyterians? No answer.
Any Methodists? No Answer.
Any Congregationalist? Still no answer. He would go through all the denominations.
Finally he would say, Father Abraham, whom do you have there in Heaven?
He would answer his own query.
We do not know those names here, all we have here are those whose robes have been washed clean in the blood of the Lamb, that's who we have here."

Historians have said that the War for Independence was a child of the pulpit.

People started to be drawn together by a common need and belief, but it still was not yet Country.

As the war started and progressed, men of all strips stood side by side against a powerful foe, the British. They, our forefathers, would rally time and time again to try to drive the British back to England, but with little success. All seemed to be lost and there was little hope. Then came Valley Forge.

The revisionists and politically correct, like to tell us that the fear of being shot for desertion is what kept the solders in Valley Forge. I am sure that there was some that tried to leave, but not the masses that they say were. If the solders desired to leave, it would not have been that hard, but they did not. You have to look at what took place during that winter and what happened afterward. This is how I see it after studying the facts.

It was not fear that held them together, it was the hand of God. Let me explain how I came to that conclusion.

In the freezing winter of 1777, General George Washington was burdened with the lack of supplies for his troops camped at Valley Forge, and the overwhelming superiority of the British forces. Soldiers died at the rate of twelve per day, with many not even having blankets or shoes. The Commander in Chief himself, records the desperate state in a letter he wrote from Valley Forge to John Banister:

No history, now extant, can furnish an instance of an Army's suffering such uncommon hardships as ours has done and bearing them with the same patience and fortitude.

To see men without clothes to cover their nakedness, without blankets to lay on, without shoes, by which their marches might be traced by the blood from their feet, and almost as often without provisions as with; marching through frost and snow, and at Christmas taking up their winter quarters within a day's march of the enemy, without a house or hutt to cover them till they could be built and submitting without a murmur, is a mark of patience and obedience which in my opinion can scarce be paralleled.

On February 16, a civilian named John Joseph Stoudt would write in his diary:

For some days there has been little less than a famine in the camp . . . Naked and starving as they are, we cannot enough admire the incomparable patience and fidelity of the soldiery, that they have not been excited ere this by their suffering, to a general mutiny and dispersion. Indeed, the distress of the army for want of provisions is perhaps beyond anything you can conceive . . . .

With all this suffering one would think that all is lost, not so according to a soldier that gave this comment to a local paper.

"Our attention is now drawn to one point: the enemy grows weaker every day, and we are growing stronger. Our work is almost done, and with the blessing of heaven, and the valor of our worthy General, we shall soon drive these plunders out of our country!"

In 1777 while the American army lay at Valley Forge, a good old Quaker by the name of Potts had occasion to pass through a thick woods near headquarters. As he traversed the dark brown forest, he heard, at a distance before him, a voice which as he advanced became more fervid and interested.

Approaching with slowness and circumspection, whom should he behold in a dark bower, apparently formed for the purpose, but the Commander-in-Chief of the armies of the United Colonies on his knees in the act of devotion to the Ruler of the Universe!
At the moment when Friend Potts, concealed by the trees, came up, Washington was interceding for his beloved country. With tones of gratitude that labored for adequate expression he adored that exuberant goodness which, from the depth of obscurity, had exalted him to the head of a great nation, and that nation fighting at fearful odds for all the world holds dear....

Soon as the General had finished his devotions and had retired, Friend Potts returned to his house, and threw himself into a chair by the side of his wife. "Heigh! Isaac!" said she with tenderness, "thee seems agitated; what's the matter?"
"Indeed, my dear" quoth he, "if I appear agitated 'tis no more than what I am. I have seen this day what I shall never forget. Till now I have thought that a Christian and a soldier were characters incompatible; but if George Washington be not a man of God, I am mistaken, and still more shall I be disappointed if God does not through him perform some great thing for this country."

Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, pastor of the Lutheran church near Valley Forge and one of the founders of the Lutheran Church in America, noted concerning General Washington:

I heard a fine example today, namely, that His Excellency General Washington rode around among his army yesterday and admonished each and every one to fear God, to put away the wickedness that has set in and become so general, and to practice the Christian virtues. From all appearances, this gentleman does not belong to the so-called world of society, for he respects God's Word, believes in the atonement through Christ, and bears himself in humility and gentleness. Therefore, the Lord God has also singularly, yea, marvelously, preserved him from harm in the midst of countless perils, ambuscades, fatigues, etc., and has hitherto graciously held him in His hand as a chosen vessel.

There are two things to point out here, the powerful faith in God of George Washington and the growing strength and unity of the soldiers. They were being tempered into hardened steel, They were being purified and refined by the refiner of the Universe. He was molding them into an army. He would produce here an army that would be the foundation for victory, not just for this war, but for all wars to come to America. At Valley Forge, God was performing a miracle that would show the world that the God of the Universe dwells with men.

The colonial army limped into Valley Forge bloodied, beaten and with out hope. They left Valley Forge with confidence, ability and as a band of brothers, they were the Army of The United States of America, and the British would never drive them from the field of battle again.

An excerpt from "The Light and the Glory" shines a clear light on what these soldiers meant to America and General George Washington: "From this time forth, Washington never needed to worry about another year-end enlistment lag; men were now signing up for three-year tours. But regardless of the contracted length of their tour, the veterans of Valley Forge were in for the duration, and would not think of leaving until the job was done. And when hardest assignments came-the frontal attacks, the bayonet charges, the flanker details-the Valley Forge men were the ones invariably chosen."

All the pieces that make up our second pillar of America, Country, were falling into place, the final piece would soon come.

Our Constitution, I believe, is what fulfills our destiny as Americans and gives us what we call Country. It is the last piece, but it almost became a dream shattered. If it had not been for Divine intervention, we would not have the freedoms we enjoy today. Benjamin Franklin rose during the trouble at the convention with the following words, they being so wonderful and timely, they only could of come from God Himself.

On Thursday, June 28, 1787, Benjamin Franklin delivered a speech to the Constitutional Convention, which was embroiled in a debate over how each state was to be represented in the new government. The hostile feelings, created by the smaller states being pitted against the larger states, was so bitter that some delegates actually left the Convention.

Benjamin Franklin, being the President (Governor) of Pennsylvania, hosted the rest of the 55 delegates attending the Convention. Being the senior member of the convention at 81 years of age, he commanded the respect of all present, and, as recorded in James Madison's detailed records, rose to speak in this moment of crisis:

Mr. President: The small progress we have made after 4 or 5 weeks close attendance & continual reasonings with each other - our different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last producing as many noes as ayes, is methinks a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the Human Understanding. We indeed seem to feel our own want of political wisdom, since we have been running about in search of it. We have gone back to ancient history for models of Government, and examined the different forms of those Republics which, having been formed with the seeds of their own dissolution, now no longer exist. And we have viewed Modern States all round Europe, but find none of their Constitutions suitable to our circumstances. In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understanding? In the beginning of the Contest with G. Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for Divine protection. - Our prayers, Sir, were heard, & they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a Superintending Providence in our favor. To that kind Providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth - that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that "except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it." I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conquest. I therefore beg leave to move - that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service.
The response of the convention to Dr. Benjamin Franklin's speech was reported by General Jonathan Dayton, the delegate from New Jersey and later Speaker of the House of Representatives, to William Steele:

The Doctor sat down; and never did I behold a countenance at once so dignified and delighted as was that of Washington at the close of the address; nor were the members of the convention generally less affected. The words of the venerable Franklin fell upon our ears with a weight and authority, even greater that we may suppose an oracle to have had in a Roman senate!
Following Franklin's historical address, Roger Sherman of Connecticut seconded his motion. Edmund Jennings Randolph of Virginia moved:

That a sermon be preached at the request of the convention on the 4th of July, the anniversary of Independence; & thenceforward prayers be used in ye Convention every morning. [Dr. Franklin seconded this motion.]
The clergy of the city responded to this request and effected a profound change in the convention, as noted by General Jonathan Dayton when they reconvened, July 2, 1787:

We assembled again; and...every unfriendly feeling had been expelled, and a spirit of conciliation had been cultivated.

Once again the definition of Country:

Country: Is the self-sacrificing lives that are bound together by a common faith and constitution, and have a strong desire for liberty and freedom, and is handed down to future generations by Blood, Sweat and Tears, and is resistant to tyrannical brutes from within and without.

Now fast forward to today. The onslaught and fierce attack by those who would see "Country" become a bye-word or at least weakened so that globalism can take it's place. It is not by chance or coincidence that are Founding Fathers are being trashed. For they hold the key to our liberty and freedom. If they are made out to be a bunch derelict, secularist buffoons, who would want to listen to them. But listen we must. And take heed to their words and faith, for they have been here before. And have given directions by actions on how to right ourselves. Country and sovereignty runs a parallel course. The future of the world may well hinge on our ability to remain sovereign.

Our constitution is being ignored and misused. There are those who believe that we should be Progressive and Socialistic. And to trash the out of date documents that interfere with their agenda. Our Founding Fathers believed in the depravity of man that he could not be trusted with absolute power. Our Constitution separates the powers of government because man's wickedness coupled with his desire for power and wealth can be the undoing of "Country" if we just sit idly by.

God Bless America.

The Old Farmer

Monday, March 30, 2009

The Three Pillars of America! (part 1)

Many times we have heard the phrase, "God, Country, and Family".

I would suggest that these three are the pillars on which America rests. They are essential for the continuation of our blessed country. Take any one of them away and the whole thing comes tumbling down.

And, I might add, the security of the world may well be at stake also. Like it or not, America has always stood in the gap when there was a need no matter if it was half way around the globe. There are Americans buried all over the world, giving their last measure for the freedom of those who would be enslaved by a two by twice tyrant or dictator. America has always answered the call.

Looking at these three pillars, I would like to take them one at a time, starting with the first,

GOD

Say the word God, and in a not so distant past. It would evoke the feelings of power, might, awe, reverence, respect, watch care, love, obedience, worship, faith, and a good healthy dose of fear, amongst other things. How about today? You would get a luke warm response at best. In fact there was a sign on the side of a bus in London England that said, "There is good news and bad news. The bad news is that God is dead, the good news is that we did not need Him anyway".

Our nation was built on the concept that, He, God, was the Supreme Ruler of the Universe. And that He took an active part in the affairs of men. Benjamin Franklin once said, "if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?" This was said in a speech given to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Benjamin Franklin's speech not only saved the convention, but saved the Constitution and the future of America. Also in that speech he said, "In the beginning of the Contest with G. Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for Divine protection. - Our prayers, Sir, were heard, & they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a Superintending Providence in our favor. To that kind Providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? or do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?"

Because of Franklin's speech congress is opened with prayer even to this day.

The importance of God's assistance was not debatable but necessary for the existence of America, according to what Franklin believed by experience.

God was very important in the lives of our founding fathers. I will share a few of my favorite quotes, events, and court decisions.


Patrick Henry said:

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here."

James Madison said:

"We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government; upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God."

"It is the duty of every man to render to the Creator such homage, and such only, as he believes to be acceptable to Him. This duty is precedent both in order of time, and degree of obligation, to the claims of civil society.
Before any man can be considered as a member of Civil Society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe."


As the Declaration of Independence was being signed, 1776, Samuel Adams declared:

"We have this day restored the Sovereign to Whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let His kingdom come."


On February 26, 1776, General Washington issued the orders:

"All officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers are positively forbid playing at cards and other games of chance. At this time of public distress men may find enough to do in the service of their God and their country, without abandoning themselves to vice and immorality."

There is one more instance that happened on September 7, 1774 that I want to share now. Pay close attention to the words of Sam Adams(the initiator of the first Tea Party). You will see that he was not a respecter of parties or denominations but sought Patriots.


On September 7, 1774, John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, describing the effects of the prayer which opened the first session of the Continental Congress:

When the Congress met, Mr. Cushing made a motion that it should be opened with Prayer. It was opposed by Mr. Jay of New York, and Mr. Rutledge of South Carolina because we were so divided in religious sentiments, some Episcopalians, some Quakers, some Anabaptists, some Presbyterians, and some Congregationalists, that we could not join in the same act of worship.

Mr. Samuel Adams arose and said that he was no bigot, and could hear a Prayer from any gentleman of Piety and virtue, who was at the same time a friend to his Country. He was a stranger in Philadelphia, but had heard that Mr.Duche' deserved that character and therefore he moved that Mr. Duche', an Episcopal clergyman might be desired to read Prayers to Congress tomorrow morning.

The motion was seconded, and passed in the affirmative. Mr. Randolph, our president, vailed on Mr. Duche', and received for answer, that if his health would permit, he certainly would.

Accordingly, next morning [Reverend Mr. Duche'] appeared with his clerk and in his pontificals, and read several prayers in the established form, and read the collect for the seventh day of September, which was the thirty-fifth Psalm. You must remember, this was the next morning after we heard the horrible rumor of the cannonade of Boston.

I never saw a greater effect upon an audience. It seemed as if heaven had ordained that Psalm to be read on that morning. After this, Mr. Duche', unexpectedly to every body, struck out into an extemporary prayer, which filled the bosom of every man present. I must confess, I never heard a better prayer, or one so well pronounced.

Episcopalian as he is, Dr. Cooper himself [Adams' pastor] never prayed with such fervor, such ardor, such the province of Massachusetts Bay, and especially the town of Boston. It has had an excellent effect upon everybody here. I must beg you to read that Psalm.

The First Prayer in Congress, offered extemporaneously by Rev. Mr. Duche' in Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia, on September 7, 1774:

O Lord, our Heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from Thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth, and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms, Empires, and Governments; look down in mercy, we beseech Thee, on these our American States, who have fled to Thee from the rod of the oppressor, and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on Thee; to Thee have they appealed for the righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up for that countenance and support, which Thou alone canst give; take them, therefore, Heavenly Father, under Thy nurturing
care; give them wisdom in Council and valor in the field; defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries; convince them of the unrighteousness of their cause; and if they persist in their sanguinary purposes, O! let the voice of Thine own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them to drop the weapons of war, from their unnerved hands in the day of battle!

Be Thou present O God of Wisdom and direct the counsel of this Honorable Assembly; enable them to settle all things on the best and surest foundations; that the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that Order, Harmony and Peace may be effectually restored, and the Truth and Justice, Religion and Piety, prevail and flourish among the people.

Preserve the health of their bodies, and the vigor of their minds, shower down on them, and the millions they here represent, such temporal Blessings as Thou seest expedient for them in this world, and crown them with everlasting Glory in the world to come. All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Saviour, Amen.

The Library of Congress, from the collected reports of the various patriots, recorded on a historical placard the effect of that first prayer upon Congress:

Washington was kneeling there, and Henry, Randolph, Rutledge, Lee, and Jay, and by their side there stood, bowed in reverence, the Puritan Patriots of New England, who at that moment had reason to believe that an armed soldiery was wasting their humble households. It was believed that Boston had been bombarded and destroyed.

They prayed fervently "for America, for Congress, for the Province of Massachusetts Bay, and especially for the town of Boston," and who can realize the emotion with which they turned imploringly to Heaven for Divine interposition and - "It was enough" says Mr. Adams, "to melt a heart of stone. I saw the tears gush into the eyes of the old, grave, Pacific Quakers of Philadelphia."


You ever wonder what made our founding fathers tick?

It was GOD!

And our God given rights.

The Declaration of Independence states, what was the common belief at that time, that mans rights come from God not the King or any man. This is important because if our rights come from God then, only God can take them away, not man.

From Columbus to the Pilgrims, to the Puritans, to the Huguenots and others, there was a deep abiding faith and trust in God Almighty.

This Supreme Court case is further evidence of the importance of God in America.

United States Supreme Court (February 29, 1892), in the case of Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States, 143 US 457-458, 465-471, 36 L ed 226, Justice David Josiah Brewer rendered the high Court's decision:

No purpose of action against religion can be imputed to any legislation, state or national, because this is a religious people. This is historically true. From the discovery of this continent to the present hour, there is a single voice making this affirmation.

The commission to Christopher Columbus...[recited] that "it is hoped that by God's assistance some of the continents and islands in the ocean will be discovered...."


The first colonial grant made to Sir Walter Raleigh in 1584...and the grant authorizing him to enact statutes for the government of the proposed colony provided that they "be not against the true Christian faith...."


The first charter of Virginia, granted by King James I in 1606...commenced the grant in these words: "...in propagating of Christian Religion to such People as yet live in Darkness...."

Language of similar import may be found in the subsequent charters of that colony...in 1609 and 1611; and the same is true of the various charters granted to the other colonies. In language more or less emphatic is the establishment of the Christian religion declared to be one of the purposes of the grant. The celebrated compact made by the Pilgrims in the Mayflower, 1620, recites: "Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith...a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia...."


The fundamental orders of Connecticut, under which a provisional government was instituted in 1638-1639, commence with this declaration: "...And well knowing where a people are gathered together the word of God requires that to maintain the peace and union...there should be an orderly and decent government established according to God...to maintain and preserve the liberty and purity of the gospel of our Lord Jesus which we now profess...of the said gospel is now practiced amongst us."


In the charter of privileges granted by William Penn to the province of Pennsylvania, in 1701, it is recited: "...no people can be truly happy, though under the greatest enjoyment of civil liberties, if abridged of...their religious profession and worship...."


Coming nearer to the present time, the Declaration of Independence recognizes the presence of the Divine in human affairs in these words:


"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....appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions....And for the support of this Declaration, with firm reliance on the Protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."

...We find everywhere a clear recognition of the same truth...because of a general recognition of this truth [that we are a Christian nation], the question has seldom been presented to the courts....

There is no dissonance in these declarations. There is a universal language pervading them all, having one meaning; they affirm and reaffirm that this is a religious nation. These are not individual sayings, declarations of private persons: they are organic utterances; they speak the voice of the entire people.


While because of a general recognition of this truth the question has seldom been presented to the courts, yet we find that in Updegraph v. The Commonwealth, it was decided that, Christianity, general Christianity, is, and always has been, a part of the common law....not Christianity with an established church...but Christianity with liberty of conscience to all men.


And in The People v. Ruggles, Chancellor Kent, the great commentator on American law, speaking as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New York, said:


"The people of this State, in common with the people of this country, profess the general doctrines of Christianity, as the rule of their faith and practice....We are a Christian people, and the morality of the country is deeply engrafted upon Christianity, and not upon the doctrines or worship of those impostors [other religions]."


And in the famous case of Vidal v. Girard's Executors, this Court...observed:

"It is also said, and truly, that the Christian religion is a part of the common law...."

If we pass beyond these matters to a view of American life as expressed by its laws, its business, its customs and its society, we find everywhere a clear recognition of the same truth. Among other matters note the following: The form of oath universally prevailing, concluding with an appeal to the Almighty; the custom of opening sessions of all deliberative bodies and most conventions with prayer; the prefatory words of all wills, "In the name of God, amen"; the laws respecting the observance of the Sabbath, with the general cessation of all secular business, and the closing of courts, legislatures, and other similar public assemblies on that day; the churches and church organizations which abound in every city, town and hamlet; the multitude of charitable organizations existing everywhere under Christian auspices; the gigantic missionary associations, with general support, and aiming to establish Christian missions in every quarter of the globe.


These, and many other matters which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation....we find everywhere a clear recognition of the same truth.


The happiness of a people and the good order and preservation of civil government essentially depend upon piety, religion and morality.


Religion, morality, and knowledge [are] necessary to good government, the preservation of liberty, and the happiness of mankind.


A commentary on the 1892 case Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States, summarized:
Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise; and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian.


Our history is one of trusting God and having Him in His proper place. But there are people and groups that are trying to have a godless society, and the onslaught to purge God and the Christian faith from all aspects of America has been relentless. It has been successful in some areas like the schools. This will be a good place to start by examining the before and after of God and godless schools.

I am sixty-one years old and I can still remember my school years. They have left a pleasing memory of rich, full days. The joy of friends and even the amusement of foes. I was a very active individual and spent a great deal of time in the principal's office. It got easier because of the repeated trips. Discipline was handed out, but so was understanding and their interest in me as an individual.

In today's School system, I would be put on Ritalin or some other drug for control. I would have needed counseling or a psychiatrist and found out that I was molested, beaten, abused, and came from another planet, I just didn't remember any of it. But if I kept taking the drugs and seeing the shrink, I might be able to go out in public some day.

Now I am not making light of people that have legitimate problems and their need for help.

Back to my school days. We started every morning by turning to face the American Flag (every class room had one) and say the Pledge of Allegiance. Then we would say the Lord's Prayer, followed by reading from our bible. The bible was handed out by groups like the Gideons. They were pocket sized New Testaments with Psalms and Proverbs. Everybody got one, they were free. If someone was Jewish or what ever, they simply declined and that was the end of that. No law suits or court rulings. People respected each others beliefs. You see God was allowed to be there.

The biggest worries going to school were, if you had your homework done, was there going to be a test, did the girl you liked get your note, was it your turn to recite in class, that someone squealed on you for putting a frog in the girls locker room, and could you stay out of the principal's office for one day. Pretty heavy stuff to carry with you going in the front doors.

I have given this a light feel about it, because it was a great time to be alive. But now lets look at today's school and student.

Since the rulings by the court in 1962 and 1963 which removed prayer and bible reading from the schools everything has changed. This is the first time in 342 years of the court system in America that a court found an activity of a student to violate a constitution.

Your school day starts by going through a metal detector and past drug sniffing dogs. Then you try very quietly to get to you classroom with out incurring the wrath of a knife wheeling, gun packing druggie that got by all the security. Once in your class room, you sit down amongst the din of shouting and cursing. The teacher gets ready to teach you all about globalism, secularism, humanism, and not to worry about how to spell them. You must always keep a wary eye open for teachers that may single you out for sexual activity during or after class. You do your math problems on your calculator or computer, depending how much money the government gives the school.

We do not have to spend much time talking about the things happening in the schools to know that something is horribly wrong. This is just the schools I have used as an example of what happens when a Nation turns its back on God. The Supreme Court of the United Sates of America ordered God out of the schools, and He left. We are in danger of His withdrawal from our once great Nation.

I tried to show in this piece that our founding fathers were fearful of offending and alienating Almighty God. They new, as should we, that our survival as a Nation rests with Him. We can not go it alone, and deep within our hearts we know that this is true. There is that spark, that spirit that desires to be close to a loving God. Its our choice, because God will never invade our individual sovereignty. God will not, God can not make us love him. We must choose to willingly and of our own free will.

Our Heavenly Father deserves our best, not our worst.

He covered our worst with His Best.


God Bless America.

The Old Farmer





Saturday, March 7, 2009

"MARK TO MARKET" Why our economy is shot!

We are sinking fast, we need a life boat, but it has been repossessed.

How in the world did we get into such a mess anyway? First, there is a must read article from the New York Times, dated September 30, 1999. Here is that article.

September 30, 1999

Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending

In a move that could help increase home ownership rates among minorities and low-income consumers, the Fannie Mae Corporation is easing the credit requirements on loans that it will purchase from banks and other lenders.

The action, which will begin as a pilot program involving 24 banks in 15 markets -- including the New York metropolitan region -- will encourage those banks to extend home mortgages to individuals whose credit is generally not good enough to qualify for conventional loans. Fannie Mae officials say they hope to make it a nationwide program by next spring.

Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people and felt pressure from stock holders to maintain its phenomenal growth in profits.

In addition, banks, thrift institutions and mortgage companies have been pressing Fannie Mae to help them make more loans to so-called subprime borrowers. These borrowers whose incomes, credit ratings and savings are not good enough to qualify for conventional loans, can only get loans from finance companies that charge much higher interest rates -- anywhere from three to four percentage points higher than conventional loans.

''Fannie Mae has expanded home ownership for millions of families in the 1990's by reducing down payment requirements,'' said Franklin D. Raines, Fannie Mae's chairman and chief executive officer. ''Yet there remain too many borrowers whose credit is just a notch below what our underwriting has required who have been relegated to paying significantly higher mortgage rates in the so-called subprime market.''

Demographic information on these borrowers is sketchy. But at least one study indicates that 18 percent of the loans in the subprime market went to black borrowers, compared to 5 per cent of loans in the conventional loan market.

In moving, even tentatively, into this new area of lending, Fannie Mae is taking on significantly more risk, which may not pose any difficulties during flush economic times. But the government-subsidized corporation may run into trouble in an economic downturn, prompting a government rescue similar to that of the savings and loan industry in the 1980's.

''From the perspective of many people, including me, this is another thrift industry growing up around us,'' said Peter Wallison a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. ''If they fail, the government will have to step up and bail them out the way it stepped up and bailed out the thrift industry.''

Under Fannie Mae's pilot program, consumers who qualify can secure a mortgage with an interest rate one percentage point above that of a conventional, 30-year fixed rate mortgage of less than $240,000 -- a rate that currently averages about 7.76 per cent. If the borrower makes his or her monthly payments on time for two years, the one percentage point premium is dropped.

Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, does not lend money directly to consumers. Instead, it purchases loans that banks make on what is called the secondary market. By expanding the type of loans that it will buy, Fannie Mae is hoping to spur banks to make more loans to people with less-than-stellar credit ratings.

Fannie Mae officials stress that the new mortgages will be extended to all potential borrowers who can qualify for a mortgage. But they add that the move is intended in part to increase the number of minority and low income home owners who tend to have worse credit ratings than non-Hispanic whites.

Home ownership has, in fact, exploded among minorities during the economic boom of the 1990's. The number of mortgages extended to Hispanic applicants jumped by 87.2 per cent from 1993 to 1998, according to Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies. During that same period the number of African Americans who got mortgages to buy a home increased by 71.9 per cent and the number of Asian Americans by 46.3 per cent.

In contrast, the number of non-Hispanic whites who received loans for homes increased by 31.2 per cent.

Despite these gains, home ownership rates for minorities continue to lag behind non-Hispanic whites, in part because blacks and Hispanics in particular tend to have on average worse credit ratings.

In July, the Department of Housing and Urban Development proposed that by the year 2001, 50 percent of Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's portfolio be made up of loans to low and moderate-income borrowers. Last year, 44 percent of the loans Fannie Mae purchased were from these groups.

The change in policy also comes at the same time that HUD is investigating allegations of racial discrimination in the automated underwriting systems used by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to determine the credit-worthiness of credit applicants.


This action laid the mine field that would later, with the right kind of manipulation, erupt in the face of America and eventually in the face of the whole world. I believe that actions and words were used by key politicians to trigger the economical melt down. People are either responsible for their words or they are not.

The lifting of restrictions on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac caused an explosion in home ownership by minorities and low income individuals. President Bush even made mention that more minorities owned their own homes than any time in history. After 9/11, the economy slowly but steadily started back. By the 2006 election the economy was rolling along, the numbers looked fair to good and we were doing fine. Unemployment was down and people were working.

Before 2006 there were a few politicians that were saying the economy was bad. But after the 2006 election and the Democrats took control of the House and the Senate, we started to get a steady diet of, "the economy is bad", even with good numbers. Why? I believe the answer is in the fact that an economy does well or poorly based on the confidence of the consumer. If you believe in the economy and trust it, you spend as your need demands. When people buy thing, factories have to make replacement merchandise, money is spread around and loans are paid on time every time and all is well. But, if you believe that the economy is in bad shape, you don't spend, factories don't make merchandise, money dries up and loans are not paid. Then you have layoffs, loan default and foreclosures. If you get a steady feeding of, "the economy is bad", the seeds are planted in the back of your mind waiting to be watered by some bad news. Remember this, if bad news comes and you have confidence in the economy, you recover from it a lot quicker than if you don't have confidence in it.

On the week of July 12, 2008, the bomb hit. Fannie and Freddie were close to collapse. I still believe if we could of maintained our confidence in the economy we would of gotten through it some how. We will never know now because of a certain Senator from New York. Senator Schumer, the senior Senator from that great state, went before the cameras and made a statement about Fannie and Freddie. He also named a very big bank by the name of Indy Mac that was in trouble. The next day there was a run on that bank and it failed.

If you want to cause a financial panic just mention a bank has had a run on it and has failed. And it was all over the media about Indy Mac. That seed in the back of the mind just got totally soaked and would grow into plant called, "no confidence" and it would grow quickly.

The 2008 election was won by the democrats. And on the 9th of November 2008, Rahm Emanual said, "you never want a serious crisis to go to waste." Along these same lines, on March 6, 2009, President Obama said, "never waste a good crisis."

There is no doubt that there is a financial crisis in this country. The banks are where the big problem seems to be. They are not lending money and are suffering from defaults. Now there is on the books at this time the government rule for how the banks do their accounting. That rule is call, "Mark to Market." I have heard it explained several times and I will make an effort to share how it came across to me.

If a bank has assets of ten cows, (I'm a farmer) and these cows are worth $1,000 a head. The banks assets are then $10,000. Now if the market value goes down to $800 per head then the bank has to adjust their assets on the books to $8,000. And they are then required by the government to make up the difference with cash so that they are back up to the $10,000 mark. The more the value of cattle drops the more the bank has to make up. They then get to the place where they have to sell some of their assets. The more cows that are sold the cheaper they become and the more money that is required to maintain the banks asset level. The more money the banks have to have the less they have to loan to businesses and home buyers. If they get to the point that their assets are none existent, they fail and government has to bail them out. Also the stock market takes a dim view of this kind of accounting during a financial crisis.

I have heard many economists say that President Obama could by executive order do away with Mark to market accounting, and start the climb out of the crisis. But he does not do it, why?

If the Democrats and Obama had won this past election with a good economy in place and they would of tried to put a bill through congress consisting of earmarks, pork and every pet project they could come up with in it. The people would not hold still for such foolish spending. But if you have a crisis on your hands you must move quickly to fix it. So we get these bailout/stimulus bills. They just so happen to have all the earmarks, pork and every pet project they could come up with attached to them.

And the people did nothing.

How much of this mess has been done deliberately?

The Old Farmer



Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Deficit, When Greed Is King!

Hey, is any body getting scared out there, boy I sure am. We have a totally out of control government on our hands. They are plunging us into debt faster than an honest man turns corrupt in the US congress. Folks, we have a problem. And the time has passed when we could do nothing.

The arrogance of our politicians demands that we get up and make a stand for America. Most of us feel like we just got kicked in the stomach every time they spend money they don't have. We know that it is wrong and will only worsen the problem. The politicians have created this whole mess from the get go. And we are counting on them to get us out of it. Don't hold your breath till you see good days ahead, ain't gonna happen. Not unless we force them to do the right thing. And for starters, quite spending money that our decedents will have to repay for who knows how many generation down the road.

If this agenda of the political elite and the political elite themselves are left unchecked, where will they stop? "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely".

They will take our,
Liberty,
Independence,
Money,
Power,
Guns,
Sovereignty,
Freedom,
Children,
And our lives, if they deem it is good for their version of the country and the world. And if this is not stopped and soon, it is coming. It is just a matter of time. The more they get away with, the bolder they become. arrogance and pride knows no bounds.

I may sound like an alarmist. But I love my country and would like nothing better than to see it prosper, and it can. With leaders like the ones that founded this great land. They had a solid belief in God and His word. They were honest, virtuous, principled and had a high moral calling to do the right thing. When they signed the Declaration of Independence, they signed an oath, "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

The question we need to ask ourselves is, if our politicians swore that same oath, WOULD YOU BELIEVE THEM?

Keep the faith,

The Old Farmer

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Pinch Me, I Am Dreaming I Live In Russia!

What happened? Did some one leave the door unlocked to the National Socialist and Communist, two bricks shy a full load, mental asylum? Have they all escaped and found a city of refuge, Washington DC? Is there so many of them that their desire to sabotage the United States of America is totally unbridled and unchecked? Is this insanity infectious and spreading or is it about to come to a halt?

There seems to be a pulse beating in America and the beating is growing stronger. The shock is starting to wear off and people are asking what in the hell happened? I have seen it in my own family, they are angry and want answers for all this foolishness.

The democrats have seized control of our government and are hell bent on ramming through every liberal wish and fantasy that has passed by their dazed craniums. How they got control is in it's self questionable and a closer look is in order. But we need to try and save as much of our country as we can. At the present pace we do not have a lot of time. The spending barrage that is being shot from coast to coast is draining the life blood from this once great nation. The shrapnel from this barrage is flying everywhere. We have to wait for the smoke to clear to see who is left standing and working.

In America there is deep innate spirit that lies just below the surface. A gentleman from World War Two referred to it as a sleeping giant. His fear was, at Pearl Harbor, they had awakened it. God have mercy on anyone or group that awakens this slumbering giant.

The politicians have know idea just exactly what they are playing with. We in America have a strong inbred desire to remain free and able to care for ourselves and our families. This is being threatened by out of control politicians who seem to have a thirst for absolute power and total control. This can not remain unchecked.

It is time to come awake and start talking to our neighbors, friends and family. We all need to educate ourselves and be politically savvy so we can head of the next "idiot outburst". We need to let our politicians know that we are not happy. Even if it is like talking to a wall. When enough speak they hear. Maybe a few recalls might be in order. We need to pick up the reins and get back in the drivers seat so they know we are in control and they are our servants, not the other way around.

God bless America

The Old Farmer

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Money For Acorn In Stimulus Bill!

Have you looked deeply into this stimulus package coming out of Washington. In it you will find a list of money for things that have no barring on our economy. And some spending is totally outrageous.I came across this column today(January 31). It is about this group called ACORN. The writer is Joseph Farah of Worldnetdaily.com.


JOSEPH FARAH
BETWEEN THE LINES

ACORN to get big payoff – from you
Posted: January 31, 2009
1:00 am Eastern

© 2009

You know about ACORN – the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now – the shakedown artists currently under investigation for violations of election laws in at least 12 states.

This racketeering operation probably played a significant role in getting Barack Obama elected, not to mention Democratic members of the House and Senate, in 2008.

ACORN's shock troops have been linked to or already convicted of perjury, forgery, identity theft and election fraud.

With a track record like that, you might think the organization would be forced to disband, or that its tax-exempt status would be revoked, or that its entire leadership would be prosecuted.

But you would be wrong.

In fact, under Democratic rule in Washington, there are plans to redistribute up to $5.2 billion of taxpayer money – that's your money – to ACORN.

And why not? The Democrats who control the federal purse strings got a lot of bang for the buck out of ACORN. Now they hope to use the ACORN nuts to maintain permanent power – doing what they do best: registering dead people, registering illegal aliens, registering pets and other animate and inanimate objects to vote, for Democrats, of course.

By the way, this payoff is part of the latest $836 billion "stimulus package." But this isn't about stimulating the economy. This is about stimulating voter fraud, stimulating crime, stimulating perjury and stimulating identity theft.

As I have tried to point out frequently, this outrage is not really that much different from the ways government misuses your money on a regular basis. These so-called "stimulus packages" are always used to reward the friends of those in power at the expense of the rest of us.

Nevertheless, this is one of those stories that needs to be distributed to everyone you know – whether they are Obama partisans or not. Every person of goodwill and fairness needs to see it, read it, digest it.

As Rush Limbaugh put it: "I'll tell you what's going on here: We, ladies and gentlemen, we're funding Obama and the Democrats' army on the street. We are funding the forces of the Democrat Party's re-election."

Most of the money available to ACORN and groups like it would come from a Neighborhood Stabilization Program. But there's more stashed in other spending line items, too – community development block grants and programs to develop or refurbish low-income housing.

Here's what Matthew Vadum of the Capitol Research Center, which tracks government spending of this kind, had to say about the so-called Neighborhood Stabilization Program: "Although ACORN operatives usually get their hands on such funds only after they have first passed through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or state and local governments, the new spending bill largely eliminates these dawdling middle men, making it easier to get Uncle Sam's largesse directly into the hands of the same people who run ACORN's various vote fraud and extortion rackets. And the legislative package provides these funds without the usual prohibition on using government money for lobbying or political activities."

Isn't that convenient?

Doesn't that make you feel good about your country?

It gets worse.

Let me tell you a little more about ACORN.

In 1995, ACORN sued the state of California seeking an exemption from the law that requires that it pay its own employees a minimum wage. ACORN, which argued that keeping its employees in poverty helps to boost their zeal to help the poor, lost.

The group, described by one critic as a "hydra" for its many interconnected boards, foundations, groups and organizations, essentially has created its own economy, with the tens of millions of dollars that are donated by foundations or paid by the government being directed to whatever cause or course of action ACORN officials deem worthy.

The money has been used to advance ACORN'S manifesto, which states: "Enough is enough. We will wait no longer for the crumbs at America's door. We will not be meek, but mighty. We will not starve on past promises, but feast on future dreams."

ACORN once had 500 activists storm the Washington Hilton and forcing then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich to cancel a speech.

ACORN pressured Congress and financial institutions for a social basis for mortgages, rather than determine loans by a borrower's ability to repay. Critics say this is a large part of the reason for the Wall Street meltdown in the past few months.

As stated, ACORN sued the state of California seeking an exemption from a requirement to pay its employees minimum wage.

What?

You don't think that's a track record that warrants a multi-billion dollar payoff?

Then do something about it.

Make some noise.

March in the streets.

By the way, this payoff is part of the latest $836 billion "stimulus package." But this isn't about stimulating the economy. This is about stimulating voter fraud, stimulating crime, stimulating perjury and stimulating identity theft.

As I have tried to point out frequently, this outrage is not really that much different from the ways government misuses your money on a regular basis. These so-called "stimulus packages" are always used to reward the friends of those in power at the expense of the rest of us.

Nevertheless, this is one of those stories that needs to be distributed to everyone you know – whether they are Obama partisans or not. Every person of goodwill and fairness needs to see it, read it, digest it.

As Rush Limbaugh put it: "I'll tell you what's going on here: We, ladies and gentlemen, we're funding Obama and the Democrats' army on the street. We are funding the forces of the Democrat Party's re-election."

Most of the money available to ACORN and groups like it would come from a Neighborhood Stabilization Program. But there's more stashed in other spending line items, too – community development block grants and programs to develop or refurbish low-income housing.

Here's what Matthew Vadum of the Capitol Research Center, which tracks government spending of this kind, had to say about the so-called Neighborhood Stabilization Program: "Although ACORN operatives usually get their hands on such funds only after they have first passed through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or state and local governments, the new spending bill largely eliminates these dawdling middle men, making it easier to get Uncle Sam's largesse directly into the hands of the same people who run ACORN's various vote fraud and extortion rackets. And the legislative package provides these funds without the usual prohibition on using government money for lobbying or political activities."

Isn't that convenient?

Doesn't that make you feel good about your country?

It gets worse.

Let me tell you a little more about ACORN.

In 1995, ACORN sued the state of California seeking an exemption from the law that requires that it pay its own employees a minimum wage. ACORN, which argued that keeping its employees in poverty helps to boost their zeal to help the poor, lost.

The group, described by one critic as a "hydra" for its many interconnected boards, foundations, groups and organizations, essentially has created its own economy, with the tens of millions of dollars that are donated by foundations or paid by the government being directed to whatever cause or course of action ACORN officials deem worthy.

The money has been used to advance ACORN'S manifesto, which states: "Enough is enough. We will wait no longer for the crumbs at America's door. We will not be meek, but mighty. We will not starve on past promises, but feast on future dreams."

ACORN once had 500 activists storm the Washington Hilton and forcing then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich to cancel a speech.

ACORN pressured Congress and financial institutions for a social basis for mortgages, rather than determine loans by a borrower's ability to repay. Critics say this is a large part of the reason for the Wall Street meltdown in the past few months.

As stated, ACORN sued the state of California seeking an exemption from a requirement to pay its employees minimum wage.

What?

You don't think that's a track record that warrants a multi-billion dollar payoff?

Then do something about it.

Make some noise.

March in the streets.

Fight fire with fire.