“Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” Deuteronomy 8:18
Our country today doesn't believe this verse. So many people have forgotten how God has worked in people's lives throughout the past. Although Job went through so many struggles and trials and hard times, he still trusted the Lord, and because of that, the Lord found favor with him. Also, the Israelites, as they were escaping Egypt. They remembered the things the Lord told them, did exactly as they were told, and escaped. However, once they got to the Promised Land, they didn't remember God, but rather did things their own way and God did not let them into the Promised Land and they wandered in the desert for 40 years.
God has been a huge part in our country's heritage. The pilgrims came over here for religious reasons, the different colonies were settled for various religious reasons, Bible verses can be found on most monuments, various Presidents have used Bible verses in speeches or have had Christian principles, etc etc.
I have been thinking about Duet. 8:18, and am wondering-does the fact that our country is having economic issues have anything to do with how fast our country is pulling away from God? I think it might. I don't know for sure, only God knows for sure, but that's my opinion.
What do you think?
Showing posts with label history. Show all posts
Showing posts with label history. Show all posts
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
"Here, buildings fell. Here, a nation rose!"
“Teachers, please turn your TVs to channel 6 for some important news.”
We stopped working on our science as our teacher turned the TV on. Suddenly, we saw the most horrific image come up on the screen. There were two huge buildings on fire, people screaming, running away from the burning buildings, people jumping from the top stories down to their deaths, and we watched as one after the other, they began to crumble down to the ground.
The date was September 11, 2001 - eight years ago.
That will be a day that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Although I didn’t know anyone directly affected by the attacks, the mere fact that my country was being attacked and the images from that day will always resonate in my mind. Although I was only in the sixth grade, I remember that day so vividly. I remember I was wearing purple capris and a white shirt with purple embroidery and butterfly sleeves. I remember it took me a while to realize what was going on because I had my glasses off because we were reading our science packet. I was sitting at the table by the door at the back left seat. I remember looking up at the sky during PE, and realizing that everything that was we were hearing about was really happening because there were absolutely no planes flying. I remember my Social Studies teacher was freaking out because her son had just boarded a plane in NYC and she couldn’t get a hold of him, and she didn’t know if he was on one of the planes that had been hijacked. I remember going home after school and turning my TV on and calling my neighbor and both of us crying on the phone. I remember the American flag being flown anywhere and everywhere. I remember the pride we felt every time we heard someone say “God bless America!” or “I’m proud to be an American!” I remember some of the things President George W. Bush said as he addressed our country – “Here, buildings fell. Here, a nation rose.” “Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature, and we responded with the best of America.” I remember actually feeling like we were the UNITED States of America, not just the USA.
I remember. And I will NEVER forget.
Today, so many people have forgotten. They’re going about their day today as if it was any other day. Movies are opening, CDs are coming out, people are going to all these parties. It’s just a regular day. What will it take for our nation to become a strong nation once again? Another attack? A war on our own soil? Hundreds or thousands more dying due to our own apathy?
Another thought has come to my mind…what will it take for our country to remember our beginning? Deuteronomy 8:18 says “Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” Our country has long forgotten God. We’ve become an atheistic, agnostic, Muslim, Hindu, Kabbalah, Scientologist, anything-but-Christian country. This country was founded on Christian principles! Faith was the reason the pilgrims left England for the New World. “In God We Trust” (Psalm 56:3-4) is on all of our currency. In fact, that motto was placed on our currency during the Civil war because of the growing Christian viewpoint. Salmon Chase, the Secretary of the Treasury during the time of the Civil War received many letters in which citizens advised that the US recognize the Deity on our currency. Chase responded to one of the letters with this:
The 84th Congress passed (and approved by Eisenhower July 30, 1956) a law stating “IN GOD WE TRUST” to be the national motto.
The fact that our country has moved so far away from Christ has always bothered me. Thankfully, I’ve grown up with a family that loves the Lord, and my dad got me hooked on politics at a somewhat young age. I’ve always been concerned that our country has forgotten that we are one nation under God, and in 8th grade, I wrote a poem about my concerns:
If the American people would just turn back to Christ, we would be a much better country. Abortion rates would go down, the number of murders would go down, and our country would be put back in a position of greatness.
The new Skillet music video for their song “Hero” is an amazing video dedicated to the men and women who's life ended on Sept. 11, 2001. You can read the lyrics here.
Thank You God for all the heroes that gave their lives on Sept 11. We will NEVER forget!
We stopped working on our science as our teacher turned the TV on. Suddenly, we saw the most horrific image come up on the screen. There were two huge buildings on fire, people screaming, running away from the burning buildings, people jumping from the top stories down to their deaths, and we watched as one after the other, they began to crumble down to the ground.
The date was September 11, 2001 - eight years ago.
That will be a day that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Although I didn’t know anyone directly affected by the attacks, the mere fact that my country was being attacked and the images from that day will always resonate in my mind. Although I was only in the sixth grade, I remember that day so vividly. I remember I was wearing purple capris and a white shirt with purple embroidery and butterfly sleeves. I remember it took me a while to realize what was going on because I had my glasses off because we were reading our science packet. I was sitting at the table by the door at the back left seat. I remember looking up at the sky during PE, and realizing that everything that was we were hearing about was really happening because there were absolutely no planes flying. I remember my Social Studies teacher was freaking out because her son had just boarded a plane in NYC and she couldn’t get a hold of him, and she didn’t know if he was on one of the planes that had been hijacked. I remember going home after school and turning my TV on and calling my neighbor and both of us crying on the phone. I remember the American flag being flown anywhere and everywhere. I remember the pride we felt every time we heard someone say “God bless America!” or “I’m proud to be an American!” I remember some of the things President George W. Bush said as he addressed our country – “Here, buildings fell. Here, a nation rose.” “Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature, and we responded with the best of America.” I remember actually feeling like we were the UNITED States of America, not just the USA.
I remember. And I will NEVER forget.
Today, so many people have forgotten. They’re going about their day today as if it was any other day. Movies are opening, CDs are coming out, people are going to all these parties. It’s just a regular day. What will it take for our nation to become a strong nation once again? Another attack? A war on our own soil? Hundreds or thousands more dying due to our own apathy?
Another thought has come to my mind…what will it take for our country to remember our beginning? Deuteronomy 8:18 says “Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” Our country has long forgotten God. We’ve become an atheistic, agnostic, Muslim, Hindu, Kabbalah, Scientologist, anything-but-Christian country. This country was founded on Christian principles! Faith was the reason the pilgrims left England for the New World. “In God We Trust” (Psalm 56:3-4) is on all of our currency. In fact, that motto was placed on our currency during the Civil war because of the growing Christian viewpoint. Salmon Chase, the Secretary of the Treasury during the time of the Civil War received many letters in which citizens advised that the US recognize the Deity on our currency. Chase responded to one of the letters with this:
Dear Sir: No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins.
The 84th Congress passed (and approved by Eisenhower July 30, 1956) a law stating “IN GOD WE TRUST” to be the national motto.
The fact that our country has moved so far away from Christ has always bothered me. Thankfully, I’ve grown up with a family that loves the Lord, and my dad got me hooked on politics at a somewhat young age. I’ve always been concerned that our country has forgotten that we are one nation under God, and in 8th grade, I wrote a poem about my concerns:
“One Nation Under God”
Once nation under God,
We recite this every day.
Our forefathers believed…
What has happened to us today?
Some people have stopped believing.
They want to end this phrase.
They took their plea to the Supreme Court,
Where they said, “America should not give God praise!”
But we ARE one nation under God.
Was, is, and always will be.
For if God had never existed,
There would be no you and no me.
If the American people would just turn back to Christ, we would be a much better country. Abortion rates would go down, the number of murders would go down, and our country would be put back in a position of greatness.
- “A nation without God's guidance is a nation without order. Happy are those who keep God's law!” Proverbs 29:18
- “When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily; but with honest, sensible leaders there is stability.” Proverbs 28:2
- “Without wise leadership, a nation falls; with many counselors, there is safety.” Proverbs 11:14
- “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chron. 7:14
- “Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” Deuteronomy 8:18
- “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance.” Psalm 33:12
- “When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4
- "The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior! He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me, who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me. Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to your name." Psalm 18:46-49
- "The LORD is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1
- “Leadership gains authority and respect when the voiceless poor are treated fairly.” Proverbs 29:14
- “Good leaders abhor wrongdoing of all kinds; sound leadership has a moral foundation.” Proverbs 16:12
The new Skillet music video for their song “Hero” is an amazing video dedicated to the men and women who's life ended on Sept. 11, 2001. You can read the lyrics here.
Thank You God for all the heroes that gave their lives on Sept 11. We will NEVER forget!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
1909
OK, so I have a special occasion speech due tomorrow, and I haven't even begun to get started on it. We have to pretend like we're giving a speech at a special occasion (wedding, birthday, etc...). I haven’t exactly started on it yet, but I do know what my topic is - my great-grandmother, Lois Hill (“Granny Hill”)'s 100th birthday.
That's so incredible to me, that she's been alive since 1909. It's almost unfathomable.
She was born the day after William Howard Taft officially became the 27th President of the United States. That's 17 presidents ago! That's the year the first subway car with side doors goes into service in NYC, the year 1st credit union opened, the 1st US airplane was sold commercially (for $5,000!), the 1st Lincoln penny was issued, the North Pole was reached, construction on the Titanic begun, and the cost of a first-class stamp was $.02. Some of the things that hadn't been invented yet - zippers, toasters, hair dryers, bubblegum, sunglasses, ballpoint pens, Monopoly, trampolines, shopping carts, duct tape, Tupperware, bikini swim suits, disposable diapers, Velcro and milk cartons. Life expectancy was under age 50, and the average worker made $12.98 per week for 59 hours.
Isn't it crazy how much has changed in 100 years??
Isn't it crazy how we take simple things like zippers, duct tape, pens, and bubblegum for granted? What if those things had never been invented? These things are pretty much everyday things for us...how would we have survived in 1909 without them?
I sometimes wonder what my great-grandmother thinks about society today. I mean, life was so different for her back then. I wonder what she thinks about all the cars, the clothes, the fads, the music…just our society in general.
She married Lowell Hill and after WWII they started the North Alabama nursery. Lowell died in 1967 but Granny Hill kept the nursery going til the 80s…She was the oldest of 4 kids, and is the only 1 still living. She’s lived through the Great Depression, both World Wars, the Gulf, Cold, and Vietnam Wars, the attacks on Pearl Harbor, September 11, and the War in Iraq. She got to see the first animated Disney movie (Snow White and the seven Dwarfs), the creation of Mother’s Day, and the opening of the Empire State building and the completion of the Golden Gate Bridge. She got to see the creation of NASA and the first man on the moon, as well as see Alaska and Hawaii becomes US states and the first black president.
She’s experienced SO much in her life and she's just an amazing woman, and I’m proud to be called her great-granddaughter!
That's so incredible to me, that she's been alive since 1909. It's almost unfathomable.
She was born the day after William Howard Taft officially became the 27th President of the United States. That's 17 presidents ago! That's the year the first subway car with side doors goes into service in NYC, the year 1st credit union opened, the 1st US airplane was sold commercially (for $5,000!), the 1st Lincoln penny was issued, the North Pole was reached, construction on the Titanic begun, and the cost of a first-class stamp was $.02. Some of the things that hadn't been invented yet - zippers, toasters, hair dryers, bubblegum, sunglasses, ballpoint pens, Monopoly, trampolines, shopping carts, duct tape, Tupperware, bikini swim suits, disposable diapers, Velcro and milk cartons. Life expectancy was under age 50, and the average worker made $12.98 per week for 59 hours.
Isn't it crazy how much has changed in 100 years??
Isn't it crazy how we take simple things like zippers, duct tape, pens, and bubblegum for granted? What if those things had never been invented? These things are pretty much everyday things for us...how would we have survived in 1909 without them?
I sometimes wonder what my great-grandmother thinks about society today. I mean, life was so different for her back then. I wonder what she thinks about all the cars, the clothes, the fads, the music…just our society in general.
She married Lowell Hill and after WWII they started the North Alabama nursery. Lowell died in 1967 but Granny Hill kept the nursery going til the 80s…She was the oldest of 4 kids, and is the only 1 still living. She’s lived through the Great Depression, both World Wars, the Gulf, Cold, and Vietnam Wars, the attacks on Pearl Harbor, September 11, and the War in Iraq. She got to see the first animated Disney movie (Snow White and the seven Dwarfs), the creation of Mother’s Day, and the opening of the Empire State building and the completion of the Golden Gate Bridge. She got to see the creation of NASA and the first man on the moon, as well as see Alaska and Hawaii becomes US states and the first black president.
She’s experienced SO much in her life and she's just an amazing woman, and I’m proud to be called her great-granddaughter!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
