The United States of America

My mind is so full right now. I’ve had something I’ve wanted to write for a while. So now is a good time For a long time, I’ve considered joining my fellow American Patriots in the Armed Forces of the United States of America. That’s right. United States of America, all spelled out. I’ll spell it again. United States of America. I’m proud to be an American. When I read those four words, four centuries of epic history come to mind.
At the beginning there were the oppressed folks that came to this New Land to start their lives anew. It wasn’t an easy thing for them to do. Granted, for some it was compulsory. For many, though, it meant leaving family, friends, a much loved land, and crossing 3000 miles of high seas to reach a land where they were guaranteed none of these things, only an opportunity to raise be loose of the yoke of tyranny. Some came for the adventure, and the allure of uncharted places, full of dangers and problems still to be met. Some came for the chance to share their faith with others. Still others came for the gold, the silver, the pelts, and the fortunes to be made in this New World. Things that I can see they all had in common: a dissatisfaction with the status quo, and what I would call “grit” (a.k.a “guts”, “balls”). People who were happy enough where they were didn’t come in the early years. Others who stayed in the Old World may have been unhappy with the status quo, didn’t have the grit and determination to make it over here.
So, there we are around 1700 with a people who had come to experience this ideology called “freedom”. Not soon after arriving, all found that freedom was not free as it sounded. Already, many had died protecting freedom in various areas. By 1800, our founding fathers had managed to put the ideal of freedom into words. Men who believed in it spilled their blood to defend it. Our founding fathers settled in on a way of organizing, governing, and ensuring national sovereignty for such a free people. Over the next century, trials came, big and small, and were overcame. Ordinary people with great minds and initiative started the industrial revolution.
Lands that have felt the crushing force of an evil empire closing in have found themselves being backed up by the USA. The USA has always been there for freedom. Cuba, Britain, all of Europe. In the latter half of the 20th century to present it is debatable whether we’ve been successful. Somalia was a failure as near as I can tell. Iraq is an experiment, so is Afghanistan. The success of the “freedom” ideal is hanging in the balance. But, those are far away places, and, sadly, I have a feeling most of us don’t really care. You have to open your eyes and see, though, that really, America is an experiment. God gave this generation a rich heritage. It’s now up to us to see what with it. Our great grandfathers and grandmothers proved it could work. Again, they knew freedom wasn’t “free” like it sounds.
One problem today is that I believe many of my generation believe freedom is “free”. Another problem is that, after getting home from WWII, the parents of the baby boomers somehow forgot to convey the price they had paid to keep the world from speaking German. America got comfy. We were no longer the ones striving to procure a greater good, because we were happy with the status quo. We allowed our individual rights to systematically disappear after each national disaster. Now, in my generation, people are waking up (I hope) to see that this nation is in fact hanging in the balance. Our education system got so screwed up and against GOD that now people think right is wrong and wrong is right. Christians got lazy, another big problem. So now hear I am, wanting to join the military and serve my beloved country. However, I struggle with many things. Is that really the best way I can serve my country?
The fight to bring about the USA was fought on more than one front in the beginning. Some fought with hot lead and blood on the open cornfields. Some fought with a pen in a hot muggy room, stamping out the Declaration and later the Constitution . Then there were all the moms back at home who supported their men and brought up their families to respect an Almighty God. It seems that any freedom that can be gained through bloodshed can be lost in ink. The fronts are the same. Both are still very real.
If I were ever to join the military, it would be because I love my country and freedom, and really for no other reason. I’d just ask America “please, this freedom I’m sacrificing for, defend it. Be a citizen. Make sure the freedoms I’m fighting for aren’t taken away on the home front by the tyrants that sit in congress. We are still a country where the people govern. Take the reigns and do your part. Be a respectable person, vote, write your senators.” While writing this I want to just stop and thank all those troops in the service currently. They overcame this fear of dying in vain, and went. Wow. Mad props. Thank You from the bottom of my heart and I’ll do my best to do my part.
I really stink at putting my thoughts on paper, I know. Now I’d just like to take a moment and write some good old quotes.
“We already run the misfits outta our country. We sent 'em back to England.” –Matthew Quigley
“talk soft and carry a big stick” – Theodore Roosevelt
"Courage is being scared to death... and saddling up anyway." -John Wayne
“peace through superior firepower” - ???
One last thought, on the Marines’ website, they say one of their duties is to “defend the Constitution of the United States”. They can’t do that alone. Tyrants in Washington are attacking that document more than Afghanistan I dare say. K. well. ‘night. Go write your senator. And if you don’t believe in God, please some to the realization that you’ll never find peace until you find Him.

A winch for the Explorer, Part 1

Today my Dad and I finished mounting the new winch on the Explorer. We also did the initial "wire rope stretch" that Warn recommends. The weather was relatively pleasant today, so that made it extra nice.

You might ask, "Winch, when did that happen? When did you decide to get a winch?"

Well my friend, I was hoping you would ask. Read the (epic) story here!

bummed but not beaten...

Well, I've been working full time for the last week at getting my photography business up and operational. That's been an uphill battle, and it looks like will be for the next several months. Pray for me if ya think of me for that. I believe this is what the Lord has me to do. I applied for my business license today. I think that was step in the right direction. Not sure. I'm so confused it's crazy. I was all worried. but really these verses I read this morning helped a lot. Psalms 37:3-4 "Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. (4) Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." That entire chapter is good. I'm kind of bummed also because my friend of near 13 years is gone now. Our families' kitty, who answered to "kitty", not his proper name "Black Powder", was put down today. Ya, I know- It's just a animal, but it's a bummer. He was good to have around when you were sick. But ohwell, the Lord gave, the Lord took away. My Grandma isn't doing well either. Pray for her too. Lots of bad news coming in. I'm just glad I have a God that has it all figured out, so I don't have to. Also I just wanted to thank everybody for the kind encouragement in photography, it means a lot. Well, keep a stiff upper lip all you people. Christians-saddle up and spread the Good News; it's the only thing that's going to turn this nation around. Non-Christians-I earnestly pray you will consider eternity, and see that there is a loving Saviour waiting for you. 2 Peter 3:8-10 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (9) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (10) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Often times I find myself wishing I was living in John Wayne America. Back when a kid could still do stuff without being a liability. back when people stuck to their word. when right was still right and wrong was clearly wrong. back when people took responsibility for their own actions. back when homos were a quite minority. I missed the last "good" generation. back when there weren't fences at the edges of cliffs. Cali just outlawed the smaller dirtbikes like the 50cc. They did so because of the lead content of the bike. I'm sorry but if the kid is dumb enough to be chewing on the motorcycle , then he shouldn't be riding. and anyway, that's what I call natural selection, survival of the fittest. people who are dumb enough to fall of the edge of a cliff at a nat'l park shouldn't be driving a car. Everything is so backwards in this society. whats common sense is shunned. whats right is wrong, what's right is wrong. I LOVE America, but it's getting harder to reconcile the pros and cons. When you step back and look at it though, we ARE still the only SUPERPOWER. They say we are in a depression, but yet I still see just as many Cadillac Escalades driving around. 2008 was the video game industry's biggest year yet. and it's still rising. depression? I don't think so. I just don't know how much longer this country has. I'm no economist, but I don't get how this "new deal" (oops, I mean stimulus package), makes sense. Our GNP is already in the negative trillions last I checked, yet we give away more money we don't have? I know that God holds this nation together. It’s been said that America is great because it is good, when it ceases to be good it will cease to be great. I see it happening. We are a country that takes the lives of millions of unborn innocent humans, we are practically a signature away from supporting homosexuality as a nation. With our morals, goes the common sense. Illegal aliens on Social Security????? I say all this, but I really believe that God CAN bring revival to this nation, if his chosen instrument, the local new testament church, would do it’s job. But…while I’m willing to stay and get my hands dirty for Jesus, I don’t want to raise my kids in this America, let alone the America of five, ten, twenty years from now. All I can do is pray I guess. Live the victorious Christian life.