Sunday, March 1, 2009

Time for Action

The last six months have been some of the most challenging in my career. The business hasn't suffered greatly, although it has changed how people are making decisions at the moment.

What's been tough is attempting to ascertain what's going on, what will happen in the next six to twenty four months, allay clients' concerns, and offer considered counsel. That process has taken every bit of energy, gifts, talent, experience, and education I have had.

Along the way, we watched the decision makers at the top levels of government, including executive, legislative, and regulatory, as well as the C-Suite across the largest financial institutions, absolutely rape and pillage the American consumer.

The credit lockup, the markets meltdown, and the shrinking economy created fear that I have not seen in my life time. Looking back on it, I was apparently attempting to assuage this fear on the part of others, with no real insight to offer. This led to all kinds of stress, as well as substantial anger at the perps.

Along the way, we watched the American voter elect a president with no governing experience, who apparently cannot speak without a teleprompter, and who is by far the most liberal president ever put in office. His record would fit better in mid-20th century Russia than in America.

He is suggesting that we tax and spend ourselves into prosperity, a business plan that hasn't worked in the first six thousand years of human history. He has total disregard for lives unborn, complete lack of understanding, or disregard for, our American heritage, and ties to Arabs that frankly, confirm the fact that he is Arab first, and American second.

How on the face of God's green earth do we address this myriad of issues? First, we can be at peace, with the peace from God that passes all understanding, since God is the one in charge. For guidance on what to do next, it is instructive to look back to the story of Gideon.

I'll not repeat the story here. You can find it for yourself starting in Judges 6. In short, when Israel was being repeatedly brutalized by the Midianites, and they called to God for relief, God sent an angel to visit Gideon, a young farmer working for his father.

This angel addressed the young man with "Hail, you mighty man of valor". When Gideon expressed fear about his country's situation, what did God tell him to do? "Go, in your power, and save your country." Look it up, its in there.

Friends, there are certain attributes that have made America great. These include faith, family, freedom, duty, honor, loyalty, commitment, entreprenuership, rule of law, personal responsibility, and charity. Our greatness comes from our willingness to live by law, recognizing that all law comes from the ultimate law giver. That is what has made our constitutional republic work. These can be summed up as those three pillars of economic opportunity, religious liberty, and political freedom.

Historically, we have been able to keep much of the fruit of our labor. We have also been generous, as individuals and organizations, seeing as part of our responsibility the caring for those who are less fortunate, or who suffer.

We have allowed any who choose to come, and who want to be productive, to migrate to America, and to enjoy this wonderful way of life. Historically, these immigrants wanted to be Americans. They wanted to assimilate into the dominant culture. Across all cultures beats a heart for freedom, the desire for a better way of life, the casting off of a caste system, the privilege of worshipping God as each saw fit. America has been that city setting on a hill, casting its golden glow around the world.

That country, dear ones, is under attack. No longer do those who migrate here necessarily want to be Americans, or assimilate into the dominant culture. Yes, this culture had a Judeo-Christian heritage, and the holding of those teachings as the highest and best to strive for is what made America great.

There are those in our country who detest America's leadership, who believe we should look more like Europe, or who simply want to live with no personal restraint.

We have a choice, and I pray we are not too late. We must do more than simply vote every time we have the opportunity. We must make our voices heard, through the editorial page, by running for elective office, by being involved with time and money with those who are running for office, and any other way we can find to restore America to its greatness.

This is a great task, a life's work, an honorable calling. It is a fight worth fighting for. Along the way, we will have much opportunity to answer the question of why we are fighting. We can share the good news that we are on a mission to not only to save our country, but to create a platform that will allow us to ultimately share the best news of all - Unto you a King is born, a Saviour is given.

Now is the time, this is the place. Like the angel told Gideon, "Go, and save your country".

Until next time...

March Lion

March has arrived in Georgia like a lion, so according to Poor Richard's Almanac, it should go out like a lamb. Last week, we were enjoying sunshine, blue skies, and temps near 70 - you know, the reason you live in North Georgia.

The weather cats were telling us that the rain which started Friday would continue through the weekend, and that the temperature would drop. In addition, they suggested that we could expect one to two inches of snow.

Having lived here for 23 years, we took the weather dude's predictions about snow with a grain or three of salt. Well, about noon, the rain turned to snow. Sounds like that New Year's Eve song, but it's true.

Our son Justin will be 28 Tuesday, which apparently puts me firmly in middle age. Since between Justin and Courtney, and Teresa and myself, we have four full-time jobs, we decided to celebrate today. This celebration took us to brunch at Wahoo, a restaurant in Decatur. You can check it out at www.wahoogrilldecatur.com. It's a nifty little place, with serious shrimp and grits.

The restaurant is in an older brick building that has been restored, and backs up to a courtyard that is shared by the other buildings on the block. For the hour or so we were there, we enjoyed looking out the window at a beautiful snowfall. Since the temp was about 35 degrees, the snow was wet, and the flakes were big, making for a very scenic courtyard.

Later this evening, we talked with our daughter, who lives with her family less than ten minutes from Justin's home. She said they had about four inches of snow, and that she and our granddaughter Scarlett had a great time this afternoon playing in the snow and building a snowman.

The weather dude's are telling us that overnite lows will be 20 degrees, so we look forward to watching the crazies run off in the ditch on their way to work tomorrow. Maybe we should send a blast email, suggesting they google Black Ice.

Ok, enough of this rambling. Until next time...