O Say, Does that Star Spangled Banner Yet Wave?
This morning I was walking up onto campus, it was a beautiful day. Clear blue sky, brisk fall weather, bright sun shining over the mountain. I saw sticking up over one of the campus buildings the United States Flag waving with majestic brilliance. It was a beautiful scene. The words and music of our National Anthem came into my mind, "Oh say, can you see, by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?" Can you see it? The flag that was flying last night, which we saw in the last dim light of the evening? Is it still there? The flag which represents the hope of this people? And then I remembered the words near the end of the verse, "O say, does that star spangled banner yet wave?" Tell me! Can you see it?
I think of today's world, of the rising division between good and evil, moral and immoral. The future of this nation, and the impact each individual citizen's moral integrity has on the outcome. And I ask, "O say, does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave?" I believe this upcoming Presidential Election is among the most important elections in the history of this Nation. It represents a crossroads, a choice our nation has to go one of two radically different directions, with radically different consequences. Will we or will we not continue to be a light upon a hill, shining forth to all nations? Will we continue to be the hope of the world, a symbol of truth and freedom? Do we remember our duty like our fathers did during World War II or our grandfathers did during the Revolution? Or instead will we become passive and apathetic, falling selfishly into ourselves, loving only comfort and vain pleasures, forgetting our blessings, neglecting our responsibility, and then without realizing it, loosing what we hold dear?
O say, does that star spangled banner yet wave
O're the land of the free, and the home of the brave?
Does it? Answer me now! Does it?
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A friend of mine's mother many years ago was driving down the road, she heard in the distance the National Anthem. She stopped the car, got out, and put her right hand over her heart....someone stopped to ask her if she was alright. She told them that the anthem was playing, and they looked at her and told her that she had scared them, they thought she was having a heart attack! They got back in the car, without listening for the end of the song, and drove off mad!
Do you know "America the Beautiful?" "This Land is Our Land?" or all of the National Anthem? If you do, you are a minority anymore.
About a month ago Greg Wendel sent me a message saying "Happy Flag Day" Here in the MidWest, nothing was done! Nothing on the news, no special services, no recognition of any kind, that I was completely unaware of it until I received his e-mail.
Instead of sustaining and praying for our leaders, we complain that the system isn't working, instead of supporting our troops we are complaining about the money it is costing to continue the fight. Instead of protecting all children we are giving mothers the right to destroy the life inside of them as long as the child is younger than a certain age and passing out protection to our teenagers, and encouraging them to go to clinics behind their parents backs in order to keep them from getting pregnant instead of teaching abstinance.....If our forefathers were to see the state of this country now they would be crying out in anger, because this isn't the America they had in mind....
Separation of Church and State was a quote from Thomas Jefferson in a personal letter and not a part of the Constitution or the framework of the Bill of Rights. It was amended years later, but the founding fathers were all God Fearing Men who wanted and believed in freedom of religion, not freedom FROM religion!
The settlers recognized this as a new world, and many believed then as we believe now that this was a part of the Garden of Eden...
The area I live in is plagued by drugs and crime of every kind, my next door neighbor was arrested for child molesting about a month ago, and I am a lone single woman standing in the midst of this darkness, thanking Heavenly Father for protecting me in the midst of this chaos, andyet wondering if I will ever have a family of my own or will I continue to walk these streets watching others yell at and hit their kids while they are in the midst of their anger until the end of my days? But that is a different subject entirely.
We have been told by the prophets what is to come of this nation, we are in the midst of the beginning of the fall....and yet I do not fear, for as much as I love my country, I know that Our God Loves us more! And that He will guide and protect those who are truly His own... So don't be surprised if there is a falling away from the Church first, for judgement starts first with God's people, and then the nation will have to go thru a major transformation.
Have a great week, and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
Brilliantly said, Angela, brilliantly said. We should think about making you a full time member of this blog (since you basically are already - seriously, you've written more words on this blog than any of the rest of us), 'cept we'd have to change the name I guess..."SchmiBrosBlog+Working".
Heh, heh, well, we could certainly make this whole comment a blog post, I love it. Your points about the moral hypocrisies of our day were particularly well said, it's completely true.
Dear Benjamin,
I am glad you like the post, and thanks for the well wishes and thoughts. I do have a blog of my own that I get to occasionally, but I think that other than your bro. Jason, that I am the only one who ever goes to it! it is amw4ijc@blogspotcom/
Jason posted a comment once, and that is the only one I've ever received on that site so far. But I keep plugging away, I don't know, maybe someday I'll post something that'll make a difference to someone somewhere.
Anyway, thanks for the comment!
Have a blessed week!
Angela
Hey Benjamin!
I thought of the name for the new blog, it came to me last night!
"3 LDS Elders and their convert"!!
Ha! Have a great weekend!
Angela
My apologies guys, I miscounted! I made the post last night after work around 2 am my time, the corrected title should have been,
"4 LDS Elders and their convert!"
Tonight was ugly! I worked last night a 9 hr shift had 10 hrs off and worked another 9 hrs, with only one 30 min break!
Also around 30 mins before I was due to get off work, someone comes thru drive thru, and tells me after handing me money that he wanted to give correct change, I dropped the quarters I was getting out for him back into the drawer, took the change and told him to have a nice night....Apparently I didn't drop the quarters in a "pleasant" manner, because he got mad and told my manager that "If she hates her job so much, why doesn't she just quit!" I wasn't rude or angry, I was just tired! Some people are oversensitive and take things too personally!
The fun thing, tomorrow is my day off and they have already asked me to come in for another 7 hr shift. At least I'll be able to go to church before hand.
I hope your weekends aregoing better!
Angela
Uhhh...
mowf?
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