The Spirit Of 1861

"Let us therefore animate and encourage each other, and show the

whole world that a Freeman, contending for liberty on his own ground,

is superior to any slavish mercenary on earth."

-President George Washington

"America will never be a socialist nation."

-President Donald Trump

America's First President

Commander-In-Chief of the Continental Army

General George Washington

(1732-1799)

Arise Confederates! hear your country's call!

The hour is come,-the hour to do or die,

Freemen to stand, or freemen still to fall--

Say, will you fight for Southern Liberty?

By the spirit of George Washington we swear.

The yoke of slaves we'll never, never, wear!

Our father's arms base tyranny defiled,

They would not bear the reproach of slaves;

For freedom lived they, and for freedom died,

Their memory calls for freedom from their graves.

By the great God of Washington we swear,

The yoke of slaves we'll never , never, bear!

Gleams not the sword more brightly than the chain,

a nobler ornament to deck the hand?

We've borne their taunts-shall Freedom call in vain.

To unsheath the sword, and save our father-land!

By the great God of Washington we swear

The yoke of slaves we'll never, never, bear!

"Proclaim liberty throughout all the land,
unto all the inhabitants thereof..."
Leviticus 25:10

The Confederate States will claim a brilliant fame,

From her arise a nation proud and free,

We'll raise her flag and vindicate her name,

Land of the free-the home of Liberty!

By the great God of truth and right we swear,

The yoke of slaves we'll never, never, bear!

Upon our graves shall dawn a brighter sun.

Our children rise to bless their natal earth;

Here shall they kneel, and, when our course is run,

Bless the fair land that gave them a free birth.

By the spirit of George Washington we swear,

The yokes of slaves we cannot, will not bear!

Author Unknown

Keep America A Free Nation

Trump/Pence  2020

Pray For Our President

President Donald Trump and the Reverend Franklin Graham

This Sunday, June 2nd, the Reverend Franklin Graham is

calling for a national day of prayer for President Trump.

 I have never in my lifetime seen such profound hatred for

 and persecution of a sitting president and his family.

Now that the fake collusion scheme with Russia has been exposed,
Satan, who is the real enemy behind the scenes, and his minions,

are launching an all out assault against President Trump and his family.

 However, I believe that God is in control of everything, and 
since it was He who put Donald Trump in the White House 

 at this time in world history, only He can remove him from power.

Our president's  daily struggles against the powers of darkness, 
 both spiritual and human, brings to mind another earthly ruler,
anointed by God to become the sovereign leader of Israel.
This shepherd boy turned king often penned his innermost thoughts
 to the Lord in the form of a song during times of trouble in his life.

PSALM 64

A Psalm of King David of ancient Israel

"Hear my voice, O God, and in my complaint; guard and preserve

my life from the terror of the enemy.

Hide me from the secret counsel and conspiracy of the ungodly,

from the scheming of evildoers.

Who whet their tongues like a sword, who aim venomous

words like arrows,

Who shoot from ambush at the blameless man; suddenly do

they shoot at him, without self-reproach or fear.

They encourage themselves in an evil purpose, they talk of

laying snares secretly; they say, Who will discover us?

They think out acts of injustice and say, We have accomplished

a well-devised thing! For the inward thought of each one is

unsearchable and his heart is deep.

But God will shoot an unexpected arrow at them; and

suddenly shall they be wounded.

And they will be made to stumble, their own tongues

turning against them; all who gaze upon them will

shake their heads and flee away.

And all men shall reverently fear and be in awe;

and they will declare the work of God,  for they will wisely

consider and acknowledge that it is His doing.

The uncompromisingly righteous shall be glad in the Lord

and shall trust and take refuge in Him; and all the upright

in heart shall glory and offer praise."

President Donald and First Lady Melania Trump and Family

Dear Lord, please bless our President and First Lady and their

family and keep them safe in Your abundant love and mercy.
In the powerful and precious name of Jesus I pray!

Amen and Amen.

Then Awake, Now Arise!

"Yes, I am the Vine; you are the branches.

Those who remain in Me, and I in them,

will produce much fruit. For apart from

Me you can do nothing."

John 15:5

Be strong in the Lord

Tho' surrounded by foes;

Be true to your King,

Tho' all hell shall oppose;

He'll conquer their legions,

He'll vanquish their throng;

The Lord is our captain

He leads us along.

(Refrain)

Then awake! then awake!

Now arise! now arise!

Put on the whole armor,

Be strong in the Lord,

We fight not with flesh,

But with powers unseen;

We wrestle 'gainst darkness,

Without and within;

The conflict is raging,

Be valiant and strong,

For God is our tower,

Our shield, and our song.

(Refrain)

With loins girt with truth,

We will march to the fight,

And righteousness wear

As a breastplate of light;

Salvation our helmet,

Bestowed by our Lord,

The sword of the Spirit,

His conquering Word

(Refrain)

Our Leader has promised

A bright starry crown

And beckons us onward

To fields of renown;

We hasten to follow

His banner unfurled,

And trusting in Jesus,

We'll conquer the world.

(Refrain)

"Be Strong In The Lord"

(1889)

W.W. Clark

19th century minister

Each In His Own Place

I know a farm woman who is wearing overalls this spring at her

outdoor work. "They wear overalls in the munition factories," she says.

"Isn't the raising of food to preserve life as important as the making

of shells to take it? Why should I be hampered in my work and

tormented by skirts flapping around my ankles when I am out in the field?"

 Sweet, Orr and Company overalls for women advertisement

(1917)

Why indeed! When every bit of one's time and strength can be put to such

good use in work that it is so very necessary to the world, it seems foolish to

spend any of it uselessly. The simpler and more suitably we can dress the

better. This year of our Lord 1917 is no time for giving much attention to frills;

and when we remember the tight skirts of recent date, we surely cannot accuse

overalls of being immodest.  As the Man of the Place said to me,

"Just hunt up a couple of your old tight skirts and sew them together,

then you'll have a pair of overalls."

We all feel that we would like to do something to help our country in

these perilous times, however, much we may regret the necessity.

We may do this; without leaving our homes or exposing ourselves to

new and fearful dangers. Not that country women would hesitate to

take these risks if it were necessary, but it is natural to be glad that

we may help as much or more in our own accustomed ways.

Women in the towns and cities can be spared to work in the

factories, to make munitions, to join the Navy, or to go as nurses

with the Red Cross; but what would happen to the world if the

farm woman should desert their present posts?

Our work is not spectacular and in doing it faithfully we shall win

no war medals or decorations, but it is absolutely indispensable.

We may feed the field hands, care for the poultry, and work in the garden with

the full assurance that we are doing as much for our country as any other person.

Here in the hills, we have helped plant the potatoes and corn; we help with

the milking and feed the calves and hogs; and we will be found on the line

just behind the trenches, "fighting for Uncle Sam," as I heard one woman say;

and every extra dozen eggs, pound of meat, or bushel of vegetables we

raise will help beat back the enemy, hunger.

Some women were talking over an entertainment that had been planned

for the crowd. They seemed to be taking only a half-hearted interest in the

subject, and finally one of them exclaimed:  "I can't feel right about doing this!

It does not seem to me that this is a time to be feasting and frolicking. I do

not think we ought to eat an unnecessary mouthful, and sometimes I feel

like choking on the food I do eat when I think of people in the world

who are hungry and starving."  I fully agree with her.

When there seems to be not enough food to go around, we ought to be

as careful and economical with it as possible. If it is true, as we are told,

that most of us have the bad habit of overeating, now is a good time

to break that habit.  I am sure that we farm women will not be found

second to those of any other occupation in willingness to bear our part

in effort or in self-denial, and if, as experts say, "armies travel on

their stomachs," we are doing our best to enable the soldiers of

the United States to go as far as those of any other nation.

"Each In His Place"

(May 1917)

Laura Ingalls Wilder

(1867-1957)

Prolific American writer,

 patriot, and pioneer girl.

From the book,

"Little House In The Ozarks"

A Laura Ingalls Wilder Sampler

The Rediscovered Writings

Edited by Stephen W. Hines

Guideposts Edition

(1991)

Memorial Day 2019: Our Soldier Heroes Sleeping

They'll never cross the valleys,

Of crystal waters sweet,

They'll never face the foeman,

When charging armies meet;

O'er mountains, vast and hoary,

O'er hill and grassy plain,

Our soldier heroes sleeping,

Shall never march again.

(Refrain)

They'll never march again,

They'll never march again,

Our soldier heroes sleeping,

Shall never march again.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington, Virginia

We'll call our hosts together,

From over land and sea,

They'll never hear the trumpet,

Or sound of reveille;

Our country's flag shall lead them,

A host as strong and brave,

As they who sleep in silence,

Where flowers o'er them wave.

(Refrain)

They fought and won the battle,

Those hero boys of ours,

And we are left to weep them

And strew their graves with flow'rs;

They've won the palms of glory,

They wear the rose of grace,

Beneath His crown of sunlight

Their souls shall see His face.

(Refrain)

Their feet shall cross the valleys,

And Eden's rivers sweet,

They'll lie beside the fountains,

Where angels joyful meet;

But 'mid their country's battles,

O'er any earthy plain,

Our soldiers heroes sleeping,

Shall never march again.

(Refrain)

"Our Soldier Heroes Sleeping"
(1905)

Neva Parkhill Prentice

(1861-1943)

American hymn writer

Personal Reflections On The Eve Of Memorial Day

I recently read a book called, "Unbroken: A World War II Story

of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption" by Laura Hillenbrand.

Laura is also the author of the book, "SeaBiscuit" about the

legendary American racehorse.

I think this book should be on the required reading list for

every kid in America starting their freshman year in high school.

I am not sure if kids younger than this age group would be 

able to handle this book.

Then again, I am a middle aged woman and I had trouble

reading this book because the story it tells is often very

graphic and disturbing at times.  But I am glad I decided

 to finish reading this story of a brave WWII hero and former POW.

The story of Louis Zamperini is one of remarkable courage

and tenacity in the face of the horrors of war and often unspeakable

human cruelty.  This book also contains his personal testimony

of the redemption and forgiveness he later found in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Prior to his military service, Louis Zamperini was

a track star known as the "Torrance Tornado".

He also ran in the 1936 Summer Olympics held

in Berlin, Germany and ended up meeting with

none other than Adolf Hitler himself.

But since I am someone who intensely dislikes to spoil a story by

giving out all the details, I urge all American who love this country

and their freedom to read this man's story.   We Americans owe

everything we have today in the way of freedom to men like

Mr. Zamperini and others who fought to liberate the world from

tyranny in Europe and in the Pacific, and in other wars later

fought in Korea and Vietnam and more recently, the Middle East.

Freedom always comes with a price.

So many brave young men who have answered their nation's call 

of duty never came home again.  They lie in quiet graves in Europe,

in the Pacific islands and other parts of Asia, beneath the sands

and rugged terrain of  Iraq and in Afghanistan.

This is why it bothers me that Memorial Day is often marked by

loud and gaudy parades, sales, and barbecues at the beach as the

"official start" of the summer season.  I think this should be a time

of far more quiet and somber reflection.  Save all the other hoopla

for the upcoming Fourth of July.

May God bless all the men and women, past and present, who have

honorably served and are actively serving in the Armed Forces of

the United States of America.

Thank You for my freedom.

Louis Zamperini with author Laura Hillenbrand

and John Naber.

"Unbroken's Louis Zamperini: The Rest of the Story"
The 700 Club
(2014)

Fourth Sunday Meditation: The Lord Hears

"When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears,

and delivers them out of all their distress and trouble.

The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart

and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin

and are humbly and thoroughly penitent."

Psalm 34: 17-18

Hagar and her son, Ishmael in the wilderness of the Arabian desert.

Francois Joseph Navez

(1787-1869)

Belgian Neo-classical painter

THE LORD HEARS

"Psalm 34 has been a source of strength and encouragement

ever since I drank from the "living waters" of eternal salvation in

Jesus Christ. Praising, glorifying, and honoring the Lord as David

did has proven to be a great blessing even in

  extremely difficult circumstances.

As a young Christian in college I was often on my knees asking

the Lord to help with college fees and even incidentals-stockings,

underwear, notebook paper, and a warm scarf.   The wonderful

thing was that when I sought Him in prayer, He answered!

The main building on our college campus was perched on a

hill overlooking the Hudson River. The setting was beautiful.

Maneuvering was more difficult. It was easy going when we

walked down into the town but coming back was a struggle.

Groups of students often stopped along the way to rest.

I learned and quoted Psalm 34 on those walks up the hillside.

I had no problem with verse 6:

"This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;

He saved him out of all his troubles."

I knew then, as I know now, that anyone-man, woman,

young, old, rich, poor, black or white-can call on the Lord, and

He will answer and meet the need.

If you have been going through a difficult period in your life,

if you have been crushed by some unkind deed, or if you have  lost

a loved one and are feeling the pangs of loneliness, remember:

the psalmist said that, "the Lord is close to the brokenhearted."

(Psalm 34:18)

Why not take refuge in Him?"

"The Lord Hears"

A devotional reading by

Wanda K. Jones

El Roi

"The God Who Sees Me"

"David's prayers helped to silence his fears; having

sought the Lord, and left his case with Him, he could wait

the event with great composure. But David was a great and

eminent man, we may not expect to be favored as he was;

have any others ever experienced the like benefit by prayer?

Yes.  Many besides him have looked unto God by faith and

prayer, and have been lightened by it.

It has wonderfully revived and comforted them; witness Hannah,

who, when she prayed, went her way and did eat, her countenance

was no more sad.  When we look to the world we are darkened,

we are perplexed, and at at loss, but, when we look to God,

from Him we have the light of direction and joy and our way

is made both plain and pleasant."

-Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Bible

DID YOU THINK TO PRAY?

Ere you left your room this morning

Did you think to pray?

In the name of Christ our Savior,

Did you sue for loving favor,

As a shield today?

(Refrain)

O how praying rests the weary!

Prayer will change the night to day;

So when life seems dark and dreary,

Don't forget to pray.

When you met with great temptation,

Did you think to pray?

By His dying love and merit,

Did you claim the Holy Spirit

As your guide and stay?

(Refrain)

O how praying rests the weary!

Prayer will change the night to day;

So when life seems dark and dreary,

Don't forget to pray.

When your heart was filled with anger,

Did you think to pray?

Did you plead for grace, my brother,

That you might forgive another

Who had crossed your way?

(Refrain)

O how praying rests the weary!

Prayer will change the night to day;

So when life seems dark and dreary,

Don't forget to pray.

When sore trials came upon you,

Did you think to pray?

When your soul was bowed in sorrow,

Balm of Gilead did you borrow

At the gates of day?

(Refrain)

O how praying rests the weary!

Prayer will change the night to day;

So when life seems dark and dreary,

Don't forget to pray

"Did You Think To Pray?"

(1876)

Mary Ann Pepper Kidder

(1820-1905)

American hymn writer