Originally written in 2000 by Shonda Ponder
What happened in Waco at the Branche Davidian Compound was more than just a tragic government blunder. It was more than a cover-up. It was an act of God.
Those who died at the Branche Davidian Compound were martyrs for the cause of freedom, though many of them never knew what was happening even until the moment of their death. The survivors of the Waco fire are even just now seeing the full impact of the deaths at Waco.
Waco brought about a unity of freedom-lovers across the nation. It gave freedom a cause to defend, and the willingness to exercise its rights. Many eyes were opened to the dangers of Big Brother Government. Many comraderies were formed and bonded in love and understanding that there is something greater than Monday night football at stake here.
New vows were taken, and many pledged again their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honors to fight the monster that attacked Waco--not the government, but the corruption within it that caused the murder of innocent victims all in the name of the children. Today, many have already paid the ultimate price for that pledge, though we may never even hear the names of half of them.
It is the martyrs of Waco that has brought the nation to its knees again in support of religious freedom. Many people have been admitted to the Kingdom of God through the influence of Waco in many different sects of religion. So, David Koresh did not ultimately die in vain, and neither did those innocent babies who were never seen alive again. Waco became a door, and a finger of God for the nation.
It is the martyrs of Waco that woke up many 2nd Amendment advocates, renewing the spirit of "You can pry my gun from my cold dead fingers" and causing the "Don't tread on me" flag to wave once again throughout the nation. For Koresh and his followers, guns were a way of life. For the government, it was a threat against the elite establishment that is hungry for the control of every facet of our lives. If Koresh were allowed to continue, he might have influenced more than the government could handle.
The government feared this so greatly that they decided to cut off their nose to spite their face and instead of taking him alive, they killed him and all of his followers they could get in hopes of setting an example. Today, they realize that it was probably a fatal blunder on their part.
Too many people asked too many questions, and those people did not live in compounds or isolated places (like the Weaver's in Idaho did). The people were too smart to band together so the government could suppress them quickly, as was the plan in the "Communist Manifesto," and today, the internet has become the weapon of choice for many freedom advocates. It is safe, effective, and legal. And it holds a lot more power than did the Liberty Tree before the Revolutionary War.
Now, the government is discussing ways to limit the privileges of internet users, trying to find a way to do it so that it is not rebelled against by the public.
This is a new era. A new look for the nation, and a new sense of freedom has come about that many are reluctant to let go of now that they have discovered it. David Koresh and the victims of the Branche Davidian Compound in Waco will go down in history books as a milestone for freedom.
In Texas, "Remember the Alamo" has been forgotten and replaced with "Remember Waco". The rest of the nation has adopted the logo "Never Again."
Freedom has become a lifestyle worth dying for because 17 little children were killed by an entity that says it only wants "what's best for the children".
The start of a restoration of the Great Republic envisioned by our founding fathers has come alive, and it will not stop until it is respected once again by those in power.
Waco, I salute you, and I thank you for being the cornerstone for the foundation that will make the American Dream a reality once again.
Shonda Ponder
Friday, February 23, 2007
Making the Sacrifices
Originally written in 2000 by Shonda Ponder
The Founding Fathers gave their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honors. What are we giving today?
Many patriots in the freedom movement today who are trying tirelessly to restore this nation back to the Constitutional Republic it was founded upon are making the same sacrifices. We may not hear most of their names. We may never see most of their faces, or shake their hands, or even have the chance to say, "thank you."
Some are shot and killed, some are burned alive. Some are, today still, political prisoners who have not even been charged with crimes and have no way of fighting the system without our help. Some have given their all and are now living on barely enough to keep them alive and are still giving. Some are sacrificing their marriages, and their relationships with their children while they promote those very things, their lives becoming a martyr for the cause. From Randy Weaver's wife in Idaho, to the Branche Davidian survivors, to Kenneth Vardon of APFN, to many others who would never speak out loud of the burdens they carry at home.
The exchange of information in this day of computer technology has sky-rocketed and the myth that conservatives are "poor, un-educated, and easy to command" has been successfully proven false. The work done by these brave and daring souls who refuse to sit on the fence waiting for something to happen is the reason that we are able now to enjoy what few freedoms we still have left.
The questions that remain now, in light of the new gun confiscation activities in several states, and in light of IRS harassment, and forcing of the people to become spies on each other by requiring them to ask their fellow citizens to "show me your papers, please," along with the fact that too many cringe and cower when you start talking about what is wrong in this country, despite the right to freedom of speech, is, "What now?"
Many of these patriots who have given their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honors today have been begging for help before it is too late, knowing that there would soon come a day when what they are doing won't be enough without the help of the general public. Now they are seeing this happen.
Laws are getting passed that restrict our freedoms before they have the chance to send out a petition. The news is mainly covering what has already happened rather than what is going to happen and how we can stop it. Any information that we get is in the past tense rather than the present. It is much easier to change things before they happen than to change them after.
The "soldiers of passion" that are tirelessly fighting today are, one by one, dropping out of the race. The reasons vary, from no financial support, to lack of resources. How are we going to keep the enemy from taking any more guns from us if we don't have the guns to threaten them with? And how are we going to create and place more "soldiers of passion" if we don't support those that are already there? And how are those that are already there going to continue the fight when there is nothing left for them to fight with?
When a "mover and shaker" has done all he can do alone and is forced to ask for help, he is often attacked, accused of "seeking personal gain" and labeled a "patriot for profit" when the truth of the matter is that due to the time and money involved in this work, without that support the work will not grow and spread.
While the reporters on ABC, NBC and CBS get to live in nice homes and never have to worry about their children going hungry, conservative writers and journalists often volunteer their work covering and promoting events as they happen. Yet, if they ask for payment, they are asking too much.
Isn't it time to start fighting fire with fire? While the enemy is using money to their advantage, we are losing the fight. The patriots have done all they can do as individuals. Isn't time for something bigger?
As with all wars, the "Information War" is not cheaply fought.
The Founding Fathers gave their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honors. What are we giving today?
Many patriots in the freedom movement today who are trying tirelessly to restore this nation back to the Constitutional Republic it was founded upon are making the same sacrifices. We may not hear most of their names. We may never see most of their faces, or shake their hands, or even have the chance to say, "thank you."
Some are shot and killed, some are burned alive. Some are, today still, political prisoners who have not even been charged with crimes and have no way of fighting the system without our help. Some have given their all and are now living on barely enough to keep them alive and are still giving. Some are sacrificing their marriages, and their relationships with their children while they promote those very things, their lives becoming a martyr for the cause. From Randy Weaver's wife in Idaho, to the Branche Davidian survivors, to Kenneth Vardon of APFN, to many others who would never speak out loud of the burdens they carry at home.
The exchange of information in this day of computer technology has sky-rocketed and the myth that conservatives are "poor, un-educated, and easy to command" has been successfully proven false. The work done by these brave and daring souls who refuse to sit on the fence waiting for something to happen is the reason that we are able now to enjoy what few freedoms we still have left.
The questions that remain now, in light of the new gun confiscation activities in several states, and in light of IRS harassment, and forcing of the people to become spies on each other by requiring them to ask their fellow citizens to "show me your papers, please," along with the fact that too many cringe and cower when you start talking about what is wrong in this country, despite the right to freedom of speech, is, "What now?"
Many of these patriots who have given their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honors today have been begging for help before it is too late, knowing that there would soon come a day when what they are doing won't be enough without the help of the general public. Now they are seeing this happen.
Laws are getting passed that restrict our freedoms before they have the chance to send out a petition. The news is mainly covering what has already happened rather than what is going to happen and how we can stop it. Any information that we get is in the past tense rather than the present. It is much easier to change things before they happen than to change them after.
The "soldiers of passion" that are tirelessly fighting today are, one by one, dropping out of the race. The reasons vary, from no financial support, to lack of resources. How are we going to keep the enemy from taking any more guns from us if we don't have the guns to threaten them with? And how are we going to create and place more "soldiers of passion" if we don't support those that are already there? And how are those that are already there going to continue the fight when there is nothing left for them to fight with?
When a "mover and shaker" has done all he can do alone and is forced to ask for help, he is often attacked, accused of "seeking personal gain" and labeled a "patriot for profit" when the truth of the matter is that due to the time and money involved in this work, without that support the work will not grow and spread.
While the reporters on ABC, NBC and CBS get to live in nice homes and never have to worry about their children going hungry, conservative writers and journalists often volunteer their work covering and promoting events as they happen. Yet, if they ask for payment, they are asking too much.
Isn't it time to start fighting fire with fire? While the enemy is using money to their advantage, we are losing the fight. The patriots have done all they can do as individuals. Isn't time for something bigger?
As with all wars, the "Information War" is not cheaply fought.
We have Had Enough - By Shonda Ponder
(This was originally written in support of the 50 Million Round March on May 29, 2000, for the Sierra Times)
As women we have watched as our children are shot in the school rooms and have tried alternative schooling for our children so that they wouldn't have to deal with that. But, not only do we get in trouble for trying to do our motherly duty and protect them, we have to fight their fathers in order to do so. Why? Because men would rather make a dollar than protect their children.
We have fought the doctors, nurses, teachers and day-care workers in order to keep our kids drug-free from ritalin and other forms of methamphetamines, but their fathers don't have the time to get to really get to know their children and it is much easier to listen to a woman they don't know than to listen to the wife they are constantly arguing with about the subject, even though she knows the child better at times, because she is with him more.
Our men, who spend their hard earned money on expensive toys for themselves rather than quality time with their families, have fallen into the traps of liberated women, and are now demanding that their wives follow suit. They just flat don't want to take care of us anymore. It is too much work.
Never mind that the liberated women out there have done more to mess up our children than anyone. They would rather put their children on drugs so they can get rest away from their children when they come home from work (if they haven't aborted those nuisances) so the children can be walking zombies that never learn right from wrong. They sit those children, who are too "down" to do anything, in front of that box full of sex and violence, and since that is all they see, that is all they learn. Is it no wonder they go to school then and kill other kids?
What is worse, it is those liberated women out there who are the teachers and day-care workers we have to fight everyday from undermining our own authority over our children.
So, us women who still believe in traditional values, and are still trying to raise our children to respect God and Country, are tired of taking matters into our own hands. We are looking for a few REAL men to take up our cause. We heard about those 40K morons who went to Washington, and with minimal support from a few real men in order to teach those killers for gun-control a lesson, many of us liberty-loving, conservative and Godly women showed up, too.
How many liberal husbands supported their women as they attacked our children that day? How many freedom-loving husbands supported and honored their wives as they went to counter that attack? If the conservative woman was not there, it was because, in this day and age, a woman can't afford to be conservative. There are no men around to take care of them anymore. There are no men who will stand up and support their wives in order to be honored back in the long run.
Men, let me give you a little secret. Women like to be protected, not owned. They like to be taken care of, not forced to take care of themselves in order to pay half the bills. The reason there are so many "liberal" women out there today is out of necessity. If a woman has to support herself with someone, it is just as easy to support themselves alone.
When will the men be men?
The men, who are using loneliness to excuse drunken rages and beating their wives because they feel inadequate enough to care for them completely blame us women for all the world's problems. Men like the idea of women helping to be the bread winner of the family today. Don't they realize that if their women get a job and become equal bread winners, that they won't be home when their men are to take care of them? Don't they realize that women can compensate for loneliness a lot easier than a man can?
Men, who think only in terms of sex and dollars have found out that that they can take care of themselves a lot easier than they can support a family, and they can go to a bar and get sex anytime they want. They don't stop to think that the reason they can do this a lot of times is because the women who go to that bar are tired of the men that they have not being men.
Oh, but it isn't all the men's fault.
Women, who have been raised in the government training camps don't beg their men to go to church with them any more and to share those quality outings with their children. After all, we were all descended from apes, so there is no God to answer to. Life was much better when men felt forced to spend a few hours on Sunday listening to Godly sermons and told that God would punish them if they were bad husbands or fathers.
We have mistakenly molded our men into being more "sensitive" and loving, and have not instructed them that it is okay to be leaders and put their foots down when needed for the betterment of the family as a whole.
Now, when we are faced with surrendering our children because men won't stand up and be men, we, as conservative women, are stumbling around trying to find a few good men who will instruct us on how to use a weapon for self-defense. We are afraid. We have no man to protect us or our children anymore.
Those men out there who do try to be real men and protect the traditional values of God and Country are constantly being (a) ridiculed by society as being an extremist, and therefore being forced not to talk about it or educate anyone else, (b) feared by their liberal wives who are concerned about the social life their children are not enjoying due to being "different" or (c) they are accused by their women of being too strict or too demanding.
(A note for you liberal women out there: If a man is willing to work 3 jobs in order to pay the bills and buy your clothes and put food in your mouth and your kid's, so he can have someone there for him to cook, clean and rub his back when he gets home--any way he wants it rubbed--is that asking too much?)
And now, in light of losing the Constitution that allowed our men to be free men, and knowing that our sons (read: our CHILDREN) will have no choice but to be compliant, we are humbled, and we are putting our foot down to protect the rights of our children.
We women have had enough.
We have already been forced to give our children up to entities that will turn them against us in the long run. We have been forced to live alone rather than with a liberal man who thinks anything goes. We have been forced to fend for ourselves, rather than have half our bills paid by a "domestic partner"/roommate, and half of our saving squandered on a good time.
Why should we pay more taxes for that?
For you men who are reading this and saying to themselves, "you just haven't found the right one yet," we say if there are any real men left out there after we have so carelessly dispersed of them, then show us.
We want you to prove it by meeting the 50-Million Round Challenge that Jeff Head and SierraTimes.com are promoting. We want to see pictures of you on father's day, being real fathers and real heads of your family, at the gun range.
Why? Because when our childeren get to be 18 years old, we want their God-given right to self-defense by use of a weapon or any other peaceful means still in-tact. We don't want them to have to pay for a privilege that is, by the words written in the first ten amendments of the Constitution, a right.
And good mothers don't like to see their children hurt when they don't have to be. Responsible mothers teach their children to care for themselves...in every way.
Men, women like to feel loved. If you are, indeed, a man, we want to see you stand up, for once, for liberty and justice in love, honor, and protection like men should do for your family and for yourself. We want the proof. We want the pictures.
We want hope.
As women we have watched as our children are shot in the school rooms and have tried alternative schooling for our children so that they wouldn't have to deal with that. But, not only do we get in trouble for trying to do our motherly duty and protect them, we have to fight their fathers in order to do so. Why? Because men would rather make a dollar than protect their children.
We have fought the doctors, nurses, teachers and day-care workers in order to keep our kids drug-free from ritalin and other forms of methamphetamines, but their fathers don't have the time to get to really get to know their children and it is much easier to listen to a woman they don't know than to listen to the wife they are constantly arguing with about the subject, even though she knows the child better at times, because she is with him more.
Our men, who spend their hard earned money on expensive toys for themselves rather than quality time with their families, have fallen into the traps of liberated women, and are now demanding that their wives follow suit. They just flat don't want to take care of us anymore. It is too much work.
Never mind that the liberated women out there have done more to mess up our children than anyone. They would rather put their children on drugs so they can get rest away from their children when they come home from work (if they haven't aborted those nuisances) so the children can be walking zombies that never learn right from wrong. They sit those children, who are too "down" to do anything, in front of that box full of sex and violence, and since that is all they see, that is all they learn. Is it no wonder they go to school then and kill other kids?
What is worse, it is those liberated women out there who are the teachers and day-care workers we have to fight everyday from undermining our own authority over our children.
So, us women who still believe in traditional values, and are still trying to raise our children to respect God and Country, are tired of taking matters into our own hands. We are looking for a few REAL men to take up our cause. We heard about those 40K morons who went to Washington, and with minimal support from a few real men in order to teach those killers for gun-control a lesson, many of us liberty-loving, conservative and Godly women showed up, too.
How many liberal husbands supported their women as they attacked our children that day? How many freedom-loving husbands supported and honored their wives as they went to counter that attack? If the conservative woman was not there, it was because, in this day and age, a woman can't afford to be conservative. There are no men around to take care of them anymore. There are no men who will stand up and support their wives in order to be honored back in the long run.
Men, let me give you a little secret. Women like to be protected, not owned. They like to be taken care of, not forced to take care of themselves in order to pay half the bills. The reason there are so many "liberal" women out there today is out of necessity. If a woman has to support herself with someone, it is just as easy to support themselves alone.
When will the men be men?
The men, who are using loneliness to excuse drunken rages and beating their wives because they feel inadequate enough to care for them completely blame us women for all the world's problems. Men like the idea of women helping to be the bread winner of the family today. Don't they realize that if their women get a job and become equal bread winners, that they won't be home when their men are to take care of them? Don't they realize that women can compensate for loneliness a lot easier than a man can?
Men, who think only in terms of sex and dollars have found out that that they can take care of themselves a lot easier than they can support a family, and they can go to a bar and get sex anytime they want. They don't stop to think that the reason they can do this a lot of times is because the women who go to that bar are tired of the men that they have not being men.
Oh, but it isn't all the men's fault.
Women, who have been raised in the government training camps don't beg their men to go to church with them any more and to share those quality outings with their children. After all, we were all descended from apes, so there is no God to answer to. Life was much better when men felt forced to spend a few hours on Sunday listening to Godly sermons and told that God would punish them if they were bad husbands or fathers.
We have mistakenly molded our men into being more "sensitive" and loving, and have not instructed them that it is okay to be leaders and put their foots down when needed for the betterment of the family as a whole.
Now, when we are faced with surrendering our children because men won't stand up and be men, we, as conservative women, are stumbling around trying to find a few good men who will instruct us on how to use a weapon for self-defense. We are afraid. We have no man to protect us or our children anymore.
Those men out there who do try to be real men and protect the traditional values of God and Country are constantly being (a) ridiculed by society as being an extremist, and therefore being forced not to talk about it or educate anyone else, (b) feared by their liberal wives who are concerned about the social life their children are not enjoying due to being "different" or (c) they are accused by their women of being too strict or too demanding.
(A note for you liberal women out there: If a man is willing to work 3 jobs in order to pay the bills and buy your clothes and put food in your mouth and your kid's, so he can have someone there for him to cook, clean and rub his back when he gets home--any way he wants it rubbed--is that asking too much?)
And now, in light of losing the Constitution that allowed our men to be free men, and knowing that our sons (read: our CHILDREN) will have no choice but to be compliant, we are humbled, and we are putting our foot down to protect the rights of our children.
We women have had enough.
We have already been forced to give our children up to entities that will turn them against us in the long run. We have been forced to live alone rather than with a liberal man who thinks anything goes. We have been forced to fend for ourselves, rather than have half our bills paid by a "domestic partner"/roommate, and half of our saving squandered on a good time.
Why should we pay more taxes for that?
For you men who are reading this and saying to themselves, "you just haven't found the right one yet," we say if there are any real men left out there after we have so carelessly dispersed of them, then show us.
We want you to prove it by meeting the 50-Million Round Challenge that Jeff Head and SierraTimes.com are promoting. We want to see pictures of you on father's day, being real fathers and real heads of your family, at the gun range.
Why? Because when our childeren get to be 18 years old, we want their God-given right to self-defense by use of a weapon or any other peaceful means still in-tact. We don't want them to have to pay for a privilege that is, by the words written in the first ten amendments of the Constitution, a right.
And good mothers don't like to see their children hurt when they don't have to be. Responsible mothers teach their children to care for themselves...in every way.
Men, women like to feel loved. If you are, indeed, a man, we want to see you stand up, for once, for liberty and justice in love, honor, and protection like men should do for your family and for yourself. We want the proof. We want the pictures.
We want hope.
If We Could Face Our Fears
(Originally written in 1999, by Shonda Ponder)
We have a crisis in our country today.
The crisis I speak about is not the presidential impeachment hearings. It is not the recent rise in hate crimes. It is not the dangers our children face each day as moms and dads across America drop them off at public schools. It isn't the religious persecutions around the world that seem to be untouchable by the separation of church and state that has been planted in our way of life for the past 30 years. It isn't the crowding of prisons due to victimless crimes; nor is it the rising numbers of deadbeat parents. It isn't the break-up of the family, or the lack of role models in the land.
The crisis isn't campaign finance, or the outrageous amount of taxes we pay each year. It isn't nuclear warheads pointed at different countries around the world; nor is it the rapid destruction of rain forests. It isn't global warming, natural disasters, man-made pollution, or endangered species. It isn't terrorism, war, or slavery. It isn't the federal reserve, international moneychangers, or even welfare reform. It isn't illiteracy, differentially-abled persons, or unemployment. It is not the economy, stupid.
The crisis we are facing in this country is fear. It is knowing that something is wrong and refusing to rock the boat for fear of being labeled a dissident.
I believe that it was Roosevelt that stated, "The only thing men have to fear is fear itself." Today we have come to understand the meaning of those words all too clearly.
Too many times men and women change the subject rather than face controversial issues. Too many times we tend to give our children the benefit of the doubt rather than offer them advice whether they need it or not. Too many times we defend our public officials simply because we voted for them, rather than hold them accountable to do the job we voted for them to do.
For too long we have allowed the government access to our pocketbooks without saying a word for fear of being labeled a tax-evader. We fear speaking up for our rights to the very people who swore to protect those rights. We fear police who harass and intimidate rather than serve and protect.
We fear arrest at our places of business for failure to I-D eighteen-year-olds who are allowed to die for their country without parental consent but are not allowed to decide whether or not they are responsible enough to drink a beer. We fear arrest for sexual harassment if we ask someone out on a date more than once. We fear being labeled racist if we promote someone of the wrong color, regardless of his or her ability. We fear being labeled stalkers, kooks, or fanatics if we attempt to hold our public officials accountable. We fear being politically incorrect when we speak at a public forum.
Yet we don't realize that the chains of slavery are fastened by fear. It is fear that keeps man from actively pursuing his natural tendencies regarding life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. When we fear we are more inclined to accept 2nd best, rather than strive to have the best at any cost.
There was a time when our heroes were admired for the lack of fear they seemed to show. Today, I am ashamed to say societal stature rather than dissident opinions measure our heroes.
My heroes are still those of the past who uttered such words as "give me liberty or give me death" or "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
If only we could think like those men and have the courage to draw that line in the sand and stand up for our beliefs and control over our own lives as they did. Maybe then we would be able to tip our hats in appreciation of the officer on the streets without fear. We could call our public officials and tell them thank you rather than complain. We could say to our children, "Stand up straight. Show respect. THAT is the president of the United States of America coming."
If we could just have the courage to face our fears and look them in the eye and say, "I'm not backing down. No retreat, no surrender," we might then be able to see a glimmer of hope that our children and our grandchildren will not have to wear the chains of slavery our government has forced upon us in the name of Peace.
We have a crisis in our country today.
The crisis I speak about is not the presidential impeachment hearings. It is not the recent rise in hate crimes. It is not the dangers our children face each day as moms and dads across America drop them off at public schools. It isn't the religious persecutions around the world that seem to be untouchable by the separation of church and state that has been planted in our way of life for the past 30 years. It isn't the crowding of prisons due to victimless crimes; nor is it the rising numbers of deadbeat parents. It isn't the break-up of the family, or the lack of role models in the land.
The crisis isn't campaign finance, or the outrageous amount of taxes we pay each year. It isn't nuclear warheads pointed at different countries around the world; nor is it the rapid destruction of rain forests. It isn't global warming, natural disasters, man-made pollution, or endangered species. It isn't terrorism, war, or slavery. It isn't the federal reserve, international moneychangers, or even welfare reform. It isn't illiteracy, differentially-abled persons, or unemployment. It is not the economy, stupid.
The crisis we are facing in this country is fear. It is knowing that something is wrong and refusing to rock the boat for fear of being labeled a dissident.
I believe that it was Roosevelt that stated, "The only thing men have to fear is fear itself." Today we have come to understand the meaning of those words all too clearly.
Too many times men and women change the subject rather than face controversial issues. Too many times we tend to give our children the benefit of the doubt rather than offer them advice whether they need it or not. Too many times we defend our public officials simply because we voted for them, rather than hold them accountable to do the job we voted for them to do.
For too long we have allowed the government access to our pocketbooks without saying a word for fear of being labeled a tax-evader. We fear speaking up for our rights to the very people who swore to protect those rights. We fear police who harass and intimidate rather than serve and protect.
We fear arrest at our places of business for failure to I-D eighteen-year-olds who are allowed to die for their country without parental consent but are not allowed to decide whether or not they are responsible enough to drink a beer. We fear arrest for sexual harassment if we ask someone out on a date more than once. We fear being labeled racist if we promote someone of the wrong color, regardless of his or her ability. We fear being labeled stalkers, kooks, or fanatics if we attempt to hold our public officials accountable. We fear being politically incorrect when we speak at a public forum.
Yet we don't realize that the chains of slavery are fastened by fear. It is fear that keeps man from actively pursuing his natural tendencies regarding life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. When we fear we are more inclined to accept 2nd best, rather than strive to have the best at any cost.
There was a time when our heroes were admired for the lack of fear they seemed to show. Today, I am ashamed to say societal stature rather than dissident opinions measure our heroes.
My heroes are still those of the past who uttered such words as "give me liberty or give me death" or "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
If only we could think like those men and have the courage to draw that line in the sand and stand up for our beliefs and control over our own lives as they did. Maybe then we would be able to tip our hats in appreciation of the officer on the streets without fear. We could call our public officials and tell them thank you rather than complain. We could say to our children, "Stand up straight. Show respect. THAT is the president of the United States of America coming."
If we could just have the courage to face our fears and look them in the eye and say, "I'm not backing down. No retreat, no surrender," we might then be able to see a glimmer of hope that our children and our grandchildren will not have to wear the chains of slavery our government has forced upon us in the name of Peace.
Freedom is Not Free: a Speech Given at a Waco Remembrance Rally in 1999
The sacrifice that the Branch Davidians made was a price paid for us to all be aware with the knowledge of what is happening in our country. It is a price that, I am sorry to say, not all of us would be willing to make. We all have our excuses.
Speaking of excuses, I won’t mention names, but recently I received an e-mail from a young man whose talents were VERY worthy for the cause. This young man had a knack for making people actually listen to us. He was soft-spoken, sensible, and had the ability to speak his mind without offending the opposition.
We were proud to have him as a part America’s Media Alliance.
He is a prime example of what happens to all of us at one time or another. His frustration at the lack of response from the public, as well as his financial inability caused him to reconsider his position, and to make a long story short, he backed out of the movement.
His reasons were as follows:
*His monthly phone bill was about as much as his rent.
*His travel expenses along with lost wages while pursuing stories was too high.
*There was a lack of help from sponsors.
*He had sympathy with others who were in like positions in the cause.
He quoted a phrase in this letter that was from an essay written by Thomas Paine, “Some men have a strange aversion to arms, yet are willing to risk every shilling in the cause…”
*He has received countless numbers of death threats, which included his wife and his children being threatened.
*He asked the question, “If you live in fear, are you really living?”
*He said that most so-called patriots give in to peer pressure. Most expect everyone else to do the work it takes while they profess themselves to be patriots, yet refuse to get off their behinds and help in whatever way it takes.
This is a quote from his e-mail:
“The simple fact is for all of our hard efforts, for all of our money spent, for all of the time spent bitching at beaurocrats instead of bouncing our children and grandchildren on our knees, very little has changed. People, especially so-called patriots, continue to pay illegal taxes, thumbscan, consent to warrantless searches, and in general, kneel to those that wish to keep them enslaved. The slavemasters in this world actually do little to enslave us. We do all the work for them. We love being slaves. Slaves are secure. They have very well defined boundaries, and hence, little is unknown; the unknown is, after all, what humans fear the most.”
Further into the letter he said:
“Americans sense that as a whole, “patriots” are wishy-washy, and really stand for very little. That is why I no longer have it in me to show up to events myself. I have a very real understanding of Martin Luther King, Jr’s “Letters from a Birmingham Jail” now. This is my letter from the jail I am now freeing myself from. For those of you who have not read it, do so. He writes about his disgust for the “white clergy”. While admitting that racism and racist policies, laws, etc. were wrong, none seemed willing to do very much about it. His disgust stemmed from the fact that they knew the difference between right and wrong, yet continued to perpetuate the wrong. I feel the same. Right now,” he goes on, “In fact, for quite some time, I’ve had more respect for the enemies of this nation that for the patriot community. THEY stand for SOMETHING, even if it’s wrong.”
I read this letter, after I received it, over and over. Each time, I felt a little different.
The first time, I was stunned. He put in words what many of us have felt and have been frustrated with over and over again. We all have given thought at one time or another, for one reason or another, to just throwing up our hands and saying, “I quit.”
After reading it again, more carefully, thoughts began to race through my mind. What if everyone was to feel the way he does and throws in the towel? What hope would our children have? How could we look them in the eye and say, “It was all for you.”
Our Founding Fathers faced loyalty to the crown dead on. They created friendships and a circle of people that they could trust to stand up for their beliefs. They knew that the chance of survival was minimal. They knew that their numbers were small. They knew that what they were asking for was not popular, nor was it supported. Not “politically correct” is the phrase we use today.
When the Revolutionary War was fought, only 3% of the population were among those who stood up with the Founding Fathers. 3%. And that was after exercising their talents in the press for several years. They had written pamphlets, started newspapers, written letters, and held public meetings as well as private ones. They knew that even that was grounds for getting them killed, legally, and with the King’s blessings.
Had they thrown in the towel, we would not feel the need to be able to protect our freedoms today. We would not have the ability to create the press the way we have today. The information would not be important. Many of us would have grown up in a different atmosphere, with different beliefs, because that is all we would have ever been taught.
While I was exploring the Internet the other day, I came across one of Captain Nemo’s web pages. On it was an essay I would like for you to read. It is called “The Price They Paid.” I am including it here with the permission of “Captain Nemo.”
THE PRICE THEY PAID
Author Unknown
Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army, another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or the hardships of the Revolutionary War.
They signed and pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men where they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners, men of means, well educated.
But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British navy. He sold his home and his properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers or both looted the properties of Ellery, Clymer, Hall, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr. noted that the British General Cornwallis, had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. The owner quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.
Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.
Such are the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution.
These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged this pledge:
"For the support of this declaration, with the firm reliance on the protection of the Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."
They gave us a free and independent America.
What will you do to keep it?
-----
I thank God for the fight I am fighting today, for the sacrifices I have to make for the cause, and for the friends that are standing up and being counted as one of us. I thank God for those who died and were tortured and were shamed in front of their family and peers so that I COULD stand up today and appreciate the freedoms that I am fighting hard to protect for my children, and my grandchildren.
The Founding Fathers pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honors so that I COULD stand up today with something worth standing for.
Why should I not give as much as they?
Why should we all not give as much?
In closing, Freedom-Lovers International would like to thank America’s Media Alliance, and all of the freedom-loving alternative media, patriots, and militia groups out there who are fighting tirelessly to reverse the trends of the Elite Special Interest groups, who’s main agenda is to bring us all into slavery in the name of peace.
I honestly believe that we all were chosen to live in this day and age for a reason. And that our great great grandchildren will benefit from our tireless labour.
That, alone, makes the fight worth it.
Speaking of excuses, I won’t mention names, but recently I received an e-mail from a young man whose talents were VERY worthy for the cause. This young man had a knack for making people actually listen to us. He was soft-spoken, sensible, and had the ability to speak his mind without offending the opposition.
We were proud to have him as a part America’s Media Alliance.
He is a prime example of what happens to all of us at one time or another. His frustration at the lack of response from the public, as well as his financial inability caused him to reconsider his position, and to make a long story short, he backed out of the movement.
His reasons were as follows:
*His monthly phone bill was about as much as his rent.
*His travel expenses along with lost wages while pursuing stories was too high.
*There was a lack of help from sponsors.
*He had sympathy with others who were in like positions in the cause.
He quoted a phrase in this letter that was from an essay written by Thomas Paine, “Some men have a strange aversion to arms, yet are willing to risk every shilling in the cause…”
*He has received countless numbers of death threats, which included his wife and his children being threatened.
*He asked the question, “If you live in fear, are you really living?”
*He said that most so-called patriots give in to peer pressure. Most expect everyone else to do the work it takes while they profess themselves to be patriots, yet refuse to get off their behinds and help in whatever way it takes.
This is a quote from his e-mail:
“The simple fact is for all of our hard efforts, for all of our money spent, for all of the time spent bitching at beaurocrats instead of bouncing our children and grandchildren on our knees, very little has changed. People, especially so-called patriots, continue to pay illegal taxes, thumbscan, consent to warrantless searches, and in general, kneel to those that wish to keep them enslaved. The slavemasters in this world actually do little to enslave us. We do all the work for them. We love being slaves. Slaves are secure. They have very well defined boundaries, and hence, little is unknown; the unknown is, after all, what humans fear the most.”
Further into the letter he said:
“Americans sense that as a whole, “patriots” are wishy-washy, and really stand for very little. That is why I no longer have it in me to show up to events myself. I have a very real understanding of Martin Luther King, Jr’s “Letters from a Birmingham Jail” now. This is my letter from the jail I am now freeing myself from. For those of you who have not read it, do so. He writes about his disgust for the “white clergy”. While admitting that racism and racist policies, laws, etc. were wrong, none seemed willing to do very much about it. His disgust stemmed from the fact that they knew the difference between right and wrong, yet continued to perpetuate the wrong. I feel the same. Right now,” he goes on, “In fact, for quite some time, I’ve had more respect for the enemies of this nation that for the patriot community. THEY stand for SOMETHING, even if it’s wrong.”
I read this letter, after I received it, over and over. Each time, I felt a little different.
The first time, I was stunned. He put in words what many of us have felt and have been frustrated with over and over again. We all have given thought at one time or another, for one reason or another, to just throwing up our hands and saying, “I quit.”
After reading it again, more carefully, thoughts began to race through my mind. What if everyone was to feel the way he does and throws in the towel? What hope would our children have? How could we look them in the eye and say, “It was all for you.”
Our Founding Fathers faced loyalty to the crown dead on. They created friendships and a circle of people that they could trust to stand up for their beliefs. They knew that the chance of survival was minimal. They knew that their numbers were small. They knew that what they were asking for was not popular, nor was it supported. Not “politically correct” is the phrase we use today.
When the Revolutionary War was fought, only 3% of the population were among those who stood up with the Founding Fathers. 3%. And that was after exercising their talents in the press for several years. They had written pamphlets, started newspapers, written letters, and held public meetings as well as private ones. They knew that even that was grounds for getting them killed, legally, and with the King’s blessings.
Had they thrown in the towel, we would not feel the need to be able to protect our freedoms today. We would not have the ability to create the press the way we have today. The information would not be important. Many of us would have grown up in a different atmosphere, with different beliefs, because that is all we would have ever been taught.
While I was exploring the Internet the other day, I came across one of Captain Nemo’s web pages. On it was an essay I would like for you to read. It is called “The Price They Paid.” I am including it here with the permission of “Captain Nemo.”
THE PRICE THEY PAID
Author Unknown
Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army, another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or the hardships of the Revolutionary War.
They signed and pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men where they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners, men of means, well educated.
But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British navy. He sold his home and his properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers or both looted the properties of Ellery, Clymer, Hall, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr. noted that the British General Cornwallis, had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. The owner quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.
Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.
Such are the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution.
These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged this pledge:
"For the support of this declaration, with the firm reliance on the protection of the Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."
They gave us a free and independent America.
What will you do to keep it?
-----
I thank God for the fight I am fighting today, for the sacrifices I have to make for the cause, and for the friends that are standing up and being counted as one of us. I thank God for those who died and were tortured and were shamed in front of their family and peers so that I COULD stand up today and appreciate the freedoms that I am fighting hard to protect for my children, and my grandchildren.
The Founding Fathers pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honors so that I COULD stand up today with something worth standing for.
Why should I not give as much as they?
Why should we all not give as much?
In closing, Freedom-Lovers International would like to thank America’s Media Alliance, and all of the freedom-loving alternative media, patriots, and militia groups out there who are fighting tirelessly to reverse the trends of the Elite Special Interest groups, who’s main agenda is to bring us all into slavery in the name of peace.
I honestly believe that we all were chosen to live in this day and age for a reason. And that our great great grandchildren will benefit from our tireless labour.
That, alone, makes the fight worth it.
God is a Terrorist?
(Originally written after 9/11 on January 2, 2002 by Shonda Ponder)
The Associated Propagandist, I mean Press, has reported that residents in Boca Raton, Florida have panicked because a skywriter wanted to spread a Godly message by writing it in the sky.
Geez. What's the world coming to?
No doubt, if Jerry Stevens, who wrote "God is Great" in the sky, would have wrote, "Bush is Numero Uno" instead, the AP wouldn't have had a story. So why, all of a sudden, has God become the enemy?
It's a shameful world in which we live when we have to be afraid of being labeled as a terrorist just because we mention the word God. After all, Jerry didn't write "Allah is Great". The panick would have been conceivable if he had, though still not right. After all, it wasn't God-fearing men that attacked the World Trade Centers. It was followers of Allah.
Here, in this great country, where one is free to believe in any God he wants, we are now being asked to keep God hidden because it might terrorize somebody. Just who, pray tell, are the paranoid extremists in this country when we can write "Busch Beer, Tastes Great" but not "God is Great" in the clouds? Who, really, are the paranoid extremists?
Most of the Right-Wing "extremists" that I know want only one thing: they want to be left alone. They want to live their lives as they see fit, and not have to get arrested or harassed when they leave their homes to travel. They don't call the cops when they see a mother chastise her young child in public for misbehaving. They don't call the FBI when they see their neighbors bring in some rough-looking individuals next door--until it affects them directly. Yet, when they try to homeschool their children, some nosy, paranoid neighbor wants to call CPS on them. When they return home from a hunting trip, the FBI seems to want to butt in because some extremely paranoid person wants to get rid of that "terrorist" in their neighborhood. Or, some Rosy O'Donnel groupie thinks he must be a criminal since he has a .22 Shotgun.
Face it, all us conservative parents can't even let our children be children because some crazy, paranoid teacher might be alarmed if our children want to play cops and robbers, or draws a gun. We are becoming a society that lables homosexuality as normal while they try to institutionalize anyone who believes in the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. It's okay to teach our young children about sex in schools and that sex is natural so long as it feels good, but it is wrong for a grown man to ask someone out on a date more than once lest he be accused of sexual harassment.
And now, God is a terrorist. Go figure.
The Associated Propagandist, I mean Press, has reported that residents in Boca Raton, Florida have panicked because a skywriter wanted to spread a Godly message by writing it in the sky.
Geez. What's the world coming to?
No doubt, if Jerry Stevens, who wrote "God is Great" in the sky, would have wrote, "Bush is Numero Uno" instead, the AP wouldn't have had a story. So why, all of a sudden, has God become the enemy?
It's a shameful world in which we live when we have to be afraid of being labeled as a terrorist just because we mention the word God. After all, Jerry didn't write "Allah is Great". The panick would have been conceivable if he had, though still not right. After all, it wasn't God-fearing men that attacked the World Trade Centers. It was followers of Allah.
Here, in this great country, where one is free to believe in any God he wants, we are now being asked to keep God hidden because it might terrorize somebody. Just who, pray tell, are the paranoid extremists in this country when we can write "Busch Beer, Tastes Great" but not "God is Great" in the clouds? Who, really, are the paranoid extremists?
Most of the Right-Wing "extremists" that I know want only one thing: they want to be left alone. They want to live their lives as they see fit, and not have to get arrested or harassed when they leave their homes to travel. They don't call the cops when they see a mother chastise her young child in public for misbehaving. They don't call the FBI when they see their neighbors bring in some rough-looking individuals next door--until it affects them directly. Yet, when they try to homeschool their children, some nosy, paranoid neighbor wants to call CPS on them. When they return home from a hunting trip, the FBI seems to want to butt in because some extremely paranoid person wants to get rid of that "terrorist" in their neighborhood. Or, some Rosy O'Donnel groupie thinks he must be a criminal since he has a .22 Shotgun.
Face it, all us conservative parents can't even let our children be children because some crazy, paranoid teacher might be alarmed if our children want to play cops and robbers, or draws a gun. We are becoming a society that lables homosexuality as normal while they try to institutionalize anyone who believes in the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. It's okay to teach our young children about sex in schools and that sex is natural so long as it feels good, but it is wrong for a grown man to ask someone out on a date more than once lest he be accused of sexual harassment.
And now, God is a terrorist. Go figure.
Bend Over, America!
(Originally written on November 4, 2001 by Shonda Ponder)
Over the past few years we've seen big changes in how our government operates. In the wake of the "War Against Terrorism," we are all called to make certain personal decisions that never before were questionable in our minds.
Most of us won't ask, we'll just follow the status quo, calling it "necessary" in light of the circumstances. Others will protest, while signing the dotted lines and giving their souls to the enemy. A few others will scream, and be incarcerated for failure to comply with the new standards. In the end, they, too, will give in--thinking they will be able to scream better if they just follow the rules. And, some will die fighting the monster that our government has become, and be written off as being whacked out mentally, or dangerous kookes.
This is the New World Order. Know it. Recognize it. Call it what it is. In the end, there is nothing you can do to stop it. The only thing you can do is decide how you want to get screwed.
Recently, 2nd Amendment advocates were appalled at the intent of the UN to interfere with national sovereignty in an attempt to disarm the world. Many of those same people are so busy trying to "get used to the new normality" since the September 11 attacks that they have not paid attention to what is going on with the UN now--and Bush will be able to effectively sign over any sovereign status our Bill of Rights has in order to further the agenda of the New World Order.
The New World Order has only one obstacle in its way. A world-type government must be able to agree with member nations on one idea, and then work from the foundation of that one idea to create effectively a government capable of ruling the world.
What agreement must the world reach a consensus on in order to create this "New World Order?" The question of who is to be considered a terrorist. After all, if a person is not considered a terrorist threat by the United States, and the United Nations wishes to punish the person for allegedly being a terrorist, this will cause friction between the two entities. They must both come to the same consensus on, not just who, but how a terrorist is labeled as a terrorist.
In the end, there will be only one way to label a terrorist. A terrorist will be anyone who disagrees with the policies and agendas set forth by the government, and is a potential obstacle in the way of it's goals.
In order to make sure that there is so-called "justice" against the alleged terrorists, the government must be able to find and root out any potential "problems" inside its borders. Many have debated the use of the National ID as a means of deterring terrorists. The idea was quickly struck down as being too blatant and "too much" for the people to accept right now. But that hasn't stopped New World Order proponents as they have searched to find an alternative solution to this problem.
The answer to that problem has almost been reached by utilizing the tools already available and in place for such an introduction: the driver's license.
The Executive Committee of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) passed a resolution recently establishing a Special Task Force on Identification Security. The Task Force will build relationships with other stakeholders, including Congress and federal agencies such as the departments of Transportation, Justice and State, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, the U.S. Social Security Administration and the President’s Office of Homeland Security, to improve coordination and credentialing security.
"There's no need to create a new national ID card," said Jason King, the group's spokesman, according to an article in the Washington Post, "Let's just make what we have better."
But the AAMVA is not the only group working on such technology to insure identification. Drexler Technology Corporation develops and manufactures LaserCard(R) optical memory cards and chip-ready Smart/Optical(TM) cards -- a combination of optical memory card and smart card. LaserCard optical memory cards are used for "Laser Visa" border crossing ID cards, resident immigrant ID cards, and national ID cards, which are "digital governance" and "homeland security" applications.
"Digital governance" and "homeland security" applications represent Drexler's principal LaserCard markets today. "Digital governance" means the utilization of digital information technology to facilitate or expedite the process of governing by a nation, state, region, municipality, agency, institution, or commercial enterprise. The card is used for identification and as proof that the cardholder is authorized and has been granted certain rights and privileges by the card issuer. The LaserCard's high-security features inhibit counterfeiting and data tampering and provide controlled access to the benefits granted by the card issuer. For "homeland security" applications, the emphasis is on denying unauthorized persons those rights and privileges.
Drexler Technology and its wholly owned subsidiary, LaserCard Systems Corporation, are based in Mountain View, where Drexler manufactures cards and LaserCard Systems manufactures optical card read/write drives, develops optical card system software, and markets card-related data systems and peripherals. In addition to the "Laser Visa" cards made for the U.S. Department of State and the digital permanent resident "Green Card" made for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, Drexler Technology also makes optical memory cards for other customers, such as the U.S. Department of Defense, the Government of Italy, and a state government of India.
One can see how easy it would be to incorportate identification data into one computer, under one legal entity that can be easily controlled by the government.
Identitrak is a UK based company that works to provide microchip implants for pets and other animals that can be used for tracking their behaviors and whereabouts. Recently, they have began working with the local Crimestoppers communities to help catch thieves. How easy would it be for such a company to decide to provide such technology for the implementation of a national identification?
In order to bring about the acceptance of the New World Order (in all its facets), the need for it must be made strong enough for the people to accept it. If people were not afraid of terrorists, would people accept Gray Davis's actions securing the bridges or the highways in California. Patience has been urged by the California Homeland Defense task force, and the people are accepting it.
With the possibility of biometric microchips, which are already being used by some health centers to regulate drugs within the body, come the need to get the people to accept such a dire idea. On October 17, 2001, Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy said on the floor of Congress, "We also must make sure we develop the best possible biometric technology to identify potential terrorists entering the United States, such as facial recognition or fingerprint systems. The USA Act includes a section proposed by Senator Cantwell that requires the Attorney General to report to Congress on the feasibility of enhancing the FBI’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System and other systems to better identify people with foreign passports or visas who may be wanted in connection with criminal investigations in the United States or abroad."
Right now the people will accept this because it only affects immigrants. But, sooner or later, immigration will prove too broad a spectrum to keep up with, and the only solution will be to have everyone, including the citizens of the US, entered into a national database.
Once all of the countries of the world follow suit, the only obstacle standing in the way of the "New World Order" will be to incorporate all of the information into a single database. The United Nations will only need access to each member country's computers in order to accomplish this.
According to the book of Revelations in the Bible (KJV), Chapter 13, verses 16 and 17, it says, "and he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads, and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."
This verse alone will cause the powers that be to question the loyalty of those who claim to be Christian. The paranoia that has been let loose by the governments in response to the terroristic threat on the nations will not stop at condemning anyone who refuses to take a stand against the idea of a national identification for religious reasons. After all, if they are not FOR their government and it's agenda, then they are against it. And if they are against it, then they are terrorists, and will need to be made obsolete.
In closing, America is no longer the home of the brave and the land of the free. We have effectively traded all that in, in order to prevent further terrorist attacks. Because we will be powerless now to stop the scope of powers we have given our government, we will see a pale horse with a rider named "Death" who will kill a quarter of the world's population by violence, hunger and pestilence.
Now is a critical moment. We must stand to oppose this. We must stand up for every last tittle of what made our American way of life so great. If we do not do so now...
Bend over America. Time to reap what we sow.
Over the past few years we've seen big changes in how our government operates. In the wake of the "War Against Terrorism," we are all called to make certain personal decisions that never before were questionable in our minds.
Most of us won't ask, we'll just follow the status quo, calling it "necessary" in light of the circumstances. Others will protest, while signing the dotted lines and giving their souls to the enemy. A few others will scream, and be incarcerated for failure to comply with the new standards. In the end, they, too, will give in--thinking they will be able to scream better if they just follow the rules. And, some will die fighting the monster that our government has become, and be written off as being whacked out mentally, or dangerous kookes.
This is the New World Order. Know it. Recognize it. Call it what it is. In the end, there is nothing you can do to stop it. The only thing you can do is decide how you want to get screwed.
Recently, 2nd Amendment advocates were appalled at the intent of the UN to interfere with national sovereignty in an attempt to disarm the world. Many of those same people are so busy trying to "get used to the new normality" since the September 11 attacks that they have not paid attention to what is going on with the UN now--and Bush will be able to effectively sign over any sovereign status our Bill of Rights has in order to further the agenda of the New World Order.
The New World Order has only one obstacle in its way. A world-type government must be able to agree with member nations on one idea, and then work from the foundation of that one idea to create effectively a government capable of ruling the world.
What agreement must the world reach a consensus on in order to create this "New World Order?" The question of who is to be considered a terrorist. After all, if a person is not considered a terrorist threat by the United States, and the United Nations wishes to punish the person for allegedly being a terrorist, this will cause friction between the two entities. They must both come to the same consensus on, not just who, but how a terrorist is labeled as a terrorist.
In the end, there will be only one way to label a terrorist. A terrorist will be anyone who disagrees with the policies and agendas set forth by the government, and is a potential obstacle in the way of it's goals.
In order to make sure that there is so-called "justice" against the alleged terrorists, the government must be able to find and root out any potential "problems" inside its borders. Many have debated the use of the National ID as a means of deterring terrorists. The idea was quickly struck down as being too blatant and "too much" for the people to accept right now. But that hasn't stopped New World Order proponents as they have searched to find an alternative solution to this problem.
The answer to that problem has almost been reached by utilizing the tools already available and in place for such an introduction: the driver's license.
The Executive Committee of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) passed a resolution recently establishing a Special Task Force on Identification Security. The Task Force will build relationships with other stakeholders, including Congress and federal agencies such as the departments of Transportation, Justice and State, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, the U.S. Social Security Administration and the President’s Office of Homeland Security, to improve coordination and credentialing security.
"There's no need to create a new national ID card," said Jason King, the group's spokesman, according to an article in the Washington Post, "Let's just make what we have better."
But the AAMVA is not the only group working on such technology to insure identification. Drexler Technology Corporation develops and manufactures LaserCard(R) optical memory cards and chip-ready Smart/Optical(TM) cards -- a combination of optical memory card and smart card. LaserCard optical memory cards are used for "Laser Visa" border crossing ID cards, resident immigrant ID cards, and national ID cards, which are "digital governance" and "homeland security" applications.
"Digital governance" and "homeland security" applications represent Drexler's principal LaserCard markets today. "Digital governance" means the utilization of digital information technology to facilitate or expedite the process of governing by a nation, state, region, municipality, agency, institution, or commercial enterprise. The card is used for identification and as proof that the cardholder is authorized and has been granted certain rights and privileges by the card issuer. The LaserCard's high-security features inhibit counterfeiting and data tampering and provide controlled access to the benefits granted by the card issuer. For "homeland security" applications, the emphasis is on denying unauthorized persons those rights and privileges.
Drexler Technology and its wholly owned subsidiary, LaserCard Systems Corporation, are based in Mountain View, where Drexler manufactures cards and LaserCard Systems manufactures optical card read/write drives, develops optical card system software, and markets card-related data systems and peripherals. In addition to the "Laser Visa" cards made for the U.S. Department of State and the digital permanent resident "Green Card" made for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, Drexler Technology also makes optical memory cards for other customers, such as the U.S. Department of Defense, the Government of Italy, and a state government of India.
One can see how easy it would be to incorportate identification data into one computer, under one legal entity that can be easily controlled by the government.
Identitrak is a UK based company that works to provide microchip implants for pets and other animals that can be used for tracking their behaviors and whereabouts. Recently, they have began working with the local Crimestoppers communities to help catch thieves. How easy would it be for such a company to decide to provide such technology for the implementation of a national identification?
In order to bring about the acceptance of the New World Order (in all its facets), the need for it must be made strong enough for the people to accept it. If people were not afraid of terrorists, would people accept Gray Davis's actions securing the bridges or the highways in California. Patience has been urged by the California Homeland Defense task force, and the people are accepting it.
With the possibility of biometric microchips, which are already being used by some health centers to regulate drugs within the body, come the need to get the people to accept such a dire idea. On October 17, 2001, Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy said on the floor of Congress, "We also must make sure we develop the best possible biometric technology to identify potential terrorists entering the United States, such as facial recognition or fingerprint systems. The USA Act includes a section proposed by Senator Cantwell that requires the Attorney General to report to Congress on the feasibility of enhancing the FBI’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System and other systems to better identify people with foreign passports or visas who may be wanted in connection with criminal investigations in the United States or abroad."
Right now the people will accept this because it only affects immigrants. But, sooner or later, immigration will prove too broad a spectrum to keep up with, and the only solution will be to have everyone, including the citizens of the US, entered into a national database.
Once all of the countries of the world follow suit, the only obstacle standing in the way of the "New World Order" will be to incorporate all of the information into a single database. The United Nations will only need access to each member country's computers in order to accomplish this.
According to the book of Revelations in the Bible (KJV), Chapter 13, verses 16 and 17, it says, "and he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads, and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."
This verse alone will cause the powers that be to question the loyalty of those who claim to be Christian. The paranoia that has been let loose by the governments in response to the terroristic threat on the nations will not stop at condemning anyone who refuses to take a stand against the idea of a national identification for religious reasons. After all, if they are not FOR their government and it's agenda, then they are against it. And if they are against it, then they are terrorists, and will need to be made obsolete.
In closing, America is no longer the home of the brave and the land of the free. We have effectively traded all that in, in order to prevent further terrorist attacks. Because we will be powerless now to stop the scope of powers we have given our government, we will see a pale horse with a rider named "Death" who will kill a quarter of the world's population by violence, hunger and pestilence.
Now is a critical moment. We must stand to oppose this. We must stand up for every last tittle of what made our American way of life so great. If we do not do so now...
Bend over America. Time to reap what we sow.
The Lord's On My Shoulder
The Lord's On My Shoulder
Originally Written in 1980 (I was twelve) by Shonda Ponder (me)
The Lord's on my shoulder
And he's getting bolder
As long as my live is lived
He's getting stronger
and it won't be longer
Til my soul I will give
He's my only sight
And I know I'm right
As to where my last flight will be
He's my only strength
As I climb the length
Of the golden stairs I see
He's all history
He's a big mystery
The Lord, He knows everything
He's bigger than the world
Stronger than the wind
And softer than the music I sing
I do not worry
For I cannot hurry
This life that is passing me by
For in days ahead
As I am led
The garden I see will be nigh
Originally Written in 1980 (I was twelve) by Shonda Ponder (me)
The Lord's on my shoulder
And he's getting bolder
As long as my live is lived
He's getting stronger
and it won't be longer
Til my soul I will give
He's my only sight
And I know I'm right
As to where my last flight will be
He's my only strength
As I climb the length
Of the golden stairs I see
He's all history
He's a big mystery
The Lord, He knows everything
He's bigger than the world
Stronger than the wind
And softer than the music I sing
I do not worry
For I cannot hurry
This life that is passing me by
For in days ahead
As I am led
The garden I see will be nigh
God Give Us Strength
God Give Us Strength
1983, by Shonda Ponder
Dear Lord, give me strength
to understand
the meaning of his love for me
Oh, God, give us leingth
so our love can
last throughout eternity
Jesus, give us love
forever-lasting
so we can give our love a lifetime go
And, Father, like cooing white doves
let ours fly higher
and each day, let our love grow
1983, by Shonda Ponder
Dear Lord, give me strength
to understand
the meaning of his love for me
Oh, God, give us leingth
so our love can
last throughout eternity
Jesus, give us love
forever-lasting
so we can give our love a lifetime go
And, Father, like cooing white doves
let ours fly higher
and each day, let our love grow
I Warned You
September 23, 1992 by Shonda Ponder
Did you honestly think I'd wait forever
Each time you pushed me away?
Did you not take my heartaches into consideration
Each time I begged you to stay?
Did you think I'd hold on and never let go
And that my heart would never grow cold?
While you were laughing at my crying shame
I warned you that it would get old
I warned you a long time ago
But you took for granted my needs
I said that I could get over you
But you took for granted my pleas
And now someone else is holding my heart
Right in the palm of his hand
And now you think I should say I'm sorry?
Is it beyond you to understand?
I don't love you anymore
I closed my heart and locked the door
I gave you love too much before
Now I don't love you anymore
And I'm not sorry for what I've done
The clouds are gone; I see the sun
I know I left you all alone
But I'm not sorry for what I've done
Did you honestly think I'd wait forever
Each time you pushed me away?
Did you not take my heartaches into consideration
Each time I begged you to stay?
Did you think I'd hold on and never let go
And that my heart would never grow cold?
While you were laughing at my crying shame
I warned you that it would get old
I warned you a long time ago
But you took for granted my needs
I said that I could get over you
But you took for granted my pleas
And now someone else is holding my heart
Right in the palm of his hand
And now you think I should say I'm sorry?
Is it beyond you to understand?
I don't love you anymore
I closed my heart and locked the door
I gave you love too much before
Now I don't love you anymore
And I'm not sorry for what I've done
The clouds are gone; I see the sun
I know I left you all alone
But I'm not sorry for what I've done
Butch: My Hero
I was about two-years-old when my dad brought home a tiny puppy, not more than five weeks old. He was black, with brown markings on his nose and around his feet. He wasn’t a pedigree, or specially bred dog. He was just a mutt. My dad told me his name was Butch. After that, Butch became my hero.
My mother didn’t like animals in the house, so we made him a bed of old shirts and rags and placed him in the garage. Every day I would play with Butch, pulling him by the ears, or picking him up by the legs. I was just a baby, myself, so Butch didn’t really mind.
As he grew, he would follow me around the yard. When I would slide down the slide, Butch wanted to slide, too. It wasn’t long before he learned to climb the ladder behind me, and slide down near my back.
When my mom re-married, we moved to the country. There were woods all around us, with a beautiful pond, and a large garden during the summer -- with all kinds of vegetables growing in it. Butch would follow us down the trail to the garden, and bark at all the bugs and grasshoppers that he would stir up, on the way.
During the spring, we would go camping at the lake, and Butch would welcome the invitation my step-dad would give him to jump in the back of the pick-up and go with us. He liked to follow us into the water, and splash the water on us, when he would shake his black fur at the shoreline. At home, he could be found on the porch most of the time, basking in the warm heat, as his tongue hung out of his mouth.
On fall mornings, he would bark to warn me that the school bus was on the way. Later in the afternoon, he would be there to greet me when I got off of the same bus. He would walk in front of me, to warn me of holes in the road, or snakes I might not see.
During the winter, it would sleet and snow. We would go outside and skate on the ice, in our front yard. One year, Butch re-discovered the slide. My neighbors and I would laugh at him, when he would climb the ladder and slide halfway across the yard, then turn around and do it again.He thought it was fun.
One spring, when my baby sister was only three, I was left to care for her while my mother went to work. I sent my sister outside to play while I fixed lunch. I knew Butch would take care of her.
It wasn’t long after she went outside, that I heard her scream, and Butch was barking madly. I opened the door to see what the problem was and heard her scream, “SNAKE!” She was doing as she had been taught to do when she saw a snake, she was standing still and screaming for help.
I ran out there to see the snake better; then I knew I had to get her out of striking distance of the snake. I didn’t have any idea how I was going to do that. Finally, I said, “Butch, I need you to get his attention so I can kill him.” I didn’t expect Butch to respond, but he did.
Miraculously, Butch picked up a stick in his mouth; then ran to the other side of the snake, away from my sister. He tossed the stick in the air and barked. The snake turned around and struck toward him, missing him, and giving my sister time to run away. I went into the shed and brought back a hoe, and with Butch’s help, I killed the snake.
A few years later, I spent the summer with my real dad. When I came back home, Butch could hardly walk. I was informed that he had heart worms, and that the doctor said there was nothing he could do for him. I spent the next few weeks feeding him and petting him. Finally, one day, I cried as I told him I loved him.
“You’re the best dog anybody could have ever had,” I told him, “And, I’m gonna miss you something awful. But, I don’t know what to do to make you better.”
The next day, he was gone. I guess he knew that I was saying goodbye. A few months later, we found him in an old bathtub full of water at the edge of the woods. It was his way of sparing me anymore pain.
In this life, you are likely to cross paths with many heroes. If a hero’s qualifications aren’t limited to human beings, then I would have to say that my dog, Butch, was definitely one of mine.
=============
My mother didn’t like animals in the house, so we made him a bed of old shirts and rags and placed him in the garage. Every day I would play with Butch, pulling him by the ears, or picking him up by the legs. I was just a baby, myself, so Butch didn’t really mind.
As he grew, he would follow me around the yard. When I would slide down the slide, Butch wanted to slide, too. It wasn’t long before he learned to climb the ladder behind me, and slide down near my back.
When my mom re-married, we moved to the country. There were woods all around us, with a beautiful pond, and a large garden during the summer -- with all kinds of vegetables growing in it. Butch would follow us down the trail to the garden, and bark at all the bugs and grasshoppers that he would stir up, on the way.
During the spring, we would go camping at the lake, and Butch would welcome the invitation my step-dad would give him to jump in the back of the pick-up and go with us. He liked to follow us into the water, and splash the water on us, when he would shake his black fur at the shoreline. At home, he could be found on the porch most of the time, basking in the warm heat, as his tongue hung out of his mouth.
On fall mornings, he would bark to warn me that the school bus was on the way. Later in the afternoon, he would be there to greet me when I got off of the same bus. He would walk in front of me, to warn me of holes in the road, or snakes I might not see.
During the winter, it would sleet and snow. We would go outside and skate on the ice, in our front yard. One year, Butch re-discovered the slide. My neighbors and I would laugh at him, when he would climb the ladder and slide halfway across the yard, then turn around and do it again.He thought it was fun.
One spring, when my baby sister was only three, I was left to care for her while my mother went to work. I sent my sister outside to play while I fixed lunch. I knew Butch would take care of her.
It wasn’t long after she went outside, that I heard her scream, and Butch was barking madly. I opened the door to see what the problem was and heard her scream, “SNAKE!” She was doing as she had been taught to do when she saw a snake, she was standing still and screaming for help.
I ran out there to see the snake better; then I knew I had to get her out of striking distance of the snake. I didn’t have any idea how I was going to do that. Finally, I said, “Butch, I need you to get his attention so I can kill him.” I didn’t expect Butch to respond, but he did.
Miraculously, Butch picked up a stick in his mouth; then ran to the other side of the snake, away from my sister. He tossed the stick in the air and barked. The snake turned around and struck toward him, missing him, and giving my sister time to run away. I went into the shed and brought back a hoe, and with Butch’s help, I killed the snake.
A few years later, I spent the summer with my real dad. When I came back home, Butch could hardly walk. I was informed that he had heart worms, and that the doctor said there was nothing he could do for him. I spent the next few weeks feeding him and petting him. Finally, one day, I cried as I told him I loved him.
“You’re the best dog anybody could have ever had,” I told him, “And, I’m gonna miss you something awful. But, I don’t know what to do to make you better.”
The next day, he was gone. I guess he knew that I was saying goodbye. A few months later, we found him in an old bathtub full of water at the edge of the woods. It was his way of sparing me anymore pain.
In this life, you are likely to cross paths with many heroes. If a hero’s qualifications aren’t limited to human beings, then I would have to say that my dog, Butch, was definitely one of mine.
=============
Losers
May 16, 2002 - by Shonda Ponder
One of the things that frustrates me the most about Patriots and Freedom-lovers is their overwhelming desire to lose. While we keep griping on email lists and websites about how the government is infringing on our rights, we are, in essence, contributing to the government's efforts to expunge our Bill of Rights by refusing to do anything about it.
Here are some common phrases that I get tired of hearing on a day to day basis.
"The American People are uneducated. What the American People needs is to be educated on how their rights are being taken away, then they will do something about it!"
The reality is, most Americans DO know what is going on. The problem that the general public has with this "educated information" is that they don't know what to do with it, or about it. What needs to happen, in my honest opinion, is that the American People need to be taught how to write letters to their congressmen. They don't need to be told that they should. It isn't that they don't think it would work, it's that they don't know how to do it!
I know this because I can sit here and tell someone who runs yourwebsiteforfreedom.org that they should send out a press release about their website, and nine times out of ten, I will get ignored. When I finally get down to the root of the problem, it turns out that they do not feel confident in sending those press releases because they don't know how, or who to send them to.
"That organization only wants to make money. So, I won't support them"
Okay, let's look at this phrase for a minute: Let's say the organization in question has a website at 101gunfacts.org. And, let's pretend that this website gets five million hits a day. That would make their internet bill closed to $600 per month. Their phone bill is likely $500 per month, due to phone calls to radio stations, and people who need their story verified on gun infringements. And, if 101gunfacts is a news site, they have to use the telephone to do interviews, and $500 is really a REAL low estimate of what it probably actually costs. This does not include postal newsletters for people who do not own a computer. The monthly mail-out costs including shipping and handling can run close to $200 per month (again, a REAL low estimate of the probable actual cost). The organization probably employs someone to work and update the site if it is updated daily -- which amounts to at least another $500 per month in service fees for scripts and software, and let's not forget labor.
Now, let's say they send out an email that asks people to donate. They get 2% of the total emails sent out that will respond. That is roughly one hundred thousand people who visit their website who will more than likely write to encourage them to keep up the good work. But, the scary part is that only 2% of those will donate anything to support them. So, 2,000 people end up sending a donation that they probably will only send once per year. Do you think that will cover the costs of running such a large organization (especially if the organization has a recruitment program, complete with Television and radio ads that also cost quite a bit of money -- and let's not forget the staff members who often have to work full time for the organization and have families to feed and bills to pay as well!) for the whole year?
And you wonder why they keep asking for donations, or they start offering products for sale to meet their expenses? There is no such thing as a free ride, even when it's free.
By not supporting that organization you are helping the government infringe on your rights.
"We had a rally for (your favorite cause) the other day, and none of the media showed up!"
Oh, that's a good one. Let me ask you this: Did the chairmen of the organization who put together the rally send out timely press releases that were professionally written? By this I mean, did they check for spelling, punctuation and grammar, and did they provide the correct contact information, complete with dates and times. And did they hold a press conference about the rally at the rally, after sending a media advisory inviting the media to attend? Nine times out of ten, the answer is "No".
But, people like to complain about being ignored, don't they?
"No one supported (your event)"
Before the event, did you solicit the support of nearby businesses? Did you search for sponsors aggressively? Or, did you just put up a passive note on your web page about needing sponsors, while you negated to send a press release out about the existence of your website?
If you want to do something pro-active, rather than complain about what is not being done, the best thing you can do for your cause is learn how to promote it.
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
One of the things that frustrates me the most about Patriots and Freedom-lovers is their overwhelming desire to lose. While we keep griping on email lists and websites about how the government is infringing on our rights, we are, in essence, contributing to the government's efforts to expunge our Bill of Rights by refusing to do anything about it.
Here are some common phrases that I get tired of hearing on a day to day basis.
"The American People are uneducated. What the American People needs is to be educated on how their rights are being taken away, then they will do something about it!"
The reality is, most Americans DO know what is going on. The problem that the general public has with this "educated information" is that they don't know what to do with it, or about it. What needs to happen, in my honest opinion, is that the American People need to be taught how to write letters to their congressmen. They don't need to be told that they should. It isn't that they don't think it would work, it's that they don't know how to do it!
I know this because I can sit here and tell someone who runs yourwebsiteforfreedom.org that they should send out a press release about their website, and nine times out of ten, I will get ignored. When I finally get down to the root of the problem, it turns out that they do not feel confident in sending those press releases because they don't know how, or who to send them to.
"That organization only wants to make money. So, I won't support them"
Okay, let's look at this phrase for a minute: Let's say the organization in question has a website at 101gunfacts.org. And, let's pretend that this website gets five million hits a day. That would make their internet bill closed to $600 per month. Their phone bill is likely $500 per month, due to phone calls to radio stations, and people who need their story verified on gun infringements. And, if 101gunfacts is a news site, they have to use the telephone to do interviews, and $500 is really a REAL low estimate of what it probably actually costs. This does not include postal newsletters for people who do not own a computer. The monthly mail-out costs including shipping and handling can run close to $200 per month (again, a REAL low estimate of the probable actual cost). The organization probably employs someone to work and update the site if it is updated daily -- which amounts to at least another $500 per month in service fees for scripts and software, and let's not forget labor.
Now, let's say they send out an email that asks people to donate. They get 2% of the total emails sent out that will respond. That is roughly one hundred thousand people who visit their website who will more than likely write to encourage them to keep up the good work. But, the scary part is that only 2% of those will donate anything to support them. So, 2,000 people end up sending a donation that they probably will only send once per year. Do you think that will cover the costs of running such a large organization (especially if the organization has a recruitment program, complete with Television and radio ads that also cost quite a bit of money -- and let's not forget the staff members who often have to work full time for the organization and have families to feed and bills to pay as well!) for the whole year?
And you wonder why they keep asking for donations, or they start offering products for sale to meet their expenses? There is no such thing as a free ride, even when it's free.
By not supporting that organization you are helping the government infringe on your rights.
"We had a rally for (your favorite cause) the other day, and none of the media showed up!"
Oh, that's a good one. Let me ask you this: Did the chairmen of the organization who put together the rally send out timely press releases that were professionally written? By this I mean, did they check for spelling, punctuation and grammar, and did they provide the correct contact information, complete with dates and times. And did they hold a press conference about the rally at the rally, after sending a media advisory inviting the media to attend? Nine times out of ten, the answer is "No".
But, people like to complain about being ignored, don't they?
"No one supported (your event)"
Before the event, did you solicit the support of nearby businesses? Did you search for sponsors aggressively? Or, did you just put up a passive note on your web page about needing sponsors, while you negated to send a press release out about the existence of your website?
If you want to do something pro-active, rather than complain about what is not being done, the best thing you can do for your cause is learn how to promote it.
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
What is a “Hero”?
When people think of heroes they are likely to think of presidents, or cartoon characters. Some people think of their favorite football player.Others have more simple heroes, such as the local policeman or fireman. Few people actually stop to consider what heroism really is.
True heroes don’t “leap tall buildings in a single bound” as Superman does.Nevertheless, Superman is considered a fictional hero because he saves people from impending disaster. One wonders whether Superman would be so quick to rescue those in need if he were a mere human.
Heroes are not heroes just because they are elected president, although some presidents may be heroes. George Washington could be considered a hero because he led an inexperienced army against the mighty military of England. His actions have helped secure a better future for us all.
People who speak well in public are not necessarily heroes, either – although some public speakers have become heroes. You must ask yourself if you think George Bush isa hero because he made a great State of the Union Speech, or is he a hero because he freed the Iraqi people?
The local fireman who goes to work every day to put out fires is not a hero simply because he is a fireman. He is a hero because he risks his lifeto save those who put themselves in danger’s way. And, those firemen who left their homes and traveled thousands of miles just to help the 9/11 victims in New York City are heroes, indeed.
Heroes are made through action, not position. Heroes are those special people who are worth emulating, because they take no thought to the safety of their own lives when they reach out to others. They are the soldiers who throw themselves on grenades to savesomeone’s life. They are the men who lead a nation to change at the cost of a bullet in thehead. They are the ones who throw your child out of the street when a car is sure to hit them. Heroes are heroic because they are willing to make sacrifices to ensure the safety of others, without hesitation, and without thought to their own well-being.
Heroism is the ultimate act of unselfishness.
True heroes don’t “leap tall buildings in a single bound” as Superman does.Nevertheless, Superman is considered a fictional hero because he saves people from impending disaster. One wonders whether Superman would be so quick to rescue those in need if he were a mere human.
Heroes are not heroes just because they are elected president, although some presidents may be heroes. George Washington could be considered a hero because he led an inexperienced army against the mighty military of England. His actions have helped secure a better future for us all.
People who speak well in public are not necessarily heroes, either – although some public speakers have become heroes. You must ask yourself if you think George Bush isa hero because he made a great State of the Union Speech, or is he a hero because he freed the Iraqi people?
The local fireman who goes to work every day to put out fires is not a hero simply because he is a fireman. He is a hero because he risks his lifeto save those who put themselves in danger’s way. And, those firemen who left their homes and traveled thousands of miles just to help the 9/11 victims in New York City are heroes, indeed.
Heroes are made through action, not position. Heroes are those special people who are worth emulating, because they take no thought to the safety of their own lives when they reach out to others. They are the soldiers who throw themselves on grenades to savesomeone’s life. They are the men who lead a nation to change at the cost of a bullet in thehead. They are the ones who throw your child out of the street when a car is sure to hit them. Heroes are heroic because they are willing to make sacrifices to ensure the safety of others, without hesitation, and without thought to their own well-being.
Heroism is the ultimate act of unselfishness.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
My Walk With God: January 1 - February 22, 2007
I stayed with a friend during the past few months, renting a bedroom for $35/week. I began attending church at the 1st Biker Church, a mission of the Missionary Baptist Church in Texarkana, Tx. I found a church home and eventually became a member there.
I worked my way up to Grill Operator at Waffle House, and continued to better myself in every way I could see possible. I even started selling Avon.
At Church, we started doing a study by Henry Blackaby called "Experiencing God". I was amazed. The study taught us how to know and do the will of God. As I continued for weeks in the study, I felt myself growing as a Christian, feeling my desires shift more from my self to my God. My depression left me, and I began to see where God was working around me, and I sought to adjust my life and join Him. Sometimes it wasn't possible -- or, rather, maybe I wasn't called for such tasks.
I began keeping a diary, in the form of a letter, which I decided at the appropriate time (when the notebook is filled up) to give it to my pastor. It documents my experiences as I learn to walk with God.
I've decided to include portions of my letter here, in hopes that it will bless whoever reads it.
My Letter to the Pastor and Members of the 1st Biker Church of Texarkana
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
I just thought I'd write to let you all know how I am doing in my walk with God, and how your misistry is leading me to grow in my Christian Faith.
After joining you in our study of Experiencing God, by Mr. Blackaby, I have opened myself to be led to learn and do the will of God. I've learned from past experience that Go prepares you for what is to come throughout your life. I have felt this even more so as I began this study.
I told you, for instance, that I was being led to sell Avon. Though I don't think, now, that it was making money that was the reason for it, it was the reason I agreed to do it. (oops). Maybe God knew that I wouldn't turn Him down, and that is why He put that particular task before me.
Now I see why.
As bad as my finances were, and still are, it gives me an opportunity to witness that I don't have at the Waffle House, where I work. It teaches me to trust God when things aren't looking to bright, to take risks, and to be determined and persistant, not to mention patient. I am investing more than I make, but the lessons learned is worth what I have invested, as it is with God's work.
As I pass out each brochure, it is comparable to the ministry of God. I may or may not get an order, but I plant the seed of interest. The seed can be passed along to others who may be interested. God is telling me that He is like my Avon Business. Each brochure represents a Bible teaching, or Word of God. As each disciple spreads the word that He exists, as each brochure is passed from hand to hand, the results are fruitful. Some produce $10 Sales, some $100, some $500, just as God's word results in saving souls. But it takes a Good Steward to do the work of spreading the brochures and the Word of God. And, God is explaining to me that He wants me to be a good steward of the faith.
And, God promises fruit to the obedient, so I can't give up.
In the meanwhile, I've also learned that God uses your circumstances to complete His will. I have been forced (as of February 8, 2007) to seek shelter at Randy Sam's Homeless Shelter for a time. I do not consider it a fall-back, or an obstacle. I, rather, consider it a blessing.
As I study my Bible at a table in the shelter, I have openned myself to allowing many people to walk by and initiate God-inspired Conversations that allow me to witness to them.
The Experiencing God study has prepared me in so many ways to deal with my current circumstances, and to seek more knowledge. I recently finished reading "The Great Controversy" by Ellen G. White, copyrighted in 1888. I was so engrossed in it that it took me a month and a half to read it all; and, it prepared me for the next book I chose to read, "The Purpose Driven Church", by Rick Warren.
"The Great Controversy is, basically, the history of the Protestant Church, and it expounds on the battle between God and Satan for the souls of the world. It touches on the past, then explains in Biblical depth, what the future holds. I was impressed by the forward by Ellen G. White, before I read the first chapter, because it fit in with what I had learned from the study.
As I began reading "The Purpose Driven Church", I was impressed with how much of what I've learned in "Experiencing God," and "The Great Controversy" were put into practice by Rick Warren. It's as if God led me to read all these books in the order I am reading them in.
I've learned to pray to God as each day starts for guidance to do His will. And, I pray that God uses my circumstances to Glorify His name, but I sure would like to be freed from some of it. (Sigh) Nevertheless, not my will, but thine, O Lord. Amen. Hey, If Jesus can pray that way, so can I...right?
I've invited about 10 people to come to church with me on Sunday morning. I don't know how I am going to get them all there if they accept, but where there is God's will...
Having just written that, I realize how much, I guess, I am acting on faith by doing that.
While I know I am where God purposes for me to be, I am, however, wondering what He is preparing for me in the future. I know this, too, is training. Knowing this, I am seeking every opportunity to obey when an opportunity presents itself.
I've chosen to write this letter because Paul wrote letters to the churches to encourage them in the midst of his afflictions. It is in the same spirit I am writing you now. I hope it will encourage you in your work, and the church, and I will cotinue to write as I continue to mature as a Christian.
I have a friend, at work, who has been doing a lot of self-help reading by authors such as Tony Robbins and other "Get Rich Quick" gurus that teach him to "look inside himself" for that "positive energy". Last night, as he sat there reading, I commented on what he was reading. When he explained, I said,"I'm reading a book by Rick Warren called 'The Purpose Driven Life'. He asked me what it was about. I explained, "It teaches me to look to God for my purpose in life, rather than at myself." He tried to argue that you couldn't do God's will without being right with God. I said, "You can't get right with God until you seek to know Him." I went to my car and retrieved the book, and showed him. He looked it over with interest.
Thank you all for your prayers concerning my two friends at work. I am delighted to see how God is responding in their lives because of it.
As I see God at work around me, I am encouraged to keep on the path I am walking with Him. Thank you so much for pointing me in the right direction!
I began reading "The Purpose Driven Life" on Tuesday. I was delighted that, in the beginning of the book, it stated all I had said to my friend at work. It brings me back to the verse about how God will bring His word into rememberance when it is needed most. And, it makes me feel so special, having been chosen by God for the task of helping lead others to true peace. "You can't get on right terms with yourself until you start with God," I had said.
In reading "The Purpose Driven Life", I came across a sentence that said, "Those who are trusted with something valuable must show that they are worthy of that trust." How valuable is a human soul? I felt honoured that God has given me the opportunities of late to Witness for Him.
Through a car ride, or by loaning a dollar here and there to help someone, or just plain companionship and fellowship, I feel closer to God in this homeless shelter than I did staying with my friends before.
There are days at the shelter that are more lonely and sad than others. Valentines Day was one of them. this day of love seems so far away from me that it hits my spirit like a ton of bricks, and all I can do is pray for the strength to get me through it. It is probably more self-pity than anything, so I try hard not to let it overtake me. I try to keep my focus on being in the will of God, because I know God will see me through -- as He always does. And, when you have God as your sweetheart, who else do you need.
The shelter has become a haven for me to become closer to God in so many ways. As I have been lacking in companionship, God is providing on a daily basis. As I have lacked in knowledge, god has provided time for me to study. I don't hunger or thirst. I am seeing stumbling blocks I didn't understand before now. I am witnessing, ministering to others, and building friendships that I hope with last.
God works in mysterious ways. He trains us for bigger assignments. His patience is merciful. And, my secrets are safe with him. I know of no better way to praise Him, than by telling others what I am finding out about Him on a daily basis.
I am in love with Him, and He is the only love I have that I am willing to share intimately with others.
Sunday I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to Church. But God (and it really WAS God!) saw to it that my car was fixed just in time. All I can say is that when you let go -- really let go-- and let God, God does His job! I prayed that morning that God would use my problem to bless someone. I told God, "Only you know why my alternator belt broke. You know I can't afford for anything to go wrong. But all I can do is trust you, Lord. You know what you are doing." He then sent an angel to me, who led me to a benevolent gentleman, who fixed the problem...and even refused payment.
There are times in my life when I feel God isn't there, but I know he is. During those times when I feel God is far away, I've learned to keep Him near in my heart, and to continue to work toward God as if He were making His presence known.
On Tuesday, February 20th, there was a Lutheran Ministry there at the shelter. I really enjoyed their services. Then, a lady approached me and said, "God has impressed it upon my hear to tell you that He has not thrown you to the wolves. He loves you. He is watching you. And He is here. He loves you."
I felt the tears come to my eyes, but I nodded and smiled and said, "I know."
One shelter resident, Justin, comes to talk to me now and then. He is taking care of an older man who travels with him from city to city, as he does odd jobs and ministers to those less fortunate by discussing Biblical truths. I let him have my book, "The Great Controversy", to take with him when he leaves. He will be one I miss.
I have had the opportunity to help several of the women at the shelter by sending them to Waffle House to apply for a job. Tonight, a third girl came to me for help. CPS has her child placed in a foster home, and she is trying to get on her feet so she can have him back. I sent her with a note to the hiring manager, who is working with me to help the needy.
I am now reading a book by Rod Dreher called "Crunchy Cons". As a Christian Activist, it is my opinion that politics and religion go hand in hand, no matter how hard separatists work to make people believe otherwise. There is a lot that politics can teach a Christian, especially if he is conservative in nature. Sometimes I think God is a conservative activist, but after reading "Crunchy Cons", I see where God has His hand in Liberal activism, as well. At any rate, I have come to understand that having an open mind does not mean that you are to be "broad-minded". (Matthew 7:13-14)
While I was at work Sunday night, I was told by a new girl that she was considering home-schooling as an option. I then had the opportunity to preach the bonding value of home education, and how it affected me and my children. I told her how, even today, we all are thankful for the experience, and my children respect me more for my efforts.
One employee at Waffle House began reprimanding me for talking so down on public education, saying I had no right to diss what many have found fulfilling. He touted social negligence and then tried to use God to defend his points, saying God wants children to have a good education. I argued that God gave the job of educating children to the parents, not the government, and that fellowship (i.e. socialization) should be done with people who are like-minded. (Deuteronomy 11:19)
She considered both of our viewpoints, but it is obvious she is a Christian, and I was able to give her helpful information about where to look for curriculum and further information. I think my witness was better.
I understand that not everyone is called to Homeschool. But, I believe God especially blesses those that do it.
There are a group of men at the shelter that I call "Justin's Group" because they sit around all day (when they aren't working) discussing the Bible. They talk about other things as well, but somehow, even in those discussions, the Bible is brought out and scripture is referred to. I have noticed how others in the shelter have paid attention to that table of men, and how it is encouraging some unlikely people to pick up the Bible and start reading it. I really am going to miss Justin when he leaves.
I worked my way up to Grill Operator at Waffle House, and continued to better myself in every way I could see possible. I even started selling Avon.
At Church, we started doing a study by Henry Blackaby called "Experiencing God". I was amazed. The study taught us how to know and do the will of God. As I continued for weeks in the study, I felt myself growing as a Christian, feeling my desires shift more from my self to my God. My depression left me, and I began to see where God was working around me, and I sought to adjust my life and join Him. Sometimes it wasn't possible -- or, rather, maybe I wasn't called for such tasks.
I began keeping a diary, in the form of a letter, which I decided at the appropriate time (when the notebook is filled up) to give it to my pastor. It documents my experiences as I learn to walk with God.
I've decided to include portions of my letter here, in hopes that it will bless whoever reads it.
My Letter to the Pastor and Members of the 1st Biker Church of Texarkana
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
I just thought I'd write to let you all know how I am doing in my walk with God, and how your misistry is leading me to grow in my Christian Faith.
After joining you in our study of Experiencing God, by Mr. Blackaby, I have opened myself to be led to learn and do the will of God. I've learned from past experience that Go prepares you for what is to come throughout your life. I have felt this even more so as I began this study.
I told you, for instance, that I was being led to sell Avon. Though I don't think, now, that it was making money that was the reason for it, it was the reason I agreed to do it. (oops). Maybe God knew that I wouldn't turn Him down, and that is why He put that particular task before me.
Now I see why.
As bad as my finances were, and still are, it gives me an opportunity to witness that I don't have at the Waffle House, where I work. It teaches me to trust God when things aren't looking to bright, to take risks, and to be determined and persistant, not to mention patient. I am investing more than I make, but the lessons learned is worth what I have invested, as it is with God's work.
As I pass out each brochure, it is comparable to the ministry of God. I may or may not get an order, but I plant the seed of interest. The seed can be passed along to others who may be interested. God is telling me that He is like my Avon Business. Each brochure represents a Bible teaching, or Word of God. As each disciple spreads the word that He exists, as each brochure is passed from hand to hand, the results are fruitful. Some produce $10 Sales, some $100, some $500, just as God's word results in saving souls. But it takes a Good Steward to do the work of spreading the brochures and the Word of God. And, God is explaining to me that He wants me to be a good steward of the faith.
And, God promises fruit to the obedient, so I can't give up.
In the meanwhile, I've also learned that God uses your circumstances to complete His will. I have been forced (as of February 8, 2007) to seek shelter at Randy Sam's Homeless Shelter for a time. I do not consider it a fall-back, or an obstacle. I, rather, consider it a blessing.
As I study my Bible at a table in the shelter, I have openned myself to allowing many people to walk by and initiate God-inspired Conversations that allow me to witness to them.
The Experiencing God study has prepared me in so many ways to deal with my current circumstances, and to seek more knowledge. I recently finished reading "The Great Controversy" by Ellen G. White, copyrighted in 1888. I was so engrossed in it that it took me a month and a half to read it all; and, it prepared me for the next book I chose to read, "The Purpose Driven Church", by Rick Warren.
"The Great Controversy is, basically, the history of the Protestant Church, and it expounds on the battle between God and Satan for the souls of the world. It touches on the past, then explains in Biblical depth, what the future holds. I was impressed by the forward by Ellen G. White, before I read the first chapter, because it fit in with what I had learned from the study.
As I began reading "The Purpose Driven Church", I was impressed with how much of what I've learned in "Experiencing God," and "The Great Controversy" were put into practice by Rick Warren. It's as if God led me to read all these books in the order I am reading them in.
I've learned to pray to God as each day starts for guidance to do His will. And, I pray that God uses my circumstances to Glorify His name, but I sure would like to be freed from some of it. (Sigh) Nevertheless, not my will, but thine, O Lord. Amen. Hey, If Jesus can pray that way, so can I...right?
I've invited about 10 people to come to church with me on Sunday morning. I don't know how I am going to get them all there if they accept, but where there is God's will...
Having just written that, I realize how much, I guess, I am acting on faith by doing that.
While I know I am where God purposes for me to be, I am, however, wondering what He is preparing for me in the future. I know this, too, is training. Knowing this, I am seeking every opportunity to obey when an opportunity presents itself.
I've chosen to write this letter because Paul wrote letters to the churches to encourage them in the midst of his afflictions. It is in the same spirit I am writing you now. I hope it will encourage you in your work, and the church, and I will cotinue to write as I continue to mature as a Christian.
I have a friend, at work, who has been doing a lot of self-help reading by authors such as Tony Robbins and other "Get Rich Quick" gurus that teach him to "look inside himself" for that "positive energy". Last night, as he sat there reading, I commented on what he was reading. When he explained, I said,"I'm reading a book by Rick Warren called 'The Purpose Driven Life'. He asked me what it was about. I explained, "It teaches me to look to God for my purpose in life, rather than at myself." He tried to argue that you couldn't do God's will without being right with God. I said, "You can't get right with God until you seek to know Him." I went to my car and retrieved the book, and showed him. He looked it over with interest.
Thank you all for your prayers concerning my two friends at work. I am delighted to see how God is responding in their lives because of it.
As I see God at work around me, I am encouraged to keep on the path I am walking with Him. Thank you so much for pointing me in the right direction!
I began reading "The Purpose Driven Life" on Tuesday. I was delighted that, in the beginning of the book, it stated all I had said to my friend at work. It brings me back to the verse about how God will bring His word into rememberance when it is needed most. And, it makes me feel so special, having been chosen by God for the task of helping lead others to true peace. "You can't get on right terms with yourself until you start with God," I had said.
In reading "The Purpose Driven Life", I came across a sentence that said, "Those who are trusted with something valuable must show that they are worthy of that trust." How valuable is a human soul? I felt honoured that God has given me the opportunities of late to Witness for Him.
Through a car ride, or by loaning a dollar here and there to help someone, or just plain companionship and fellowship, I feel closer to God in this homeless shelter than I did staying with my friends before.
There are days at the shelter that are more lonely and sad than others. Valentines Day was one of them. this day of love seems so far away from me that it hits my spirit like a ton of bricks, and all I can do is pray for the strength to get me through it. It is probably more self-pity than anything, so I try hard not to let it overtake me. I try to keep my focus on being in the will of God, because I know God will see me through -- as He always does. And, when you have God as your sweetheart, who else do you need.
The shelter has become a haven for me to become closer to God in so many ways. As I have been lacking in companionship, God is providing on a daily basis. As I have lacked in knowledge, god has provided time for me to study. I don't hunger or thirst. I am seeing stumbling blocks I didn't understand before now. I am witnessing, ministering to others, and building friendships that I hope with last.
God works in mysterious ways. He trains us for bigger assignments. His patience is merciful. And, my secrets are safe with him. I know of no better way to praise Him, than by telling others what I am finding out about Him on a daily basis.
I am in love with Him, and He is the only love I have that I am willing to share intimately with others.
Sunday I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to Church. But God (and it really WAS God!) saw to it that my car was fixed just in time. All I can say is that when you let go -- really let go-- and let God, God does His job! I prayed that morning that God would use my problem to bless someone. I told God, "Only you know why my alternator belt broke. You know I can't afford for anything to go wrong. But all I can do is trust you, Lord. You know what you are doing." He then sent an angel to me, who led me to a benevolent gentleman, who fixed the problem...and even refused payment.
There are times in my life when I feel God isn't there, but I know he is. During those times when I feel God is far away, I've learned to keep Him near in my heart, and to continue to work toward God as if He were making His presence known.
On Tuesday, February 20th, there was a Lutheran Ministry there at the shelter. I really enjoyed their services. Then, a lady approached me and said, "God has impressed it upon my hear to tell you that He has not thrown you to the wolves. He loves you. He is watching you. And He is here. He loves you."
I felt the tears come to my eyes, but I nodded and smiled and said, "I know."
One shelter resident, Justin, comes to talk to me now and then. He is taking care of an older man who travels with him from city to city, as he does odd jobs and ministers to those less fortunate by discussing Biblical truths. I let him have my book, "The Great Controversy", to take with him when he leaves. He will be one I miss.
I have had the opportunity to help several of the women at the shelter by sending them to Waffle House to apply for a job. Tonight, a third girl came to me for help. CPS has her child placed in a foster home, and she is trying to get on her feet so she can have him back. I sent her with a note to the hiring manager, who is working with me to help the needy.
I am now reading a book by Rod Dreher called "Crunchy Cons". As a Christian Activist, it is my opinion that politics and religion go hand in hand, no matter how hard separatists work to make people believe otherwise. There is a lot that politics can teach a Christian, especially if he is conservative in nature. Sometimes I think God is a conservative activist, but after reading "Crunchy Cons", I see where God has His hand in Liberal activism, as well. At any rate, I have come to understand that having an open mind does not mean that you are to be "broad-minded". (Matthew 7:13-14)
While I was at work Sunday night, I was told by a new girl that she was considering home-schooling as an option. I then had the opportunity to preach the bonding value of home education, and how it affected me and my children. I told her how, even today, we all are thankful for the experience, and my children respect me more for my efforts.
One employee at Waffle House began reprimanding me for talking so down on public education, saying I had no right to diss what many have found fulfilling. He touted social negligence and then tried to use God to defend his points, saying God wants children to have a good education. I argued that God gave the job of educating children to the parents, not the government, and that fellowship (i.e. socialization) should be done with people who are like-minded. (Deuteronomy 11:19)
She considered both of our viewpoints, but it is obvious she is a Christian, and I was able to give her helpful information about where to look for curriculum and further information. I think my witness was better.
I understand that not everyone is called to Homeschool. But, I believe God especially blesses those that do it.
There are a group of men at the shelter that I call "Justin's Group" because they sit around all day (when they aren't working) discussing the Bible. They talk about other things as well, but somehow, even in those discussions, the Bible is brought out and scripture is referred to. I have noticed how others in the shelter have paid attention to that table of men, and how it is encouraging some unlikely people to pick up the Bible and start reading it. I really am going to miss Justin when he leaves.
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