Hard Work

What is the value of work? It seems to me most of us try to avoid this at all cost's. We do anything to put off or avoid spending any energy or as little as we can anyway. The harder a job is the more likely we are to avoid it at all cost's. I know because I am guilty of this too, just ask my wife.

And yet how foolish! My wife's boss has a saying she signs off of each email with. It says "We can do hard work". This to me is inspired.

In today's culture it seems that no one is willing to sacrifice or do hard work. And yet they hold it against those of us who do. To get an education is hard work. You need to sacrifice time with friends and family and often doing things that you would rather do. Like reading a book you want to instead of have to. Math! For most of us is very hard. This is probably why I am not a physician, math has been a very hard subject to me. And yet science has been a very natural, easy subject for me. Go figure!

We need to do a better job of teaching hard work to our youth. Many are mislabeling racism and lack of opportunity as really an unwillingness to do hard work. Many feel that getting a job at McDonald's is somehow beneath them. Or if they are asked to clean a toilet, mop a floor, empty a garbage that they are somehow being singled out and persecuted. This is nonsense. I am 45 years old. Except for the time I was in Junior High and High School during the school year. I have not had more than 6 months cumulative of being unemployed in my life since being 13 years old. Now I gratefully acknowledge the kindness of a loving Heavenly Father in this, still it is also due to my willingness to take any job I could get to take care of myself and my family. I have cleaned many toilets and done worse in my lifetime. I have never felt like something was beneath me. I have acknowledged early in my life that it is no ones business or duty to take care of me or my family, but me.

So much of this has been lost today. It is the Governments job somehow to take care of us if things become hard. My wife has headed up for several years various charity drives and sub for Santa drives at Christmas. My children and I have often helped her with these. It has never stopped amazing me and my wife how many people come to these for help who are driving brand new, better cars than me. Ladies come with manicured finger and toe nails. Expensive hand bags and cell phones. Somehow the logic has been instilled that "we deserve these things, it is our "right" to have them, if this means spending money on them first and then going to the food bank or sub for Santa because I had to have them first over saving, then so be it".

Now we have people who are saying "If I am poor it is the responsibility of the government to take from the rich so it is more even". How about a novel idea. If you don't like being poor, then work hard! Sacrifice to go to school to make a better life. Does this mean you will ever be "rich", NO! But it does mean that you won't be poor!

I am trying to teach this to my youngest son right now. If it is hard, that doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't do it. Life is not always fair, in fact it usually isn't. Some people may not have to work very hard to make a living, or may have things handed to them. This is the exception. Most people have to work hard for their money, what ever money they get. Most aren't willing to work HARDER still to move from middle class to rich. It can be done. I want him to learn this lesson.

I love the ad on television that shows a pair of young brothers being told by their father to build a brick wall around their dad's business. This wall was expected to be 6 feet tall and all the way around the business and to be done right. Not sloppy. They sacrificed their whole summer building this wall. While friends went off to play or party, they worked. They worked into the night and sweated during the day. But at the end it was done and done well. It looked beautiful. The father came out and said simply "don't ever tell me you can't do something just because it is hard". What a lesson.

Teach your children to work! To not shy away from hard work. This is one of the most valuable lessons you can teach them. After all when God created the world he "rested" on the seventh day; implying it was WORK to build the earth. Even God needed to work to fulfill his plans.

Stand up! And work hard at what you do and don't accept the notion that because others don't want to the results should be equal.

The loss of Words

I have not written in my blog for awhile, quite frankly because I didn't know what to say. That is not to say that there wasn't a lot going on worthy of commentary. More along the lines of "overload"! Overload of how fast things can turn, often for the worse.

I am absolutely amazed at the speed of which things are changing. And I am sadden by it. Never did I think in my youth that I would see this. I just saw an episode of "My three sons", how I long for those days in which we had civil respect and duty. Something in my soul whispers to me there is a purpose behind this, although I'm not entirely sure as to what that may be. I know there have been periods in history where it seems the forces for evil and wrong have moved swiftly, feeling as though their opportunity to instill their vision, plans and will was limited. I think this is one of those times.

Things in Washington D.C. never turn backwards. We can all see the incredible spending and waste that the Federal Government has committed in the areas of education and welfare. And yet these programs are never trimmed back or cut, they are only added too. I think this is what is fueling this time in Washington. (Funny, I believe if George Washington were alive today and saw how things were being done in the city that bears his name, he would immediately sue to have it renamed) The Liberals who have taken over know that their time is limited. They can only do so much and the people will speak and speak out loudly, so knowing this they have to work fast, very fast. Because once passed, once enacted, there will be no turning back.

This is why it is so very important to stay vigilant, focused on what Washington and your Representatives are doing.

The framers of "OUR" Constitution and Country gave us a gift, such a priceless gift that I feel we are not truly aware of it's value most of the time. They gave us Freedom to have Self Determination. Think of it, never before in human history has this happened in as much completeness as it did then....and now. Also, think of it, isn't this the very thing that GOD himself said was inviolate and a war fought over. Freedom to have Self Determination!

Benjamin Franklin was asked after the Constitutional Convention was over, what form of government did the framers give us. He responded...A Republic.....If you can keep it.
He knew that a Republic is the most precious of forms of government. It allows for the greatest amount of Freedom and Self Determination. And yet it also requires the greatest amount of oversight and involvement by its people. This is why so many of our framers were quoted as saying in essence. "It is up to the people to stay educated and informed in order to preserve this form of government and their freedoms". It is up to us to "keep it".

Please I beg of all who read this. Go and purchase, if you can't afford it let me know and I will buy you one, and have your friends purchase one, Glenn Beck's newest book: Glenn Beck's Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government, Inspired by Thomas Paine. I am reading this book and it is inspired! I would want every one to read this book. The government is out of control and it is because we have fallen asleep and not kept up our end of the bargain. Brave men and women will die and suffer to give us the gift of freedom and self determination. But it is up to us to watch over and supervise those who represent us. We have let others do the heavy lifting.

Enough is Enough. Won't you Stand Up with me and take back our Constitution and "keep" the Republic that George Washington and Ben Franklin and the others gave us. STAND UP!

The Wonder of a Leader

This is a blog entry that I made several months ago and forgot to hit "publish" so it never went out. I just noticed it today. I don't know if it is done or not.

Leadership! A concept I have been impressed upon to study somewhat lately. Leaders have existed throughtout history, but what is more important is the impact that leaders have upon groups or communities.

I look at Hitler, Stalin, Bob Jones, and Hugo Chavez. How they could have gone another way. They all have leadership qualities but instead of governing by teaching, then allowing the people to govern themselves they fell victim to pride and power.

I look at the media today and their utter devotion to President Barrack Obama. They do not ask the hard questions, I think because it will show his lack of Leadership. Any state senator who votes "present" as much as he did, instead of yes or no, on the bill being voted upon, doesn't have or show the Leadership neccessary to be President.

A famous person, a true Leader said "Teach them correct principles and let them govern themselves". We should look at this in the face of Socialism and Communism and Dictators. The God of Heaven does not require or expect blind following or forced following. We are to "ask" and "study things out" for ourselves. Then if they be true use them to govern ourselves, not by force but by choice.

A Leader makes choices, hopefully based upon sound and true principles, but choices non the less. He Leads. It is impossible to lead from behind, that is called pushing. As such we need to stand as examples of what to do. Choices are not always easy. It is not always "freeing" the Thanksgiving turkey on that fourth Thursday in November. You do not always have the luxury to hold up your finger and see which way the wind of popular sentiment is blowing. Often, usually too often, you will not have all of the facts or know all of the circumstances when you will be required to make a decision. But the decision needs to be made. Usually those who do not know will be critical of the decision they were not forced to make. "Present" is not a choice.

A leader leads and cares for those he is responsible for. General Washington, during the Revolutionary war, got so frustrated with the dire circumstances that his troops were living under. That he threatened Congress he would turn and march on Congress if they failed to respond to his demand for supplies.

The world is lacking true and honest Leaders. Most people worry too much about what the world is thinking or what they will say about your decision or if it will hurt my chances for further office. So they don't lead, they follow public sentiment.

Where would we be today if George Washington had this opinion?

Always Lead! Never Follow! Stand Up!