I have been reading Whatever Happened to Justice by Richard Maybury, and think that it is SUPER interesting. In chapter two, Maybury quotes John Quincy Adams, saying, "Our political way of life is by the laws of nature and of nature’s God, and of course presupposes the existence of God, the moral ruler of the universe, and a rule of right and wrong, of just and unjust, binding upon man, preceding all institutions of human society and government."
Wow! So, this means that unless we believe in God, then our political life, our laws, the constitution, will not make sense. But there are plenty of people who don't believe in God, and I am sure that they feel like they understand the law perfectly well! Maybury himself, in a later chapter, explains that there are really only two fundamental laws: do not encroach on another person or their property, and do all that you have agreed to do. He clearly states that no matter what God you believe in, no matter what religion you follow, most everyone agrees upon these laws. So, why is Maybury implying that unless we believe in God, our Constitution will not make sense?
Well, let's go back in time a little bit, to the year 1787. In that year, the Constitution was written by Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was asked by a Committee of Five to write the Constitution. The Committee consisted of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Rodger Sherman. Why did the Committee want Jefferson to write the Constitution? These four men wanted Jefferson to write the constitution to secure their freedom and rights. The pilgrims had fled England so that they might worship their God in peace. Our founding fathers were not about to give up the rights that they had fought for so hard to any other kings, monarchs, or sovereigns. They loved being able to worship their God their way! So Thomas Jefferson wrote a document that clearly stated our freedoms and our laws. He was able to do so because the pilgrims had founded a new land so that they would be able to worship God in peace! The whole idea behind the New World was freedom of religion!
Thus, the constitution was written to protect religious rights! So what John Quincy Adams is really saying, is "Since our country was founded on religious rights, beliefs, and freedoms, anyone who does not know and love God, will not ever be able to fully appreciate or understand our constitution." Sure, America has other freedoms and rights that other countries do not, like freedom of guns, speech, and of assembly, but the main freedom that America, and every American, possesses, is freedom of religion. Even though the two fundamental laws keep us in order, and non-believers can still understand the constitution, it will never mean as much to them as it does to Christians.
So, what is the point of all this? Well, maybe it's because I myself didn't quite understand what Adams meant until now :). But I also think that it is extremely fascinating how and why America works, and the more I study it, the more I become intrigued. God and America's government are inseparable. No matter what the government says or does, God's power has been knit into the foundations of America, and sooner or later, politicians will have to realize that. Every time we say the pledge of allegiance, we agree that this, our country, was built upon the foundations of God's Word, and that cannot be changed.
Friday, January 22, 2016
Saturday, January 2, 2016
Faith Through Trial
Sitting in the car, my sisters and I chatted as we waited for my mom to return from the AT&T store. She was buying a new phone. It was wet and windy outside, but in the car, it was warm and cozy. The minutes dragged on. Heads nodded. All of a sudden, the most unexpected thing happened- sirens flared, and some police cars shot past us. There was an uncomfortable silence. The reason for the sirens, no one could guess.
Meanwhile, as my mom sat in the AT&T store, waiting on the saleslady, an attendant mentioned that a tornado had just touched down a few streets away, and everyone needed to be ready to get into the safe room, if things got bad.
Miles away in Dallas, my aunt and grandmother shopped at the Galleria. They were picking out gifts for my cousins, Georgia and Emily. In Lindale, red lights flashed, and the wind picked up, but they did not know.
At the Old Mill Pond Museum, in Lindale TX, my cousins, Georgia and Emily, were exploring. The two girls ran excitedly through each of the exhibits, looking at old tools, toys, and buildings. After an hour or so, they left, and returned home.
What none of us knew, or were expecting, was that a tornado was touching down right next to our cousins’ home- at that very moment! It was truly horrifying. After discovering the news, me, my mom, and sisters, left the AT&T store, and drove up to the Pierce’s house to check on it. It was like driving into a nightmare. The front yard was littered with trees and tree limbs. No one could actually see the house. Their electric gate was stuck closed. Suddenly, up the drive ran Georgia and Emily. It was so relieving to know that they were alright. There, in the rain, we cried together and comforted one and other.
We were so happy to discover that no one was hurt, and the house was not damaged. I was reminded of God’s hand, which is watching over us every moment. If the tornado had been a few feet closer to the house, and if my cousins had not been detained by their Dad’s issues at work, and my aunt not in Dallas, miles away, things could have turned out much differently.
Over twenty years ago, my aunt, aged 12, was knocked out of a go-cart at an amusement park. She suffered serious head injury, and was sent from the top of her class, back to the basics. She barely survived. Only a few years after that, my would-be-aunt Shawna was killed in a car accident. She was sitting in the back seat, right next to a little baby that she had been babysitting. As her car passed a street intersection, another car whizzed past a stop sign, colliding into Shawna’s car. Both Shawna and the baby were killed.
When we were met by our cousins at the gate, Georgia, age 9, referred to one of these stories. “You know when that go-cart hit my mom? It was a test. It was a test of faith [in God]. This was our test.”
However simply it may have been said, Georgia was right. Over the years, our family has suffered. From strokes, to car accidents; from diabetes, to head injuries, we have not missed out on any of the suffering of this world. However, we have an unending source of comfort and strength. This comfort and strength comes through God. When we think we have suffered more than anyone, we remember the words of Genesis 6:5-6: “The Lord saw that the wickedness (depravity) of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination or intent of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually. 6 The Lord regretted that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was [deeply] grieved in His heart.” When we think that we have no more strength left, we remember the words of the psalmist:
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
For you are with me;
Your rod and your staff,
They comfort me.
…
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
God has been our comfort and solace in hard times. He has been and will remain greater than any trials and sufferings on this earth.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Character Study - Pericles
The Lives of Plutarch - Pericles
Pericles was a truly remarkable man. He lived in Athens, Greece, about the time of the Peloponnesian Wars. From his rise to power, to his last breath, one thing separated Pericles from other rulers; this was the virtue of self-sacrifice. As Lord Acton once said: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." Let’s look at a timeline of Pericles’ life to see how, even though he had ultimate charge over Athens, he always used his influence for the good of his city, not himself.
Pericles first exposed himself to the world of politics by making friends with the poorer class. He found that Thucydides, another orator, had already gained the confidence of the richer class.
Although he was certainly a good friend of the people, Pericles did have some enemies. One day, while he was handling some business in the market, a certain old man began hurtling curses at him, finding every way to destroy his political position. This man followed Pericles around ALL DAY, never stopping to take a breath! He even followed Pericles home! However, instead of squabbling with him, Pericles simply ignored him for ALL OF THE DAY! And to make matters even stranger, Pericles sent a servant back with the old man when it became dark and hard to see so that he could lead him home! This is a glorious example of the kindness and level-headedness that Pericles showed to those around him.
After he had ostracized Thucydides and Cimon, yet another orator, Pericles changed his ruling methods. Instead of being so free with his money, and instead of forming intimate relationships with the people (namely the poor) he rather secluded himself. He never walked the streets like he once had, and his friends and servants tended to most of his minor business. He also restricted the amount of parties that took place, and was great deal more serious than he once had been.
Even though at first these changes might seem cruel and harsh, there were some advantages to Pericles’ new method. To keep the people entertained and happy, he began to enlarge the empire, He would then send off Athenians to populate the new islands and cities. He also brought back to life the Athenian ships and marine.
As we all know, with the conquering of a city comes the gain of much money, Athens was no exception. Riches and precious metals were practically duping into Athens. Instead of using this money for his own good, Pericles used it to beautify his city. He had many famous structures built, some of which we still admire today. One the things that Pericles is most famous for is what he did to beautify Athens. Pericles considered Athens to be in its golden age, so he did all he could to make a beautiful age.
Unfortunately, it seems that growing tension between Athens and Sparta was only made worse by these expeditions, primarily because all the cities that Athens was conquering, had once been part of the Spartan Empire. After multiple revolts and rebellions, what we call the Peloponnesian War began.
There were many battles and rebellions, all of which ended in the blockading of Athens. Yes, the Spartans actually succeeded in driving the Athenians all the way back to their capital. Eventually, from lack of food and water, overcrowded areas, and a lack of necessary supplies, the Athenians developed the dreaded Black Plague.
This disease spread like wildfire, destroying anyone in its way.
Pericles himself walked the streets of Athens, trying to heal and comfort anyone he met.
Eventually, this great man caught the Plague, and, like so many others, was unable to survive.
While he could have shut himself up in his home, and saved all of the food and water there was from himself, Pericles graciously gave his time, money, and provisions to the Athenians, not saving any for himself.
Can you see how merciful, giving, and wise Pericles was? His last moments were spent caring for his people.
It is truly a joy to read of leaders who are wise, kind, and thoughtful, I hope that I will read of more people like Pericles, and learn to lead like he does, even if that means just leading my family.
Pericles was a truly remarkable man. He lived in Athens, Greece, about the time of the Peloponnesian Wars. From his rise to power, to his last breath, one thing separated Pericles from other rulers; this was the virtue of self-sacrifice. As Lord Acton once said: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." Let’s look at a timeline of Pericles’ life to see how, even though he had ultimate charge over Athens, he always used his influence for the good of his city, not himself.
Pericles first exposed himself to the world of politics by making friends with the poorer class. He found that Thucydides, another orator, had already gained the confidence of the richer class.
Although he was certainly a good friend of the people, Pericles did have some enemies. One day, while he was handling some business in the market, a certain old man began hurtling curses at him, finding every way to destroy his political position. This man followed Pericles around ALL DAY, never stopping to take a breath! He even followed Pericles home! However, instead of squabbling with him, Pericles simply ignored him for ALL OF THE DAY! And to make matters even stranger, Pericles sent a servant back with the old man when it became dark and hard to see so that he could lead him home! This is a glorious example of the kindness and level-headedness that Pericles showed to those around him.
After he had ostracized Thucydides and Cimon, yet another orator, Pericles changed his ruling methods. Instead of being so free with his money, and instead of forming intimate relationships with the people (namely the poor) he rather secluded himself. He never walked the streets like he once had, and his friends and servants tended to most of his minor business. He also restricted the amount of parties that took place, and was great deal more serious than he once had been.
Even though at first these changes might seem cruel and harsh, there were some advantages to Pericles’ new method. To keep the people entertained and happy, he began to enlarge the empire, He would then send off Athenians to populate the new islands and cities. He also brought back to life the Athenian ships and marine.
As we all know, with the conquering of a city comes the gain of much money, Athens was no exception. Riches and precious metals were practically duping into Athens. Instead of using this money for his own good, Pericles used it to beautify his city. He had many famous structures built, some of which we still admire today. One the things that Pericles is most famous for is what he did to beautify Athens. Pericles considered Athens to be in its golden age, so he did all he could to make a beautiful age.
Unfortunately, it seems that growing tension between Athens and Sparta was only made worse by these expeditions, primarily because all the cities that Athens was conquering, had once been part of the Spartan Empire. After multiple revolts and rebellions, what we call the Peloponnesian War began.
There were many battles and rebellions, all of which ended in the blockading of Athens. Yes, the Spartans actually succeeded in driving the Athenians all the way back to their capital. Eventually, from lack of food and water, overcrowded areas, and a lack of necessary supplies, the Athenians developed the dreaded Black Plague.
This disease spread like wildfire, destroying anyone in its way.
Pericles himself walked the streets of Athens, trying to heal and comfort anyone he met.
Eventually, this great man caught the Plague, and, like so many others, was unable to survive.
While he could have shut himself up in his home, and saved all of the food and water there was from himself, Pericles graciously gave his time, money, and provisions to the Athenians, not saving any for himself.
Can you see how merciful, giving, and wise Pericles was? His last moments were spent caring for his people.
It is truly a joy to read of leaders who are wise, kind, and thoughtful, I hope that I will read of more people like Pericles, and learn to lead like he does, even if that means just leading my family.
Monday, September 8, 2014
First Storm in the new House
This post is a bit of a joke, considering I wrote it about a month ago! Yes, I agree with you, I am terrible about keeping up with my blog:). Still, I hope you enjoy it, this post has a bit more action than the others.
Lightning flashed, thunder rumbled outside. A scream, followed by a frantic scramble. “Get the kittens!” I woke with a jolt. From my bunk bed, I could see through a high window a clump of trees blowing wildly, and the grass being crushed from the pounding rain. I jumped down and ran to the door. From there, I could see the wind blowing the rain across the roof. I pushed open the creaking storm door and grabbed my 11-week, black and white kitten, named Merry (after the character from LOTR, we have Frodo and Pippin, too!), which Sophie had just rescued from a pile of broken and tossed over outdoor supplies. My dad grabbed the kittens’ kennel, and we hurried them inside. Only then did we notice that one of the kittens was gone! After a frantic search, made by Sophie and me, we found that Pippin, the little runaway, was hiding under the dumpster! We cold not get him out, so instead, left him there. Then, Sophie and me ran inside where we dried off and put on fresh clothing. After that, we all huddled up on the couch, where we tried to get some kind of Internet connection. When electricity goes out in the country, it doesn’t come back on for quite a while. One time, my friends in Klondike were deprived of electricity for a whole week! Only when you don’t have it, do you really understand how much you depend on electricity. There, on the couch, we sat. In the dark. Trying to get connection was pretty much useless. My dad was the only one who was even sort of succeeding. Eventually, our little group broke up. Sophie and Zoë went to play card games, Mom went back to bed, and dad tried to get some work done. As for me, I walked into our bedroom and began to type up this post. The storm is not so horrible anymore, it has quieted down a bit, but outside, it is still dark, and rather frightening. Sophie and Zoë just walked in, they found Pippin! The poor little cat is still wide-eyed, and a bit frightened, but he’ll be okay. I hope that it will not rain tomorrow; for that is the day we are supposed to start horse camp! For now, however, I will try and focus on today, and get ready for a host of things that await me.
Repotting Trees
I have been at our farm in Mineola since Thursday. I am really, really, really tired! We have been re-potting all our 1,000 trees from 1 and 3 gallon pots, to 15 gallon pots. If I thought that three gallon pots were heavy, I was much mistaken! Not only have we been re- potting, but we have also been fertilizing, watering, tying to bamboo sticks, and moving trees to the front of the house, it's been a lot of work! Luckily, we are not alone! My Nana and Papa came all the way from Mansfield to help us work on our farm. In addition to this, Mr. Mike Little, A.K.A. Superman, and his faithful sidekick, A.K.A. Aiden Little, came to our aid, yay! All in all, we have moved about 600 trees, what an accomplishment! We have already used about half the dirt that we bought (finally, a way to see our progress!), and are working on the other half.
P.S. Just as a totally random idea, take a look at my friend Gabe's blog (gabedalrymple.com), and check out his post: Longest English Words And Their Definitions, under, Miscellaneous.
P.S. Just as a totally random idea, take a look at my friend Gabe's blog (gabedalrymple.com), and check out his post: Longest English Words And Their Definitions, under, Miscellaneous.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
April
After writing "March", I felt really inspired to write a poem about each month of the year (hopefully I will be able to stay faithful to writing at least once month!). Here is my poem on April, if you live in Texas, you will totally be able to relate!
April
April showers bring May flowers,
They say.
I say,
One minute it is hot,
One minute it is cold,
One minute it is raining,
One minute it's a desert.
The weather is a - changing,
And I never can tell
If I should put away space heaters
Or bring out my blankets!
Will someone please tell me,
What season we are in,
I can't tell for myself-
But surely someone can!
April
April showers bring May flowers,
They say.
I say,
One minute it is hot,
One minute it is cold,
One minute it is raining,
One minute it's a desert.
The weather is a - changing,
And I never can tell
If I should put away space heaters
Or bring out my blankets!
Will someone please tell me,
What season we are in,
I can't tell for myself-
But surely someone can!
Tree Farm Beginnings!
I can hardly believe all the work that we have done on our tree farm, which, we have decided to name "Sorelle Tree Farm!" So many things have happened in the past few days. In fact, to tell all that we have done, I am going to start at the very beginning of my visit to Mineola, and retrace my steps all the way back to today.
Let's start at Wednesday. On Wednesday, we arrived at a filthy, dusty, grimy house. Luckily for us, my mom had expected this, she had completely stocked up on cleaners, disinfectants, rags, towels, bleach, and scrubbers. Yay mom! That day, we sprayed, scrubbed, wiped, and greatly improved the whole house. However, we still have quite a bit to do.
The next day, we had 50 cubic yards of dirt delivered. It was really cool to watch the big truck drive in and slide it's floors back and forth to push out the dirt! My dad used his new tractor to tear weeds and shrubs off the back house walls. We loaded the trailer with these shrubs a dumped them into a pile, which we will hopefully soon burn.
On Friday, we drove to Ada, Oklahoma. Here, we bought and loaded 1,000 potted trees onto a rental truck! We bought a bunch of different kinds: Spanish White Oak, Chinese Pistachio, Bald Cypress, Crete Myrtle, Sawtooth Oak, Loblolly Pine, and Southern Red Oak. This took pretty much all day, so we didn't get anything else done.
Yesterday, our friend, Mr. Mike Little, came over. This guy is practically superman! He helped us load up the trailer and drive all of the brush that my dad tore off the walls of the house into the fire pile. He also helped us pile up all of the broken brick that was laying around the house into a nice little pile. After this, we all unloaded the big truck that had taken the trees from Ada to Mineola. It was much easier unloading the trees than it had been to load them! We divided them up into species and placed them in ten tree by ten tree squares, it's a lot harder than it sounds! By this time, we were completely worn out, so we simply returned the u-haul truck, and called it a day.
Today, we are expecting some huge storms and tornadoes, so we didn't have a lot of time to work. Dad once again used his tractor to pull weeds and shrubs off the walls of the house, these weeds followed their brothers and sisters and were unmercifully loaded up into the fire pile. We are praying that our trees, which we have loaded into a shed, will not be ruined by the storms. In fact, to ensure this, instead of going home today, we will stay yet another night.
Being a country girl is a lot of work, but thankfully, I enjoy it! And even though there will be days when I will be tempted to grumble, I know that I can always turn to the Lord, for He alone can supply me with perseverance and strength.
Let's start at Wednesday. On Wednesday, we arrived at a filthy, dusty, grimy house. Luckily for us, my mom had expected this, she had completely stocked up on cleaners, disinfectants, rags, towels, bleach, and scrubbers. Yay mom! That day, we sprayed, scrubbed, wiped, and greatly improved the whole house. However, we still have quite a bit to do.
The next day, we had 50 cubic yards of dirt delivered. It was really cool to watch the big truck drive in and slide it's floors back and forth to push out the dirt! My dad used his new tractor to tear weeds and shrubs off the back house walls. We loaded the trailer with these shrubs a dumped them into a pile, which we will hopefully soon burn.
On Friday, we drove to Ada, Oklahoma. Here, we bought and loaded 1,000 potted trees onto a rental truck! We bought a bunch of different kinds: Spanish White Oak, Chinese Pistachio, Bald Cypress, Crete Myrtle, Sawtooth Oak, Loblolly Pine, and Southern Red Oak. This took pretty much all day, so we didn't get anything else done.
Yesterday, our friend, Mr. Mike Little, came over. This guy is practically superman! He helped us load up the trailer and drive all of the brush that my dad tore off the walls of the house into the fire pile. He also helped us pile up all of the broken brick that was laying around the house into a nice little pile. After this, we all unloaded the big truck that had taken the trees from Ada to Mineola. It was much easier unloading the trees than it had been to load them! We divided them up into species and placed them in ten tree by ten tree squares, it's a lot harder than it sounds! By this time, we were completely worn out, so we simply returned the u-haul truck, and called it a day.
Today, we are expecting some huge storms and tornadoes, so we didn't have a lot of time to work. Dad once again used his tractor to pull weeds and shrubs off the walls of the house, these weeds followed their brothers and sisters and were unmercifully loaded up into the fire pile. We are praying that our trees, which we have loaded into a shed, will not be ruined by the storms. In fact, to ensure this, instead of going home today, we will stay yet another night.
Being a country girl is a lot of work, but thankfully, I enjoy it! And even though there will be days when I will be tempted to grumble, I know that I can always turn to the Lord, for He alone can supply me with perseverance and strength.
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