The Harder the Conflict, the More Glorious the Triumph

As we now have learned, about half of this nation went into election day with feelings of optimism and encouragement. This half was anxious to turn a page and begin down a new path to prosperity and freedom, though, knowing that the job would be far from finished. I was one of these people. Like many, I have been praying since the time the Republican primaries began that we would welcome a candidate who would stand out and be recognized as America’s next great leader. When Mitt Romney was called up, I prayed continually that God would provide him with strength and courage and that he and his family would remain safe, healthy, and focused. I also prayed that the Lord would allow His Holy Spirit to open as many hearts as possible to accept Romney’s message. While it is undeniable that my prayers were heard, I know that God answers prayers in different ways: yes, not yet, or I have something better in mind. I have no doubt that the latter is how my prayers were answered.

I don’t know about you, but I woke up today in a light mood and with a clear mind. I of course recalled what occurred last night and I had no illusions about the hard times ahead. But, I felt as if everything was in control. The Lord, in His mercy and love, was reassuring me. I knew immediately that He had a plan in place to deal with our troubles, but that I would have to play a role in this plan in order for it to succeed. The same can be said for all of us. We were placed on this earth, at this time, to witness and be a part of something great. You can feel it in the air. I can say, as I stand firm at the Altar of God that I am up to whatever challenge we confront. How about you? At this point in history, I believe, we are meant to once again discover the real, authentic significance of what it means to be truly free. And as our history teaches us, that path is a little more than difficult.

But God did not sacrifice his Son so that we could have a free ride through life. True Christians must still do good, avoid sin, and repent of the numberless times we falter. It is also our responsibility to spread His Word and defend His causes when called upon to do so. My fellow Christians and Americans, we have been called upon. Rarely do we have the opportunity to stand and openly defend something so divine against an oppressor so great. While we may be unsure of what tomorrow brings, we know our Lord will not forsake us and will not abandon us in our time of need. I think of the Lord’s plan like a movie reel. When we watch a movie, we see it one frame at a time at a very fast rate. But if you were to take the reel and unwind it, you could view all the frames at once. You could see the beginning and end of the movie, as well as the victories for the heroes or the crimes committed by the villain. You wouldn’t have to wait to see the best part. You could just skip to that spot. Such is the way God’s Will and Plan works in our lives. To us, we are only seeing one frame, one event at a time. But God is seeing the whole film at once. He knows of our successes and failures long before we do and, of course, he knows how the movie will end. It is our job to faithfully trust in this ability.

As I mentioned, we have been called into action and the struggles that we will meet couldn’t be more imposing. For starters, we are careening toward the “fiscal cliff” where several tax cuts will expire and sequestration will begin to hit our military. Then there is the problem with Iran, their nuclear dreams, and this administration’s failed attempt at defending our ally Israel. And we have the always menacing issue of the steady and definite climb of our national debt, which this president has recklessly added more of than any other president before him. And what truly makes this an uphill battle is that last night we were made aware that half of our nation agrees with these damning policies.

However, the good news is that half of our nation doesn’t approve of our current direction, and that is the half that I am writing to. Yes, we were thrown a curve ball, but when has that ever slowed down the American spirit? We’ve been counted out in history more times than we care to remember, and each time we come roaring back to prove the opposition wrong. Despite what he says, Barack Obama has not bet on America. He has bet against America and all that we stand for in order to forcibly fit us into his utopian dreamland. Make no mistake – a sleeping giant has been awoken and we are in for a struggle that will test our endurance and fortitude, comparable in significance to what our Founding Fathers faced. And much like those magnanimous figures, if we prevail, our reward will be great. Freedom has always been worth fighting for abroad, but now that realization has come to the home front. These are the times that try men’s souls. Let us stand as one and be shy no longer.

The Truth Sets You Free… One Month Later

September 11, 2001. A date that will forever be etched in our minds as a day of terror, sadness, anger, and unity.

September 11, 2012. A date that will forever be mired in confusion, double talk, redundancy, and stupidity.

Just over a month ago, four Americans were killed in Benghazi, Libya including U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens. We were told shortly after the ransacking of the embassy took place and the images of Steven’s body being dragged through the streets were revealed that this was all in response to an anti-Islamic movie on YouTube. In fact, this isn’t what we were told just the following day, but force-fed over the course of the entire month. Barack Obama, Jay Carney, Hillary Clinton, Susan Rice, and an entourage of media henchmen blamed this video until it appeared ridiculous to believe anything else. Out of an act of pure lunacy, the condemnation wasn’t directed at the murderous radicals, but instead at the U.S. and a private citizen who was simply exercising his freedom of speech. The Democrats in this administration were bent on convincing us that, while the act committed by the Muslims was despicable, they really had no choice. When Mohammed is insulted, people must die. Simple as that.

But then something remarkable happened. Facts came out and the truth began to flow. It turned out that there never was an angry mob or protest outside our embassy and the video certainly wasn’t the reason for unrest; it was merely an excuse. What we learned instead was that there were armed al Qaeda militants storming the embassy walls with the intent of killing the ambassador. But when these details broke, the band of Obama cronies were quick to cover their tracks and claimed of “not having all the details” when the incident first occurred. So, let me get this straight; we didn’t have all the details to begin with, but we had enough intel apparently to blame a harmless YouTube video for the outrages? In fact, we were so sure of this that the President of the United States went to the U.N. to denounce our freedom of speech and encourage the blame placed on this video creator that no one’s ever heard of? Don’t be fooled. Our government knew from the beginning exactly what happened and knew they’d be in hot water if the truth got out. Why? Because after all the cover Obama’s been laying to protect the Muslims and their innocence, how could he possibly admit to a genuine Islamist terrorist attack, especially after the enlightening Arab Spring? We were set up and they nearly got away with it.

But now that the cat is out of the bag and Democrats are on the hook, who’s getting the blame? Why none other than presidential candidate Mitt Romney and running mate Paul Ryan. Because we all know that a candidate for president is more responsible than the sitting Commander in Chief of the United States. In fact, we were told by Obama’s own campaign manager that this event wouldn’t even be so highly scrutinized if it wasn’t for the “politicization” of it by Romney and Ryan. Imagine! Us dumb Americans would have probably totally forgot about the Libya attack and never bothered to question our national security if it wasn’t for Romney and Ryan. Those two guys sure are some jerks.

Guys, let’s get one thing straight: our nation is the greatest this earth has ever known and no one is going to pull the wool over our eyes. We know that even though Islam is full of nut jobs, they don’t need a YouTube video as an excuse to complete their ultimate goal of destroying America. And we know that when we see our unarmed ambassador being dragged through the streets, the locals weren’t “taking him to the hospital.” They were parading around a trophy.

It’s time that we stop going in circles trying to find new people to blame for our nation’s current troubles. It’s not Bush, it’s not Romney, and it’s not some guy who defamed Mohammed. The blame rests squarely on the shoulders of Barack Obama. Taking responsibility is part of being president and I would expect nothing less from any other sitting U.S. president. If Obama can’t do the job and be a leader, which he is proving everyday that he can’t, then it’s time to move on.

The “Penalty” of Progressive Leadership

Where were you when freedom died? Okay, maybe that’s taking this a little far. Maybe. I mean, there are millions of Americans, a majority I might add, who aren’t quite ready to go down without a fight. So to phrase this more accurately, then, where were you when freedom was so badly altered that we may never recognize it again? I was at work around 10:15AM awaiting the verdict on Obamacare from the U.S. Supreme Court. And it was in the minutes that followed when I realized that a piece of our liberty died. The most controversial portion, the individual mandate to purchase health insurance, of the health care law was, to the surprise of many, upheld. Granted, it was ruled unconstitutional under the Commerce Clause, meaning we can’t actually be forced to purchase something. However, the actual justification may prove to make us far worse off. Instead of forcefully imposing laws on us, Congress can now, well, forcefully impose laws on us. Except the catch is they can do it under threat of a “penalty.”

So what does this penalty actually entail? Essentially, while no one on the Left is ready to admit it, this penalty is really a tax imposed on those who choose not to comply with any given government edict. It begins with healthcare; if you don’t want to purchase a healthcare plan, fine, but you’ll pay a tax for non-compliance. But the disturbing question is where does this taxing power end? What if the government decides it’s in everyone’s best interest to install solar panels or a wind turbine on their house? Or how about, in an effort to help out union jobs and wages (or save the world?), everyone has to purchase a Chevy Volt? Or what if in an attempt to totally collapse America, the federal government decides to limit population growth with a ‘one-child-per-family’ law? And if you choose not to abide by these rules, you’re “penalized” with a tax. And make no mistake, these taxes will be designed to be so devastating to the average American family that you may have no choice but to install that solar panel, buy a Volt, or limit your family to one cute little bundle of joy. How’s that for freedom, America?

It is indeed frightening to think about, but with this Supreme Court ruling, none of these “mandates,” or any other for that matter, are truly out of the realm of possibility. That’s what you call precedent and you can thank the progressive leaning Supreme Court for this un-American turn of events (seriously, thank them right now at 202-479-3000).

So how do we combat such a ruling when it’s the supreme law of the land? The answer is simple; never allow a progressive president, Democrat or Republican, to ever come to power again. Conservatives only from this point on is the singular fix for our current national debacle. Leftist representatives have gotten us into this mess and they no longer deserve a seat at the table of Liberty. They have worn out their welcome long ago, yet somehow we still humor them every four years. We need to start rolling back the mistakes of the past with a Conservative victory this November.

Allow me to leave you with this thought, America: We will never again be as free as we were on June 27th, 2012. It is now up to us to provide new guards for our future security. There have been terrible wrongs committed against our nation, but we can be restored to the vision of our Founders. Hope is not lost, especially not for a nation whose God is the Lord. Giving up now will surely condemn us to failure. But fighting for what is right and true can only lead to triumph.