O Say Can You?

O Say Can You See?

(Happy Anniversary)

We have been given a beautiful anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Those citizens who choose not to acknowledge our flag, those who choose division over unity, and those who choose to bring attention to themselves or their special interest groups, rather than accrediting the lives spent to give them liberty; those people are blind. When asked the question, “Oh Say Can You See?, the answer would have to be “No”. They don’t see, and we can all pity them for their blindness.

We cannot wait to teach our children to see until we think that they are old enough to comprehend the whole picture. If we do, we are guaranteed that they will not see. As parents and leaders we have a purpose and a duty to the rising generation. We have to dig back to our roots. Whether we are seventh generation Americans or new to America, we need to know the history of The United States of America and pass that on to our children.

My parents were both born in Europe and chose to become United State’s citizens. I am thankful. Their lives and their gratitude have much to do with my feelings of patriotism for this great Country I call home because of them. I also have my third grade teacher, Miss Nakahara, to thank for instilling in me a love for Country. She taught us "The Star Spangled Banner" and the other great hymns that show reverence for and love of Country and fellowmen. Because of people like them, I am not blind; but, I do see.

Is there ugliness in history? Yes, there can be. But our freedom and our patriotism centers in and commemorates the beauty of our freedoms, gained, regained, and sustained by men and women who love freedom.

When we look back to our beginnings, we know that there really were many who sacrifice their lives and their sacred honor and all their worldly goods to establish this new nation and give us freedom from the oppression we felt from England. They could see. They had a vision of the importance of our freedom, and that America would be a beacon on a hill and a light to the world, in helping many others obtain freedom.

So from before 1776 to 1812, our forbears were willing to keep fighting to maintain the freedom they had secured. England would not let go so reluctantly and kept trying to suppress us in any way possible, with their own forces and with paid mercenaries.

Some argue that Francis Scott Key’s poem, “Defence of Fort M'Henry,” (which was written on 14 September 1814—nearly 200 years ago) should not have become our national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” While we have other patriotic songs that do serve us well, none is so clear about our history, our mission, and our destiny. The very words that Key used in his poem, “O Say Can You See?”, concerning our flag still waving after our troops were bombarded by the British at Fort McHenry, are the words which echo today. Our flag and our Country have gone through some terrible setbacks, but we are not defeated. The flag is still waving.

Some think that she is not waving triumphantly any more, but that is because they have lost focus on what is most important. They don’t view our history with gratitude, nor do they envision our future with hope. We have to remember that the lenses through which our forebears saw our Country and our future were pricey. Their determination came with the cost of work and constant vigilance.

We owe a debt of gratitude to them and to the many men and women since then who have served to protect us and keep us free. There cannot be any patriotism without gratitude. There may be those who confuse patriotism with prideful arrogance, but patriotism is born of humble gratitude to those who have done for us that which we could not do alone for ourselves, who have given us that which we could not obtain ourselves.

In order to see, we need to remember. We need to remember those who serve and thank them. We need to remember to be good role models and to clearly point out who the true heroes are. 

The coach in the following video made sure that his team had an understanding of that. He helped them see. 

I love our flag and I love our anthem. Why? The reason is clear. It is because I can see that they represent so much more that a piece of cloth and a song. They represent our beginnings, and they represent ever drop of blood spilled from every wounded and dying soldier, and ever tear shed from every soldier’s wife or mother, son or father.

We have been given a beautiful anthem and a precious flag which can serve to bind us together in these The United States of America, if we choose to remember, and if we choose to see. But we need to open our eyes. If we open our eyes, our hearts should follow.

O Say Can You See?

1. 1. Oh say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
   What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
   Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
   O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
   And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
   Gave proof thru the night that our flag was still there.
   Oh say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
   O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
2. 2. On the shore, dimly seen thru the mists of the deep,
   Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
   What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
   As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
   Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
   In full glory reflected now shines on the stream;
   'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh, long may it wave
   O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
3. 3. Oh, thus be it ever, when free men shall stand
   Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
   Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
   Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
   Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
   And this be our motto: "In God is our trust!"
   And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
   O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Text: Francis Scott Key, 1779-1843

Music: John Stafford Smith, 1750-1836

Good and Evil is Clearly Defined

We, as citizens of the United States, have been given a world full of knowledge and truth, goodness and opportunity, progress and wealth. For the most part, we have all been “instructed sufficiently that [we] know good from evil” (2 Nephi 2:5).

Hillary Clinton quoted John Wesley’s words,

“Do all the good you can,

By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all the times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as you ever can.”

That sounds like wonderful advice for all of us. But, then she went on to say,

“That’s a tall order. And of course, one of the interpretive problems with it is, who defines good” (Keynote Address)?

How anyone can know that those are her words and still want to vote for her is beyond me. A leader should have a grasp on reality and what is good and what is evil. Yet she has demonstrated that she does not know the difference between truth and lies, reality and fiction, life and death, good and evil.

I for one do not want Hillary Clinton to define anything more in this Country. What a cop-out. It’s easy to not take responsibility for one’s actions when one can’t acknowledge truth from error. So she has shirked the responsibilities for her lies by saying, “I misspoke.” She has avoided her responsibility for the lives lost in Benghazi by saying that some solitary person who made a video enraged those who believe in the Prophet Mohammed. As if that would be a reason for our government to stand down while our Country’s heroes are sacrificed as an appeasement to our enemies. And she has shredded the evidence of her indiscretions leaving our Country’s security accessible to enemies throughout the world.

Our Founding Fathers knew the difference between good and evil. And even with their faults, they worked to make the world a better place to live in and gave us a promising future. They studied the civilizations of the past and the best literature available to construct a good and righteous governing body. (With all the good that has been given to us by them, it becomes meaningless to toss around the faults of the dead; we need to open our eyes to the immorality of the living.)

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other" (John Jay).

“I am persuaded that no civil government of a republican form can exist and be durable in which the principles of [Christianity] have not a controlling influence” (Noah Webster).

“Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants. Indeed, these two sciences run into each other” (James Wilson).

“Religion and morality are the essential pillars of civil society” (George Washington).

“Whereas true religion and good morals are the only solid foundations of public liberty and happiness . . . it is hereby earnestly recommended to the several States to take the most effectual measures for the encouragement thereof” (Continental Congress, 1778).

Source for Quotes


Since we can all see that our Country was founded and upheld on and by religious principles, I will also look to define “good” from the scriptures. In doing so, I am only choosing a few verses. We can all search them for ourselves; and if we want to know what “good” means, I suggest that we do.

“For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil” (Alma 5:40).

“O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever” (Psalm 136:1).

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

Lastly, I turn to some of Mormon's last words to his people. It seems that our civilization, like his, needs a refresher course in discerning between good and evil.

Moroni 7:12-19:


12 Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually.

13 But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.

14 Wherefore, take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the devil.

15 For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night.

16 For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.

17 But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him.

18 And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged.

19 Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ.

Since we are all entitled to discern between good and evil, we should look to find good in the way our Father and His prophets have shown us. If we say that there is a different standard for good, we have judged wrongfully, and in so doing, we are denying ourselves the light of truth.

I am not writing this to be combative, or as an endorsement for any other candidate, or for any specific religion. Indeed, I believe that all men are born with the light of Christ (See John 1:19).  

I am writing this, because Hillary Clinton is clearly not a leader or a person of vision. She does not even have a grasp between right and wrong. To sit back and say nothing, in a Country of free speech and government by and for the people, would be an endorsement for her; and that is something that I will not do.

All in all, it is up to We the People to live the definition of good. We need to be a virtuous and a moral people, and in so doing, we will elevate our Country once again and choose better leadership, with the desire to be more responsible in our own citizenship and in our individual everyday lives.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he” (Proverbs 29:18).

Jesus went about doing good (See Acts 10:38). Let's do the same. 

Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and Peace Be with You

Jesus is the Prince of Peace

 Brent Borup

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He who created all things and gave us life also allows us to live our lives. His desire is for us to grow in goodness and prosperity, to learn to love and trust Him, and in so doing, to love and help each other. But as always, He gives us choice. 

Freedom

Freedom. What is it? Jesus has told us that the truth shall make us free (See John 8:32).

Those who embrace His truths with trust in Him feel this freedom. We can be free from hate, free from addictions, free from idleness, free from greed, free from loneliness, and free from ignorance. The thing about that is that all these freedoms take work. Our free will is a gift to us, but these other things take work and are a result of our choices and how we exercise our agency.

Our chances for lasting peace and freedom are void without Him and everlasting abundant through Him. There may be seasons of rest from wars and strives, but there will never be lasting freedom without people choosing to work within the boundaries of laws, especially His laws. He who said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15), did not say so because He wants to control us, but rather because He wants to free us. 

Many of us long for the promised day when Jesus will return and the inhabitants will be at peace with one another. It will be lovely, beautiful, and supernal. But we do not have to wait until then to feel His love, His peace, and His presence in our lives now. Today.

Peace Can Be Felt Today

Jesus promises us as He did His disciples of long ago,

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). 

We Must Love God and Love Each Other (See Matt 22:36-40)

We cannot keep this peace if we feel anger, hate, and revenge towards our fellow brothers and sisters. Here’s what the Lord says about that:

"If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from Him, That he who loveth God love his brother also" (1 John 4:20-21).

This extends to all humanity with which we share this planet, whether we have met each personally or not. We cannot love God without loving His children as well, who come from Him.

Also, here is good counsel from the Apostle Paul, who reminds us that the Lord said vengeance belongs only to Him, He who desires not to give it.

"Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:17-21).


How can we know when we are free? We will feel the Holy Spirit with us. And what is the fruit of the Spirit?

"...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22-25).

Jesus Has Done All

We are not asked to do anything that Jesus will not help us do. Neither are we asked to do anything that He hasn’t already done for us. From the cross, He still loved us all. Every one.

The words He spoke resound through the universe still,

"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).

He who was wronged for all of our wrongdoings and none of His own, He who suffered for me and for you and bled from every pore; He it is who was free from all evil, and He alone can make us free as well.

Peace be with you.

And peace be with you as well.

Straining at a Gnat and Not Swallowing a Camel

The Power of Writing Things Down

I'm so thankful for the ability to write things down to express emotion. I just read over some very old unsent letters, and I decided to skip reading most of them. I’m glad that writing can help us work through things, gain perspective, and develop patience. While we all sense a desire to express ourselves, I'm so glad that I've left many things unsaid.

 Straining at a Gnat and Not Swallowing a Camel

Strained Communication

Often misunderstandings come from an inability to communicate our hurts appropriately. While there may be ample reason for us to feel the way we do, we cannot necessarily see into the other persons’ minds or hearts to know their intents or perspective. When there isn’t enough trust established to proceed with communication, sometimes we just need to pray for each other and hope for the best. 

Prayer is the Important Key

Prayer. Isn’t that the key to good communication? Here, with our Heavenly Father, we can always develop a relationship where we know we can be understood, we will be validated, and reproof will always be given with ample love. When we feel the Savior’s love, we will be able to love ourselves more, no matter what others may think, do, or say; and, we will be able to extend His love to others more freely, until we can develop that love in ourselves. 

We Need to Repent Ourselves

Prayer will also help us so our own part in the dissonance and what we are lacking ourselves. We will see our own need to change and find mercy, which should in turn help us to feel more merciful. We can seek inspiration on how to proceed: how to serve, how to wait, or how to let go. 

Serving and Forgiving

When there are opportunities to build more trust through service and shared experiences, we should seek to take advantage in developing more stable relationships. If we fall and skin our knees, we should try again. But even when things are rocky, we shouldn’t be throwing rocks.

For the times when I have spoken hastily or sought for vindication, I’m thankful for the ability to repent and repair. Sometimes feelings are raw for a long time, and even when people may want us to eat our words, or when they regurgitate them, we really cannot take them back. But we can choose to give second, third, and seventy-seventh chances, trying to give each other the benefit of the doubt.

How has writing been therapeutic to you in putting things to rest? 

How have your benefited from repairing strained relationships?

Following Happily: Sheeple? Thanks for the Compliment

Sheeple? Thanks for the Compliment

plainbibleteaching.com

Do you ever feel offended when you hear someone referred to as a sheeple? When we remember whom we follow and whose we are, we should be glad to acknowledge that we follow happily and feel thankful for the compliment.

Jesus said,

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand" (John 10:27-29).

Before this Jesus so spoke to those who do not believe, who mock the believers,

        “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I                        said unto you” (John 10:26).

In humility we should pray that those who so seek to offend will be able to be drawn into the fold. The Father loves them as well, and if they choose His Son, He will again choose them.

Last Night's Dream

A Family Christmas

clipartkid.com

I had a dream last night. It was rather strange. I was at a family Christmas party. My Dad was there. Suzanne and her family were there. Valerie was there. I think my Mom was there, but I can’t really remember. It feels like she was.

Well, we had a good time visiting; and everybody was busy doing different things. After the day was half over, Valerie said to me, “Heidi, why don’t you go fix your hair. Sure, you haven’t even combed it today.”

So I went into the bathroom to see what she was talking about. And half my hair was pulled into a pony tail on the one side of my head. The other half was hanging, and a mess, and matted.

I was in disbelief. I must have fallen asleep the night before with pigtails in my hair and one of them had come out, and I spent Christmas day that way.

So I thought that I’d surprise everybody and curl my hair. So I plugged in my heat curlers (who does that anymore?), and I was getting ready to curl my hair. But it took so much longer than usual, because Suzanne's girls had taken the pins that hold the curlers and hid them in different nooks and crannies around the bathroom.

So that was my dream.

Now I am open for interpretations. 

Basking in the Light

Basking in the Light

A friend of mine titled this photograph for me. It warms my soul that it is so appropriately named, “Basking in the Light”. Vereen said that when she looked at this photo, “The first thing I saw was a child touched by the Light of Christ. Beautiful.” While I completely agree, this set me to thinking.

Children

I believe that we all see little children as special. We notice their sparkle and the goodness that they add to this world. We sense the wonder of creation and continuation. It is marvelous to behold.

We need to hold onto these sentiments as we are introduced to one another and interact with one another. Why? Well, it is because we are all still little children. We are children of God.

Light of Christ

Every human being born into this world is endowed with the Light of Christ. Every single one. He said, “I am the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:2). 

God Loves Us All

Jesus loves all of us with a love that is endless and complete. God makes His sun to shine on all of us and his rain to fall on all of us, because it is His good will to bless us and help us to find joy. (See Matthew 5:45)

Look for the Good

How quickly do we look for the darkness in one another, when we should be noticing the light? How often do we condemn the imperfections in ourselves, when it would serve us better to be thankful for our gifts and develop them?

Bask in the Light

I am pleased with the composition of this photograph. The child is truly basking in the light. What a great example for all of us. There is light everywhere around us, and there is light within us. Let us find pleasure and joy in our work, in our days, in our families, in our friends and associations; and let us bask in the Light.

Furthur Reading:

John 1

Doctrine and Covenants 93

Living the Gospel Joyful