A Word from Colorado

 Estes Park, Colorado, 11 PM, Saturday August 26 -- It's hard to believe (with all that we've packed in) that We have only been here since Wednesday. Indeed, it has been an unusually valuable and inspiring trip. We are here with Larry and Deb Harrold, dear friends and ministry colleagues with whom we share a love for the Rocky Mountains. Larry had major surgery 3 months ago or so and had a very tough time afterward, but he has now begun chemotherapy and the doctors cleared him (just barely) to make this trip to one of their all-time favorite haunts. Larry is doing really well, by the way; he and Deb have both been full of courage, faith, heavenly perspective, a spirit of thanksgiving, great generosity to us, and fun. None of these virtues are surprising to the people that know them well, but they are all the more impressive because of their being a matter of course. A remarkable couple.

In our time here, we have relished times in the mountains, drunk in the beauty and splendor of the scenery from drives and long talks on the condo balcony, meals and coffee at several of the Harrold's favorite spots, a little shopping, reading, correspondence, and two trips down to the Front Range for wonderful visits with family: dinner with Dan & T.C. Aylward in Loveland on Friday night and coffee, a museum visit, a farmer's market, and lunch with Ric & Ellen Hartford in Golden today. And tomorrow...recording a brief sermon so the Morans and Allen can use it in the Aksarben Village church service tomorrow afternoon, another trip higher up into the hills, and packing for the trip back home.  

Actually, Claire and I will be stopping at Grand Island on Monday evening because we are volunteering for a couple of shifts at the Nebraska Right to Life booth at the Nebraska State Fair on Tuesday. What a week, huh? We are so grateful for the many blessings God has poured out on us in this brief time.

The Top 5 (August 26 )

 * "Top 3 Abortion Lies in and around the GOP Primary Debate" (S.A. McCarthy, Washington Stand)

* "Church Attendees Believe...What?!" (Owen Strachan, Washington Stand)

* "How scientists mold public opinion on controversial bioethical issues" (Michael Cook, NRL News)

* "What Is Freedom of Conscience, and Why Does It Matter?" (Bryan Neihart, Alliance Defending Freedom)

* "Report: Library Association’s President Wants To Stock Kids’ Shelves With LGBT Propaganda And Porn" Rebeka Zeljko, Federalist)

The Top 5 (August 19)

* “Fentanyl, Viruses, Spying: Why Do We Let China Get Away with Attacks on America?” (Victor Davis Hanson, Daily Signal)

* “6 Takeaways from the Biden Admin’s Court Quest to Keep Censoring Americans Online” (Joy Pullman, Federalist)

* “Biden’s ‘Equity’ at the Border” (Jeffrey H. Anderson, American Conservative)

* “The Barack Obama Cover-Up” (Ben Shapiro, Daily Signal)

* “Social Media is Hurting Our Children: What Can Concerned Parents and Grandparents Do?” (Joe Carter, EPM)

And this week’s bonus read?

* “From Bougie Dorms to Video Game Lounges, State Universities Burn Through Taxpayers’ Dollars” (Christopher Jacobs, Federalist)

“Who Can Bear to Feel Himself Forgotten?”

“They continue their dreams,

But shall wake soon and hope for letters,

And none will hear the postman's knock

Without a quickening of the heart,

For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?”

I thought of this moving quotation from W. H. Auden’s poem, “Night Mail”, Wednesday afternoon when Claire and I were at Immanuel Village Senior Living for one of our “When Swing Was King” shows. Before the program began, I was visiting with Nancy, one of WSWK’s biggest fans, and I was telling her about the touch of sadness that all people feel when they open their mailbox and find nothing personal in there. With real feeling, Nancy agreed with me and then asked, “Do you write letters yourself?” I told her that I do. In fact, I explained that Claire and I write an awful lot of letters and cards. She then smiled coyly and said, “Well, I’ll tell you what. If you write me, I will promise to write you back!”

“When Swing Was King” is a truly exceptional outreach, providing quality
entertainment and an inspiring lift of the spirits. But it is even more than that. It is an opportunity to make friends, to remind people that their lives and times matter, and to show them they are not, as Auden warned, forgotten. These ministries occur with every “When Swing Was King” show. For instance, yesterday’s show at Echo Hills Assisted Living sparked lively (and delightful) conversations with residents afterwards – conversations about dancing, Dick Haymes’ 6 wives, hitchhiking hundreds of miles to hear Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra, summer jobs in their high school years, the tornado that hit the town of Primrose in 1965, and more. 

And such opportunities for meaningful connection also occur every Sunday afternoon when Claire and I conduct the Vital Signs Ministries interdenominational church service at Aksarben Village Senior Living. For that matter, they also occur every time that you drop by and visit someone who is otherwise marginalized by society -- or make a phone call or send along a letter. For who indeed should “bear to feel himself forgotten?”

And that reminds me -- we would like to once again extend to you an invitation to join the friendship team of our Sunday afternoon services. We set up around 2 o’clock, begin at 2:30 the “formal” program, and then, at about 3, start in with 30 or 40 minutes of personal visiting over coffee and cookies. We could sure use your help. But the members of our congregation could use it even more! So if you’re interested in even an occasional visit, please let us know.

Picking Through the Trash or Going for Gold?

Are your entertainment choices leading to rest and spiritual enrichment or are those choices distracting you, maybe even corrupting your spiritual priorities?  That's the trick for Christians, isn't it? To select things to enjoy in our leisure hours that do not divert us from our stated convictions of faith and morality.  

I fear that modern Christians are much too quick to accept whatever the culture offers. We are not discriminating. We are not properly protective of what our heart takes in. We do not insist on purity and productivity. We do not strictly avoid the wicked and worthless which so abounds nowadays.

So who’s in for a change? Let’s go for the gold of God instead of the rubbish of the world and make even our entertainment choices investments in eternity. 

The Top Five (Plus 2 This Week) August 12

* “The Remaking of America” (Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness)

* “‘Bidenomics’ Has Been A Disaster” (David Harsanyi, Federalist)

* “Vladimir Putin, Man of Faith?” (Rob Schwarzwalder, Washington Stand)

* “How That ‘Scientific Consensus’ on Climate Change Was ‘Manufactured’” (John Stossel, Daily Signal)

* “Marijuana legalization movement linked to a ‘massive increase’ in mental illness in US, doctor warns” (Yael Halon, Fox News)

* “Environmentalist Misanthropy: Humans Are Terminal Cancer” (Wesley J. Smith, NRL News)

* “Myth of the Starving Shoplifter: Retail crime is driven by reduced penalties and organized gangs, not economic hardship.” (Steven Malanga, City Journal)

Climbing New Heights

The August letter from Vital Signs Ministries is a jam-packed, photo-filled, mountain-top edition that we think you're going to like. Give it a go with the link below.

 (Note: with the photos, give it a few seconds to load.)

https://vitalsignsministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LifeSharer-letter-August-2023.pdf

Musical Genius Lives! (At Least at "When Swing Was King" Shows)

If, regarding music, you’re thinking that beauty, inspiration, and extraordinary talents have almost disappeared altogether from American life, you’re all too correct. 

However, if you do miss these things, there is one place we can direct you to; namely, a “When Swing Was King” show presented at senior facilities across our area several times a month. For instance, in the August program, we are sharing the genius of songwriters like Rodgers and Hammerstein, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Henry Mancini, and Johnny Mercer. 

And those songs are performed by other musical giants like Harry James, Glenn Miller, Guy Lombardo, Nat King Cole, Artie Shaw, Eydie Gorme, Fred Astaire, the Andrews Sisters, Benny Goodman, Connie Francis, and Andy Williams. 

Too good to be true? Not at all. And to prove it to yourself, why not come along for a listen? We will be at Pacific Springs this afternoon at 3 and the schedule for the other August presentations is on the Vital Signs Ministries website. We would love to have you join us!

The Top 5 (August 5)

* "2 Sets of Laws for 2 Americas" (Victor Davis Hanson, Daily Signal)

* "Trafficking survivor says her trafficker 'took all his girls to Planned Parenthood'" (Nancy Flanders, NRL News)

* "Online Mail-Order Chemical Abortion: A Threat to Abuse and Trafficking Victims" (By Dr. Calum Miller, BMBCh, Charlotte Lozier Institute)

* "Obama biographer says ex-president 'as insecure as Trump,' would be 'terrible' on SCOTUS in stunning interview" (Brian Flood, Fox News)

* "DOJ Indictment Of Trump Is A Declaration Of War Against American Voters" (John Daniel Davidson, Federalist)

The Top 5 (July 29)

* "Biden Family Scandals Are So Much Bigger Than Hunter’s Hookers And Burisma Bribery" (Margot Cleveland, Federalist)

  "5 Biblical Reasons for Skepticism on UFO Testimony to Congress" (Joshua Arnold, Washington Stand)

* "Planned Parenthood’s Depraved Marketing Gimmicks" (Elise McCue, Daily Signal)

* "Maybe Black Lives Matter After All" (Steven Hayward, Power Line)

* "One in Six Democrats Believes Violence Is Justified to Restore Abortion: Poll" (Ben Johnson, Washington Stand)

And this week's bonus recommendation? It's actually a quick video clip created by a snack bar company. Nevertheless, its message is enlightening and challenging. Indeed, it is certainly one to think about...and to pass around. 

* "Three Generations" (Nature Valley video clip)

The Top 5 (July 22)

In addition to this week's Top 5 of the articles I'm recommending for you, a couple of bonus selections are included from Fox News regarding important religious developments you should be aware of.

* "There’s a War on for Your Kids in Public Schools" (S.A. McCarthy, Washington Stand)

* "Five Essential Truths About the Left" (Steven Hayward, Power Line)

* "Electric Cars Are a Scam" (David Harsanyi, Jewish World Review)

* "The Left Attacks ‘Sound Of Freedom’ Because It Exposes An Uncomfortable Truth About Moral Boundaries" (J. Antonio Juarez, Federalist)

* "7 Ways the FDA Decision to Sell Birth Control Pills Over-the-Counter Hurts Women" (Ben Johnson, Washington Stand)

And the bonus links?

* "Putin and Russian Orthodox Church forge an unholy alliance to take over Ukraine: Putin's Russia isn’t just at war with Ukraine, it’s at war with Christianity" (David Curry, Fox News)

* "The Chinese Communist Party is rewriting the Bible: Gospel according to Chairman Xi has Jesus turn killer instead of forgiving sin" (Rep. Mike Gallagher By Rep. Mike Gallagher, Fox News)

The Latest 14er Adventure: "Let's Go to the Video"

Aldo De La Cruz, a friend and neighbor who I was honored to have join me on our latest attempt of a Colorado 14er, is a dedicated and imaginative physical fitness advocate who uses videography to encourage and assist others in their workouts. Well, he brought along his camera (and even a drone!) to capture a bit of the feel of high mountain hiking and we were quite impressed by the results. You might be too. It's about 8 minutes and I'm betting you'll find it moving and fun.

The Top 5 (July 15)

* "The Thinly Veiled ‘Satanism’ in Our Culture" (S.A. McCarthy, Washington Stand)

* "A Woke Children’s Literature Cabal Is Conditioning Your Kid To Be An Obedient Leftist" (Kiri Jorgensen, Federalist)

* "If You Think All Teachers Are ‘Heroes,’ You’re Part Of The Problem" (B.L. Hahn, Federalist)

* "Faith in higher education has hit record lows -- and rightfully so." (Rikki Schlott, New York Post)

* "Ten Reasons Why Affirmative Action Died" (Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness) 

The Top 5 (July 8)

News you can use? You bet!

Here's my five highest recommended reads for this weekend.

* "5 recent Supreme Court rulings you should know about" (Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention)

* "Affirmative Action Is Another Nonsense Leftist Position We’ve Been Conditioned To Take Serious" (Edie Scarry, Federalist)

* "Joe Biden: The Biggest on Abortion" (S.A. McCarthy, Washington Stand)

* "The U.N. Is Planning To Seize Global ‘Emergency’ Powers With Biden’s Support" (Justin Haskins, Federalist)

* "Is Christianity Still Relevant in a Less Religious Culture?" (Rob Schwarzwalder, Washington Stand)

And for a bonus recommendation this week, here's an example of how important it is to not just watch life go by, but rather to continue to enthusiastically, courageously engage in whatever ways God opens up for us:

* "The Latest 14er Adventure" (Denny Hartford, Vital Signs Bog)

The Latest 14er Adventure

It was the 5th of July and I had decided once again to keep up the recent tradition of climbing a Colorado 14er on my birthday. That tradition had begun in 2016 when, with the inspiration and encouragement of my youngest brother, Ric, I successfully climbed Mt. Bierstadt to celebrate my turning 65. Since then I've had a couple of years with injuries or weather keeping me from attempts, but this summer was my chance to raise my total to 6 summits. 

And, by God's gracious permission and protection and empowerment, I was able to make a successful climb of Mt. Quandary alongside 3 engaging and inspiring friends: Ryan Garvey (a 20-year old student/athlete/musician/ardent Christian disciple); Aldo de la Cruz (a 36-year old athlete, chef, and YouTube physical fitness advocate who is my across-the-street neighbor); and Scott Lawson (a 50-year old athlete, longtime Menard's staff member, and Claire's and my godson who currently hails from Springfield, Missouri). 

Claire got up to see us off very early on Wednesday. As a matter of fact, we left the condo in Keystone at 4 and arrived at the trailhead at about 4:30. Within minutes we were on the trail. It was pitch dark when we started and our first 45 minutes or so of a very steep opening ascent were made by flashlights. Thus, I snapped this photo "Dawn On the Trail" some 60-70 minutes after we had got underway.

And, not long after, I caught this scene, "Morning Horizon."

 

It was quite cold for the first hours of the hike and we were sometimes moving through the misty clouds that seemed both to descend from the sky and to rise up in swirls from the valley between Quandary and North Star Mountain to the immediate south. Exciting, yes. But it created a moody and mysterious atmosphere too. But, as we climbed higher, we were extremely pleased to have the sun burn through the clouds every now and then. The next photo is "Above and Beyond" looking back towards Hoosier Pass and the southeast.

This next photo ("Cloudy Ridge") shows a ledge of Quandary's south side, North Star Mountain, and Mt. Lincoln.

Here's one of about a dozen mountain goats we encountered during the day.

For much of the first couple of hours, the guys allowed me to lead the way, but Scott and Ryan took over when the going got rough. Scott took this photo of me, Ryan, and Aldo as we hiked along the edge and up towards the toughest sections of the climb. You can see here how the clouds seemed to come from different directions. And, of course, you can see how profound can be the experience of seeing the world (and oneself) from such a vantage point.

Nearing the summit, I tried to capture a bit of the awesome feeling with this photo looking just a bit southwest to the rugged peaks beyond. ("A View Across Monte Cristo Creek.")

Of course, this snowfield just before the summit wasn't the most dangerous section of the hike. After all, if you fell here, you probably weren't going to break anything. Nevertheless, it was one of the most tricky parts of the effort, especially since none of our company has spikes available. I was very pleased, however, that I had attached a snow basket to my hiking pole. It helped a lot. Again, this is one of Scott's photos, showing me and Aldo just before we reached the top. That last hour had made for an extremely tough pull for this old dude and Aldo very graciously, patiently hung out with me (our other two partners being just a ways ahead) the whole time. 

And at the top, "Summit View" and "The Crew At the Top" with Ryan, Aldo, me, and Scott enjoying the grandeur and beauty for awhile before beginning the very long, tough descent. Very long and difficult, especially for the septuagenarian! Thank You, dear Father for allowing me this remarkable, inspiring, and memorable adventure with my friends. (See the postscript too.)

P.S. -- That evening we enjoyed another terrific tradition; namely, a celebration dinner at The Empire in Breckenridge. And particularly nice was that the rest of our Keystone party -- Ron & Linda Scheffler -- joined us for the feast. The Schefflers have often been a part of these Colorado excursions with Ron being a three-time veteran of 14er climbs himself, including Mt. Quandary. We had a delicious meal and stimulating fellowship...but it didn't stop us from making a real early night of it and enjoying the deep sleep of the truly tired! After all, we had to be on the road home early the next morning. My most heartfelt thanks to Claire, my fellow hikers, my friends who prayed for our safety and success, and to our very kind heavenly Father.

The top 5 (July 1)

News you can use? Here's my five highest recommended reads for this weekend.

* "America Wakes Up to Woke" (Victor Davis Hanson, Daily Signal)

* "Naked Men Freely Expose Themselves To Kids At Pride Because The Right Bought The Left’s ‘Tolerance’ Lie" (Jordan Boyd, Federalist)

* "Chemical Abortion Drugs Aren’t Safe: Here’s Why" (Bradley Evans, Alliance Defending Freedom)

* "When Do We Reach Peak Climate Insanity? It Needs To Be Soon" (Issues & Insight Editorial Board)

* "Communicating the Pro-Life Message" (Randy Alcorn, Eternal Perspective Ministries)

The Panther Patrol’s Last Mission or Confessions of A Boy Scout Dropout

I wondered why Claire was smiling as she looked through our e-mail. She laughed and explained that a friend of ours, an academic official at a Christian university where I had once taught a couple of courses, was asking for individuals to describe any experiences they had with the Boy Scouts. She turned and asked me, “Do you dare tell him yours?”

I started laughing too because in my oh-so-brief tenure as a Scout, two disasters stand out quite vividly. Now, be assured that I do not lay any blame for these fiascoes at the feet of my Scoutmasters -- they were, as they had pledged to be, eminently trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent fellows. But then again, there are limits to what even the best mentors can accomplish when forced to work with real numskulls.

My first memorable moment came when my troop went up into the Colorado mountains to learn some outdoorsman skills, play a wide-ranging game of "Capture the Flag", and cook our own dinner. We were also supposed to fill our canteens from the stream at the foot of the hill for our evening’s repast. Always on the lookout for an unconventional way of getting things done (especially if it was easier), I opted to open the spigot on a water tank at the south end of the building. Cool...at least until I took a big swig of the stuff to wash down my baked potato only to discover that I had filled my canteen with gasoline! I thought I was gonna’ die. Well, I didn’t but I did smell like a refinery for a week. And my taste buds didn’t really get back to normal for a month. Yipes.

The other disaster happened, I think, on the very next outing we went on. My troop (#448 -- why I remember that when I can’t remember the names of neighbors, teachers, or cousins, I’ll never know) visited a place we called Paradise Valley where we planned to spend a whole weekend camping out. I can’t remember clearly but I think our Troop had four or five different patrols and I was one of the members of the Panther Patrol. That group, it turned out, included the “rogues’ gallery” of our neighborhood. True, one of those Panthers would eventually spend a successful career in law enforcement, but I know all too well that at least three of us would spend some time on the other side of the law. It may well be that the disastrous weekend was but a foreshadowing of things to come.

First of all, the Panthers were denied their choice spot of a campsite because the Beaver Patrol (our troop’s elite corps, comprised of older and more serious Scouts) was given rights to the spot by our Scout leaders. Feeling wronged, we decided on a plan of revenge. That night we used our little shovels to dig a trench from the stream straight into the Beaver Patrol's tent. After witnessing some pretty satisfying results (our only real success of the weekend), we were named as the culprits. Who else? We were scolded, shamed, properly punished, and warned that we had only one more chance. We agreed.

But, like I hinted earlier, there are some boneheads that just aren’t cut out for the Scouting life. We behaved ourselves pretty well the next day but Saturday evening spelled our doom. The initial problem was that they tried to teach us how to make a small barricade of logs that would reflect our campfire’s heat back into our tent. Neat idea, but ours burnt up. Three times.

Next, we got to fooling around a little while making dinner and somehow I managed to brand Jimmy D. with a hot wiener. Ouch! Of course, it really was an accident. Scout’s honor. After all, Jimmy lived across the street from me back in the city. Who cared that he used to wear a nylon hose over his head (weighted with a bar of soap in the toe, no less) in order to train his hair to lay down a bit? He was still my buddy. Anyhow, Jimmy played the good Scout about the whole business and didn’t rat me out. What’s a flaming hot dog between pals?

But the comedic complications of the camping trip weren’t quite over for the troubled Panther Patrol. That night, it rained. Hard and plenty. And while the other patrols stayed dry and warm, our guys did not. We thought we had done everything right, but it seems that we had not only pitched our camp on a slope, we hadn’t secured the tent close against the ground. Thus, when the water came down, it came under our tent and ran beneath the polyethylene sheets we had lain under our sleeping bags. Before we knew it, the water had carried two of us down to the creek as nicely as if we were playing on a Slip n’ Slide. Bob B. and I both woke up in the stream!

That was the last straw for our Scout leaders and, if I remember correctly, most of the Panther Patrol was dismissed from Scout duty -- permanently. In fact, what I heard later may be true; namely, that our names and photos were distributed to the national B.S.A. with the warning, “Under no circumstances should a troop undertake to make Scouts out of these rascals. They are a serious danger, both to others and to themselves.”

But before you conclude that the Boy Scout lore and training I received in my short jaunt was wasted, let me finish my Scout memoirs with this important observation. Ever since that time, I have been careful to never, ever let go of a sharp object (like a hatchet) until the person I’m handing it to tells me “Thank you” or gives some other acknowledgment that he does, in fact, have control of the object. It was my mentors from Troop 448 that stressed that helpful bit of advice and I’m pleased to say that I still have all ten toes.

The moral of the story? Even numskulls can learn a thing or two.

And about that letter to the Christian university official? Well, I sent it, telling him these same stories. But whether or not he ever used my testimony, (bless his heart) he was just too polite to say.

The Top 5 (June 24)

* ‘Russian Collusion: It Was Hillary Clinton All Along’ (I & I Editorial Board)

* Hunter Biden and the corruption of the liberal media (Brenda O'Neill, spiked!)

* Grassley: Plea Deal Ignores ‘Significant Body Of Evidence’ Of Hunter Biden’s Other Criminal Schemes (Tristan Justice, Federalist)

* In Canada, the West’s Suicide Is Becoming Literal (Jarrett Stepman, Daily Signal)

* France: Submission to Islamism Quickly Gaining Ground (Guy Millière, Gatestone Institute)

Advocacy & Atta’ Boys: Recent Letter-Writing Samples

Our two letter-writing parties last Tuesday involved 9 Christians who produced 92 cards and letters as part of our commitment to be, as the Lord commanded, “salt and light” in the world.  As is the case with every quarterly letter-writing event sponsored by Vital Signs Ministries, the advocacy we emphasize includes sanctity of life, religious freedom, and other indispensable moral values. And yes; given the insanity and coercive nature of the “woke” movement in recent years, we address this as well. Finally, we always take time to write “the good guys” in business, politics, and Christian ministry with appropriate messages of thanks, encouragement, and promises of ongoing prayers and support.

Want more details? Well, I’m going to print just a few of the brief letters from Tuesday’s parties below in hopes they might stimulate you to say some prayers and even write a few letters of your own. And then, if you’d like to check out the “subject sheets” we handed out Tuesday, you can find them on the Vital Signs Ministries website. Just click the June 2023 Letter-Writing Guide under our Taking Action section.

Okay? Here’s those sample letters.

1) To the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,

Alas, your approval of the dangerous drug mifepristone was one of the most tragic mistakes in your existence. And, as you know, you had to break your own rules of health and science to do so. You are protecting abortion – not human health & lives.

2) To Republican National Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel…

Dear Mrs. McDaniel,

What a wonderful “breath of fresh air” you have been for the party. We especially are encouraged by your defense of the preborn and your wise counsel to other Republicans to do the right thing. For when carefully, calmly explained, pro-life is a winning strategy. Thank you.

3) To Target,

I would have thought big companies would have learned from the disaster of Bud Light’s campaign and they would have been more circumspect in what they try to push down the throats of their customers. Well, the customers are speaking up and walking away. Apologize and chage your sale tactics if you want to see people come to your store again.

4) Attention Kohl’s CEO,

I was a faithful shopper at Kohl’s. I would like you to omit participating in any “Pride” collection at your stores. As long as your “woke” ideologies continue, I will not return to your stores.

5) To the Director of Samaritan’s Purse & the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association,  Franklin Graham

Dear Franklin,

I so appreciate you calling sin, sin no matter who it pertains to. I agree with you that none of us are better than anyone else, but instead are better off as a result of Jesus Christ being our Lord and Savior. I love what God is doing through your ministry. So many are majorly blessed as the Good News is preached to all the world. My deepest prayer is for God’s blessing of protection on you as well as His anointing. May His glory fall all over this messed up world.

6) To Wendy’s management,

Really? Flying a “Pride” flag at your corporate offices and thus offending (quite unnecessarily) a good deal of your customer base? Bad move. And until you get back to the basics (i.e., burgers and shakes) and away from the leftist “woke” ideology, we’re no longer using your restaurants.

7) To the Essential Pregnancy Services staff,

Thank you all for what you are doing and will do in protecting human life. We love the new facility the Lord provided for you. When we are praying at Planned Parenthood, we are encouraged by your waves and smiles. May the Lord bless you all!

8) To the Speaker of the Nebraska Legislature, John Arch

Dear Senator Arch,

Thank you! Thank you! Your leadership in the Unicameral this past session was outstanding. You sure had some tough fights on your watch, but you handled them well. There will be more babies saved in Nebraska because of the passage of LB574. Blessings.

--------  And finally, I close out these latest in our sample letters with one I sent to 21 federal agencies who have, in various ways, gone out of their way to unfairly embrace “wokeness.”  

9) To the directing officers of the U.S. Justice Department,

I write as a taxpaying citizen who has a lifetime love for the historic ideals of America’s founding fathers to politely (but firmly) protest your participation in “Pride Month” and other tax-funded endorsements of homosexual and LGBTQ lifestyles. I believe your actions are irresponsible, unnecessarily divisive, and morally offensive to the majority of Americans and so I appeal to you to end your inappropriate use of taxpayer monies to “celebrate” such activities. 

After all, government agencies are already woefully underperforming in their primary purposes. Indeed, many are abjectly failing in their duties. Therefore, to spend time and money on the advocacy of ideological “woke movements” which, by their very nature, tend to unravel our already tenuous social bonds, ensures that your agency will continue to fall behind in what you owe the American people.

Please, get back to the work that you’re supposed to be doing.

Rev. Denny Hartford
Omaha, Nebraska

“In the Storms of Life” – A Few Charles Spurgeon Quotes

Fresh from the handout given to our Sunday afternoon Aksarben Village church service audience last Sunday afternoon are a few ever-timely observations from the great British preacher of the 19th Century, Charles Spurgeon.

* “The more the wind rages the more you feel that the anchor holds you.”

* “Storms help to make the sailors sturdy, and trials help to make Christians strong in faith.”

* “Child of God, you cost Christ too much for Him to forget you.” 

* “You always need divine protection and, believer in Christ, you shall always have it.”

*“Times of trouble send our hope deep down into fundamental truths.”

*“The sweetest prayers God ever hears are the groans and sighs of those who have no hope in anything but His love.”

* “I would sooner walk in the dark, and hold hard to a promise of my God, than trust in the light of the brightest day that ever dawned.”

* “When you go through a trial, the sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which you lay your head.”

* “I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me up against the Rock of Ages.”

* “No faith is so precious as that which lives and triumphs through adversity…You would never have believed your own weakness had you not needed to pass through trials. And you would never have known God’s strength had His strength not been needed to carry you through.”

* “Doubt not His grace because of thy tribulation, but believe that He loveth thee as much in seasons of trouble as in times of happiness.”