Greetings and Blessings for a Happy New Year…
As we enter into 2016, many of us look back on 2015 and realize life as we knew it has definitely shifted, tilted, and we wonder what’s ahead.
For me it’s been a year of both outrage and a heavy heart, burdened with a never-ending succession of news stories that have felt like kicks to the gut. It’s the dream I had as a brand new Christian come to fruition. As I ran down the street in the dark yelling, “The night is coming!” little did I know how dark it would become so soon.
I do not have to list all of the current issues plaguing us for one to understand that we are a nation in deep trouble. But, while we debate about and concern ourselves with terrorism, leadership, global issues, immigration, corruption, scandal, presidential candidates, the economy, guns and free speech, we are focused on only some of the symptoms of our country’s sickness, not the source of the infection.
Just what is the root cause of all of the chaos, confusion, hate and division we see happening in our once great nation—the one that was a “shining light on a hill,” to which people flocked for a life of freedom and opportunity? I believe it is a lack of something once important to us. It was something incorporated into our Constitution, our educational systems and our churches. It was taught in our homes. It was important to develop, maintain and cultivate in our youth. That one thing we had was virtue.
Virtue is no longer part of our everyday lexicon. So what is it? Directly linked to moral behavior, it is to develop three characteristics. These are named using three Greek words: Arête, Phronesis and Eudaimonia.
Arête is excellence in character that naturally exemplifies goodness, honesty and self-control. Phronesis is moral or practical wisdom that knows the right course to take in any circumstance. Eudaimonia is a good, flourishing life.
Virtue is of great importance to God. You cannot have virtue without God or by not following his commandments and requirements. Furthermore, one cannot develop wisdom on one’s own. It is a gift from the Lord. Proverbs 2:6. To acquire it is to first have reverence for the Lord. Proverbs 1:7.
The framers of the Constitution did not sit around sweating intellectual bullets. Collectively, they went to prayer first. In doing so, they created an historic lifeline flowing from the Bible, the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes extending to us today. They based our Constitution on the Natural Law, acknowledging One Creator and Designer of the universe with respect to His ordinances. They established that the Creator made all things (Romans 1:20-22). The Creator revealed a moral code of behavior, instructing us in right from wrong. (Isaiah 5:20). And thirdly, they acknowledged that our Creator has made us responsible for how we treat one another. This document is not simply a piece of paper; it is our Founding Fathers’ covenant with God. And a covenant with God cannot be an evolving document. This covenant or our historic lifeline reveals the secret of America’s exceptionalism. Virtue is the reason America has prospered and enjoyed a kind of invincibility with our enemies.
Vice is today’s virtue. We no longer have a standard of moral excellence. Without virtue humility is replaced by pride, generosity by greed, gratitude by discontent, self-restraint by self-indulgence, social ethics by rudeness and discernment by delusion for both believers and non-believers. The very soul of America is on life support. God is warning His people about turning their backs on Him. He always does before He brings consequences, trouble and great shaking to a nation.
So is there hope? Yes, that message will be coming to my next blog…
America, Land of Condemnation (Part Three)
4/15/2021 1:00:00 PM by: Christine
America, Land of Condemnation (Part Two)
4/6/2021 1:01:00 PM by: Christine
America, Land of Condemnation (Part One)
3/24/2021 1:55:00 PM by: Christine
Government's Desperate Need for Humility
3/11/2021 12:21:00 PM by: Christine
Is the Church Changing?
1/19/2020 10:55:00 AM by: Christine
What Are Our Values Anymore?
11/22/2019 7:29:00 AM by: Christine
The Final Frontier (Part Two)
9/4/2019 10:10:00 AM by: Christine
The Final Frontier (Part One)
7/29/2019 9:00:00 AM by: Christine
Soulmate
4/30/2019 5:00:00 AM by: Christine
The Colors of a Writer
12/29/2018 5:00:00 AM by: Christine
What's Not to Get About the Writing Life?
4/18/2018 1:24:00 AM by: Christine
Learning to Sing the Song of Winter
12/10/2017 by: Christine
Perspectives & the Second Half of the 10 Commandments of Conflict
8/25/2017 9:57:00 PM by: Christine
Perspectives & 5 of the 10 Commandments of Conflict
5/2/2017 by: Christine
Run Writer Run! Make Music with Your Words
2/15/2017 5:30:00 PM by: Christine
Mom, the Fishstetrician
10/14/2016 by: Christine
The CONSTITUTION For President
6/5/2016 3:41:00 PM by: Christine
The Radicalization of Hillary and the Democrat Party (PART 2 OF 2)
4/16/2016 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
The Radicalization of Hillary and the Democrat Party (PART 1 OF 2)
4/15/2016 2:51:12 PM by: Christine
Why Ted Cruz NOW?
3/19/2016 12:26:00 AM by: Christine
Why is the GOP Committing Suicide?
3/14/2016 12:30:25 AM by: Christine
Dear Chicago
3/12/2016 9:36:14 PM by: Christine
Does God Give Us More Than We Can Handle?
2/29/2016 10:08:29 PM by: Christine
That Unanswered GOP Debate Question
1/9/2016 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
America's Lifeline
12/31/2015 3:04:50 PM by: Christine
Fractured Nation (2 of 2)
11/14/2015 8:42:06 AM by: Christine
Fractured Nation (1 of 2)
11/11/2015 11:04:35 AM by: Christine
What is Orphan Sunday?
11/8/2015 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
November's Gratitude and Longing
11/4/2015 8:30:39 PM by: Christine
Losing a Child is Like...
9/12/2015 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Finding God in a Tenement
9/3/2015 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Doing School in the 21st Century
8/22/2015 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Superstition vs. Planned Parenthood
8/19/2015 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Addicted to Giving Birth?
4/21/2015 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Why We Should Have "The Talk" Before Marriage
3/20/2015 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Adoptive Parents "Hypersensitive" & "Selfish?"
3/12/2015 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
What's So Wrong With Calling It "Gotcha Day!"
2/26/2015 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
How God Connected the Dots
2/7/2015 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Exposure of Transracially Adopted Kids to Their Races a Bad Thing?
2/2/2015 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Out With The Old
1/12/2015 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Those Who Scoff at International Adoption
8/16/2014 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Setting Aside Birth Story Facts for Truth
7/31/2014 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Sneak Peak, "How much did you pay for her?"
6/11/2014 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Blessing Through Adoption Pain
5/16/2014 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Eight Ways Publishing Your Book is Like an Adoption Journey
2/23/2014 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Neglected Ministries?
2/17/2014 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
It's a Boy
2/8/2014 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Thoughts of Her
2/1/2014 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
To My Son
1/30/2014 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Rational Thinking?
1/25/2014 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Minority Against Minority
1/12/2014 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Happy New Year!
12/30/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Happy Thanksgiving
11/25/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
You ARE my mother?
11/10/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
The Transracially Adopted Children's Bill of Rights and Some Thoughts
11/3/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Infertility Is...
10/19/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Will He Speak English?
10/11/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Kitty-Sam
10/5/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
What's in a Name?
9/30/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Vhristine
An Adoptive Mom's Message to Those in the Healthcare and Education Professions
9/25/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Being Tested
9/11/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
When We Are Weary
9/1/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Trailblazers
8/24/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Chrisrine
A Fresh Start
8/22/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
God Works Behind the Scenes
8/13/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Why Adoption Requires Forgiveness
7/28/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Dust Bunnies and Poo
7/19/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Reality Check
7/13/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Forgiveness is Work
7/9/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
An Answer to Prayer, Part Three
7/3/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
An Answer to Prayer, Part Two
6/27/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
An Answer to Prayer, Part One
6/22/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Are They Really Brother and Sister?
6/16/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Infertility's Not Fair
6/13/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Has He Ever Eaten a Dog?
6/11/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine
Sometimes We Fail
6/9/2013 12:00:01 AM by: Christine