On November 3, 2020 ...

"I’m deeply concerned. Donald Trump poses an existential threat to our standing in the world and continues to threaten the decades of diplomatic progress we had made. It is easy to forget from the comfort of our homes that for many people, America is a beacon of hope and opportunity. We're known as a country that keeps our promises and upholds justice and democracy, and that didn’t just happen overnight. We’ve spent decades building our nation's reputation on the world stage through careful, strategic diplomacy -- but in just under four years, Trump has done unspeakable damage to those relationships and has insulted even our closest allies. Our only hope for reversing this damage is to elect Democrats nationwide in November, and that requires significant support from people like you. I know that Joe Biden has what it takes to restore our country's standing in the world because I've seen him do it. I’ve been in public service for decades. This moment in our country is among the most troubling I've lived through, but I’m confident that Democratic leaders at every level will make significant progress in undoing the damage done by Trump and his reckless appointees abroad. The situation we find ourselves in demands a complete reckoning with our current political leadership. We must elect Democrats from the top of the ticket to the bottom in November. Thank you." - Madeleine Albright, 64th United States Secretary of State & 20th United States Ambassador To the United Nations

The Presidential Election 2020

    The election of Donald Trump has been an utter disaster for our nation. He is both a symptom and a cause of many of the most pressing issues we’re facing today, and we cannot afford four more years of a president who fans the flames of racism, devastates our economy, and amplifies conspiracy theories over Twitter. We need Joe Biden in the White House and Democrats in control of the House and Senate.

    If we come together in support of a strong Democratic Party, we have a chance to take back the White House, flip the Senate, and expand our Democratic majority in the House. But that’s only possible if we get to work now. It’s the support of Democrats like you and I that will translate directly to training organizers, hiring voter protection directors in vulnerable states, and upgrading our tech and data infrastructure. There’s still so much work to be done, and it’s going to require early commitments from all of us. We have a chance to get America back on track. - Barbara Streisand

Behold

   "Your soul, which formerly was dry, now ripens from suffering.  Once upon a time you were sharply intolerant. You were constantly in a rush. You were constantly short of time. And now you have time with interest. You are surfeited with it, with its months and years, behind you and ahead of you - and a beneficial calming fluid pours through your blood vessels - patience. You are ascending.  Formerly you never forgave anyone. You judged people without mercy. And you praised people with equal lack of moderation. And now an understanding mildness has become the basis of your uncategorized judgments. You have come to realize your own weakness - and you can therefore understand the weakness of others. And be astonished at another's strength."                 - Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Morning Silence

"Morning silence with a sense of freshness
lying lightly on the lawn.
A hushed anticipation and a listening on tiptoe
to the greeting trill of birds. 

Silence of noon heavy with drowsy contentment
as sculptured clouds sit placidly above unmoving trees
staccato sounds of labour puncture the stillness. 
Sluggishly it flows again and settles sleepily. 

Evening silence with its sense of relaxation
in the quiet friendly circle while the flames murmur softly 
to the logs as they crumble and the dog breathes a sigh in his dreams
Silence of night like a blanket of mystery wraps the earth in cool, damp folds.

Familiar shapes are subtly changed
and crouch in secret stillness
under rhinestone-studded skies." 
 - Daphne Roberts

A Spiritual Parable

     "Sinners are in bondage to Satan, deaf to God's truth, dumb in utterance to His praise, and no human power can emancipate them from their depravity. When, however, they are stirred to realize their appalling need and pray, 'Lord, I believe,' then the miracle of grace takes place in their heart." - H. Lockyear

Time To Study History

   The situation in America, Britain and across the globe is now a slow-motion world crisis ready to explode. And for that reason, I submit to you that you no longer have time not to read history. When Winston Churchill faced his world crisis, he had to muster every ounce of knowledge, wisdom and courage he had accumulated over his lifetime to try to save his people, their nation and its virtues. Imagine if that lifetime had been spent absorbing frivolous content. He could have never become the one statesman alive whom God could use to save Western civilization. ...

    To him, history was more than a subject or a hobby. It was his identity. He did not simply observe the historical continuum; he made himself part of it. He did not live in the past; the past lived on in him. History became his personal memory. … Churchill dove into history. He wrote his four-volume, million-word masterpiece, Marlborough between 1933 and 1938, while his colleagues disarmed Britain. He was the lone, almost powerless voice, warning against it. This deep dive into history helped prepare him for Britain's darkest hour. ...

    Like Churchill, we are living in historic times. It is time to drop the distracting smart-phone apps, the gaming, the frivolity and dissipation. It's time to devote your precious hours to serious pursuits that could very well be life-saving pursuits. It is time to become part of something bigger than yourself. It is time to become part of history.  - S. Flurry