Salt and Light

About a year ago this month the wonderful Life Action Revival Ministries came to Midway Baptist Church in Gulf Breeze, FL and lead our church in two straight weeks of revival. It was nothing less than phenomenal and the first thing we learned was that revival meant God visiting us. Most Christians will tell you that what our country needs is revival and they are right.

The problem is that we usually rely on government to fix the societal problems that are literally rotting our country from the inside out. We cannot leave the needs of our country up to politicians only and that means we as Christian citizens need to “take right ground” as described by the great 19th Century revivalist Charles Finney.

Well Life Action Ministries is sponsoring a 30 day commitment of Christians to pray for revival everyday at 12 noon. I invite all Christians to sign up for “12 Pray” at Life Action’s website and join in this awesome call to seek God’s face. We will be voting in the primaries in little over a month in some places; two months here in Florida. We need a move of God to wash over this land and motivate Christians to get to the polls during the primaries so we can have the candidate of our choice instead of plugging our noses and voting for the lesser of two evils.

I hope you will join me.

I’ve seen many of the videos coming out of Iraq, but I admit I missed this one. Thanks to Thea Maddox for sending this music video by Marine Mike Corrado. His song is titled, “On My Watch Tonight,” and I particularly like the line where he sings, “You take care of the love and I’ll deal with the hate.”

That is what our brave men and women do; we sleep tight while they fight. God bless them!

I’m a little confused here. While I have a great sense of humor and I love lighthearted moments, I wonder if it can’t be taken a bit too far.

Governor Mike Huckabee, a rising star in the GOP presidential race, has recently won the endorsement of Chuck Norris, actor and avid conservative. Some of the complaints against Governor Huckabee is that he doesn’t address serious criticisms about his record; he usually makes a joke about some of the issues.

Governor Huckabee has a new ad on his campaign website with Chuck Norris. While I admit it is somewhat clever and entertaining, is it presidential? The last entertaining Governor from Arkansas liked to wear sunglasses and play the saxophone, and we all remember how that turned out. Now I am in no way equating the two Arkansas governors, but I do question the value of this ad.

Since I’m somewhat torn on this issue, I’m asking all of you to comment here on my blog after watching the ad below, and tell me what you think. If you haven’t already registered, please do so under the “Meta” section on the right side of the page. Thanks for your help and I look forward to your comments.

If you can’t view it here, go to Gov. Huckabee’s website to view the video.

defame (verb) - to damage the reputation, character, or good name of by slander or libel.
treason (noun) - the betrayal of a trust or confidence; breach of faith; treachery
kerry (verb) - to damage the reputation, character, or good name of American military men and women; to betray the trust and confidence of America’s military; to commit a breach of faith with the men of women of America’s Armed Forces; to be treacherous towards the military

Last year (Nov. 4, 2006) I wrote an article for the New Media Journal titled “Kerrying the Troops.” I’ve provided three definitions to help define who John Kerry is. Yes, I made up the third definition, but actually I’ve merely described the junior senator from Massachussetts.

Not unlike the cold sore you can’t get rid of, John Kerry has once again inserted himself into the limelight. The last time we saw John Kerry in the news, some student of the Gator Nation was yelling, “Don’t taze me bro!”

This time Senator Kerry is finally going to clear up the Swift Boat Veterans’ terrible treatment of him during the 2004 elections. In response to T. Boone Pickens’ challenge, Senator Kerry stated, “”While I am prepared to show they lied on allegation after allegation, you have generously offered to pay one million dollars for just one thing that can be proven false. I am prepared to prove the lie beyond any reasonable doubt.” (See full article)

I laughed when I saw that and thought to myself, “I can’t wait to see Mr. Pickens’ response.” He did not disappoint me. I’m thinking Senator Kerry will “lurch” back into the background after he reads Mr. Pickens’ simple requirements.

Some people continuously beat their foreheads and then wonder why they have a headache.

This Friday I will be on Jerry Hughes’ radio show Straight Talk. Jerry has graciously offered for me to be on the whole second hour, 3-4pm CST. My last visit with Jerry was a very robust conversation, we talked about Eddie and the war and ended with Jerry asking me to pray for our soldiers, which was a first.

You can catch the show on the internet or check the website to see where they are broadcasting.

“Permit me, then, to recommend from the sincerity of my heart, ready at all times to bleed in my country’s cause, a declaration of independence; and call upon the world, and the great God who governs it, to witness the necessity, propriety and rectitude thereof…Let us, therefore, act like men inspired with a resolution that nothing but the frowns of Heaven shall conquer us.”

General Nathaniel Greene, who was one of General George Washington’s most trusted generals of the Revolutionary War, wrote those words on January 4, 1776, to his Rhode Island representative to the Continental Congress, Samuel Ward.

Those words so aptly describe the American Veteran. Whether we look upon the battlefields of Yorktown, Gettysburg, Havana Harbor, Verdun, the Ardennes Forest, the Chosin Reservoir, Khe Sanh, Kuwait City, Mogadishu, or the streets of Ramadi, our great American fighting men and women have been, “with sincerity of heart…inspired with a resolution,” to serve and die for our great nation and the cause of freedom. Veteran’s Day was originally known as Armistice Day and it was on November 11, 1918 that World War I ended. Upon signing the proclamation, President Woodrow Wilson ended with these words:

“To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nation.”

Veteran’s Day has always been special to me, not only as a veteran, but also as an American who is grateful for the ultimate sacrifice made by all our veterans, living or deceased, fallen on the battlefield or returning home to an either grateful or presumptuous nation. This Veteran’s Day is uniquely special to me because my late and great son Sergeant Eddie Jeffers gave his life in defense of his country just 54 days ago. Eddie believed in his cause and willingly gave his life for it; so have hundreds of thousands before him.

One question comes to mind on this Veteran’s Day, to me personally as both a Gold Star Dad and an American: “Am I worthy of this sacrifice?” As a Christian I know that I’m not worthy of the blood of Jesus Christ; it is a gift from God. But as an American, am I worthy of the sacrifice of our great veterans? Do I have an overwhelming love and gratitude for such a blessed nation as the United States of America? I pray so; I pray that when I meet my Jesus He will tell me, “Well done thy good and faithful servant.” I also pray that when I see Eddie and the rest of the great Christian soldiers who have gone before me, that they will also say, “well done thy good and faithful American.”

Being an American is a wonderful privilege and blessing; the great majority of inhabitants on earth want to be Americans. We are a model and a magnet for those who desire freedom; freedom to worship the god of their choice, to prosper, to live a life without fear of retribution for exercising such freedom. This blessed nation did not just come into to existence or evolve out of nothing. It was founded and is being sustained by the shed blood of truly Great Americans. That term Great American is severely overused today and has lost some of its luster, but to our wonderful vets, it completely describes them.

It seems only fitting that “one nation under God,” founded by Christians for the purpose of religious freedom and of life, liberty, and the pursuit happiness, that shed blood would be required. It is what Jesus did for our salvation, and it is what we have done and will continue to do to maintain our freedom.

My prayer for all of you is two-fold:

1. That you have accepted the wonderful, precious gift of salvation that is provided in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

2. That you will honor, cherish, and fulfill your civic duty of an American; doing so with great delight and assuming the responsibility that comes with the privilege of being an American.

I leave you with one quote and wish everyone a reflective and blessed Veteran’s Day. This quote is from John Quincy Adams and is a good reminder of what is required of every American citizen:

“Posterity—you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it.”

Well, this has been a busy week so this three-day weekend is going to be much appreciated. The week started off Monday evening with my wife Karen and I traveling to Montgomery, Alabama. We, Eddie’s mother Tina Kelly and her husband John, along with 91 other Gold Star Families were invited to the capitol as guests of Governor Bob Riley and First Lady Patsy. The Riley’s are a fine Christian couple and their genuine love and care showed through on Tuesday during a dedication to a beautiful memorial to the 92 fallen Alabamians who have made the ultimate sacrifice on the Global War on Terror. The governor had clearly set aside a couple of hours in his busy day because Patsy and he spent time with all the families in attendance; hugging them, crying with them, taking pictures, whatever they wanted.

Governor Riley and his staff have become good friends with Eddie’s mother and stepfather Tina and John and you can tell there is a genuine affection between them. What a wonderful thought to know in this day and age of low opinion of our elected officials we have such wonderful people running the state of Alabama. Alabama is thriving and it is in no small part because of Governor Riley’s efforts.

Today we will be at the Magnolia Grill in Fort Walton Beach where Tom and Peg Rice have graciously opened up their restaurant to have a pancake breakfast where all the proceeds are going to the Emerald Coast Fisher House. Karen and I will be serving and flipping pancakes and thanking the wonderful people of the Emerald Coast for their generous donations to this great cause Eddie so loved.

On this Veterans’ Day Weekend please get out and go to your local veteran’s memorial park, to a parade, a church event, wherever a Veterans’ Day celebration is occuring and find a vet and/or his or her family and give them a hug. You’ll never know how much they will appreciate it and it is a simple and gratifying way to say thank you to our precious veterans.

God bless you all and I promise to write more this weekend!

My sister Mary Wheeler had it on her heart to send President Bush a copy of Eddie’s article, “Hope Rides Alone,” after his death. Here are her words:

Dear David,
I just wanted you to know that I have just mailed off Eddie’s article to the President. He may not get it but we can pray that he does. I just happened along the address while I was looking up something else at the USPS website and I had an over-whelming desire in my heart to send it to him. I hope that you do not mind. I know that your friend may have already done so but I really felt that it was the Lord’s will for me to do it, whether it was just for my own peace of mind or not I do not know.
Your son is not forgotten,
All my love.
Minji (her nickname)

Well, I just received an update from her:

Hi Dave,
Hope that you and Karen are well. I just wanted to tell you that the package I sent to Pres. Bush did get to him. They actually sent me back a signed letter and a “Seal of the President of the United States” medallion. I have attached the letter so you can read it. God bless you guys.
Love,
Minji

I’m not sure all that Mary included in the package, but I am so honored that the Lord used my sister to get Eddie’s letter to the President. I actually tried a couple of avenues, but an Aunt’s love is greater than going through normal channels.

Here is a copy of President Bush’s letter to my sister Mary:

presidential-letter001.pdf