Tag: looting

My Morning Do . . . “Patriotism”

~~ by tkbrown

11 September 2020 — On 11 September 2001, 19 years ago today the attack on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City ripped into the hearts of most Americans. For most of the next decade, Americans locked arms in an almost seamless patriotic revival. Our country had been attacked on American mainland soil, and the shock rebounded in a patriotic wave strong enough to buoy the Spirit of America. Patriotism became “the wind beneath the wings” that kept America strong.

Today, something has changed in America–and I think not in a good way. The accusations of racism in part have been true, but not to the extent the protests and riots have portended. There is a difference in “protests” and “riots”. Rioting has no place in America. It destroys everyone’s peace. The movement has seemingly embraced racism by black people in America toward the white population. One wrong does not justify a second wrong. Rioting, looting, vandalism, arson, and graffiti have marred what were once beautiful residential and business settings throughout America–with virtually no opposition.

I realize unnecessary pain has spurred much of this movement, but I challenge America to listen to the message of God’s word. In Romans 12:21, the apostle Paul said, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Yes, lives have been lost unnecessarily, but millions of dollars in damages to Americans who had no part of those instances does not bring those lives back. Nothing will bring them back. The anger toward those who took those lives is understood,. This heartless assault on America by fellow Americans is not understood. It is ripping America apart, pitting one against another–and it must stop. We must once again pull together and make America strong as it once was. We must return to the patriotic unity we embraced 19 years ago today and talk bout our differences over a table while sharing coffee. Destroying America will not solve anyone’s problems–and I fear it is making racism return, not rendering it harmless.

I ask all who are reading this to begin daily prayers for this unrest to end, for patriotism and unity to return in a country founded upon love of God’s righteousness. “United we stand. Divided we fall!” — Aesop.

One evil does not justify two. The sins of one does not scripturally justify reciprocal sin. As I close, I would like to leave a few scriptures for your reflection:

Romans 3:23 — “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Isaiah 5:20 — “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; . . . “

Romans 12:19 — “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 32:32 — “Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; their foot shall slip in due time, for the day of their calamity is at hand and the things to come hasten upon them.”

Seeking vengeance with your own hand never resolves any problem, it only leaves a gaping would where a scratch once stood.

Have a blessed day!

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Photo Above: by motivationforgood @pixabay.com.

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SUNSHINE BLOGGER AWARD

Special Thanks

Thank You so very much, darellphilip, for nominating me for this award. I appreciate your support of my blog posts. It means much to work in a mutually supportive environment with like minds. I believe that is what this award is about. By supporting each other we create a light that shines on those involved in this mutually supportive effort. The resulting “Sunshine” warms our hearts and soothes the soul. It is a blessing from God. Again, Thank You, darellphilip !

To those reading, if you have not visited his blog, you should go to https://darellphilip.wordpress.com/ and see what he has posted. He supports the work of others and consistently searches for more to include in this circle of ‘Sunshine.’ Check it out!

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Sunshine Blogger Award Rules:

  1. Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link back to their blog.
  2. Answer the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you.
  3. Nominate 11 people and ask them 11 new questions.
  4. Notify the nominees by commenting on one of their posts.
  5. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award in your post.

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darellphilip’s Questions:

  1. What are you thankful for right now and why?
    • I am thankful for God’s love — the strength, clarity, love for others He instills in me; for my family — my children, grandchildren, siblings, nieces, nephews, and cousins; for each person with whom I come into contact — face-to-face, in social media, and on this and other blog posts, I am truly blessed by each; for my ability to express myself in written form — both prose and poetry, for this blog page — it has helped me to expand my horizons with regard to who I am and the purposes for my writing ability, and I am thankful for the necessities of life which are provided in abundance.
  2. Who inspires you?
    • my fellow bloggers, other authors, other poets, journalists, academics, family, friends, the news. I often am inspired to pursue a new line of research or thought by the written or verbal expression of others.
  3. Where is your favourite vacation spot?
    • It varies, but typically the Ozarks in the heartland of the United States. It is where I grew up and I am enthralled with the lay of the land. I feel very close to nature and to God when I am there.
  4. When did you first realize your love for blogging?
    • About a year ago, I realized that I truly had the ability to write poetry and prose worthy of sharing with others here on my wordpress.com pages rather than saving all of it for future publication. It has actually helped me with my projects planned for traditional publication too.
  5. Why does Black Lives Matter?
    • For me, saying specifically–Black lives Matter–excludes all other races as negligible and unworthy of mattering. I believe one race is as important–and matters as much–as any other. I believe singling out one race is much more racist than most other racist statements because it excludes ALL other races. I believe God sees the color of our hearts, not the color of our skins, when He determines who is important and that persons of all races matter to Him. Thus, persons of all races must matter to me, not just one race; I believe my responsibility is determining what one projects from his / her heart and then promote those whose projections are aligned with those of Jesus Christ. The riots that are being presented as peaceful protests are harmful to others and to the property of others, as well as to the cause they are purported to support. Thus they are against God’s will, and–as such–I cannot condone them in any form. Peaceful Protests are never violent or demeaning to others. I appreciate you asking this question, because it allows me to say these things with purpose. They have been weighing heavily on my heart.
  6. How many pets do you have?
    • none — I have had pets in the past, right now it would cost more to properly care for a pet than I can manage.
  7. What new skills have you acquired during lockdown?
    • I have been able to take the time needed to improve on my health through nutrition research and finding new and better recipes to utilize in this endeavor. I have also been able to better visualize the end product in my poetry book(s), my novels, and my non-fiction endeavors.
  8. Where does your inspiration to blog come from?
    • It comes from many sources: from reading–the blogs of others, news articles online, journal articles, poetry, and even during sleep. Inspiration comes from all about me, from within me, and from a spiritual connection with God and His Son.
  9. Who is most important to you in your life right now and why?
    • God, my children, and my grandchildren because they are God given gifts. I will never receive a better gift than my children and my grandchildren.
  10. Why should bloggers follow your blog?
    • I try to reflect on events happening in our world as I write. I try to always write with honesty and integrity in a way which allows others to take what they like and leave the rest. I am honored to know others see enough value in my posts to want more people to see and read them too. These award nominations have humbled me much. All praise, I believe, goes to God and His Son, Jesus. I strive to live my life in a manner pleasing to them. Hopefully, the value of that will continue to be seen by others. Thank You for asking this question too. It has given me the opportunity to reflect upon what I do and why. Thank You for nominating me!
  11. When will racism end?
    • I fear–because evil roams the world seeking ways to destroy all efforts for peaceful existence–I fear it will not end until the Lord comes to call us home.

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My Nominees:

  1. Tangie @ https://www.tangietwoods.blog
  2. Blanca @ https://journeyinfindinggod414907732.wordpress.com/
  3. ChallEngEr @ https://ministryin.wordpress.com/
  4. Nomison @ https://artnomison.wordpress.com/
  5. Sarah @ https://studywys.wordpress.com/about-myself/
  6. Anju @ https://thinkbigcom529246297.wordpress.com/about/
  7. Maurice @ https://soulrenewed.wordpress.com/
  8. parneetsachdev @ https://timelessmind.org/
  9. Maxine @ https://heavensreef.wordpress.com/
  10. Terese @ https://teresebelme.com/
  11. Saania @ https://saania2806.wordpress.com/

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My Questions for My Nominees:

  1. What is your favorite color and why?
  2. Who is your favorite author and why?
  3. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
  4. What is your favorite quote? Why?
  5. In your education, what has had the most impact on you? Why?
  6. What is your favorite course of study? Why?
  7. Who influenced you to begin your blog? Why?
  8. Do you implement your own writing style on your blog, or do you follow that of someone else? Why?
  9. If you could correct one aspect of the world right now, what would it be and why?
  10. Who do you look up to and why?
  11. What, or who, is your greatest source of strength? Why?

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Again, Thank You, darellphilp, for nominating me for this award! To those whom I nominated, I look forward to reading your responses. Please remember to link back to my site when you complete your post. Thank You!