On one of my bookshelves is a book that is there because Ronald Reagan died. Would I rather have him back instead of the book? YES! I absolutely loved the man. I loved what he represented and that he understood the true American spirit, and that he loved America. I miss his optimism and sunny disposition and genuine goodness. I miss his strong guiding hand upon America.
I will get back to the book; first things first.
President Reagan’s state funeral took place on June 11, 2004 in Washington, D. C., at the National Cathedral. Majestic is the cathedral; majestic was the service that closed with the hauntingly beautiful anthem that was delivered to the nation’s ears by television. It was, and shall remain, the most poignantly awesome moment of my life. In my heart, I knew then, as I know now that shall I live to be a hundred I will never have another moment of greater exquisite value.
The anthem offered an unexpected gift to my soul. I flat out accepted and the gift went straight into the treasury of my heart to be savored long after the music might be heard no more. A more stirring or fitting finale to the remarkable life of President Ronald Reagan, I could not begin to imagine.
Soon after, I downloaded the anthem to my media file to hear again, and again, and again. Then I ordered a DVD of Reagan’s funeral service from the Reagan Library in California; made possible by Fox News and a number of notable individuals.
(Reagan Presidential Library and Museum; 800-998-7641, www.reaganlibrary.com)
I did learn that the anthem, The Mansions of the Lord, was written for the 2002 film: We Were Soldiers, starring Mel Gibson. Randall Wallace wrote the words and Nick Glennie-Smith set them to music. At the Reagan funeral, it was sung by the Armed Forces Chorus and played by the United States Marine Chamber Orchestra;
I became devoted to Reagan when he declared his candidacy for the 1980 election. As a conservative, I admired his congenial, unflappable nature. I adored his ability to defuse press hostility by unexpected responses. Whether with wit, or charm, or a bemused sense of humor; for eight years, his kindly zingers to the press were delivered with priceless self assurance and humility. Most of all, I admired his strong faith and belief in America’s Christian heritage, from which his many sterling qualities sprang.
In a world that now hinges on the press, politicians, and jihad terrorists, Reagan was a genuine example of the true Christian mind and spirit at work. He understood the workings of the human mind in far greater depth than most, today. Brother Neil and he were sons of an alcoholic father and a devoutly Christian mother. Of the role that his mother played in his youth, I got a glimpse from a radio talk show host a day or two after Reagan’s death.
I was working in our garage. The host said that young Ronald, about 12 years of age, had gone to his mother with a book, and said, “Mother, I’ve read this book about a young boy, a little older than me, who made right decisions in tough times. He was a good Christian boy. I want to be like him.” Then the radio host gave the name of the book, and I flew inside to get a pencil to write, “That Printer of Udell’s” by Harold Bell Wright. It was published first in 1902 – two years before my parents were born.
In those days, folks took Christianity seriously. No one back then could have imagined anyone insisting prayer did not belong in public schools; or that the Ten Commandments should not be publicly displayed; or that manger scenes did not belong on government property; or that Christians should just pipe down. Anyone professing such would have been considered a community heretic.
Then, it was a commonly held belief that obedience to spiritual law is what protected America and kept her the great and good country she was. Indeed! The law of our land was founded on scripture. Our Supreme Court was conservative from its beginning; until Franklin Roosevelt had three full terms to flip it to liberal. Just 19 years later, FDR’s liberal Court (1962) banned prayer in public schools. Congress began legislating immorality in the seventies; and secular/atheist judges soon followed in overturning majority rule of the people.
Even when our founders were creating a new government, the anti-God mind was already established in the new world, stealthily working to overthrow our Christian heritage. During George Washington’s presidency, members of a secret atheist society, The Illuminati, crossed the Atlantic and infiltrated his Masonic Lodge.
In 1825, Robert Owen, an atheist from Scotland, came to the United States, specifically to socialize America’s children. Many like minded individuals followed him from around the world. Their first attempts failed. They regrouped.
Within a year or two, Robert Owen and a few of his followers activated three goals:
- finding like minded people to run for local public offices
- working to establish, and gain control of public schools.
- working to subtly undercut ministers and Christianity
The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) was established in 1920 by Roger Baldwin. Baldwin stated: “we are for socialism, disarmament, and ultimately for abolishing the state itself… we seek the social ownership of property, the abolition of the propertied class, and the sole control of those who produce wealth. Communism is the goal.”
Saul Alinsky (1909-1972) was Chicago’s first community organizer. In the opening pages of his book: Rules for Radicals, pub. 1939; Alinsky, who inspired radicals from the sixties, and those now running our government, wrote:
“Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical: from all our legends, mythology, and history (and who is to know where mythology leaves off and history begins …… or which is which), the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom – Lucifer”
I’m betting Alinsky knew nothing of the Book of Revelation, which has an epilogue to Lucifer’s ill gained kingdom:
“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever”. (Revelation 20:10) In chapters 21 & 22 is revealed, “A New Heaven and a New Earth”, for those who throughout the ages, have triumphed over evil. Get ready ……….. The King is Coming!
The atheist goal of transforming America to a Humanist society has been a continuing work in progress for over two hundred years. I believe it is just as God saw eons ago. America is now being radically transformed; which I believe is the only reason to require the Messiah’s return for his faithful followers. God Be Praised!
From across the great divide, via a radio talk host, the Gipper – our great communicator – reached out to capture my interest. Many people believe, and I happen to be one of them that coincidences and similar incidences don’t just happen; but are messages from God – like, “That Printer of Udell’s”; one that I just happened to not have missed.
I bought and read the book. It was a real eye opener; also, a good resource book on our country’s Christian drift, albeit, a novel. Not only has religion waned greatly in the last 50 years since prayer was banned from public schools, it had already waned, considerably before I was born and more than I had realized during the first sixty years of last century.
I’m signing off this particular post ……. with the usual: a poem for today’s blog, and vocabulary words from today’s blog. But, everyone: scroll to the end. Bye-bye!
Poem by Emily Dickinson; no title:
He ate and drank the precious words,
His spirit grew robust;
He knew no more that he was poor,
Nor that his frame was dust.
He danced along the dingy days,
And this bequest of wings
Was but a book. What liberty
A loosened spirit brings!
Keep scrolling – beyond vocabulary words.
Don’t be dismayed by so many vocabulary words listed for your children. Select a few for now to list and post where your children can look at them from time to time to look up for themselves. Incorporating them into daily conversation is your children’s ticket to a more creative and more spiritually profitable future.
majestic
haunting
anthem
poignantly
exquisite
savored
finale
defuse
heretic
realm
The Mansions of the Lord
To fallen soldiers let us sing,
Where no rockets fly nor bullets wing,
Our broken brothers let us bring
To the Mansions of the Lord.
No more bleeding, no more fight,
No prayers pleading through the night,
Just divine embrace, eternal light
In the Mansions of the Lord.
Where no mothers cry and no children weep,
We will stand and guard though the angels sleep,
Though through the ages safely keep
The Mansions of the Lord.
