Kindergarten students at a New York City elementary school were banned from performing the song “God Bless the USA” at their graduation ceremony.

PS 90 principal Greta Hawkins said the song was not age appropriate and could end up “offending other cultures.”

But the song’s author, country music artist Lee Greenwood, said that as a man of faith he was offended by the principal’s decision.

“I wrote ‘God Bless the USA’ about the love I have for this country and the struggle we have gone through to remain free. Our country was founded on the principle that it welcomes people of all cultures and gives them the same rights we have as citizens,” he said.

“However, I feel compelled to echo the faith of our forefathers, who all believed in God and a respect of a higher authority,” he added.

“Personally, denying the children of PS 90 to sing ‘God Bless the USA’ offends me as a Christian,” he said. “My song is about hope, faith, spirit, and pride. How could that be wrong on any level?”

Meanwhile, the American Center for Law and Justice is working to have the song ban reversed, saying banning the song tramples First Amendment free speech rights.

More than 23,000 people signed a petition in favor of the song being performed.

The petition, along with a letter from the ACLJ, was sent to the school superintendent, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and several other school officials.

WOW! America stands for Freedom! of course this is the same city that is telling people you can’t drink soda and theater popcorn! My Goodness sakes! This is why we need to continue to be Salt and Light! AMEN! God Bless the USA is not age appropriate? WOW! It offends??? Oh my!

Many strange things happening in our Country, that is one reason I love putting out all my flags and decorate the front lawn! We also fly the flag at the Radio Ranch! I pray that you fly the flag at your Church, Home, Business! The 4th of July is coming up, MY BIRTHDAY!!!!, sorry Sharon says I am like a little kid when it comes to holidays and birthdays! Someday I want one of those GIANT FLAG POLES to fly the flag! Anyhow with July 4th coming up, It gives you time to get flying the flag at your Church, Home, and Business.Call me an old Fuddy Duddy! I love it when I am called that.I see that we need to get back to some simple basic’s in this Country, they start with God,bringing back God fully into this Country, we need to bring back the US Constitution, we need to respect our Country and teach what the Flag represents and the FULL history of how the United States was founded!

Our flag – the World’s Symbol of Freedom

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The American flag, a symbol of freedom. The flag IS freedom to those who fight for it, to those who die for it, even to those who burn it.

During recent days, we have seen the image of OUR flag a little more than normal. Many of us have seen the double flag-raising photo that has made its way around the world via the Internet – the Iwo Jima flag raising and the flag raising by firefighters in New York City after the World Trade Center attack. Not since the Persian Gulf War has flag sales been as high, with some flag makers working overtime to keep up with the demand.

Newspapers, including hometown papers, have run full-page and color flags for us to proudly display in our windows, and we have.

I remember, as a younger Marine, driving through neighborhoods in my hometown, I would see the flag flying high on June 14 and July 4, but not on Aug 14 (which by the way, is my birthday) or Sep 4. Why do we fly the flag only on holidays?

I’m told by reliable sources, my friends, my co-workers and my boss, that neighborhoods throughout American have the flag proudly displayed and flying high in defiance to the recent terrorist attack against her. But, will this icon remain atop the pole?

Recently, I have seen flag shirts, flag stickers, flag bandanas, flag pins, flag hats (flags on hats of major league baseball players) and yes, flag boxers (not worn by major league baseball players or myself – although, I probably would if my wife bought me a pair). Of course my favorite color is camouflage, but, that is, as they say, is another story.

Well, America, the flag has made a resounding comeback. It’s our symbol; it’s our recognizable emblem that defines us as Americans. That’s right, DEFINES us.

Oh sure, we all know that Betsy Ross designed the flag at the request of General George Washington during the Revolutionary War. But, do we really know or think of the story? The Revolutionary War was the tool to shape America’s freedom.

Now, I’m not trying to take Paul Harvey’s job away, but here it is – the rest of the story (the condensed version).

She was 25 years old and already a widow. Her husband died in the ongoing great revolt. Her days mundane until a general came to her asking assistance for a struggling nation.

With both of them planning and working together, the flag was almost complete. The general suggested the “final touches” be 13 stars (the six-pointed kind) to represent the colonies. In defiance, the widow Ross refused to put six-sided stars on HER flag – a flag that would represent a free nation. You see, those were British stars, and to the British she had lost her beloved husband. Only our current five-sided variety of stars would do. Betsy had her way.

So as you now know the rest of the story, even the flag’s design was out of defiance, and we still fly it today, right now – this very minute, out of defiance. Defiance to anyone who thinks they can touch our spirit or cripple it.

But, contrary to belief, at least the belief of anyone who is not an American, tragedy unites people.

A united people holds true to the little ditty that we all learned when we first entered school – to be “one nation, under God, indivisible” as taught by the “Pledge of Allegiance.”

We cannot, through these recent acts of terror, be split in two. We have in fact, become stronger.

I’m sure there will be memorials erected, speeches written and plaques nailed to walls honoring those who gave their “fullest measure” and that’s fine. But the best way to honor those who died – keep the flag flying high – EVERY day of the year.

I really believe we have to start at some basic points…as that song from 4-HIM says, we need to get back to the basics!

Happy Fathers Day to all the Dad’s……..someday I would like to write a book about my love story with my Dad, Grandpa Caraway and Uncle Joe. Many of you know about Uncle Joe how he became like my Dad when my Dad passed on over 20 years ago. I was not writing the CUP when Dad was living on this earth. I was thanking the Lord today for these three men I bring to you this morning, and also my MOM and Grandma Caraway. Grandpa Moede passed on when my Dad was 13 and Grandma Moede passed on when I was 5 years old.

Part of getting back to the basics is the Family! The foundation that one has, starts with the family you are born into. I was born into a Christian family and that started me off on the right track. Many do not have that opportunity, and that is why we must be Salt and Light to the World, to help show them the way of Jesus Christ.

Yesterday I stopped by Bibles Plus to pick up an Amplified Bible, love shopping there also it’s  close to my Dear friend Dr. Steve Hopkins who works out of the VCA Clinic nearby, so I get to go in there and say HI! If you need a Godly Vet, who is just so AWESOME, I will give you Dr. Steve’s info. Also I encourage you to shop Bibles Plus, an family run Christian Book Store at Wyoming and Candaleria.

Anyhow when I was in Bibles Plus, I just can’t buy one thing!!!! LOL I got Pat Williams book on Coach John Wooden.

Wooden was the greatest College basketball Coach in History! Grew up in Indiana.

The love story between John Wooden and his Dad will make you cry……

His Dad gave him a piece of paper on the day he graduated from the 8th grade, his Dad did not have a lot of money, but had Godly wisdom.

The gift’s Joshua Hugh Wooden gave his son that day were a two-dollar bill, and a small card with a poem on one side and seven rules for living on the other. The poem was a verse by Henry Van Dyke…….

Four things a man must learn to do

If he would make his life more true:

To think without confusion clearly,

To love his fellow-man sincerely,

To act from honest motives purely,

To trust in God and Heaven securely.

WOW! AMEN………..pass that along!

The 7 rules he gave his son wrote on the other side of the paper were……

1. Be true to yourself.

2. Help others.

3. Make each day your masterpiece.

4. Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.

5. Make friendship a fine art.

6. Build a shelter against a rainy day by the life you live.

7. Pray for guidance and counsel, and give thanks for your blessings each day.

John Wooden placed that piece of paper into his wallet and kept it there the rest of his life. He even kept the two-dollar bill in his wallet all the time!

Denny Crum a former assistant to Wooden at UCLA said the Coach carried that paper with him 90 years……in his wallet and would pull it out from time to time to look at it………..it was very faded……but the words stuck to Wooden all his life and he lived that way and passed on the seven rules to all his players and all that he would meet over his lifetime. He had them printed up on little cards and would hand them out.

God and Family…….To me those  words ring so true this Fathers Day! What fruit have you produced as a Father?

The author of the book I am reading says this……….I am convinced that much of Coach Wooden’s amazing success as a coach, a leader, and an influence on young lives can be traced to the simple words his father wrote on that piece of paper so many years ago.

Wooden’s marriage was such a love story, when the Coach at 99 years of age was passing he said, “I’m getting ready to go see Nellie.” Nellie, his wife, had passed onto heaven.

When he was near death, he wanted to get up and shave, so he could get ready to see Nellie.

It was said this about John Wooden, after meeting him one person said, “I felt as if my soul had been scrubbed clean.”

How do people feel after meeting you?

It was also said, “After meeting the Coach I always wanted to ratchet up my faith, my prayer life, my integrity, and my wisdom.”

My Challenge  to us all is this, How are you leaving people? Are you just leaving them with a bunch of stuff that does not mean much? Meaning what type of conversation are you having? What affect are you having on people?

Are you leaving people with a conversation with deep meaning in Jesus Christ that they can take with them and it will help them grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ.

I find to many in a hurry and all they say, is “God Bless you……or I am praying for you… Let’s leave people with more than that(I call these hit and runs!! LOL LOL) …..Let’s be more Jesus like and have the influence like Coach John Wooden has had and is still having.

Get any book on Coach Wooden, when you apply what Wooden says you will be a better human being, just like the Bible, apply what you learn.

Education without application is Entertainment.

Another book I got is “Uncommon Manhood” by Coach Tony Dungy, as John Wooden’s Dad said one of the best things we can do is be in our Bibles and also read other books!

I say give Dad a Bible, get him the Amplified Bible!!! Or the Message Bible, change things up on Dad a bit this Father;s Day!!!  And one of the Books on John Wooden and books by Tony Dungy and others that will help Dad grow!!! AMEN!!!

Coach Dungy says this………This is for all you Dad’s……….

My Mom would say constantly,

“Your word is your bond.”

That has become my standard for life. In the end, character is a blend of inner courage, wisdom, and a sense of duty to yourself, to others, and to something greater than you.

AMEN!!! PRAISE GOD!!!

I pray this Father’s Day message has touched your heart! If it has let me know……..Would love to hear from you……

 

SENIORS & COMPUTERS………..
As we Silver Surfers know, sometimes we have trouble with our computers.
I had a problem yesterday, so I called Eric, the 11 year old next
door, whose bedroom looks like Mission Control and asked him to come
over.
Eric clicked a couple of buttons and solved the problem.
As he was walking away, I called after him, ‘So, what was wrong ?
He replied, ‘It was an ID ten T error.’
I didn’t want to appear stupid, but nonetheless enquired,
‘An, ID ten T error ? What’s that? In case I need to fix it again.’
Ericgrinned …. ‘Haven’t you ever heard of an ID ten T error before ?
‘No,’ I replied.
‘Write it down,’ he said, ‘and I think you’ll figure it out.’
So I wrote down:
ID10T
I used to like Eric.LOL!!!!!!!!!!!! Good one Darlene……..It’s happened to me more than once!!!!!!!!

What The Lord Is Saying Today

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Here’s a Great Dad, Dr. Joe………