Sharing In Abraham Lincoln’s Concerns
The postage stamp picture above was on display at Arlington National Cemetery. The quote says:
“That government
of the people,
by the people,
for the people,
shall not perish
from the earth.”
-Abraham Lincoln
The quote comes from the Gettysburg Address which was given by Abraham Lincoln during a very dire time when civil war threatened to destroy the union. Today we don’t face civil war but I wonder if Lincoln wouldn’t be just as worried about the stability of the government as he was when those words were spoken.
As our national debt to gross national product continues to remain high with no decrease in sight I can’t help but wonder if history hasn’t repeated itself and the nation is in another precarious situation.
The nation has come a long way in the 147 years since these words were spoken which makes his concern even more important. If we slip from this precarious slope then the accomplishments and sacrifices of those before us will have been in vain. Our nation is a very small portion of the world’s population but we have weathered storms that larger nations haven’t overcome. Don’t agree with me? Read the constitution and the amendments to it (bill of rights) and decide for yourself.
“It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” -Abraham Lincoln
Music For The Seas Of Life – Rediscovered
Michael W. Smith released a CD in 1993 titled “Go West Young Man”. My memories of the songs stem from listening to it while in the boat on Lake Superior enjoying a summer of swimming and floating on the boat. The songs were fitting, especially the section of the song “For You” that goes like this:
Sittin’ in the rain
Water on your brain
Got a hole in your boat
Trying to stay afloat
Has got you downI’ve got a wind in my sail
Rubber boots and a pail
I’ll throw you a line
Rest assured that I
Won’t ever let you drown..
This summer during one of my trips to the beach the memories of this CD came back to mind and I started listening to it again. 17 Years was a long time ago, I’m a little bit older, a little bit wiser, and the world is a strangely different place.
While singing “Seed to Sow” to myself I was struck with one of those “Oh, I get it moments!” as I realized what the lyrics really meant:
Some people quietly reveal
In the manner of the meek
Some people shout the way they feel
To a radical degree
Some people sing it to express
While others hear another call
Some people speak with subtleness
And* don’t rely on words at allWe all are pieces of the whole
With different feelings to evoke
Giving distinction to the role
Different players-different strokesSome people walk
Some people race
Some people vary in their pace
But God can use what you can give
Within the mystery of His ways
Emphasis added to the stanza that finally sunk in. There is nothing more I can possibly say to complete the thought except that my hope is to speak with subtleness and don’t rely on words.
*According to the disc lyrics “And” is actually “Some”. However, when I listen to the song for myself it sure sounds like “And” to me.
2010 LAN Party Follow-up
The LAN Party was a great success. Everyone had a wonderful time and despite UT 2004 being a new game for some of the players everyone managed to work through quite a few games of death match, team death match, onslaught, bombing run, capture the flag, and even a game of mutant. MA brought snacks to pass and around 10:30 PM we ordered out for pizza (thanks BL for ordering – great combination). By the end of the night some were giddy, some where tired, but everyone was fragged to satisfaction. Some arrived late and some left early but overall the roll call was as follows: JB, SH, JN, AM, MA, BL, MG, VA, and TN.
Oh, and everyone had their fill of nick name jokes, I.e. “You killed …” or “… killed …” I’d have listed the game handles but I couldn’t keep track of them all.
Fall 2010 Unreal Tournament LAN Party
This coming Friday, October 29, a friend and I are hosting a Unreal Tournament 2004 LAN Party. If you are in the Northern New Jersey area and would like to join in please post a comment and I’ll get the details to you. It’s been over 2 years since my last real LAN party and I’m anxious for a great night of gaming with friends. Check out some of the past LAN Party events here.
If you can’t make it this time but would like to be notified of any future LAN Parties in the Bergen and Rockland counties please let me know. Gaming online is fun but gaming with people you know and see face to face is even better.
See you on the LAN.
Pine Meadow Lake 360 Panorama
Some places get better as time passes. Perhaps we choose to remember what brings joy to the heart and a smile to the face. Other places are so wonderful that they immediately become favorite spots without the passage of time. The image below is one of the few places that continually appear in my dreams as a wonderful place on earth.
Pine Meadow Lake
Harriman Park New York
Notes: Over 50 images stitched together. Each image shot on manual with autofocus.