I got started on this journey about 50 years ago. Born on Veterans Day on the east coast of North Carolina in a close family and a neighborhood where everybody had the right to raise you. It was strange growing up and hearing my parents honor their older siblings and requiring us, my brother and younger sister to do the same. I had an older brother that was 6 years older than me. I was the oldest our group.
The Boy Scouts, 4H, Church, Sunday School, YPCL, were a big part of my up bringing as well as extracurricular activities at school --football, tract, debating team. And that's not all we had chicken a big garden and hogs. Needless to say we were very busy, our lives were very structured and disciplined. My parents made regular visits with their families in other cities close by and took us with them. Our Grandmothers would come and stay with us from time to time, now that was an experience and an education by itself. We took vacations down south and up north to visit with distant family.
We saw a real first hand example of respect, integrity, love, faith, rightness and truth is all about. I never heard anyone ever say my father did them wrong or saw him an indecent situation. One day when they were in their nineties he called me and said guess what I did today, he said "I fed your mama". She was in a nursing home and had stopped eating.
They had a plan and a dream for us and it was achieved in common hours. When you stay on a path you will arrive to the desired result. That is true in a life in a family, community, state or nation. We must begin with the end in mind.
When our founding fathers worked out the system that this nation would walk out. They had every confidence that a desired result would be achieved if we stayed on the path.
The season we now celebrate came about because of this objective. A child would be born that was brought up in an environment that would facilitate and house the end result and so it is. He new why he came, and he perfectly fulfilled it.
Why are we trying to go some where that our fathers have not designated for us to go? Remember the values of Truth, Rightness, Love, Faith, Integrity and Respect.
Where are you HEADED?