After the incident in the Old Testament, on Mount Tabor, Elijah ran for his life. He ran all the way across Israel to the Sinai. He ran to the mountain of God. He complained to God that he was the only one left in Israel that was faithful to God. God corrected him and told him that there were 7000 people who had not bowed to baal. God has always had a people. The unfortunate part of that was there were over ½ million people in Israel. You see God’s people are few and far between. Why is that? Why aren’t there more people wanting to follow God. When people get into trouble that they can’t get out of, they want God to help. But once it is over, it’s bye bye. Man wants to be god of his own life. Even if that life would kill him. And guess what, it will. God has a plan for everyone. It isn’t always the same plan except for Jesus. Our lives can be full and rich if we are willing to follow in the way. If you read church history, you’ll find that only a few people actually stepped out in faith and did what Jesus did. Those stories are well publicized. It is because people who have led simple lives are not as exciting as the big name ones. There are people all over that have lived for Jesus. There were just as many miracles in their lives as anyone. But you will never find them unless you are looking for them. I know of a maid that spoke French and went to Haiti and opened an orphanage. She lived there for 20 years into her 80’s and retired. You too can live a life that will glorify God. All it takes is faith and trust that God is who He says He is. God is a rewarder of them that diligently seeks Him. Be the few and far between not the many who’s lives end in tragedy.

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This article appeared about 100 years ago in May, 1919, in Dusseldorf, Germany. It is a listing of the Communist rules for revolution. These are the rules.

1)    Corrupt the young get them away from religion, get them interested in sex, make them superficial and destroy their ruggedness.

2)    Get Control of all means of publicity thereby:

a.    Get the people’s minds off their government by focusing their attention on athletic, sexy books and plays and other trivialities.

b.   Divide the people into hostile groups by constantly harping on controversial matter of no importance.

c.    Destroy the people’s faith in their natural leaders by holding the latter up to contempt, ridicule and obloquy.

d.   Always preach true democracy, but seize power as fast and as ruthlessly as possible.

e.   By encouraging government extravagance, destroy its credit, produce fear of inflation with rising prices and general discontent.

f.    Foment unnecessary strikes in vital industries, encourage civil disorders and foster lenient and soft attitude on the part of government toward such disorders.

g.    By specious argument, cause the breakdown of the old morale virtues, honesty, sobriety, confidence, faith in the pledged word, ruggedness.

h.   Cause the registration of all firearms on some pretext, with a view toward confiscating them and leaving the population helpless.                          

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. It was written over a 100 years ago. And guess what it still works. Have you looked at America lately? This is the playbook for a certain political party. And it seems to works just fine on American citizens. They aren’t immune to this and guess what. This country will fall if it doesn’t stand up and do something about it.

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My father went into Normandy on D-Day +1. He was a combat engineer. He followed the troops all the way to Germany. He had a picture of himself and his brother looking out the window at Berchtesgaden. My dad fought in the battle for Alaska first. Then fought in North Africa. And finally landed in Normandy at D-Day+1. When he came home, he never wanted to talk about his time in the army. He had seen too much. He wouldn’t even allow guns in the house. When he came home, his old employer offered him a job in Bermuda. Mom said she wanted to go. But dad said he had traveled the world and seen enough for a life time. Dad wanted to go to college to be an engineer. He started but his first son came along. He left college and began to work to support his family. Even though his dream was college and career as an engineer, he never went back. He worked in the Post Office until he retired. Then mom and dad began traveling around the country in their motorhome. Mom and dad both believed that traveling gave you an education. The kind that you couldn’t get anywhere else. When we were all at home we would travel across the country every summer. I never saw my father complain about not getting his way in life. He lived his life for his family and did what was necessary. I did see him get on his knees every night and pray. Often when I would look at the newspaper after my father read it, there would be engineering problem worked out on the pages. Honor and Integrity can’t be taught like math or science. It has to be learned by example. My father was that example to me.

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Calvin and Luther Blanchard, Massachusetts Minute-Men, 1775.

Thomas Blanchard, North Carolina Militia, 1776.

Thomas Newton, Commissioner, US Navy, 1776.

Francois Boutte, Atakapa Militia, Louisiana, 1776.

Thomas O. Blanchard, War of 1812.

Albert G. Blanchard, Maj. General, 9^th Louisiana, CSA, 1861.

Calvin and Ebenezer Carson, 16th Alabama Cavalry, CSA, 1861.

Carey Edward Blanchard, 17^th Texas Brigade, CSA, 1864.

William P. Blanchard, Sgt., 71^st Inf. US Army, 1941.

Neal Blanchard, Doctor, Capt., US Army, 1941.

Dyer Blanchard, US Navy, 1941.

Hal McGown, Lt. General, US Army, Korea and Vietnam, 1948.

Felix Castille, 1^st Marines, Korea, 1951.

Charles Blanchard, Sgt., US Air Force, Vietnam.

My older brother was a Physician’s Assistant in US Army during the Vietnam War. I served in the US Air Force during the Vietnam War. Three of my sons and two of my nephews serve in the military in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since my grandfather Blanchard came to this country in 1637, our family has defended it. My family are patriots. There are a lot of people who have served our country and I am thankful for it. We are blessed by God with a good land to live in. And it is worth defending our country, no matter how bad it seems to be. I just want to thank the men and women who have served our country in the military. It is right to honor them. Have a blessed and safe Memorial Day.

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When we start out in life, we look for our purpose in life. We want to know why we are here and if there is a plan for our lives. As a child, we want to be firemen, policemen, soldiers, fathers or mothers. We look to see people with honor and courage. We have heroes that are spectacular. As we grow up, we find that these people are ordinary. Then, we are disappointed. We wanted to them to be super heroes. There is a need in us to be super heroes or at lest extra ordinary. That need is real and is put in us by God. We want to live our lives with honor and courage. Because in this jaded world, it is extra ordinary. There is a life that is real and extra ordinary. It is called a life of prayer. It is living your life next to God and doing what He has called you to. It all start with confessing your sins to God. Then to let Him transforming you into the His image. Then living your life next to God. I was reading Psalms 23. It is King David talking about to walk in the presence of God, no matter what comes. Living this life isn’t always easy, but it is simple. When you do, your life will be extra ordinary with honor and courage. It is the life your saw as a child and believed it was true. Because it is a life that is extra ordinary.

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Sometimes I wish I could go back to the time when I was young. I miss that precious time. Only one of my sons is married and I have a grandson. All I want to do now is to play with him. These days I am still working 12 hours daily. My 4 sons are working just about the same. They building their lives. When each one of my sons became a teenager, they all thought that I had become senile. And thought that I didn’t know or understand anything. As each became a man, they begin to understand that I wasn’t dumb after all. Now when they have a problem, they will come to talk to me about it. You know what is funny, I did the same thing with my dad. My dad and I became close as father and son and as friends when I became an adult. I miss him and he has been gone for 35 years. My youngest son, who was in the military, cuts his hair military fashion. It is called a high and tight haircut. He convinced me to cut my hair the same way. When he finished and I put on my glasses and looked in the mirror, I saw my dad. I began researching my family history. I wanted to see who they were. I can now blame my ancestors for my bald head. I also can blame them for the set of 4 children in each generation. My family means to world to me. The view from the cheap seats is where you can see most everything but not always clearly. The End.

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I learned how to work from my mom and dad. When my dad graduated from high school, he went to work for Western Electric (AT&T) as a lineman. He was making so much money, he was able to buy a new car. He also bought silk suits from the best men’s shop in his town. He did well. Then WWII came along. He met mom before the war, but they decided to wait until he returned from the war. Just in case. When he returned, AT&T gave him his old job back. They wanted him to go to Bermuda. They were setting up their phone system. Mom wanted to go. But dad had traveled the world fighting for freedom. All he wanted to do was stay home. Mom agreed with dad. He went to work for the post office. Then 4 sons came along. Dad worked from sunrise until almost sunset. Mom was a school teacher. They were able to send us to the best high school and to college. Once we, the sons, were finished with school and married, they both retired. Then they bought a motorhome and traveled across the US and Canada. Both of my parents are gone, but I still hear them. They weren’t perfect, but gave their lives to my brothers and I. Their actions taught me how to raise my 4 sons. And how to give my life for them. The view from the cheap seats is where you can see most everything but not always clearly. To Be Continued.

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I get off from work about 6pm each night. It takes about 30 minutes to drive home. One of the jobs I had before, it took an hour to drive one way. Those were long days. I have worked a 12 hour day most of my life. I am not afraid of work. I have been working since I was 13 years old. And in the meantime, graduate from high school and went to college. My college career was interrupted by a national war. I served 6 years in the military. When I came back it was hard to go back to school. I tried but I just wasn’t as young and eager to go to school. Within 6 years, I was married and working. I tried off and on to go back. When I was 42 years old, I went to school to become an EMT. I thought I was brain dead. It was one of the hardest things I ever did. I passed the National Board exam by the skin of my teeth and became a Basic EMT. All the ambulance companies wanted me to work for them. I declined their offers because I didn’t want to pick up dead bodies on the side of the road. I was a teacher for the American Red Cross. And took the course to teach for them. I literally taught every course they offered. I have worked in so many jobs to make ends meet. I have always done what was necessary for my family. I never complained about it because I love my family. The view from the cheap seats is where you can see most everything but not always clearly. To Be Continued.

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It is the funniest thing that people are taught to strive to be better than anyone else. We are schooled with this mantra all of our lives. And that if you can’t win honestly, do it any way you can. This has led to many hurt feelings and hatred, not only from others but of ourselves. Well I can’t say that I didn’t do that because I did. And it led to hatred of myself and others. It took a long time for me to get to the place where I would even consider living another way. I had to come to the end of myself. And realize that there is more to life than what I have. I was glad to see another way and hoping that I could live this way. Do you know what happens to a person who doesn’t like or hates themselves? They don’t care what happens to themselves or others. This is where criminal activity comes in. You wonder why they won’t stop. Because they have no hope that anything will change for the better. They are the trash and will do whatever to prove it. And all they needed was someone to tell and show them that they are worth something. I have seen it many times how a kind word or gesture stuck with the person all of their life. I couldn’t do this before I met God. He showed me I was worth something. And hope came into my life. I began changing into the person God saw in me. The bible says it this way. “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”

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What do you do when no one is looking? We were all raised with families and taught values. Some were good and some were not. But our mothers and fathers tried to show us what was right and real. They wanted our lives to be as good as possible. There is a story I learned of just recently. A 15 year old boy who was taking care of his mother who was disabled. He approached a person in the grocery store and asked them if he could help them in exchange for food. His mother couldn’t work and they didn’t have food in the house. The young boy would work for food to feed themselves. He was a straight A student in school. People responded to the need of this family. This boy on his own went out and did this for his mother and himself. What would you do if no one was looking? What do you believe and does it show in your life? The US Army began teaching values, loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage. They did this because they found that these values weren’t being taught at home. And as a whole our society was moving away from these values. The need in our lives has always been for living a purpose driven life with values. We all want our lives to mean something. We want our life to have value. The bible says it this way. “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;” Philippians 1:27, KJV. So what do you do when no one is looking?

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