Barack and Michelle Obama, Meet the Spirit of Volunteerism!

By Rev. Lainie Dowell





Dedicated to Robert A. Hall. He served in the Massachusetts State Senate. He is a Marine Vet who served in Viet Nam. (Semper Fi!) (once a Marine, always in the brotherhood)

Dedicated to Orly Taitz, DDS, Esquire, of Defend Our Freedoms Foundations.

Can anybody tell me what good is money, if it is not used to be of help to lift a fallen soul from the dregs of society even in the midst of plenty? God did not say that money is evil. He said, "The love of money is the root of all evil." Barack and Michelle, do you love money that much that you have committed to confiscating it and placing it into a holding pen (bank) somewhere until all of it reaches the highest ceiling of the vault and, then, people will have to come and beg you to give them some (of their own earned income)? Does taxation mean that every cent has to be placed into the government's communal pot and that nobody but you would have any say over what comes out and where it will (or will not) be spent?

The baby generation of the 1960s and beyond are trying to fashion for today's world an untenable response to our current financial woes. And, in so doing, they are summarily and callously pushing aside the generation of their forefathers and foremothers. Moreover, they have enlisted from among their parents' own peers others to help them to push aside not only the older generations but also the sickly youth and leave them all to die alone, broke and broken from neglect. This is not our America!

Yet, today this nation marvels that there is the lack of progress as citizens and government work to help America to bask in her greatness of ages past, present, and future. But, in order for her to do that, all of us who claim to love her must first come to fully understand and appreciate all of the ongoing sacrifices, prayers, and tears of yesterday, which co-mingled with the joys and sorrows of the day in order to break open the pathway for this day (today). But, for all Americans to remain in the freedoms we claim as our Constitutional rights, we understand how much God has blessed us to live in a land that really does serve as a beacon and as what President Ronald Wilson Reagan called during the 1980s, "A shining city on a hill."

Another patriot, President Dwight David Eisenhower, during the 1950s, signed a bill into law which added even more worth to the Pledge of Allegiance and Bible reading once ringing in classrooms throughout our schoolhouses. It is the phrase that remains true where we still say, "One nation under God, indivisible." And,it became joined along with that phrase which was already widely used, "In God We Trust." Yet, a handful of people who chose to be godless felt that it was their prerogative to come along, grow up, and work hard to try to tear down every semblance of God in America, which has kept us free and great in His sight and in the sight of the world.

And, so, until this very day, we have been at war with our own children within our borders. That fact appears to have gone without recognition and appreciation, as such; but, in the long term, we have seen far too many preventable domestic casualties. Nevertheless, so many more people have been left behind who have continued to just step over those fallen bodies and lumber aimlessly along as the blood spills down our gutters and bodies are stacked up in morgues like cords of wood waiting to be burned.

The other day, I was driving along after a very disappointing meeting with the Howard County General Hospital Chaplain, in Columbia, Maryland. He had just told me (knowing that I had served for over 20 years as an on-call Clergy there), that several people had complained that "they were uncomfortable around (me)," They are Christian, too, but it was because I affirm who I am and whose I am. And I acknowledge whenever the Holy Spirit works in my life. However, it is they -- other Christians, who get mad at me and then say they fear me. Never mind their ongoing disparate treatment of me compared to male Clergy -- even in 2009. But I never complained. I overcame. I will bear the brunt. But they shall bear the shame.

So, in his office, even though the Chaplain could not answer me about naming who said what and when or why he was taking action against me for the first and only time since I had been there, he just apologetically asked for my on-call Clergy badge to be returned at that moment. I gave it to him and, at the same time he took it, he offered to get for me a (new) badge for community Clergy so that I could visit (my own parishioner) patients in the hospital. He told me it was a federal law but which one, he did not know. He also admitted he did not know anything about hospital policy or EEOC compliances.

But, he knew I had ministered in that hospital and others as a member of the Clergy since before 1985 -- long before either he or many of those Pastoral Care Associates came to that hospital. He also came to know that I was one of the original community Clergy who served on a committee formed by that hospital in and around 1986, to consider the In's and outs of hiring a Chaplain for the hospital. But, that had happened back in the day, when church was church and the name of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit meant something to almost everybody! And He (our God) still does.

So, I was driving in the car on my way back home from that terrible hospital meeting with Chaplain Mann wondering what had just happened and why? Then, as I approached a stop light, I saw a young, white woman come into my view holding a sign in front of her that said, "Please help! My family is getting ready to be foreclosed. God bless you."

I rallied for a moment and I thought that I should help. But I hesitated and the light changed, so I drove on. However, within just a few feet of passing the young woman by, I heard the Holy Spirit say, "That was your chance to help and you should help." I couldn't believe it. I was tired!

Instead, I began wrestling within myself about the young woman's intent and purpose and whether or not she was for real. After all, I thought -- she was alone. I didn't see her house or her children or any man. But before I could even get to the second traffic light, the Holy Spirit strongly persisted. I knew I had put $20 in my purse before I left home for the meeting with the Chaplain.

I drove on just a little further, but my mind was made up for me. I turned my car around at the next light, and drove back to look for the young woman. At first I didn't see her. Then she came into view holding her sign. I rolled down my window and told her that I had turned around to find her. And when I handed her the $20, she looked surprised, smiled, and said, "God bless you!" And, for me, that was worth more than all of the money greasing the greedy little fists of Mr. and Mrs. Obama and corrupt leaders who put their interests before those of constituents.

Give Americans their money back all of you! I hope and pray and trust the Holy Spirit will trouble your soul such that you won't even be able to sleep at night in peace until you wake up and do the right thing for the reason every one of you was placed in that Oval Office, state house, court house, school house, and church house --- to help somebody -- to be of service to others -- and not to tear them down!

But, another thing the Obamas need to know about Americans? We do not need to have our children "retrained" by your many "Change" organizations for them to learn how to milk (sic) the government dry. We have taught them how to earn money and how to give their money -- offerings, talents, and tithes. We just need their teachers to teach them the three R's and let our children have sunlight coming through school house windows and doors instead of broken-down roofs.

My generation wants the children to know Jesus and for all of you to leave them alone and let Him be their guide. We will not so easily be shoved in the shade to await an untimely death. Our time is not yet past. We are not through living. We are still here; and, most of all, we know that you need US more than we need you! And too many of our own peers have come too far to ever allow the likes of you to believe we will capitulate to any destuction of the American Constitution and Godly traditions, values, morals, and mores (there it is again and there it shall stay).

But, what can we do about it, if anything?! We can keep bringing to the attention of the nation and the whole world the truism that America is not the land of the lost, as they might suppose. We are still living in "the land of the free and the home of the brave." The Lady with the Lamp does not hold it high in vain. The Lady holding high the scales of justice may be blindfolded, but she is not blind!! And the Lord Jesus, in whom we believe, is not dead. What's more, He is not just "one of the prophets," as you would have us to believe!!

"We ain't no ways tired, yet!," as the song says,

I don't feel no ways tired.
Come too far from where I started from.
Nobody tole me, the road would be easy.
I don't believe He brought me this far.
I don't believe He brought me this far.
I don't believe He brought me this far.
To leave me. -Anon

How do we make it through the storms of life? God will give you a song. There's something about going back to the old time way. We need to go back!!! You cannot break the spirit of a child of God and that seems to be something the devil's children can't seem to understand. The America we know is built upon a firm foundation, thanks to our Founding Fathers who knew something about Divine Providence and God's unchanging love, which has kept us by His grace and our faith. "For by (God's) grace you have been saved through (your) faith that we are saved and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." -Ephesians 2:8. America and the whole world need to know that!

As Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin said during the 2008 Presidential election campaign, "Country First!" And just as McCain added about lobbyists, we will say the same about the ungodly leadership in America, too, that likewise, "We will call their names. You will know their names. And we will make them famous!!"

When I was a teenager in a hurry to grow up and live my life, my late mother told me, "I've been down that road. You're just coming up it!" And she was right, too. But who will believe it? And, who will declare it?!

ON THE SPIRIT OF VOLUNTEERISM

We who have survived all of those terrible times far worst than any in these days could ever be, will stop and recall for you what President John Fitzgerald Kennedy said in his Inaugural Address in the 1960s, where he said, "Ask not what your country can do for you. But ask what you can do for (not to) your country!" I remember that, because I watched him say it on TV in the moment.

Mr. Obama, you can never mandate the Spirit of Volunteerism. It is a sacred trust of the heart. And the heart of America still beats strong inside of the breast of America. It is the heart of mankind that shall not grow faint and fade and fail on any leader's say so. We have pledged our allegiance and it is not in vain. We will give to America more of our breath. We will breathe for her. We will lift her and she shall RISE like the sunshine did on the morning of September 11, 2001, when even in the midst of such overwhelming devastation, the bright sun shone and, once again, lifted us on one accord.

Terrorism had come onto these shores once more and blackened the sunlight. And, when the terrorists began their attack, they triggered our nation at war, which has taken the lives of many hundreds of thousands of America's finest, as well as that of the dead of our allies. And, they are not forgotten. We are ever so grateful for their having stepped foot upon this piece of earth that we call our home. We have not forgotten the dreams of our Father who desires that we "would live and be in (abundant) health" (and wealth and His peace)."

"Good-hearted" Americans have missed the mark so many times by trying to be amenable to the changing times and the waning years that we have left. But, now the target is on every back that refuses to look back to remember the days when, among other things:

• Green was the color of grass and money, and the envious were rejected.



• Blue was the color of ocean and sky and that mood was reflected.



• God Himself was all over; and, overall, "God is in His heaven and all is right with the world," was more than a mere slogan. It meant a whole lot of reality for a lot of people.



• "Once upon a time" began a tale that readers knew would end on a positive note and they could go on looking forward to a better and brighter day.



• Words like decent, trust, character, integrity, dependability, faithful, love, and more besides, had no need to be voiced. They were all demonstrated in the actions of a people who understood that erasinity was a necessary word to know in the land. And, they knew that, without their daily commitment to make a definite difference in the world, it would not survive with the necessary civility and balance intact.



• Life was precious from inception and babies in the womb were not called, "potential human," as Barack and his team have supposed. And, despite what men and women said and did to snuff out that newly forming life in some back alleys and dark corners of some out-of-the-way room, they still knew how much that went against God and societal values -- even as they took measures to keep it secret.



• Sex was pure, private, and beautiful. And, even idealists hid in their closets, because they knew that sex was to be performed between one man and one woman in the bonds of holy matrimony whether they lived up to that creed or not.



• Respect was the watchword in community. Uncivil actions from among either the youth or aged in all walks of society was frowned upon. But care was taken, also, to make amends in the interest of creating an orderly society where everyone was free to demand a Godly, just, and civil environment in which to live and raise their families.



• Either sickness or death was enough cause for people to pause and come alongside of the suffering and the bereft to help encourage them in their time of need. And they understood that at the time of death, it was more than just for a now empty space to be filled up with gaiety. It was also for space to meditate on how we might be of help to fill up that emptiness left behind in not only our life but also that of others.

"For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not faint (i.e., to lose heart). Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." -Galatians 6:8-10.