Devotional Discusses Issues Addressed At Charlottesville

What about Robert E. Lee and the Confederacy? It is certain that he and virtually all the Southern leaders would be appalled at how neo-Nazis and white supremacists are hijacking Confederate flags.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower was harshly criticized for his admiration of Lee. He responded in a gracious letter as follows:

“ . . . . General Robert E. Lee was, in my estimation, one of the supremely gifted men produced by our nation.

“He believed unswervingly in the constitutional validity of his cause which until 1865 was still an arguable question in America; he was thoughtful yet demanding of his officers and men, forbearing with captured enemies, unrelenting, and personally courageous in battle, and never disheartened by a reverse or obstacle. Through all his many trials, he remained selfless almost to a fault and unfailing in his belief in God…

“From deep conviction I simply say this: a nation of men of Lee’s caliber would be unconquerable in spirit and soul. Indeed, to the degree that present day American youth will strive to emulate his rare qualities, including his devotion to this land as revealed in his painstaking efforts to help heal the nation’s wounds once the bitter struggle was over, we, in our own time of danger in a divided world, will be strengthened and our love for freedom sustained…”

Antifa and the Left have been successful in painting the War Between the States as merely over one issue: slavery. Was slavery evil? Of course. Was racism confined to the South? Of course not. Most Confederates fought, as did Robert E. Lee, to defend their families, homes communities, and states from invasion. The Northern authorities asked Lee to lead an army against his home state of Virginia. He would not. If another conflict between states arose (may God forbid), would you defend your own state?

Truth is what’s real. History is what really happened. Mike Fisher and Joe Jared are publishing a second edition of Devotions for Warriors. It offers 365 daily readings of Civil War stories along with a pertinent Scripture verse, a life lesson, and a prayer. It will soon be available at Amazon.com and you can pre-order a signed copy from us via Paypal at mtfisher73@gmail.com for a reduced rate at $14.00 plus postage.

What really happened in America’s not-so-Civil War? Devotions offers a Christian and Southern perspective of that bitter conflict, untainted by the propaganda fog from both sides. Our prayer is that the present division in America can be healed. "A house divided against itself cannot stand." (Matthew 12:25)     

The True Value Of Seven Cents

As you may (or may not) know, I work as a cashier.  Last night, I was ringing up a woman who came in with her two sons and the oldest one, who was about five years old asked if he could buy some Tic Tacs, getting permission.  He was going to pay for them himself, and when she was done, he put the candy on the belt, along with his money.

 

All seven cents of it.

 

Of course, his mother told him she would pay for it, and as she was doing so, he tried putting the seven pennies in her hand.  She told him he didn't need to do so, and I lowly said, "Ma'am, he's paying his way."  She looked at me for a second, then got it and pocketed the pennies.

 

I couldn't help it.  I told others and one man stated, "I hope she keeps those pennies in a special place and tells him that story later on."  He had a good point, but I don't know if the mother truly got the gist of what that young man was doing.  He was doing what too many of us fail to do.  There are a good amount of people out in the world today who refuses to even try to pay one's way.

And this five year old was saying, "Please let me do so."

 

I would say his parents have done a good job with that young man, and I hope he never changes.

I'll Tell Ya!

I can't speak for you, but at least once a day, I hear someone wondering what is wrong with either this country or the world.  To tell the truth, sometimes it's me.  I've had many a person say the problem with the United States started when prayer left the schools.  I can't (and won't) argue with that.  We seem to be going straight to hell in a handbasket ever since--and the vast majority of us don't care. 

 

We see things on television that in our parents' day, the police raided the theatres for.  (Why don't they anymore?)  Things that people had to be 18 to see a five year old can now view, and say, "Daddy, what's she doing?" or "I want to do that when I get older!"  Try explaining to your daughter how nice girls don't act like Miley Cyrus when they're about six years old.

 

I hear language on the tube that well . . . I got my mouth washed out with Palmolive Gold when I tried it in the church nursery at the age of three.  (I never said I was a smart kid.)  People say, "Bushwah.  It's realism."  Excuse me?  It's supposed to be entertainment.  If I wanted to see the real thing, I wouldn't be watching television!  We're teaching the kids that actual people talk that way?  Uh, when I did try talking that way, like I said, Palmolive Gold and I had a meeting of the minds with my only toothbrush!  (I was the only three year old who looked forward to going to the dentist so I could get another.)  I know a lot of folks who don't, and I'm sad to say were their lives on the tube, they'd make them sound like sailors.

 

Yes, I know.  I'm old fashioned.  I've been told I'm as outdated as buggy whips and the Edsel.  That doesn't mean I'm wrong, though.  Look at the popularity of 'Duck Dynasty,' a clean show that espouses Christian values.  PG animated movies generally top the box office every year.

So when are Hollywood and America going to learn?

 

 

I Am Glad My Grandfather's Dead

The title of this may seem way out of line, but sadly, it's true.  First of all, I loved my grandfather immensely.  It's merely due to the actions of others that I am glad he's no longer with us.

You see, Joe Fisher loved the game of baseball.  Matter of fact, he'd been a semipro catcher for the team of Harris, Missouri.  JoJo once hit three home runs in a game during the deadball era, a time when a double was a feat and a triple a rarity.  Another time he caught a major league pitcher, which he said was the easiest game he ever had, as the man just put the ball wherever he placed his mitt.  So needless to say, JoJo had some great stories for us.

If you went to a baseball game with JoJo, you didn't talk.  The man knew his baseball.  He was an apt student of the sport, who knew as much about it as anyone on the field, if not more.  The man could tell you what pitch was coming--and why.  He'd let you know who was going to be positioned where for what batter--and why.  JoJo should have been a big league manager, I kid you not.

We lost JoJo in November of 1980.  I wept an amount the size of Niagara Falls that morning.  As a matter of fact, I owed him $2.50 in baseball bets.  I sent it to Baseball Chapel.

Now the sport he loved so much is in shambles.  Since he died, baseball has had a drug scandal, strikes (one costing us a World Series), steroids and now HGH.  The main player in the recent scandal isn't facing responsibility like a man should (JoJo would have told him to man up!), and we wonder what will hit baseball next.  As someone who's been a fan since 1975, I'm shattered. 

But my loss is nowhere near what JoJo's would have been.  Were he still alive, the situation today would devastate him.  So yes, I'm glad my grandfather's no longer with us.

And for that, I curse those of you who have made the game what it is.

Follow Your Code

Lee Van Cleef was known for his villainous roles in films and the Italian Westerns he made.  As he started out in Hollywood, he let it be known he had a code:  He would never harm a child, a dog, or hurt a woman.  He stuck to that code, although when he was making the classic Western The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, his character of Angel Eyes was to slap a woman.  He reminded the filmmakers of his code, and as a result, his double stood in for him during that scene. 

Van Cleef was true to his code.

Kirk Cameron is a devout Christian who has vowed never to kiss anyone but his wife.  When filming the movie Fireproof, he was supposed to kiss his cinematic wife near the end.  He reminded the filmmakers of his vow, and they had his wife stand in during that scene, filming it in long shot.  Her hair was a different color, but it was lit to where it looked like the sun was making it look that way.

Cameron was true to his code.

My friend Michael F. Blake has written one of the best books I've ever read, Code of Honor:  The Making of Three Great American Westerns.  It deals far more than with cinematic history, but with one's codes.  It allows us to realize that whether we realize it or not, we each have our own code, and attempt to live up to it.

We need to recognize our code and follow it.  In these treacherous times, honor is a dying thing.  Find your code and follow it.



We Cannot Afford To Disrespect



Lost in the midst of all the political pontificate is a horrendous oversight that needs to be realized by all Americans, especially those with ties to Oklahoma.

The U.S.S. Oklahoma on December 7, 1941

At Pearl Harbor, on Ford Island, there is a beautiful memorial to the battleship U.S.S. Oklahoma on which 429 men perished on December 7, 1941.  The loss of life is second only to those who died on the U.S.S. Arizona.

The memorial is next to the U.S.S. Missouri, which is moored were the Oklahoma was on that fateful day.  Unless the situation has changed over the last four months, the only mention of the Oklahoma memorial is a 30–second notice on the shuttle bus as it leaves the Missouri.  There is a granite stone for each of the 429 men with their names inscribed.  Meaningful legends are tastefully placed there.  On this spot the men who escaped before the ship capsized gathered.  Some expired before making this hallowed ground.

The U.S.S. Oklahoma Memorial

With very little effort this memorial could be better utilized.  It is under the U.S. Interior Department, National Park Service.  Senator Tom Coburn and Congressman Frank Lucas have been contacted, but up to this time there has been no response.  This is not just a thing for Oklahomans to deal with.  It is an American thing, as these 429 could have possibly have called every state in the Union home.  We owe a debt to these who gave “the last full measure of their devotion” in the service to their country.  Please contact your representative in Congress regarding this, as every monument out there deserves equal attention.



 ED. NOTE:  Within hours after this posting, we have heard from Sen. Coburn's office, stating they are looking into the situation.  We appreciate their timely response and cooperation, and thank you to those who contacted them.







Beware! The Templetons Have United.

I have to admit, I don’t understand these ‘Occupiers.’  Thus far, they’ve have sex in the park (It was interesting reading about the young man who lost his virginity to several women, saying his fiancée back on the other side of the country would understand.), abandoned infants, damaged landmarks, disrupted traffic, littered like mad, and injured officers.  And they’re ‘proving a point.’ 

Oh yes.  They’ve proved a point.  They want something for nothing.  They are the Templetons of this world.  Their motto is “What’s in it for me?” as they have their outreached hands, forgetting that in order to get a job, one must fill out applications, not destroy buildings.  Getting arrested doesn’t necessarily look good on a job application, and these people aren’t realizing that.

But they don’t care, as they’re collecting their unemployment while they’re protesting.  They have realized that eventually, the moolah from Uncle Sam will quit, so darn it, they’re going to have to work.  (All good things must end, you know.) 

Evidently, they don’t have any job skills, so they’re going to make companies hire them!  Yeah.  That’ll work!  Let the companies who don’t have any openings hire them to get them off their backs.  (Hoo boy!)

Personally, I think if the Occupiers don’t care for this country, we should give (After all, they feel they’re entitled to it.) free passage to Afghanistan, Iran, or China.  Let them find work there.  Somehow I don’t think they’d gritch or protest much here anymore . . . if we’d let `em back in.  After all, Templeton was the rat in Charlotte’s Web.  So getting rid of the Templetons is ridding ourselves of a lotta rats.