Christmas Letter

Since our Christmas letter was not the type where we elaborated the exploits of our family during the past year, I decided to share it here.

Dear Friends and Family,

This past year, for me, has been a year of genealogy.   I have spent countless hours researching the lives of eleven students who were in the first class of the Log Cabin College which was built on our property 175 years ago.  It has been an amazing journey for me.

Among many very ordinary stories I located some which were quite extraordinary.  I discovered the story of a young pastor who met a young lady to whom he proposed marriage just a matter of days later, only to be told by this young lady that she had to hear him preach a sermon before she could determine whether or not to accept his proposal.  Later that week, she listened to his sermon and agreed to marry him.  Within days of that acceptance, they were married and she joined him in returning to his home hundreds of miles away.

Another story was about a young pastor who died after falling off his horse in the middle of the winter.  His relatively new wife, who was also pregnant at the time, chose to travel a great distance with her husband’s body, in the opposite direction from where her own family lived, so that he could be buried in his hometown in Missouri.  It was there that she gave birth to that baby girl.  That girl went on to live to the ripe, old age of one hundred.  

Yes, genealogy can lead one to discover some very interesting stories.  Some of the stories I discovered are ones which I think should be retold and not forgotten. 

The most important story in all of history is one that is retold at this time of the year by many throughout the world.  It’s also a story that some would like erased from our history books.  The story begins in the book of Matthew in Chapter 1, verse 1:

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham…….”

This genealogy ends in verse 16:

“….and Jacob, the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, to whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.”

The story of Jesus’ birth is one involving another special marriage, complete with a virgin birth and a message from an angel to reassure the couple of its truth.  The birth of this couple’s firstborn son also involved an unexpected trip to their ancestral home, Bethlehem.  And what a life this child had!  He escaped death early on because his parents took him to Egypt.  He started His ministry at about the age of thirty, traveling around the countryside proclaiming His message of salvation while being opposed by the religious leaders of His day.  This led to Him being put on trial about three years later, and being unjustly nailed to a cross and crucified.  Amazingly, three days later, He rose from his tomb.  After ascending to heaven, those who believe in Him eagerly await His return to take them all to join Him there.  Many other stories about Jesus can be found in the Bible, and they are all worth retelling.

There is an important connection between Jesus’ incredible story and the story of the opening of the Log Cabin College in Altenburg.  The purpose of this College was to prepare future pastors and teachers who would tell the story of Jesus to the next generations of listeners and believers.   Since its beginning, the institution which carried on this task, Concordia Seminary, has had over 13,000 graduates who have been sent into the world to equip others to tell the Christmas story.  The Log Cabin College had a very humble, small beginning, but it also ended up with great big results.  That story was only possible with an Almighty God making it happen.  And I love to tell that story.

Sandi and I wish you a very Blessed Christmas, and we hope you, too, will love to retell the story of Jesus.

Happy 175th Anniversary to the Log Cabin College

On December 9, 1839, the Log Cabin College opened its door (It only had one).  God has blessed its history by taking this humble beginning and making great things happen.  This log cabin was built by three young men, Johann Buenger, Ottomar Fuerbringer, and Theodore Brohm.  The first class consisted of eleven students, seven boys and four girls.  Later in the 1840's, this institution became Concordia Seminary, training young men to become Lutheran pastors.  Three of the boys in the first class were graduates of Concordia Seminary, Altenburg before that institution moved to St. Louis, where it is located to this day.

The building of this school took place at a time when the German immigrants in East Perry County were under a tremendous amount of stress.  The leader of the immigration society was banished from their community because of scandal.  That first year after they had arrived was a year of great adversity.  Many died, and all suffered.  Yet despite their trouble, the three young builders, who also became the first teachers, persevered because they were on a mission.  They knew that this new Lutheran church body in America was going to need more church workers in their future.  They also knew the importance of passing on their faith to the next generation.  We can be thankful for their great faith.

Many lessons can be learned from the story of the beginning of the Log Cabin College.  The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod continues to be blessed today by what was begun in the wilderness of Perry County 175 years ago.

The short video below is a tribute to that little log cabin which was built behind my barn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-VsZDrhnvQ

Gotta Blow Off Some Steam

    I am so tired of being more-or-less forced into discussing race.  The situation which initiated the mess in Ferguson was not about race.  It was an American, who happened to be a police officer, doing exactly what he was trained to do, and who became involved in a situation where he had to shoot another American, who happened to be a criminal who was threatening the very life of the officer.  There is absolutely no reason that this event should end up being a national news story.  There is absolutely no reason why Officer Wilson should be singled out to have his life ruined because others want to make a political point. 
    Yes, there may be societal problems in certain locations in America, but that should not be a reason to put an American like Officer Wilson through his own version of hell.  Those issues can be dealt with in much more productive ways.
    This whole debacle has been orchestrated by some politicians, some political activists who have an agenda, and the media.  As a result, there has been millions of dollars worth of damage, too many small business people who have lost their livelihoods, neighborhoods ruined, and people who have been physically harmed.  These politicians, race-baiters, and media should not only be ashamed of themselves, they should be held accountable.
    Who would have ever thought that an America which has an African-American (I also hate hyphenated terms for Americans) President and Attorney General would see race relations deteriorate to the level we see now. 
    Lord, have mercy on us. 

A Glimpse into the Past......East Perry County, MO.

This video contains photos from East Perry County in Missouri.  Most are photos from years gone by, but a few are much more recent.  This video was produced to help celebrate the 175th Anniversary of the German immigration to Perry County in 1839. 

A big reason for the immigration was to move to a place where this group of Lutherans could have freedom to practice their religion instead of being told by civic leaders what they were to preach and teach.  They cherished their doctrine based on the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions.  They still do.

I Vote....

I vote........for a nation with secure borders.
I vote........for a nation which has laws which are enforced.
I vote........for a nation whose leaders are there to serve the people.
I vote........for a nation which offers equality of opportunity.
I vote........for a nation which operates a free market economy.
I vote........for a nation made up of unhyphenated Americans.
I vote........for a nation made up of a legal citizenry.
I vote........for a nation made up of hard-working people.
I vote........for a nation of limited government.
I vote........for a nation which operates according to its Constitution.
I vote........for a nation of limited regulation.
I vote........for a nation that is proud of its history.
I vote........for a nation that respects the sanctity of life.
I vote........for a nation that honors its military and its veterans.
I vote........for a nation with a strong military.
I vote........for a nation whose citizens have the right to defend themselves and their property.
I vote........for a nation that strives to eliminate its debt.
I vote........for a nation that operates according to a balanced budget.
I vote........for a nation of strong moral character.
I vote........for a nation that fights against evil.
I vote........for a nation that values religious freedom.
I vote........for a nation that is respected around the world.
I vote........for a nation that fights so that the generations to come may have freedom.
I vote........for a nation that puts its trust in the Almighty God.

But before I vote for these things, I pray for them.

Umpire Uncle Sam

The way I look at it, the US government should be like a good umpire at a baseball game. If he does his job well, you don't even notice. He doesn't coach the players. He doesn't tell the coaches who should be in the game. And he certainly doesn't tell the fans which food to buy at the concession stand. He just knows the rule book, follows his job description, and the game is enjoyed by all.  Yes, the umpire must be present, but only to maintain the order of the game.

"Make-up Call" Justice

    There are times during athletic contests when an official, after making what he/she may realize is a bad call, will find an opportunity to make another call later in the contest which will go in the direction of the other team.  This is often referred to as a "make-up" call.
    It appears to me that our country's present Department of Justice, under the leadership of Attorney General Eric Holder, is in the business of "make-up call" justice.  AG Holder must feel it necessary to make his decisions based upon what he perceives to have been many lousy calls made throughout America's history, especially regarding African-Americans.  I think the most notable examples of this occurred when his justice department disregarded all charges made against two members of the New Black Panther who were videoed outside a polling place in Philadelphia brandishing weapons, thus intimidating the entering or exiting voters.
    In an athletic contest, it may be justifiable in an official's mind to issue a "make-up" call.  However, it would make no sense for a different official to issue a "make-up" call to rectify a lousy call made years earlier by someone else. 
    Justice is portrayed as a blind person holding the scales of justice.  This justice department seems to have one eye open, tipping the scales in a preferred direction.  This is not justice at all.

To Be or Not to Be

    I thought I'd share some word play that has been floating around in my brain lately.  It has to do with some forms of the verb, "to be".  This verb is one of those verbs which is incredibly irregular in its various forms.
    First there is the third person, present tense form:  is.  We have been bombarded with stories about ISIS, or ISIL.  Recently, it was reported that the ultimate goal of this organization is to become IS....an Islamic State which is global.  This is not a new thought.  For over a thousand years, there have been those who had the goal of a global IS, and some of them had a certain level of success in reaching that goal.  There was a time when parts of Europe were under the control of Islamists.  So on the one hand, we have a dangerous group of jihadists who are loyal to Allah and depend on the Koran for their doctrine.
    Second, there is the first person, present form:  am.  In the book of Exodus, we have God telling Moses that when people ask who sent him to lead them out of Egypt that he should tell them that I AM had sent him.  A whole series of Bible studies could be done on the use of the term "I AM" throughout the Old and New Testaments.  Jesus himself uses the phrase over and over.  "I am the light of the world."  "I am the way."  And the list goes on.  Both Jews and Christians will point to their God as being the I AM.
    I know that in the end....and I really mean the ultimate end.....AM is going to prevail over IS.  I find it significant that AM is a first person pronoun, while IS is a mere third person pronoun.  I do think, however, there will be times in history when IS will seem to prevail.  Those times will occur when people wander away from AM.  And I think we may be living through one of those times.  I also think that the success of IS may just be the factor that wakes up the world and leads them back to the great I AM.
    I also find it interesting that America begins with AM.  I know that when our country began, its founders understood the importance of being a nation under God, who endowed people with inalienable rights (although some would argue to the contrary).  What disturbs me is that there are forces within our country that are devoted to getting God out of public life in America.  It also disturbs me that these forces also dare NOT attack the religion of Islam.  It seems to be a protected religion in the USA, while Christianity in particular is under attack.  It makes me wonder if we may not always be America, and may indeed be transformed into becoming ISerica.......or the Islamic State of America.
    We certainly have an administration that does not seem to recognize the threat of IS.  I believe that if we want to remain AMerica as it was founded, we need to get to the polls and bring about many changes in leadership.  We also need to return to the pews, devote ourselves to I AM, and pray for His guidance and help.  Heaven forbid that America moves into the past tense forms of "to be", which would indeed mean that we were "not to be".

The Silenced Majority

    I am old enough to remember when a group of people in America was referred to as the silent majority.  I think that at this time in the history of America we have a silenced majority.  People in this group are intimidated in several ways to the point that they will not talk about or write about their points of view because of the negative consequences which may result.
    I think there is a large portion of people in our country who I would describe as very thoughtful, very compassionate, and very loving.  Yet, for a variety of reasons, are opposed to gay marriage.  Many of them, including myself, find their reasons to oppose this movement in the Bible.  They oppose gay marriage because it is a matter of faith.  Despite their strong beliefs, they remain silent.  They remain silent because they see the stories in the media.  A prominent CEO loses his job because of a donation he made to an effort to preserve traditional marriage years ago......an effort which was successful, by the way, until an activist court threw out the law.  A football player tweeted a handful of words which were construed as being in opposition to a gay football player being drafted, and he is punished by the league and must complete sensitivity training before he can have his job back.  When your job in endangered, you decide to keep your opinions to yourself.  For so many people, it just becomes an easier option to remain silent than to risk losing......losing your job, losing your friends, losing your reputation, or losing your credibility.  Being branded as a homophobe is just not worth it to most, even if they know in their hearts it is not true.
    There are quite a few issues that people avoid talking about because of the risk of being branded as a racist.  Being opposed to issues such as extending unemployment benefits, food stamps, or amnesty may get you that brand.  Being a proponent of voter ID laws or defending our borders may get you that brand.  Even speaking out against our current President is risky.  These people know they are not racists, but they keep quiet anyway.  They are bullied into silence.  What is even more amazing is the treatment that black conservatives receive because of their positions.  They may be the most bullied people in America.
    The IRS scandal may turn out to be the biggest silencer of all.  No one wants to be audited.  Yet, when you find out that those who have contributed to conservative causes have a greater chance of being audited, it gives you cause to consider whether it is worth making that donation.  One even wonders whether just speaking about being a supporter of the Tea Party might result in some sort of negative consequences.  Who wants to make an enemy of the IRS especially now that they are involved in the operation of their healthcare. 
    I must say that I personally have not suffered much in the way of negative consequences.  I do not even get much blowback when I express myself in social media.  My left-leaning friends know me, and I think they respect me for who I am and what I've done with my life.  However, there have been a few occasions when someone who has no idea who I am has lashed out with vicious responses filled with profanity.  I admit that on those occasions, I shut down my comments and become silent myself.  It's what we do.  People like me do not like conflict.  So we are silenced.  When that happens, the next step is to feel guilty for giving in.  It's tempting to think that the bad guys have won.
    Having a blog like this is therapeutic.  It gives me an opportunity to blow off some steam.  It just remains to be seen if I get punished for it.  It's a good thing that I am retired and have no job to lose.

Let's See If I Have This Straight

    It is my understanding that Muhammed, leader of Islam, has stated that most of the inhabitants of hell are going to be women.  He also states that they will be there because they are not as intellectual as the men, plus they have a tendency to be NOT submissive enough to the men.  Now that sounds like a war on women.
    Having said that, the progressives in our country devote quite a bit of time saying that it is the conservatives who are waging a war on women.  The reasons are numerous.  Conservatives, especially those who are Christian, are opposed to granting free contraceptives, especially abortifacients.  Conservatives are said to be responsible for inequal pay for women in America.  Conservatives are opposed to pro-choice policies. 
    Many of  these stances are based on Biblical principles.  The progressives have been way too successful at marginalizing the Bible.  It is said that Biblical principles are no longer relevant.  Just look at what has happened to the perception that our culture has towards homosexuality.  So those who maintain their belief in the Bible have also been marginalized, even demonized.
    So the perception is that progressives are the tolerant ones, and the conservatives are not.
    Do I have this straight?

A Letter to my Grandchildren

My dear grandchildren,

    I am writing this letter to you mainly because I want you to know how much I love you.  You are so precious to me.  I know Grandma also loves you more than you’ll ever know.  As I write this, I know that you either are not able to read this, or you are not able to understand what it means.  In fact, when you eventually read this, it is possible that I may already be in heaven. 

    I don’t think you have ever seen me cry.  Just because I don’t often cry does not mean I don’t care about things.  There are times when I am crying on the inside.  That is happening more often these days because of what is happening in our country.  I know that because of what my generation has done, your lives are not likely to be as pleasant as mine has been.  We have allowed the Federal government to get way too big, and it has been spending way more money than it has.  The national debt is already so big that it is not likely that we will ever get it paid off.  What I fear is that you will be the ones who have to suffer from our mistakes.  The Constitution is in shreds.  It was meant to put limits on the Federal government, but we have allowed the government to intrude into so many aspects of our lives.  I’m afraid we haven’t been able to protect our liberties, and you may not be able to live with the freedoms that we have had.

    Although I have been trying to do what I can to stop this from happening, I should apologize for not working hard enough.  I am so sorry that my generation has selfishly decided to spend money foolishly and leave the bill for you to pay.  We should not have done this.  We had chances to work on this problem, but we decided to kick the can down the road, and now you are going to have to live with problems which are our doing.  We have lost our way.  We have not had the passion to defend our American values, and have let you down.  We are now even condoning things which are contrary to God’s Will.  I just want to cry.

    I pray that I am wrong.  I pray that you continue to have the liberties that our ancestors fought for.  I hope and pray that your generation will be able to overcome these difficulties and will be able to pass on the legacy of American greatness to your descendents.  I pray that our country finds its way back to being a nation under God.  I pray that God continues to bless this nation.

    I do have some advice for you.  Pray and read your Bible every day.  Go to church every week.  Don’t miss out on the important things that are offered you in worship.  The only real solution to our country’s problems is for its people to renew their trust in God and their faith in Jesus who died on the cross to forgive their sins.  I pray that you remain faithful and that you do everything in your power to make sure your family is raised in the Christian faith.  Always appreciate your mom and dad.  They love you dearly, too.

    Make sure you know the story of how some really great heroes founded this country by their sacrifice.  Make sure you know the true story about how these great men of faith managed to work out a framework for government that was successful for so many years and became a great blessing for this country.  They understood the evil in sinful people’s hearts and attempted to put limits on a government to make sure it did not become too powerful.  It’s just shameful that we have wandered away from that ideal.  Teach these things to your children.  Be responsible citizens. 

    There will be a time when I will no longer be with you here.  I look forward to my time in heaven.  Just remember this.  When I get to heaven, I will be waiting for you to get there too, and when you do, you can expect some great big hugs from me.  Grandma may get to you first though.  She’s much faster than me.

                                                                                                Much love to you,

Grumps