The Revolutionary War changed everything Including lessons for U.S. today: Religion, Politics, Money!
October 13, 1775
Happy 250th Birthday US NAVY
THE PATRIOT CAUSE NEEDED A FLEET AND SO BEGAN THE CONTINENTAL NAVY... With a Congressional Committee of three
"It will be worthy of a free, enlightened, and, at no distant period, a great nation, to give to mankind the magnanimous and too novel example of a People always guided by an exalted justice and benevolence."
ThomasJefferson
pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all
“I always consider the settlement of America with Reverence and Wonderas the Opening of a grand scene and Design in Providence”
JohnAdams
PIKES PEAK - “AMERICA’S MOUNTAIN” - Colorado Springs, Colorado - USA
The spot of inspiration in 1893, For the Nation’s Song: America the Beautiful - Released July 4th, 1895 And source of inspiration for the Nation’s Beautiful New Patriotic, USA 250th Birthday Magazine: AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL 250
O beautiful for glory tale Of liberating strife,
When once and twice for man’s avail, Men lavished precious life!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee, Till selfish gain no longer strain The banner of the free!
At the 14,115 ft. summit, there are sweeping 360 views of Colorado Springs and the majestic vistas below. These views inspired the song for our beautiful nation, as well as many generations of explorers and travelers who have made the trek to the top of the Peak on foot, by mule, wagon, car, or the famous Manitou and Colorado Springs Cog-railway.
SAGE ADVICE AND WORDS OF WISDOM
“Listen, my sons (and
daughters), to a [Fore]father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding”
Proverbs4:1
On the following pages you will read Sage advice and Words of Wisdom to those who love America... from the men and women who fought to establish America and who created the “guidebook” to well-preserve the freedoms & liberties which they entrusted to U.S. - to decree for ourselves and our posterity.
“All Americas” ponder well and please continue to fight the good fight... for love of country!
“Righteousness alone can exalt America as a nation…Whoever thou art, remember this; and in thy sphere practice virtue thyself, and encourage it in others”
PatrickHenry
A Prayer from 250-years ago for the citizens of America, today!
You this day...have, by the favor of Providence and the attention of friends, received a public education, the purpose whereof hath been to qualify you the better to serve your Creator and your country. You have this day invited this audience to witness the progress you have made...Thus, you assume the character of scholars, of men, and of citizens... Go, then, ... and exercise them with diligence, fidelity, and zeal... Your first great duties, you are sensible, are those you owe to Heaven, to your Creator and Redeemer. Let these be ever present to your minds and exemplified in your lives and conduct. Imprint deep upon your minds the principles of piety towards God, and a reverence and fear of His holy name. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and its practice is everlasting happiness... Reflect deeply and often upon your relations with God. Remember that it is in God you live and move and have your being, - that, in the language of David, He is about your bed and about your path and spieth out all your ways - that there is not a thought in your hearts, nor a word upon your tongues, but lo! He knoweth them altogether, and that He will one day call you to a strict account for all your conduct in this mortal life.
Remember, too, that you are the redeemed of the Lord, that you are bought with a price, even the inestimable price of the precious blood of the Son of God. Adore Jehovah, therefore, as your God and your Judge. Love, fear, and serve Him as your Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier.
Acquaint yourselves with Him in His word and holy ordinances...Go forth into the world firmly resolved neither to be allured by its vanities nor contaminated by its vices, but to run with patience and perseverance, with firmness and [cheerfulness], the glorious career of religion, honor, and virtue... Finally, in the elegant and expressive language are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”and do them, and the God of peace shall be with you, to whose most gracious protection I now commend you, humbly imploring Almighty Goodness that He will be your guardian and your guide, your protector and the rock of your defense, your Savior and your God.
William
Samuel Johnson
- Founding
Father
Judge; Member of the Continental Congress; Signer of the Constitution; Framer of the Bill of Rights; President of Columbia College; U. S. Senator - Connecticut
“We have this day (fourth of July) restored the sovereign to whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in Heaven, and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let His kingdom come”
SEPT 1: Labor Day is here, and we all have an important and necessary job to do - RESTORE AMERICA. The great thing about the USA and its’ people is, “All Americans” are always up for a challenge and this modern-day fight for greatness is no different. So, come on...who is with U.S.?
Arise for the challenge, YES, “All of U.S. must!” 250-years ago, in September and October 1775, the same spirit of greatness challenge was on...and our bold and mighty Founding Fathers would forge the way for American independence - A beautifully profound example set for U.S., to follow today.
Now, in this issue of AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL 250, the personal question to you is: “Will you join U.S. in the call to enthusiastically embrace Awesome American Citizenship, or will you choose to stand idly by, watching and wondering what will transpire in the time ahead?”
We believe we know the answer already. With the bold “AMERICA STRONG” slogan and moving national motto: “IN GOD WE TRUST,” on the hearts and minds of tens-ofmillions of Americans, we “believe” you are amongst those who wish to help bring out the very best in U.S..
“
In their quest, the Continental Navy was established on the historic date of October 13th, 1775. This Oct. 13th, we celebrate the Navy’s 250th Birthday... with a salute to all who have served.
We also give a glimpse into George Washington’s “Appeal to Heaven,” as he launched out for the “United Colonies” greatness, by commissioning the Navy’s first “American” warships.
With the formation of the new Navy, John Adams remained steadfast in prompting his fellow Congressional Delegates and Patriots, that the need for chaplains should not be overlooked. God’s help was sure to be needed in this decade-long fight ahead and faith was an integral focus of their journey.
“RELIGION, POLITICS, and MONEY” What do you know?
These were driving force topics of the nation then, and ones “All Americans,” today, could gain a greater appreciation for simply by examining the thoughtful wisdom these men and women openly shared amongst themselves & which they etched on parchment for us to learn by. The pages ahead are filled with their words.
THE BEST U.S. WE CAN BE!”
In this issue, we feel you will be inspired with the stories of the men and women of early-America, who set out on an amazing and treacherous journey of freedom They beckoned America with the clarion call, “Let’s roll.”
Finally, we didn’t want to neglect the ladies of 1775. We’ve highlighted the tremendous impact women of the day had on turning the world upside down. Strong women, for sure - A gusto that should intrigue U.S. all!
AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL 250, hopes you’ll be inspired by the gift of awe and wonder for America. Do share!
“Where are our Men and women of abilities? Why do they not come forth to save their Country?”
GeorgeWashington
A Dynamic Father-Son-grandson trio
In 1775, 32-year-old, Benjamin Balch become a Lieutenant in the Company of men from in Danvers, Massachusetts. That’s because skirmishes with the British were already taking place and militias were being put together to thwart the Redcoat’s aggression.
Just months earlier, in January that year, Benjamin’s son William (forth of 12 children), was born - and it wouldn’t be long until the U.S. history of this fatherson (and grandfather) Navy chaplain legacy was to be made.
On the fateful day of April 19, 1775, Benjamin marched with the troops to the Battle of Lexington. This must have been somewhat odd for Benjamin because 30 years earlier, his father, Thomas had been selected by the British government to accompany British troops, as their chaplain, on their deployment to fight the French in what is now Canada. As the company marched, much was probably swirling through Benjamin’s head on the frightful journey. To put yourself into his shoes and get into his brain, think as if it was your lineage who had come to America by way of a 3x great-grandfather, John Balch, who arrived 150 years earlier, in 1623 to the new colony - Wessegusset (modern Weymouth, Mass.)
“I know not whether the commanders of our ships have given much attention to this subject of chaplains, but in my humble opinion, we shall be very unskillful politicians as well as bad Christians and unwise men if we neglect this important office in our infant navy.” - John Adams
This Massachusetts family legacy was sure to have been passed down to Benjamin, as the family had always been in Massachusetts (since his namesake - 2x great-grandfather Benjamin’s birth in 1628, in Naumkeag) It is said that this Benjamin was the first male born in the Naumkeag colony. In September of 1628, the colony became part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and in July of that year, Naumkeag was renamed Salem. Around 1636, town records indicated that John Balch was one of the first thirteen executive rulers of Salem and later he was one of the twelve selectmen for the town. In the following years, a land grant was given to the people of the area and John Balch, as one of the "Old Planters" or first colonists, was chosen as one of the individuals to help divide the land amongst the inhabitants. The land grant was around one to two thousand acres. John’s parcel was a section of land along the Bass River, where years later, his son Benjamin built [The Balch House] that still stands today John's land and the acres surrounding it would become Beverly, Massachusetts (which would become birthplace of the Navy).
Couple this with the fact that at the age of 16, now Lieutenant Benjamin and his father, had attended Harvard College. Benjamin graduating in 1763 - and Thomas in 1733. Both went on to study theology and both also established themselves as pastors. This all would have certainly been on Benjamin’s mind as he marched to quell the British invasion at Lexington. Essentially this all was transpiring in Benjamin’s historic and prominent “backyard.”
What might your thoughts have been if you were Benjamin on the March to Lexington? Pause for just a moment to consider - this just might stir you a bit.
...“And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth t hat God governs in the affairs of men”...
BenjaminFranklin
That day’s terror had passed and now, 250-years ago, in September and October of 1775, the imminence of war was underway...And so were plans for the new Navy.
Rev. Benjamin would soon serve as chaplain in the regiment of Colonel Ephrim Doolittle, and then he would serve as chaplain aboard the Frigate Boston - becoming the Continental Navy’s first chaplain...with stories of the tall ships and fierce battles to tell his young son William, (including a voyage in 1781, where Benjamin was serving as chaplain, under the command of Captain John Barry, on board the Frigate Alliance). This was a voyage to transport an American ambassador to France. The ship came under heavy attack from two British ships. The intensity of the fighting caused Benjamin to grab a musket and fight so fiercely that he earned the nickname "The Fighting Parson." Benjamin’s oldest son, Thomas, was also on board the Alliance during the fighting and “big brother” was sure to have told this whopper of a seafaring tale to his younger brother, William.
The fighting parson,” Rev. Benjamin Balch, also later fired the first shot at the Battle of Bennington.
Growing up in a household of 12 siblings and the historic Colonial family Legacy and Harvard educated“North-Star” guided clergymen father & grandfather, who were Continental Navy Chaplain and Chaplain in the navy of King George, respectively, William had big boots to fill, and he was used to being part of a big crew. William was up to the challenge and like father and grandfather, he walked in their steps and attended Harvard. After graduation, William would also go on to serve in the American navy. Upon the establishment of the “United States Navy” in March of 1794, William was commissioned as the first naval chaplain of the American navy, in 1799 on board the USS Chesapeake.
“Vocati ad Servitum” - Called to Serve
Come this November, it will be 250 years that the Navy Chaplain Corps has been called to serve God, America, and the United States’ sea services. During wars and peacetime; in good times and bad, Navy chaplains have been there to provide ministry, counseling and solace for Sailors and Marines and their families in countless places around the globe. Today, the Navy Chaplain Corps has more than 800 chaplains.
More on this story to follow - come issue #8
PaintingbyF.Muller
"Fight the good fight of faith, and God will give you spiritual mercies.”
Rev.GeorgeWhitefield
“It is strange to today’s generation to think that the rights listed in the Declaration of Independence were nothing more than a listing of sermon topics that had been preached from the pulpit in the two decades leading up to the American Revolution, but such was the case”
“The learned clergy...had great influence in founding the first genuine republican governments ever formed and which, with all the faults and defects of the men and their laws, were the best republican governments on earth. At this moment, the people of this country are indebted chiefly to their institutions for the rights and privileges which are enjoyed”
- Noah Webster
“I do declare to the whole world that we believe the Scriptures to contain a declaration of the mind and will of God in and to those ages in which they were written”...
William Penn
From the Library of Congress Exhibition on
Religion and the Founding of the
American Republic, which “contains over 200 objects including early American books, manuscripts, letters, prints, paintings, artifacts and music from the Library's collections, Religion and the Founding of the American Republic explores the role religion played in the founding of the American colonies, in the shaping of early American life and politics, and in forming the American Republic ” We share this section from:
“Religion and the Congress of the Confederation”
“The Continental-Confederation Congress, a legislative body that governed the United States from 1774 to 1789, contained an extraordinary number of deeply religious men. The amount of energy that Congress invested in encouraging the practice of religion in the new nation exceeded that expended by any subsequent American national government. Although the Articles of Confederation did not officially authorize Congress to concern itself with religion, the citizenry did not object to such activities. This lack of objection suggests that both the legislators and the public considered it appropriate for the national government to promote a nondenominational, nonpolemical Christianity.
Congress appointed chaplains for itself and the armed forces, sponsored the publication of a Bible, imposed Christian morality on the armed forces, and granted public lands to promote Christianity among the Indians. National days of thanksgiving and of "humiliation, fasting, and prayer" were proclaimed by Congress at least twice a year throughout the war. Congress was guided by "covenant theology," a Reformation doctrine especially dear to New England Puritans, which held that God bound himself in an agreement with a nation and its people. This agreement stipulated that they "should be prosperous or afflicted, according as their general Obedience or Disobedience thereto appears." Wars and revolutions were, accordingly, considered afflictions, as divine punishments for sin, from which a nation could rescue itself by repentance and reformation.
The first national government of the United States, was convinced that the "public prosperity" of a society depended on the vitality of its religion. Nothing less than a "spirit of universal reformation among all ranks and degrees of our citizens," Congress declared to the American people, would "make us a holy, that so we may be a happy people.”” [loc.gov]
photo: Exhibitions -Library of Congress
...“being given forth by the Holy Ghost moving in the hearts of holy men of God; that they ought also to be read, believed, and fulfilled in our day”...
William Penn
While the Library of Congress Exhibit section provides a simplified overview of the rather complex matter of Religion in the Colonies (from their beginnings), and the role religion played on the founding of the American Republic, we think you might be interested to know that in 1775, there were roughly 3200 churches spread throughout the Colonies, with numerous Christian denominations being represented, including: Congregationalist, Anglican, Presbyterian, Baptist, Quaker, Methodist, Lutheran and Catholic. There was also five synagogues in the colonies representing 2,000 Jews (mostly Sephardic). Keep in mind, there were not more than 2.5-million citizens in the colonies which stretched only as far west as the Mississippi River.
In 1775 - the town of Providence, R.I., had a population of 4,300, “The Meeting House” was built to seat 1,200 people and was one of the largest church structures built in Colonial AmericaThe Meeting House has survived many storms & still stands tall today.
...“being used for reproof and instruction, that the man of God may be perfect”...
William Penn
The American colonies were heavily dependent upon the sea for commerce. To punish Massachusetts for the colonists’ defiance and retaliation for the Boston tea party, the British Parliament passed the Boston Port Act in 1774. This caused the closure of the port in the Boston Harbor to most forms of commerce & was a direct attempt to stifle the city's economy and force the colonists to pay for the tea which had been destroyed. This was like setting things on ice and trying to freeze the colonists in... and further assert the crown’s authority.
Obviously, this did not sit well with the people of Boston nor the colonists at large. The were revving up and the colonists were not going to avoid discussing Religion, Politics and Money! This only made them more willing to discuss amongst themselves.
...“They are a declaration and testimony of heavenly things themselves, and, as such, we carry a high respect for them. We accept them as the words of God Himself” William Penn
TOP 3 ANSWERS ON THE BOARD:
WE ASKED 100 “ALL AMERICANS” - WHAT THINGS SHOULD WE BE ABLE TO MORE FREELY DISCUSS THAT WOULD HELP BRING ABOUT AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE, FREEDOM, AND DEMOCRACY?
“Never since the foundation of the world have the prospects of mankind been more encouraging to that hope than they appear to be at the present time”...
JohnQuincyAdams
You saw on a previous page (p. 12), a small glimpse of the building of the Baptist Meeting House in Providence, Rhode Island. What’s interesting to note, is the fact that because the Boston Harbor had effectively been iced-down in 1774, the Meeting House (which was also being started that same year), rather benefitted from these political troubles in Massachusetts. That’s because Boston's ship-builders and carpenters who were out of work, utilized the in response to the and had made their way to Providence, in search of the , to work on what was at that time, the greatest building project in all New England. Did you catch that word Providence and the eligion, olitics, & oney, aspect of things?
The colonist had a long history of practicing religion freely. Their feelings towards the Britain however, had eroded in 1775, and many later church designs of that period were being diverted away from their Anglican counterpart’s designs. This First Baptist Church, however, was one of a grand design and included a massive steeple bell, resembling traditional Congregational churches in England.
All quite interesting! And Now ...
As Tom Cruise, in Top Gun Maverick, would say... after hitting Mach10, (just before blowing a gasket) ...
“Just
... a little push”
Dr. James Manning was the man who had been appointed and called from the Philadelphia Baptist Association to Rhode Island, to start a Baptist college and to also gather some of the Baptist churches throughout New England to form a Regular Baptist association. This resulted in the establishment of what was originally known as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (Today, Brown University), the formation of the Warren Baptist Association.
The college moved from Warren to Providence (1770), and the College was built.
...“And may the associated distribution of the Bible proceed and prosper till the Lord shall have made 'bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God (Isaiah 52:10)”
- JohnQuincyAdams
“Whereas
Institutions for liberal Education are highly beneficial to Society, by forming the rising Generation to Virtue, Knowledge & useful Literature & thus preserving in the Community a Succession of Men duly qualify’d for discharging the Offices of Life with usefulness and reputation...”
Flag of Rhode Island 1775
The term “Ice-breaker” originally meant clearing the way for the larger ships to move freely by breaking the ice ahead. Smaller ships, known as icebreakers, were sent out to break the ice. ”Breaking the ice” became a commonly known phrase but took on a whole new meaning which was understood as a means opening-up a conversation and helping it flow more freely. By breaking down barriers that bound things in, the HOPE of an ice-breaker is to creating a sense of mutual trust among those involved as well as bring about new friendships.
Charter of the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, 1764 (Brown University)
In educational settings and social settings alike, icebreakers help encourage interaction and dialogue in a relaxed manner. The goal is to help individuals find ways to feel more comfortable engaging with one another - especially in matters of Religion, Politics and Money. We trust the American Harmony Ice Breaker has paved the way. Keep going America!
"Now I will avow, that I then believe, and now believe, that those general Principles of Christianity, are as eternal and immutable, as the Existence and Attributes of God”...
JohnAdams
NUMBER OF CHURCHES IN UNITED STATES TODAY
Today in the United States its not 3200 churches but around 350,000 to 400,000 churches that sparkle across the “fruited plains”, from Alaska and Hawaii to Maine and Florida. With 3200+ counties in America, that equates to over 100 churches per county (roughly 1 congregation for every 1000 Americans). To put this into perspective, the number of churches in the United States is equivalent to the total number of retail locations of the top 20 retailers (and those numbers represent their store locations around the world).
By the numbers, it’s safe to say that there are nearly 500,000 pastors, 37,000 Catholic Priests, and 4,500 Rabbis in the United States. OBVIOUSLY, from the numbers, Religion was in 1775 and is today, a topic on the minds of most Americans. Pastors, Priests, and Rabbis continue to encourage faith and help America fulfill the “greatest commandments” to “Love God with all your heart, soul and mind...and to love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:34-40).
Who is our neighbor? History of County Government
U.S. county governments have their origin in English shires, which were created in the 9th century by the Kingdom of England to serve as local administrative arms of the crown. Around 1066, “shires” were renamed to “counties,” but retained the same functions. English county governments operated under a “shire-reeve” or sheriff - the county’s plural executive, who shared power with the justices of peace.
According to the National Association of Counties, counties (1000 years ago), served a dual function. “The shires acted as the administrative arm of the national government as well as the citizens' local government. The structural form of the shire was adopted along the eastern seaboard of North America by the colonists and adapted to suit the diverse economic and geographic needs of the colonies.”
...“and that those Principles of Liberty, are as unalterable as Human Nature and our terrestrial, mundane System.”
JohnAdams
Number of Counties by state
Who Is Our Neighbor A Brief History of County Government
“When our national government was formed, the framers of the Constitution did not provide for local governments. Rather, they left the matter to the states. Subsequently, early state constitutions generally conceptualized county government as an arm of the state.
After World War I, population growth, and suburban development, the government reform movement strengthened the role of local governments. Those developments set the stage for post World War II urbanization. Changes in structure, greater autonomy from the states, rising revenues, and stronger political accountability ushered in a new era for county government. The counties began providing an everwidening range of services. These trends continue apace today.”
It’s quite interesting & coincidental to note, that on the parallel date of the establishment of our Colonial Navy (OCT 13), the Battle of Hastings in 1066 was set to be fought. This battle made the way for Duke William of Normandy to assume the throne as the new King England - and as such, the establishment of England’s new “counties.”
The first county fair of the United States
“Berkshire Agricultural Societies Cattle Show” was held in Pittsfield, MA, in October 1810
JohnAdams
Who Is Going To Pay For All This? Ah, The Subject of Money - What’s It Gonna Cost?
Isn’t it odd that the third thing “we are told” not to discuss, but what everyone needs and wants, is money? Have you ever asked yourself or wondered, “Who is telling us not to discuss this?” That’s a great question and one that everyone should reconsider, primarily, and if for no other reason, because it is a very important topic that with proper discussion, could enlighten all. Well, lets go then!
Consider this: If we have a God who made us and loves us - Who gave us guidelines to govern ourselves and properly live amongst others - and who then allowed us to establish a government to help us operate effectively in community - and who also establishes the providential blessings we all desperately seek, then shouldn’t it also stand to reason that it makes sense to Love God back; to seek to love our neighbors; to love ourselves; to seek the Lord’s blessings; and to share this message with all? Sure, it does! ... So, lets go.
Your success, and that of your community depends on these important discussions. It always has. That’s why Moses, way back when, instructed the citizens: “1These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3 Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. 4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts . 7Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, whenyou lie down and whenyou get up. 8
“I
HAVE WONDERED AT TIMES ABOUT WHAT THE TEN COMMANDMENTS WOULD HAVE LOOKED LIKE IF MOSES HAD RUN THEM THROUGH THE US CONGRESS”
Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads . 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. ” Deut. 6:1-9 NIV
FOUNDING
FATHER, JOHN JAY, PUT IT THIS WAY
Doesn’t that sound to you, like we should discuss such things? And if so “good citizens,” isn’t there more to learn and get beyond than, “Jesus loves the little children...all the children of the world?”
Sure, he does...but there in so much more for us to learn and so much more that our lives are called to. Crack open the “Good Instruction Book,” and see if your life won’t be blessed from further discussion of Religion (Love of God), Politics (Guidance of our collective lives), and Money (Provision to bless us along the journey this side of life).
Founding Father John Jay (President of Congress; Diplomat; Author of the Federalist Papers; First Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court; Governor of New York), was free to share, and he put it this way:
“By conveying the Bible to people...we certainly do them a most interesting act of kindness. We thereby enable them to learn that man was originally created and placed in a state of happiness, but, becoming disobedient, was subjected to the degradation and evils which he and his posterity have since experienced. The Bible will also inform them that our gracious Creator has provided for us a Redeemer in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed - that this Redeemer has made atonement "for the sins of the whole world," and thereby reconciling the Divine justice with the Divine mercy, has opened a way for our redemption and salvation; and that these inestimable benefits are of the free-gift, and grace of
God, not of our deserving, nor in our power to deserve. The Bible will also encourage them with many explicit and consoling assurances of the Divine mercy to our fallen race, and with repeated invitations to accept the offers of pardon and reconciliation. They, therefore, who enlist in His service, have the highest encouragement to fulfill the duties assigned to their respective stations; for most certain it is, that those of His followers who participate in His conquests will also participate in the transcendent glories and blessings of His Triumph. I recommend a general and public return of praise and thanksgiving to Him from whose goodness these blessings descend. The most effectual means of securing the continuance of our civil and religious liberties is always to remember with reverence and gratitude the source from which they flow.
The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next. Continue therefore to read it and to regulate your life by its precepts. The evidence of the truth of Christianity requires only to be carefully examined to produce conviction in candid minds…they who undertake that task will derive advantages.
Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation, to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.”
Doesn’t it sound like this first Founding Father is telling U.S. an entirely different story than we hear today? Shouldn’t our task be to listen and share?
"The
gospel of Jesus Christ prescribes the wisest rules for just conduct in every situation of life. Happy they who are enabled to obey them in all situations!”
BenjaminRush
Well alright then... now we’re getting somewhere!
A great and easy place to start is with open a super-simple and “easy-to-walk you, AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL 250 suggest that you start by personally saying “Thank you”, to your Pastor, Priest, and sharing (via text of email), a copy the magazine. www.ILOVEUSA250.com
How difficult is that? You’re right...It’s not! While you’re at it, please also ask them to share this issue with the congregation - along with a collective call for the community to pray for our nation. THERE YOU GO!
LET’S FIRE UP THE PEOPLE
By being unafraid to say, “Thank you” ... and having the nerve to pass themagazinealong withinyour faith community (not too scary), you may just have just lit the fuse thatignitesyour church to enrich our nation. This simple gesture will be something you will remember for life and which you can pass along as a blessedstory to your children and Grandchildren. It’stimetogetthe RPM’s revved-upforthe250th.
The smile of heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained. - John Jay
"The Bible is a book worth more than all the other books that were ever printed”
PatrickHenry
Senator Tim Scott’s Grandfather taught him, “Given enough time, A seed will find its way Through the hardest concrete.”
Allow this book to be a seed That will help your faith And Love of Country flourish!
"I hold the precepts of Jesus, as delivered by himself, to be the most pure, benevolent, and sublime which have ever been preached to man."
ThomasJefferson
On the previous pages we have shared that matters of Religion, Politics, and Money, are connected to peoples’ core beliefs and are, often, ones that are deeply personal to individuals’ lives and values. We have proposed that the success of people and thriving communities on proper and thought-provocative attention these important aspects of life - and that, despite adage to stay clear of their discussion, just they are worthy of talking about after all.
We have provided information from the Library Congress on a brief history of Religion in America We’ve shared some statistics; We’ve given a glimpse into the history and establishment of State County Governments in America; We have provided wise words from a Founding Father of 250 ago as to obtaining the blessings we all seek; have also encouraged you to make a simple of gratitude and encouragement to your Priest or Rabbi, which we believe will be something you will remember for life and which you can along as a blessed story to tell your children Grandchildren (This story will be yours).
We have intentionally tried to get your revved-up for the 250th Birthday of our Beautiful America. And we, unapologetically, have tried inspire and bring about “Awesome American Citizenship” from the “All American” citizens incredible USA. THAT “AWESOME AMERICAN”
To bring this up to present day, we will allow words of Gen. George Washington to make introduction of another Awesome American Citizen Senator Tim Scott - with his own RPM book to
“It's not a surprise that lessons can be learned from history. Whether in words (letters, diaries, speeches) or actions”
- GEORGE WASHINGTON
“The first movement toward democracy in America was inaugurated in the house of God and with the blessing of the minister of God”
Charles B. Galloway
It was a mentor who showed Tim Scott the wisdom of conservative principles. Through the lessons he learned,
“I am a strong supporter of our traditional conservative values. I believe that government should be protecting our right to religious freedom, not assaulting it”
The palmetto tree with its resilience and the bright crescent, like the Resilient and bright, Sen. Tim Scott, all have deep roots with the history of South Carolina - The Palmetto and Crescent, particularly relating to the Revolutionary War and the founding of our nation Tim Scott’s new book, “One Nation Always Under God: Profiles in Christian Courage”, does as well.
During the Battle of Sullivan’s Island in 1776, British cannonballs bounced harmlessly off the walls of Fort Moultrie, The “Liberty” Flag (or Moultrie Flag) was designed by Colonel William Moultrie In1775, for the South Carolina troops to use during the American Revolutionary War The crescent moon from the troop’s helmets and the color of the Militia uniforms were the inspiration for the elements of the initial flag, which which were constructed of palmetto logs. This led to the victory against the British, The palmetto tree's ability to withstand the cannon fire and other harsh conditions made it a symbol of the Troop’s and Colony’s resilience Upon South Carolina
flew over Fort Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island During a 16-hour battle with the British Fleet on June 28, 1776, the flag was shot down. In an act of courage, Sgt. William Jasper, ran to rescue the flag and rally the troops, who went on to save Charleston from being conquered the flag became a symbol of liberty for the Revolution, the new nation, and the new state of South Carolina, upon statehood in 1861 the palmetto tree was incorporated into the new state flag, to showcase its strength in withstanding the British onslaught on Moultrie's fortress & The palmetto became the state tree.
A U.S. SENATOR’S ”ALWAYS”
JohnDickinson
Now to the dynamic, modern-day Patriotic Leader of South Carolina, Senator Tim Scott, and his new book meant to inspire the nation:
Tim Scott like the palmetto Tree is strong, sturdy, resilient, and adaptable. He is a man of faith, A Politician as Senator, and The Banking Chairman of the Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs office There you have it - RPM’s
Tim will tell you Firsthand, that he came from very humble beginnings and that the family was mired in poverty. he experienced real challenges. As a descendant of slavery and the second son of a single mother, there is a unique parallel to the crescent described earlier While it was shared (when the crescent first began to be used by the South Carolina troops in the Revolution), it wasn’t explained why.
plantation owners, others as merchants, Builders, and shipping moguls.
with proud determination to make their own way in the world these second sons, emblazoned the moon as their emblem of strength and determination. the crescent moon ultimately found its way from the troop’s helmets to the Flag that would represent American Liberty & ultimately the Great state of South Carolina.
For Senator Scott, this was true as well. Tim would overcome his hardships with mentorship and a new-found determination to turn his life around and navigate the obstacles he faced. With Faith, Education, and lots of hard work, Tim Scott did it!
All this led him to the life of public service (Politics), beginning with being elected Charleston County Councilman; a South Carolina House Representative, a United States House Representative, and beginning 2013, the First Black Senator of the great state of South Carolina.
Story has it, that during the eighteenth century, common practice in England was for the firstborn son to inherit everything from his father’s estate (the sun) the second born son would inherit nothing (The Moon) Many of these second sons made their way to South Carolina to seek their fortunes with only the moon and Many of these men did indeed make their fortunes... some as
With unbridled optimism, Senator Scott “works hard every single day to ensure every American family has the opportunity to succeed”. Through the mentorship he received; the lessons he has learned; and the Determination he has exhibited, he now has a wonderfully Encouraging message for “All Americans” to seek guidance from above & shoot for moon -
"I
JohnAdams
“A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER”
“Senator Tim Scott explains that in every state, in every decade, America has been built on faith.
From our Founding Fathers to today’s heroes of faith, Christianity has been the bedrock of our nation's greatness. In One Nation Always Under God, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott shows how Christian values forged our legal system, educational institutions, healthcare, social services, and more.
One Nation Always Under God is filled with inspiring stories of American Christians whose heroic advocacy has moved the nation forward, including:
•Abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, who faced an angry mob trying to destroy his newspaper
•Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell, whose faith sustained him 200,000 miles from Earth
•Dorothea Dix, who revolutionized how America dealt with mental health
•Eddie Rickenbacker, an aging WWI ace who stepped up to command soldiers stranded in the Pacific in 1942
•Norman Borlaug, a scientist whose discoveries saved a billion people from starvation ...and more.”
to order: harpercollins.com
“These stories exemplify both the American spirit of adventure and the Christian love of serving others.
Far from being confined to the Constitutional Convention or church pews, faith has been the driving force behind America's innovation, prosperity, and moral leadership, Scott asserts. While the forces of secularism and moral relativism try to ban God from the public square, they cannot truly remove Him from our national DNA
Senator Scott reminds us that we stand on the shoulders of giants courageous Christians who faced seemingly insurmountable odds yet persevered through faith. Their stories will stir the heart and awaken the hero within you One Nation Always Under God is more than a history lesson It's a rallying cry for all who believe that America's promise is rooted in timeless biblical principles ”
“I'm an ordinary guy serving an extraordinary Godand that makes the difference”
Senator Tim Scott
"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ”...
PatrickHenry
Calling “All Americans”
MEN & WOMEN BOYS & GIRLS,
The 250th is getting closer & AMERICA NEEDS YOU!
As of Labor Day, the countdown to AMERICA’S 250th, is just 306 days away.
The 250th will be the greatest birthday celebration in all the world and it’s time for “All Americans” to help U.S. be prepared.
Ask yourself, “What can I do... to be an Awesome American Citizen, and to help make U.S. great?” Then... Lace up your sneakers & as you’ve heard before: “Just Do It” YOU’RE AWESOME!
Awesome American Citizens: Imagine Benjamin Franklin, himself, speaking directly to you with these words:
“Remain committed to advancing useful knowledge for “the benefit of Mankind in General” ”There is no Rank in Natural Knowledge of equal Dignity and Importance with that of being a Good Neighbour, or Friend, a Good Subject or Citizen”
Benjamin Franklin
... “For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here”
PatrickHenry
“Let
virtue, honor, the love of liberty, be the soul of this constitution, and it will become the source of great and extensive happiness to this and future generations. Vice, ignorance, and want of vigilance, will be the only enemies able to destroy it”
- John Jay (Founding Father)
“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a bowl of silver” - Proverbs 25:11
“God who gave us life gave us liberty”...
ThomasJefferson
And the United States of America Education Battle Rages On!
“ ‘Cause, we need a little controversy” Really, America?...
“Don’t you ever ask them why” Should/Shouldn’t We Marshal These Matters?
“And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis”...
ThomasJefferson
“The origin of the song came from my recent infatuation with art. I had begun collecting photographs around that time, powerful images that had an emotional effect on me. One, in particular, was a Diane Arbus image of a boy in Central Park. It spoke volumes to me. The kid was only about nine or ten years old, but his expression bristled with intense anger. He had a plastic grenade clenched in a fist, but it seemed to me that if it were real the kid would have thrown it. The consequences it implied startled me. I thought,
‘If we don’t start teaching our kids a better way of dealing with each other, humanity will never succeed’”
- Graham Nash
Teach your children
You, who are on the road
Must have a code you try to live by
And so, become yourself
Because the past is just a goodbye
Teach your children well
Their father's hell did slowly go by
Feed them on your dreams
The one they pick's the one you'll know by
Don't you ever ask them why
If they told you, you would cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you
And you, of tender years
Can't know the fears your elders grew by
Help them with your youth
They seek the truth before they can die
Teach your parents well
Their children's hell will slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they pick's the one you'll know by
Don't you ever ask them why
If they told you, you would cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you
Don't you ever ask them why
If they told you, you would cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you
Ooh, and know they love you
And know they love you, yeah
And know they love you
Photo: David Dee Delgado/Getty Images
...“A conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath?”... ThomasJefferson
The bottom of the “controversial” Ruth Bader Ginsburg poster, proposed to be displayed in Louisiana public schools, reads: “The History of the Ten Commandments in American Public Education: The Ten Commandments were a prominent part of American public education for almost three centuries. Around the 1688, The New England Primer became the first published American textbook and was the equivalent to first grade reader. The New England Primer was used in public schools for more than 150 years to teach Americans to read and contained more than forty questions about the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments were also included in public school textbooks published by educator William McGuffey, a noted university president and professor. A version of famous McGuffey Readers was written in the early 1800’s and became one of the most popular textbooks in the history of American education, selling more than one hundred million copies. Copies of the McGuffey Readers are still available today. The Ten Commandments also appeared in textbooks published by Noah Webster in which were widely used in American public schools along with America’s first comprehensive dictionary that Webster also published. His textbook, The American Spelling Book, contained the Ten Commandments and sold more than one hundred million copies for use by public school children all-across the nation and was still available for use in American public schools in the year 1975.”
So why the controversy and “bad rap” on the Ten Commandments? It turns out, (a year ago), the daughter of the late U.S. Supreme Court JusticeRuth Bader Ginsburg - said, “Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill was misusing a quote from the judge’s elementary school days to justify putting the Ten Commandments in classrooms... the poster - sent out by Attorney General Liz Murrill, displays a quote my mother wrote in junior high and was not representative of her thoughts later in life, including when she served on the Supreme Court...it’s deceptive to put RBG’s official Supreme Court photo next to the statement”...
Attorney General Liz Murrill, shared that, “The posters shown at the news conference were not final options but rather represented potential ways for schools to follow the new Louisiana law requiring all public-school classrooms to put up a poster of the Ten Commandments.” “The state legislature passing the Ten Commandments law,” was in her estimation, “a statement that legislators and the people they represent are frustrated...They are frustrated with the lack of discipline in our schools...They’re frustrated with the inability of the whole system at this point to impose some rules of order, and so they went back to one of the original lawmakers who was Moses” Murrill believes the law would help advance “the education mission” in the state of Louisiana (currently ranked one of the lowest in the nation - at 40th).
(And then, just months ago, the decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit)...
...“That they are not to be violated but with His wrath?”...
ThomasJefferson
“I did not know that the Ten Commandments was such a bad way for someone to live their life. Many religions share and recognize them as a whole, So, really and truly, I don’t see what the whole big fuss is about.”
- Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry
Photo: Michael Smith/Getty Images
... “Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever...”
ThomasJefferson
, From the ACLU website: aclu.org
"Resistance to tyranny becomes the Christian and social duty of each individual. Continue steadfast and with a proper sense of your dependence on God, nobly defend those rights which heaven gave, and no man ought to take from us.”
JohnHancock
There you have it America - We’re all squared away... The fight for “Religious Freedom” in America is settled?
“This ruling will ensure that Louisiana families - not politicians or public-school officials - get to decide if, when and how their children engage with religion...It should send a strong message to Christian Nationalists across the country that they cannot impose their beliefs on our nation’s public-school children. Not on our watch,” said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.” aclu.org
It’s nice to know “All Americas” are “left” with the “right”... that “Families” get to decide how they choose to engage “their children” with religion.
Therefore, “All Americas” - as the song states:
“You who are on the road must have a code you try to live by”
The flag, with a center focal point of a green pine tree and the prominent inscription, "An Appeal to Heaven," high atop, was flown on the six schooners commissioned by George Washington during his leadership of the Continental Army Chase Sanborn Coffee Co. American History Booklet, “An Appeal to Heaven” 1898
GeorgeWashington
GEORGE
The term “An Appeal to Heaven” first originated in with political philosopher John Locke, in his Second Treatise on Government in 1689. Here it was used to describe the “right of revolution”. Locke's concept proposed that when a government overstepped its bounds, and there was no other earthly authority to appeal to, individuals or groups had the right to resort to a higher power, to justify resistance or revolution. This obviously had an impact on George Washington, who was on his knees praying for guidance in the dilemma he and his fellow patriots faced against the crown.
Keep in mind, the Founding Fathers were highly educated and very well-read. Locke’s writings were a primary part of the libraries of Washington and his peers. John Locke's writings and Enlightenment ideas, had widespread circulation amongst the educated colonists and political leaders of the era and were widely read by the Founding Fathers. The influence of these works on natural rights and limited government helped form the intellectual foundations of American revolutionary thought. George Washington himself, acknowledged Locke's importance calling him "the greatest man who had ever lived.” Obviously, Locke’s “An Appeal to Heaven” had a profound impact on good ol’ George.
Being well-versed on Locke’s social contract theory, (which stressed that governments should be formed with the consent of the people), this was certainly on Washington’s mind as he and the founding Fathers were setting out to protect the fundamental rights of life, liberty, and property within the colonies.
Locke's ideas on the topics of Freedom and Liberty were highly influential in the development of revolutionary thought in the Colonies leading to the American Revolution. His teachings were influential to the framers of the Constitution and instrumental in the very words they chose to write into their resolutions and ultimately the Declaration of Independence (But we are getting ahead of ourselves - that will be in issues to come).
In a resolution by the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts, it was said, “Appealing to Heaven for the justice of our cause, we determine to die or be free.” Things were getting serious!
Having all these thoughts in mind, George Washington (in October of 1775), commissioned the “An Appeal to Heaven” flag that would be flown by the American Navy at its inception. It would be the flag that was raised and flown on the first American War vessels - six schooners - deployed against the British in Boston Bay.
The reason for the pine tree was because, it had long been a symbol of strength and resilience in New England. Heads or tails, the colonies were now all in - standing strong - and making “An Appeal to Heaven” for providential help along the way.
1776 Massachusetts Pine Tree Cent made by Paul Revere. Only one of these coins was ever recovered, from an early 19th century excavation in Boston. The original is currently held in the numismatics collection of the Massachusetts Historical Society
GeorgeWashington
"While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion”
GeorgeWashington
Continental
Army Schooner Hannah sailing on patrol from Marblehead, Massachusetts.
“We have accounts that the small squadron which sailed some time ago is bombarding Fulmouth and Portsmouth. Our vessels must be careful how they fall in with them. Please to fix upon some particular colour for a flag, and a signal by which our vessels may know one another. What do you think of a flag with a white ground, a tree in the middle, the motto: “Appeal to Heaven?”
- Colonel Joseph Reed, Washington’s secretary, in a letter from Cambridge, Mass. to Colonels Glover and Moyland, dated October 20, 1775
Painting by: Van Powell, The American Navies of the Revolutionary War.
“It follows then as certain as the night succeeds the day, that without a decisive naval force we can do nothing definitive, and with it, everything honorable and glorious.”
- George Washington
1898 Topographic map of the Birthplace of the U.S. Navy - Beverly, Massachusetts (Along with Marblehead, Massachusetts).
And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?
BenjaminFranklin
CELEBRATING THE 250THBIRTHDAY
It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favors.
GeorgeWashington
General Washington, was searching for authority to attack the British at sea. He decided his authority lay in the nebulous authority given to him by Congress regarding the desperate need of powder for the forces. Therefore, he surmised, anything taken from the British would help the Americans and detrimental to the British position. Washington also felt that the performance of the Royal Navy Admiral Samuel Graves, hardly presented a deterrent.
Secondly, Washington felt that manning the ship could be done by detaching officers and troops from the Continental Army could be appointed to become sailors. Now where was he going to find a ship?
This answer came by way of a small schooner that Washington was able to chartered at Beverly, MA, and convert to a cruiser. She was the Beautiful Hannah - owned by the parents of Colonel John Glover, of Marblehead. Hannah was the first vessel of Washington’s fleet and the first armed American naval vessel of the American Revolution. Hannah is claimed to be the founding vessel of the United States Navy.
She was a 78-ton fishing schooner named after John Glover’s daughter, Hannah. The crew was drawn largely from the town of Marblehead, with much of the ships ammunition which had been stored in Glover’s warehouse located at Glover’s Square in Marblehead. Soon it would be relocated to Beverly, Massachusetts.
Hannah’s charter rate was $1.00 per ton per month. She was in service for all of two months and twenty-one days - at a total cost of $200.
Washington drew up instructions for his first seagoing crew - a Regiment of thirty-six Company Volunteers - now, new Navy Shipmen.
On September 2nd, 1775, Washington gave Captain Nicholson Broughton (Captain in the Army of the United Colonies of North America), to take command of his detachment and proceed aboard the Hannah, “lately fitted out & equipp’d with Arms, Ammunition and Provisions,” with these sailing orders: “cruize against such vessels as may be found . . . bound inward and outward to and from Boston, in the service of the [British] army, and to take and seize all such vessels, laden with soldiers, arms, ammunition, or provisions... which you shall have good reason to suspect are in such service.”
CELEBRATING
The God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?
ThomasJefferson
Resistance to tyranny becomes the Christian and social duty of each individual…
Continue steadfast and, with a proper sense of your dependence on God, nobly defend those rights which heaven gave, and no man ought to take from us”
JohnHancock
Admiral Daryl Caudle Chief of Naval Operations
“Think boldly. Think differently. Think critically. Think compassionately. Then do with purpose. Do with excellence. And most important, do with integrity,"
“Philadelphia, PA will host the historic celebration of the Navy and Marine Corps’ 250th Birthday, honoring two of the most storied branches of the U.S. military. From October 9-15, the city will come alive with a weeklong series of events marking two-and-ahalf centuries of service, sacrifice, and tradition. This milestone is particularly special, as both the Navy and Marine Corps come together to commemorate their shared legacy of warfighting commitment to defending freedom. With Philadelphia’s rich historical significance and strong ties to both the Navy and Marine Corps founding in 1775, it is the perfect backdrop to celebrate the enduring bond between these two branches. Throughout the week, attendees will experience a variety of events from commemorative ceremonies to community outreach programs, exhibitions, and live demonstrations all showcasing the unique contributions of the Navy and Marine Corps to our nation’s history and future.”
For Details: navy.mil
Throughout the past 250 years, the U.S. Navy has had tens of millions of members serve... AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL 250 Salutes them all - Thank you for your service to our great nation!
"If moral precepts alone could have reformed mankind, the mission of the Son of God into all the world would have been unnecessary”
BenjaminRush
When war broke out in 1775, the fabric of colonial society was torn in two and the hearts of thousands of women were pierced, when they suddenly found their family-lives turned upside down and amongst a war zone. In the months of Sep/Oct 1775, they did not know that the soon-to-come, “all-out-war,” would end up going on for over a decade...and that (for many), everything would be lost. With their husbands preparing to soon departed for the inevitable war, many women would become heads of the household (which was certainly uncommon at the time). Other women would leave their homes entirely to be “camp followers” of the fledgling, Continental Army. No matter their newfound roles, women contributed greatly to the success of the “United Colonies” of America, revolutionary undertaking.
This saga - filled with drama - was the first episode of the really, “Real Housewives of New England.” Because some “girlfriends” and “neighbors” were not all “on-board” with the war and would remain “loyalists,” life was not going to be easy, and the women would have to constantly watch their
Talk about a Cat-fight
THE REALLY, REAL “HOUSEWIVES AND CATWOMEN OF NEW ENGLAND”
Etching:EzekielRussell,1779).New-York Historical Society Library
"The gospel of Jesus Christ prescribes the wisest rules for just conduct in every situation of life. Happy they who are enabled to obey them in all situations!”
BenjaminRush
Hey Ladies, “Did you you ever have the thought that it would be cool to be “Catwoman?”” Admit it...Sure you did!
The one in her skin-tight outfit, first appeared in the 1940 “Batman #1 ” comicbook, published by DC Comics. Catwoman was originally portrayed as a supervillain and adversary of Batman but in later years, she was portrayed as the character who lacked conventional heroic attributes, but who, all the same, was cunning and utilitarian in her philosophy of getting what she wanted.
However, she wasn’t the first American
Catwoman.
Ann Bates - was a Philadelphia school teacher and the wife of a British soldier. She claimed to be a Patriot, but in reality, she used this disguise to collect and identify important information to send to British forces. Once, she slinked into the White Plains headquarters, of George Washington. Upon divulging her findings to British HQ, she slyly explained that she, “had the opportunity of going through their whole army to access the strength and situation of each brigade and the number of cannonwith their situation and weight of ball, each cannon was charged with.” How sneaky is that? This information caused British General Henry Clinton to send more forces to defend Rhode Island, which led to American & French armies, withdrawal from Newport.
”Life's a game, darling, and I play to win” - Catwoman
Margaret “Peggy” Arnold - wife of traitor, Benedict Arnold, and said to have been "the highest-paid spy” of the war.
Esther Reed - wanted to show that women’s love of their country was equal to that of men. Patriot Esther Reed, printed-up what were called broadsheets. She titling hers, “Sentiments of an American Woman.” She wanted to demonstrate her devotion to the cause of American freedom and rounded up a group of “The Real Housewives of Philadelphia,” who went door to door collecting money for the Army.
And you know what? Raise money, these patriotic women did! All told, an extraordinary sum of $300,000 was collected - and it did in fact, go to the Army! That sum scratches out to about $12,000,000 in today’s dollars.
WOW - YOU GO GIRLS!
“The Bible is one of the greatest blessings bestowed by God on the children of men. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture for its matter. It is all pure, all sincere; nothing too much; nothing wanting!”
JohnLocke
Ever Hear the Spy term, “On the Button?”
Get out of here,
“Darn
it”... Wink, wink!
And then there was - Secret Agent 355 - the 1st Bond Girl
355 - was a woman whose code name was the numeric substitution equivalent which represented the word woman . This nomenclature was used by the Setauket Spy Ring, and no one (even to this day), knew her actual name. How catwomanlike is that?
355 went by this name to protect her work and homelife. Her spy-job was to supply accurate and timely information to General Washington. These “catlike reflexes,” paid off and played an important role in the counterintelligence missions she undertook Such uncovering Benedict Arnold & his with propagating the arrest of Major England’s Head of Intelligence Ops
“Sensible of the importance of Christian Piety and virtue to the order and happiness of a state, I cannot but earnestly commend to you every measure for their support and encouragement”
JohnHancock
The American Revolution would have progressed very differently without the “prowling-around” efforts women on both sides of the revolutionary fence.
Can you imagine this from the women of the 1775? Seems like they all liked Catwoman too!
And then there’s the modern-day, Patriotic Emily Compagno, who once dyed her hair blonde; donned the uniform of black; and produce a “broadsheet” of her own, by way of her book, “Under His Wings...to show her own (and God’s), support of the troops. Emily, we salute you!
Emily begins her book, ...“My father was a commander in the U.S. Navy, an elite pathologist in the Medical Corps. I was born in a naval hospital and raised on tight, loving ship. Lining our hallways were our family’s military medals and awards, in between citizenship certificates and photographs from generations past, thanks to my genealogist mother. On my bedroom wall, surrounded by photographs of F-117s, F-22s, and B proudly hung a poem by John Gillespie Magee Jr.”
To “All Americans,” this book is worth the read!
”Incredible stories of servicemen and women that had intimate, deep experiences with God on the battlefield...and to help people understand that God was always with them”...
The common thread throughout their
compelling perspectives
is that God is always with us, without fail, without exception. It is His hand that guides our way, it is His comfort we feel, it is His wings under which we take refuge”
Emily Compagno
The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.
JohnQuincyAdams
"Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there, I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air....
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space, – Put out my hand and touched the face of God."
"The general principles, on which the Fathers achieved independence, were the only Principles in which that beautiful Assembly of young Gentlemen could Unite”...
JohnAdams
Our Beautiful “United States of America” Was officially, named on September 9th, 1776
...“And what were these general Principles? I answer, the general Principles of Christianity, in which all these Sects were United: And the general Principles of English and American Liberty” JohnAdams
THE GIFT OF AWE & WONDER FOR AMERICA
George Washington himself, said, "The Man must be bad indeed who can look upon the events of the American Revolution without feeling the warmest gratitude towards the great Author of the Universe whose divine interposition was so frequently manifested in our behalf”
Hopefully today, almost 250-years later, in reading AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL 250 (in particular, this issue), “All Americans” have been inspired to embrace the “Gift of Awe and Wonder,” bestowed on America!
“What is this Gift of Awe and Wonder,” you ask?
This amazing gift for America (and the world), is a profound internal wonder, reverence, and awe, of not only creation - but the Creator. This “spiritual connection” manifests an inner desire towards - and a respect for - God's majesty, power, and goodness.
Our Founding Fathers quite frequently expressed sentiments of awe and wonder (which we today), are benefited from knowing of, simply because they were thoughtful enough to write these sentiments down. Their wonder, awe, and gratitude, for the Creator and His divine providence - along with the beauty of the natural world, reflecting a deep sense of these qualities in the reflections they had, and the words they inscribed on parchment. Our gratitude for their having done so, and the lessons we learn from them, is a simple example of the gift of awe. On the next page, we’ve highlighted James Madison’s eloquent expression of this wonder:
"How sublime to look down on the workhouse of nature, to see her clouds, hail, snow, rain, thunder, all fabricated at our feet!” Thomas Jefferson
"That the most acceptable service we render to him is in doing good to his other children. That the soul of man is immortal and will be treated with justice in another life respecting its conduct in this”...
BenjaminFranklin
"The belief in a God all powerful wise and good, is so essential to the moral order of the world and to the happiness of man, that arguments which enforce it cannot be drawn from too many sources nor adapted with too much solicitude to the different characters and capacities to be impressed with it”
- James Madison
James Madison’s words from 250-years ago, echo today as a thunderbolt or lightning-strike “moment of awareness,” of the incredibleness around us. Stop this very second to look around and see what your thoughts are captivated by in the moment. Close your eyes and Contemplate!
Go on, shut your eyes. Imagine in this moment being presented a beautiful gift that you are now holding in your hands. It’s incredible; it’s beautiful; it’s striking; it’s intriguing! So, what do you do? Do you choose to place the gift aside and forget about it, or are you curious with anticipation and begin to gently “openup” the ornate wrapping...with a since of “This is Special?” There you go...you open the gift - your senses tingle; your emotions burst; and you are awestruck with a profound sense of the “I can believe it” - but, being stunned and left speechless, you do!
“How Awesome is that?”
It is here in this very moment of perception that gives U.S. a sense of wonder towards the Divine. It’s that true, “I LOVE THAT” moment, that takes our breath away and “sets-us-back”...to give us a better grasp of who we are in relation to the cosmos and the unfathomable Grandeur of the Creator...So much so, that we may not have words to describe, however, we are changed - with a desire to share appreciation of through our thoughts, words and actions. And that’s just the package wrapping! The Gift of Awe and Wonder for America, is a gift “All Americans” should seek to explore...This really would do U.S. good!
THE GIFT OF AWE & WONDER FOR AMERICA
...“These I take to be the fundamental points in all sound religion, and I regard them as you do in whatever sect I meet with them”
BenjaminFranklin
And now, “Awesome All American” It’s time for your reflections & words to memorialize And inscribed on parchment.
"A watchful eye must be kept on ourselves lest while we are
building ideal monuments of Renown and Bliss here...we neglect to have our names enrolled in the Annals of Heaven.”
JamesMadison
Before the nation’s inception, the territory was known as the Thirteen Colonies and the citizens called themselves “Americans ” They were subject to the crown in Great Britain, but like most “young folks,” they ended up wanting to break away from motherland’s strict rule They wished for a tiara of their own only a crown of liberty The first political unit of the colonies was called the "United Colonies" and ultimately it was the Second Continental Congress who christened the name "United States of America "
“United States of America”
Did anybody notice these days and needing to be changed and cleaned up?
Whew! “SWEET LIBERTY”...
OKAY, now that we have all noticed, who’s going to step up to do the “dirty-work?” Gentlemen?, Ladies? Come on Everyone...Since no one seems to mind talking it these days, how about instead of all of U.S. glaring at the constitution being soiled - we rather, all start to get our nation’s mess cleaned up in time for the 250th. Don’t you suppose, we would all be breathing a little easier, with smiles vs. cringes?
THAT WOULD CERTAINLY, DO U.S. ALL SOME GOOD...
The clothespin, by-the-way, is not for your noseit’s for you to pinup your historic “postal card”... YOUR “GOLDEN TICKET TO GREATNESS” AND CERTIFICATE OF
THE BEST U.S. WE CAN BE
Like changing diapers...cleaning up America thoroughly, may seem like a messy and thankless job, but it has got to be done. It’s up to all of U.S. - so please don’t say, “that DEPENDS, on what I get out of the deal.” Pooey...
What we all get, is a “Squeaky-Clean” AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL 250” that everyone will want to hold near and dear to their hearts. So... it’s time to stop talking... LET’S GET THE RUBBER GLOVES ON & “GET ‘ER DONE!”
YOU’VE BEEN APPOINTED...
AND YOU START TODAY!
“THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE”
THAT’S THE SPIRIT !!!
TOGETHER WE CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS... (and all the smelly stuff around U.S.)
There’s 300-days from Labor Day ‘til July 4, 2026 Thanks for joining the “A” team and pitching in!
