The Cause of Liberty

In the latest edition of Foreign Affairs is an excellent article by Stephen Flynn entitled “America the Resilient,” which gives his expert recommendations on how America should mitigate natural disasters and “defy terrorism.”

It’s a fascinating read from a well-known and respected expert on preparedness, and it should get every reader motivated to implement a sensible preparedness plan immediately.

The best way that I have ever seen to do this is through Joseph’s Storehouse, the “world’s first full-service preparedness and food storage company.”

I had a Joseph’s Storehouse rep come to my home to perform a free Emergency Preparedness Audit, a service to assess a family’s level of preparedness in home safety, emergency and disaster preparedness, and food storage. I was amazed at the level of depth and comprehensiveness of the audit, and it opened my eyes to how ill prepared my family is.

I’m not an alarmist, yet it only makes sense to be prepared for natural disasters, or other things spoken of by experts such as flu pandemics, terrorist attacks, and more.

Do your family a favor: Call Joseph’s Storehouse today at (435) 215-4838 and set up your free Emergency Preparedness Audit.

While you’re debating whether or not you’ll make the call, consider the… Continue reading »

“You may not need to resort to punishment to change a child’s course.”

Liberty largely depends on strong, healthy families; any freedom lover strives to make their home and family an ideal for the rest of society to model.

With this in mind, I’m constantly looking for ways to improve my meager parenting skills. I have just come across the absolute best thing I have ever read on parenting, and wanted to share it with my readers.

It is an article entitled “Better Than Punishment” by Duane Boyce of the Arbinger Institute and it can be found here.

Read it, share it with your family and friends, and let me know what you think by posting a comment below.

Subscribe to the Sentinel, a free weekly newsletter boldly illuminating the principles of freedom in a darkening nation, and receive two free gifts now.

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We waste so much time and energy lamenting our flaws and weaknesses. If only I was taller, we think. If only I could sing better. If only I was a faster reader. If only I was a more persuasive public speaker. If only I didn’t have to wear glasses. If only I could run faster and jump higher. If only…

If only we could realize that our weaknesses are hidden pearls, possible goldmines of opportunity and success. Then we could fully submit to God, accept–rather than resist–our current state, embrace our weaknesses, and unleash our potential. Our weaknesses, far from being annoying obstacles, can be precious keys that open the doors to our success, wealth, and happiness.

It was precisely the weakness of the American army during the Revolutionary War that led Washington to be creative, to innovate and beat the British the only way that they could have been beaten. Thomas Jefferson was shy and considered himself a poor public speaker. Is it any wonder, then, that he found his voice through writing, and produced one of the most powerful political documents in all of history? Louis L’Amour began as a second-rate writer, and his numerous rejection slips propelled him to travel the world and work various jobs to gain the experience and insight that led his treasured tales of adventure.

Jacques Lusseyran, a leader in the French Resistance to the Nazis, also found his greatest strength because of a weakness.

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Information Age Casualties, and How To Reclaim Them

Why is it that the more digitally connected we become, the more we feel disconnected from the things that matter most?

Picture the following scene, played out many evenings in typical American homes. The father is on his computer in the office, finishing up some last minute work details and reading up on the latest election news on the internet, while the mother is watching TV in the living room. The son is downstairs playing video games while the daughter listens to music on her iPod in her bedroom while instant messaging with friends online.

As you picture this scene (and ponder what’s wrong with it), try to comprehend the magnitude of what we’ve accomplished in the Information Age, the ability to bring the entire world into our living rooms and bedrooms, the ability to connect in real time with almost anyone across the globe.

Want to learn about Zambia? A quick Google search brings up 124 million sites. Want to download the latest song from an obscure artist in Australia? You’re about two clicks away.

What’s the current price of crude oil? Who won Academy Awards? How many delegates does Barack Obama currently have? How can you defeat the final challenge on your favorite video game?

Whatever is on your mind, in whatever corner of the globe or concerning the most esoteric and specialized concepts, you have almost instant access to your questions. Technology has given us a brave new–and small–world, with more information, opportunity, and connectivity than our ancestors could even dream of.

And yet, in an age largely defined by connectivity, we’re losing our lifelines to the most important things. Specifically, there are three main connections that, ironically enough, are being systematically severed the more digitally connected we become.

What are those three connections, and how can we strengthen them in our own lives?

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Improve the World, One Small Act of Service At A Time

Public virtue, voluntarily sacrificing personal benefits and desires for the good of society, can be a tough concept to grasp and believe in.

This may be so because it can seem like a daunting task; we may feel like small and daily sacrifices just don’t cut it. We may read accounts of men like George Washington suffering through Valley Forge and think that comparatively our daily efforts are insignificant and meaningless.

I don’t think this is the case at all; in fact, I believe the best way for us to show public virtue is by making a small yet significant effort every day to make the world a better place. Without public virtue, our republic cannot last.

With this in mind, I have compiled a list of 101 ways that contemporary Americans can display public virtue in small, significant, practical, and consistent ways:

1. Vote
2. Pick up garbage in your neighborhood
3. Read to a child/teach a child how to read
4. Volunteer at a soup kitchen
5. Attend a city council meeting
6. Make a meal for a struggling family
7. Donate money to a non-profit organization
8. Get out and stay out of debt
9. Study the Constitution
10. Volunteer at your child’s school
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