Puffs

Singing at Sunday church services varies greatly. If familiar songs are used, the volume is usually greater. If the song is not familiar, people either don’t sing, or do so timidly.

Often on national holidays, our church uses patriotic songs. This last Sunday, close to the 4th of July, the ending song was “America the Beautiful” and the response was great. The volume was great as it seemed almost everyone in church was singing.

And . . . that song is one of my favorites.

A O

I try to do my best to sing that song to the best of my abilities, which are not great when it comes to singing. However, I never did stop and think about the song itself.

I’ve never given it much thought myself. I understand it was written in the late 1800s. The experts, I’m sure, have already given their opinion on the meaning and intent of the song, but looking it over, this is what I’ve gotten out of it.

There are four verses, stanzas or whatever they are called.

The first: ‘beautiful skies, purple mountains and fruited plains.” Describes America’s physical appearance and then asks for brotherhood from sea to sea, east to west or west to east. I have been amazed by the mountains, they can be beautiful and the oceans really impress by their vastness and consistent movement. However, the “Great Plains” are called great for a reason . . . they really are great. However, they take a little time to appreciate.

The second verse: talks about how the pilgrims moved across the wilderness; did make mistakes and ask God to mend their every flaw. “To confirm their soul in self-control (do what is right, not what is popular) thy liberty in law.”

Third verse: “O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife. Who more than self, their country loved and mercy more than life.” For me this tells America’s story of trying to correct “wrongs” around the world. The song could be considered prophetic considering it was written before WWI and WWII wherein America paid greatly when it got involved trying to protect against evil happenings.

Verse four: “Thine alabaster cities gleam undimmed by human tears.” By the time this song was written, America had grown greatly from its days of the American Revolution and Civil War. Many human tears had been shed, yet American had grown. It ends where it began with a prayer:“God shed his grace on thee.”

I’ll continue to love the song and the country it was written for. My impression of the song is probably completely wrong, but it is what I get out of the song. Those impression are why I spent four years of my life in the U. S. Air Force, trying to serve my America.

A O

I came across this following bit some years ago and if I used it before, forgive me as I thought this holiday week would be good time to use it.

Six Short Stories:

1: Once, all villagers decided to pray for rain. On the day of prayers all the people gathered, but only one boy came with an umbrella . . . That’s Faith.

2: When you throw a baby in the air, she laughs because she knows you will catch her. . . . That’s Trust.

3: Every night we go to bed without any assurance of being alive the next morning, but still we set the alarms to wake up. . . . That’s Hope.

4: We plan big things for tomorrow in spite of zero knowledge of the future. That’s Confidence.

5: We see the world suffering, but still we get married and have children. . . . That’s Love.

6: On an old man’s shirt was written a sentence: ‘I am not 91 years old . . . I am sweet 16 with 75 years’ experience.’ . . . That’s Attitude.

Have a good week and live your life like the six tiny stories.

May you always have love to share, health to spare and friends who care.

A O

Now, to put together some thoughts about the issue I was going to write about this week before I was interrupted by the foregoing.

“Green Energy.”

The two word phrase to describe the concept of providing our electrical energy use with methods such as wind, solar, water. Almost anything other than coal and gas.

The Biden administration is doing most everything it can to push America to stop using what is called “fossil fuels.”

I recently came across an article from the Heritage Foundation that suggests maybe we should take our time getting to that condition.

The article concerned the country of Germany. Seems Germany has been trying to be a country relying on “Green Energy” for some time now. They are now seeing some of the results of their action to date. Such as:

• Germany is experiencing a two year long recession.

• Farmers are protesting the rise of diesel fuel prices.

• Gasoline prices average $7.23 per gallon compared to $3.33 in America.

• Around 67 percent of large German companies have moved at least some operations abroad, including to America.

• Germany closed it nuclear plants in April of 2023. These plants produced huge amounts of “carbon free” energy.

The German government intends to be “carbon free” by 2025.

The idea of using only wind or solar energy is great and I think most people endorse it to some extent. However, it has to come via the normal economic progress. Government cannot dictate it. (Mr. Biden is demanding electric cars be the car of the future and Ford Motor Company jumped on the program. However, the huge factory they built is shutting partly down as they cannot sell all the cars they are making.)

The economic system may be slow, but it does work. All we need is the patience to see that it works to the betterment of all.

A O