Do you ever remember the stories told at the dinner table as you were growing up?  Do you also remember when you heard those stories from your childhood that your parents would say you don’t understand how good you have today? Do you remember?

Both of my parents were born in the depression era.  I found it a little hard to believe how they described the America they grew up in. My dad’s father working for the US Postal Service and making $25.00 per week.  My mom grew up in Dayton Ohio and was raised by a single parent. My mom telling me that grandma Bernice worked two jobs to support the family and that each of the older children had to work after school to also support the family unit.  My mom would tell me, Mike, you have advantages I never had. With hard work and determination, anything is possible if you believe in yourself. 

Both of my parents worked while I was in school so that I could enjoy the advantages they did not have. My mom also taught me that it was important to give.  As you become successful, you have moral responsibility to share your gifts and talents with the people around you. She would say, Mike, I need for you to take this seriously because I expect you to never rely on government for your daily bread. Instead, you’re to share your talents with others.

If you raised your family in the 60’s & 70’s, you’re probably thinking, what happened to the America I knew? We have become the following society:

·         There was no debate about right to life. It was generally accepted that the life of the unborn child is sacred and to be treasured because it is a gift from God. Today we have President actually tell the world: I don’t want Sasha and Malia to pay for a mistake.

·         If you were sick at school, the school was prohibited from giving you medications. Today, they can give your child the morning after pill and never tell the parents.

·         The value of work was to be admired. Today, there is honor in scamming the American government for every entitlement. Don’t ask what you can do for your country, but what can your country do for you?

Your parent’s generation and your parents, parent’s generation made sacrifices so that the next generation would be better off than previous generation.  The American tax payers (that is all of us) owe our creditors 16 trillion dollars! Seriously, how selfish of a culture we have become that we would saddle the next generation of children with this debt?

Do you have children? What kind of education do you think they’re going to have? A few weeks ago I was reading the Oregonian and average classroom sizes in Beaverton will be over 35. In the high schools that number will be even higher. Were you aware that 60% of the freshman walking into the high school for the first time will not graduate? What are we going to do when there is no more money for education?

Our parents were the greatest generation! They understood to be great, they had to freely give their talents to the society as a whole and they held themselves accountable. They created a culture that refused welfare, food stamps, and low cost housing. In their hearts of heart, what made America great was hard work, determination, and individual sacrifice. 

This weekend ask yourself what type of America should we have? Are we better off today than we were in our parent’s generation?  Think about the following:

·         Are the moral values of this country better today than the previous generation?

·         Will your children have the same commitment to marriage that your grandparents had?

·         If a baby is in the womb of a woman, why is it morally ok to kill it by having an abortion?

·         Whyis it wrong to love Jesus Christ?

Would you want your child to conduct their life like our current President?

Mike