Why Today's Students Are "Dumbed Down"

My 10 years of substitute teaching experience, as well as 30 years as a full-time teacher in public schools, makes it easy for me to explain why students today are “dumbed down.”

Admittedly, my experience is from a comparison of only three districts; my career district,  a neighboring smaller, but more conservative community, as well as a private Christian district. Nevertheless, I believe it is simply a smaller representation of a nation-wide problem.

While there is an equitable mix of students, I believe the real reason which contributes to their "dumbing down" lies elsewhere.

Having substituted in many different classes over the years at all levels from K-12, the one glaring factor contributing to students learning being less rigorous today is not so much the curriculum content, but the social, and organizational/study skills, combined with the style of discipline enforced in schools; especially in the 3rd - 6th grades.

These formative years are critical to instilling in students that the skills they learn and develop during these years establish the foundation of their future learning experience into their upper grades, of either success or failure. 

While there are varying instructional strategies utilized by many in the profession, it's my experience that very few today demand and maintain expectations that empowers students while holding them accountable for their own learning and behavior.

A teacher who commands and enforces an expectation that a specific order and process of what is appropriate group behavior, such as using common social courtesy of being patient and waiting one's turn before disrupting everyone else in the group is missing.

This kind of dysfunctional environment in the private school doesn't exist for a couple of simple reasons. Parent expectations, home environments that are stable and loving, and social skills having been taught at home bring a functional dynamic to the classroom of the private school. As a result, the prevailing learning environment is one of a much higher quality when it comes to the teacher/student interaction during instruction or Q&A sessions at the same grades in private schools.

Skills taught in public school classes are lacking on how to focus, listen, or even carefully read the directions on the top of the worksheet provided and to think about directions read, or given. Instead, they just give up easily and resort to more disruptive activities.

In my opinion, this situation is occurring in too many classrooms I've substituted in. It exists because their regular instructors either do not consistently command and expect a high level of behavior, or lack those very skills themselves.

Bottom line, those students who want to learn are essentially being held back, or not being challenged. The current situation does not foster a quality experience. 

Here's a great article which points out how the "dumbed down" student then reaches college and becomes thoroughly indoctrinated by the college/university professors; 95% of which are socialists. 

Even MORE informative regarding how our nation's current situation has come to where we find ourselves today, we must go back to an interview in the '80s of a defected KGB agent from the Soviet Union who explains in detail what their plan was to win their long-range war of taking over the United States. THIS IS A MUST WATCH!

What Second Amendment?

Got the following message from the NRA-ILA today and here's what it said:
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A number of gun control bills have moved to the Washington state Senate floor and your state Senator needs to hear from you.  Please ... contact your state Senator and urge them to OPPOSE Senate Bills 5062, 5174, 5434, 5143, 5027, 5745, and 5181.

SB 5062 would ban most standard capacity magazines commonly used by law-abiding citizens, such as with handguns popular for self-defense.

SB 5174 would increase the government red tape that law-abiding citizens must go through in order to obtain a Concealed Pistol License.

The so called “gun-free zones” that SB 5434 expands would only hinder law-abiding citizens with Concealed Pistol Licenses and prevent them from defending themselves and their loved ones while doing nothing to stop criminals who simply ignore such arbitrary boundaries.

SB 5143 would result in property being confiscated without first going through due process and citizens being subjected to bureaucratic red tape to get their property returned.

Senate Bills 5027 would infringe upon the self-defense rights of law-abiding parents or other household members without due process for simply having a minor in the house who is a respondent to an Extreme Risk Protection Order.

SB 5745 would expand a flawed law to allow constitutional rights to be suspended from even more individuals without due process on baseless accusations.

SB 5181 would suspend constitutional rights without due process from those who a not convicted of any offense or adjudicated as mentally ill.

Why do I get the feeling that liberal/socialists don't care there's a second amendment in our U.S. Constitution?

Looking Beyond the Hysteria

Liberal/Socialists' latest priority agenda item - thanks to an obviously naive' AOC, who is soon to turn 30* - is the proposal to save the planet through the "New Green Deal". A lot of attention in the media and the national dialog has come out over the past couple weeks about how absurd it all is. *(I remember the statement in the '60s: "Never trust anyone over 30!")

The major focus of its absurdity is that AOC has claimed that the world will end in just 12 years because we are refusing to take the left's assertion that greenhouse gases, or carbon dioxide, is changing our climate such that living on earth will not be possible; we all die. In only a decade, they propose that in order to turn this "threat" around effectively, we must do the following in order to stop CO2 going into the atmosphere; 

• completely eliminate air travel
• put a fart diaper on every single cow, or make them extinct
• retrofit every single building in our country to clean energy
• pay those unwilling to work, a government salary (If this idea isn't socialism, then what is?)
• and, build a network of high speed trains to get between cities

And these are just the five major starter items! I loved it when Rush Limbaugh told Chris Wallace in his appearance on FOX News that he wanted to be the first one get a ticket on the train to Hawaii. More recently, AOC's come under intense heat and backlash about her proposal, yet, she's responded just like a typically ignorant and self-righteous 12 year old, saying that at least she's proposing suggestions to solve the threat, so, she's he "boss". Her response is typical of the indoctrination younger generations are getting today. Never mind that they're completely ridiculous and would totally tank the nation's economy. (Be sure to read the article linked above and listen to the brief audio podcast by Tony Kantz located at the bottom of it.)

It's obvious to anyone who has a grip on reality that these goals are not only absurd, they are unachievable within the time span proposed. Then too, what many are not mentioning when discussing this is that it ONLY involves the United States. 

What about the far greater contributors of greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere, like China? To ignore this reality is analogous to putting an umbrella over one's head while claiming that the waterfall underneath which they're standing will effectively stop the threat of ending life on earth.

Also, there is a clue as to what our lifestyle would revert to in its name. THE Green NEW DEAL reveals what this nation went through already and it's ironic that AOC has called the threat her proposal attempts to address as her generation's World War II. Herein is the connection to which I am getting at.

During World War II when our nation not only fended off the threat of Germany's Nazi regime in Europe, but also the Japanese Empire's expansion in the Pacific theater, this nation was already under President Roosevelt's "New Deal" which, for the previous decade, was attempting miserably through the New Deal to get the nation back on its feet economically. 

Under this federal program, every aspect of life during this period of the 1930s involved rationing and government's attempt to control business. Once the country was attacked at Pearl Harbor at the end of 1941 and Congress properly declared war on both Japan and Germany, citizens willingly participated in the rationing programs with the desire to win these simultaneous wars. And, although it was at great cost, we did it in only four years! 

However, there is a question which no one that I've heard yet, is asking about this proposal. Fantasizing that it somehow gained traction and Congress actually passed new laws to take on such an endeavor, and, if it was actually possible to accomplish all of what it proposes, and, if it actually achieved the proposed goal before the "deadline", what guarantee would the citizenry have that the government would end the rationing and controls imposed as no longer necessary?

Of course the leftists wouldn't ever do, or say, such a thing! This proposal is their desperate attempt to not only scare the pubic into compliance, but is their master plan to impose total control over them as every totalitarian regime has done in the past and will do in the future, if we allow them to. Just consider what's going on in Venezuela right now by checking out this clip from CNN.

It is my hope, and I suspect any rational thinking citizen out there does as well, that this will fade into oblivion, as many of their earlier absurd and ridiculous ideas have in the past. However, if this is not the case, then we'd better organize and mobilize our ranks to fight it until it's dead, as did our previous generation did so effectively in World War II. It will be our World War III of a completely different kind than we've ever known before. This intro of Tucker Carlson's show today makes it all too clear how different it already has become.

SCOTUS Responds - Unanimously!

The following is a guest contributor's comments about this recent ruling regarding asset forfeiture.

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By C.B. in reference to this article.

If you’re lucky like me, you’ve never been directly affected by the outlandish confiscatory practices that had become common practice by some crooked and self-serving police departments. Yet these nightmarish property hijackings by some rouge agencies against lawful citizens who generally lacked the insurmountable financial resources needed to contest them in crap-shoot courts are well known in legal circles. It’s just one more chilling factor undermining our imperiled liberties.

As with the manifold benefits to mankind in the discovery and discretionary use of fire, I sincerely value and respect our valiant law enforcement personnel and originalist judges who are faithful to their oaths of office. At the same time, even if your police agency were fair-minded public servants that were respectful of constitutionally recognized civil liberties, the potential for an ordinary American citizen to be fleeced of their rightful property with little recourse was ever-present and very real.

So, even though I readily concede that the defendant in this case was a low-life scumbag, I am ultimately delighted to see this illegitimate and abusive misuse of asset forfeiture power appropriately reigned-in.

Furthermore, the case only illustrates my contention that ordinary law-abiding citizens who have the most to lose are, too often, the ones most burdened by the burgeoning set of incomprehensible laws foisted upon people of good character by legislators and political elitists who typically live behind gates with well armed security details and who situationally or statutorily exempt themselves.

Please consider the nature of such infringements the next time some blame-shifting media or political elitist pretends that they know better than God and most people ...that guns, rather than known assaultive individuals, are violent and responsible for crime; or that more ineffectual abridgments of our precious life-assuring liberties such as firearm bans and gun-free criminal opportunity zones are a legitimate remedy. While we’re at it, why not also ban fire-extinguishers in boats, or spare tires in cars? In their penchant for fuzzy logic, you probably don’t need these critical life-safety inventions at the moment either. I only use firearms as an example because once the socialists boldly quell free speech and deprive individuals of their legitimate right of self-defense they’ll assuredly be back to ruthlessly snuff-out the remainder of your choices.

But consider history and remember that their purposeful prevarication, utopian fantasies, and shameless appeal for safety doesn’t line-up in the real world of imminent consequences, where coroners vehicles and yellow tape arrive along with counselors whenever the impact is felt [and] where truth inevitably intersects facts. There’s always an ulterior motive. The self-anointed cognoscenti class stands to benefit by aggrandizing an illegitimate share of power or wealth while good people are hurt or die, simply because they’re doing what they do best... smugly lying, shamelessly and incessantly. Eventually, they or the strange affinity they share with the common street or home invasion thugs they resemble will generally be back swinging more bad laws or blunt instruments for another costly visit.

And, when you pull the lever and vote for bad public policy, then it’s really your malignant and assaultive behavior that pointed the threat and squeezed the trigger at some innocent. You simply assigned an agent on your behalf to steal someone’s property, deprive them of an ability to reliably defend themselves, leech off their life energy, or sever and dismantle an innocent newborn’s life... that’s all.

The Panic of the Right

It's an interesting phenomenon. When the conservatives in Congress, or our state's legislature, were in power - you know, had the majority - after pushing its voter base to put them into that position, the public watched and waited to see what they'd get done.

During their time "in control" all kinds of talk with a confident tone was heard and the public held its breath and hoped that Obamacare would be repealed. Finally, we'd managed to put the liberal-socialists into the minority.

The email messages from the array of conservative organizations - mostly across the Potomac River in Virginia - were spouting how they needed contributions from the voter base to get certain agendas accomplished or bills passed via their lobbyists. We were buoyant that sending our $10, $25, or $50 to one that we wished to support would result in the change we hoped for.

Then, things shifted as the mid-term elections approached, and still, Obamacare hadn't been repealed.

The requests became a focus of campaign contributions from nearly every candidate in every state. "If I'm elected, I'll make sure the job gets done in Congress." Again, our hope sprang eternal and we gave what we could.

The shock came after the results rolled in that the liberal-socialists had won and they'd regained power in the House. That's right, Nancy Pelosi, also known as "crazy Nancy" to many, became Speaker of the House again!

What happened, I asked myself. We had control of both houses for two years, yet we couldn't get done what they told us they were going to do. Was it the RINOs, yes partly, or was it the lack of public will to stay in the game of writing their elected representatives? Did too many of us go "soft", or back off the game once we got into power after Trump got in the White House? Maybe!

Now, the various conservative organizations are panicking by increasing the email solicitation frequency, requesting contributions from the conservative base out of fear of socialism and the extreme left getting their insane and absurd ideas - like the "Green New Deal" - in the form of bills passed into law. I'm also starting to question whether some of these are "copy cats" attempting to ride on the wave of concern. I've not seen this frequency and intensity of emails at this level before, and it's got me wondering!

Wait... Didn't we get some new conservatives into Congress? Didn't we maintain control of the Senate? Doesn't the Senate have to pass the bills from the House before they go to the President who would most likely veto them because they don't align with his agenda? 

As I go through  each day's new emails which have dropped into my in-box overnight, more and more each week I get the stronger and stronger impression that the voter base is being played. We the people are the virtual ATM for the perpetual machine of politics that promises change, but doesn't quite deliver any real results. Maybe, it's because more and more voters are beginning to see the light about getting played, and are letting the excessively wealth elite be the ones who determine the outcome. And, at the same time, we see the national debt continue to reach new astronomical heights at levels most of us can hardly fathom.

Meanwhile, the charade continues on the left with the Russian Collusion Hoax. Here's the latest email from Rep. Devine Nunez (R - CA):

FBI leaker Andrew McCabe finally admitted that

top officials in the FBI and Department of Justice

tried to exclude Devin Nunes from congressional

briefings as they continued their bogus

investigations into the Trump campaign!

Now McCabe is on a self-serving book tour trying to

justify his lying and leaking that resulted in his firing

from the FBI.  

McCabe and the Fake News media have slandered

President Trump as a Russian agent for more than

two years.  

They’re fabricating entire smear campaigns

against Devin, who has vowed to make criminal

referrals against perpetrators of the Russia hoax.

The only collusion that’s really happened is the collusion among the Left’s leakers, the Fake News media, and the Democrats to sideline and slander anyone who disputes their ridiculous Russia conspiracy theories.

Maybe I'm missing something, but I can't help but get the feeling that this game of political contribution collection is precisely honed to a science of applying the fine tuned formula which keeps them going no matter which party is in power.

But, I'm just one of the millions of working class stiffs who see their lives slowly being steered in a direction that isn't where they want it to go. I won't even be able to afford that high speed train to Hawaii.

Who Really Deserves Reparations?

No, I'm not getting at what the liberal/socialists believe is needed. That's a red herring. Instead, I'm getting at... civil forfeitures...This issue has long been a high priority to me.

In case you're either unaware of what this is about, or haven't recently heard of the U.S. Supreme Courts unanimous ruling on this issue, I urge you to watch this brief video of Dick Morris' "Lunch Alert" which covers this nicely.

Once you've watched it, I have a question I'd like to ask you to consider on this topic... with this ruling, do those who wrongfully had their property taken by the police get any of their property back? 

Of course not! Which is why I believe they, more than anyone, deserve reparations if any are given to anyone other that given to the Japanese who were interred during WWII.

P.S. In case you didn't catch the audio/video of the exchange on TNT's NBA Halftime Report about the Jussie Smollette charge in Chicago, you want to go here and watch/listen to what goes on. It, is, a, hoot!!! I can't stop laughing every time I hear, or watch, it.

Keeping My Sanity

With the latest Twitter rant by the liberal/leftists, I'm doing my best to keep my sanity by reciting the Serenity Prayer. It goes like this:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)

While this has been a prayer for recovering alcoholics, it helps me keep perspective about the craziness today's liberals are exercising. (I also am wondering if there's any significance to the year Niebuhr passed away and the date mentioned for the interview referred to in the link I'm providing here.)

They're now attacking dead people's views!

As you'll discover when you use the link to MRCTV's article about the latest Twitter issue the liberals are fomenting about, their insanity has gone over "the edge." As with most things happening today in our world, it's becoming obvious to me, and I believe you'll agree, the extremist views of the liberals/leftists are certainly beyond the pale.

It is my conviction that the reason these AOC types are reacting to insensitive comments today like they are is because they've been over protected by their parents with an ideology which has created it. Here's what I shared with a friend via an email I sent in response to his amazement about a situation down in his area:

The reason 16 - 18 year olds aren't mature enough to not run out in front of a vehicle and get run over is because they've been coddled and sheltered by both "helicopter" and "lawnmower" mom's* all their lives; no consequences for their stupid or dangerous behavior since birth!

* Helicopter moms = Those who hover over them to keep them from learning that natural consequence of stupid acts or decisions.

* Lawnmower moms = Those who cut down all resistance, obstacles, or difficulties, to their learning the work ethic necessary to succeed in a competitive world.

P.S. Most of these types of moms don't realize the damage they're doing to their progeny, then wonder why they continue to live in the basement into their 30s or 40s.

 It makes one wonder where we're headed!

The Right to Self-Defense: Is It Being Impaired?

This is a very complex and convoluted issue. There are many varying opinions as to whether, or not, initiatives like the one recently passed in Washington State - 1639 - which seems to obviously counter what the state's Constitution says about the matter of self-defense and the right to bear arms is being impaired. 

My take on why it is so complex and convoluted for most citizens of the state, is that a long established maneuvering of political influence, partly from local levels like Seattle, and state levels like the state Supreme Court - or, as one of our recent radio talk show hosts liked to call it, the "Seattle Supreme Court" - that is stacked with judges who are blatantly liberal in their ideology regarding firearms use and an interpretation of the meaning of the language in the state's Constitution on self-defense and public safety, is entrenched in our state's legal arena.

Reading this article by the Gillfords Law Center makes it clear as to the bias of the State Supreme Court which I speak above. While it cites cases where the decision has "balanced" the state Constitution's right for a citizen to self-defense in their own home, it ignores two glaring points when it comes to this new law's impairment of that right.

First, it speaks only to the criminal act of those carrying a weapon. It ignores the legal right to carry concealed in public for the purpose of self-defense should an individual encounter an illegal act being committed by someone in public. Furthermore, it also ignores the individual's right to keep, in their home, a firearm for self-defense handy for fending off an intruder threatening their life when the new law requires that the homeowner keep their weapon(s) in a locked device to keep children, who might be in the house, from accessing it.

Notice I use the word "individual" here, because the state's Constitution specifically uses this word in addressing the issue. Today, the emphasis is on the "collective", or public, safety which seems to now take precedence over individual rights by liberal/socialists.

More recent communication by the state's Attorney General, Bob Ferguson, has focused on county sheriffs claiming they would not perform background checks under the new law. But this report on the issue says that:

A large number of county sheriffs around the state, including Rick Scott in Grays Harbor County and Robin Souvenir in Pacific County, have recently said they would not actively enforce the initiative based on what they see as a conflict with the right to bear arms in the U.S. and State Constitutions. [Emphasis mine.]

The new law specifically enforces citizens who have weapons in the homes to have them locked up to prevent children from getting to them, but at the same time impairs the individual from accessing their weapon to defend themselves in the case of a burglar entering their house. Yet, if one doesn't, then - starting July 1st of this year - if their weapon is stolen from their house by a thief and is used in a crime, the owner can be prosecuted! Does such a law respect the individual's right? It has nothing to do with public safety in this instance!

But A.G. Ferguson appears to make it out as though they're saying they refuse to perform them on "semiautomatic assault rifles."

The law goes into effect July 1. In his letter, Ferguson said, “Just like handgun purchases, local law enforcement officials are required to perform these background checks. As far as I know, no Washington sheriff or police chief has refused to perform these enhanced background checks for handguns. Why refuse to perform them for semiautomatic assault rifles?”

Could it be that the definition of  "assault rifles" doesn't apply to those who carry concealed, or keep their self-defense tool in their homes for protection? Note that the definition of "assault rifle" is as follows, using the key term of "for infantry use" in it?

as·sault ri·fle

Dictionary result for assault rifle

noun

noun: assault rifle; plural noun: assault rifles

1. a rapid-fire, magazine-fed automatic rifle designed for infantry use.

Since the State Constitution already specifies that this right doesn't allow for organized militias, military, or armies, then why does the A.G. insist on using it? It seems to me that the Media (D) is counting on the average ignorance by its viewers/readers to get away with not realizing just how stupid the A.G. is about this issue. He seems to be letting his ideology get in his way of his requirement to understand the law clearly.

Impeach Trump? How About Impeaching Pelosi?

In my January 31st post titled, "Why So Radical, Speaker Pelosi?" I shared an article which reported how Pablo Escobar's brother is funneling money from his drug cartel in Columbia to get the president impeached. It's easy to understand how shutting the border down will cripple their flow of drugs into the U.S. considerably and thus dry up the money.

In that post, I also conjectured that it is plausible that some of that funding is going to Democrats, like Speaker Pelosi, in an "under the table" way, giving her and possibly others reason to take such an anti-protection position on closing the southern border. To understand more clearly why I'm convinced the Democrats are now more concerned about power and control in the game of national politics than the safety of its citizens, I urge you to watch the video below:

I don't know about you, but this is clearly Saul Alinsky style tactics being used here! For even more supporting information about this whole mess we now find ourselves in, I urge my readers to check out this piece in the Western Journal about what Rush Limbaugh said to Chris Wallace about it. Be sure to watch the video - linked to in the article under the title "Fox News Sunday" - it's VERY informative. I believe he's "spot on"! Most enlightening! Even more enlightening is the book, "Spygate" by Dan Bongino.

Then, there's this brief video clip from Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) who explained why he voted against the bill presented to Congress and the president as a "compromise". Boy, I would LOVE to have a Senator, or two, like this one!

Now, there's a group which is promoting a petition to get Speaker Pelosi impeached. Here's what the Conservative Response Team is saying about it today:

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NANCY PELOSI DECLARES LEGAL ACTION AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP

Friend,

Nancy Pelosi and California have begun to take legal action against President Trump for declaring the border crisis a national emergency.

Pelosi and her minions plan to block the President from taking the necessary steps to protect our families and communities.

With Speaker Pelosi's lawlessness threatening the safety and security of ALL Americans, more Congressional leaders are abandoning her.

As you've seen, it took months for Nancy to narrowly secure her Speaker position with less than a handful of votes, and she knows it won’t take much for a small group of Congressmen to turn on her.

If enough jump ship, nothing would stop an impeachment vote, removing her as House Speaker -- it's time for her to pack her bags and go back to California.

This is why I’m asking you to please sign your petition to IMPEACH Nancy Pelosi for Crimes of Treason.

The Constitution defines treason as, "Treason against the US.. ..adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort."

Illegal Alien Criminals are enemies that invade our country with drugs, human trafficking, and terrorists, causing death and crime to the American people.

Nancy Pelosi adheres to these foreign enemies by voting for and providing them aid and comfort through Sanctuary State Policies funded by US Citizen taxes.

Not only that but she refuses to protect the American people by refusing to fund our border wall leaving them open and unsafe.

This petition urges your Congressman and US Senators to remove Pelosi and additionally the White House and the Federal Govt. to begin an investigation to her ties to foreign illegal alien special interests.

The petition highlights how Nancy has committed reprehensible crimes against the American people, and is jeopardizing the security of Americans just to obstruct the President.

Her hatred for President Trump, border security, and the average citizen has drastic consequences on our country and it must be stopped.

Nasty Nancy even refused to meet with the victims of Illegal Alien Criminals.

So please, sign your petition to Impeach Nancy.

When you’re done signing, please consider chipping in any amount to help us send your petitions, faxes, and email blasts to Congress and the White House.

In Liberty,

Christopher Ekstrom

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I don't know whether this will catch on, but if this nation doesn't take action NOW, it may well be too late! Looking at this from the perspective of today being President's Day and Christian, I appreciate what Jason Yates of MyFaithVotes.org says regarding our obligation to bring our faith into our nation's government.

Today, provides America more than just a three-day weekend, shopping sales or extra time with friends and family - it’s a time to celebrate our nation’s leaders.

However, considering recent abortion reports swarming the news and policy talks at an all-time high, I wanted to take this Presidents’ Day to bring us back to the heart of our nation’s foundation and our obligation as Christian citizens.

George Washington pioneered the way for the presidency in the United States. Instead of kings who rule for entire lifetimes, he envisioned an America where the people would rule. No one person would hold the power of our nation, instead Americans would remain in control.

And this power would be kept in check not only with a balanced system of government, but also by a moral compass. Our Founding Fathers all possessed a reverence for God and His word, and as a result, they formed a unique system entrusted into the hands of the American people.

In the year 1789, Washington, in his very first inaugural address, stated, “the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained.”

Washington’s words warn us never to depart from the road of biblical principles.

During this Presidents’ Day, I pray that you find an extra moment of rest, but also find time to reflect on what it looks like to influence this nation with biblical principles just as our leaders have done.

There are three simple, yet profound reasons as Christians we are called to bring our faith into the government realm. I encourage you to take a few minutes today to read My Faith Votes full article on why we should be engaged in the civic responsibility.