Now that we have the holiday months out of the way, it will be time to start concentrating on this new year! We will soon have a different administration governing this country, and most of us are looking forward to the much-promised “Making America Great Again!” The most important part of this “change” will be that we CANNOT sit idly by and expect others to do all of the work. WE need to roll up our sleeves and get busy with the rest of the “U.S.”!
Now, to do as much as is going to be required, we need to be as ready, willing and able in order to affect the greatest amount of positive works as possible. Of course, any major project that is undertaken needs to have some semblance of organized planning to make it happen. When I was in the army (many decades ago), I recall having to make muster in formation out in front of the company barracks, and P.T. (physical training) was done by EVERYBODY in the company. Today, I’m a lot older (and a lot more out of shape) but there is a plan (or New Year’s resolution) to soon be put into action.
It would be fun to get input from our readers asking them if they have made a New Year’s resolution, and if so, do they seriously intend on making it happen. Some people make plans, and quietly go about putting them into action, whereas many others broadcast their intentions to their family, friends, and workmates (and basically anybody else that will listen)! The problem here, in many cases, is that within a few months or just weeks for that matter, if those “resolute” ideas are put on the side burner, those that we have told of our intentions look upon us as just another person that talks the talk, but cannot walk the walk.
I recall some of the “sitcoms” on TV doing shows where one of the parents makes big resolution claims, only to let them quickly be forgotten. When they are portraying this on TV, they usually show the kids of those parents looking at them in a less favorable light. And the hurting thing about this is that this is a planned agenda that is carried out to pull American children even further away from a strong bond in the family. But that does not have to be a trend that we need to have happen in our families. If we as mature parents make a promissory claim in front of our family members, especially the little ones, we need to do everything possible to try to keep those promises! This is a VITAL PART of their education that needs to be taught at home, instead of by their peers or “liberal-minded” teachers. Let your kids see your actions be a mirror of your words in every way possible.
They are ALWAYS watching us, and not just them, but our neighbors and workmates as well. I recall many years back (around the mid-2000s) when as part of my job duties, I worked on the company equipment, and it involved handling some very sharp steel cornerbead product being formed by a set of synchronized machines. To make a long story short, I had a piece of steel cornerbead come out of the forming machine “disformed” and as I went to grab it, it sliced my finger open. Now these machines were very noisy, and we had either ear muffs, or ear plugs as part of our “P.P.E.” (personal protection equipment). I felt the sting of the cut on my finger. We had gloves, but most men had the tips of the fingers cut out of them, so they could count the product. As this happened, I muttered a four-lettered word, and on the next station over, this worker (John) read my lips and pointed his finger at me. The first chance that I got to talk to him (during a break time), I asked him what that was all about. His reply was, “You’re supposed to be a Christian, and you talk like that?” I got “ticked off” about that, because John was a veteran of the Navy, so he made no excuses about his use of colorful wordage, and he was calling me out for mine! Then it hit me. I had a reputation as a Christian that even under duress I must try to uphold and maintain. The next break we had was at lunchtime, and I went over to where he was sitting, and said “thank you” to him. He looked at me and laughed, and said, “I just called you out for being a phony Christian, and you’re thanking me?” I then told him that I was unaware of just how many people watch my “walk,” and that it showed me that I had more work to do on how I behaved.
(Now, getting back to the present.) I have decided to work on the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of my life, and I am putting this out there for all (who read this print) to see. This alone will be as challenging as the actual workouts that I will be enduring to “make it happen!” So, my challenge to you readers is this; if you want to see a greater America, I suggest that you first look at your mirror, and point that index finger at the one that will need to instill change closest to home.
Then, as your family members, friends and coworkers see the positive aspects coming to fruition, they may be inspired to follow suit. As one popular quote goes, “Aspire to inspire, before you EXPIRE!”
I hope that each and everyone of you readers have a great and prosperous New Year!
Steve Goodwin is a recently retired Christian conservative veteran (of the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division), who still feels that “duty to country” did not end when the military uniform got hung up. He and his wife Cecelia live on the edge of a beautifully wooded tract of land just south of the bypass, and are involved in not only church activities, but also attend school board meetings and local community action events as well.
