The American Dream

What exactly is the American Dream? Can it be defined? I don't think so. It's beauty, aura, sheer complexity, and in many ways simplicity is so expansive that only God could define.

For today I would like to focus on two different American Dreams that would not be possible without the freedoms that our Forefathers fought for us putting their own lives, and families in jeopardy to do so. It is with great passion and love that I speak of the following:

I am the oldest of eight children (vouching for my stubbornness and drive I assume).
One of my middle sisters, third to the youngest is Penny. Penny married Scott, my beloved brother in law who my family has known since he was a child. His Grandfather was a highly respected man,my father's Predecessor in the IPCC church leadership, and was a missionary to Brazil bringing countless numbers to Christ. Scott and Penny got married, started college degrees, taking Swahili in the case that they ever someday also choose missionary work in Kenya in their future. With Scott's construction experience and that of the legacy of his own hardworking father's, they bought an old "fixer upper" in my old hometown for very little, and spent a hard few years turning the eyesore into more than double a profit by the physical labor of their combine hands. When they were finished, the house was the most beautiful, most charming I had ever had the pleasure to see, with some of the finest woodwork from Scott's talent and artistic decor and taste from my sister, an amazing artist whose humbleness doesn't recognize her own amazing abilities. With the more than double profit, they set out again to build their dream home in Amish country and are still working on it, now with a beautiful one year old baby daughter in tow who is named after our grandmother whose hands new the value of hard labor as our mother before us. The both of them are building this house on the profit made from the first flip, and as Scott goes to classes to finish a teaching degree in math at the same time. Only in America is this possible and it shows that with hard work and ingenuity all things, through God are possible for all of us. Scott's house and land. Only in America!

The second story comes from Dayton, Ohio on the ground floor by McCain's stage at the rally a few weeks back. My father and our other companions for the day were situated next to a man who turned to speak to us in clear English but with a thick German accent. Indeed, he was originally from Germany...until he moved to the US to be an American. He was a bald man with a groomed curled moustache that i couldn't stop looking at :) I caught his attention when I mentioned my frustration at seeing a poll which asked "If Obama is not elected, does that mean that our country is racist?" He turned to join the conversation with the most vibrancy and fervency I have seen in a while. His response was that which echoed my sentiments. That we MUST vote for the person with the right leadership in our opinion regardless of race, for to not do so is also racism! He went on to tell me that he fears that Obama will lead our country to a state of socialism so familiar in Germany. He told me of how things are in Germany, spoke of how freedom is a wash there, and this was why they loved OBama to a tune of 200,000 to ear him speak in Germany recently. He should have run for office in Germany apparently!
This man loves this country and was the first to hope singally for Sarah Palin for VP moments before it was announced. When she was announced, the hope of her with McCain was exasperating to him. He cheered louder than any of us, quite possibly becasue it means more to him from his experiences. At the end, he shook my hand, as a fellow American living the American dream he and so many have defined for his self, their selves. We were so different form one another, but yet we are both Americans the same.

My friends, without freedom, we are nothing. We cannot wear our faith on our sleeve as we should without it. We cannot advance Christ's kingdom without fear of death and persecution without it as countless fellow Christians in other lands tell.

Whatever your American dream is, embrace it! Love it more than yourself for posterity's sake and LET IT SET YOU INTO ACTION!! The American dream was a gift from God. Do not imagine for a moment that we could not lose it. It is ours, but it is ours to maintain and defend all the more! WE can defend it for our children by our involvement in this election in part!

Enjoy the views of the shores where our forefathers first arrived. Revel in the emotion that being a Patriot, a defender of freedom brings!!!!!
God bless our country, rich in tradition and hope, and dreams.