History and Understanding

Thomas Jefferson


One of my favorite subjects in school was history. I still enjoy watching the History Channel and other TV shows about the past even though I do not remember all the facts that well.
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When I watch a drama about great events from the past I always think about how blessed I was to have been born when wealth, medical care and shelter are so common and inexpensive.
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We recently visited Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and saw a replica of the one room home where Dolly Parton and her many siblings grew up. It was very, very small. (See http://hookedonhouses.wordpress.com/ for photos) It reminded me of my childhood home. Neither os us had indoor plumbing or central heat. Her home was much smaller than ours, however.

Neither Dolly or I were kept from achieving great things because of childhood poverty. Dolly is a famous multi millionaire and I have a doctorate and an international ministry. Only in America and other democracies can that happen. God has blessed our nation.
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History proves it is poverty of the mind and spirit more than a lack of money that keep us enslaved. As we remember Dr. King's legacy it is easy to miss that his focus was on building up the inner spirit and mind. Yes, he certainly fought against poverty and a lack of opportunity for African Americans, but he knew that the answer was character not just money.


I get a bit irritated when I hear politicians talk about how bad our economy is right now. The unemployment rate in Ohio is less than 6% and that would be considered a record low historically and internationally, but the media weep because they like to say it is too high. The sky is falling!

A British newspaper wrote recently that the USA was in a Depression. yet, England's unemployment is almost twice that of America.

The media love bad news and they shout it out constantly.


Much of the current housing crisis occurred because people with medium salaries tried to buy mac mansions and they couldn't pay for them. We are trying to live above our means and history shows that it never works.


As a Seasoned Believer I often hear younger Christians lament how awful things are today. But they say there is hope if we old fogies would get out of the way so they could fix it. That is a normal thought process for kids but it still irritates me.

I read this morning a quote by Cicero. It goes something like this. "To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child."