Notes from the Trail

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Another blog to check out…
Also, I really encourage you, as you’re adding blogs to your daily/weekly read list, to check out RJ Martino’s blog. He’s a friend in Little Rock that is amazingly talented with web design and has his hands into a dozen other things that are tech-related and extremely intriguing. I know you’ll enjoy reading around his blog.

I wanted to give my 2 faithful readers a heads up! Ben Coulter’s new CD comes out on December 18. It’s called “Cuzz, Vol. 1″ which, if I know Ben means that there will be at least 5 called “Cuzz.” I think he wants to make as many of these by this title as there are Rocky sequels… ;)

But check out his website, and order a CD. He is an extremely talented up-and-coming country talent. It’s not that he’s incredibly talented (he is), but it’s that he’s real. The $10 is worth it. Buy it, enjoy it, and support Ben.

Just cuzz you can.

More than 27 million Americans today can trace their lineage to the Scots, whose bloodline was stained by centuries of continuous warfare along the border between England and Scotland, and later in the bitter settlements of England’s Ulster Plantation in Northern Ireland. Between 250,000 and 400,000 Scots-Irish migrated to America in the eighteenth century, traveling in groups of families and bringing with them not only long experience as rebels and outcasts but also unparalleled skills as frontiersmen and guerrilla fighters. Their cultural identity reflected acute individualism, dislike of aristocracy and a military tradition, and, over time, the Scots-Irish defined the attitudes and values of the military, of working class America, and even of the peculiarly populist form of American democracy itself. From the Random House summary

It’s just a must-read for those wanting to understand Southern culture better. Why does my state and my neighbors’ states consistently rank below the national average in, well, everything? Well, everything except things like teenage pregnancies, alcoholism, etc.

James Webb’s amazing book, Born Fighting, is a wonderful cultural analysis first of all of the Scots-Irish people whose immigration patterns have made the south what it is today, but moreover the book is revelatory for even a southern native like myself.

My aunt has apparently traced my family lineage all the way back to Magna Charta times, placing an ancestor at its signing. But I’ve never read and digested a book that explains compelling why things are the way they are in the south today.

If you don’t want to get bogged down in the history of the Scots-Irish peoples, just pick up in Part 6 - Reconstruction, Disaspora, and Reeducation.

It’s a great read.

I think I’m going to go buy a kilt.

Another interesting email that was forwarded to me…

I’d be interested in hearing your conclusions from this.

ALL 50 States acknowledge God in their “State Constitutions” :

Alabama 1901, Preamble: We the people of the State of Alabama, invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish The following Constitution.
Alaska 1956, Preamble: We, the people of Alaska, grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land.
Arizona 1911, Preamble: We, the people of the State of Arizona, grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution..
Arkansas 1874, Preamble: We, the people of the State of Arkansas, grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own form of government…
California 1879, Preamble: We, the People of the State of California, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom.
Colorado 1876, Preamble: We, the people of Colorado, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of Universe.
Connecticut 1818, Preamble: The People of Connecticut, acknowledging with gratitude the good Providence of God in permitting them to enjoy …
Delaware 1897, Preamble: Through Divine Goodness all men have, by nature, the rights of worshipping and serving their Creator according to the dictates of their consciences .
Florida 1885, Preamble: We, the people of the State of Florida, grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty . establish this Constitution…
Georgia 1777, Preamble: We, the people of Georgia, relying upon protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution…
Hawaii 1959, Preamble: We, the people of Hawaii, Grateful for Divine Guidance … establish this Constitution.
Idaho 1889, Preamble: We, the people of the State of Idaho, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings.
Illinois 1870, Preamble: We, the people of the State of Illinois, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors.
Indiana 1851, Preamble: We, the People of the State of Indiana, grateful to Almighty God for the free exercise of the right to chose our form of government.
Iowa 1857, Preamble: We, the People of the State of Iowa, grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of these blessings .. establish this Constitution
Kansas 1859, Preamble: We, the people of Kansas, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges … establish this Constitution.
Kentucky 1891, Preamble: We, the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy, and invoking the continuance of these blessings, do ordain and establish this Constitution.
Louisiana 1921, Preamble: We, the people of the State of Louisiana, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy.
Maine 1820, Preamble: We the People of Maine . acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in affording us an opportunity. and imploring His aid and direction.
Maryland 1776, Preamble: We, the people of the state of Maryland, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty…
Massachusetts 1780, Preamble: We…the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging with grateful hearts, the goodness of the Great Legislator of the Universe … in the course of His Providence, an opportunity .and devoutly imploring His direction.
Michigan 1908, Preamble: We, the people of the State of Michigan, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom establish this Constitution
Minnesota, 1857, Preamble: We, the people of the State of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings
Mississippi 1890, Preamble: We, the people of Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our work.
Missouri 1845, Preamble: We, the people of Missouri, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and grateful for His goodness, establish this Constitution.
Montana 1889, Preamble: We, the people of Montana, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty. establish this Constitution
Nebraska 1875, Preamble: We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom .. establish this Constitution.
Nevada 1864, Preamble: We the people of the State of Nevada, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom establish this Constitution …
New Hampshire 1792, Part I. Art. I. Sec. V: Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience.
New Jersey 1844, Preamble: We, the people of the State of New Jersey, grateful to Almighty God for civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors.
New Mexico 1911, Preamble: We, the People of New Mexico, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty.
New York 1846, Preamble: We, the people of the State of New York, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings.
North Carolina 1868, Preamble: We the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for our civil, political, and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those.
North Dakota 1889, Preamble: We, the people of North Dakota , grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, do ordain…
Ohio 1852, Preamble: We the people of the state of Ohio, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and to promote our common.
Oklahoma 1907, Preamble: Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessings of liberty … establish this ..
Oregon 1857, Bill of Rights, Article I. Section 2: All men shall be secure in the Natural right, to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their consciences..
Pennsylvania 1776, Preamble: We, the people of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance. .
Rhode Island 1842, Preamble: We the People of the State of Rhode Island grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing
South Carolina, 1778, Preamble: We, the people of he State of South Carolina. grateful to God for our liberties, do ordain and establish this Constitution
South Dakota 1889, Preamble: We, the people of South Dakota , grateful to Almighty God for our civil! and religious liberties … establish this
Tennessee 1796, Art. XI.III: That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their conscience…
Texas 1845, Preamble: We the People of the Republic of Texas, acknowledging, with gratitude, the grace and beneficence of God.
Utah 1896, Preamble: Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we establish this Constitution.
Vermont 1777, Preamble: Whereas all government ought to . enable the individuals who compose it to enjoy their natural rights, and other blessings which the Author of Existence has bestowed on man.
Virginia 1776, Bill of Rights, XVI: .. Religion, or the Duty which we owe our Creator . can be directed only by Reason and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian Forbearance, Love and Charity towards each other ..
Washington 1889, Preamble: We the People of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution.
West Virginia 1872, Preamble: Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of West Virginia reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God …
Wisconsin 1848, Preamble: We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, domestic tranquility …
Wyoming 1890, Preamble: We, the people of the State of Wyoming, grateful to God for our civil, political, and religious liberties .. establish this Constitution.

I encourage you to read David Hankins’ post at his blog. It’s an excellent, authentic commentary about being a solution or a critic in the church today. He uses the term “paraplegic to describe the church today. May I suggest we could even use quadriplegic?

Best College Entrance Exam…
You’ve got to read this one!