This be our motto…

“O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust.’
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!”

American lawyer, author, and poet, Francis Scott Key, was born on this day in 1779 (died 1843).

You didn’t know that verse, did you? You just thought the motto was added to our money in 1956. That’s true, but this nation turned to God long before that.

Mug Shots
(click the pic)

You can rewrite history if you want. Just not accurately.

You can also rewrite history and face a backlash like HBO currently is with their upcoming Confederate, in which the South apparently wins the war and slavery continues.

I don’t know much more about it than that, and I’m not currently taking the time to do the research. All I’ll say is that, if it offends, don’t watch it. The ratings will take care of it. Protesting only gives it added (and free) publicity.

Likewise, if our nation’s motto of “In God We Trust” on our currency offends you, feel free to send your extras my way.

I’m not deliberately trying to be snarky here, but I do get tired of people trying to re-write history.

For the record, that’s entirely different than telling the whole story.

Think about it.

Sure, we have our American history from basically one point of view. There are many points of view we can learn from. And we should.

I’m just going to leave that right where it is.

It’s Monday, August 1st.

Another White House Communications Director has been ousted.

I’m also just going to leave that right where it is. Mainly because just about everything that could be said about it has been.

I haven’t said much about it but, shortly after the election, I was briefly approached about the possibility of applying for a position in the Trump administration. Since I’d been pretty vocal about not supporting him, I declined. I could

Verse of the Day

have already been there and back again.

I digress.

If I seem a bit rambly it’s because this date carries a specific significance to me. I’ve written about it before. But thirty-nine years after my father passed unexpectedly, it still hurts. Maybe not in quite the same way, but that day changed me forever. I miss him.

But, while I’ve written much about how important it is to remember the past, we can’t dwell there.

So, today is Tuesday, it’s the beginning of a new month. It’s the beginning of the last full month of summer and I still haven’t had my first sunburn. I hope to remedy that next week.

We’re not going to the beach, well, maybe for a day. But I’m still taking next week off from the day job.

I have a list of projects, we’ve talked about a day trip or two. We’ll see how that goes.

It’s August and, counting today, I have the next thirty-one days to finish the revisions of my script.

Until I get that done, there’s no way I can be White House Communications Director.

That may not be the motivational droid I was looking for.

FIVE THINGS FOR YOUR TUESDAY

Flake: ‘As conservatives, our first obligation is to be honest’
The Hill
“It seems that we’ve been compromised, but this time by different forces — those of populism and protectionism, isolationism, xenophobia and I’m concerned about how we remain a governing party with those principles,” he said.

How Miracles Helped Spread the Wesleyan Revivals
Seedbed
Wesley was a gifted evangelist, communicator, writer, social activist, and committed follower of Christ. He had a brilliant mind and was extraordinarily committed to and passionate about the advancing of the gospel message. And undoubtedly people invited others to come see and hear Wesley’s fiery brand of preaching. But do these traits and factors account for the thousands and thousands of people who came to faith under his ministry?

Details emerge in deal to bring 2028 Summer Olympics to Los Angeles
Los Angeles Times
The agreement will bring the Olympics back to Southern California for a third time, after Los Angeles hosted in 1984 and 1932. It also opens the door for the 2024 Games to be held in Paris.

Never use your vacation days? This is why you should
USA Today
According to a 2016 Bankrate study, more than 50% of U.S. workers give up at least some of their paid vacation days each year.

J.K. Rowling apologizes for falsely accusing Trump of ignoring boy in wheelchair
CNN
Rowling said she was informed her tweets from Friday were “not a full or accurate representation” of what happened at last Monday’s health care event at the White House and deleted them.

AND FINALLY…

American actor, singer, director, and producer, Dom DeLuise, was born on this day in 1933 (died 2009).