ARF

COMMON SENSE FOR THE COMMON GOOD

By Al Walker

AMBITION / DESIRE

PERHAPS the most important thing about every man that has become great, is his high and settled PURPOSE. Therefore, the strongest pushing power in the human heart is, "AMBITION / DESIRE".

AMBITION / DESIRE is not wrong, unless the thing we desire is wrong, or unless our AMBITION / DESIRE is not controlled by conscience and wisdom. The carnal heart thinks only of self, and, as a result of greed, unconverted people will lie, cheat, steal, gamble, or do whatever, desiring to be rich. While, with others, it is not that they want too much; it is that they do not know what they want.

THOSE who have made a great SUCCESS of life have WANTED one thing with all their heart and mind, and they have kept on WANTING it both day and night, in SUCCESS and in FAILURE, until that great WANT was finally achieved.

THERE is a story about three farm boys, who agreed one day to see who could make the straightest path, with his footprints, in the snow, while crossing a pasture.

AFTER each boy had done his best, it was found that one of the boys' footprints were almost straight, while the footprints of the other two boys were very crooked.

WHEN the two boys asked their companion how he managed to walk in such a straight line, the boy said:

"When I started out, I fixed my eyes upon a big tree that was at the end of the pasture. I kept looking at that big tree every second; I did not look at my feet."

UNFORTUNATELY, the other two boys had been looking at their steps, while walking in the snow.

SO the man who is going to SUCCEED in life, and be a SUCCESS, is the man with ONE great single purpose in his mind. He keeps his mind-eye fixed upon his GOAL, while he disregards the daily ups-and-downs of every day life, this man is too blessed to be depressed, because he has placed God and others before himself. And, he is continually "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." Ref.: Hebrews 12:2, 1611 Ed., KJV Bible.

So, if you want to SUCCEED in life, you, too, must have such a fixed PURPOSE.

FOR instance, if you want a strong healthy body, that AMBITION / DESIRE should make you watch your diet, avoid excess, and take proper exercise every day.

IF you want to be educated, that great PURPOSE will lead you to read and study books that will help you, the study of God's Word being foremost.

IF you want to be recognized and respected by all those around you, including yourself, that AMBITION / DESIRE should lead you to be HONEST and TRUE, every day.

SO, when you choose a profession, your strong PURPOSE to SUCCEED in that profession, will be controlled by honorable DEEDS.

THEREFORE, if you are going to be a doctor, or lawyer, or mechanic, or business man, or preacher, or whatever, your day-to-day DEEDS will assist in helping you along in your great PURPOSE.

YOUR great PURPOSE in life will stand out like that BIG TREE, at the end of the straight path, and your eyes must be fixed upon it, as our eyes must always be fixed upon our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

YOUR PURPOSE, your AMBITION / DESIRE should always shine like the North Star, as you journey through this world.

IF we ever needed an example today, it is JESUS CHRIST, the Son of God; He was the greatest man who ever walked upon this earth, and His life's PURPOSE was accomplished only by being in constant communion with His heavenly Father. Therefore, the everlasting gospel instructs us to have the mind of Jesus, and for us to walk even as He walked. If we will do this, our characters will conform to His, and, our life's PURPOSE, with our God-given talents, will be a blessing to mankind. Ref.: Philippians 2:5; 1 John 2:6, 1611 Ed., KJV Bible.

THE wise man, Solomon, once said, "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might."; this is how true SUCCESS is finally achieved. Ref.: Ecclesiastes 9:10, 1611 Ed., KJV Bible.

ARF Common Law Copyright
All Rights Reserved, 2008

COMMON SENSE FOR THE COMMON GOOD

By Al Walker

THE REFERENCE HABIT

ONE of the most valuable secrets for any student to learn is that the wisest man is not the one who has learned the most FACTS, but the one who knows where to find and research the FACTS.

KNOWLEDGE is power, but we do not have to carry the whole "Library of Congress" in our heads. It is enough to know where the POWER can be tapped into, and have wires up so that we can plug into that source at any time.

EDUCATION is not merely learning a lot of trivia; it is learning how to THINK. It is learning where the facts are to be had, and how to get them, and how to use them.

EVERY student, therefore, should diligently seek to get the REFERENCE HABIT; that is, the HABIT of going to the great books where knowledge is stored, and finding out the FACT.

ONE of the most important reference books that you can have on your book shelf is the DICTIONARY.

EVERY student should own an UNABRIDGED DICTIONARY, a big volume; not merely a little handy volume. The DICTIONARY should be the first book in every library.

NEXT in importance to the DICTIONARY, comes a good ENCYCLOPEDIA, consisting of a vast collection of information, from A to Z, and an Atlas [a book containing a collection of maps].

THEREFORE, each time you hear a word that you do not understand, or hear some subject spoken of that is not familiar to you, write it down in your notebook, and you can look it up in one of your REFERENCE volumes. By doing this, you will be on your way to the best kind of an EDUCATION.

THE wise student understands that it is not just reading alone, that makes them smart and well informed. It is not just reading through book after book; the secret is reading and studying with a purpose. It is the "looking up" and "investigating" the SUBJECT material.

WE should go to books as we would go to a grocery store, to get some particular item that we want. To get the best use of a grocery store, we do not have to begin at one end of the shelf and take everything there is. All we need to do is select what we need.

ONE habit that every student should cultivate, is the LIBRARY HABIT.

THOSE who are young today, have a much greater advantage than those who were young fifty years ago. Then libraries were few and far between; and, there were no such things as COMPUTERS, or the INTERNET.

GET the HABIT of spending a morning or an afternoon, during the week, in the library, looking up subjects in which you are curious, or in which you are interested.

BOOKS contain the treasures of knowledge, the stored-up wisdom of wise men and women who have gone before us. And, the more we are familiar with them, the fewer mistakes we will make.

AS Americans, our forefathers read and studied their "1611 Edition, King James Version Bible", and their "Constitution for the United States of America"; let me share some thoughts from some of our former Presidents of the United States, and the Bible, that you may never have heard.

George Washington, 1st President of the United States, said: "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master."

John Adams, 2nd President of United States, said: "You have rights antecedent to all earthly governments; rights that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; rights derived from the Great Legislator of the Universe."

Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States, said: "Study the Constitution! Let it be preached from the pulpit, proclaimed in legislatures, and enforced in courts of justice."

Isaiah 10:1, 2: "Woe to those who decree unjust statutes and to those who continually record unjust decisions, to deprive the needy of justice, and rob the poor of My people of their rights...."

Hosea 4:6: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge...!"

Edmund Burk, 1729-1797, said: "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

THE reference habit creates knowledge; knowledge creates power.

THE Bible says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." James 1:5.

THEREFORE, if we are to secure our American freedoms, in the midst of adversity, we must proclaim, as did Winston Churchill did, when Germany was bombing England, during WWII; he said to the people "Never give up, never give up, never give up, never, never, never!"

Remember, "Quitters never win, and winners never quit."

ARF Common Law Copyright
All Rights Reserved, 2008

COMMON SENSE FOR THE COMMON GOOD

By Al Walker

HONESTY

THERE is a saying that "HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY". But, if we are only HONEST as a matter of policy; that is, so that we may gain some advantage, or profit by it, we are not really HONEST at all.

THE only HONESTY that counts is HONESTY for its own sake, whether we gain or lose by it. Only those who are HONEST in this way, without regard to consequences, find that in the long run, HONESTY is, after all, the best policy.

AS young and old alike watch the celebrity crowd, they get the idea that those who are unfair, and those who cheat, as well as those who deceive, are the most successful. This is a very dangerous untruth.

CHEATING and DECEIVING may seem successful, in some particular cases, and for just a little while, but anyone who adopts this philosophy of DISHONESTY is bound to come to grief.

THE only basis for permanent SUCCESS is absolute INTEGRITY. Integrity means STRAIGHTNESS, UPRIGHTNESS, and is the OPPOSITE of all DOUBLE-DEALING.

IF we will just take time to think a little, we shall see that human beings CANNOT possibly get along with each other, for any length of time, UNLESS their relationship is based on TRUTH. If you cannot depend on what a certain person says, then you will never know whether or not he is telling you the TRUTH; and, soon you will have to end your association with him.

WHEN you are HONEST, you save yourself infinite trouble. When you tell a LIE, you have to tell another LIE to fit it. So you have to go on LYING and LYING, and, soon, you are not always able to REMEMBER just what was the last LIE you told.

HOWEVER, if you make a practice of telling the TRUTH, you do not have to REMEMBER what you said the last time. HONESTY saves WORRY.

HONESTY saves us from fear. The LIAR is constantly afraid of being found out; the HONEST person does not care.

HONESTY is easy; it is always simpler to tell the TRUTH. Lying is complicated and difficult, and, by-and-by, we become all tangled up as a fly in a spider's web. Because of LYING, the poet said:

"Oh what tangled webs we weave,
When first we practice to deceive!"

ANOTHER form of DISHONESTY, that is not exactly like LYING, yet it is as bad. It is what we call EXAGGERATION. That is, a HABIT of "STRETCHING THE TRUTH A BIT". Many people have fallen victim in regards to this way of speech; however, in the end, NOBODY will believe you.

HOW much better it would be to say, "What is exactly the TRUTH; no more and no less?"

IN speaking of ourselves, and what we have accomplished, it is better to understate our record. If we will do this, then, whatever we say, we will be believed. People will then have confidence in us, and they will RESPECT our word.

HOW important is a good name? "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold." Ref.: Proverbs 22:1, 1611 Ed., KJV Bible.

ARF Common Law Copyright
All Rights Reserved, 2008

COMMON SENSE FOR THE COMMON GOOD

By Al Walker

FAIR PLAY

THE late American President, Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, used to say that he RESPECTED anyone who was "a good sport".

BY being "a good sport", he explained that he meant, by being "a good loser". That is to say, a person who loses or fails, either in a sport, or a game, or in his business ambitions, does not WHINE and CRY, but gets up and tries again.

"Teddy", himself, was a good example of this sort of person; always full of faith, and cheer, and energy. His past life experience was a good example of what "a good sport" should be; further, it is still a good example for all people to follow, whether they are boys and girls, or adult men and women.

SOONER or later, all boys and girls will find out, that whether in the classroom, or on the playground, they cannot always be the winner. Indeed, if one won all the time, it would be no fun playing; for what makes a game fun, is the element of chance, or risk. So, if there is a chance to win, it stands to reason, that once in a while, there is a chance that we will lose.

HOWEVER, it is how we ACT, when we lose, that counts. FAILURE is one of the best tests of our CHARACTER.

IF we can smile, and try again, we show the world that we have the spirit of FAIR PLAY, and that we are true competitors and sportsmen; but, if we COMPLAIN, and make excuses for ourselves, and show that we are resentful, that is evidence of a sore loser.

A true sportman would ALWAYS rather lose than gain by unfair means. It is gratifying indeed to be successful, and to out-distance others. However, it is far more gratifying to know that we have played the game fair, and to know that, whether we have won or lost, we have done our best by playing by the rules, and have done no wrong.

ONE of the best indications of a good CHARACTER is that one never complains. COMPLAINING means that one is SORRY for himself and self-pity is a SHAMEFUL thing which no one should indulge in.

THE word "COMPLAIN" comes from the Latin language; and, it has the same meaning as to "CRY". Therefore, when you find anyone who COMPLAINS, you have found someone who is a "CRY-BABY".

THE first lesson in MATURITY, that every adult, every boy, and every girl ought to learn, is not to COMPLAIN when he or she is hurt, or when he or she loses, or fails.

Also, the mark of MATURITY is when one is brave, and strong-hearted, and does not exhaust everyone with constant fault-findings.

ALL who want to MATURE into a happy and respected adult, should determine first to PLAY FAIR, and to accept defeat with a positive attitude, and NEVER, under any circumstances, to COMPLAIN.

IN all of our successes and failures, and ups and downs, the Lord has promised, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Ref.: Matthew 28:20, 1611 Ed., KJV Bible. However, no one should ever be a loser, in the game of life. Jesus said, "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire [faith], that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment [Christ's righteousness], that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve [spiritual discernment], that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh [winning the game of life, by the blood of the Lamb] will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." Ref.: Revelation 3:15-21, 1611 Ed., KJV Bible. Brackets [], supplied commentary.

COMMON SENSE FOR THE COMMON GOOD

By Al Walker

DO YOU KNOW RIGHT FROM WRONG?

A few decades ago, most people had no problem in being able to distinguish clearly the "RIGHT" from the "WRONG". All life's situations were "MORAL", or they were "IMMORAL"; "BLACK" or "WHITE". Not anymore! Today, the minds of most individuals have been led to accept an "AMORAL" position on life's issues.

HOW do we define an AMORAL person? The dictionary defines an AMORAL person as 1.) "being neither MORAL nor IMMORAL, and 2.) "being outside or beyond the MORAL order or a particular CODE of MORALS (customs).

OUR American Forefathers understood clearly the difference between RIGHT and WRONG. This is what they had to say: "WE THE PEOPLE of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, to provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

THE CONSTITUTION for the UNITED STATES of AMERICA was founded upon the COMMON LAW, a "CODE of MORALS" that was "written with the finger of God" (Exodus 31:18; Exodus 32:15, 16), on Mt. Sinai; and, it was given to MOSES so that he could deliver the TEN COMMANDMENTS to God's people.

IN Scripture, the TEN COMMANDMENTS can be found in two places, Exodus 20:3-17; Deuteronomy 5:7-21.

WHAT do you do when everything in the world as you know it is overturned? Where should you have your attention focused when there seems to be no stability or security anywhere?

THERE used to be a saying, "Safe as money in the bank." But, that does not seem like a safe place anymore. There used to be another saying, "Just what the doctor ordered." But, that does not always seem like a perfect solution either.

OFTEN, I have watched documentaries, regarding the WORLD WAR II era, 1931-1945, and especially paid close attention to what these men who served in the armed forces wrote in their journals. In listening to what they wrote, it was evident to me that the tenor of their thoughts, convictions, and attitudes, were entirely different than what I am exposed to today. In comparing the difference between men now, and the men back then, I found the answer to be uncomplicated. They grew up in a time when there were still some ABSOLUTES in the world. They had concrete and definite IDEAS about what was RIGHT and WRONG.

THEY may not have always lived up to their IDEALS, but they had no question in their minds what those IDEALS were.

AFTER WWII, all that has CHANGED. Everything has become RELATIVE in people's MINDS. As a result, everything in the WORLD has become unstable. There seems to be nothing stable about GOVERNMENT, MONEY, PHILOSOPHY, FAMILY, BUSINESS, or the PROFESSIONAL world.

PEOPLE in the past were WRONG about some things, but at least they had concrete IDEAS about what was RIGHT and WRONG. Today, everything that used to be considered WRONG, has been "RE-EVALUATED", and, today, we have what we call "THE NEW MORALITY". The things that were called WRONG are now supposed to be all RIGHT.

WE have lost ALL sense of SHAME and we flaunt our newfound "RIGHTS". Our new RIGHTS have not brought more happiness to society; young people who are living together, unmarried, have not found more happiness than their parents or grandparents, who did not live together until after they were married.

DON'T let THE NEW MORALITY happen to you. Keep your eyes focused on JESUS CHRIST, and what HE is doing right now, and what HE is going to do in the very near future. Those who do not know what JESUS is doing now, will come to the people of this world as an OVERWHELMING surprise.

TIME is fast passing, our lives may go out at any time; let us teach the THINGS that Christ has COMMANDED. Let us trust HIM. As children of God, knowing RIGHT from WRONG, we are to instruct and enlighten those who have not heard the TRUTH for this time.

"HERE are they that KEEP the COMMANDMENTS of GOD, and the FAITH of JESUS." Revelation 14:12.

COMMON SENSE FOR THE COMMON GOOD

By Al Walker

PATRIOTISM

PATRIOTISM is important, because it is a form of LOVE and RESPECT. Further, PATRIOTISM well describes LOYALTY, one's NATURAL AFFECTION; and, the one who is lacking in LOVE and RESPECT, always seems to be like the one who is DEFICIENT in LOYALTY, for both his parents, and for other members of his family.

PATRIOTISM extends LOVE and RESPECT for one's HOME. Anyone who has NO attachment for the country where he was born, or where he grew up, seems to be DEFICIENT in HUMANITY.

THOSE whose HEARTS and MINDS are wholesome and right, will LOVE their COUNTRY, because it is theirs, and because it stands for that part of the HUMAN RACE to which he and she belong.

THIS same sense of LOYALTY should be felt towards the COMMUNITY / CITY where we happen to live, the SCHOOL we attend, the COMPANY we work for, the FAMILY, the ORGANIZATIONS we support, and to the GOD we love.

THIS does not mean that we should discriminate against people who are not of our own FAMILY, SCHOOL, COMMUNITY, or COUNTRY; we are to LOVE them as ourselves, but, at the same time, our own people should remain closer to our hearts.

TO DISCRIMINATE against ANYONE because he comes from another COUNTRY, or he belongs to a different RELIGION, or he attends another SCHOOL, or he has SKIN of another color from our own; this reveals a narrow mind, expressing unjustified superiority and contempt for one's fellowman.

IN our society, there are still people who do not UNDERSTAND properly, HOW to be completely PATRIOTIC to their own community, and not be hostile to another's. Those who do not UNDERSTAND this fundamental principle, consist especially of the PREJUDICED, and of the IGNORANT.

ANYONE who pretends to have any INTELLIGENCE or CULTURE at all, should realize that racial PREJUDICE, HATRED of another nation, or BITTERNESS towards other people, simply because they belong to another group of HUMANITY, is a tragic and shameful thing.

PATRIOTISM is a term that is consistantly ABUSED. Many people think they are not PATRIOTIC, unless they are making war on another nation, or unless they speak DISRESPECTFULLY of another nation. This is not PATRIOTISM; this is BIGOTED NARROW-MINDEDNESS, PREJUDICE and IGNORANCE.

TRUE PATRIOTISM is demonstrated by RESPECT, and by the utmost COURTESY for other COUNTRIES, coupled with an HONEST effort to make our own NATION happy, strong, and prosperous.

TRUE PATRIOTISM is expressed by obeying one's nation's CONSTITUTION (the Supreme Law of the Land), by respecting one's nation's FLAG, by remembering its great PATRIOTS, and, most of all, by consistently striving to make one's own NATION the very BEST, the most JUST, and the most FREE, in the world.

A true PATRIOT is a CHRISTIAN. When Jesus was asked, "Which is the great commandment in the law?", He said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Ref.: Matthew 22:36-40, 1611 Ed., KJV Bible.

A true PATRIOT is not SELF-RIGHTEOUS; he is HUMBLE, for he knows that he, too, has transgressed God's law [Exodus 20:3-17]. When looking into the "law of liberty", he sees that he has been DISRESPECTFUL and DISLOYAL to God, to his family, and to his neighbors, whether they are at home, across the street, across our borders, or abroad. Under the heading of SELFISHNESS, all his sins can be applied. However, if we can see the DEFECTS of our SELFISH CHARACTER, we can go directly to Christ for cleansing; and, only by the complete surrender of our SELF, can He fit us for heaven, so that we can become CITIZENS of heaven, as one NATION UNDER GOD. And, only by choice, can we stand under the bloodstained FLAG of Jesus Christ, and, only by our love for the Saviour, can we say, "DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR." Ref: James 2:12, 1611 Ed., KJV Bible. Read John 14:15, 1611 Ed., KJV Bible.

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