A Letter to My Senators

I currently serve as an officer in our nation’s Air Force, but I’m writing to you as a concerned Ohio citizen with regard to the Senate’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

By the grace of our Creator, we have within us the desire to assist those in need by the same Divine providence we experience provisionally as “privileged.” However, some, forsaking recognition of His providence and surrendering their own responsibility to their nation, have empowered a philosophy of entitlement whereby a citizen has a right to guaranteed benefits under their government. The idea of this “right” ignores Divine providence, disregards compassion to one another born from grace, and defines for itself a perverse measure of what is good, proper or just. Furthermore, whether this entitlement is born from a culpable conscience from being viewed as “privileged” or is formed to further the dependence of a people upon their government rather than their Creator, its affect upon the nation is the same: The dissolution of personal responsibility and essential accountability of the government to its people.

I do not envy the decision before you. Much time, thought, and effort have been made to further expand upon the promotion of our nation’s general Welfare as defined to assist the poor in our current times. Nevertheless, the framers of our Constitution were precise in its language, and we should not mistake promotion for an assurance that cannot be sustained indefinitely while burgeoning the aforementioned dissolution. Moreover, the cost to our nation for this new entitlement rebukes “securing the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” Freedom is not free, and freedom is not bondage through debt. As a nation, we cannot afford to proceed in this course of action nor blindly presume “good intentions” will produce the means to sustain this proposed legislation if it becomes law. New taxes will be levied and further servitude to other nations by debt is the inevitable result of this entitlement as it has been with others. Therefore, I respectfully request you not further erode the government’s accountability to its people. I ask you to not immerse yourself in the quagmire of politics or in the self-preservation of your appointment, but thoroughly consider the consequences of this proposed entitlement—a grievance against domestic tranquility—and cast your vote against it accordingly.

I thank you for your time in reading this letter and your service to our nation. Please know my family is praying for God’s wisdom upon you and our leaders, and we have our complete trust in His providence.

May God continue to bless our nation through His grace.

One Year

Last Sunday, Julie and I celebrated one year of marriage. For my gift to her, our friend Mandy did an amazing job of painting a picture of us (shown above) from Julie’s favorite wedding photo.

I’m so blessed to have Julie as my wife and my helper. We’ve grown a lot as a couple over the last year. We’ve faced many challenges together through God’s providence and grace. Looking back, I realize now how empty of a man I was before having her in my life. I have no idea what new trials and experiences await us this next year, but I know in Christ we’ll work through them together. On any day, she is my sunshine and her love is a reminder of a hope that doesn’t disappoint. I love you, Sweetheart.

SHMILY

Labor Day Weekend and La Purisima Mission

Julie and I visited our friend, David, in Manhattan Beach, CA over Labor Day Weekend. The trip to LA was a much needed break for both of us. David’s apartment was less than a minute’s walk to the beach, and I got to swim in the Pacific Ocean for the first time. We also went and saw the musical, Legally Blonde, at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood. It was a wonderfully, relaxing weekend spent in the company of a great friend.

Additionally, this past Saturday we traveled a few miles east to visit the La Purisima Mission outside of Lompoc. We were fortunate to arrive on a day when volunteers were reenacting life at the mission a few hundred years ago. We had a great time learning about the history between the Indian culture and Spanish missionary interactions. Julie and I helped make soap, and we got to see a cow with very large horns.