Following the teachings of Christ, in my humble opinion, is not well represented by many of todays professed Christians, and "doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with your God" as suggested by Micah 6*8, is in no way reflected by MAGA and their leader. The MAGA MEGA CHURCH as envisioned by trump as he calls for abolishing the separation of church and state is what the First Amendment to our Constitution was deliberately and painstakingly designed to prevent. It is a worst-case, nightmare scenario. It is unamerican. It is an abomination. It would not enhance religious freedom; it would end it.
Thursday, July 3, 2025
Monday, June 30, 2025
Join the adventure in progress.
Join the adventure in progress. New episodes posted to my group every day. Well, almost. https://www.facebook.com/groups/238126488223115
Friday, June 27, 2025
FYI
To those of you who have been reporting to my family that you're offended by some of my posts, I want you to know I understand completely. Please consider yourself excused. You are no longer under any obligation to read my posts. Have a great life. SC
THE HANGTOWN TRILOGY, OBIE -Episode Thirty, GOD BLESS AMERICA!
The dictionary defines the term tack, as: the direction of a vessel in regard to the trim of her sails; as the starboard tack, when she has the wind on her starboard, or the port tack, when she has the wind to her port; hence, the run of a vessel on one tack. In other words, tacking is the act of using the attitude of the sails and rudder, to zigzag in a direction other than that of the wind.
Well, suffice it to say, the north Pacific afforded the crew endless opportunity to practice their tacking technique! There were those splendid days when the trade winds would swell the ample canvas of that ol’ clipper, until she fairly flew, bounding, leaping, and cavorting northward across the Pacific, sometimes over three hundred miles in a day.
On other occasions, we languished in stifling calms for countless days on end. The unrelenting heat would blister the decks with temperatures in the nineties; the humidity was upwards of ninety percent, and the sails hung limp as laundry from the masts. Not even the colors could catch a breath of breeze. On days when we had the slightest breeze, the crew would man the rigging, and we’d tack laboriously back and forth up the coast.
The crew, to my amazement, often took advantage of these occasions of calm, to mend, repair, and even create their uniforms. Some of these old salts were seamstresses par excel lance. Many of the necessities of a life at sea, sails, ropes, and etcetera were made right on board. So, when these craftsmen weren’t busy applying their trades to their work, they used their time and talents to meet their own needs. They made tarpaulin hats, and woolen caps, and trousers, coats, and jackets, and then applied several coats of linseed oil for water repellence, and flannel linings for warmth. Many would be headed back around the horn the way we’d come, and they’d be warm and dry next time, or know the reason why. I was continually amazed at the talents and skills of these time-tested sailors.
On the 27th of August, we were one hundred sixty-four days out from Philadelphia. Early in the morning, a little squall line blew in from the northwest and we received several brief, but pleasant showers. We’d had no rain for several days and the showers disappeared quickly into the hot, dry decks, and left a pleasant smell aboard the ship. It reminded me surprisingly, of the laundry days back home, when Mom did our wash on our ol’ back porch and hung the clothes to dry.
Following the showers, the ship fell back into calm, and fog moved in dropping visibility to less than half a league. Temperatures began to moderate and around five o’clock that afternoon the colors rustled briefly, snapped briskly, and then waved and stood out proudly, stiff as starch! A strapping westerly wind appeared suddenly, and built into a good, strong, blustery current of warm air. The sails swelled to capacity, the rigging strained and groaned, and we headed east for the California coast.
The strong favorable westerly continued for four days and nights, and on the fifth day, as the fog began to dissipate, the west coast of North America appeared as a pencil thin line, extending north to south as far as the eye could see. All at once tall ships appeared at several points, gulls called raucously from the skies, and the captain brought out his glass and serenely scanned the shore.
Recognizing an area off our starboard bow as Point Conception, the captain called for a course which would take us further northward up the coast. On the first day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand, eight hundred, and forty-nine, at around half past two in the afternoon, after what seemed like a lifetime at sea, we thanked the Lord almighty from our deepest, purest hearts, and sailed at last into San Francisco Bay.
Now, you and I both know that even as the crow flies, my home and family on the east coast were thousands of miles and an eternity away. But somehow, just knowing that at long last we were all in America again was a feeling of homecoming I couldn’t with a thousand words describe. I just wanted to run and hug the shore.
To be continued?
By Shannon Thomas Casebeer
Copyright © FEBRUARY 14th, 2009
He calls those of us who love Him to do likewise. SC
This should go without saying but based on current events, I feel compelled to say it anyway. The Bible does not call us to show compassion to the less fortunate among us if and only if they have their green card. Christ did not turn to the sinner beside him on the cross and ask to see his paperwork. Christ reaches out to sinners unconditionally, and He calls those of us who love Him to do likewise. SC
If you can drown out your conscience and simply ignore this, shame on you. SC
At 2:45 this morning, I was awakened by my conscience. My family says, turn off my media. Just don't watch. Unplug your TV and remove your antenna, but I can't unplug my conscience. If you have the stomach for it, go to YouTube and watch the hours of videos of ICE raids. The fabric of America is being ruthlessly shredded. Innocent families are being ripped apart. People who have been productive, law-abiding members of our communities for years are being savagely beaten and deprived of their god given rights to be treated as human beings. To be silent is to be complicit, and God in heaven hears your silence. Just as surely as God is in heaven, there will be consequences for these crimes against humanity, truth, justice, mercy and common decency. If you can drown out your conscience and simply ignore this, shame on you. SC
Thursday, June 26, 2025
God's love beamed brightly from his face
OL’ CALVIN
Ol’ Calvin was a preacher, though he never had a church, and he seldom ever faced a crowd to preach. Great-Grandpa combed the Ozarks on a big old, dappled horse, in search of every soul that he could reach. Calvin kept a Bible, and he read it every day. He searched for words of comfort he could give. He seldom spoke of judgment, and he seldom spoke of death. He preached that folks might know the Lord and live. The folks could hear him coming when he traveled down their lane. Great-Grandpa always whistled as he rode. Folks always came out smiling, and that made him mighty proud. They were always glad to see him, and it showed. He’d share his tales of Grandma, all the kids and folks back home, and what he’d done that week to serve the Lord; but mostly Calvin listened, because Calvin really cared. He would listen by the hour and not be bored. Sometimes they’d kill a chicken when they heard ol’ Calvin come. He shared a bunch of suppers on the road. He carried little with him but his Bible and the Lord. He reaped the seeds of kindness that he sewed. Ol’ Calvin raised a big, ol’ beard to shade him from the sun. As he grew old, his beard grew long and gray. He’d part it in the middle when he sat down to a meal, and it framed his weathered face when he would pray: “Thank you, Lord, for these good folks and for each gift we share. Thank you for your Son and for His touch. Thank you for your promise and for your tender care. Thank you that you love us each so much.” Calvin loved the Ozarks, all God’s people, and his Lord. He never looked for faults; he looked for grace. His sermon was the life he lived, his message “God is love,” and God's love beamed brightly from his face.
Shannon Thomas Casebeer
THE CIVIL WAR
The photo is my great granddad Casebeer and his siblings at a family reunion around 1900. The gentleman with a beard in the front row is my great granddad, Calvin Casebeer. Great Granddad Casebeer passed away in 1907. While it is for the most part historically accurate, the following interview never actually took place. It’s the product of extensive research and a little imagination.
INTERVIEW
Houston, Missouri
1895
Around midmorning Mrs. Casebeer accompanied her husband down the front steps of their Ozark Mountain home and into the shade. Mr. Casebeer is small of stature, uncommonly affable, and solid as seasoned hickory, with sharp, unblinking eyes. I shook his hand and our interview began. “To begin with Mr. Casebeer, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?”
Mr. Casebeer adjusted his galluses, pushed the brow of his straw hat back from his face, gave a gravelly but pleasant chuckle and began to fill us in. “Well, my name is Calvin Casebeer, and I was born back in the spring of 1838 in Defiance, Ohio. Cassie and I were married in ’62, our son Lewis was born in ’63, and over the next twenty years we were blessed with eleven children. We buried two of ‘em back in Ohio, and then in ‘85, soon after laying little Eva to rest, the rest of us pulled up stakes and made tracks for the Ozarks hoping for a fresh start. The last five years or so I’ve been traveling the hills and hollers of south central Missouri spreading the gospel and relying on the goodness of others. We’re poor as church mice, and the misses is darn near thin as a rail, but the Lord’s been good to us and all the kids are thriving.”
I’m certain our readers will be pleased to hear that you’re doing well, Mr. Casebeer. What else can you tell us about your family history?” “Well sir.” said Calvin, leaning into his walking stick and smoothing his long, gray whiskers, “My great, great, granddad, along with his brother and his folks, arrived on the shores of Pennsylvania back in the autumn of 1724. My great, great, great granddad Johann Kasebier kept a journal on the voyage over and word has it that the thing exists to this very day in the castle archives back in Germany. Johann passed away shortly after their arrival in this country, and the family had a mighty hard time of it back in the colonies. My great granddad, John Casebeer, was a soldier in the militia during the Revolutionary war, and served in the Continental Army with Captain Davidson’s division out of Bedford, Pennsylvania. I’m mighty proud of my family, and I’m mighty proud that when my time come I did my part to keep this God fearing country whole and free.”
Well Calvin, may I call you Calvin?” “Yes sir.” “Calvin, what do you remember today about your service to this country during the Civil War?” “Plenty!” answered Calvin, tucking his shirt in and puffing up just a tad. “I remember ever’ bit of it, just like it was yesterday.” With that, Mr. Casebeer blotted his forehead with a kerchief and began the following yarn. “Following the siege at Fort Sumter, back in ’61, Governor Morton ordered that a camp for volunteers be set up back in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and my brother John and I caught the stage and headed out. I wasn’t but 23 and took the whole grievous adventure for a lark. We spent a week or so there at Fort Wayne, bivouacked with other boys from all over the country. They rousted us out at first light on the morning of the 22nd of November and following a physical exam, we all gathered on the square where Mayor Randall addressed the regiment and presented us with a crisp, new flag. Once the sermonizing had petered out they swore us all in as members of the Indiana 44th Infantry with these questions: Do you solemnly promise to love this flag? We says yes sir. Do you promise to honor it? Yes sir! Do you promise to obey it? Yes sir! Do you promise to sustain and defend it, even unto death? Yes sir! I, then, in this presence and before these witnesses, solemnly join you to the American flag: and what we have now joined together let not Jeff Davis or his minions put asunder. Then they paraded us through town. Folks was waving and hollering and carrying on something fierce, and we all figured we was mighty fine. Then we set off marching, and marching, and marching, and we kep’ on marching till hell wouldn’t have it! For the first few months we didn’t fight nothin’ but hunger, frostbite, fatigue, and the measles. It seems like it snowed all through November, December, and January. Most of us were cold and soaked and sick. You’ve never seen such misery in your life. Then, about mid February, we marched through the snow to Fort Donelson, and that’s when all hell broke loose! Colonel Reed marched our outfit to the foot of a good-sized hill, infested with Rebs and swarmin’ like a beehive. We formed ranks at the bottom, the order was given to advance double quick, and we ducked our heads and charged like hell, cheering and shooting into a hail of bullets. Nearing the top of the hill, the confederates dove for cover in their entrenchments, and us right on their heels. Shells was fallin’, sabers flashin’, and most of us drawing blood for the very first time. You can’t even imagine, unless you was there yourself! Once the Rebs was dug in good and returning fire in earnest, General Grant himself gave the order to fall back to the brow of the hill. We dug in there on the hill that night, cold, wet and hungry, retrieving the dead and listening to the cries of the wounded. Next morning the enemy surrendered and we searched the hill for our fallen comrades. Two of the 44th were missing, 34 wounded and 7 found frozen to the ground in their blood-soaked uniforms. After that came another world of marching through hell and the battles of Shiloh and Stone River. During the night of June 10th, news reached our encampment of the fall of Vicksburg and of General Lee being routed real bad at Gettysburg. We figured for certain the war was all but finished. That was one of the few good nights I remember from the whole campaign. By September of 1863, the Rebs had withdrawn all the way back to the northwest corner of Georgia’s confederate heartland. The confederacy had its back against the wall! Digging in along the west branch of Chickamauga Crick, them tenacious Rebs was bristled like a bulldog with a bone! September 19th found us bivouacked at the ol’ Poe place, just northwest of the crick. The battle had been arduous, and we’d been rode hard and put up wet. Late that evening, a commotion in the confederate encampment across the crick signaled the arrival of the Rebels long awaited reinforcements. The arrival of Longstreet and his company marked a considerable change in the mix. Leaders on both sides immediately began rethinking tomorrow’s battle. For ol’ Bill Rosencrans and Braxton Bragg this was in one sense just your typical garden-variety chess game. Each of them would engage his men in a time-honored confrontation, attacking, retreating, and maneuvering, in an effort to sweep the board. But these pawns weren’t inanimate chess pieces; this was flesh and blood, and before noon the next day the Chickamauga was running red with it. Occasional skirmishes continued through the night as each side exchanged potshots at the muzzle flashes of the other. Then, around mid-morning of September 20th, the action began in earnest. For several hours we managed to turn back the confederate advances; wave after wave was repelled and driven back to the crick. Just prior to noon the confederate forces, along with Longstreet’s reinforcements, began a concentrated assault on the Union front. At some point during the conflict, perceiving an imminent threat to Thomas’s forces to the north, ol’ Rosencrans reassigned Woods division to address the threat. As the reassigned troops pulled back to assist Thomas, the effect was like pulling your finger from a dike! Within moments, the punctured Federal lines busted open like a saturated earthen dam, and the wall of Rebs swept over everything in their path. The battle of Chickamauga was about the bloodiest of the war, and the casualties were overwhelming. The 44th Indiana infantry only had three men killed, but 10 men were unaccounted for and 59 were shot up perty bad. My brother and I were counted with the wounded. John had been run over by a runaway wagon, and I’d been shot through the leg. The field hospitals had performed amputations, patchwork, and temporary fixes, until their medical supplies were exhausted, and then they clenched their teeth and proceeded without ‘em. The traffic of dead and dying soldiers from the Chickamauga to points north and south was slow and steady, and the pitiful laments of the injured rose from the wagons in a low guttural moan that for many was only answered in the thralls of death. By the afternoon of the 20th, John and I were in the back of a wagon on our way to a field hospital. We slept, best we could, shielding our eyes from the glaring sun and our ears from the sounds of agony and despair. Even in sleep, the scenes of battle repeated in my mind, and my consciousness reeled from the stench of death and war. War has always been an enigma to me, an irreconcilable amalgamation of glory and Godlessness. Even now after my baptism of fire and a near death experience, I view it with a strange mix of abhorrence and wonder. It’s as though, despite its revulsion and abomination, war has some redeeming quality. I can tell you this about war; if war possesses any redeeming qualities, they’re not apparent out on the battlefield where gallant young men are killing and being killed. The redeeming qualities of war are perty illusive to those who observe its horrid stench first hand. War’s finer facets, in order to be fully appreciated, must be polished, politicized, and refined, by some well bred, manicured, articulate, gentleman back home. Back home the less desirable aspects of war may be overlooked. One may sip their brandy, smile benevolently, and observe, ‘Ain’t war inspirin’’. In the case of the civil war, both sides sought peace. The north was bound by the patriot’s sense of E PLURIBUS UNUM, and the south was bound by home and hearth and their ancestral way of life. Few would argue that either was served by war. Death and destruction may quell revolt, but they rarely result in peace. Don’t get me wrong. I realize that freedom requires commitment, commitment requires perseverance, and perseverance requires the will to act. When freedom and just causes are threatened, honorable men respond. But surely war is the last resort of those who know its grief. Surely for reasonable people there’s a better way. Freedom is every heart’s desire and every just government’s goal, but it’s a mighty illusive concept when you’re at war. Freedom is nearly impossible when you don’t have peace.”
So, what, in your opinion Mr. Casebeer, is our best hope for peace? “Well sir,” Calvin responded, briefly removing his hat and running a red bandanna over his wispy, white hair, “ol’ Abraham himself summed it up far better than I ever could.” With this Mr. Casebeer reached into his pocket, produced a tattered remnant of President Lincoln’s second Inaugural Address, and read aloud, “With malice toward none; with charity for all: with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have born the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan – to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all nations.” With that, Mr. Casebeer smiled warmly; parted by offering the unfailingly compassionate hand of true Christian fellowship, and Mrs. Casebeer assisted him back to the house.
Shannon Thomas Casebeer
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Chewing gum scented kisses, And long, slow dances
SUNSETS
I remember Ferris wheels
And sharing cotton candy,
Walking barefoot hand in hand
Afternoons on inner tubes
With sunshine on my shoulders,
And the smell of roasting hotdogs
As a stone lined campfire smolders.
I remember sleeping on air mattresses gone flat,
Ballgames in the meadow,
And the cracking of a bat,
Kool-Aid on the running board
Of Granddad’s little Ford,
And popcorn at the theater
With that gal that I adored.
I remember horseback rides
And summertime romances,
Chewing gum scented kisses,
And long, slow dances,
Moonlit walks with pretty girls
In soft gingham dresses,
Thoughtful talks on country roads,
And warm, moist caresses.
And I recall the dawning
Of an inescapable truth,
And reconciliation
as the sun set on my youth.
Shannon Thomas Casebeer
Monday, June 16, 2025
Raise our candle and shed a little light.
"Each and every day, each and every one of us, regardless of our circumstances, has a choice. We can squander our time fingering old welts, second guessing past decisions, and tormenting ourselves over the poor choices of others; or we can embrace a new day brimming with opportunities for doing justly, loving mercy, and building foundations for a bright, new tomorrow. Time is precious. Choose wisely." I wrote this years ago. I believe it's good advice. Addressing each day's negativity is robbing me of friends, family, and much of the joy I might otherwise experience. While silence is complicity and there comes a time to speak, it's easy today to become complicit by contributing to the gloom. Today's evils speak volumes for themselves. Rather than cursing the darkness, we might do better to raise our candles and shed a little light. SC
Saturday, June 14, 2025
Evidently incapable of compassion
All of America's past Presidents, those living and those dead, must be saddened, repulsed, and embarrassed by today's America. We've gone from a shinning city on a hill, admired by the world, to a godless black hole in the heart of humanity, serving only mammon, heedless of God's call to mercy, and evidently incapable of compassion. Christ is surely in tears. SC
Friday, June 13, 2025
Thursday, June 12, 2025
Carman's Edge
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
So, what is marriage today?
I feel moved today to share a few thoughts on the state of matrimony in 2025. I don't suggest I'm an expert, but having been married for almost 43 years, I feel qualified to share my views. There's a good deal of talk today about family values and traditional Christian marriage, as contained in biblical scripture. The following scrap of scripture comes immediately to mind. Years ago, Ephesians 5:22-24 was often contained in marriage vows. It says, "Wives, obey your husbands as you obey the Lord. The husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church." Good luck with that. In The United States of America, in the year of our Lord 2025, this scripture is rarely if ever contained in marriage vows, and I'm going to guess it's even more rarely practiced. Without this verse as its capstone, biblical marriage no longer exists. Add to this the fact that, while sex was once expected to be enjoyed only within the confines of marriage, today most consider sex little more than a socially acceptable pastime to be enjoyed between two consenting adults whenever the opportunity arises. More and more, monogamy is an outdated concept. So much for Biblical marriage.
So, what is marriage today? Marriage today is one part relationship and one part partnership. For the relationship to thrive within a modern marriage, it's essential that each partner consider their partnership to be fair and equitable, with each partner sharing an equal part of the household responsibility. Ideally, each partner would perform those essential tasks at which they were best suited, thereby making the best use of each mate's abilities and maximizing the couple's potential. If this can be accomplished in communion with each individual's faith, so much the better, but today, most do not consider faith a prerequisite. Partnerships provide legal advantages, and a thriving partnership is conducive to a rewarding relationship. Under the very best of circumstances, modern marriage is challenging; statistics suggest more than half fail. Of those that survive, more often than not, they do so because they are bolstered by the couple's faith and the constant, dependable, and unwavering expression of love and mutual respect by each partner. Good luck! And may God Bless.
Shannon Thomas Casebeer
Monday, June 9, 2025
FAITH
As a little boy, back in the 1950s, I became very ill. My mom and dad loaded me into the old Chevy and took me to the doctor. A spinal tap determined that I had Poliomyelitis. Following the diagnosis, I spent several terrifying weeks confined to a hospital ward at Kaiser Hospital in Vallejo, California. There I saw other children struggling with the crippling disease. Some were in braces. Some were confined to iron lungs. Some never walked again. Some never left the facility. Some died.
One night, all alone in my room and scared half to death, I remembered one of my favorite books back home. The title of the little children’s book was “Jesus, A Boy’s Friend”. I began praying as only a terrified child can pray. I prayed and cried until I finally fell asleep. Several days later the doctor had good news for my family. My symptoms were gone. They were free to take me home.
As I left the hospital, hand in hand with Mom and Dad that day, I began a path that has led me to this day. Some days my faith is just as strong as the day I left that hospital. Other days, not so much, but from that day to this I’ve set out each day to walk the path I’m given, in the light I’m given. On my very best days, I share that light with others. Each of us walks a different path, revealed in a different light. As a result, we each have different perspectives, different convictions, and varying points of view. We need to show each other a little compassion and cut each other some slack.
I was only four, but I remember well the other kids in the ward with me in the hospital. I remember incubators, braces, buckets of ice, and being haunted for years by the horrific thought of spending my entire life in an iron lung. I remember missing Mom and Dad and praying like I'd never prayed before, from that moment to this day, for anyone who suffers such a fate. I remember when I first got sick, my folks bundling me up in the old Chevy for the two-mile trip to town. I remember Doctor’s Bliss and Elliot and the spinal tap that verified the prognosis. I remember being terrified and held down, and screaming “Daddy, Daddy!” at the top of my lungs, and the sound of a scuffle outside my door as they tried to restrain my father. I remember tugging my cowboy boots on and walking out of that hospital with Mom and Dad. And I remember being very, very thankful. I remember sitting in the bright sunshine back home on Reservoir Hill and pondering the whole experience over and over. And I remember all through school befriending other boys and girls, who walked funny or talked funny, or for whatever reason, didn’t quite fit in. And it warms my heart to this very day when I see folks accepted for who they are.
Shannon Thomas Casebeer
Sunday, June 8, 2025
Tomorrow is always a day away
Me and Grandad, early '50s
In some ways, June of 2025 is very reminiscent of the summers of my youth, back in the 1950s and '60s. In some ways, it's very different. Still, I have dreams of the past and hopes for the future. We can't go back, but we can be good and faithful stewards of both the past and future. We can appreciate past blessings and pay them forward. We can make certain we learn from past mistakes. We can remember always that tomorrow is always a day away, and today is our best opportunity for insuring its promise. SC
Monday, June 2, 2025
The melodious rattling of my teeth
Here, for the few that will read it, is a little piece of nostalgia guaranteed to brighten your day. This little reminiscence was prompted by the fact that, while on the lawn mower, I just missed a phone call. Now, those of you whose lawn was bladed, tilled, raked and rolled prior to planting may well sail along at a good clip on a lawn that's smooth as cornsilk, with your beverage unmolested, your pompadour undisturbed, and your sacroiliac unscathed and entirely tranquil. I on the other hand have an Ozark lawn, brought into existence when I began transforming and mowing an old cow pasture. The resulting lawn, you may well imagine, is not smooth as cornsilk. it's bumpy, unforgiving, and rough as a cob! For those unfamiliar with the term, rough as a cob, imagine if you will, a day when toilet tissue was an unimaginable luxury, and once dried corn had been chucked and the kernels removed for hominy grits and livestock sustenance, the cobs were provided in the gentleman's retreat for derriere grooming purposes. Thus, the term, rough as a cob. Picture this at your own peril. The very thought causes my hemorrhoids to pucker! Long story short, I missed my call because, during the buzzing and whirring of my device, my ears perceived nothing but jarring bones and the melodious rattling of my teeth. SC
Sunday, June 1, 2025
A Scrap of Scripture
Yes. It’s absolutely true; taking any statement, particularly scripture, out of context, is dangerous. I fault no one for their faith or their lack of faith, as long as its peaceful and unconfrontational. I myself am a Christian. True followers of Christ do not attempt to force others; they lead others by example. As a Christian, I encourage each of you to read and study as much of the Bible as you possibly can. That being said, there are those among us who insist that, in order to be of any value, the Bible must be read in its entirety, with each word taken literally, and nothing taken figuratively. And these people are willing and able to defend their view loudly, passionately and unequivocally, till the cows come home! That’s their prerogative. I wish them well. However, not even the most foolhardy among us, if confronted with eating an elephant, would embark on this endeavor by attempting to swallow the entire pachyderm whole! To do so would be extravagantly imprudent, unquestionably lethal, and almost certainly ruin one's taste for elephant! If an entire elephant is to be eaten without discombobulating one's pallet, it must be taken one tiny bite at a time. Each bite must be methodically chewed and vigorously washed down with something equal to the task, in moderation of course. The same holds true for the Bible.
I’ve been a Christian for over sixty years. Christianity works for me. It doesn’t make everyday a picnic. When you truly care about Christ’s message, life breaks your heart. But daily applying Christ’s message to my life has given me hope, faith, charity, and occasionally joy. I’m not just messing with you. It actually has. If you believe something else works better for you, knock yourself out, but if you see anything in my life that suggests to you that Christianity works for me, and you’re interested in trying it, I have a suggestion. My favorite scripture is Micah, Chapter 6, verse 8: “He has showed you, O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” That verse has served me well throughout my life. Take it and make it yours. Plant it in bright, sunny corner of your memory. Water it with your tears; feed it daily with your contemplation and encourage it with your most persuasive smile. See if it doesn’t take root and reveal new verses. It certainly did for me. Try that for a while and let me know what you think. If it doesn’t work, go ahead and swallow the elephant!
S. T. Casebeer
MY TWO CENTS WORTH. KEEP THE CHANGE.
First of all, set aside a bright, roomy section of your mind, and fill it with all your best memories. Visit it often. Keep it immaculate and it will serve you well. Share it with your Deity, whatever you perceive him to be. Sharpen your awareness of the natural wonders that surround us and encourage their appreciation by others. Be cognizant of life’s cycles, appreciating each new season in turn, while realizing fully that, despite our best efforts, time is resolute, and with time, each season will pass. Embrace each new season with hope and optimism while retaining all that’s best of seasons past. As a young man I tended to envision time as a vast, unlimited resource; time it seemed was an inexhaustible sea. Now in the autumn of my life, each hour is increasingly precious, and I thirst for each minute as it drips away from an alarmingly finite pool.
Do not be drawn into meaningless, futile, debilitating debates with loud, obnoxious people. Just consider the source and when possible, avoid their venting. Their noise is a noxious vapor, and repulsed silence is often the appropriate response. I have good news. Your loudmouth neighbor, your loudmouth in-law, and the loudmouth in your Sunday school class, all have one thing in common; they don’t know squat! They’re just noisy! Relax and ignore them, and don’t encourage their clamor. Be mindful of your example to others; it’s your most effective testimony. Value truth and consider the cost of deceit.
Many people have given their lives in order to secure the freedoms you enjoy today. Honor their sacrifice. Honor our veterans and all those who choose a life of service. Honor individuality, revere tolerance, and exhort all those who lift up the cause of freedom. Confront ignorance and be diligent in the advancement of knowledge. Ignorance and intolerance are almost inseparable, and despite what some will tell you, neither one is a virtue.
Cherish and reverently exercise your right to vote and keep this Country free! Clearly, America’s collective conscience, as reflected by our chosen leaders, requires constant scrutiny and surveillance. Even in a democracy of, by, and for the people, justice and equality are only as perfect as the conscience of that people. Even America’s grand and glorious democracy reflects not only our goodness, but our greed. Greed and corruption have reached epidemic levels in our society today. Certain individuals have amassed great wealth, and they abuse that wealth to cause discontent and manipulate elections. They do not do this for the good of our Nation, but to satisfy their own insatiable greed. Do not believe everything you’re told by the far fringes of our media. Media will say what the media is paid to say, all too often, regardless of the truth. More often than not, the wealthy own the media. There’s nothing wrong with affluence and wealth, but money buys power and too much power corrupts. Everyone knows what the bible says about money.
Pay attention, stand up and be counted. Freedom is not a privilege to be taken lightly. Freedom is a right and a responsibility, a perishable torch to be diligently tended and faithfully passed along. Freedom burns within our hearts, ignited by the founding fathers, and it falls to us to keep that flame alive. America’s most trusted and time-honored institutions are only as righteous as the hearts of our citizens, our most godly leaders only as just as the collective conscience of their constituents, and the most telling measure of a nation’s heart is the empathy of its people.
Positive outcomes are never achieved through negative actions. Respond to others, as you’d have them respond to you. Freedom is every heart’s desire and every just government’s goal, but it’s a mighty illusive concept when you’re at war. Freedom is nearly impossible when you don’t have peace. Freedom requires commitment, commitment requires perseverance, and perseverance requires the will to act. When freedom and justice are threatened, honorable men respond. But surely war is the last resort of those who know its grief. Surely for reasonable people there’s a better way.
Be open to affection but wary of unwholesome pleasures. And do not be deceived. Deceit is ephemeral; lies and indiscretions will eventually come to light. Every action has a consequence. When considering any action, before proceeding, think the scenario through to its logical conclusion. You can never undo a thoughtless deed, and carelessly sewn seeds produce a ponderous harvest!
Anything that you are unable to do in good conscience and moderation, do not do! Eat nutritiously and judiciously, consistently burning more calories than you consume, until you’ve achieved your ideal weight, and you will be healthier, more industrious, more prosperous, more popular, profoundly gratified, and gut wrenchingly contented. It’s what all the ages have striven for.
As we face an uncertain future together, let us do so with faith, optimism, attention to stewardship, and goodwill toward our fellow man. God grant us stamina to persevere, determination to prevail, and the wisdom to roll up our sleeves and work together.
In all things, promote liberty for all, and justice tempered with mercy. In this Country, everyone has the right to life, liberty and their pursuit of happiness. Celebrate ethnicity; take pride in your own heritage but value the traditions of others. Our country’s greatest strength is diversity; honor diversity and keep America strong. While I am generally conservative in my own actions, I am passionately liberal in defense of the choices of others. Personal choices, that’s what freedom is. Remember always that you are as good as any and better than none. Be just, merciful, humble, and be happy.
Shannon Thomas Casebeer
Saturday, May 31, 2025
So that I repented, counted my blessings, and backed away from the edge.
I’m often struck by the parallels between my life and that of Jimmy Stewart in his role in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I’ve had much the same triumph, much the same joy, and much the same failure and debilitating despair. Probably most noteworthy are the many occasions when my Heavenly Father, in some form not unlike Clarence, has interceded on my behalf, so that I repented, counted my blessings, and backed away from the edge. SC
Cut each other some slack.
Each and every one of us is a distinctive product of our gene pool, our environment, our life experience and our faith. Our beliefs, our convictions, and our partisan leanings are inherent in the unique and singular individual which, through time, we each become. As a result, some of us lean blue, and others red. It’s not simply what we choose to believe. To a large extent, it’s what we’ve become. We need elected officials and government policies that recognize and allow for those differences. We need to accept that we’re different and cut each other some slack. There's a term for it; it's called "liberty and justice for all." SC
Friday, May 30, 2025
TRUTH or CONSEQUENCES
The presidency of the United States of America is no place for senile, old men who have a vendetta, a personal agenda, and an insatiable appetite for power. While partisan politics is an inescapable element of elections, once elected, in order to be effective, our president must govern with the sole purpose of serving the best interests of all Americans, regardless of party and partisan agendas. The foremost responsibility of our President is promoting the unity of our citizens and behaving in a way that is worthy of the respect of all Americans and the world. Our President is essentially the personification of America, our unwavering pursuit of truth and justice, and our determination to persevere as one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. If and when our president proves incapable of acting responsibly and serving the best interests of all Americans, our Constitution provides means for his peaceful and timely removal. As citizens, it falls to us to act in the best interests of all our fellow citizens and the unity and prosperity of our nation. SC
A MORE PERFECT UNION
America’s ideals of liberty and justice for all have been a work in progress for a long time. Progress has been tediously slow, but steady. Mistakes have been made. Setbacks have been painful and frequent. Progress has come only through determination, dedication, and constant struggle, but it has come. Democratic government requires pursuing the greater good and addressing the needs of a greatly diversified electorate, comprised of frequently opposing and passionately held beliefs. It’s a volatile and uneasy accord, which is achieved only through compromise and concession. Make no mistake. The decisions we make as we deal or fail to deal with the current kerfuffle will shape our children’s future for decades to come. Our democracy works as intended only when each of its three branches demonstrate a healthy respect for Truth, Justice and its fellow branches. Events currently unfolding will literally determine whether our democracy survives and whether our government of, by, and for the people will continue its time-honored pursuit of liberty and justice for all. Embrace the future, be civil, and participate in the essential process of democracy. A perfect union is a mighty lofty goal, but a more perfect union is attainable when we work together. SC
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Years ago, I self-published a little book called GLAD DAYS LONG AGO. On the back cover I wrote the following. I believe it's true.
"Each and every day, each and every one of us, regardless of our circumstances, has a choice. We can squander our time fingering old welts, second guessing past decisions, and tormenting ourselves over the poor choices of others; or we can embrace a new day brimming with opportunities for doing justly, loving mercy, and building foundations for a bright new tomorrow. Time is precious; choose wisely." SC
Suffering and deprivation of biblical proportions
The current administration, for whatever reason, seems determined to defund, deregulate, and dismantle all America's essential institutions and any safeguards against government overreach. I want you to imagine America without taxes, Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, affordable health care, worker’s protection, environmental protection, Public Schools, civil rights, coordination between states, repairs to our infrastructure, a reliable electrical grid, road and freeway repairs, or anything resembling a functioning democracy. It's not a pretty picture. It’s a scene of incomprehensible suffering and deprivation of biblical proportions. It’s terrifying. But it’s absolutely essential that you think about it. And then act. SC
Monday, May 26, 2025
It's costing lives as we speak.
"He drew a circle to shut me out Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. But love and I had the wit to win: We drew a circle that took him in." These lines could easily be mistaken for a little scrap of scripture. Of course, they are not. It's a poem by Edwin Markham. Its message however is scriptural. Those of you who read your bibles will be familiar with 1 John 4:16 ("God is love"). Love of course, is synonymous with compassion, empathy, consideration and inclusion. Benjamin Franklin wrote "A stitch in time saves nine." Franklin's message observes that prompt intervention can provide an early fix to a problem before it grows exponentially worse. USAID (US Agency for International Development) is an independent executive branch agency responsible for administering foreign aid and economic development assistance outside the US. Among the goals of USAID is to assist struggling people of foreign countries so that they can remain where they live with some degree of security and dignity, and in this way avoid a grueling journey to the US or some other country where they are unwanted. This of course is the expedient thing to do. It's generally the most cost-effective solution to avoid mass migration of hungry, homeless, populations. It represents a prompt intervention to minimize a potentially devastating migration of displaced people. It's the loving thing to do. It's what Christ would do. Cutting funds to this program does not save money. It costs lives. It's costing lives as we speak. Cutting humanitarian aid is inhumane and betrays callous, unchristian, self-serving intentions and ignorance of biblical proportions. SC
American Patriotism
My little footprint on the Internet is not much of a platform, but it’s my platform, and I intend to use it to make my voice heard. My mom and dad were members of “The Greatest Generation”. They encouraged me to use my own voice and my own head. I owe this to Mom and Dad.
Back in the 1950s, when I was a kid, with the exception of the country’s Native Americans, it was fresh in the minds of most people that their families weren’t originally from here. They’d arrived here from foreign shores. In order to do so, they’d made sacrifices, unimaginable sacrifices, and they’d faced hardships. They counted their blessings. They considered their citizenship to be one of those blessings. They appreciated their freedom. They appreciated the opportunities those freedoms provided, and they appreciated the veterans whose efforts had made those freedoms possible. They were patriotic.
Their families had arrived in this country with little or nothing, and they felt entitled to nothing beyond the promise that America and democracy provided, that if they worked hard and participated in the preservation of our fragile Republic, great things were possible. They knew it was so; they’d seen others prosper. They were prepared and entirely willing to defend their freedoms and their democracy against all threats, both foreign and domestic. The United States of America and all the benefits inherent in the amalgamation of our states are only possible as long as we remain united, and the welfare of all our citizens is entirely reliant on the preservation of our Union. When that is gone, America is gone.
Throughout my life, the veterans and those who Tom Brokaw referred to as “The Greatest Generation,” comprised a large part of our citizenry. As their generation has faded away, America’s diverse cross-section of humanity has been transformed. The fabric of our great nation has coarsened, and our edges have frayed. Our appreciation and comprehension of Freedom, what it means, and what it requires, has been largely lost. For many, the patriotism of our forefathers is a foreign and incomprehensible concept.
Not until recent years has it occurred to most of us that, minus America’s time-honored institutions and those who continue to support them, it’s entirely possible that the America of our country’s founders and generations of veterans and patriots may cease to exist.
Our country's best hope for the future is not partisanship, It's citizenship. It's constant vigilance, civility, and dedicated participation in democracy and a government of, by, and for the people. Vote for Republicans. Vote for Democrats. Vote for Independents. For now, at least, it’s a free country. Vote as your heart and conscience dictate, but for God’s sake, vote! Be an advocate for those who support law and order and encourage scientific advancement and responsible stewardship of our planet. Speak out for those who advocate for an honest representation of our history, so that future generations can benefit from our many mistakes. Vote for those who support truth, justice, and the American way.
Shannon Thomas Casebeer
Sunday, May 25, 2025
Here's the good news.
Are you ready for good news? While it's likely there are dark days ahead, there is hope. There's a light at the end of the tunnel. Over the months ahead, the electorate will understand painfully well what they've traded away for a handful of empty promises and lies. They'll want their healthcare back. They'll want affordable groceries and merchandise. They'll want access to their national parks and the countless other treasures and benefits that have been privatized and relinquished to the privileged few. The upcoming midterms and the election of 2028 will not be won by sticks, but by carrots. They won't be won by misinformation and empty threats. They'll be won by incentives and positive measures to win back and earn the admiration and respect of the American people, our allies, and civilized society around the world. They won't be won by familiar faces burdened by old luggage, but by new faces with new ideas and realistic hopes for a bright future. Stay informed. Stay hopeful. And watch for those new faces. SC
Friday, May 23, 2025
The United States of America is only as secure as the Federal government which unites us and safeguards our freedoms.
"The main function of the U.S. federal government is creating and enforcing laws to ensure order and stability within society. The U.S. Constitution outlines the nation's law-making process and establishes institutions to carry out this function. Our Founding Fathers feared the concentration of power in a single individual or branch of government. To prevent this, they separated law-making powers among three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. The legislature, composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate, creates laws. The executive branch enforces laws under the leadership of the president. The judiciary, which includes a federal court system headed by the Supreme Court, decides the constitutionality of these laws. This separation of powers prevents one branch from gaining influence over the others."
Our system is under threat. Our institutions are being dismantled and privatized. Our freedom, our democratic republic, and our American way of life are being privatized by the wealthy few in an effort to secure their power and end forever government of, by, and for the people. If you value your freedom, support the federal government which from our country's founding has valued and upheld the voice of we the people and secured the time-honored institutions which make possible one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. SC
Monday, May 19, 2025
The most alarming threat to life as we know it on the planet
Here, in Missouri, where I live, we've been experiencing multiple horrific weather events each week. "How long," one may well ask, "will this go on?" Most reputable scientists agree, there is no quick fix. Our best long-term hope is to elect officials who (unlike our current President) realize that the climate crisis is the most alarming threat to life as we know it on the planet. SC
Faith burns most brightly when all other hope is spent. Yesterday's dreams light the way to a bright tomorrow.
Regardless of your belief system and your faith or lack thereof, certain things are true. The universe exists. It did not always exist. The universe came into being as the result of the actions of some awesome, incomprehensible force. It's likely that force exists today. Time exists. Seasons come and seasons pass. There is darkness. There is light. There is truth. There is falsehood. There is good. There is evil. There is Justice. There is injustice. All actions and all inactions including yours have consequences. You can choose to live in harmony with these truths, or you can deny them. Each and every day, each and every one of us, regardless of our circumstances, has a choice. We can squander our time fingering old welts, second guessing past decisions, and tormenting ourselves over the poor choices of others; or we can embrace a new day brimming with opportunities for doing justly, loving mercy, and building foundations for a bright new tomorrow. During my youth, I was unfailingly optimistic about the future. Music of the time told of a day when good would prevail over evil, truth over lies, and brotherhood over racism and bigotry. We've made gains, but fulfilling the dreams of our youth will require constant vigilance and unwavering devotion. I will never cease in my efforts to achieve the dreams of our youth. I will never give up. I'll die with that dream in my heart and the matchless land of liberty in my eyes.
Shannon Thomas Casebeer
Its incomprehensible to me. SC
I'm saddened, sickened, and embarrassed that any informed person continues to support trump and his vendetta against "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—anything excellent or praiseworthy". Its incomprehensible to me. SC
Sunday, May 11, 2025
Step out and speak up for truth, justice, and America's institutions. SC
The United States of America is the most celebrated and incomparable club in all the world. As citizens, we receive benefits and, based on our ability, we pay dues. We pay dues in the form of taxes, and we receive benefits in the form of civil liberties, our grid, fresh air, clean water, our judicial system, law enforcement, National Parks, freeway systems, education, Social Security, and the list goes on and on and on. This club is not self-sustaining. It requires work and investment. It's worth it. It's currently under threat. Our essential institutions are being defunded, deregulated, and dismantled. Step out and speak up for truth, justice, and America's institutions. Do it now, before it's too late. SC
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)