Observations©

By Donald S. Conkey

Date: August 6, 2009 - # 9932 - Title: Finding inner peace in a troubled world. (821)

On the fourth Monday of each month Joan and I host a group called the “empty-nesters,” a group so named because our children are all gone and we are left at home alone – thus “empty-nesters.”

Our church leaders encourage all families to set aside Monday nights to create a “Family Home Evening.” Its purpose is to spend quality time with our families and to create a close knit family by having family fun built around “the doctrines and principles of the kingdom.” Holding the attention of children of all ages in such a setting can be challenging but the effort for us was worth that effort. Today, after years of preparing our children for life, we enjoy the fruits of our labor: visiting children and grandchildren and watching them lead their children in Family Home Evenings. Pure joy is watching a great grandchild offer a prayer to his/her Heavenly Father and that often brings tears of gratitude to our eyes.

Our monthly “empty-nester” programs are built around this principle of teaching one another and provides for us ‘empty nesters’ a needed social setting. People like being around others who share common beliefs regarding worship and lifestyle standards and to be able to freely vent over common issues – politics. These ‘empty nester’ gatherings help us find an inner peace in our troubled world.

Our ‘empty nester’s’ are as concerned about what is happening in Washington as are our Cherokee County neighbors, especially those of us referred to as seniors – those referred to in HR 3200, the Obama/Pelosi health care bill, as being expendable carbon footprints. We also know this is not a time to stick our heads in the sand and hope the current heated debates over health care, the stimulus bill, cash for clunkers and the other equally onerous programs will go away. But we then wonder if we seniors are the equivalent of the outdated cars in “the cash for clunkers” program.

Recently, while the health-care rhetoric was at its political zenith, Richard Fagre, our discussion leader, broached the subject of “secret combinations” in society. He referenced the story of Cain and Abel where Cain killed Abel for gain, power and self-glory. The current war against personal liberties began, Richard suggested, with that war in heaven John wrote of in Revelation 12 and continues today as the source of all evils and “secret combinations.” Richard then asked, “Do you think there are ‘secret combinations’ amongst us today trying to destroy our trust in God, the very bedrock of our freedoms, and the principles of freedom embedded in America’s four foundational documents?”

His question created a lively discussion.

Another question was asked, “How do such “secret combinations” get started? Richard told us that it can start with a person like Jared, who anciently wanted to take over his father’s kingdom. Richard read, “And it came to pass that he (Jared) did flatter many people, because of his cunning words, until he (Jared) had gained half of the kingdom.” We concluded that history doesn’t change much over time and that Jared sounds like many in Washington today – especially ‘the one.’ The desire for fame, power and self-glory, and to control other people’s lives drives many and creates along the way these “secret combinations.”

The phrase “cunning words” jumped out at us and we discussed how ‘cunning words’ have been used to subvert the intent and meaning of our constitution, with emphasis on today’s government. We then discussed how the 16^th amendment altered the initial intent of the Founders. This amendment was ratified in 1913 and “changed” America forever.  It opened the door for “secret combinations” to be created in the form of “foundations.” Wealthy industrialists who wanted to “hide” their money from this new tax on income did this by inserting into the initial law, HR3321, 25 “cunning words” that read “Provided, however, that nothing in this section shall apply … to any corporation, or association organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, or educational purposes.” It passed and industrialists continue to control their fortunes today, tax free. Most foundations today are well intended but a few have become nefarious. 

The more nefarious of these foundations today often provide the seed money to groups whose sole intent is to limit America’s liberties and to transform America into a one-world government. These nefarious foundations are at the forefront of the battle to remove God from America’s culture, especially in the schools, and on our coins, and they continue to try to remove the Ten Commandments from our Supreme Court building. And they are heavily involved in the environmental green movement that will certainly lead to higher living costs without helping the environment.

While our ‘empty nesters’ group provides an opportunity to stay in touch with God and the world, it also helps us individually to find that inner peace in our troubled world that we all so desperately seek after.