Free Republic

For all of life is like that race, With ups and downs and all. And all you have to do to win, Is rise each time you fall Essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “There is always a reason for good or bad fortune … good luck is another name for tenacity of purpose.” For working folks, if having enough money to support their families is regarded as good fortune, then not having enough is bad fortune. In 1993, fortune, that fickle femme fatale, ignored my two decades of working to build a career and support a family, and left...

Today’s gospel teaches us to pray always and not lose heart. This is a gospel about having tenacity in prayer and, even when the results seem discouraging, continuing to beseech the Lord. It is also a gospel about the Lord’s will to extend the gospel to all the nations and to make the Church truly catholic.Let’s look at this gospel in five stages.STAGE I. TRAVELS - The text says, At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Thus Jesus goes north of Israel into the territory we know today as Lebanon. Now Matthew is not just...

We must pray with courage to the Lord, and with tenacity just as Abraham did. That’s what Pope Francis said to the faithful gathered for early morning Mass in the chapel of the Vatican guest house Santa Marta Monday. The Pope reiterated that praying is also “negotiating with the Lord,” even coming “out of left field” as Jesus teaches us. Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and Secretary Bishop Brian Farrell concelebrated today’s mass which was attended by members and staff of the same council. In his homily, Pope Francis referred to Abraham’s courage...

NORRIS LAKE NAMESAKE Lap Dog Swims Laps Into Family’s Heart By Etta Pettijohn Norris Lake is known for a lot of things – good fishing, beautiful scenery -- but now the reservoir has a new namesake. Norris, a full-blooded Boston Terrier, may not walk on water, but he literally swam his way into the hearts of the Hodge family of Powell. Bob Hodge, an outdoor columnist for the “Knoxville News Sentinel,” described in his May 8 column how Norris came into his life. “A week ago, a half-dozen or so soon-to-be-graduates from Powell High School were capping off their prom...

WASHINGTON, May 17, 2007 – Today’s servicemembers reflect the same determination shown by those who fought for America’s freedom more than 200 years ago, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in a message issued as the annual Armed Forces Day observance approaches. Armed Forces Day -- always the third Saturday in May -- is observed May 19 this year. Gates said many people are familiar with the opening of Thomas Paine’s treatise called “The Crisis,” written in defense of the then-fledgling American Revolution: “These are the times that try men’s souls.” Less familiar, he said, is a later passage...

December 7th, 1941, a date that will live in infamy. Why did it happen? What was Japan's logic behind the sneak attack? What was the logic behind the U.S.'s demands for unconditional surrender in 1945? Answering these questions isn't just a dry exercise in trivial history. They carry an important lesson that most people are unaware of. First of all the Japanese military was under no illusion that they could defeat the United States military. They knew that the United States had the resources to defeat them. So why on Earth would Japan attack someone whom they knew could kick...

What happened? Hello? Hello? Anybody home? "MESSAGE TO DISABLED FLORIDIANS" December 1998, Florida By Governor-elect Jeb Bush "Talking with a variety of Floridians with disabilities and their families has helped understand a lot more about the lives, challenges and dreams of those with disabilities. However, I know that my education continues with everyone new I meet. People with disabilities are no different than anyone else. They want to work, have families, and live independently. As Governor, I would work hard to create an environment that gives people with disabilities every opportunity to be independent and play an active role in...

Does anyone else think that President Bush should nominate John O'Neil for the Supreme Court? Perhaps the position of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court when the time comes. He has shown, Intelligence, Integrity, Honor and Tenacity. We owe a great debt for what these Patriotic men have accomplished.

Battelle Survey at AUSA Conference Also Identifies Knowledge/Intelligence Developments as Key to Preventing Attacks on U.S. Soil When it comes to winning the global war on terrorism, technology is critical, but don't underestimate tenacity, according to defense technology industry and military leaders assembled at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Winter Symposium and Exposition. A survey released today by Battelle, a global leader in science and technology, found that a majority of AUSA attendees (54%) believe Americans' perceptions of the terrorism threat at home and abroad will have a greater impact on the nation's ability to successfully battle...

Arnold Schwarzenegger jokes, "My kids are normal kids. They go to the mall and pass out recall petitions". And, on a recent "Tonight" show, Schwarzenegger facetiously remarked to Jay Leno, "There is no money over there (in Iraq). There's no leadership – pretty much like California." Rapper Snoop Dogg was also on the program and promptly dubbed Schwarzenegger "The Notorious GOP" in good fun. Watch out Governor Davis! Auh-nuld might indeed be gearing up to "terminate" your political career in the state of California. Clearly, Schwarzenegger is testing the political waters at this juncture. The California recall effort is in...

Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.  When our youngest son Kyle was ready to learn to ride a bicycle, I thought I’d be off the hook. I had taught his brothers Ryan and Joel to ride, and now they would teach Kyle. But one evening my wife Cathy said sweetly, "Ted, I think it’s a good time for you to teach Kyle to ride a bike." I went down to the garage to get the red Columbia we had bought for Joel and let some of the air out of the...