FReeper Canteen ~ Sunday Chapel ~ EXAMINING THE FOUNDATION ~ 05 July 2026

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | The Canteen Crew

[Kathy in Alaska]

EXAMINING THE FOUNDATION

It was back in 1962, I'm told, when cracks began to appear in the 42nd story of a very expensive high-rise in Hong Kong. It had already withstood numerous typhoons. And there was no ready explanation for the cracks' sudden appearance. Yet there they were. Obviously, there had to be a problem somewhere. So a team of architects and structural engineers was called in to ferret out the cause.

Finally, one determined engineer stumbled upon the reason as he was prowling around the foundations deep in the basement. When he tapped the plaster, he noticed that some parts sounded strangely hollow. So he began systematically chipping away at the covering layer. And soon he had his explanation -- a large number of bricks had been removed from the building's foundation! But, why? Further investigation eventually led to a surprising revelation. It seems that, some years earlier, a night watchman had been building an addition to his house. To save on costs, he had loosened the mortar around a few bricks each night, removed them from the wall, wrapped them in old newspaper, and smuggled them out of the building at the end of his shift. He only took a few at a time. And no one had ever noticed. He didn't think it would make a difference. After all, he had been very careful to fill the breach with plaster. But an engineer could have told him differently. Though it might take years for such cracks to appear, the end result was inevitable once the foundation had been weakened. The building APPEARED sound, but, as is so often the case, an attractive exterior hid a potentially fatal flaw.

As Dr. Harold Sala commented, "...the cracks... don't always appear overnight, but when the foundation is tampered with, inevitably the superstructure will feel the effect." He was talking about family life, but you could just as easily apply those comments to our spiritual development... or to life in the wider community. The Psalmist asked, "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psalm 11:3) And who could forget the story Jesus told about the importance of foundations? (Matthew 7:24)

This weekend offers another perspective on the topic of "foundations" as millions of Americans celebrate Independence Day. And for those of us who are committed, from a FAITH perspective, to the pursuit of truth and justice, it offers an opportunity to reflect on the healthy ways that faith has often influenced our citizenship. I remember that Earl Warren, who later became chief justice of the Supreme Court, once admitted, "I believe the entire Bill of Rights came into being because of the knowledge our forefathers had of the Bible and their belief in it." Our nation still has many flaws, and has frequently failed to live up to its lofty ideals. But, time and again, it has been our founders' vision of "freedom and justice for all" that has enabled us to overcome divisions and make a "course correction" without anarchy.

This holiday weekend offers the opportunity to celebrate that vision, perhaps even to rediscover its religious roots. It was faith, not greed, that led the founders to "...hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights." It's a time for reflection and recommitment. A time to (as Isaiah says) "look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug." (51:1)

CAPT J. David Atwater, CHC, USN

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TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Free Republic
KEYWORDS: canteen; chapel; military; troopsupport

[Kathy in Alaska]

Please join us for Sunday Chapel ~ EXAMINING THE FOUNDATION, and Liberty

Lt. Charles F. Suver, CHC, USN, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division
"Mass at Iwo Jima"

Please stop in and say a prayer of protection for the military.
Prayers from all denominations are needed.



Sunday Liberty starts after the Guest Military Chaplain's Service!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Dear God:
I ask that no Airman, Coast Guardsman,
Marine, Sailor, Soldier, Reservist, National Guardsman, or Merchant Marine
feel alone or forgotten.

O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For with the Lord there is loving kindness,
And with Him is abundant redemption.
And He will redeem Israel
From all his iniquities.

Psalm 130:7 & 8

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hello Veterans, wherever you are!!

A Blessed Lord's Day and Shavua Tov to you.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Shavua Tov.
Wishing all our Jewish troops, veterans, families, allies, friends, and Canteeners
a peaceful and prosperous week.

[radu]

Greetings to all at the Canteen!

To all our military men and women, past and present,

THANK YOU
for your service!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Prayers for our troops, veterans, families, allies, friends, and Canteeners
for a safe and peaceful week ahead.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Extra prayers for Israel...

He Who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - may He bless the fighters of the Israel Defense Force, who stand guard over our land and the cities of our G-d from the border of the Lebanon to the desert of Egypt, and from the Great Sea unto the approach of the Aravah, on the land, in the air, and on the sea.

May HASHEM cause the enemies who rise up against us to be struck down before them. May the Holy One, Blessed is He, preserve and rescue our fighting men from every trouble and distress and from every plague and illness, and may He send blessing and success in their every endeavor.

May He lead our enemies under their sway and may He grant them salvation and crown them with victory. And may there be fulfilled for them the verse: For it is Hashem, your G-d, Who goes with you to battle your enemies for you to save you.

G-d bless and keep your children safe, Alouette.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, radu, and a Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours.

Burning hot, heavy rain. How’s your weather today?

[left that other site]

Happy Independance Day!

I Hope You Had A Great One!
Blessed Is The Nation Whose God Is The LORD (Psalm 33)

God Bless America.

[radu]

Howdy, Kathy.

No rain here though there were some storms along the mountains a little earlier. Hot and sticky.

Pretty gloomy up your way today. There’s been some interesting cloudage along the mountains.

Getting ready to head out to the front porch. Just looked out the window and I can see some of Winchester’s fireworks show from here.

[Kathy in Alaska]

God Bless our military men and women who have given their all.

Thanks, unique.

[lightman]

Keep the Lord’s Day in the Lord’s way.

A blessed Sixth Sunday after Pentecost (Western)/Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Orthodox) to all!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, ML...((HUGS))...and a Blessed Lord's Day and Shavua Tov to you and yours.

Happy Independence Day to you as well. Hope you had a good day. Any fireworks displays?

[luvie]

HAPPY
INDEPENDENCE
DAY 250!!

Kate Smith~God Bless America
Lee Greenwood~My Country Tis Of Thee
Mannheim Steamroller~Star Spangled Banner
U S Army Band~Battle Hymn Of The Republic
Ray Charles~America The Beautiful
Waylon Jennings~America
Toby Keith~Happy Birthday America
Neil Diamond~America
John Williams~Hymn To The Fallen
Amatorski~Come Home



GOD TRULY BLESS AMERICA!
KEEP HER SAFE AND FREE!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Enjoy your fireworks.

The neighbor across the street and kids and grandkids just had a few. I don’t remember them doing it before. It was fun the watch.

Then they got out the brooms and cleaned everything up. Can’t tell anything went on.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, luvie, and a Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours.

Thanks for the Independence Day tunes.

[radu]

Howdy, luvie.

Hope you’ve had a great day.

[radu]

They were pretty good. LOTS of fireworks going off all around the county but I could only hear them. Still can.
Mother Nature added to the show with a HUGE thunderhead flashing lightning like crazy.

Cool that you got a little show outside the front door. You could see those! Nice of them to go out to clean up the mess - - and fireworks do leave a mess behind.

[luvie]

Hey there, radu!

The fireworks just started in Duluth. if you want noise, watch the bridge cam.