Restoring Honor:

28 Reflections for 8.28

By ApplePieMom
Dedication

For my loving, energetic family.

For Glenn Beck, who labors tirelessly in the pursuit of truth.

© 2010 ApplePieMom

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Contents
Introduction 4
Day 8.1: Honor 5
Day 8.2: Restoration 6
Day 8.3: Life 8
Day 8.4: Liberty 9
Day 8.5: Happiness 10
Day 8.6: Freedom 11
Day 8.7: Allegiance 12
Day 8.8: Republic 14
Day 8.9: Indivisible 15
Day 8.10: Justice 16
Day 8.11: Amendment I 17
Day 8.12: Courage 18
Day 8.13: Gratitude 19
Day 8.14: Endurance 20
Day 8.15: Forbearance 21
Day 8.16: Harmony 22
Day 8.17: Knowledge 23
Day 8.18: Awakening 24
Day 8.19: Truth 26
Day 8.20: Peace 28
Day 8.21: Charity 29
Day 8.22: Stars 30
Day 8.23: Stripes 31
Day 8.24: Gold 32
Day 8.25: Lincoln Memorial 33
Day 8.26: Washington Monument 34
Day 8.27: In God We Trust 35
Day 8.28: E Pluribus Unum 36
Permissions 37

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Introduction

As our nation prepares for the historic Restoring Honor Rally on August 28,
2010 at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, we are a nation at a crossroads. The
question is, will we choose liberty?

Here you will find contemplations on honor, restoration, life, liberty, and
pursuit of happiness – 28 key values of the American people. This is an offering
to help everyone prepare for an amazing day, whether you are rallying in
Washington, D.C or offering support from home or overseas.

I hope this will help mothers and fathers, children and grandchildren, friends
and neighbors devoted to the cause of liberty to strengthen their spirits, renew
their peaceful intentions, and prepare themselves to (in the words of the
Restoring Honor poster) “come celebrate America by honoring our heroes, our
heritage and our future.”

What more can you do? Fly the American flag at home. The flag is a unifying
symbol of our nation, and displaying it will offer hope to passers by.

Let’s turn now to celebrating this great nation that our founding fathers have
given us; the gift of freedom that has been guarded by generations of Americans;
and the legacy of liberty we desire to pass on to our children.

We will stand up, because we love our beautiful country.

“America! America!
God shed His grace on thee.
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!”
-- America the Beautiful,
(Words by Katharine Lee Bates, Melody by Samuel Ward)

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Day 8.1: Honor
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord.
Psalm 23: 1-6 (NIV)

What is honor?
Honor is integrity.
It is an uprightness of character.
It is built on personal dignity.
It is built on pride of accomplishment.
It is built on merit.
It is built on duty and truth.
Honor earned by one man or woman enriches many.
Honor earned by a team of Americans united in the pursuit of liberty enriches all.

Do you remember the American can-do spirit? It is the spirit that says we can
dream an American dream and make it come true. It is the spirit that teaches us
to imagine new frontiers, to have the courage to explore them, and to pass our
dreams and discoveries on to our children.

Our can-do spirit is not grounded in utopianism, the desire of a populace to

erase all social evils and achieve fulfillment through equality of outcome.
Utopian experiments ultimately fail.

It is grounded in unbridled optimism, a belief that tomorrow will be a better

day, that the fruits of one’s labor belong to the individual, that hard work pays
off, that the golden rule matters, and that the bounty of Earth naturally renews
itself when we are conscientious stewards of our own property. We are believers
in teamwork and giving one’s best. We never give up.

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Day 8.2: Restoration

Then Solomon said, “My father, David, wanted to build this Temple to honor the
name of the Lord, the God of Israel. But the Lord told him,
‘You wanted to build the Temple to honor my name.
Your intention is good, but you are not the one to do it.
One of your own sons will build the Temple to honor me.’
And now the Lord has fulfilled the promise he made,
for I have become king in my father’s place, and now I sit
on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised. I have
built this Temple to honor the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.
And I have prepared a place there for the Ark, which contains
the covenant that the Lord made with our ancestors
when he brought them out of Egypt.”
--1 Kings 8:7 (NIV)

What is restoration?
Restoration is a return to our constitutional foundation.
Restoration is restoring the truth in our history.
It is reading the original sources of American history to our children.
It is rediscovering faith, hope, and charity.
It is rediscovering the signers of the Constitution.
It is rediscovering the wives of the signers of the Constitution.
It is learning the names of the people who rode in the boat with George
Washington when he crossed the Delaware.
It is remembering the Civil War and the Americans who died to end slavery.
It is remembering Native Americans and their many trails of tears.
It is remembering that we are a new people in the New World.
It is remembering that the Declaration of Independence and the United States
Constitution are the bedrock of our republic.
It is honoring those who have fallen in battle to defend our republic.
It is defending the truth of who we are as a people.
It is defending our right to dream of greatness and achieve it.
It is our flag flown proudly.
It is the pledge of allegiance recited in our schools.
It is the taste of freedom that our children will breathe from the very air of
America, because we are a free people who will pass it on.

Why do we have reverence for the Declaration of Independence? As a free

people, we embrace The Declaration of Independence as a cornerstone of our
republic. We recognize and rely on it as an enduring testament to our values and
principles. With its signing, our nation was born on July 4, 1776. Because of
victory in the American Revolution, we shed the tyranny of the British monarch
and began to forge our own destiny.

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 The Declaration of Independence, a document of remarkable importance to
the United States of America, begins like this:

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have

connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the

Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should

declare the causes which impel them to the separation. – We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created

equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the

pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers

from the consent of the governed…

Although standing up for America’s founding principles takes great courage

today, we must take heart from the words of Thomas Jefferson:

In matters of style, swim with the current.

In matters of principle, stand like a rock.
– Thomas Jefferson

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Day 8.3: Life
My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you prosperity.
Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and good name
in the sight of God and man.
--Proverbs 3: 1-4 (NIV)

What is life?
Life is a gift.
We enjoy it.
We cherish it.
We save it.
We endeavor to prolong it.
We count it as individually significant.
We defend life.
We honor the fallen.
We remember those who have gone before us.
At the appointed hour, each of us hopes to say, “I lived it well.”

Why do we care about the life of every single American life? Americans,
culturally, have a powerful regard for life. The life of every newborn baby is a
cause for celebration. The passing of every person is a cause for mourning. The
life of a warrior spurs us to marshal our resources for his protection. The life of
every man, woman, and child is significant, regardless of circumstances. That is
our American tradition.

We will rescue a single captive and rejoice, as one nation, when he or she is
freed. We will praise a world-class surgeon who beats the odds to save a life. We
will spotlight an elder who is celebrating her 100th birthday. We give thanks for
the life of a premature infant who miraculously survives and thrives.

We see every American as created equal and as being afforded equal

opportunity to achieve greatness. This means we have the freedom to try, to fail,
to dust ourselves off, get up, and try again.

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Day 8.4: Liberty
Joyful is the person who finds wisdom,
the one who gains understanding.
For wisdom is more profitable than silver,
and her wages are better than gold.
Wisdom is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
She offers you long life in her right hand,
and riches and honor in her left.
She will guide you down delightful paths;
all her ways are satisfying.
Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
happy are those who hold her tightly.
-- Proverbs 3:13-18 (NIV)

What is liberty?
Liberty is the freedom we have as individual members of society to act of our own
free will, to gain wisdom from our life’s travails, while being mindful never to
infringe on the rights of other individuals.
Liberty is economic freedom, civil liberty, and the right to privacy.
Liberty is freedom from oppression
Liberty is freedom from authoritarian rule.
Liberty is freedom from excessive restrictions on our behavior.
Liberty is living without any possibility of ever being enslaved.
Liberty is the right to buy, own, tend, and sell property.
Liberty is living with an ability to freely express our political views.
It is freedom of movement, of association, of thought.
It is freedom of expression, of speech, of the press.
Liberty is the Bill of Rights.
It is freedom to be ourselves, without being attacked or destroyed.
It is freedom to lend a helping hand.

Since 9.11.2001 we, as a people, have been struggling with the question:
What is essential liberty? To put it another way, how much liberty are we willing
to give up for safety and security? We must continue to question, to pass on our
hard-won wisdom to our children, and shape America to reflect our deepest
values. How much surveillance, satellite imaging, Internet logging, GPS tracking,
street camera recording, financial transaction reporting is enough? You have to
decide, based on values and principles, where the limits lie.

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little

temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
– Benjamin Franklin

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Day 8.5: Happiness
Glory, glory Hallelujah!
Glory, glory Hallelujah!
Glory, glory Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
--Battle Hymn of the Republic

What is happiness?
Happiness is the Hallelujah.
Happiness is joy, bliss, and enlightenment.
Happiness is life and liberty.
Pursuit of happiness is an individual, natural right.
It is mine to find.
It is freedom of thought, of speech, of movement.
It is freedom to dream and to achieve a dream.
It is freedom to breathe and to exhale.
It is freedom to bring life into the world.
It is freedom to love and be loved.
It is the act of giving and of receiving.
Happiness is fleeting and eternal.
It is a smile, a laugh, a kiss.
It is a dance, our youth, our aging.
It is communion and solitude.
It is a quest for knowledge.
It is discovering our place in the universe.
It is the root of peace and prosperity.
It is the now and the forever.

One of our most cherished values as Americans is that we have a natural right
to pursue happiness. It is a founding principle of our nation, declared an
“unalienable right” in the Declaration of Independence, and defended and
preserved as an American ideal since 1776.

Will we be the generation of Americans who allows this natural right to be

alienated from us at long last and to such an extent that in a generation or two
our children will no longer consider “pursuit of happiness” a birthright? Of
course not!

We wish to protect and defend this uniquely American birthright for our
families, our country, and ourselves. Give us the tempestuous sea of liberty!

Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty!
-- Thomas Jefferson

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Day 8.6: Freedom
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
-- Proverbs 4:18 (NIV)

What is freedom?
Freedom is independence.
It is liberty.
It is the Bill of Rights.
It is the Constitution.
It is the Declaration of Independence.
It is the natural rights of mankind.
It is national sovereignty and security.
It is an essential part of American tradition.
It is the melting pot and immigration.
It is the sun rising every day on a free nation.
It is peace, loyalty, duty, and patriotism.

We have a tradition of self-reliance, pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps,

taking on the tough jobs and getting the tough jobs done. The history of the 20th
century speaks volumes about the lengths to which Americans will go to preserve
freedom. Look at WW I, WW II, and the fall of the Berlin Wall.

We have a generation of young Americans who have no direct understanding

of Soviet-style communism, of the Cuban revolution, of the Holocaust. We even
have a generation halfway to adulthood that was too young to remember
9.11.2001. Our challenge is to pass along the lessons of recent history, so that
the lessons we have learned are not lost or reformulated.

After 9.11, someone once said that you can measure America’s love for
freedom by how frequently Americans burst into song. That’s true.

My country, ‘tis of thee,

Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims’ pride,
From every mountain-side
Let freedom ring!
-- America (Rev. Samuel Francis Smith)

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Day 8.7: Allegiance
I pledge allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the republic for which it stands
one nation, under God, indivisible
with liberty and justice for all.
-- The Pledge of Allegiance

What is allegiance?
Allegiance is a citizen’s loyalty to our nation.
It is obligation.
It is fidelity.
It is a promise to uphold the values of our nation.
It is not blind, but informed.
It is not extreme, but true.
It is renewed in the hearts of each new generation.

Where do we see allegiance in action today? When a soldier packs up and

ships out for another tour of duty overseas, there is allegiance in action. When
people stand up for constitutional values, there is allegiance in action. We can
make a difference on 8.28, because we will express our earnest desire to renew
our commitment to the America of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James
Madison, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and all of our Founding Fathers.

Allegiance is closely related to citizenship. We seem to be uncertain about

citizenship in modern America. Perhaps these questions can move us forward
just a little bit:

• Do we still value citizenship as a social contract?

• How does society shape today’s citizen to recognize and fulfill his or her
civic duties? Are we satisfied with citizenship education in the schools? If
not, how would we change it?

• If we had to preserve one essential thing about America would it be our

land, our language, or the Constitutional rights or our people? How would
you reshape this question?

It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen.
-- Aristotle

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Day 8.8: Republic
Man puts his hand to the flinty rock
and overturns mountains by the roots.
He cuts out channels in the rocks,
and his eye sees every precious thing.
He dams up the streams so that they do not trickle,
and the thing that is hidden he brings out to light.
“But where shall wisdom be found
And where is the place of understanding?”
--Job 28:19 (NIV)

What is a republic?
Our American republic is a representative democracy
defined by the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution,
and secured by the American Revolution.
Our republic is a federalist form of government composed of states,
each of which is constitutionally required to have
a republican form of government as well.
Legislative powers granted by the Constitution
are vested in the Congress of the United States.
Executive powers granted by the Constitution
are vested in the President.
Judicial powers granted by the Constitution
are vested in the Supreme Court.
The Declaration of Independence
established as a cornerstone of our republic our
God-given natural rights and a government which
derives its just power from the consent of the governed.
It is left to the electorate to choose wisely
and our representatives to govern well.

Our republic rests on citizenship, free will, and individual liberty. It also rests
on individual spiritual redemption granted by the grace of God.

Fundamental to our republic are the principles of limited government and

natural rights.

Amendment IX
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to
deny or disparage others retained by the people.
--The Constitution of the United States

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 We, as a people, must recognize the blessings of liberty inherent in the
founding principles: that we have certain God-given inalienable, natural rights;
that it is the role of a limited federal government to protect these rights which all
its citizens enjoy; that the federal government derives its power from the consent
of its citizenry; and that it is not the role of the federal government, our elected
representatives to give rights.

Our republic is not a pure democracy. Our founding fathers studied direct
democracy and knew that in history, democracies always failed. Democracies
also crush a minority opinion under the tyranny of the majority.

A republic thrives without czars, mandarins, or social myths and social

secrets spun like tall tales daily. A republic must rely on virtuous civil servants,
moral leaders, and the truth.

It is important to revisit the words of President Abraham Lincoln in the

Gettysburg Address. He gave this speech in November 19, 1863, four months
after the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War, which left 51,000 dead,
wounded, or missing. The Union dead were laid to rest in the newly dedicated
cemetery. Lincoln’s speech, which lasted only two minutes, gave meaning to the
sacrifices made in battle and gave hope for the reunification of the United States
of America.

Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation:
conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are
engaged in a great civil war…testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so
dedicated…can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate
a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation
might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we
cannot dedicate…we cannot consecrate…we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and
dead, who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world
will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It
is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here
have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining
before us…that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they
gave the last full measure of devotion…that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have
died in vain…that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom…and that government
of the people…by the people…for the people…shall not perish from the earth.
– President Abraham Lincoln

The phrase “of the people, by the people, for the people” is in the context of a
republican form of government, not a pure democracy. Be aware of how this
phrase is co-opted today to alter its meaning and sway public opinion to a
different cause entirely.

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Day 8.9: Indivisible

My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment,

do not let them out of your sight;
they will be life for you,
an ornament to grace your neck.
Then you will go on your way in safety,
and your foot will not stumble;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
for the Lord will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being snared.
--Proverbs 3:21-26 (NIV)

What is indivisible?
It is one nation, under God.
It is the sea to shining sea.
It is our sweet land of liberty.
It is our good and just defense of this country.
It is our unity.

It is in the heart of our people to be a great nation.

We must unite on common principles to shape a 21st century America that is

strong and prosperous.

President George Washington, in his first Inaugural Address, spoke of laying

our “National policy…in the pure and immutable principles of private morality;
and the pre-eminence of a free Government…exemplified by all the attributes
which can win the affections of its Citizens, and command the respect of the
world.”

Our common purpose must be to preserve, protect, and defend the republican
model of government we have been granted by history. George Washington said
it best:

“…the preservation of the sacred fires of liberty , and the destiny of the
Republican model of Government, are justly considered as deeply, …finally,
staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.”
-- George Washington

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Day 8.10: Justice
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.
-- Jeremiah 1: 5 (NIV)

What is justice?
It is a fundamental human value.
It is fairness, morality, and equity.
It is reward and punishment.
It is the Wisdom of Solomon.
It is liberty and justice for all.
It is not redistributive of income, taxes, or property.
It is individual, not meted out on a social scale.

We did not set out to be 21st century patriots, but it is where we have found
ourselves, because among other things, we can see that we must stand up to
remind America that these fundamental principles must be upheld:

• Americans require our government to uphold the rule of law.

• Americans depend on equal justice under the law.

• Elected representatives of the United States serve the people.

• Federal appointees of the United States serve the people.

• The U.S. Supreme Court Justices must uphold the Constitution, the
Declaration of Independence, and natural rights.

“Enlighten the people, generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind
will vanish like spirits at the dawn of day.”
--Thomas Jefferson

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Day 8.11: Amendment I
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people
peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
-- The Constitution of the United States

Among our American values, we hold the Bill of Rights (added from 1789 to
1791 as an outgrowth of the constitutional ratification process) as a fundamental
part of the Constitution along with the amendments right on through
Amendment XXVII.

Until now, we probably considered the First Amendment obvious and

inviolate. Now we seem to be at an unfamiliar juncture:
• When “freedom of worship” (to believe but not proselytize) is
attempting to edge out our founding principle of freedom of religion;
• When “hate speech” legislation, a well-meaning but subjective form of
censorship, is moving us toward less freedom of speech for all;
• When the search for truth in the media is a daily battle;
• When the peaceful assembly of citizens bearing American flags is called
many unsavory names and evidence of infiltrators and provocateurs is
on record;
• When petitions related to weighty legislative matters are ignored by our
representatives and bills are passed through Congress without the
consent of the governed.

Are we newly arrived at an era when the only First Amendment rights we will
retain are those we vigorously defend through the courts? Or has the defense of
liberty always been this contentious?

Is the international community moving toward a vision that ties freedom of

expression to equality? Look into Article 19 Global Campaign for Free
Expression, The Camden Principles on Freedom of Expression and Equality
(www.article19.org). Is this international vision what Americans want?

The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and
to protect its free expression should be our first object.
-- Thomas Jefferson

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Day 8.12: Courage

One thing I have desired of the Lord,

That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.
And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
Psalm 27:4-6 (NIV)

This puts one in mind of the great courage demonstrated by American

patriots who served under General George Washington to secure victory in the
American Revolution.

It is an amazing fact that the signers of the Declaration of Independence made

this crucial pledge:

“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of
divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our
sacred Honor.”

A wonderful source of inspiration can be found at The Colonial Williamsburg

Foundation’s web site called “Principles of Freedom”
(http://research.history.org/pf) where you can view American historical
documents in the original.

Our cause is noble. It is the cause of mankind!

-- George Washington

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Day 8.13: Gratitude
A Psalm of Thanksgiving
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God.
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep his pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.
-- Psalm 100 (NIV)

What is gratitude?
It is thankfulness.
It is recognition of one’s blessings.
It is a moment of feeling the sun on your face.
It is holding a loved one’s hand.
It is enjoying today’s sunshine before tomorrow’s rain.
It is smiling at a rainbow after the storm.

Remember, we are accomplishing amazing things. Glenn Beck reminds his

listeners to “Expect miracles!” Filling our hearts with gratitude on this journey
of preserving freedom seems an apt exercise in our humble preparation for any
miracles to come.

Remember, no matter what anyone says, it is good to love this vast and
beautiful country that is our homeland. God bless America!

It is our love of country that makes us get up off the couch.

“If our house be on fire, without inquiring whether it was fired from within or
without, we must try to extinguish it.”
--Thomas Jefferson

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Day 8.14: Endurance
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
Do not hide Your face from me;
O God of my salvation.
Psalm 27:7-9 (NIV)

Many questions of our time are very challenging:

• Why do Americans not unite to protect our liberties?

• Has technology or environmentalism replaced God?

• Is the search for Earth-like planets the only meaningful frontier?

• If demographics are destiny, what is ours? Will we preserve the English

language, our traditions, and our sovereignty?

• Will we teach our children to value American heritage and history?

The peaceful fight for our beloved United States may take time. We may grow
weary, but we must renew our spirits and keep going. Keep reading history.
Keep uncovering the truth. Encourage invention in the cause of liberty such as
online bill readers and side-by-side news coverage of the left and right sides of the
same story. This may bridge the gap by some small degree.

Energy and persistence conquer all things.

-- Benjamin Franklin

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Day 8.15: Forbearance
Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!
Psalm 27:11-14 (NIV)

What if forbearance?
It is tolerance and restraint when faced with provocation.
It is patience.
It is self-control in a difficult situation.

The root of forbearance is humility and truth. If we remain focused on the

truth of our heartfelt love of freedom, we will overcome the forces lined up
against us. If we remain focused on our love of freedom, we can act wisely at
every turn, despite harassment, derision, name-calling, and whatever might be
tossed our way.

It is through being tested that we develop a unity of spirit and become strong.

It cannot have been easy for our fiercely independent-minded ancestors to

birth a new nation. We are cut from the same independent cloth but must unite
now for peaceful restoration of honor and preservation of our 234-year old legacy
of liberty. There is a time for every purpose under heaven. It is our time to stand
up.

There was Captain Washington

Upon a slapping stallion,
A-giving orders to his men,
I guess there was a million.
Yankee doodle, keep it up,
Yankee doodle dandy;
Mind the music and the step,
And with the girls be handy.
-- Yankee Doodle Dandy

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Day 8.16: Harmony
The Lord looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men.
From the place of His dwelling He looks
On all the inhabitants of the earth;
He fashions their hearts individually;
He considers all their works.
Psalm 33: 13-15 (NIV)

Even though our hearts are fashioned individually and we stand as people of
great courage, there is an even greater example we can set when we come
together into a harmonious whole, a peaceful body of people united for a common
cause, the cause of liberty.

This combination of presence and harmony is what will speak to the world.

One very courageous United States Marine has already reminded us earlier
this year that we should look beyond the first verse of our National Anthem for a
revival of patriotic sentiment. And so, in the same spirit of American revival,
here is the verse:

Oh! Thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
-- U.S. National Anthem, The Star Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key

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Day 8.17: Knowledge
The Value of Wisdom
My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you,
So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;
Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
From his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;
He guards the paths of justice,
And preserves the way of His saints.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice,
Equity and every good path.
When wisdom enters your heart,
And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
Discretion will preserve you;
Understanding will keep you.
Proverbs 2:1-11 (NIV)

George Washington’s Farewell Address to the People of the United States is worth revisiting.
Washington stated his belief that our “free constitution” ought to be “sacredly maintained.”
Washington knew that the love of liberty was woven into the hearts of the American people.

George Washington’s Farewell Address

To the People of the United States
FRIENDS AND FELLOW-CITIZENS:
…the constancy of your support was the essential prop of the efforts, and a guarantee of the plans
by which they were effected. Profoundly penetrated with this idea, I shall carry it with me to my
grave, as a strong incitement to unceasing vows that Heaven may continue to you the choicest
tokens of its beneficence; that your union and brotherly affection may be perpetual; that the free
constitution, which is the work of your hands, may be sacredly maintained; that its administration
in every department may be stamped with wisdom and virtue…
...Interwoven as is the love of liberty with every ligament of your hearts, no recommendation of
mine is necessary to fortify or confirm the attachment.
-- Excerpts from George Washington’s Farewell Address published in The Independent Chronicle,
September 26, 1796.

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Day 8.18: Awakening
I cry out with my whole heart;
Hear me, O Lord!
I will keep Your statutes.
I cry out to You;
Save me, and I will keep Your testimonies.
I rise before the dawning of the morning,
And cry for help;
I hope in Your word.
My eyes are awake through the night watches,
That I may meditate on your word.
Hear my voice according to your lovingkindness;
O Lord, revive me according to Your justice.
They draw near who follow after wickedness;
They are far from Your law.
You are near, O Lord,
And all Your commandments are truth.
Concerning Your testimonies,
I have knows of old that You have founded them forever.
Psalm 119: 145-149 (NIV)

What is awakening?
It is opening your eyes after a long sleep.
It is resurrection.
It is revival.
It is seeing for the first time.
And seeing in a new way
And with the sense of the brand new day.

Our spiritual awakening and the restoration of honor are topics of interest to
many. In addition, we must focus effort on an economic awakening and revival to
restore our knowledge of free market principles. Let’s look back at Adam Smith’s
“The Wealth of Nations” (www.online-literature/adam_smith/wealth_nations/).
In “Book V. Of the Revenue of the Sovereign or Commonwealth,” he spoke of the
expenses of a sovereign nation. Smith explained that the first three priorities of
public spending are:
1. Defense
2. Justice, and
3. Public works, to facilitate commerce and education.

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Smith also considered what would happen if tax rates, such as for toll roads, were
continually raised because it was a reliable source of revenue. Here is a
description of what he believed would happen:

“…If the tolls which are levied at the turnpikes should ever be considered
as one of the resources for supplying the exigencies of the state, they would
certainly be augmented…it can scarcely be doubted, but that a million might be
saved out of [the present tolls], if they were doubled; and perhaps two millions, if
they were tripled…. This great revenue, too, might be levied without the
appointment of a single new officer to collect and receive it. But the turnpike
tolls, being continually augmented in this manner, instead of facilitating the
inland commerce of the country, as at present, would soon become a very great
incumbrance upon it. The expense of transporting all heavy goods from one part
of the country to another, would soon be so much increased, the market for all
such goods, consequently, would soon be so much narrowed, that their
production would be in a great measure discouraged, and the most important
branches of the domestic industry of the country annihilated altogether.”

It seems we must rediscover a path we have already traveled to regain

wisdom we once considered common sense.

“An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.”

--Benjamin Franklin

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Day 8.19: Truth

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.
In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have
told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare
a place for you I will come again and will take you to myself, that
where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am
going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are
going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way,
the truth, and the life.”
John 14: 1-4

What is truth?
It is honesty, veracity, and integrity.
It is verifiable and resonates.
It stands the test of time.
Its absence is recognizable,
It is essential to hope and honor.

One of the truths that we have taken for granted in America is that we are a
self-governed nation. But if this self-governance is uprooted by deception, how
restore it? What remedy will we take to set things back on course?

The Progressive Platform of 1912 begins with this:

The conscience of the people, in a time of grave national problems, has called into being a new party, born of the nation’s
sense of justice. We of the Progressive party here dedicate ourselves to the fulfillment of the duty laid upon us by our
fathers to maintain the government of the people, by the people and for the people whose foundations they laid.

We hold with Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln that the people are the masters of their Constitution, to fulfill its
purposes and to safeguard it from those who, by perversion of its intent, would convert it into an instrument of injustice.
In accordance with the needs of each generation the people must use their sovereign powers to establish and maintain
equal opportunity and industrial justice, to secure which this Government was founded and without which no republic can
endure.

This country belongs to the people who inhabit it. Its resources, its business, its institutions and its laws should be
utilized, maintained or altered in whatever manner will best promote the general interest.

It is time to set the public welfare in the first place.

This is a historic example of clever use of language. Did Abraham

Lincoln speak of “industrial justice,” “the people are the masters,” or “in
whatever manner necessary?” Today, we have a whole new set of phrases.

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 The American tradition of self-government and representative
democracy was framed by our founding fathers in the Declaration of
Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. It is not rooted
in political or social progressivism. The change we seek is a return to our
founding principles.

“If this is coffee, please bring me some tea; but if this is tea, please bring me
some coffee.”
-- Abraham Lincoln

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Day 8.20: Peace
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.
Peace be within your walls,
Prosperity within your palaces.”
For the sake of my brethren and companions,
I will now say, “Peace be within you.”
--Psalm 122: 6-8 (NIV)

What is peace?
Peace is tranquility.
It is the absence of war.
Peace is harmony.
It is the absence of fighting.
Peace is unity.
It is the absence of division,
Or the sharing of differences,
Or the recognition of each other’s humanity.

Nowhere is the alteration of the English language, and in turn, of American

thought, more prevalent than in the language of war and peace. A year and a half
ago, Americans spoke of a “Global War on Terror” and an “Axis of Evil.” Now, our
government speaks of “man-made contingency operations” and we are
encouraged to comply with removing even the thought of “terrorism” from our
lexicon.

This is not new. In the essay, “Politics and the English Language,” George
Orwell warned:

A man may take to drink because !he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more
completely !because he drinks. It is rather the same thing that is happening to the !English
language. It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are !foolish, but the
slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to !have foolish thoughts. The point is
that the process is reversible.
-- George Orwell

We must attend to our language, before the copybook headings change.

“You may deceive all the people part of the time, and part of the people all the
time, but not all the people all the time.”
-- Abraham Lincoln

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Day 8.21: Charity
Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the first fruits of all your crops;
then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.
--Proverbs 3: 9-10 (NIV)

What is charity?
Charity is giving.
It is an individual act of generosity.
It is an act of free will.
It is a kindness and a personal sacrifice.
It is handing a gift to one person in need.
It is lending a helping hand.
It is helping the sick and the helpless.
It is an act of love.

America is one of the most charitable nations in the world. We are naturally
generous. We give through churches and private charities, even government, to
help people here and around the world to address issues of food, health,
medicine, clean water, housing, and more. We are moved to individual action by
a strong desire to help people.

Americans are able to reach out with such generosity, because we protect and
defend our own system of free enterprise that has allowed for the greatest
creation of wealth in the history of mankind. The growth of American
businesses, large and small, has created prosperity from which an outpouring of
American charity has poured forth into the world.

“I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually
triumph. And that there’s purpose and worth to each and every life.”
—Ronald Reagan

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Day 8.22: Stars
Hurrah for the flag of the free!
May it wave as our standard forever,
The gem of the land and the sea,
The banner of the right.
Let despots remember the day
When our fathers with mighty endeavor
Proclaimed as they marched to the fray
That by their might and by their right
It waves forever.
---Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa (1897)

When is the last time you heard Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip
Sousa? Maybe at a 4th of July parade? Are we inadvertently forgetting to pass
on this old favorite?

If you have a chance, take some time to find it online this summer and turn it
up for you and the kids to hear. It’s a crowd pleaser and almost guaranteed to lift
your spirits. You can even download a music animation version for $0.76 on the
youtube channel “smalin” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx0RRdPdKcM).
Even the price is patriotic!

We have all heard the stories of Betsy Ross and the first American flag. If you
are interested in learning more, try the online tour of the Betsy Ross historic
home in Philadelphia. This is at the UShistory.org web site
(www.ushistory.org/betsy/house/intro.html). It’s a charming look back at 18th
century life in general, and Betsy’s home environment in particular.

The stars on our flag remind us that our nation is a union of states, each with
its own history and unique heritage.

There has been tension between the federal government and states’ rights
proponents since the Federalist and Republican political parties emerged in the
1790s. It seems the party in power tends toward a Federalist interpretation and
the party out of power tends toward the pre-eminence of state sovereignty.
Nullification and secession are the tools of the states to counter the centralizing
forces of the federal government. But the argument has always centered on the
constitution. What if the constitution is no longer the center of the argument,
because it is being side stepped by laws that it takes years to prove are
unconstitutional? What recourse do the states and the people have?

It’s wonderful what we can do if we’re always doing.

--George Washington

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Day 8.23: Stripes
The American’s Creed
I believe in the United States of America as a Government of the people, by the people, for the people;
whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed,
a democracy in a republic;
a sovereign nation of many sovereign States;
a perfect union, one and inseparable, established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice,
and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.
I therefore believe it is my duty to my Country to love it;
to support its Constitution;
to obey its laws;
to respect its Flag;
and to defend it against all enemies.
-- William Tyler Page, Congressional Record No. 102, April 13, 1918

In 1918, during World War I, an American Creed was entered into the
Congressional Record. Respect for the flag is a basic value in the American
Creed.

The flag that inspired the Star Spangled Banner – its “broad stripes and bright
stars” has been preserved since 1812. Americans raised the flag in victory on
September 14, 1812 after defeating the British at Ft. McHenry (Baltimore,
Maryland) in the War of 1812.

While in Washington, D.C., visitors can view this huge flag at the Smithsonian:

“The Star-Spangled Banner: The Flag that Inspired the National Anthem”
The National Museum of American History
14th St. and Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, D.C.

The Smithsonian is free and open all year except on Christmas Day. At home,
you can learn about the American flag through an interactive Smithsonian
activity:

http://americanhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner/interactive-flag.aspx

When my country, into which I had just set my foot, was set on fire about my
ears, it was time to stir. It was time for every man to stir.
--Thomas Paine, Common Sense

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Day 8.24: Gold
Then the king made a great throne inlaid with ivory and overlaid with pure gold. The
throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. On both sides of the seat
were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. Twelve lions stood on the six
steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other
kingdom. All King Solomon’s goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace
of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was
considered of little value in Solomon’s day. The king had a fleet of trading ships…King
Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.”
--2 Chronicles 9:17-21.

King Solomon was a man who was paid for his wisdom in gold. His wisdom
was what the people relied upon and what they truly valued.

Did you know that the United States had less than one U.S. coin per capita
before 1830 due to a scarcity of precious metal? According to the Smithsonian,
people used foreign coins, paper money, and private tokens instead, until gold
was found in Georgia and North Carolina.

If you would like to see the first gold coin struck for the United States, visit the
American section of the Coins, Currency, and Medals collection at the
Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. The half
eagle $5 coin was the first gold coin struck for the U.S. Also in the collection is
“the world’s most valuable coin, the1933 double eagle $20 gold piece”
(Smithsonian).

The United States went on the gold standard effectively in 1834 and by law in
1900. In the 1930’s, during the Great Depression, the government began to take
America off the gold standard. In 1934, the F. D. R. issued Executive Order 6102
on April 5, 1933, which allowed the government to confiscate private gold and
pay in paper money for it. This revoked the “privilege” of private gold ownership,
making it illegal to possess gold or gold certificates, except collectors’ coins
minted before April 5, 1933 (the date of F.D.R.’s Executive Order). The U.S. fully
abandoned the gold standard in 1971. The “privilege” of private gold ownership
was restored on August 15, 1974.

“Fire is the test of gold, adversity of strong men.”

--Seneca, Epistles

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Day 8.25: Lincoln Memorial

Let the sea resound, and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
let the mountains sing together for joy;
let them sing before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity.
Psalm 98: 7-9 (NIV)

If you are going to the Lincoln Memorial on 8.28, remember how fortunate
you are! If you are supporting everyone from home, you can enjoy the Lincoln
Memorial too via the new Lincoln Memorial Interactive web site
(www.nps.gov/linc/index.htm).

The Lincoln Memorial features a 19-foot statue of Abraham Lincoln designed

by Daniel Chester French. Behind the seated figure inscribed in marble is this
saying:

IN THIS TEMPLE
AS IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE
FOR WHOM HE SAVED THE UNION
THE MEMORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
IS ENSHRINED FOREVER

Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is etched in stone.

FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS AGO,

OUR FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH ON
THIS CONTINENT A NEW NATION:
CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY, AND
DEDICATED TO THE PROPOSITION
THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL.

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Day 8.26: Washington Monument
O Lord my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
He wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.
Psalm 104:1-3 (NIV)

The Washington Monument is a towering obelisk reaching over 555 feet high
and weighing 100,000 tons including its foundation. It is the tallest building in
Washington, D.C. The Washington Monument is made of 36,000 stone blocks,
mostly marble and granite.

When you stand before the Lincoln Memorial it will be behind you across the
Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, past the World War II memorial, and on the
National Mall.

This year, 2010, marks the 125th Anniversary of the dedication of the
Washington Monument, which occurred on February 21, 1885. You can readily
observe two stages of monument construction marked by a change in the marble
coloring. The monument construction was halted in 1854, restarted briefly,
halted for twenty years then started again by the U.S. Army Corps of engineers in
1878. Construction was completed in 1884.

If you want to go inside the Washington Monument while you are visiting
Washington, D.C. it is free, but you must have a ticket. Make sure to call ahead
for your ticket (1-877-444-6777 for individual tickets or 1-877-559-6777 for
groups). You can also reserve tickets at www.recreation.gov. There is a small
service charge. You pick up your reserved tickets at will call. This summer the
monument is open from 9 A. M. to 10 P. M.

There are 193 commemorative stone tablets set into the interior walls of the
monument. They come from private and public organizations, cities, states, and
many countries. They were sent to honor our first president who became an
American legend. The commemorative stone from Hawaii is crushed coral. From
California it is marble. From New York the stone is

There is a Destiny which has the control of our actions, not to be resisted by the
strongest efforts of Human Nature.
-- George Washington, 9.12.1758

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Day 8.27: In God We Trust
IN GOD WE
TRUST
-- United States National Motto

By an Act of Congress (36 U.S.C section 302) in 1956, the words “IN GOD WE
TRUST” became the official United States motto.

What does IN GOD WE TRUST mean to our nation?

Historically, it means we are a God-fearing, Christian nation. It means we

were founded on Judeo-Christian values. It means our founders trusted in a
providential God.

Today, in addition to the historical significance, our national motto signifies

that we are a blessed nation. We need not apologize for believing in American
exceptionalism, for having an industrious nature, for earning and enjoying
prosperity, for generosity expressed through individual, charitable giving.

Our nation is a beacon of hope for the world.

Our trust in God and the goodness of man, is one reason for that.

We are a people defined by our love of freedom.

Our national motto is more than patriotic or ceremonial. It is the heart of who
we are.

To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under heaven.
--Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)

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Day 8.28: E Pluribus Unum
For everything that was written in the past
was written to teach us,
so that through endurance and encouragement
of the Scriptures we might have hope.
May the God who gives endurance
and encouragement give you a spirit of unity
among yourselves…
Romans 15: 4-6(NIV)

E PLURIBUS UNUM

It is written on our coins, always there, but seldom noticed:

• over the Lincoln Memorial on the back of a penny

• over Monticello on the back of a nickel
• over the American eagle on the back of a quarter
• across the olive branch, torch, and oak branch on the back of a dime.

(If you take a minute and look at the back of a penny, inside the Lincoln Memorial you will see
Abraham Lincoln sitting there.)

E Pluribus Unum. Out of many, one.

This Latin saying expresses the fervent desire of our people to be one nation, to build on our
common values.

It is in this spirit of unity that American champions of liberty will come together for the
Restoring Honor Rally at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on 8.28.2010. We will stand up, and we
will make history.

All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that
are movable, and those that move.
-- Benjamin Franklin

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Permissions
Cover Page: Restoring Honor is an excerpt from the freely downloadable poster at
http://media.glennbeck.com/828/828kit.pdf. This is not an official endorsement.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE

HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978,
1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing
House. All rights reserved.

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