Brands and Badges

"A Brand New Man"

A BRAND NEW MAN

Now I lay me down to rest
With a heavy load lifted off my chest
I’m coming home a brand new man
I can do it, YES I can!

These past few months have been pure h***
No one needs to live in jail
You don’t have to act a fool
Just to prove that you are cool

I’ve learned a lot in all these days
And I’ll never forget the price I paid
I can’t say I’d take it back
But I sure can say, I’m done with that!

 Author: Jennifer Starkey

            Vacations, retirements, sick-days were unheard of in my youth.  People rejoiced in accomplishment, hard work and responsible living.

            There is at least one generation, still living, that never knew what it was to draw ANYTHING from government.  There wasn't any social security, entitlements, grants, subsidies or public housing (with the exception of the "poor house") of any type.  Real men, marrying real women, producing real children, took great pride in real homes-churches-communities.  "Daddy" went to work everyday and made enough money to support a family while "Momma" stayed home, in most cases, raising well behaved children.  Every society, culture, and community, witnessed real men anxious to get home at the end of a work day to real families... a well kept house, home prepared food.  These people were not bored.  You never heard the word "bored."  They did not seek entertainment.  They worked in their yard and garden, attended civic club responsibilities, tackled every church opportunity, preferred exercising themselves in local ball games (just imagine men-women-young participating in local ball games, their own municipal facilities compared with today's obese-diabetic-laggards, on the lazy boy, watching young millionaires play ball) and were branded as good tax-paying, voting, God-fearing, law-abiding, citizens. 

            This writer has never been bored one minute in his entire life!  There are too many good books to read, interesting people with which to visit, plans to make and things to do! 

            Too many men and women have sold their souls so cheaply.  Satan always pays off with counterfeit.  Too many convinced that it is "who you know, not what you know."  Too many people taking a short cut of compromise, happy hour instead of quiet time. 

            He was a very pitiful, yet, in every way, beautiful young man.  I was talking with him, and this was in our college days, about family life on the farm.... my hard working parents, grandparents, even the tenants and hired people on the farm... I remember talking to him about the beauty of the soil, crops growing from the soil, the sweat from work, the taste of simple food.  He had come from a very prosperous family.  He told me of the embarrassment of accidently seeing his own father with his mistress... knowing that his own father had fathered a child with another woman, knowing the distress it would bring to his own dear mother.  He said, "This is the way it is with people who put the country club, golf club, promotions and appointments through nepotism, as their first priority.  Their agenda of purpose.  It is so easy, takes so little hard work, just skating and compromising instead of climbing to reach the top of the ladder." 

            This field grade medical Army officer still remembers other Army officers who gained their promotions at the officer's club because their wives "hobnobbed" with the wives of superior officers, and in many cases, their wives actually did more than "compromise" with the superior officer.  One young officer told me his wife paid dearly, in bed with his superior officers, for the husband's promotions.  If the truth were only known, how many politicians compromised every vestige of their own personal morality and value system to get and stay elected.  If the truth were only known about the debts of so many elected politicians owed for political favoritism-campaign funds, we would all be aghast!

            You do wear a brand... you are branded as a disciple of Christ (faith-mercy-committed to God) or as one deceived by the satanic forces of the world-flesh-devil.  Thank God, many have achieved greatness on their own, but many in the world of politics and entertainment have taken shortcuts.  You know it, your family knows and most of the time others will learn.  There are many well known brands which we use... Kraft foods, Nestle, P&G, GM.  Most do not withstand the test of time.  They get taken over, get destroyed by their own failures.  We well remember Eastern and Braniff airlines, Packard, Blackwater, the pay phone, trust/hope chest, and fountain pen.  We could list thousands of things that were a large part of our lives and vocabulary, now a part of our history.  The world's oldest brand is a medicine from India, Ayurvedic, still manufactured today.  How many remember Castoria?  Lydia Pinkems?    

           In the early wild west, ranchers branded their cattle with a hot iron. And, we are all branded, one way or another. Many kept their brand in the closet for many years (homosexuals, mafia, drug cartels). Now, the gay lifestyle and agenda has become a badge of honor, not a brand. Now, eugenics and euthanasia (killing of babies and elderly), has become a badge which no longer shames. Now, divorce, illegitimate children, and welfare checks are flaunted before the public, even at the church house. Welfare queens wear, as a badge, many children from many fathers. Badges which were honorable to boy scouts, police officers, pastors (vestments) and military units, are no longer burying the weight of honor.

            The best example I could ever give to the real difference in a brand of honor and a badge of dishonor is former pastor, Cho Yong-gi, served 750,000 members. "In the early 21st century, the church's goals for next 10 years are to build 500 prayer houses and 5,000 satellite churches in Korea..." Recently, he was sentenced to 3 years in prison for embezzlement.

            It was true 4000 years ago and is still true today:

            "A good name is to be more desired than great wealth, Favor is better than silver and gold."  - Proverbs 22:1